Freehold set to become Twin Cities with this Irish town, ancestral home of Springsteen

There will be a few more Irish eyes smiling this St. Patrick's Day weekend in Freehold Borough.

A seven-person delegation from Rathangan, a town in the west of County Kildare, Ireland, will be in Freehold as a Twin City resolution between Rathangan and Freehold is set to be signed Monday, March 18, at the Freehold Borough Council Meeting.

Rathangan is the ancestral home to multiple Freehold residents, including Bruce Springsteen, whose great-great-grandmother, Ann Garrity (on his father's side) came to Freehold from Rathangan in 1852.

“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.' "

Springsteen took in the sights of Rathangan when the E Street Band played three shows at the RDS Arena in Dublin last May on their European tour. The Boss hit the Burrow, a pub in Rathangan, and led the ladies of the town in an a cappella version of his 1984 hit, “My Hometown.”

More: Bruce Springsteen visits his Irish ancestral roots as the E Street Band plays Dublin

Springsteen and the E Street Band return to Dublin for a show at Croke Park on May 19. The band also plays Kilkenny on May 12 and Cork on May 16 in Ireland. The guys play Belfast, Northern Ireland, on May 9.

The Freehold and Rathagan Twinning events include a historic walking tour starting from the American Hotel at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 16; a viewing of the “Glory Days” baseball exhibit, curated by Glenn Cashion, Springsteen’s cousin, and the film “The Legend of Freehold Pond” by Emmy-winning filmmaker Adam Worth, at borough hall at 5 p.m. on Saturday; and a reception at the 618 Restaurant from 7 to 10 p.m. on Saturday.

The delegation will also march in Freehold St. Patrick's Day parade, which steps off noon Sunday, March 17, on Main Street.

More: 'My Hometown': Tour the Jersey Shore spots that Bruce Springsteen made famous

In January, 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.

The Freehold Borough council previously passed a resolution in 2019 stating that Freehold and Peralejos de las Truches, a town of about 175 in Spain, are Twin cities. Town officials named Springsteen an “Adopted Son” of Peralejos in 2014.

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 Center for American Music at Monmouth University and Freehold are collaborating on the effort.

Springsteen and the E Street Band begin a world tour Tuesday, March 19, at the Footprint Center in Phoenix. Area shows include Aug. 21 and 22 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, and Sept. 15 at the Sea Hear Now festival in Asbury Park.

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Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers entertainment and features for the USA Today Network New Jersey. Contact him at @chrisfhjordan; cjordan@app.com

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Bruce Springsteen: Freehold to become Twin Cities with Irish town