 Scéal Dún-na-nGall ar an Idirlíon / County Donegal on the Net News Vol.3 No.9 April/ Aibreán, 2002 Holiday In Donegal in 2002! |
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Donegal Year Book 2002 Launch in the Mount Errigal Hotel, Letterkenny on April 3rd Front Left to right: Michael McCole, North Western Health Board; Casimir McGill, President of The Friends of Letterkenny Hospital; Patsy McGonagle, Donegal Person of the Year 2001; Patricia Sharkey, Editor of the Donegal Year Book and Michael Lyons, Hospital Manager. Back Left to Right: Francis Callaghan, Digifone sponsors; Jacqueline Whorisky, Dolores Conaghan, Grainne McGill and Ann McErlean of the Friends of Letterkenny Hospital Committee |
| It's Heating up in Donegal! The weather has been glorious during the month of April - sunshine every day for several hours and hardly any rain which augurs well for the Summer ahead. Also heating up is the political atmosphere as the General Election, predicted for May 17th, looms large. Census Day 2002 is on April 28th but some questions, like 'How long does it take you to commute to work?' will prove inapplicable to the growing ranks of unemployed in Donegal, which has still the highest unemployment figure in any County in Ireland. The Census will not be available for public inspection for 100 years, by which time, of course, there will be no-one around who can fill in the blanks about what it's really like to live in Donegal in 2002. Lets hope the Government - whoever they are after the election - will analyise the statistics in such a way as to take a radical new approach to job creation. The local workforce is highly skilled, well educated and 30% are bi-lingual. The Government has to create 3000+ new jobs, sustainable, 21st century jobs, to replace those lost in the last 2 years in the County. Outside of Letterkenny, Killybegs and Donegal Town and along the coast in the snaking sentinels of deserted holiday homes, little can be seen of the so-called 'Celtic Tiger' in Donegal. Real inward investment is needed urgently. The new Government must spend money to make money where Donegal is concerned. They need to diversify away from the reliance on the manufacturing industry and embrace the knowledge economy - this means creating real incentives for Donegal people outside of the County and abroad to return home and simultaneously they must re-train the existing workforce. There is no time for complacency. Actions and not words are what is needed now. Most local press election coverage has gone to Pearse Doherty, the Sinn Féin Candidate in Donegal South West. Pearse appears to be the only Donegal election candidate who uses email and he sends out daily press releases on pertinent local issues. He has been very active in environmental and social issues and has launched a new web site Donegal Sinn Féin which has, itself, proved controversial for its candid criticisms of the current Government. If you're interested in starting a new business in Donegal or relocating an existing business we can help. For further information email info@dun-na-ngall.com  Donegal Year Book 2002 Launched Cumann Thír Chonaill / The Donegal Association of Dublin have just published the Donegal Year Book 2002. The Year Book, now in its 22nd year, contains articles by writers and photograpers from throughout the County as well as the Donegal diaspora. Among the contributors are Donal K.O'Boyle, Colm Ó Dúlacháin, Hazel McIntyre, Margret Graham, Alan T. Russell, Helen Meehan, Leonard Roarty, Gerald Callaghan, Matt Britton, Mary Russell, John Ward, Eoin McGarvey, Dom McFloinn and Tom McBride. The Editor of the 2002 Year Book is (myself) Patricia Sharkey, and the publication is supporting the Friends of Letterkenny Hospital who, this year, celebrate 10 years of fund-raising for the Hospital. The Donegal Year Book is available at the Letterkenny Hospital Shop and will be distributed throughout the County by the Friends of Letterkenny Hospital. The Year Book can also be purchased by sending a cheque or postal order to The Treasurer, Cumann Thír Chonaill, C/O The Teacher's Club, Parnell Square, Dublin 1. The Cost is $15 US Dollars (including postage) for Australia and the United States and 10 Euro (including postage) for Europe or within Ireland. Donegal FC New York Pay Tribute to September 11th victim The Donegal Football Club NYC Annual Dinner will this year honour the late Damien Meehan who died in the Twin Towers tragedy on September 11, 2001. Damien's death is an immeasurable loss to his young wife Joanne, young son Damien Jr., and infant daughter Madison (born after his death), his parents Mike and Peg, his brothers and sisters, and to his friends and team mates of the Donegal Football Club. To pay tribute to him they have renamed the annual Guest of Honour award as the Damien Meehan Memorial Award. The Inagural Memorial Award will be presented to Joanne and to Mike and Peg Meehan at the Donegal Football Club¹s 54th Anniversary Banquet on Saturday, May 11th, 2002, at the Polish Center, 82 Waverly Street, Yonkers. For Dinner and Journal information and reservations, please contact Lawrence McGrath at 914-882-8038, Rory Kilfeather at 914-776-7532, Leslie McGettigan at 914-237-0917 or Donal Gallagher at 718-884-8235. Phil Coulter declines General Election contest Phil Coulter, the internationally known singer and musician (who penned the famous 'The Town I love So Well') has been prominent in the Save The Swilly campaign since it was founded in 2000. Phil, who has a home in Buncrana, and who named his most recent CD after the Lough, considered standing for the Campaign in the forthcoming General Election, such is his abhorrence at aquaculture developments in the Lough. The Government have ignored the fact that Save The Swilly is a widely based campaign with tourism, angling and environmental campaigners working together. Save the Swilly presented a petition with close to 10,000 signatures to the European Parliament Petitions Committee in Strasbourg this month, delivered by Green Party MEP, Patricia McKenna. The Save The Swilly petition calls on the Irish government to declare a moratorium on aquaculture licensing in Lough Swilly pending independent scientific studies on the Lough. The Campaign has commissioned a Scoping Study by the Coastal Studies Research Group at the University of Ulster which will be used as the basis for a comprehensive study into a proposed Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) strategy for the Lough. For further information see Save the Swilly or email info@loughswilly.com Tionscnamh Lugh Traditional Singers Club Thursday nights at An Chuirt Hotel, Gweedore is the venue for the Tionscnamh Lugh Traditional Singers Club. 9.00pm-11.00pm until May 16th. Art Exhibition in Ballybofey The Fiach art circle is holding an exibition in The Villa Rose Hotel, Ballybofey until the 1st May. |
Draconian New Laws attack Travellers' Rights Members of the Donegal Travellers Project, concerned citizens and social rights activists staged a march in Letterkenny on April 8th to protest at new legislation which will prohibit Travellers from camping near any public amenities or urban areas save in designated camp sites. This legislation is further evidence of how these indigenous people are discriminated against in our society - not alone are they being forced to live without running water and electricity but they are now being excluded from our towns, just like the 'Native Irish' were under the Penal Laws of the 17th and 18th centuries. It is a disgrace that laws like these can be rushed in with no provision to make local authorities provide proper halting sites for Travellers whose ancestors were put out of their homes and forced to 'travel' the roads in colonial times. Travelling is now a way of life for them but their right to do so is fast being eroded. Poet Pleads for Donegal's 'Sacred Landscapes' Donegal's foremost Irish language poet, Cathal O'Searcaigh, has added his voice to the rising wave of protest at the plan to plant a pine forest at Dunlewy under Errigal Mountain. (See County Donegal Net News Vol.3 No.7). 'I want to add my own howl of disapproval to the community outcry; to the yell of community protest at the impending afforestation of scenic bogland in the townland of Mín na bPoll at the foot of Mount Errigal. I'm appaled by this commercially driven, tree planting venture, that will eventually, if allowed, obscure an astounding mountain view. The gleaming sheerness that is Sliabh Sneachta will no longer be visible from this entrancing vantage point at Mín na bPoll. The eye-catching concourse of knolls and hills that stretch between Gleann Tornaíin and Gleann Neimhe will be concealed. The dazzling glint of Dún Lúiche lake will be screened. I am astonished that planning approval was given to this landscape outrage. As a seer of open spaces; a solitary of the bogs; a roamer of the moors, I am a celebrant of the stellar light between hills; the amber glow of twilight on mountains, the glimmer of moonlight in bogpools. I am sad when these vast open spaces, these natural habitats of the Spirit are intruded upon. We have a Duty to protect these harbourages of hedges, these sanctums of the skylark. We should leave them as they are. Their stark beauty, their primal wildness should not be encroached upon. I am not against trees. In fact I am smitten by them. I am a tree-hugger, a shrub-cuddler, I sniff bark; taste resin; kiss leaves. I love to walk in woods; to breathe their leafy fragrance; to kneel before their spirited presence. However, I am opposed to the planting of trees where they block and blur the view. Let Mín na bPoll retain the splendour of its oozy boglands. I hope that its lofty views will never be threatened by looming trees. At the beginning, I understand that there were serious objections within the Planning Office to this tree-planting proposal. There was a genuine reluctance to grant permission because it was seen to be detrimental to this stunning scenic spot. Somehow, these objections were mysteriously upturned and dismissed. I write this because I want to show solidarity with my Mín na bPoll neighbours, in their strong condemnation of this tree plantation. I urge you to listen to their pleas. They have a genuine grievance. We are all, individually and collectively, responsible for the safe upkeeping of our sacred landscapes.' Cathal O'Searcaigh. The local residents are meeting with Minister of the Marine and Natural Resources to further voice their objections. Ballyshannon Fireman's presentation to New York Fire Fighters Fund Firefighter John Gavigan presented a cheque for 58,000 Euro (approx.$58,000) to the New York Firefighters Fund on behalf of the Fire Service of Ireland. John was among a group of Irish fire fighters who recently visited their colleagues in New York's Hazmat One Fire Station. Buncrana Playwright Pens New Work Frank McGuinness has written a new play 'Gates of Gold' which opens at the Gate Theatre, Dublin on April 30th. The play is loosely based on the relationship between theatre impressarios Michael McLiammoir and Hilton Edwards who founded the modern Gate Theatre in the 1930's and who gave Orson Welles his first acting break. 'The Cup of Tae' John 'The Tae' Gallagher will be celebrated in a Fiddle & Flute School in Ardara on the 3rd to 6th of May. Among the participating musicians are fiddlers James Byrne, Martin McGinley and The Campbells and flautists Sean Lee and Marchus O'Murchú. For further information email the John Gallagher Weekend. Mary from Dungloe Goes online The 35th Mary from Dungloe Festival has gone online and the website contains the latest information on the events planned for August, including Daniel O'Donnell's concerts. For further information see Mary from Dungloe Festival, telephone (+353) 75 21254 or email The Festival Office. |