An Post has launched two colourful stamps this week celebrating Galway 2020 and Rijecka 2020 in their year as the European Capital of Culture.
Galway 2020 will be kicking off the year long parade of cultural events on Saturday week with the opening ceremony in Galway City.
The commemorative stamps were launched by An Post in Galway this week in a joint issue with Croatia Post, and will be available at all Galway Post Offices through 2020.
The Galway 2020 stamp features well-loved symbols of Galway life and culture including the Spanish Arch, NUI Galway, Claddagh ring, the City coat of arms, a Macnas giant puppet and a guitar representing live music.
The Croatian stamp shows features associated with Rijeka, an historic port city known as the gateway to Croatia’s islands.
Speaking in Galway, An Post CEO David McRedmond congratulated Galway on an extraordinary programme of “multisensory artworks in our natural environment to grassroots cultural moments across Galway City, County and beyond.”
“An Post is delighted to partner with Croatian Post to mark the national designation for Galway and Rijeka as European Capitals of Culture.”
Welcoming the stamps just ahead of the official opening ceremony, Patricia Philbin, CEO Galway 2020 said they are “delighted to have our incredibly momentous and important designation as European Capital of Culture marked in this significant way.”
“I want to take this opportunity to thank An Post for this important national symbol of Galway’s year as European Capital of Culture.”
“After a great collective effort from our team, our partners and the people of Galway, our year as European Capital of Culture is about to commence. A wonderful year awaits.”
Also present for the ceremony on Thursday was Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia in Ireland, Mr Davor Vidiš.
He said the joint stamp issue for these two port cities is a “symbol of the shared values and the cultural affinity between Ireland and Croatia, our two peoples and cultures”.
A special limited edition souvenir stamp sheet inset with the Galway stamp and Souvenir envelopes are also available in all Galway post offices, selected post offices nationwide and online at www.anpost.com/stamps .
