Skerries

Guichen

Twinning Events

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Page updated
12 / 02 / '02

July 1991:
A small group of visitors from the Canton of Guichen visited the area on a fact-finding mission. Accompanied by Kevin Thorp, President of the Irish/Breton Society, they saw Skerries harbour with the sun setting behind the islands and decided that this was for them! Subsequently a public meeting was held in Skerries and an ad hoc committee was elected to look into the possibility of forming a twinning link.

October 1991:
Accompanied by Kevin Thorp, a delegation visited Guichen as guests for their twinning ceremony with Spanish town Villafranca de los Barros.

April 1992:
Sixteen visitors from the Canton, led by the Mayor of Bourg-des-Comptes spent six days in Skerries getting to know the area and the people. Links were established with the secondary and primary schools.

October 1992:
A return visit was paid to Guichen by a group from Skerries. Visits were paid to many local sights and meetings took place to establish firmer links between the two communities.

April 1993:
Sixty visitors were accommodated from Guichen on a week-long visit to Ireland. They also took in a short three-day to the West of Ireland. Plans were made for future schemes of cooperation between teenager.

July 1993: . .
Sports trip to Guichen with 40 Skerries teenagers and 10 adult leaders. The group travelled via Rosslare and overland to Guichen and spent five days in daily contact with their French hosts in a multitude of games and activities. This included an exhibition of hurling and lessons for the French in Gaelic football!

Autumn 1993:
Skerries Town Twinning Association embarked on what was one of the most ambitious programmes to date. Under the PETRA initiative ( an EU funded scheme to offer vocational and language training to young unemployed people in a partner country) 8 young trainees came to Skerries on a 3-month scheme. A month-long language and cultural programme was followed by a two-month long work placement. The trainees were lodged in local families and were encouraged to become active in the local community. Their job placements were both locally and in Dublin.

October 1993
The first school exchange took place between pupils from Holy Faith/De la Salle Secondary School (now Skerries Community College) and the College St. Joseph, in Guignen. Thirty-three Irish students and two teachers visited the Canton for a two-week stay.