Louth well represented at New York St. Patrick’s Day festivities

Louth County Council says the visit its delegation paid to New York for St Patrick's Day, was an opportunity to advance Louth’s economic, tourist and business interests, as representatives from across the county joined the St. Patrick’s Day festivities in New York last week.

The Louth delegation included An Cathaoirleach of Louth County Council, Cllr Conor Keelan, as first citizen of Louth, Cllr Kevin Meenan, Cathaoirleach of Dundalk Municipal District, Cllr Michelle Hall, Mayor of Drogheda, and Cllr Paula Butterly, Cathaoirleach of Ardee Municipal District.

Louth County Council officials, Director of Service, Joe McGuinness and Thomas McEvoy, Director of Service, also joined the delegation.

^{ABOVE:  (l-r) Louth County Council Director of Service Thomas McEvoy, Cathaoirleach, Cllr. Conor Keelan, Mayor of Drogheda, Cllr.Michelle Hall, Cllr.Paula Butterly, chair of Ardee Municipal District, Cllr. Kevin Meenan, chair of Dundalk Municipal District, and Joe McGuinness, Director of Service, Louth County Council, during a visit to the Tourism Ireland offices}

The Council says that the visit was a fantastic opportunity to strengthen existing ties and to represent Louth in the world famous New York St. Patricks Day parade, where Cathaoirleach, Cllr. Conor Keelan was invited by the County Louth Society of New York to lead the County Louth delegation.

“It was a great honour to lead the Louth parade on St. Patrick’s Day in New York, and to represent the county at a series of meetings to explore Louth’s strategic position on the Dublin Belfast Economic Corridor,” said the Cathaoirleach.

^{ABOVE: Cllr. Kevin Meenan, chair of Dundalk Municipal District in conversation with Ireland’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Fergal Mythen. Also in photo Director of Service Joe McGuinness, Cllr. Paula Butterly, chair of Ardee Municipal District, Cllr. Michelle Hall, Mayor of Drogheda and Cllr. Conor Keelan, Cathaoirleach of Louth County Council}

Representatives from Louth met with amongst others, the IDA, Tourism Ireland, the Irish Consulate, and Enterprise Ireland to discuss issues ranging from the development of Louth’s digital infrastructure, and work on the Shared Ireland Fund with Newry, Mourne and Down District Council,  Louth as an integral part of Ireland’s Ancient East, along with the opportunities to develop the Louth, Down and Armagh region as a ‘Destination of Excellence’ for activity tourism.

Also on the agenda were significant infrastructure projects, including the Narrow Water Bridge, and the Carlingford Greeway.

Louth County Council says the visit was an ideal opportunity to promote Drogheda, Boyne Valley, and the Ardee and mid Louth areas as a valuable tourism destination for the American market. Strong assets such as the county’s rich heritage, coastline, golf clubs, night life, festivals, and its ease of proximity to Dublin were all highlighted.

In addition, it says, the trip helped put Louth on the map during meetings with Ireland’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Fergal Mythen, and at an event organised by the Irish Consulate Office, where Micheál Martin, Tánaiste was the guest speaker.