Danville cultural ambassador to visit Carrick

Carrick’s links with an American town are to be further strengthened with a visit from a cultural ambassador this week.
A Danville delegation visiting Carrick council chambers in 2013. INCT 40-440-RMA Danville delegation visiting Carrick council chambers in 2013. INCT 40-440-RM
A Danville delegation visiting Carrick council chambers in 2013. INCT 40-440-RM

The town has enjoyed a sister city relationship with Danville in Kentucky for a number of years.

And on Friday, Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Borough Billy Ashe will welcome Danville city manager, Ron Scott and his wife Janice to the town for a six-day visit.

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The trip will be the latest in a series of cultural exchanges with the US town.

Last year, Carrick’s cultural ambassador David Robinson spent ten days in Kentucky.

One of the first engagements for the local man was a history talk at Boyle County Public Library in Danville.

The history graduate, who is a keen drummer with Henry Inglesby’s Fife and Drum Corps, also attended an annual Civil War re-enactment during his stay.

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East Antrim artist Janet Crymble also travelled to Danville in 2012, during which time Carrickfergus hosted a visit from Kentucky playwright Liz Orndorff.

A spokesperson for Mid and East Antrim Borough Council said: “For the past eight years, Danville has been enormously enriched by its growing Sister Cities relationship with Carrickfergus.

“Athletic teams, youth cultural groups, musicians, artists, and groups of citizens have learned much from their counterparts, furthering the ‘Citizen Diplomacy’, which is the goal of Sister Cities International.”

Meanwhile, the benefits of the sister city links held by the three legacy councils within Mid and East Antrim are to be reviewed by the local government authority.

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The issue was raised at June’s meeting of the Economic Growth and Development Committee.

Members granted approval for the evaluation of Larne’s Sister City link with the South Carolina town of Clover, alongside Ballymena’s sister city of Moorhead in Kentucky.

Carrick’s dual links with Anderson, South Carolina and Danville will also be examined.

Meanwhile, Councillors agreed to provide £800 towards the Danville delegation’s accommodation and internal transport costs.

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