THE ‘twin towns’ of Reading and Clonmel, Eire, are celebrating their 25th anniversary of ‘civic togetherness’ this weekend, in a series of joint affirmation activities.

Using the Chronicle archives and the Reading Clonmel Town Twinning Association, this week’s Bygones charts the history of the organisation since 1992.

The town of Clonmel “Cluain Meala” or Honey Meadow, is the County town of Tipperary in southern Eire, with a population of over 17,000.

A ‘Free Borough’ since 1608, the town walls include an impressive 19th century west gate, and the 15th century St. Mary’s Church, which holds the tomb of the first Mayor of Clonmel, John Fitz-Geffry White, who died in 1615.

The ‘Siege of Clonmel’ took place in the spring of 1650 during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, when the town was besieged by Oliver Cromwell’s ‘New Model Army’.

Clonmel was scene of the Young Irelander Rebellion trials 1848, after an Irish Nationalist uprising in the village of Ballingarry, South Tipperary, which later was dubbed the “Battle of Ballingarry”.

St. Anthony’s Gaelic Football Club opened their first ever playing pitch at the Rivermead Sports Centre, Reading, on the 31st May 1992.

The official VIP guests from across the Irish Sea included the Joseph Small (Irish Ambassador in England), Vera Hewitt (Mayor of Clonmel), Tom Ambrose (Head of Tipperary County Council), Tom Dwyer (Town Clerk) and Sean O’Riain (First Secretary of the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs).

Mayor Vera Hewitt reminded the audience that Tipperary was the founder county of the Gaelic Games in 1884, and that she hoped to establish future links between Reading and Clonmel, playing matches between St. Anthony’s her towns clubs.

Three matches were played on the day, and in the final of the Henry O’Hare Cup, St. Anthony’s ran out winners against Shannon Rovers from Poole.

The last game of the day was a hurling match between two top London sides, Desmonds and St. Gabriel’s, for the New Inn Cup, in a fast and skilful game St. Gabriel’s proved worthy winners by two goals and 12 points (18) to one goal and six points (9).

Both Mrs. Hewitt and Dick O’Brien hit upon the idea to expand on the great feeling of kinship that day, and kept the ball rolling for the next two years.

Mr O’Brien told Bygones:” It all started with a brief conversation I had at the opening of St Anthony’s Gaelic football pitch at the Rivermead Leisure Centre, with the Mayor of Clonmel, Vera Hewitt.”

An official twinning association was founded in 1994, and the signing of the formal document was performed by Michael O’Brien, Mayor of Clonmel and Cllr. Rajinder Sophal, Mayor of Reading.

Ten years later, in 2004, a civic delegation from Berkshire arrived in Tipperary, led by Mayor Cllr. Jeanette Skeats and whenever possible the two towns have endeavoured to repeat the two-way visits every two years.