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| Donegal families bereaved in Twin Towers Atrocity Hope is fading for a number of Donegal families whose loved ones are missing since the attack on the World Trade Centre on the 11th of September. John Gerald Farrell (32) was working for Cantor and Fitzgerald on the 105th floor of Tower 1. He was the son of Marie Farrell (née Boyle) and grandson of Connell Boyle of Letterilly, Glenties. John had the chance to call his mother after the plane hit the building. He told her that he loved them all and he was going to try to get out. That was the last they heard from him. A memorial Mass was held at St. Francis' Church in Rockaway, New York. Gweedore-born Marion Renolds (née McBride) believes her husband, a 40 years old New York policeman, went to the scene of the atrocity to help his colleagues even though his shift had finished. Cousins Patrick Sullivan and Peter Melano worked in the financial services sector in the World Trade Centre. Their grandmother, the late Mary Jimmy Sweeney, was from Gola Island. Damian Meehan (33), son of Mike and Peg Meehan from Donegal Town (living in Jersey), is also missing. Damian worked on the 88th floor of one of the Twin Towers and was a member of the Donegal GAA football team in NYC. Damian's wife Joanne is expecting their second child in January. Also missing is Bill Deane (35) who was working on the 100th floor of the first tower to be hit. Mr Deane is married to Patricia McGovern, daughter of Michael and Philomena McGovern. Michael McGovern's brother Sean is President of the Donegal Association in New York. The McGoverns hail from Ballyshannon while Mrs Philomena McGovern is a native of Rossnowlagh. There are worries too for a number of families whose relations were working illegally in the vicinity of the catastrophe. The Department of Foreign Affairs is urging people to contact them, regardless of whether or not the person they are worried about was legal. See Irish Government web site. Donegal came to a stand still on Friday 14th of September during the National Day of Mourning. The Bishop of Raphoe, the Most Rev. Philip Boyce, delivered the homily at the ecumenical service which was held in St Eunan's Cathedral, Letterkenny. Bishop Boyce said: 'For hundreds of years to come, it will be a day remembered in history books as a day that changed the course of Western society. There will be many people in our own country or who have emigrated from Ireland in past years who will have suffered loss and pain in this mass atrocity. To them all, as to the people of America, we offer our sincere sympathies...'. The Bishop added, 'Terrorism, for whatever motive, and counter attack only defeat themselves, and inevitably lead to deeper hatred and renewed violence.' We at County Donegal on the Internet would like to extend our sincere sympathies to the families of those bereaved and injured. Save The Swilly Campaign The Save The Swilly Campaign has welcomed the decision by the Fish Farming Section of the Irish Farmers' Association to lobby the government to meet its obligations with respect to water quality in Lough Swilly. Save The Swilly is lobbying for a moratorium on aquaculture expansion until an independent baseline and environmental impact study has been completed. The group are currently fund-raising to commission an independent study. For further information email: . Donegal and Ireland's Oldest Woman Dies Ireland's oldest woman, Annie O'Donnell (107) from Drumreagh, Kilcar, passed away on the 16th of September in the Nazareth House, Derry following a short illness. Annie O'Donnell (née Carr) was born on December 8th, 1893 and educated at Kilcar N.S. and the Marist Convent in Carrick-on-Shannon. She attended St Mary's Teaching College in Belfast and in 1916 she returned to Donegal to teach at Meenbanad N.S where her future husband, James (Seamus Rua) O'Donnell, was the Principal teacher. They married in 1918 and had eight children, living in Burtonport until James' death in 1973 when Mrs O'Donnell went to live with her daughter, Mrs Eithne McColgan. Requiem Mass was celebrated in St Mary's Church, Kincasslagh with burial afterwards to Belcruit cemetery. Annie is survived by her daughters Mrs Eithne McColgan (Derry), Mrs Crona Clarkson (Dublin), her sons Brendan (Naas), Kevin (Dublin) and Ciaran (Dundalk), twenty three grandchildren and several great grandchildren. Porthaw Glen Development Denied Planning An Bord Pleanala has ruled against the development of three houses in Porthaw Glen due to the site's proximity to a proposed conservation area. The Bord ruled that access to the site would have been through natural woodland and the development would impact on a Special Area of Conservation and seriously injure the amenities and integrity of the area. BEG spokesman, Jim McMenamin, said 'This sets a precedent for Porthaw Glen and Porthaw in general. The decision is the first major move to protect the area and is the first building block towards our ultimate aim, which is public ownership. We'll continue to oppose any proposed development in the area. However, looking at this ruling, we can't see how any further development can go ahead in Porthaw Glen.' Numerous appeals, spearheaded by BEG, have been lodged against a multi-million pound holiday home development at Porthaw Glen. For further information email Art at Ardbia, Ardara Local artist Jacinta Feeney will show her paintings in an exhibition entitled "Mindscapes" in Ard Bia from August 4th - Sunday October 14th. Sult Sult, the Irish language cultural organisation, is conducting Irish classes at a range of levels this autumn. These classes will take place in the Pearse House at 27, Pearse Street, Dublin 2 on Mondays and Tuesdays from the 24th & 25th of September and there are still places availible. Sult's club in Belfast is opening on Thursday, 20th of September and Sult in Dublin will recommence on Thursday, 27 September. For Further information see ClubSult.com or email: . |
 A Stall at Glenties Harvest Fair, September 12th, 2001 Donegal Bay & Bluestacks Festival The first Donegal Bay & Bluestacks Festival will take place from September 27th to October 7th. Festival highlights include a week-long visit by the Manchester based 'Walk The Plank' theatre company with their acclaimed stage production of Herman Melville¹s 'Moby Dick' which wuill be performed aboard their ship, The Fitzcarraldo. Eight performances will take place between October 1st & 6th when the ship docks at Ballyshannon, Teelin and Killybegs harbours. 'Walk The Plank' will also host the Festival Finale which will take the form of a spectacular fireworks display off Killybegs on Sunday night, October 7th. Other musical events include performances by English folk singer Maggie Boyle (whose parents are originally from Derryloughan, Gweebarra) in Glenties on September 27th; Afro-Celtic fusionists De Jimbe (Donegal Town, September 30th); Martin Stevenson and The Dainties (Bundoran, September 30th) and Scottish Highlands traditional band Búrach who will perform in Ballyshannon and Killybegs on October 6th and 7th respectively. 'The Derry Boat', written and performed by John Nee, will be staged at various venues in south Donegal from October 3rd 5th. The play was originally commissioned by the Earagail Arts Festival in 1998 and it is still in great demand both in Ireland and abroad. Donegal Fiddlers' Festival The annual Donegal Fiddlers' Festival will take place in Glenties October 3rd-7th with seminars, workshops and concerts by Donegal fiddlers, Danny Meehan; Vincent, Jimmy and Peter Campbell; James Byrne; Dermot McLaughlin and Martin McGinley. There will also be a Scottish Fiddle Showcase with Angus Grant, Pete Clarke, Mhairi Campbell and Dave Francis performing in Donegal Town, Glencolmcille and Glenties. This 'not to be missed' Festival is a definite highlight of the Donegal music year. John 'Simi' Autumn School If you are an insatiable fiddle fan then the following weekend will lead you to Ballybofey where the 8th annual John 'Simi' Doherty Autumn School will take place on October 10th-14th. This years theme is "Inclusion" and those marginalised in our society. John 'Simi' Doherty was an expert fiddler in the Donegal tradition who, fifty years ago, travelled the roads of Donegal fiddling to earn his keep and who, himself, knew a thing or two about exclusion. Charles Macklin Autumn School The 12th Annual Charles Macklin Autumn School will take place in Culdaff from 12th-14th of October and this year's school is looking at Irish Canadian links. The official opening will be by Bill Gusen, the First Secretary and Consul at the Canadian Embassy. For further information email . Cathal O Searcaigh's Debut Play 'Oíche Ghealaí', a verse play in Irish based on the story of Salomé and John The Baptist will debut on October 5th and 6th at An Grianán Theatre Letterkenny under the direction of Macnas founder Pauric Breathnach. Rain or no Rain? Sean McEniff, Chair of the Donegal tourism is angry at the Irish Meterological Service for biased reporting of the weather in Donegal. The well know Bundoran hotelier has claimed that the Met Office does not accurately report the weather in the County and has given it a 'bad weather' reputation by continuously reporting that 'rain is sweeping over Ireland from the North West'. Did they Beat the Drum Slowly? New York based film producer, Ned Stuart, is to film a $10 million movie based on the song 'The Green Fields of France' made famous by Tommy Maken. The song is about a young Donegal soldier, Willie McBride of the Enniskillen Fusilliers, who died during the First World War and was composed by a Scotsman, Eric Bogle, who lives in Australia. The screen play is largely fictional and will to be filmed in Donegal, Dublin and France. Sult Mar is eol duit cheana, b'fhéidir, tá Sult ag eagrú ranganna Gaeilge ag leibhéil éagsúla teanga don Fhómhar. Beidh na ranganna seo ar siúl ag 27 Sráid na bPiarsach oícheanta Luain agus oícheanta Máirt agus cuirfear tús leo ar an Luan 24 Mean Fómhair. Tá roinnt áiteanna fágtha fós ar na cúrsaí agus má tá suim agat freastal ar chúrsa beidh oíche eolais ar siúl ag 27 Sráid na bPiarsach amárach (Dé Máirt, 18 Meán Fómhair) ag 8.00 p.m. Beidh seans ag daoine ceisteanna a chur faoi na cúrsaí, bualadh lena múinteoir agus, más gá, triail socrúchán teanga a dhéanamh chun an leibhéal ceart teanga a roghnú. Tá tuilleadh eolais faoi Sult ar www.clubsult.com. Beidh Sult ar siúl i mBéal Feirste ar an Déardaoin, 20 Meán Fómhair agus atosóidh Sult i mBaile Átha Cliath ar an Déardaoin, 27 Meán Fómhair. Tuilleadh eolais ó (086) 401-5318 nó Ríomhphost |