Council Welcomes Delegation from Finland to the District

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council working in partnership with the East Border Region and Louth County Council welcomed a delegation from Kunta TEK Labour Union in Finland to our district on Friday 23 September to visit Victoria Lock, the Narrow Water Bridge site in Warrenpoint and the Carlingford Lough Greenway.

The delegation comprised of technical staff such as architects, engineers, planners and medical physicists from municipalities throughout Finland. They used this opportunity to share best practices with respect to cross border co-operation between Councils and gain insights on overcoming challenges when implementing large scale projects.

The group were welcomed to Louth County Council by the Cathaoirleach Councillor Conor Keelan where they received presentations on the Narrow Water Bridge Project and the Carlingford Lough Greenway before visiting the Greenway at Victoria Lock, the site of the Narrow Water Bridge in Warrenpoint.

Newry, Mourne and Down District Chairperson Councillor Michael Savage said, “I am delighted to welcome and demonstrate our successful experience in cross border co-operation and delivery to the Kunta TEK Labour Union Delegation. The Narrow Water Bridge project was of particular interest to the delegation as it demonstrates a practical example of cross border working which is progressing to the next stage of implementation.”   

The Narrow Water Bridge is an iconic cross border project, which on completion will result in a 280m cable bridge stretching from Omeath to Warrenpoint. The innovative design of the bridge includes an opening to allow for ships to sail up towards Victoria lock and into Newry Canal.  The bridge will help expand the local economy, as well as increasing tourism links between the Mourne Mountains and the Cooley Peninsula adding to the tourism offering.

The delegation also met with representatives from the Renewable Energy Department of Dundalk Institute of Technology and visited the Great Northern Distillery in Dundalk.