Members of Louth Junior Council made an historic visit to Government Buildings, Stormont and Belfast City Council on 21st April, 2008.
The visit was hosted by Ms. Dawn Purves, MLA.
On arrival at Stormont, the Louth groups were greeted by Ms. Purves and were given a very informative tour of the Stormont building, including the Grand Hall and Chamber. Following lunch the groups were fortunate to have the opportunity to observe a lively debate and vote on the Reform of Local Government in Northern Ireland, from the public gallery. This was an excellent experience for the young Councillors, as it gave them an insight into the democratic process within Northern Ireland presently.
On completion of their tour of Stormont the Louth Group’s next stop was the Civic Offices of the Rt. Hon. Cllr. Jim Rodgers, OBE, Lord Mayor of Belfast. Cllr. Rodgers paid particular tribute to the young Councillors for their commitment to Louth Junior Council and warmly welcomed the ongoing relationship developing between Louth County Council and many other Councils in Northern Ireland. Cllr. Rodgers added that
Belfast City is making progress socially, economically and culturally and he assured all present of Belfast City Council’s commitment to fostering cross border contacts.
Overall, the visit to Stormont and Belfast City Council was a great success. Presentations were made during the visit to Dawn Purves, MLA and Cllr. Jim Rodgers, OBE, by Ms. Aoife McCourt, Vice Chair, Louth Junior Council.
The Junior Council were joined on the visit by Det. Sergeant Brian Mohan, Det. Garda Charlie Geoghegan, Mr. Paddy Donnelly and Ms. Therese McArdle, Louth County Council and Ms. Sinead Delaney, St. Oliver’s Community School, Drogheda.
Louth Junior Council would like to pay special tribute to Sergeant Brian Mohan and Garda Charlie Geoghegan for their efforts in coordinating the visit.
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