ABERYSTWYTH is now officially twinned with a fourth town following the signing of documents on both sides of the Irish Sea at the weekend.

The twinning of Aberystwyth with Arklow, in County Wicklow, Ireland, was due to take place following the Celtic Challenge, a 90-mile rowing race which starts in Arklow and ends in Aberystwyth and has taken place every two years since 1993.

Scheduled to take place last weekend, the race, which has become the biggest show of co-operation between the historically close towns, was officially cancelled last Wednesday for the first time in its history due to “unstable” weather systems in the Atlantic Ocean which meant organisers could not guarantee the required 36 to 48-hour weather window.

Despite the setback, members of the Aberystwyth-Arklow Twinning Committee travelled to Ireland on Thursday and signed an agreement at Arklow Municipal Council on Friday morning.

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