Santa Monica soon may have a new “sister,” on the Gaelic west coast of Ireland. Santa Monica City Councilmember Kevin McKeown has opened talks with the City of Galway after meeting with officials while on vacation this week.
Santa Monica is currently a sister city with Cassino and Sant’Elia in Italy, Hamm in Germany, Mazatlan in Mexico, and Fujinomiya in Japan, according to Santa Monica Sister Cities.
“Galway would in many ways make an ideal sister city,” Councilmember McKeown said.
“We are both small west coast cities fortuitously situated on an eponymous bay,” he wrote in an introductory letter to Galway City Hall.
Like Santa Monica, Galway is an actively sustainable city with strengths in technology, education, and the arts, according to McKeown.
The councilmember is currently the vice-chair of the Irish-American Caucus of the California Democratic Party, and was visiting Galway during their annual Arts Festival.
“I’ve already had encouragement from the Santa Monica Sister City Association,” McKeown said, “and will bring the proposal for Galway to our City Council when I return.”
The same process will be underway in Galway, with Santa Monica on their future Council agenda, he added.
Sister cities typically exchange students and cultural events. Last year McKeown visited Fujinomiya to celebrate 40 years of friendship.
