PITTSFIELD, Mass. - Pittsfield celebrated 25 years of being a sister city with Ballina, Ireland by welcoming a delegation for a weekend visit Friday.
What You Need To Know
- Pittsfield has had a sister city relationship with Ballina, County Mayo, Ireland since 1998
- The City of Pittsfield held a ceremony to welcome County Councilor Michael Loftus, Director of Services Tom Gilligan, and Sister City Chair Willie Nolan from Ballina a week ahead of Saint Patrick's Day
- Delegates make visits to interact with and learn from each other's communities
- This year marks the 300th anniversary for Ballina; a group from Pittsfield will make the trip to Ireland to celebrate in July
A major part of being a sister city is making connections and sharing experiences with communities across the world.
“The one thing we all hear about is the hospitality of the Irish," County Mayo, Ireland councilor Michael Loftus said. "But I can only say that the hospitality of the people of Pittsfield has been tremendous.”
Loftus has made the trip to Pittsfield once before and said it’s great to be back celebrating in the city council chambers.
“It's so important to be here today to honor the people who actually set up the committee originally," Loftus said. "And also the people in Ballina who set it up and who worked on it over the last 25 years.”
The founding president of Pittsfield's Sister Cities Commission Anne Gagnon currently serves as vice president. She joins the many who look forward to welcoming their Irish friends annually.
“It's awesome, it's just heartwarming," Gagnon said. "And it's a great, family-type relationship with Ballina, our sister city.”
In 1998, the commission set out to further the understanding of how the two similar cities operate while promoting each other.
Ballina’s Director of Services Tom Gilligan spoke with Pittsfield’s DPW Commissioner Ricardo Morales about the ongoing efforts to enhance the area.
“I'm enjoying looking to see what's happening here in Pittsfield and how they're dealing with various issues like in relation to climate change and weather and in regards to roads as well," Gilligan said. "So, I'm really enjoying the trip and I'm learning an awful lot in relation to how things are done here in Pittsfield.”
2023 also marks the Irish town’s 300th anniversary. The commission said while Ballina has about 30,000 fewer residents than Pittsfield, the kindness within the two communities are similar.
“Being friends with people around the world and exchange exchanging and finding out that people are really the same," Gagnon said. "We love our relationship with Ireland, with Ballina.”
“The people of Pittsfield and the people of Ballina are very much alike," Loftus said. "They all care for each other. They all look after each other. They all take the effort to make sure that everybody is okay. And that really is what the people of Pittsfield are like and the people of Ballina.”
Following this weekend, the Sister Cities Commission is looking forward to the summer when a group of about 60 people will make the trip to Ireland to celebrate Ballina’s 300th anniversary in July.