Athy plan to twin with uninhabited island shut down
King Penguins colony South Georgia
A CALL for Athy to be twinned with a remote island in the South Atlantic Ocean with no permanent human population has been shut down.
Cllr Mark Leigh brought forward a motion at the most recent meeting of Athy Municipal District (MD) proposing that Kildare County Council twins the town with the island of South Georgia, as a tribute to the legacy of Ernest Shackleton, who is buried there.
Cllr Brian Dooley seconded the motion.
South Georgia lies in the south Atlantic ocean that is part of the British Overseas Territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. The Falkland Islands are the closest populated territory to South Georgia, roughly 1,400km away, whilst the nearest country is Argentina, about 2,700 km from the island.
Kilkea-born explorer Shackleton is buried in Grytviken Cemetery, South Georgia, after dying on the island while his ship was moored there during an expedition in 1922.
The island is known for its’ penguin population, thought to number several million.
Senior executive officer in the community department Tony Shanahan expressed caution in his written response to the motion but did not rule the prospect out.
His response outlined that because the Athy twinning committee dissolved in 2024, a new independent, community led committee would need to be set up to develop and manage the proposal.
The committee would gauge whether Athy and South Georgia are a suitable match, with factors such as geographical location, population size and economic and tourism activity to be considered.
If the proposal was considered viable, the committee would submit a formal application to the twinning liaison committee.
If that committee were to approve the submission/presentation then the proposal would be referred to the Athy MD for final approval.
Speaking at the meeting, cllr Leigh noted that Shackleton’s burial place at Grytviken cemetery is visited by thousands every year.
Cllrs Aoife Breslin, Brian Dooley and Veralouise Behan expressed their support for the motion, with cllr Breslin saying it would be a “missed opportunity if we don’t do it” and cllr Dooley noting what he sees as the marketing potential of the move.
In contrast to his written response, Mr Shanahan struck a blunt tone of opposition to the twinning when he spoke at the meeting, noting that South Georgia does not have a permanent population and said that twinning Athy with the island “is not the mechanism” for achieving the goals set out by the councillors.
