Cllr Lawless with Mayor of Omaha Jean Stohert
It was an honour and privilege to spend time in Omaha, Nebraska representing Naas in my role as Mayor for the past few days for their “sister cities” 50 years event. Naas is a sister city with Omaha and there are groups on both sides dedicated to developing and deepening relationships in the areas of business, tourism, sport, culture and education. This twining of the two towns has proven very successful for the local economies and tourism for a number of years now.
The trip was a busy one and we packed a lot into our stay. On any trip away we are representing and effectively selling Kildare and Ireland abroad and it is key we have a good story to tell. At national level we have a strong package such as educated workforce, English language, Eurozone membership, cultural compatibility, low corporate tax rate, support for business. At local level we have all the above plus proximity to airport, access to motorway network, broadband connectivity, and good quality of life standards for repatriating staff.
Discussing economic matters in Omaha Council Chamber
I was particularly happy with the meetings with Omaha Chamber of Commerce where some of their member firms may look to us for a foothold into Europe. We also made good connections with UNO (University of Nebraska, Omaha) and hope to develop that further with an internship or exchange student program and a partnership with our own NUI Maynooth.
There are numerous cultural connections as well and most of Nebraska (and the mid-west) railroads were built by the Irish who went over after the famine, and their descendants are very well represented today in the political, commercial and cultural spheres of Omaha.
Cllr James Lawless and Commissioner Cauvanagh
Our Naas Twinning Committee Chairman, Tim Mulvihill, was a great traveling companion and did a great job representing us to his counterparts on the trip. A large group is expected to travel to Naas from Omaha next Easter, to join in the 1916 centenary commemorations and continue to strengthen the link between the two towns.