A small delegation to Ireland from the Clare and Gilbert Valleys Council district has come back home with a raft of recommendations, which if implemented, could provide positive economic and social outcomes for the region.

Mayor Allan Aughey, council CEO Roy Blight and councillor Nedd Golding, together with community representative Debra Blight, left South Australia on September 26, arriving at Shannon Airport in Ireland the following evening.

The purpose of the visit was to further the twinning partnership between the Irish Clare County Council and the Clare and Gilbert Valleys Council districts and to explore opportunities.

Mr Aughey was effusive in his praise of the trip and the hospitality shown by everyone met by the delegation when presenting his report at Monday night’s council meeting on October 19.

“We have been able to come up with an extensive list of leads, from which we hope to have some practical outcomes,” he said. A highlight for the delegation was the opportunity to meet the Irish Prime Minister and presenting him with a gift pack of regional promotional material, including wine.

Meetings were held with Irish ministers and other politicians, Chamber of Commerce representatives and those from service clubs and tourism organisations.

“We discovered we had a lot in common in terms of issues,” Mr Aughey said.

The delegation returned to Australia on October 10 and recommendations to the council have included re-affirming the twinning project between County Clare Council, as formulated in 1986 by the former District Council of Clare.

Opportunities existing for the development of a staff exchange program, establishment of ties between the Clare Valley Model Engineers and the West Clare Railway and an Ireland Mid West Economic Development Strategy.

Mr Aughey said the council would ask the Mid North Regional Development Board and the Wakefield Group (local government councils in the Federal electorate of Wakefield currently held by Labor MP Nick Champion) to establish ties with the Shannon Development Corporation to investigate the viability of participating in an economic development global collaboration with the Mid West of Ireland based on research and development, innovation and commercialisation of new products and ideas.