‘Thought and strategy’ needed to maximise Lifford’s Spanish twinning agreement

The twinning agreement of Lifford with the historic Spanish town of Simancas, due to the links of Red Hugh O’Donnell, needs “thought and strategy” in how best to utilise the agreement, said local councillors.

Councillors at October’s Lifford Stranorlar Municipal District Meeting were discussing retrospective approval of Cllr. Patrick McGowan's attendance at the Red Hugh O'Donnell commemoration events held in Valladolid and Simancas, Spain, in late September, as part of the Lifford Stranorlar MD twinning with Simancas.

Lifford’s twinning with Simancas was officially confirmed in May, highlighting the deep historical and cultural links between the towns.

The city of Valladolid has celebrated the local area's links with Red Hugh O’Donnell, having reenacted his funeral in an event for the last four years.

Valladolid was the capital city of Spain in 1602, where Red Hugh O’Donnell was travelling to seek military assistance from the Spanish King during the Nine Years' War against the English, before he died in the town of Simancas.

Lifford Stranorlar MD councillors have now called for the local council to maximise their Spanish connections.

READ NEXT: Donegal’s ‘Mr Boxing’ celebrated as ‘a titan of local boxing’

Cllr McGowan said: “There has been so much legwork. I think it will not be enough for just our corporate group. Our economic section should be involved as well.

“We really need to put in a bit of thought and strategy, and put a plan in how we build this. This thing is overwhelming. It is like St Patrick’s Day in New York.

“I think we would really need a workshop to see what we can do and build on what is there. You can not ignore the fact of the amount of work in recent years.”

Cllr Martin Hanley commented: “It is a fantastic event, and there are so many opportunities tourism-wise for Donegal and the wider area. It has only started, and it is massive already.

“It is great to have connections with our EU members as well, and with the way it is in America, it might be safer going to Spain than America.”