Beyond Borders - PROJECT
Newtownabbey and Drogheda Inter-community Partnership

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Beyond Borders
Newtownabbey
Drogheda

Project

The Partnership’s first cross-border training workshop was in the Armagh City Hotel September 2006. Community Groups from Newtownabbey and from Drogheda took part. All aspects of community life were present, from senior citizens to youth. This workshop was very successful and other training workshops, residentials, exchange visits and training courses are planned.

After many meetings of a steering group, a Partnership Management Committee was elected at an October 2006 meeting in the Boyne Valley Hotel (Drogheda). Ide Lenihan was elected as Chair, Vice Chair was David Neill, Secretary was Adree Wallace and Treasurer Alister Bell. It was agreed that 6 members from Newtownabbey and 6 from Drogheda would make up the Partnership Management Committee.

A cross-border residential south to north cultural exchange visit took place on the 14th and 15th December 2006 in Farset International, with visits and tours of Stormont and Belfast City Hall. A cultural workshop also took place, with a good discussion around the political environment. The Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Patrick McCarty, hosted the group for coffee in the Lord Mayor’s Parlour. Later, the group took part in the traditional City Hall carol service and a trip round the International Market, before embarking on a walking tour of the city centre.

The launch of the Partnership took place in the Westcourt Hotel, Drogheda, on 7th February, with Councillor Michael O’Dowd, Mayor of Drogheda and Senator Mary O’Rourke in attendance. Many community groups, both north and south, associated with the Community Development Agency and the Drogheda Community Forum were also present, including a representative of Aontas, a community education organisation in the south.

A Youth Exchange residential took place over Easter Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, in Tanagh Outdoor Education Centre on the outskirts of Monaghan. Young people from the urban Newtownabbey estates and from Drogheda took part in various outdoor pursuits, with some hilarious outcomes, including an un-scheduled mud bath! The Agency would just like to take this opportunity to thank the supervisors, including those who stepped in at short notice, for their unending patience and endurance, and the young people for being --- um ---young!

 

Project Part Financed by the European Union Peace and Reconciliation Programme

 

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