Call to twin this Kildare town with Atlantic island where famous explorer is buried
The suggestion was put forward by a councillor representing the Athy Municipal District
There have been calls to twin one County Kildare town with an island located in the southern region of the Atlantic Ocean.
The appeal was heard at the latest Athy Municipal District (MD) meeting, which took place on Monday, May 18 last.
Athy is currently twinned with Grandvilliers, which is a town located in the north of France.
However, near the end of the MD meeting, Labour Party councillor Mark Leigh submitted the following motion to Kildare County Council (KCC): “That, in recognition of their shared connection with Ernest Shackleton — who was born in South Kildare and laid to rest in South Georgia — KCC formerly [sic] twins Athy and South Georgia as a tribute to his legacy, and also as an opportunity to generate tourism.”
His motion was seconded by Fianna Fáil Cllr Brian Dooley, who appeared at the meeting by virtual means.
Speaking further on the motion, Cllr Leigh noted that Ernest Shackleton’s grave at South Georgia island attracts tourists from all over the world.
In response to his motion, KCC said via the report it presented at the meeting: “The decision to enter a twinning arrangement is a reserved function of the elected members.”
"To explore the proposed twinning of Athy and South Georgia, an independent, community led committee would need to be established to develop and manage the proposal and any associated activities, noting that the previous Athy Twinning Committee disbanded in June 2024.
KCC further said: Consideration should be given to factors such as: geographical location, population size, and economic and tourism activity, including the undertaking of exploratory engagement to determine compatibility.
“Once this process has been completed, a written submission or presentation should be made to the Twinning Liaison Committee for consideration.
KCC concluded: “If approved, the proposal would then be referred to the Athy MD for final approval.”
A representative of KCC who was also present at the meeting also pointed out a separate issue — that there is no ‘permanent [human] population’ at South Georgia Island, which is a requirement for a town twinning proposal.
After a brief discussion with the MD’s representatives, Cllr Leigh expressed interest in reforming the Twinning Association.
It was also heard that Shackleton had links to both Norway and Chile, and that this could potentially be explored in the future for the purpose of twinning Athy to a different town.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.