Ballymoe, Co Galway, is to be twinned next month with Boystown, Nebraska, in the US. Father Edward Flanagan, founder of Boys Town, was born on the Roscommon side of the village.
This evening Mr Paddy Concannon, the only surviving member of the 1946 Roscommon County Council which was addressed by Father Flanagan, is to be honoured at a special ceremony in the Father Flanagan Memorial Centre, Ballymoe. The relationship between Ballymoe and "Girls and Boys Town" Nebraska has continued to develop since last October when a life-sized bronze statue of Father Flanagan was presented to Ballymoe by the Boys Town Past Pupils Association.
Those present at its unveiling included the Papal Nuncio, the Most Rev Dr Giuseppe Lazarotto, the US ambassador, Mr Richard Egan, Mr Noel Treacy TD, the Bishop of Elphin, Dr Christopher Jones, the former bishop of Killala, Dr Thomas Finnegan, Senator Brian Mullooly, former cathaoirleach of the Seanad, Father Val Peter, executive director of Boystown USA and Father Peter McVerry SJ.
The twinning of Ballymoe and "Girls and Boys Town" USA is to take place on Saturday, October 5th next in Nebraska. The twinning charter will promote social, cultural, educational, spiritual, and academic exchanges between Ballymoe and Girls and Boys Town.
It is hoped that a range of events based on the vision of the charter will take place between the two communities in the future.