Ross makes play for potential Longford-San Francisco link up

Cllr Paul Ross received the unanimous backing at last week's meeting of Longford County Council for local authority officials to examine the prospect of Longford securing closer fiscal as well cultural connections with San Francisco.

The Fine Gael local representative made the plea on foot of recent remarks made by Vice President Kamala Harris during which she referenced Longford native Frank McCoppin as the first ever Irish Mayor of a major city in the USA in 1867.

That came, Cllr Ross, said in Vice President Harris' St Patrick's Day speech.

“San Fran is a global centre of economic activity,” he said.

“It’s got a global domestic product of €1.25 trillion and it is something we should pursue for economic and cultural benefits.”

Party colleague, Cllr Paraic Brady agreed and suggested the possibility of a new twinning accord with the sixth largest economy in the US.

Fianna Fáil Cllr Seamus Butler followed suit and told of his own first hand experience of witnessing San Francisco's economic well being during a visit to the American west coast last Easter.

“There is a long connection with the Irish community that goes back a long way and it is certainly a very vibrant area with very good transport,” he said.

“I think it will be very exciting as a lot of our twinning is cultural and this would be great to look at commercial and business links.”