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| Person of the Year 2000 Cumann Thír Chonaill - The Donegal Association of Dublin are currently seeking nominations for the Donegal Person of the Year 2000. This is the 23rd year in which the award has been made and former recipents have included Canon James McDyer, Dr Lawerence Smyth, Paddy Harte, Sean McGinley, Hugh Gallagher and outgoing Person of the Year, Joey Murrin. The award was instigated in 1978 by Paul Shovlin, incoming President of the Donegal Association, and the annual award has enjoyed a high profile throughout the County in the intervening years. Cathal O'Searcaigh Archives Donegal poet Cathal O'Searcaigh has officially handed over his archives, books and artworks to Donegal County Council. In exchange Cathal will live rent free for the rest of his life and his house will be extended courtesy of the Council to house the archive and facilitate visiting scholars who regularly make their way to the poet's hillside cottage in Gortahork. ATP An Bord Pleanala's Oral Hearings into the ESBs proposed 100km 110kv Binbane to Letterkenny line via a new Sub-Station at Arduns is currently underway in Dungloe. Full report in the next Newsletter. See also The Irish Times 27/11/00. Donegal GAA Round Up by Paddy Mullen, PRO Any club who has yet to submit information for the 2000 yearbook should email as soon as possible. The Donegal GAA Supporters Club AGM was held on November 19th, in Heeney's U-Drop Inn, Ballybofey. The annual awards banquet will be held in the Abbey Hotel, Donegal Town, on Saturday January 20th. Donegal have been given a home draw in next year's championship when they will play Fermanagh in the preliminary round on May 13th. The draw for this year's Hasting's Cup has been made and Donegal have been drawn against Tyrone, Leitrim and Mayo. The first game will be away to Mayo on December 10th, with the final two games at home on December 17th and January 14th. The team of the millenium competition which was announced last week, is well underway. Nominations are being sought for the fifteen best Donegal players of all time. The closing date for receipt of nominations is December 18th, with the team to be announced early in the new year. Prizes on offer include £500, a weekend away or a portable television. Nominations can be made through your local club. The team selected, or their representatives, will be presented at the annual awards banquet on January 20th. Roartys Online Derick Roarty emails from South Africa. He is compiling a database of Donegal Roartys and is seeking relatives of James Roarty, his g.g.grandfather, who went to South Africa during the Boer Wars around 1900. One of James' sons Hugh emigrated from Ireland to the United States. Any information should be emailed to . New Swimming Pool for Portnoo Tom Gildea, Independent TD for Donegal South West, has announced that he has secured a swimming pool for Kilclooney Dolmen Centre in his ongoing negotiations with the Government. The new indoor pool will cost IEP2.5 million and will conform to the 'Green' ethos of the Dolmen Centre which was constructed along good environmental practise. Unacceptable Radon Gas Levels St Brighid's Convoy, Donoughmore N.S. and Scoil Adhamhnain, Raphoe have been found to have unacceptable levels of radon gas. All 3 schools were at least 100 Becquerals above the permitted level of 400 with St Brighid's school registering at 765 Becquerals per cubic metre. Measures are now being taken to eradicate the problem. Guns & Chiffon An exhibition of the role played by Donegal women during the War of Independence is currently on at the County Museum, Letterkenny. The exhibits include military and nurses uniforms, jail journals, poems and 23 paintings by Sally Smith whose mother was incarcerated in Kilmainham Gaol during those turbulent times. The exhibition will run until January. The Frankie Kennedy Winter School We are pleased to note that Frankie is remembered in many ways. In America, there are music scolarships in his name in Washington D.C., also by the Texas Irish Festival Committee, and in Britain by The Music Network in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Nashville, Tennessee named their Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann branch in his memory. He is also remembered in Philladelphia, where a house for the homeless was named after him by a charity for whom Altan performed. It is vitally important that you get your application in to us as soon as possible. This is because there is always a great demand for places and tickets. Tickets will not be sent in the post due to the proximity of Christmas (if you need an acknowledgement, please send a SAE). Your tickets will be available for collection at the Registration Office, which will be open each day during the music classes at |