Royal visit to the other Boyne Valley

Last month saw the first official visit by a delegtion from Meath County Council to the north west Michigan Boyne Valley which has been twinned with our very own Boyne valley for the last six years.

Local councillors Joe Fox and Cathaoirleach Wayne Harding along with Meath County Council officials made the trip in the footsteps of 19th century Irish emigrant John Miller who founded Boyne City naming it after his favourite part of Ireland.

The Irish group were warmly welcomed by the mayor, city commissioners and many locals and treated to three days of generous hospitality while learning all about the business, tourism and history of the region. They presented gifts from our Boyne Valley at the City Hall and visited many local attractions of this scenic area just off lake Michigan.

The twinning was first established in 2017 when it was proposed to the Boyne City mayor from the Irish side, then there was a visit to Trim from one of their schools in 2018 while on a trip to Ireland. In 2019 a delegation from Trim Tourism Network flew out to Boyne City for the twinning ceremony. Subsequent trips from both sides were unfortunatley postponed due to the pandemic.

The twinning is not like others in that it is a region to region partnership with ambitious programmes being developed around business, tourism, education and culture with monthly zoom meetings between the two sides. Meath County Council is very supportive of the project which is managed on a voluntary basis and Buvinda House will soon display the twinning scrolls in the foyer to compliment the commemorative twinning plaques already installed at Trim Castle and at Boyne City hall.

This year a website, www.twinboynevalleys.com was launched in a joint collaboration between Meath County Council and Boyne City Commission and anybody wishing to learn more about or get involved with the project can make contact by clicking here.