Headford visit to ‘Sister
City’ Morgan Hill
 The
strong sister city relationship between Morgan Hill in California and
Headford have well and truly been cemented following the recent trip organised
by the Headford District Association to visit their American friends.
It was a trip that had been on the horizon for quiet some time following
the signing of the Twinning Charters on last St. Patrick’s Day,
and one which has shown Headford and surrounding areas in a very positive
light. Morgan Hill lies at the southern end of ‘Silicon Valley’.
A mix of hi-tech industry, lettuces growing in the fertile valley soil
and wineries producing some of the famous Californian wines. In the air,
a smell of garlic in one of the oldest garlic producing areas, mixing
with mushroom compost in another present day agri-industry. Town Twinings
have been popular around Ireland over the last twenty years or more. Twins
suggest similarities, whether of age, looks, characteristics. Sisters
can be different. And these two sister cities sure are different. One
with a main street congested with parked cars, the other with a criss-cross
of two and four laned highways intersecting its heart. California is part
of a big country. Headford has a big heart. This interaction of cultures
has laid the foundations for an exciting future of growth and exchange.
Cultural Exchange – A Spectacular Show ‘Headford in Harmony
‘
One part of the trip was dedicated to the performance of a showcase of
Irish culture, history, humour, music and song. Musicians and performers
drawn from 2nd and 3rd level students and adults wowed their Morgan Hill
audiences with two performances of their musical drama ‘Headford
in Harmony’. Telling a Headford story through music, narration and
drama, their Morgan Hill hosts and friends were stunned by the array of
talent and professionalism of the group. The performances on both nights
were to full houses and both were greeted with standing ovations. The
show was a huge talking  point
in the area with many people wanting to return to see the show for a second
time. The review in the ‘Gilroy Dispatch’ was most positive
and praised the efforts of all involved - “Saturday night at the
Community Playhouse in Morgan Hill … Headford in Harmony played
to a packed house. An incredibly talented group of young people from Headford
played multiple instruments, sang and danced and acted with a background
of gorgeous slides of Headford…” (from reviewer Mary Anne
McCarthy in the Limelight Review). Music created by Mairead Berrill in
collaboration with Ita Cunningham and others. Drama and mime created by
Liam Thornton and others of the famous Headford dramatic heritage with
beautiful slide projections by John McHugh.
Economic Exchange – The Business end
 Coupled
with the cultural aspect of the visit to Morgan Hill, there was an equally
important economic aspect to the trip. Morgan Hill is on the southern
end of Silicon Valley, the centre of technological developments in the
World today. Ireland has moved on from its traditional manufacturing base
of the late 20th century to a knowledge-based economy in the 21st century.
This theme is borne out in the marketing campaign of the Irish Development
Agency (IDA) under the banner “Ireland, knowledge is in our nature”.
This made it an ideal opportunity to forge new economic ties with our
new twin town or ‘Sister city’ as they like to say. The Headford
business delegation of Mary Hoade, Galway County Councillor, assistant
bank manager, John McGrath, local businessman, Eamon Walsh, local school
teachers Liam McDonagh and Liam Thornton, both producers of the show “Headford
in Harmony”, all of whom are committee members of the Headford District
Association met with a number of the primary agencies involved in business
development including the IDA, the City and County Enterprise Board and
the Economic and the Community & Enterprise Unit of Galway County
Council. All of the agencies provided superb assistance to us to bring
together a business presentation and pack for the visit.
The team met with the Mayor of Morgan Hill, Dennis Kennedy and the Director
of the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce, Dan Ehrler to outline the strategy
behind the visit. The team travelled with the Mayor of Morgan Hill to
nearby Mountain View for a meeting at the IDA Western United States Region
Office with Brigid Walsh, Vice President Information & Communications
Technologies. The key purpose of the meeting was to establish contacts
between the IDA and Morgan Hill agencies so they can offer immediate assistance
and guidance to any companies interested in setting up in Ireland. Brigid
commented after the meeting "It was wonderful to see how the Headford
team had taken the initiative to engage the business community in Morgan
Hill and actively seek out potential business opportunities. The marketplace
for foreign direct investment to Ireland is increasingly competitive and
innovative efforts such as these are highly commendable." There will
be a follow up meeting with the Mayor, Dennis Kennedy, the Director of
the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce, Dan Ehrler and the Director of the
IDA office, Dermot Tuohy in the coming weeks.
Later during the visit, the team met with a number of local businesses
in Morgan Hill, accompanied by Dennis Kennedy and Dan Ehrler. The team
made a business presentation and presented each attendee with the business
pack. The visits were very successful and follow up visits are being arranged.
The Morgan Hill team were impressed by the professionalism and organisation
of the overall business development package and a week of business development
activities were discussed as a possibility for next year.
The business development team of the Headford District Association are
using the visit as a springboard to develop a business park for the town
on community lands on the Galway Road. A funding commitment has already
been made by local agencies and a feasibility study is underway. The team
would especially like to thank Frank Dawson from the Community & Enterprise
Unit Galway County Council, Charles Lynch from the City & County Enterprise
Board, Jim Murren from the IDA and the Headford Development Association
for their support. We look forward to strengthening our business links
with Morgan Hill and developing a Business Park to stimulate business
development in the town. There’s a lot to look forward to!
Social Interaction – A meeting of hearts and minds
 Of
course there was a little time to relax and join the local residents in
their way of life. Through the generosity of the locals, most of the delegation
was taken care of by a large number of caring and obliging hosts. There
was also a little time to socialise. Several parties were held during
the week, allowing everyone to mingle and get to know their new friends:
of which we had many. The Morgan Hill Tavern saw an influx of singers
on the Thursday night for possibly one of the most impressive karaoke
session that the area has seen in recent memory!!! Another highlight was
the invitation to attend and partake in the communities mass on Sunday
evening. The service was indeed a memorable and stirring one and gave
Kerry native Fr. Gene a chance to refresh on his cupla focail. 
Unfortunately, the week had to come to an end, and as we prepared to
leave, emotions were very close to the surface. It was possibly summed
up best by those who said that the full extent of the week would begin
to dawn on all involved once we had returned home and began to reflect
on our time. This was a most special week for both communities, allowing
the relationship already established to blossom.
The stories began to surface about all that was experienced that week,
from the scheduled visits to San Francisco, Carmel and Monterey and of
course the shopping in Gilroy to the unscheduled visit for two hours to
Santa Cruz and the $40 sofa that appeared on the sidewalk as a welcome
refuge!!! It had proved to be a week in which expectations were surpassed
and friendships were made. The Irish left their mark on Morgan Hill, and
they made their impact on our hearts.
It was only as the bus pulled into the town of Headford; laden with
its sleepy passengers did the full force of the events of the previous
week begin to come to bear on the group. The trip had come to an unwanted
end but the memories were only beginning to come to the fore. The friendships
established amongst the group from Headford and those with the people
of Morgan Hill are truly long lasting ones.
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