'Le jumelage avec Cappoquin est officiel'

The following is a translation of the article which appeared in a May 2002 edition of 'Centre France', Chanat's local newspaper:

Horses were grazing the spring grass, a soft, fine rain fell continuously: Chanat-la-Mouteyre took on a real Irish atmosphere last Saturday afternoon for the ceremony to officially twin with Cappoquin. The ceremony, which took place during a weekend full of activity for the Irish visitors and their hosts, was to formalise relations dating back to 1995. It is the first Twinning of a community in the Puy-de-Dôme region with a village in Ireland and it all began with the friendship between two Primary Teachers, Françoise Lapouge and Máire Kearney.

The contacts increased through exchanges and because of some similarities. Whilst Jean-Pierre Gillet, Chairman of Chanat-la-Mouteyere's Twinning Committtee, stressed that the two regions "both had rough, beautiful countryside", Keith Dransfield, Chairman of Cappoquin Town Twinning Committee, asserted that "the two villages would be difficult to find on a world map" which could lead them to think they had no international role to play.

But, Hubert Hébrard, Mayor of Chanat-la-Mouteyre and Waterford County Councillor, Ollie Wilkinson both said that, through this exchange, the two communities intend to contribute to "Peace and Prosperity within the European Union". Flanked by a Guard of Honour formed by War Veterans and Firefighters, the General Councillor, Georges Monnet, unveiled a plaque to name the area in front of the Mayor's Office, "Cappoquin Square". Afterwards the Mayor, M. Hébrard and Councillor Wilkinson signed the Twinning Oath before a large audience including the Mayors from neighbouring communities.

As during previous exchanges between the Irish and French, the ceremony took place during a weekend with a packed programme designed to increase friendship, and to discover each others cultures, traditions and the Auvergne countryside. In between the meals, the concerts, the tours and the working meetings the Irish demonstrated their national game, Hurling, in the Stade de Chantat on Sunday afternoon. On Monday there was a tour of the Auvergne Volcanic Park. And on Tuesday, the Irish returned to Cappoquin with the conviction that the Twinning "will maintain permanent links between the two communities and help individual exchanges" and the feeling that "only distance separates the people of Chanat and Cappoquin".

For more information please visit the Cappoquin Town Twinning Site www.cappoquin.net.