| Vol.2. No.1 February, 2000 (This page is archived as it initially appeared online - any broken links are subsequent to publication) Donegal artists Johnny Boyle, Ross Harvey and Tim Stampton are partaking in a joint exhibition with Dutch artists in the Pictura Gallery in Groningen from March 5th, 2000. The exhibition will be opened by the Irish Ambassador to the Netherlands, His Excellency John Swift. If you are in Groningen on March 5th, drop into the Gallery at 4.00pm. Killybegs based Stephen McKenna is exhibiting at the Kerlin Gallery Dublin until March 20th, 2000. Eamon O'Kane is currently on a Fulbright Art Scholarship and is living and working in New York. Eamon has a solo show in Galleri21, Rådmansgatan 5, Malmö 21146, Sweden which opens on 18th March - 9th April 2000. If you are in Malmö go along to the opening reception between 12 and 4 on the 18th! Eamon has launched a web site - See Eamon O'Kane. 'New Work' by Joanna O'Kane opens at the Cavanacor Gallery, near Lifford, on April 8th - May 20th 2000. Examples of Joanna's recent ceramic works are now online at Cavanacor Gallery Tá Dún-na-nGall ar an Idirlíon oscailt an oifig nua. County Donegal on the Net is opening a new office at Fintown in the next month. The facility will include a digital studio, Art Gallery and Centre for Migration Studies and will be open to the public from June. We are particularily proud of the Gallery which will house a permanent collection of some of Donegal and Ireland's finest contemporary artists, including Felim Egan, Elizabeth McGill, Rosie McGurran, Dermot Seymour and Brian McMahon. Letterkenny's new Theatre has gone online at An Grianan. The Theatre will host a evening of humour from Ireland's foremost 'comedian' Kevin McAleer on March 10th. Buncrana's Firemen have gone online, making theirs the first fire station in Donegal to do so. Check out the site for yourself Buncrana Fire Station and Donegal GAA now have their own website. Donegal Person of the Year 1999 At a Press Reception in the Harcourt Hotel on Wednesday 2nd February Cumann Thír Chonaill. The Donegal Association of Dublin announced that Joey Murrin has been selected as Donegal Person of the Year 1999. Joey Murrin is Chief Executive of the Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation which he established in 1979. The KFO represents members on the Irish coast from Lough Foyle to Ballyglass, County Mayo and the members of the KFO account for half the catch of the Irish fishing fleet. The Donegal Person of the Year Presentation Dinner will take place in the Burlington Hotel, Dublin 4 on Saturday March 4th at 7.00pm. The beneficiary charity is Daniel O'Donnell's Romanian Orphans Fund. Malin Head Coast Guard Radio Station has been upgraded to full Rescue Co-Ordination Centre Status for the North West, covering Slyne Head in County Galway to Inishowen and 200 miles out in the Atlantic Ocean. Opening the new facilities at Malin, Minister for the Marine, Frank Fahy, announced that "Irish Coast Guard" will now be the recognised national and international 'call sign' of the former Irish Marine Emergency Service. WWooF in Donegal Need some work done but can't afford to pay anyone? Then WWooF! This is a system whereby you get the work done in exchange for giving accommodation and food to a WWooF volunteer who gets a holiday in Donegal with your family - check out WWooF. Cén treo a rachaidh an Ghaeltacht sa Mhílaois úr? Éigse Uladh, a bheas ar siúl i nGaoth Dobhair idir 3-5 Márta, 2000. Eigse Uladh will take place this coming weekend Friday 3rd- Sunday 5th of March in Gweedore. Most events will be held in Teach Jack, Glassagh, Derrybeg. Email eolas@crannog.iol.ie. Jobs and No Jobs 1600 jobs, largely in the textile industry, were lost in Donegal in the past 18 months. Announcing 202 new jobs Minister Mary Harney, spoke of the need to diversify the manufacturing base in Donegal and welcomed the arrival of technology companies and call centres to the County in the form of Elan Technologies, Letterkenny (10 jobs), Bromley Group, Letterkenny (35 jobs) Viasec, Donegal Town (52 jobs) and Forward Emphasis, Malin (55 jobs). The Minister also noted that local textile companies Hamel Clothing (10 jobs) and Clubman Omega (40 jobs) have shown that specialising in quality rather than mass market clothing has secured their business future. Figures released by the Central Statistics Office have revealed that Donegal has the fifth lowest average disposable income in Ireland at 7,341 pounds per annum but that the North West region as a whole is no longer the worst off region, that is now the South East of Ireland. The fear of Zebra Mussels infesting Lough Melvin has caused the Kinlough Anglers Association to cancel its 20 year old Angling Festival this coming June. One of only 15 wild trout fisheries in Europe with unique trout stocks, Lough Melvin, could not sustain an infestation from the Zebra mussel which multiply in vast numbers, feeding on large amounts of plankton and threatening fish stocks. The Zebra mussel has spread on the undersides of boats from its native habitat in the Black Sea through Europe in a few short years and the Association felt that the only way to prevent the mussel infesting Lough Melvin was to cancel its festival which attracts anglers from the Rivers Erne and Shannon which have been infested with Zebra mussels since 1996. Donegal Women's Business Association The DWBA held their AGM in Ballybofey in February. The Association organises informal seminars for women running or interested in starting a business in Donegal. If you'd like to join, contact Ann Turbett. SULT will take place on Thursday, 2 March, in the Castle Inn, near Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin. This will be a special evening to celebrate the life of Eibhlín Ní Chnáimhsí from Gaoth Dobhair who died at the end of February last year. The evening will begin with traditional music and invited special guests will perform as usual. There will also be a world music disco until 12.30 a.m. Ná déan dearmad go mbeidh oíche mhór speisialta ar siúl i SULT i gcomhair Sheachtain na Gaeilge agus Lá 'le Pádraig ar an Déardaoin, 16 Márta. Tosóidh an oíche ar 7.30 p.m. nuair a léifidh Cathal Ó Searcaigh a chuid filíochta agus beidh mórán ceoil agus amhrán as sin go dtí déanach san oíche. The Millennium Forest Project is underway near Glenties. The initiative of the Donegal Organic Farm Produce aims to plant thousands of native trees in a 50 acre site. See Millennium Forest Project Regards, Patricia Sharkey, Administrator, County Donegal on the Net Dún-na-nGall ar an Idirlíon /County Donegal on the Net is organising a Cultural Tour for July 1st-8th 2000. Check out Tour 2000 Cloughwilly Thatched Cottages, Lettermacaward, are offering a 10% Discount to Donegal on the Net subscribers - that means you! Check out the beautifully restored 300 year old 4**** Bord Failte/ Irish Tourist Board Approved Cloughwilly Thatched Cottages Thinking of Coming Home for good? Visit McGroddy Auctioneers, Letterkenny McGroddy Autioneers See the New Selection of Books and CDs in the Dún-na-nGall ar an Idirlíon /County Donegal on the Net Bookstore ADVERTISING: This Newsletter is free from County Donegal.net & Dún-na-nGall.com If you are interested in advertising on the Site or in this Newsletter email info@countydonegal.net or info@dun-na-ngall.com Return to Newsletter Index |