A concert was held on Wednesday, July 3 on the steps in front of the Pittsfield City Hall to welcome a delegation from Ballina, Ireland, one of Pittsfield's sister cities. The concert featured the David Munnelly Band, which played some lively, traditional Irish tunes for some 40 spectators.
The delegation from Ireland included Mary Kelly, a councilwoman in Ballina; Padraig Moore, a councilman in Ballina; his wife Anne Moore; and three musicians: David Munnelly, his brother Kieran Munnelly and Ryan Molloy.
Mayor Sara Hathaway – who amused the crowd by doing an Irish jig with Kevin Cahill, president of the local Irish-American Club – and the Pittsfield Irish Sister City Steering Committee hosted the concert, which was followed by a reception in the City Council chambers. During the reception the mayor spoke about the strong relationship between Pittsfield and Ballina (pronounced Bal-lin-a) and acknowledged city and state officials who attended the event. The sister city committee presented each of the visitors from Ballina a reproduction of a poster called "Celebrate America," which were donated by the Pittsfield Parade Committee.
Pat Gormalley, the vice president of the sister city committee, orchestrated the concert and reception, which were both attended by most of the members of the sister city committee and some of the members of the Irish-American Club.
The Irish delegation, which had departed its flight in Boston on July 2, arrived in Pittsfield the next day and stayed until Monday, the eighth. The "David Munnelly Band" is headed by 25-year old David Munnelly, who is all-Ireland champion accordionist and a composer. Having just released his first solo album called "Swing," Munnelly has also played with the Chieftains, a premier musical group in Ireland, according to Gormalley. David's brother, Kieran Munnelly, and Ryan Molloy, both of whom recently graduated from high school, accompanied him for the performance. Munnelly played the flute and Molloy, who will be attending Oxford University in the fall, played the keyboard.
The band had a busy schedule while they were in the Berkshires. Wednesday night they played at The Shamrock Restaurant & Pub in Dalton. On Independence Day, after having marched in the parade with the sister city committee and the Irish-American Club, they performed at Wahconah Park before the fireworks. On Friday, the fifth, they played in the volunteer's tent for the opening day of Tanglewood. On Saturday, the sixth, they brought their music to the local Waterfront Pub. On Sunday, the seventh, they did a concert at the Wahconah Country Club in Dalton.
One reason that they did so many shows was to raise money to cover the cost of their airline tickets, which were over $600, according to Anne Gagnon, president of the sister city committee. Pittsfield and Ballina have been sister cities since 1998, and the relationship has elevated to friendship status, said Kelly and Dan Dillon, a member of both the sister city committee and the Irish-American club. Although Ballina has had a sister city in France for 9 years, Kelly said the "twinning" – which is what the Irish call a sister-city partnership – between Pittsfield and Ballina is her town's most active and most successful.
The Pittsfield Irish Sister City Steering Committee is committed to the preservation of the Irish heritage and believes that it should be shared and passed on to the youth of the county, people of Irish descent, and to anyone else who desires it, according to the committee's mission statement. In achieving that goal, Pittsfield and Ballina have participated in a number of educational, social, economic and recreational exchanges, Dillon and Kelly said.
All of these exchanges have occurred since 2000. In July of that year, 50 members and friends of the Berkshire Concert Choir visited and performed in Ballina, according to a sister city fact sheet. In October 2000 the Berkshire Concert Choir performed with the Ballina Moy Singers at Tanglewood.
There have been two sports exchanges between the cities thus far. In November 2000 Team West from Ballina played the Pittsfield All-Stars in basketball at the Pittsfield Boy's Club, and the All-Stars won, according to the fact sheet. In April 2001, 42 Berkshire County female soccer players and parents visited Ballina. The team beat Ballina, 2-1.
In the future a civic exchange of police and fire officials could be a possibility, Gagnon said, as well as sending an entire class from St. Joseph Central High School to Ballina.
Pittsfield also has sister city partnerships with Cava de Tirreni, Italy and Malpaisillo, Nicaragua.
A number of city and state officials were present at the event. State Sen. (D-Pittsfield) Andrea Nuciforo attended part of the event, as well as a representative from John Olver's U.S. Rep. (D-Amherst) office. Representing the Pittsfield City Council were Matthew Kerwood, Richard Scapin and Robert Tuttle. David Hathaway, principal planner for the city's Department of Community Development, was also there.
Ballina is in County Mayo and is located in western Ireland, according to Mr. Moore. The town has a population of some 12,000 people and is the gateway to the North Mayo region. A number of American-based companies have plants there, including Coca-Cola, Hollister, Oasis, Deco and Lion Bridge Technologies, he said.
Rudolph Sacco, who lives in Washington, Mass. and is on the Pittsfield Italian Sister City Committee, elaborated on sister city relationships during the reception. "We know where the roots are, and we know where the branches are – in America," he said.
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Winter Storm Warning Issued for Berkshires
Another snowstorm is expected to move through the region overnight on Friday, bringing 5 to 8 inches of snow. This is updated from Thursday's winter weather advisory.
The National Weather Service in Albany, N.Y., has posted a winter storm warning for all of Berkshire County and parts of eastern New York State beginning Friday at 4 p.m. through Saturday at 1 p.m.
The region could see heavy to moderate snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour overnight, tapering off Saturday morning to flurries.
Drivers should exercise caution on Friday night and Saturday morning, as travel conditions may be hazardous.
Saturday night should be clear and calm, but warming temperatures means freezing rain Sunday night and rain through Monday with highs in the 40s. The forecast isn't much better through the week as temperatures dip back into the teens with New Year's Eve looking cloudy and frigid.
Many homeowners are showing their holiday spirit by decorating their houses. We asked for submissions so those in the community can check out these fanciful lights and decor when they're out.
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