NAAS, 21 December 2001: by Brian Byrne. A motion that Naas twin with the City of Omaha in Nebraska barely scraped through by a 4-3 vote after a spirited debate in Naas UDC on Tuesday night.

The motion was put forward by Cllr Timmy Conway, who said Omaha was the home of the Strategic Air Command, and birthplace of such luminaries as Marlon Brando and Fred Astaire.

Cllr Conway met the Mayor of Omaha, Mike Fahey, while on a private visit to the US and suggested that the two towns twin. With the support of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Sister Cities Association in the region, Omaha City Council recently passed a resolution that it would establish a relationship with ‘The City of Naas’.

The proposal was seconded by Cllr Pat O’Reilly, who said it would be ‘another great honour’ for the town. Cllr Charlie Byrne also supported it, after being told that the twinning was a council issue and not being organised by the Naas Twinning Association, headed by Cllr O’Reilly. Cllr Byrne had expressed concerns about the association ‘running over budget’ in the past.

Cllrs Pat McCarthy, Mary Glennon and Anthony Egan voted against the proposal, generally on the basis that the links with four other towns that Naas is twinned with had not been properly developed.

Welcoming the proposal, UDC chairman Willie Callaghan said he took issue with those sentiments, and said that Dillingen in Germany would ‘be sending TWO bands’ to Naas in the coming year to take part in local festivities.

During the debate, Cllr Conway became very agitated, saying the opposing councillors were ‘begrudgers against everything’. On a number of occasions the chairman had to stop the councillor from interrupting the contributions of the opposing councillors.

“Just because I propose something, you’re always against me,” Cllr Conway complained.

A UDC delegation is expected to travel to Omaha (pop 800,000) in March to take part in the St Patrick’s Day festivities there. A return visit is planned for August.

©2001knn

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