Traces along the Wild Atlantic Way
Cork and Cologne as Twinning Towns

After World War 2, town twinning became especially popular to strengthen relations and international understanding. This was of special importance between cities located in countries that used to be enemies, as the twin towns demonstrate a good relation and political reconciliation. Town twinning can also be based on religious motivation or other similarities between the towns, such as shared history or origins, as well as shared social, political and economic processes.

More than 17,000 cities, towns and villages across the EU participate in town twinning, including 200 Irish communities. They can make use of an EU funding that supports the cost of exchanges between twin towns in Ireland and other European countries.

Today, the economic advantage of town twinning is especially important, as towns can, for example, benefit from reduced transaction costs and increased access to the market. Additionally, different cooperative activities and exchanges make twin towns especially attractive, leading to a stronger growth of population.

Cooperation on the educational level is of high importance, as partnerships can exist between schools or colleges, providing each other with support and more opportunities for students. This has also been a focus of the town twinning between the Irish city Cork and the German city Cologne since the establishment of their partnership on 27 June 1988.

The aim of the partnership is to strengthen connections in culture, sports, and science as well as to enhance the exchange between students and youths. Group travels are also offered, providing people with the ability to experience the culture and lifestyle of their twin town and to interact with different people.