St Davids Cathedral in St Davids, Pembrokeshire, Wales

Support of the twinning link between Naas and St Davids in Pembrokeshire (in Wales) has been sought by a local councillor.

Cllr Colm Kenny flagged that at the March meeting of Naas Municipal District, where he called on the council to engage with the Southern Regional Assembly’s Interregional programme to support said link as part of the Pembrokeshire-South East Interregional programme.

According to Visit Wales, St Davids is the smallest city in Britain and has been a place of pilgrimage for centuries. According to historian Liam Kenny, St David never visited Naas but ‘was imported into the locality in the 12th century by the Normans who landed on the Wexford coast having made the crossing of the Irish Sea from Wales. The barony of Naas was granted to Maurice Fitzgerald who had direct family connections with the area of St David’s monastery and cathedral at the extremity of the Pembrokeshire peninsula.’

A report issued in response to Cllr Kenny’s motion noted that the possibility of strengthening the twinning link between Naas and St Davids ‘can be brought forward to the Twinning Liaison Committee which has a strategic overview of all twinning arrangements throughout the county and is focused on developing stronger economic, cultural and tourism links. They also provide support and advice to local twinning committees.’

Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Kenny said the link goes back a long time and added that they’re “Celtic cousins.”