Newly appointed Chairman of the International Fund for Ireland delivers opening address

A new two-year reconciliation project devised by the Carrick-on-Shannon Heritage Group received its official launch this week at the St. George’s Heritage and Visitors Centre in Carrick-on-Shannon.  The ‘Twin Traditions Initiative’ as it has been titled, has been timed to coincide with the Carrick400 celebrations taking place over 2012 and throughout 2013.

One of the overall aims of the Twin Traditions Initiative programme is to advance trust and understanding between the people across both communities in the border areas of Leitrim and Fermanagh, by providing opportunities to gain insights into Carrick-on-Shannon’s shared local history and heritage, building new relationships and networks and learning new skills.  The project is designed to provide a platform for both Protestant and Catholic participants to acknowledge and celebrate the contribution that both traditions have made to the area over Carrick’s 400 year history.

Funding of €170,090 has been provided by the International Fund for Ireland, under its Building Foundations’ Community Based Economic and Social Regeneration Programme (CBESR).  Additional funding was also provided by Leitrim County Council, Leitrim County Development Board and Fermanagh District Council.

Participants on the Twin Traditions Initiative will be drawn from local Protestant and Catholic schools; parent’s groups; community groups; Junior Chamber; local drama groups in both Leitrim and Enniskillen; the Church of Ireland Community and the Church of Ireland Active Age Group.

Some of the deliverables that the Twin Traditions Initiative has committed to undertaking include a cross-border and cross-community training programme on historical research; production of an original play incorporating the history and development of the two traditions over the 400 year period; production of a children’s history book; and the design and development of a photography exhibition to be titled ‘Past, Present and Future Pride’.

Delivering the opening address at the launch, Dr. Adrian Johnston, the newly appointed Chairman of the International Fund for Ireland said: “We are very excited about the plans in place for the Twin Traditions Initiative.  As a key component of the overall Carrick400 celebrations, the project will give Carrick-on-Shannon Heritage Group an opportunity to share the work they have been doing on a cross-community basis to a much wider audience and ensure the maximum involvement of all sections of the community.  The Twin Traditions Initiative has the potential to make real and sustainable impacts on both communities by acknowledging the past through an exploration of a shared history and celebrating the contemporary Leitrim where diversity is encouraged and appreciated.”

Dr. Johnston also expressed a collective thanks to the international donors who have supported the work of the International Fund for Ireland for twenty-five years: namely, the United States of America, the European Union, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Speaking at the launch event, John Bredin, Chairperson of Carrick-on-Shannon Heritage Group said: “The Twin Traditions Initiative complements the group’s aim of preserving and restoring heritage and the cultural fabric for local people, tourists and future generations.  On behalf of the Carrick-on-Shannon Heritage Group, I would like to express our particular gratitude to the International Fund for Ireland and our other funders for the vital financial support they have provided us with in order to make this all possible.”

The launch event also included an evening of music with recitals from the eminent organist, Professor Gerald Gillen, playing the recently restored Telford Organ dating back to 1847, harpist Karen Casserly and songs from the Drumshanbo Folk Choir under musical direction from Michael McKenna.

For information on the full range of training programmes available under the Twin Traditions Initiative, please contact email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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