A HALF-century of friendship, music, cultural exchange, and Celtic connections will be joyfully celebrated this May as the Galway-Lorient Town Twinning marks its Golden Anniversary.

The Twinning agreement was originally developed in 1974 and came into official effect in 1975.

The main driving forces behind it were President Michael D Higgins, then a member of Galway Corporation, and Jean-Yves Le Drian, then a Breton councillor, who later served in ministerial positions in various French governments.

Now, Brittany Fest Galway 2025, which runs from May 9 to 18, will mark the 50th anniversary of the town twinning of Galway with the Breton city of Lorient, through music concerts; a major maritime display; dance and language events; an exhibition; Gaelic games; and family fun, including a digital treasure hunt.

The Festival will be launched on May 15 at 6pm in The King’s Head and will include a performance by award-winning Galway folk/trad band, Cogar (members of Galvian Way), followed at 9.30pm by a gig in the Bunch of Grapes with the Galway BayTones and Les Gabiers d’Artimon, the long running Breton group specialising in maritime music and song.

The Maritime heritage of Brittany and Galway will be celebrated in spectacular fashion with the arrival of le Biche, a Dundee-rigged tuna boat of the Atlantic, originally built in 1934. This style of ship is to Brittany what the Claddagh Hooker is to Galway, and it will lead a Lorient flotilla into Galway Harbour on May 10.

Le Biche will be open to the public for free visits throughout most of Brittany Fest Galway; booking will be available for day trips, on board events, and a day trip to Aran; as well as sculling courses, challenges, and music events. Further Maritime events will see Claddagh boat trips to the Bay on 18th May.

“The maritime connections constitute a strong bond between Galway and Lorient, which started in 1794 with a trade in tobacco, and it has sailed across time in various ways, fostering cultural and economic exchanges,” said Catherine Gagneux, French Honorary Consul – Galway, and head of the Galway-Lorient Twinning committee.

“In 2019, a Galway flotilla travelled to Lorient and will now welcome the Lorient one in Galway and will continue to celebrate friendship across waters and generations.”

The Music of Ireland and Brittany is the other central focus of the Festival. Galway will get a taste of the Breton Fest Noz (‘night party’) with a concert by two of the most exciting practitioners of Breton traditional music: Ampouailh and Charlie Le Brun at Monroe’s Live on May 16 at 8pm.

Ampouailh have won acclaim for blending modern sounds and textures with music deeply grounded in the rich cultural traditions and history of Brittany. The Monroe’s Live show will be their debut Irish concert. Flute player, singer, and composer Charlie Le Brun is making his first return to Galway since 2023.

Cercle Brizeux Lorient will give a costumed display of traditional Breton dance on Shop Street on May 17 from 2pm, while that evening there will be a trad music/Breton session trail involving Taaffes, Tig Choili, and the Crane Bar.

For those wanting to learn more about Breton and Irish trad and folk music, there will be workshops in the Rowing Club, Woodquay, on May 18, as the Festival officially concludes with Galvian Way playing in the King’s Head.

Pictured: Cercle Brizeux Lorient…costumed display of traditional Breton dance on Shop Street.