Clare County Council trip to China ‘not a junket’

The mayor of Clare, Cllr John Crowe (FG), won’t go lonely on his 16,000km round trip to China as five councillors and two officials are to accompany him on the €12,000 trek.

On Monday, members of Clare County Council approved the mayor’s trip to the 46m-strong Yunnan province, likely in April or May, in an unlikely twinning link-up between Clare and the vast Chinese region.

The chair of the council’s low-profile Twinning Committee, Cllr Michael Begley (Ind), said:. “No, it is not a junket and the cost of the trip will be well worth it several times over with the benefits that we hope will come to Clare from it.”