David has played a leading role in developing Bray’s links with the European Union, is part of the organising committee for Bray’s Europe Day events and has been actively involved in the town’s twinning partnerships with Bègles in France and with Würzburg in Germany. He has also developed a number of other contacts with towns, schools and community groups that have visited Bray as a result of his efforts.
A number of major Europe related events have taken place over the past two decades:
1994 Bray formally signs the Twinning Charter with Bègles, forming its first ever European twinning partnership. Since then hundreds of visits by local residents from Bray and return visits from Bègles have been made. Furthermore school and sporting exchanges have also been developed between the two towns.
1998 Bray played host to the Tour de France cycling race. Thousands packed the streets of the town for the whirlwind visit of riders, their teams, the media and event organisers.
1999 Bray signs the Twinning Charter with Würzburg after fifteen years of school exchange programmes between St Kilian’s Community School in Bray and Matthias Grünewald Gymnasium in Würzburg.
2000 Through the contacts of Ardmore Rovers Schoolboy Football Club, Bray Town Council supported the clubs initiative to forge a partnership with Charlton Athletic FC in Greenwich London and made contacts with the Greenwich Borough Council.
2004 Bray was chosen as one of ten towns in Ireland to host one of the new Accession Countries to the European Union on the 1st of May that year. Cyprus was received into the family of the European Union on that Day of Welcomes with a large civic and cultural weekend on Bray’s seafront.
2008 Bray hosted its first Europe Day Weekend in the Civic Plaza with music and food displays from many different countries in the European Union. Educational events were also held in the Town Hall for all schools, explaining to the students the workings and importance of the European Union.
2008 Bray Town Council marked the achievement of the town’s former resident, Charles Barrington from Old Fassaroe, who was the first man to climb the Eiger Peak in the Swiss Alps. The Mayor of Grindelwald, the Swiss Ambassador and guests from Grindelwald visited Bray to erect a plaque in honour of the mountaineer.
Smaller occasions have also occurred in the past with visits from various groups to the town on a whole range of issues. David is keen to develop all such relationships, which can often present opportunities for people in the town to create contacts to pursue interests of their own.