Lanesborough Firefighters Travel to Lanesboro, Ireland
 Stephanie Abrams and Deputy Fire Chief Charles "Butch" Garrity pose with T-shirts and photo to be presented at the Irish Lanesboro's new firehouse dedication. |
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Two members of the Lanesborough Fire Department arrived on St. Patrick's Day in Lanesboro, County Longford, Ireland, where they led that town's St. Patrick's Day Parade, carrying the Twin-Towns banner boasting their special relationship.
Deputy Fire Chief Charles "Butch" Garrity, reporting for himself and firefighter Max LaCasse, said, "For me and Max, this was the best day of our lives!"
The trip was made possible with support and assistance provided by Lanesborough residents Mark and Stephanie Abrams, who were instrumental in the twinning of the two towns. The towns are now in the 10th year of their special relationship which comes at a time when Lanesborough is celebrating the 250th anniversary of its incorporation.
The visit to Ireland was precipitated by the news that Lanesboro had built a new firehouse and wanted its brother firefighters in Lanesborough to come to Ireland to be part of the official dedication.
The new Lanesboro firehouse created a permanent glass-enclosed display that is incorporated into a floor-to-ceiling column in which the helmet of the fire chief of Lanesborough, Charles Durfee, is encased. Prominently emblazoned on Durfee's helmet are his signature and the signature of every member of the Lanesborough Fire Department.
"When I visited the firehouse on January 6th this year, two weeks before its official dedication, I offered our blessings and good wishes to the firemen and the firehouse from the townspeople of Lanesborough and our fire department and was touched by the placement of our fire chief's helmet, which is a tangible recognition of the warm feelings and good wishes that our fire department shares with the Lanesboro Fire Department," Abrams said.
The firefighters brought along T-shirts celebrating Lanesborough's 250th anniversary, designed by Abrams, along with a large color photo printed on canvas displaying the Lanesborough Fire Department members in their dress uniforms.
"I can't wait to visit Lanesboro, Ireland, again soon to see the growing collection of Lanesborough's gifts prominently displayed across the ocean in a ‘wee rural town' that is similar in so many ways to our Lanesborough in Massachusetts," Abrams said.
Abrams said the value of cultural exchanges that emerge from twin-town and sister-city relationships cannot be underestimated.
"I am hopeful that townspeople from Ireland will come to celebrate our 250th anniversary and that local residents will make an effort to visit Lanesboro, County. Longford, Ireland on their next trip across the Atlantic. That's a trip worth taking," Abrams said.
Tags: dedication, firefighters, holiday, Ireland, sister city,
