Moate to be twinned with Mayo town?

A LETTER requesting that Moate be twinned with a town in County Mayo has been sent to a Mayo Minister.

Moate Action Group has written to Mayo-based Minister for Rural and Community Development Michael Ring, suggesting that a town with a similar profile be twinned with Mayo.
Towns in Mayo, said Peter Dolan of Moate Action Group, have a “similar population profile” to Moate, while the county is located in the Minister's constituency.
“It's about sharing information and networking and seeing how problems are being overcome in other towns,” said Mr Dolan.
“The objective of this collaboration is to identify a model of excellence in community affairs which could be replicated throughout rural Ireland. This would be achieved by exchanging ideas, experiences, identifying common problems and exploring best practice in community action,” he said.
Asked which town he would like to see Moate paired with, he said: “Let the Minister or Mayo County Council pick a town.”
In the letter, Moate Action Group is focusing on five main areas: the social aspect, economics, tourism, cultural and heritage and community.
In relation to tourism, the action group is in the process of carrying out a study on the Athlone to Mullingar Greenway. The study is aimed at maximising the potential of the greenway for the town and to identify an end use for the existing railway station buildings. It also includes the production of a pocket book history of Moate, the development of a tourist trail and also linking with other tourist attractions in south Westmeath.