Canada's Irish Festival on the Miramichi was held here over the weekend, in a region where it has  ties to the Farney county.

Willie McKenna,  flew into Miramichi to take part in this city's celebration of its illustrious Irish heritage.

McKenna is the former mayor of County Monaghan and was one of the men who oversaw the twinning between old world and new in 1998, and in delivering his official speech over the weekend, there were indeed some striking circumstantial similarities between Miramichi and Monaghan.

McKenna said that tourism is something that County Monaghan is working to bolster, noting that whenever Miramichier visit they are treated like gold, but adding that the former premier's ties still loom large in Ireland

Whether it's in the music, the pub-centric lifestyles, the Irish history, or the certain inflection in the accents of this region, Miramichi certainly has a case for being named Canada's Irish Capital.

And in 1998, there was an official twinning agreement between the young city and  county Monaghan that will bond the two similar yet extremely different locales for many years to come.

At the festival it was noted that county Monaghan is also a place that has witnessed its share of economic hardship. The unravelling of the Celtic Tiger has resulted in much of the nation, including Monaghan, looking to diversify its economy and carve out its own unique place in the future of the Irish economy.

Monaghan's twinned community in Miramichi is looking to do the exact same thing these days, after the collapse of its forestry sector and the mills that once processed the area's natural resources, causing countless Miramichiers to leave their hometown for the prospect of a better life elsewhere, mainly in places like Alberta.

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"Frank McKenna's deep Monaghan bridge is a deep source of pride to the community there, and indeed I would say because he represented you for approximately 15 years as an MLA," McKenna said.

"Twelve per cent of the population of Canada is of Irish descent and a lot of them live in the Maritimes, in New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland.

McKenna said that he'd like to see as many Maritimers as possible venture to County Monaghan, a region of poets, beauty, and resilience, for their next vacation, noting they will not be disappointed with the hospitality they receive upon arrival.

He also unveiled an official invitation to Miramichi's acclaimed Irish dance troupe the Nelson Doyle Dancers to fly to Ireland and showcase their talents in front of an authentic crowd.

Monaghan has had to diverse, much as Miramichi has, to build a new economic base for the benefit of the entire country.

McKenna noted that Monaghan has overcome a serious set of problems due to its geographical positioning next to its neighbour to the north, and adds that 35 years of conflict have contributed to the wellbeing of the life of residents, but also the businesses that exist there.

"Problems in the banking sector have brought about a major crisis in Ireland, and the old ghosts of unemployment and lack of money for investment have returned and brought with them the crisis of confidence," McKenna said.

The Monaghan Development Board, he says, has put in place an economic development strategy for the near future, much as Miramichi has with its One Voice Miramichi initiative, to put young entrepreneurs in control of the economic destiny of the county moving forward.

"The twinning of 1998 brought Miramichi and Monaghan into close reunion, and to look around at your great community and vibrant population, I realize how important that twinning certainly was. Monaghan and Miramichi are certainly twins," McKenna said.