A delegation from Letterkenny was warmly received in Rudolstadt, Germany, for the town’s St Patrick’s weekend celebrations. Please click on the arrows to go through the gallery
The two towns have been twinned since 2018, thanks to Letterkenny native Karol Kerrane. Karol lives in Rudolstadt and founded the Letterkenny Irish Pub in the town. Through him, and Rudolstadt Mayor Jörg Reichl, the two towns have enjoyed close relations with the official twinning over the years. A delegation from Rudolstadt visits Letterkenny each year in the autumn.
This year, the Letterkenny delegation included local councillors Donal Coyle, who represented the Letterkenny-Milford Municipal District on behalf of his Fianna Fáil colleague Caothaoirleach Ciaran Brogan, as well as Fine Gael Cllr Jimmy Kavanagh and Sinn Féin Cllr Gerry McMonagle. Cllr Coyle officially launched the St Patrick’s weekend festival and praised the power of music to bring people together.
Local bands Bellows & Beats and The Soggy Bottom Boys, as well as musicians John Muldowney, Cathal Mac Fhloinn, Donal McGinley and Grace Nugent were all invited to represent Letterkenny’s impressive music scene. The St Patrick’s weekend festival lasted from Friday to Sunday and included plenty of live music performances.
The Letterkenny delegation were treated to a packed itinerary during their visit from Thursday to Monday, exploring local attractions and learning about the rich history of Rudolstadt and the surrounding region of Thuringia. The group were officially welcomed by Mayor Reichl upon arrival in Rudolstadt on Thursday.
Letterkenny representatives received a tour of the nearby Volkstedt porcelain factory, led by guide Marie Simon, and learned about the importance of the craft to the culture of the area. The delegation also visited the Watzdorfer brewery, which managing director Tobias Rögner informed uses 97 per cent local ingredients in its produce.
The delegation was brought to the town of Sonneberg, also in Thuringia. Known as the “world’s toy city”, the group received a tour of Sonneberg’s German Toy Museum from Deputy Head Julia Thomae. They were treated to a special exhibition depicting a Sonneberg fair day, which was first shown at the 1910 Brussels International Exposition.
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Triona Callaghan from Letterkenny band Bellows and Beats presenting a gift on behalf of the band to Rudolstadt Mayor Jörg Reichl
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Inside the porcelain factory
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Left to right: Bellows and Beats band members George Bates, Deirdre Crossan, PJ Doherty, Katherine 'Kiki' Crossan McGrath, Patrick 'Paddy' Doherty, Siobhan McCafferty Bates, Triona Callaghan, Jackie Quill and Clare Kelly
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Cllr Donal Coyle presenting a gift to Marie Simon at the Volkstedt porcelain factory