Mayor of Straubing planning visit to Tuam

The Mayor of Straubing, the German town twinned with Tuam, is planning a visit to the town next year.

A delegation from Tuam, led by MD Cathaoirleach Mary Hoade, visited Germany last month to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Tuam’s twinning with Straubing. It included a meeting with Lord Mayor of Straubing Markus Pannermayr.

“Last month’s visit was a great occasion and it showed Straubing’s links to Tuam are very important to them,” commented Cllr Hoade during a meeting of Tuam MD.

“During the visit we were informed of the mayor’s plans to come to Tuam. No date has been confirmed but it is expected to be early next year.”

The partnership dates back to the mid-1980s and the twinning was formally ratified in 1991. It has developed into a wide-ranging partnership encompassing education, culture, tourism and business.

However, despite Tuam councillors making several official trips to the Bavarian town, the Mayor of Straubing has not visited Tuam in over 30 years.

Cllr Hoade is keen to help create a stronger link between the two towns prior to Mayor Pannermayr’s visit. She hopes to achieve this through local employers facilitating exchanges with workers in Straubing and more Tuam students going to Straubing.

“While in Straubing, we met with the representatives from the education sector, who are keen to see the uptake of the exchange programme improving,” added Cllr Hoade.

“Members of the twinning committee will be meeting with all the town’s school principals to try and enhance and strengthen the student exchange programme. We are looking forward to welcoming the Straubing delegation to Tuam next year and showcasing the town to them.”