Potential for sport and agriculture partnerships with Laois sister city, Franklin, Tennessee

Franklin, Tennessee has been Laois’s ‘Sister City’ since the twinning agreement was signed in March 2008.

The Agreement commits both parties to work together to explore new and creative opportunities to promote trade, commerce and tourism for their mutual benefit.

It has now emerged that “significant opportunities” in sport and agriculture are to be explored between the two sisters after a recent Laois delegation to Tennessee.

Laois County Council’s Cathaoirleach, Cllr Padraig Fleming, and Acting Chief Executive, Mr Simon Walton, visited Tennessee in August and presented their report this week at the Council’s latest monthly meeting.

The trip was during the Williamson County Fair, and included meetings with the Franklin and Williamson County Sister Cities Board Meeting; meetings with both Mayors and their Senior Officials; and various meetings with key cultural, arts, agriculture and Emergency Services representatives.

Mr Walton said the main priority arising from the visit is the establishment of a Laois Sister Cities Committee (LSCC), which would liaise directly with Williamson County Sister Cities Committee.

The purpose of the LSCC would be to promote people-to-people movements through cultural, educational and economic exchanges.

Mr Walton also spoke about the need to assign specific contacts for project development discussions, including History and Heritage, Arts and Culture, Education, Sports, Agricultural, Fire and Emergency, Libraries, Bee Keeping and more.

Franklin City, which is the county seat of Williamson County, Tennessee,  is located approximately 35 south of famous musical city, Nashville.

Franklin and Laois share a Twin Town in the form of Carlton Place, Ontario, Canada, located less than 50km from Canada’s capital city, Ottawa.

Laois’s other Twin Towns are Arlington, Massachusetts, USA, located just 10km from Boston; and Coulounieix-Chamiers in south-west France; while Franklin’s other Twin Town is Bad Soden, Germany, a suburb of Frankfurt.

Speaking at the latest monthly meeting of Laois County Council, Mr Walton said his trip to Tennessee showed him the initiatives Franklin are undertaking with Carlton Place and Bad Soden, and urged Laois to get involved.

Mr Walton said there were “significant opportunities” suggested to him from organisations in Franklin to create sporting and agricultural links between the two.

Soccer and athletics were specified, with a strong culture of each sport in Franklin.

The city is home to Tennessee Soccer Club, who are part of the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) is a national youth soccer developmental league in the United States.

Like Laois, agriculture is also a pivotal part of day-to-day life in Franklin, who’s major livestock including cattle, sheep, pig, poultry, horses and aquaculture.

The city’s main crops include grains, oilseeds, peas, beans, and notably tobacco.

Mr Walton said there is “huge interest there in establishing partnerships with the IFA (Irish Farmer’s Association).

“This is a huge opportunity for various communities in County Laois. Franklin and Williamson County are committed to this, not because they see the dividends to the local Council, but local children, local teachers, and local sports clubs.

“It behoves (Laois County Council) to advertise this now and give local people the opportunity to engage with this, because there are opportunities here – not for the Council – but for communities in County Laois to benefit from this partnership agreement.”

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