BREAKING: Rathangan signs historic twinning agreement with Bruce Springsteen's hometown in US
Springsteen paid emotional visit to ancestral home last year
The Freehold and Rathangan Twinning events include a historic walking tour of Freehold. The delegation also attended in the Freehold St. Patrick's Day parade.
The Boss hit the Burrow, a pub in Rathangan, and led the town in an a cappella version of his 1984 hit, “My Hometown.”
The Mayor of Freehold, formally passed resolution Twin City resolution between Rathangan and Freehold on Monday, March 18, at the Freehold Borough Council Meeting.
“It's tremendous,” said Freehold Mayor Kevin Kane, “We're calling it a Hometown Twinning celebration.”
“Bruce Springsteen is the 'Tie that Binds' the Borough of Freehold and Rathangan and County Kildare together,” reads the resolution. “Bruce Springsteen calls Freehold Borough his 'Hometown,' and his ancestors and relatives call Rathangan their 'Hometown.' "
In January, Bruce Springsteen cousin Glenn Cashion presented a letter to Rathangan officials in the Irish town from Mayor Kane about establishing the Twinning resolution between Rathangan and Freehold. Cashion also unveiled a painting of the former home of the Springsteens at 87 Randolph St. in Freehold at the Rathangan Library.
Freehold will be the future home of the “My Hometown: The Bruce Springsteen Story Center,” a multi-purpose museum and event space at the firehouse at 49 W. Main St. The Bruce Springsteen Archives and Centre for American Music at Monmouth University and Freehold are collaborating on the effort.
The Rathangan twinning committee are delighted with the formal progress been made between Freehold and Rathangan. The passing of this recent resolution is a further step on the twinning process, and we look forward to further strengthen our ancestral, and cultural ties with Freehold.
It is planned that a delegation from Freehold will return to Rathangan in May 2024 to progress the twinning process.