An exercise in cross-Border co-operation by Carlow County Council has been formally recognised by the European Commission. For the past decade the council has been forging cultural, sporting and business links with Banbridge District Council in Co Down, and a formal twinning arrangement was put in place last year.
The two areas have now become the first recipients in Britain or Ireland to receive the Commission's golden star award for twinning, which seeks to reward towns for bringing European citizens closer together.
This year, the seventh of the scheme, 36 towns were honoured at a prize-giving ceremony in Oulu, Finland, earlier this month.
The Carlow County Council secretary, Mr Jim Kearney, says the links between the two areas have included sporting fixtures, the involvement of artists from Banbridge in Carlow's annual Eigse festival and, in more recent times, business contacts.
Carlow town and county, and the area administered by Banbridge District Council, have similar populations. "We were chosen out of 15,000 towns and areas under consideration so it's quite a distinction. It's a recognition of the efforts which have been put in to develop links over the past number of years," says Mr Kearney.
The 36 winners were chosen by a jury made up of representatives of the European Commission, the EU's Committee of the Regions, the Council of Municipalities and Regions of Europe and the World Federation of Twinned Towns and United Cities, which met in Brussels in March.