Scéal Dún-na-nGall ar an Idirlíon / County Donegal on the Net News Vol.7 No.1 March, 2006 Holiday In Donegal! Hire a Guide to Donegal
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Scéal Dún-na-nGall ar an Idirlíon / County Donegal on the Net News Vol.7 No.1 March, 2006 Holiday In Donegal! Hire a Guide to Donegal |
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Donegal News on Air If you are in Sydney you can listen to Sydney Irish Radio 107.3FM on Sundays from 7.30 to 9.00am local time (see Sydney Irish Radio) while Brisbane listeners can catch Mike Cunningham's show on 4EB 98.1 FM with Donegal on the Internet's own Patricia Sharkey on Saturdays between 12.30 and 1.30pm. Patricia can also be heard in Pennslyvannia on 'Echoes of Erin' WEDO 108FM on Sundays from 1.00-2.00pm. The 'Echoes of Erin' show is hosted by Diane Byrnes, former Grand Marshal of the Pittsburgh St Patrick's Day Parade and the doyen of everything Irish in Pittsburgh. If you want your Irish Goods or Services to reach the Pittsburgh Irish then advertise on 'Echoes of Erin' by emailing . Donegal Farewell for Tragic Road Victims A large contingent of Donegal people and Eastern Europeans gathered at Letterkenny General Hospital to bid farewell to the five people from Latvia and Lithuania who lost their lives in a two car collision outside Buncrana on Saturday the 18th of February. The remains of the deceased, Latvians Aija Porcika, 38, her daughter Ginta Veite, 19, Marita Kerpe, 28, Danielitis Abartis, 23 and Lithuanian, Ricardas Bielskis, 34 were flown home for burial. The 1916 Rising Donegal County Museum and the Donegal County Archives are looking for help with their commemoration of the Easter Rising. The museum is seeking material related to this period. A number of Donegal men were involved in the Rising, including Joseph Sweeney from Burtonport. After leaving the local national school Joseph Sweeney received his secondary education at St. Enda's College, Rathfarnham where he came under the influence of Patrick Pearse, headmaster of the college, and he became Pearse's courier. In October 1915, Sweeney entered University College Dublin, but continued to live at St. Enda's College. He joined the local volunteer group in Rathfarnham and when the Rising broke out on Easter Monday, 1916, he joined his company in the G.P.O. and was on the roof of that building during the ensuing battle. Sweeney was imprisoned in England and in Frognoch after the Rising. If you can help with any material directly related to the Rising or have any other information, please contact Caroline at The Donegal County Museum, High Rd, Letterkenny on 074 9124613 or Ciara at the Donegal County Archives, Three Rivers Centre, Lifford on 074 9172490. Friel elected Saoi Irish playwright Brian Friel was presented with a major award by President Mary McAleese on February 22nd in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the arts. The President presented the Donegal-based playwright with a gold torc in an ceremony following his election as Saoi by members of Aosdana. Aosdana honours Irish artists who have achieved distinction in their chosen fields. The 208 members of Aosdana elect a Saoi by secret vote and over 50% of the electorate must agree on the choice of Saoi. Only five people are granted the honour at any one time, with Friel now joining Louis le Brocquy, Benedict Kiely, Seamus Heaney and Anthony Cronin. Friel shot to world wide fame with his play 'Philadelphia, Here I Come!' in 1964. Student Numbers Up The proportion of young people going to college has jumped from 44% per cent to 55% per cent in six years. In a recent survey by the Economic and Social Research Institute entitled 'Who Went to College' the backgrounds of 36,051 entrants to universities, Institutes of Technology and other higher education institutions in Ireland in 2004 were examined and most communities in Ireland are represented. The report also shows that admission rates to further education establishments have soared from 20% per cent since 1980. Magees to close Donegal Factory The world famous Magee's Tweeds are ceasing production of their clothing manufacturing unit in Donegal town with the loss of 60 jobs. One hundred and thirty people will remain in the weaving section of the operation but in future all clothing manufacture will be in the Far East. Between 1997 and 2004 Donegal lost almost 6,500 jobs in I.D.A. supported industries and a thousand or more job losses in Údaras na Gaeltachta aided industries. Since 1997 total jobs losses in Donegal is verging on 10,000.  A to Z of the Best Irish Sites Seachtaine na Gaeilge 2006 Beidh deireadh seachtaine na Gaeilge 2006 a reachtail ag Club Óige Rann na Feirste ar an bhaile on 9ú go dti an 12ú Marta. There will be music, dancing, drama and social evenings. For further information telephone (087) 9158205. A community celebration of Irish Culture will take place in Acres Community Centre, Burtonport on March 17th from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Entry is free but you are asked to make a donation on the day. All funds raised will go to Piermont House, Dungloe and the local Lifeboat charity. New study on Tara 'Duma na nGiall, Tara, the Mound of the Hostages' by Prof Muiris O'Sullivan, head of the UCD school of archaeology cites the findings of leading Irish archaeologists on the County Meath site. The Mound of the Hostages is a megalithic tomb consisting of three separate compartments wherein the remains of some 300 individuals have been found. According to Prof O'Sullivan, 'there is nothing like it in any passage tomb in Europe'. Yet this week the High Court ruled out of order an attempt to stop the National Roads Authority building the M3 motorway close to the site. Now the destruction of many archaeological sites in the area is envisaged. For more information see Hill of Tara discussion and Hill of Tara.info |
From left to right, Donegal County Engineer Patrick McFadden, Mayor of Donegal Dessie Larkin, Past President of Donegal Association Jim McGill and Letterkenny Town Mayor Damian Blake outside St Patrick's Church in downtown Philadelphia to celebrate St Patrick's Day, 2006. More Costs for Homeowners Irish homeowners are facing another hike in mortgage repayments after the European Central Bank (ECB) voted to increased interest rates by 0.25% to 2.5% - the second increase in just three months. It is envisaged that there will be three further hikes in interest rates during 2006. As of March 1st, anyone submitting a planning application to Donegal County Council will have to pay substantial fees under the Development Contribution Scheme. All the charges are based on floor area of the proposed development and there is no distinction between rural and urban areas. A house or apartment under 160m2 will have to pay a total of €2600; A house or apartment 161m2-200m2 is subject to a charge of €2400; And the total charge for a house or apartment over 200m2 will be €5400. Anyone intending to build a holiday home will have to pay a total of €15,000, and a caravan/mobile home will be charged at €2,000 per unit.  Traditional Building & restoration Workshops, Donegal Summer 2006 Ardara Walking Festival 2006 The Ardara Walking Festival 2006 takes place from Friday 17th March, to Sunday 19th March. Registration for the walks is on Thursday, March 16th between 9.00 and 11.00pm in Doherty' s bar. Final registration for all strenuous walks may be made by contacting Donal and Marie Therese at 074-95 41518, or Terence and Patricia at 074-95 41830, and registration for strenuous walks must be made before March 10th. On Friday the 17th a strenuous walk is scheduled in the Bluestacks, a moderate walk from Dunmore Head to Sandfield, and an easy walk on the Ardara Town Trail. On Saturday the strenuous walk is that favourite stretch of coast from Port to Maghera, and the moderate walk is around Lettermacaward peninsula. On Sunday the 19th the strenuous walk will include Lough Altan and Errigal, while the moderate walk will take in the scenery of Maghera, and the coast of Loughros Beag to Ardara. The St Patrick' s Day Parade with floats and bands commences in the town at 3 pm on Sunday, March 19th. Heritage Grant The Annagry Development Committee welcome a €5,000 grant from the Heritage Council towards improvements at the remains of the 'Caiseal' at Aer a Phunta in Annagry. The proposed work will entail fencing, signposting and the provision of a footpath to the site. Migraine Self-help Group for Donegal There are 14,000 people in County Donegal living with migraine, that's almost ten per cent of the population. As part of its commitment to delivering services for people with migraine in Donegal, the Migraine Association of Ireland is holding a series of self-help group meetings in the County in 2006 on the first Tuesday of every month beginning in the Central Hotel, Donegal Town on March 7th. Each session will address a different aspect of managing migraine and will provide participants with an opportunity to share their experiences and support one another. There is no cost involved and all are welcome. However, there are a limited number of places, so people interested in participating should contact the National Migraine Helpline at 1850 200 378 to confirm their place. Women' s Mini Marathon A group of ladies from Donegal intend to participate in this year' s Women' s Mini Marathon which takes place in Dublin on Bank Holiday Monday, June 5th. The charities they are supporting are Letterkenny Oncology Unit, North-West Cancer Support Group and St. Luke' s Radiotherapy Unit, all who have impacted greatly on many families from this County. If you would like to help, by running a function, taking a sponsorship card or just by donating what you can, your help would be greatly appreciated. Please contact Grace Greene at 074-9542143 for further details.  the view from the Hills... |
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