Scéal Dún-na-nGall ar an Idirlíon / County Donegal on the Net News    Vol.4 No.11 August / Lúnasa 2003    Holiday In Donegal in 2003!

Tríd Súile na mBan, August 9th - 24th, 2003 The Screig Gallery is hosting mixed media exhibition by Donegal artists Celine McGlynn, Sarah Lewtas and Karen Scully from August 9th-24th, 2003. For further details contact the Screig Gallery on (+353) 7546992 or email . Brockagh Lammas Fair The Brockagh Lammas Fair is a traditional Harvest fair which has been revived in the last decade. Brockagh is situated in the Finn Valley in East Donegal and its name is derived from Irish wherein Brocach means the Badger Field. There will be lots of activities with a four mile road race, a sheep show, pet show, Bonnie Baby competition, Tug of War competition and Heritage exhibition. Musical highlights include Eddie Mc Kelvey and George Bustard. The Brockagh Lammas Fair will be held from the 22nd to the 25th August. For further details email . Farmed Salmon Kill in Inver Bay Mystery surrounds the recent death of more than 400,000 farmed salmon in Inver Bay. Save the Swilly has called on the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to disclose details of all farmed salmon mortalities and escapes in the area. Fishermen and residents in the Inver Bay area claim that farmed salmon have been dying on a continuing basis, at levels that are well above normal. It is a year since the last major fish kill in Inver Bay, and until now there has been no detailed report about that incident. The Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources accepted a recommendation from a consultant hired by the fish farm concerned last year to leave the 50,000 to 80,000 dead mature farmed salmon on the seabed. The dead fish, estimated at more than 300 tons, have been decomposing since June 2002. The Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources has said a possible cause of the recent farmed salmon deaths is chemical or biological agents, but no definitive information has been released. The Lough Swilly Preservation Group (LSPG) has written to the Food Safety Authority to inquire about the safety of the seafood coming from Inver Bay. For further information see Save the Swilly. Saothar Ealaíon Saothar Ealaíon is a group of artists working in the Donegal Gaeltacht in Ireland who travel to communities to conduct environmental sculpture workshops, community arts activities and art projects in schools. Saothar Ealaíon are holding environmental sculpture workshops with children throughout the Donegal Gaeltacht during August. See Saothar Ealaíon for further details. Clinton To Learn Irish Former US President Bill Clinton has promised to learn a few words of Donegal Irish before his next visit to Ireland. Mr Clinton made his comments on his recent appearance at the Magee Campus of Ulster University in Derry. The Irish spoken by Mr Clinton's East Donegal ancestors would be very like the Irish still spoken in the Finn Valley today. Congratulations Anne Marie Ward! Portnablagh woman Anne Marie Ward made history when she became the first woman to swim from Tory Island to the mainland on July 19th. The 36 year old health worker fought strong currents and a thunderstorm before completing the ten mile swim across one of Ireland's most dangerous stretches of water. The swim was expected to take between five and six hours but weather conditions deteriorated and the swim took eight hours and, because of the effects of the salt water, Anne Marie was almost unable to speak when she reached Magheraroarty Pier where she was greeted by a cheering crowd at 8.45pm. As well as creating a swimming record Anne Marie raised €15,000 Euro for the Donegal Hospice. 104 New Jobs For Gweedore Údarás na Gaeltachta has announced 104 new jobs for Gweedore. Eighty jobs are in a new snack foods company Bia Ghaoth Barra Teoranta where recruitment will begin immediately and 24 jobs are in the bus manufacturing company, Euro Impo Teoranta. The Euro Impo expansion is based on a technology transfer arrangement with East Lancashire Coach Builders to build single decker buses in Gweedore. Council to Consider Tax on Holiday Homes A levy on holiday homes and an increase in the cost of planning permission applications have been suggested by members of Donegal County Council. The County Manager, Mr Michael Mc Loone, has written to the Minister for the Environment on the need for new legislation to allow local authorities greater discretion in pricing of services. The Council is considering the possibility of introducing an environmental charge for holiday home owners due to the large increase in the number of holiday homes in the County over the past five years. Mr McLoone, in a circular to Councillors, said that up to €750,000 per annum could be realised, if fees were increased to just 40% per cent of the current levels charged in Northern Ireland for Planning Permission. Donegal Council charge €65 for a planning application for a new house, compared with 455 pounds sterling (€631) in County Tyrone. Hedgerows of Donegal A unique online diary of the life of a Donegal hedgerow has been created by Stuart Dunlop of Raphoe. The website documents a year in the life of a 1.5 mile long hedgerow just outside the town of Raphoe. The number of species suggests that the hedge is several hundred years old. For more information on this unique project see Donegal Hedgerow. Connect Global Solutions on the Way up! Donegal owned company Connect Global Solutions has sold its business which specialises in IT integration and is concentrating on its localisation unit with plans to expand the firm's Californian office this year. Connect Global Solutions was established in 1998 by Letterkenny man Eugene McGinty who was recently nominated as a finalist of the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. Ardara Agricultural & Industrial Show The famous Ardara Show takes place on Saturday 9th, August 2003. This is always a great day out for all the family with pony shows, competitions for cakes, bread and jams; Special Breeds Exhibitions, music and much more. For further information email . Set Dancing in Killybegs Claudio Lazzarotto from Milan is hosting an Irish Set Dancing week for all levels at the Community Hall, Killybegs from the 11th to the 17th of August. Fantastic as it may seem Claudio runs the very successful Gannet School of Irish Set Dancing in Milan, Italy. For more information see Gannet School of Irish Set Dancing . Charlie Bennett Drive opened in Ardara When Chairman of Donegal County Council, Charlie Bennett died suddenly on St Patrick's Day in New York two years ago, he left a void in the Ardara community that will be difficult to fill. However his memory has been preserved in the naming of a new housing estate after the late Councillor in Ardara. 'Charl