Links between Kildare and Bruce Springsteen's New Jersey home to strengthen during 2026

With the opening of the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music due to take place in Freehold next year, Rathangan is set to feature in the exhibition.  

The legendary Springsteen is fully behind the twinning of his home town of Freehold, New Jersey and his ancestral home of Rathangan, Co. Kildare according to Mayor of Freehold, Kevin Kane.

The mayor visited Rathangan last June for the officially signing of the twinning charter at the RYARC Community Centre, which was preceded by the unveiling of a plaque at the top of the town.

“Bruce Springsteen is 1000% behind this twinning that is going on between Rathangan and Freehold,” he told those assembled at the community centre. When the Boss drops by to visit the mayor, he always asks how things are going on the twinning front.

The mayor was joined by his wife Ellen, historian Kevin Coyne and his wife Jane, and Steve Lennox representing the New Jersey Ireland Center, Choose New Jersey.

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Rathangan Freehold Twinning committee member, Mark Stafford highlighted how Mayor Kane and Bruce’s cousin, Glenn Cashion previously planted a copper beach tree in Rathangan last year to mark the fact that Springsteen’s great-great-grandmother, Ann Geraty (on his father’s side) emigrated to Freehold from Rathangan in 1853. It’s said that she brought a copper beach sapling with her, which grew outside Bruce’s childhood home.

Mayor Kane said they would be planting a copper beach from Kildare in Freehold to honour that connection. The twinning documents had already been signed on the Freehold side.

Mayor of the Kildare Newbridge Municipal District, Peggy O’Dwyer; Kildare County Council Director of Services, Marian Higgins; Cathaoirleach of Kildare County Council and Chairperson of the Twinning Committee, Cllr Carmel Kelly and Senator Fiona O’Loughlin all spoke of the importance of friendship and building economic and tourism links with Freehold.

The mayor explained how the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music is due to open in 2026.

“What started as a link coming from Bruce Springsteen has started friendships that we will have forever and we are so grateful for that,” said Mayor Kane.

Springsteen paid a surprise visit to Rathangan and Kildare County Council on May 4, 2023. The CPA performing arts group briefly entertained the New Jersey singer in the Rathangan Community centre. He also dropped into the Burrow pub, the Church of Ireland and visited Mount Prospect, the townland where his relatives lived.

At his concert at Croke Park the following year, Bruce gave a shout out to the Mayor of Freehold and his relatives from Rathangan and noted the two towns were going to twin together. He then dedicated the song “My Hometown” to his homies!

Springsteen’s film “Road Diary” features pictures from his Rathangan visit from May 2023 showing the deep connection he has with the town.