Newry-Dundalk

History

Cooperation between the cities began in the 1970s, and has developed progressively. It was significantly bolstered during the 2000s and has resulted in the Twin City project then at a formal cooperation agreement in 2011.

Several reports have encouraged this rapprochement. First of all, at the level of the central governments, the InterTradeIreland report on spatial strategies on the island of Ireland was published in 2006. This report examined the potential of merging the Regional Development Strategy (RDS) in Northern Ireland and the National Spatial Strategy (NSS) in Ireland.

At the local level, it was the Newry-Dundalk Twin City Report of 2006 which provided a convincing rationale for co-operation between Newry and Dundalk.

Moreover, in January 2009, The International Centre for Local and Regional Development (ICLRD), at the request of Northern Ireland’s Minister for Regional Development and the Irish Republic’s Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, published a report summarising the two preceding studies, and pleading in favour of the Newry-Dundalk Twin City project.

A strategic catalyst for the Newry-Dundalk Twin City Project was the opening of the crucial cross border link in the Trans-European Network on the eastern coast of the island of Ireland. This key infrastructure link, funded by the respective central governments, north and south, has repositioned the Newry-Dundalk Twin City as a strategic centre within the Belfast-Dublin Corridor.

Finally, the cooperation agreement was formalised by the Memorandum of Understanding in 2011. A co-operation structure is established including a joint committee, an advisory forum with a technical support from the ICLRD and the Centre for Cross Border studies. The Newry, Mourne and Down District in Northern Ireland and the Louth Council in Ireland are the lead actors of the partnership.