MAYOR OF MONTRÉAL VISITS CATHEDRAL IN CAVAN
The Honorable Denis Coderre, Mayor of the Canadian city of Montréal, paid a short visit to Cavan on Saturday 30 April last. He was accompanied by Monsieur Howard Liebman, Special Advisor to the Mayor; Madame Dominique Poirier, International Relations Commissioner for the City of Montréal; and Madame Marie-Claude Therrien, International Relations Advisor for the City of Montréal.
The Mayor visited the Cathedral of SS. Patrick and Felim in Cavan where he was welcomed by Fr. Sean Maguire CC on behalf of Bishop Leo O’Reilly and the priests of the parish, and by Sean Coll, Director of the Kilmore Diocesan Pastoral Centre. Local historian, Michael Swords, conducted a guided tour of the Cathedral for the Canadian delegation. Also present was Ger Finn, Deputy Chief Executive of Cavan County Council. Before leaving, the Mayor was presented with a print of the Cathedral from an original by local artist, Mrs. Rosaleen Howard.
The Mayor and his entourage then took a short walk down Farnham Street to the Johnston Central Library where they were welcomed by Councillor Paddy Smith, Cathaoirleach of Cavan County Council and by other senior Council officials including Ger Finn, Deputy Chief Executive; Tom Sullivan, County Librarian; Una McNamara, Cavan County Council Press Officer; and Mary Sullivan and Concepta McGovern from the Cavan Genealogy Office.
After signing the visitors’ book and viewing both the 1916 exhibition and library sources pertaining to pre- and post-Famine immigration to Canada, Mr Coderre met with staff from Cavan Genealogy who are currently researching his ancestors, in particular his grandmother Helene and her father Hugh McCabe, from Cavan.
Cllr. Smith presented Mr. Coderre with a piece by the artist, Marilyn Gaffney, entitled “Burren Trail” which is part of her recent “Anamnesis” Exhibition.
Monsieur Coderre was elected Mayor of the City of Montréal in November 2013 and is also President of the Montréal Metropolitan Community, which includes all 82 municipalities of the Montréal urban area. Previously, M. Coderre served as Member of the Canadian Parliament from 1997 to 2013, where he was re-elected six times. He was appointed to several federal ministerial functions and other positions within the Government of Canada, including Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, President of the Queen’s Privy Council, Secretary of State for Amateur Sport, among others.
Mayor Coderre is President of Metropolis, the World Association of the Major Metropolises and a member of the Advisory Committee of Local Authorities to the United Nations (UNACLA).
His visit to Cavan coincided with a seven-day mission to Europe during which he visited six European cities – Stockholm, London, Dublin, Brussels, Düsseldorf and Berlin. During his mission, the Mayor of Montréal met mayors, elected and senior officials, and addressed Chambers of Commerce audiences, with the objectives of strengthening Montréal’s institutional, political and economic ties with the cities visited and heightening Montréal’s profile abroad.
The Mayor’s visit was co-ordinated by the Kilmore Diocesan Pastoral Centre and Cavan County Council.
Photographs courtesy of Lorraine McElgunn-Teevan, Photographer