Mayor of Boston, Marty Walsh earlier today received the Freedom of Galway Award from the Mayor of Galway, Pearce Flannery.
Mayor of Boston, Marty Walsh who has been in office since 2014 shared a tweet about an hour ago to say what an honor it was for him to receive the award.
I signed the scroll of honor and accepted the Freedom of the Galway award from Mayor Flannery of Galway City this morning. It is an amazing honor to join the likes of John F Kennedy, Pope John Paul II, Hillary Clinton,Richard Daley, and Nelson Mandela as a recipient of the award. pic.twitter.com/672YS2TRht
— Mayor Marty Walsh (@marty_walsh) May 11, 2018
Mr Walsh’s parents are from the Gaeltacht of Connemare originally but in the 50’s they left Ireland and began their new lives across the pond. Walsh holds a dual Irish and American citizenship.
The people of Connemara are very excited to see Mr Walsh who will be arriving in Connemara this weekend.
His first stop will be in Carna on Saturday where he will be officially opening The Emmigrants Commemorative Centre at 2p.m., alongside the Minister of State at the Department of the Gaeltacht and Government Chief Whip, Joe McHugh, T.D.
Both Carna and Kilkieran are located on the coast in the far west of Connemara. These two areas comprise the peninsula of Iorras Aithneach – ‘The Windy Peninsula’
‘The Windy Peninsula’ is famous for its rich tradition in music, ‘sean-nós’ singing, ‘sean-nós’ dancing, folklore and storytelling. It is a community steeped in seafaring and fishing over the centuries and it has an illustrious tradition of boat building – Galway Hookers and sailing boats included.
But it was a tough place to live, the land was poor and the infrastructure was bad meaning there was little chance of regular earnings. Most people had no other choice but to emigrate. The Emigrants Commemorative Centre will tell that story.
After officially opening The Emigrants Commemorative Centre in Carna on Saturday, Walsh will then go to Kilkieran on Sunday where he will unveil the Emigration Memorial for those who had to emigrate abroad in order to make a new life for themselves.
Michael Coyne, of Coyne’s Bar, Kilkieran spoke of the happiness that beholds the entire community as they wait to welcome Marty Walsh on Sunday.
“We are all really looking forward to the Mayor of Boston’s visit, to Kilkieran on the 13th May, where he will be unveiling the emigration memorial in memory of those who had to go abroad in order to make a new life for themselves.
“The people of the community will gather together and after a music performance there will be a memorial walk in aid of Daniel Ó Conaire. Marty Walsh will start the 10K walk, and there will be a collection for a defibrillator for the community.
Marty Walsh will be in Carna, tomorrow Saturday and in Kilkieran on Sunday 12th.
