Cultural connections cemented between Waterford and Märkischer Kreis 

While the Spraoi festival in Waterford was as successful as ever and brought thousands of people to the city it also served as a catalyst to enhance cultural connections between the Déise city and a small town in Germany.

Taiko drummers travelled from the Märkischer Kreis region there to take part in the annual Spraoi festival.

The drummers are students at Taiko-Dojo Monika Volmer School in Hermer, a small town in the Märkischer Kreis region, that recently twinned with Waterford.

They were a fantastic addition to the rich and varied programme of events on offer over the Bank Holiday weekend in Waterford. Taiko are hollow, barrel-shaped wooden drums that have been an integral part of Japanese culture since as early as 10,000BC.

Traditionally in Japan, the unique sound of the taiko drum served as a boundary marker. They also acted as a motivating rallying cry for soldiers. Samurais were sent into battle against the backdrop of powerful, monotonous drumbeats delivered by armies of drummers.

Today the Taiko drum accompanies prayer ceremonies in temples, is a key section in vibrant and colourful parades, and can be heard throughout towns and villages during all kinds of festival and event celebrations.

Mayor of Waterford City and County, Councillor Jason Murphy, welcomed the Taiko drummers to Waterford for their performance during the Spraoi festival and in doing so said: "The students of Taiko-Dojo Monika Volmer School in Hermer are honouring a millennia-old Japanese tradition, and we are very fortunate to get to experience the powerful and rhythmic energy of the taiko drummers here in Waterford, particularly during Spraoi weekend."

"It’s also a great opportunity to further our links with Märkischer Kreis in Germany, as our two regions are enjoying a relatively new twinning arrangement and look forward to working together in the future with the shared goal of making Waterford and Märkischer regions where people will continue to live, work, visit and invest in," he said.

Monika Volmer, the leader of the Taiko drummers, was delighted to visit Waterford and showcase a long-standing Japanese tradition in Waterford.

“As we build on the relationship between Waterford and Märkischer Kreis, being able to share the breadth of cultural talent and diversity that we have in Märkischer Kreis with our friends in Waterford is a wonderful experience," she said. 

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Waterford City & County Council said: "This latest example of the twinning partnership between Waterford and Märkischer Kreis was a great success and the drummers enhanced what was a fantastic weekend of performances by Spraoi."