Carrigaline Twinning Association
Every year a student exchange takes place between both towns with students from Carrigaline travelling to Guidel in late June and their Breton host students travelling to Carrigaline in August.
An Adult exchange takes place every 2 years allowing the adults to have a little fun too. This takes place usually at Easter or sometime in the summer. This is a lovely way to make new friends, not only in Guidel but also in Carrigaline as you get to know your travelling companions very well. Hosting adults involves just 4 days generally now as a trip away is organised midweek for the visiting group due to the fact that after 20 years of visiting most people are now very familiar the Carrigaline and the Guidel environs.
We are actively looking for new members to take part in these exchanges. An adult group from Guidel will be visiting Carrigaline this coming Easter, arriving on Easter Saturday. We are also actively seeking students from Carrigaline and environs to travel to Guidel in June. If you are interested in hosting and becoming part of what is now one of the longest running and most successful twinning associations in Ireland please contact any of the following committee members.
You will be delighted you did!!!!
Contact Details:
telephone: Jim Kelly 086-2321064 or email: info@carrigaline.ie
Carrigaline/Guidel Twinning Association
25th Guidel Anniversary
In July 2011 approx 80 individuals from Carrigaline and environs travelled to Guidel in Brittany to help celebrate the 25th anniversary of the signing of the twinning charter between both towns. This relationship between Carrigaline and Guidel has run very successfully since that date. Adult and Student exchanges have taken place on an annual basis, building on this initial contact and nurturing a very solid connection with our European neighbours. Over the 25 years many groups have travelled to Guidel as part of twinning. The many happy memories and friendships made along the way have helped to cement that partnership.
Some of the local groups who travelled were Java, Polyphonics and Carrigdhoun Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann in addition to many individuals. The groups travelled with Brittany Ferries to Roscoff and stayed with host families or group accommodation for the week long visit. During the week there were a number of formal receptions and a formal concert to mark the occasion, but also plenty of fun times. This was the opportunity to reinforce the successful link between both towns and to reinforce our commitment to maintaining it for the future and the next generation.
We acknowledge this great anniversary on the Breton side and celebrate it as has been its hallmark over the years with friendship and fun.
Signing of Kirchseeon Carrigaline Twinning Charter May 29th 2015
A group of thirty adults and children, led by the Mayor of Kirchseeon, Herr Udo Ockel, visited Carrigaline from Sunday 24th May to Saturday 30th May 2015 to sign a twinning charter between Kirchseeon and Carrigaline.
Kirchseeon is a beautiful small rural town in the Bavarian region of Germany, located 20km east of Munich. It has a rich historical background dating back to 2500 years ago. Kirchseeon also offers visitors a wealth of activities both during the summer and winter months such as hiking, biking, and skiing. It is also located close to Europe’s biggest thermal bath in Erding.
The benefits of twinning are immense as is evident from the very successful twinning of Carrigaline and Guidel in Brittany since 1986. Many visits, student exchanges and other cultural experiences have taken place over the last 29 years and many lifelong friendships have been fostered as a result.
This is a potential opportunity to raise the profile of our town and gives clubs a chance to make links with similar groups in Kirchseeon. Local businesses also benefit from a strong twinning arrangement as has been proven over the years of twinning with Guidel.
On Friday 29th
May 2015 , a twinning agreement between Kirchseeon in Bavaria Carrigaline
Court Hotel
CARRIGALINE TWINNING WITH KIRCHSEEON
by Howard Crowdy
Carrigaline’s ties with their twin town of Kirchseeon in Bavaria were strengthened even further with a very successful five day trip in July 2018, as friendships were rekindled following the German group’s visit to Ireland last March.
Kirchseeon is a small town in Bavaria with a population of 10500 with less than 20% under the age of 18, about 25kms south east of Munich which is the third largest city in Germany.
The two communities signed a twinning charter in the Carrigaline Court Hotel in May 2015 in the presence of Minister Simon Coveney TD and Benedikt Wiedenhofer, representative of the German Ambassador to Ireland, as well as dignitaries from Cork County Council and local councillors and representatives from a number of local groups and organisations from both communities.
The charter was signed by Jim Kelly, Chair Carrigaline Twinning Association and Udo Ockel, Mayor of Kirchseeon , who had worked tirelessly over two years in preparation of the signing of the twinning charter and who had managed to bring the two communities closer together. Also signing the charter was Deirdre Forde, chair of Ballincollig Carrigaline Municipal Area.
Since then, both twinning groups have visited each other’s respective community; the group from Kirchseeon in March 2017, with the Carrigaline group making a journey to Bavaria in December 2016 and more recently in July 2018.
This is Carrigaline’s second twinning – they twinned with Guidel in Brittany back in 1986 making it one of the longest running active twinning communities with upwards of 30 people travelling to and fro between Ireland and Brittany every second year.
The Bavarian twinning is still relatively in its infancy, but a 20 strong group stayed in Carrigaline over St Patrick’s weekend in 2017 and enjoyed the hospitality of their hosts who took them to Cork City, Kinsale, Midleton and Garretstown. They also attended a number of ceili sessions courtesy of members of the local Carrigdhoun Comhaltas group and the Owenabue Valley traditional group in the GAA Club and the Carrigaline Court Hotel.
And so to the return Irish visit which took place from July 19-24 in 2018 with a small group who were welcomed with open arms complete with Irish and Kirchseeon flags upon their late evening arrival at Munich airport.
The following day a half hour’s train ride to the centre of Munich, then a fifteen minute tram ride took the group to the former Royal Palace of Nymphenburg, commonly referred as the ‘German Versailles’ which was home to the Royal Family from 1760 and built by King Ludwig II.
Later, after cooling down from 28 degree heat in Munich’s largest beer garden area, the group split up and went separate ways into the city, visiting local churches, markets and shops as well as the 306 step climb up to St Peters tower with a spectacular view of the Marianplatz (Main Square) and the Rathaus (Town Hall).
Later that evening the local Bavarian Dance group entertained the party in a Greek styled restaurant in Kirchseeon and who even had a brief lesson on Irish dancing much to their amusement and delight! The Irish group also entertained their hosts with a sing song led by Jim Kelly and Michelle Hogan.
On Saturday, the party travelled to the nearby town of Wasserburg, a medieval town surrounded on three sides by the River Inn and were given a tour of the local beer cellars where the temperature underground was 7 degrees, which kept the beer cool during the summer months.
In the evening the group attended a Dorffest in nearby Eglharting where the local community turned out in the town’s fire station for a big party complete with large amounts of Bavarian beer and music which commenced at 6pm and went on until 11pm that evening.
On Sunday morning the party travelled to a local Community run barbeque gathering where the local Bavarian Brass band played live traditional music in front of a large appreciative crowd. Unfortunately the weather turned against the visiting party and plans for outdoor events had to be changed quickly. However another BBQ at the home of one of the hosts proved to be very enjoyable where a video presentation on the Bavarian groups visit to Carrigaline last year was shown.
Monday was the main highlight of the five day visit with a spectacular visit to Berchtesgaden, situated on the Austrian border and at the base of the Alps and about 1 and a half hours drive from Kirchseeon.
The group visited the Berchtesgaden Salt Mines which have become a major tourist attraction in recent years and where salt has been extracted from the mountains for the past 500 years and subsequently exported throughout the World. A gradual climb up the mountains took in some spectacular views of the valley 1500 metres below, catching a glimpse of Salzburg in the distance on one side and the famous ‘Eagles Nest’, Hitler’s hideaway, on the other which was even higher again perched on the edge of a mountain. The sun managed to break through the clouds for a time offering up a truly amazing view amongst some of the highest mountains in Germany.
In what appeared to be a very short time, it was time to say goodbyes as friendships were made and rekindled as the Irish group headed back home. Provisional plans were put in place for the return visit by the Bavarian group in September 2019, with the promise to bring the town’s traditional ‘Perchten’. These are part of the local folklore where locals dressed up as mythical creatures in heavy fur coats and huge wooden grotesque looking masks who parade and dance along the streets, banishing the evil spirits of the cold winter normally between Christmas and 6th January.
by Howard Crowdy
Carrigaline’s ties with their twin town of Kirchseeon in Bavaria were strengthened even further with a very successful five day trip in July 2018, as friendships were rekindled following the German group’s visit to Ireland last March.
Kirchseeon is a small town in Bavaria with a population of 10500 with less than 20% under the age of 18, about 25kms south east of Munich which is the third largest city in Germany.
The two communities signed a twinning charter in the Carrigaline Court Hotel in May 2015 in the presence of Minister Simon Coveney TD and Benedikt Wiedenhofer, representative of the German Ambassador to Ireland, as well as dignitaries from Cork County Council and local councillors and representatives from a number of local groups and organisations from both communities.
The charter was signed by Jim Kelly, Chair Carrigaline Twinning Association and Udo Ockel, Mayor of Kirchseeon , who had worked tirelessly over two years in preparation of the signing of the twinning charter and who had managed to bring the two communities closer together. Also signing the charter was Deirdre Forde, chair of Ballincollig Carrigaline Municipal Area.
Since then, both twinning groups have visited each other’s respective community; the group from Kirchseeon in March 2017, with the Carrigaline group making a journey to Bavaria in December 2016 and more recently in July 2018.
This is Carrigaline’s second twinning – they twinned with Guidel in Brittany back in 1986 making it one of the longest running active twinning communities with upwards of 30 people travelling to and fro between Ireland and Brittany every second year.
The Bavarian twinning is still relatively in its infancy, but a 20 strong group stayed in Carrigaline over St Patrick’s weekend in 2017 and enjoyed the hospitality of their hosts who took them to Cork City, Kinsale, Midleton and Garretstown. They also attended a number of ceili sessions courtesy of members of the local Carrigdhoun Comhaltas group and the Owenabue Valley traditional group in the GAA Club and the Carrigaline Court Hotel.
And so to the return Irish visit which took place from July 19-24 in 2018 with a small group who were welcomed with open arms complete with Irish and Kirchseeon flags upon their late evening arrival at Munich airport.
The following day a half hour’s train ride to the centre of Munich, then a fifteen minute tram ride took the group to the former Royal Palace of Nymphenburg, commonly referred as the ‘German Versailles’ which was home to the Royal Family from 1760 and built by King Ludwig II.
Later, after cooling down from 28 degree heat in Munich’s largest beer garden area, the group split up and went separate ways into the city, visiting local churches, markets and shops as well as the 306 step climb up to St Peters tower with a spectacular view of the Marianplatz (Main Square) and the Rathaus (Town Hall).
Later that evening the local Bavarian Dance group entertained the party in a Greek styled restaurant in Kirchseeon and who even had a brief lesson on Irish dancing much to their amusement and delight! The Irish group also entertained their hosts with a sing song led by Jim Kelly and Michelle Hogan.
On Saturday, the party travelled to the nearby town of Wasserburg, a medieval town surrounded on three sides by the River Inn and were given a tour of the local beer cellars where the temperature underground was 7 degrees, which kept the beer cool during the summer months.
In the evening the group attended a Dorffest in nearby Eglharting where the local community turned out in the town’s fire station for a big party complete with large amounts of Bavarian beer and music which commenced at 6pm and went on until 11pm that evening.
On Sunday morning the party travelled to a local Community run barbeque gathering where the local Bavarian Brass band played live traditional music in front of a large appreciative crowd. Unfortunately the weather turned against the visiting party and plans for outdoor events had to be changed quickly. However another BBQ at the home of one of the hosts proved to be very enjoyable where a video presentation on the Bavarian groups visit to Carrigaline last year was shown.
Monday was the main highlight of the five day visit with a spectacular visit to Berchtesgaden, situated on the Austrian border and at the base of the Alps and about 1 and a half hours drive from Kirchseeon.
The group visited the Berchtesgaden Salt Mines which have become a major tourist attraction in recent years and where salt has been extracted from the mountains for the past 500 years and subsequently exported throughout the World. A gradual climb up the mountains took in some spectacular views of the valley 1500 metres below, catching a glimpse of Salzburg in the distance on one side and the famous ‘Eagles Nest’, Hitler’s hideaway, on the other which was even higher again perched on the edge of a mountain. The sun managed to break through the clouds for a time offering up a truly amazing view amongst some of the highest mountains in Germany.
In what appeared to be a very short time, it was time to say goodbyes as friendships were made and rekindled as the Irish group headed back home. Provisional plans were put in place for the return visit by the Bavarian group in September 2019, with the promise to bring the town’s traditional ‘Perchten’. These are part of the local folklore where locals dressed up as mythical creatures in heavy fur coats and huge wooden grotesque looking masks who parade and dance along the streets, banishing the evil spirits of the cold winter normally between Christmas and 6th January.
