Latvian delegation meet Mayo County Council

The Latvian Ambassador to Ireland Dr Gints Apals lead a Latvian delegation to meet members and staff of the Mayo County Council in Claremorris last week. He was accompanied by Ilze Kreslina who is the Chairperson of the Irish Latvian Chamber of Commerce as well as Skarleta Mukane and Noel Lyons who are local activists with Latvian Cultural group `Dominante`. The Mayo County Council were represented by local councillors Richard Finn and Tom Connolly as well as Neil Sheridan, Elaine Moyles and Kieran Greally of the Intercultural and Enterprise Executives in the Council.

Dr Apals who is very familiar with the various Latvian Communities and Organisations within the County and has been present at many Commemorative and Celebratory events organised west of the Shannon explained that the purpose of his visit was to support the Latvian Community in creating opportunities to express their identity through various cultural activities and to seek to create and develop links with specific regions of Ireland and Latvia which would enhance awareness and appreciation through cultural, tourism, trade and business exchanges. He was guest of honour at Latvian events in Claremorris on December 20th which included an Art exhibition of local and Latvian artists, a Christmas Concert and the premier of the Latvian film`Gods Little Sparrows` organised by `Dominante` and was impressed by the level of organisation which included local involvement such as Councillor Finn, Clár IRD, Fr.Peter Gannon and St. Colmans Church, The Town Hall Theatre, Claremorris Community Radio, Midwest Radio and Western Alzheimers as well as the involvement of local musicians and artists.He expressed a desire to develop these activities by facilitating exchanges between regional municipal authorities in Latvia and the Mayo County Council.

He proposed a series of business and cultural events which would coincide with their visit from the 8th September until Sunday 11th September to County Mayo. Business people from Latvia will also be invited to participate and examine the possibility of establishing bases here or investigate opportunities of supplying products to the Irish market as well as finding Irish products for their markets.

Mayo council staff made a most professional display of support and development strategies in place in the county which attract and support a huge variety of local, national and international ventures such as CBE and Smiths Toys and McHale Engineering in the Claremorris region as well as other companies throughout the County. Councillors Finn and Connolly pointed to many examples of immigrant involvement in local and community activities in Claremorris and surrounding towns and invited further participation which would receive their fullest support.

Ilze Kreslina the chairperson of the Irish Latvian Chamber of Commerce described a similar project which had taken place in the Leinster region last year and had attracted the support and involvement of Irish companies such as Jameson and Tullamore Dew who were successfully exporting to the Latvian marketplace as well as thereby accessing neighbouring markets in Russia, Bellorussia, Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania. There is ample room for more Irish products with companies in a position to build subsidiaries in Eastern Europe and expand considerably their market base. Ms Kreslina also presented the Council with contacts and information on the top 500 Latvian companies.

Skarleta Mukane thanked Richard Finn and the council for their support locally for her cultural group Dominante and outlined various difficulties and concerns of the immigrant population. She stated that she hoped that the cultural and artistic endevours of recent times showed all that they could lead to economic developments which would enhance native and host countries.The hosting of municipal areas authority exchanges, business exchanges, side by side with cultural and sporting activities particularly involving youth would be the most effective way to ensure successful advancement and to this end suggested that musical, artistic, dance and sporting activities involving Irish and Latvian participants would be her main role with integrated involvement a necessity next September.

The Latvian delegation proceeded to Claremorris Community Radio where Dr. Apals was presented by the radios chairman Mr Johnny Kirrane with a gift of two historical books launched by the radio`The Murder of Fr. Jordan` and `The Peoples Courts`. The latter which is an account of the peoples courts in the 1920s and the former an account of the murder of Fr. Fulgentius Jordan by Cromwellian forces in the mid 17th century. Dr. Apals said he was delighted with these gifts as they reminded him of his former role as a History Professor in Latvia. Both he and Ilze Kreslina gave extensive interviews in English and Latvian on CCR 94.6 FM. They later travelled to Ballintubber Abbey which celebrates its 800th Anniversary and were highly impressed with its marvellous presentations and amazing history.

Text: Skarleta Mukane ©