Late last month, Providence began a partnership with its sixth sister city: Athlone, Ireland.
Providence and Athlone officially became sister cities after the Providence City Council passed a resolution approving their partnership.
Providence already has five such agreements in place with the cities of Praia, Portugal; Florence, Italy; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; Zhuhai, China; and Guatemala City, Guatemala, according to Providence City Council Press Secretary Roxie Richner.
The agreement seeks to develop initiatives in both Providence and Athlone, including “academic and student exchange initiatives,” “business and trade partnerships” and “joint historical preservation and research efforts,” among others, Richner wrote in an email to The Herald.
Athlone Mayor Frankie Keena said the idea for a sister city agreement was first brought forth by Athlone-native Patrick Griffin, who is president of the Providence St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee, and John Henson, chairman of the Athlone St. Patrick’s Day Committee.
Although he currently resides in Providence, Griffin consistently returns to Athlone to visit friends and family. Griffin and Henson formed a “deep friendship” while in Ireland with “the common goal of keeping close links between Providence and Athlone,” Keena said.
The idea for the agreement came from “a friendship with people based there and with business there,” said County Councillor Aengus O’Rourke, who represents Athlone.
“The whole purpose of our twinning is to open up lines of communication,” Henson said.
He helped draft the signed agreement, which clarifies that communication between the countries comes in the form of academic, economic and cultural initiatives to bridge the physical gap between Providence and Athlone.
Each city set up a committee to manage this partnership, Richner explained. Both cities’ committees will collaborate to “ensure residents in both cities benefit from initiatives such as exchange programs for students, athletes and artists.”
While Providence and Athlone vary in geography and population size, “the opportunities under tourism, arts, culture are endless as both locations have so much to offer,” Keena said.
The agreement, which has been in the works for over a decade, is something Henson believes will push both cities toward “exciting times.”
According to O’Rourke, this agreement is more than just an economic policy. In a time of international conflict and political unrest, O’Rourke noted, “twinning arrangements like this are a good idea.”
“It provides us with an opportunity to be responsible and be respectful to one another,” O’Rourke said. He believes that the agreement is “worthwhile” even if it is “just a really small piece of the jigsaw.”
