Derry Mayor Cllr Martin Reilly will spend St Patrick’s Day weekend in the United States promoting the city’s Legacy promise and showcasing how it is progressing with telling its “new story.”
Mayor Martin Reilly.
During his five-day visit, the Mayor will attend a number of high profile events such as the 20th anniversary celebrations of the Washington Ireland Progam and a reception for the American Ireland Fund.
He will be the guest of the Northern Ireland Bureau who are hosting a St Patrick’s Day Breakfast and meet with Deputy Assistant Secretary Julieta Valls Noyes from the US State Department.
One of the highlights of the visit will be attending the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick’s Dinner in Boston which is also being attended by Buncrana Mayor Cllr Peter McLaughlin and Michelle Gildernew, MP for Fermanagh/South Tyrone.
Speaking ahead of the trip, Cllr Reilly said it offered an excellent opportunity to showcase the city and how it continued to transform following a successful year as City of Culture.
He said he would be promoting the forthcoming Clipper Race to the influential Irish American audience in Washington and Boston as well as the work being carried out as part of the Legacy Promise.
The Derry “LondonDerry” Doire Clipper yacht.
He added: “This is a great opportunity to promote the excellent work we are doing to build on what was achieved during our year as City of Culture and to promote our legacy promise and encourage people to visit and be part of our new story.
“The timing of the visit is perfect in terms of allowing me to promote the forthcoming Clipper Round the World Race in advance of the arrival of the Derry ‘LondonDerry’ Doire yacht to San Francisco and New York.”.
Cllr Reilly said he was “delighted” to be representing the city at “these significant events” and to be in a position to showcase and market the city and region to influential people in both cities.
He added: “It’s important that Derry is represented at key events where we can make contacts, forge links that could lead to economic and tourism benefits for the region.”
Mayor Reilly concluded: “I hope that some influential US Congress leaders and Senators will make a return visit to Derry in the coming months to see for themselves how the city has transformed and progressed.”
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