 Scéal Dún-na-nGall ar an Idirlíon / County Donegal on the Net News Vol.4 No.6 February, 2003 Holiday In Donegal in 2003! |
|
Donegal Exhibition in Galway An exhibition of paintings, textiles, ceramics and furniture from the Derek Hill Collection including work by the Tory Island painters is running at Galway Arts Centre from February 14th to March 22nd. This is the first exhibition of the Derek Hill Collection outside of Donegal. Prior to his death in 2000, Hill left his house and its celebrated contents to the Irish people and the property is now under the management of Dúchas - The National Heritage Service. To complement the exhibition, Galway Arts Centre are opening an additional gallery to present two Tory-themed works by Galway-based artists. A special exhibition of recent black and white studies of Tory and its people by Colm Hogan and an acclaimed hour-long documentary by Pat Collins entitled 'Oileán Thoraigh'. Killybegs artist Stephen McKenna is currently exhibiting at the Douglas Hyde Gallery, Dublin until March 29th, 2003. Lough Swilly Indigenous Fishermen form Alliance Three groups of local fishermen have formed the Swilly Alliance of Indigenous Fishermen (SAIF). SAIF seeks: a full assessment of the shellfish carrying capacity of Lough Swilly and River Swilly before any further licenses are issued; establishment of a wild mussel fishery in areas now earmarked for mussel aquaculture, with local fishermen given priority in the licencing process; existing one-year licences for oyster fishery extended to 10-year licences and shore-based manual oyster pickers to be recognised, licensed and regulated. For further information contact John Niven 048-71841578; Alex Carlin 074-48286; Kenny Brown 074-9360295 or Michael Hanlon 087-8035868. The Save The Swilly organisation has welcomed the fact that their petition has been accepted by the Committee on Petitions of the European Parliament however the Irish Government's decision to grant a salmon-farming licence at Ballymastocker Bay near Portsalon is, they argue, short-sighted and potentially tragic for one of only two Blue Flag beaches in the area. Save The Swilly is urging anyone concerned about this development to appeal to the Aquaculture Licences Appeals Board before the end of February. See Save The Swilly for further details. University Entrance low in Donegal Donegal has the lowest percentage of students at any of the State's universities according to the Irish Farmer's Journal which states that 1936 students sat the Leaving Cert in Donegal last year but only 298 of these went to university, making the number of students going to university from the County 15% compared with the national average of 29%. However the Letterkenny Institute of Technology has revealed that 49% of their graduates have obtained employment in Donegal which augurs well students attending the Institute. Under the Swilly Marine archaeologists from Duchas, the State heritage agency, are investigating the estuary near Ramelton where they have found evidence of Medieval monastic settlements on the shores of the Lough. Féile na mBan Plans are afoot for the Féile na mBan (Women's Festival) to take place in Amharclann Uí Shearcaigh, Gortahork from the 8th to the 10th of August 2003. The official opening will be performed by international author Xaviera Hollander followed by the operatic comedy True or Falsetto? starring Ernesto Tomasini. 
Charity Art Auction Letterkenny Lions Club will host a Charity Art Auction on May 9th, 2003 in An Grianán Theatre, Letterkenny with proceeds from the auction going to the Donegal Branch of the Multiple Sclerosis Society; the Donegal Branch of the Downs Syndrome Association and The Friends of Letterkenny General Hospital. There will be an exhibition of the work for auction in An Grianán Theatre, opening on April 28th with approximately 100 pieces for auction, including works by Felim Egan (RHA); Brian Ballard (RHA); John Coyle (RHA); Johnny Boyle and Martin Mooney. The Lions Club are still collecting pieces of art, and would ask artists to consider giving a piece to auction. They will contribute 60% of the sale price to the artists with 40% from the net proceeds given to the aforementioned charities. For further details email Meabh Conaghan. 
| 
Work from the Derek Hill Collection © I mBéal an Phobail le Dominic O Brolchain Scríobh mé sa cholún seo agus in áiteanna eile nach é faoin taitneamh a mbainim féin agus cuid mhaith daoine eile sa tír seo as an pheil ghaelach, go háirithe le linn an tsamhraidh nuair a bhíonn na Craobhchomórtais Cúigeacha ar siúl. Is iomaí sin beic a ligtear le himreoir sa líne lánchúil nuair a ligeann sé don liathróid titim as a lámha nó le fear tosaigh a chailleann scór nuair a bhíonn géarghá le cúl nó cúilín. Ach ina dhiaidh sin is uile tuigeann daoine an dua mór a chuireann imreoirí orthu féin le bheith aclaí go leor lena ndícheall a dhéanamh ar lá an chluiche mhóir. Leoga is iomaí imreoir a thagann as cluiche dá leithéid le cnámh briste nó matán gortaithe is gan a dhath eile aige ar a shon ach an phian agus tuilleadh stró. Agus sular osclaíodh an 'cúldoras' bhí peil an tséasúir thart do chuid mhór imreoirí a chaill cluiche sa chéad bhabhta den chraobhchomórtas. Ar ndóigh obair bhliana a bhíonn i gceist ar Dhomhnaí fuara fliucha le linn an Gheimhridh agus an Earraigh gan trácht ar na hoícheanta traenála. Cé gur déithe beaga iad nuair a bhíonn geansaí an chontae orthu is dár muintir féin na himreoirí. Is comharsana béal dorais linn cuid acu. Bíonn muid leo san ionad oibre. Tá duine acu gaolta linn i bhfad amach. Tá duine eile acu ag obair san ionad céanna le deirfiúr dár gcuid. Buaileann muid leo roimh an chluiche nó i ndiaidh an chluiche agus pléann muid cúrsaí peile leo. Cad é tá i ndán don fhoireann, an mbainfear an chéad chluiche eile ? Agus bíonn siad múinte fulangach linn. Baineann siad féin sult as an pheil ar ndóigh agus is é sin an fáth a mbíonn siad á imirt - chan ar son airgid. Níor chóir go mbeidís as póca taisteal a dhéanamh chuig an ionad traenála agus ba chóir go gcuirfí an treallamh is gá agus is fearr ar fáil dóibh ach ní shílim gur cheart go ndíolfaí tuarastal leofa. A luaithe agus a dhíolfar airgead leis na himreoirí ní fada ina dhiaidh sin go mbeidh an t-airgead ag croílár na gcluichí agus beidh a shliocht air. Níl le déanamh ach breathnú ar chúrsaí sacair. Ní clubanna peile iad níos mó clubanna Shasana ach comhlachtaí gnó nach bhfuil d'aidhm acu ach tuilleadh airgid a dhéanamh dá sciarshealbhóirí. Ní den áit nó fiú don tír bunús na n-imreoirí. Níor mhaith linn go rachadh an pheil ghaelach an bealach céanna nó ní fada go mbeadh an bás i ndán do chuid mhaith de na contaetha. Bheadh na foirne is fearr ag na contaetha is mó airgid. Cluiche pobail atá sa pheil ghaelach agus ba chóir go bhfanfadh sí mar sin. Hollywood on Route to Donegal Hollywood stars Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker are due to holiday in Donegal this coming Summer. The couple were married last year prior to the birth of their new baby who will accompany them to Kilcar where Broderick purchased a house several years ago. Lifford's Shining Star Mickey Joe Harte, a singer song writer from Lifford, has been selected by public telephone vote to go forward to the final of 'Your a Star' the television competiton to select Ireland's entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 2003. Mickey auditioned along with thousands of hopefuls last October and is now in the final three after a gruelling ten week tv series. 
Mickey Joe Harte More Job Losses Seventy five jobs have been lost at Nenagh Models textile plant in Ballybofey while there are fears that up to 180 jobs will be lost in Comerama textile plant in Gweedore after the workers have refused to take pay cuts as they suspect their jobs will be transferred to the company's new plant in Lithuania. Gender Deficit in Donegal Agencies The lack of women on decision making bodies in the County was very evident at a recent photographic exhibition held in Letterkenny Institute of Technology sponsored by the Donegal Gender Equality Project. Entitled 'Put More Women in the Picture' the exhibition illustrated how few women are included in local state agencies and development boards. For instance the North West Health Board has only 3 women to 17 men; Údaras na Gaeltachta has only 2 women out of 20 members and the Border Regional Authority has only 3 women and 35 men. The exhibition is online at Put More Women in the Picture. |