Limerick Quimper Twinning refreshed for 2025

A DEDICATED group of Limerick citizens is working diligently to revive the Limerick Quimper Twinning, with exciting developments and a packed schedule for 2025. Quimper is a city in Brittany, northwest France.

Chair Laurence Garric and Colm Crowe met in July with the Quimper-Limerick Twinning Committee in Quimper, accompanied by Quimper’s Councillor in charge of twinnings, Nolwenn Henry.

Also in attendance were the President and Secretary of the Quimper-Limerick Comité de Jumelage, Michel Pensec and Michel Corre, alongside committee members Josiane Beujet, Lionel Poiraudeau, Catherine Le Pissart, Jeannine Canevet, and Fiachra Mac An Tsaoir. A special highlight of the meeting was the participation of Limerick Mayor John Moran and Caillum Hedderman, who joined via video conference.

In a reciprocal meeting, Anna Vari Chapalain, Deputy Mayor of Quimper, and her husband Tanguy, met with members of the Limerick committee the following day in Limerick. This included Michelle Daly-Hayes, Laurent Talazac (Treasurer), Marie Hackett, Senator Maria Byrne, Cllr Olivia O’Sullivan, and Lorna Hodkinson. They were warmly welcomed by Teresa Crowley at The Hunt Museum, where they enjoyed a guided tour. In October, a successful live streamed film festival organised by Mark O' Connor was held in Limerick featuring films from both cities.

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More recently, Mayor John Moran hosted a delegation from the group in City Hall to discuss upcoming events and potential link-ups for the future. A gift from the city of Quimper was presented to Mayor Moran by the Limerick group on behalf of Deputy Mayor of Quimper Anna Vari Chapalain. 

Many thanks to all who contributed to these successful events. The group looks forward to further strengthening the bonds between Limerick and Quimper in the coming months.

In the works are: An online chess competition between the Limerick Chess Club and Echiquier Quimpérois; the visit of Quimper poet and committee member Lionel Poiraudeau, invites to the Kate O'Brien Limerick Literary Festival in February, exchanges between The Hunt Museum and the Musée Départemental Breton de Quimper; a student film festival; a scouts exchange; connections between the Quimper committee and Limerick representatives at the Sea Tech Week in Brest in October 2024; an underage rugby team attending the Quimper International Rugby Festival; Limerick choirs visiting their counterparts in Quimper; school exchanges; a Christmas market and a festival celebrating trees and positive climate change actions.

A LinkedIn page for the twinning has been set up too, you can follow for upcoming events and more information.