Scéal Dún-na-nGall ar an Idirlíon / County Donegal on the Net News News Vol.8 No.8 August, 2007    Holiday In Donegal!

Operation Banner ends The longest continuous campaign in the British Army’s history, ended at midnight on July 31st, 2007 after 38 years. The military operation required 300,000 personnel, 763 of of whom were killed during the campaign. A garrison of 5,000 British troops will remain as compared with 30,000 duing the late 1970's. This new found peace should bring dividends to Donegal, long ignored by the Dublin administration. People now live in Donegal and work in Derry and vice versa but the fact that different currencies and different jurisdictions still exist causes economic disadvantages to both counties. It still costs more for a person in Donegal to telephone Derry than it does a Cork person to telephone their neighbouring county of Waterford. Petrol and property is cheaper in Donegal than in Derry where Donegal people must change their currency to shop while holiday makers from Derry and Belfast gain a 30% per cent advantage when converting their Sterling to Euro in Donegal. Such disparate economic factors between the two counties continue to mean economic disadvantage for the region as a whole, just as they did in 1969, when British troops first arrived on the streets of Northern Ireland. New Anthology on Donegal 'Donegal, The Making of an Northern County', edited by Jim McLaughlin has just been published by Four Courts Press. This anthology, the first of its kind on Donegal, uses extracts from a wide variety of sources, to examine social and geographical change in Donegal over the past five centuries. Combining the approaches of the literary anthologist with that of the historian and social geographer, Jim Mac Laughlin focuses on changes in community life and material culture in Donegal from the pre-colonial period to the late 20th century. The book presents extracts from historical records, travel literature, literary sources, biographies and autobiographies, official documents, political pamphlets and reports of government officials. It places the interpretations of academics alongside the observations of local historians, antiquarians, travellers, government officials, poets and writers, making this book an invaluable contribution to the canon of literature on Donegal. A must for anyone with even a passing interest in the County. Imbibed with character this anthology could only have been compiled by a native! The editor, Jim Mac Laughlin, hails from Moville. He is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Geography, University College, Cork and the author of a number of important works on social geograpgy in Ireland. Just click here to order 'Donegal, The Making of an Northern County'. Click Here for Vintage Style Gaelic Football & Hurling T-Shirts Delivered World Wide English wil now be taught in Gaelscoileanna Education Minister Mary Hanafin has announced that Gaelscoileanna in the Republic that have traditionally taught English after junior infants will have to introduce English in the first year of school for at least 30 minutes a day. The Minister has stated that this policy must be introduced from September, drawing an angry response from many Irish language organisations, including Forás na Gaeilge and Gaelscoileanna which represents the 160-plus non-Gaeltacht all-Irish primary schools. The same rule, however, will apply to English-speaking schools, where all children will be taught Irish from the earliest stage possible. A new Gaelcholaiste will be opening in Buncrana on 27th August, 2007. Gaelcholaiste will welcome students from all schools in Inishowen and Derry. For further details please contact Mary Ann Kane, Education Officer at Donegal Vocation Education Centre on 074 9161600 or Caitriona on 074 9363736. Mary from Dungloe Celebrates 40th Birthday The Mary from Dungloe Festival this year celebrates its 40th anniversary in the Rosses. This year's Festival takes place from July 28th to August 6th with outdoor events, activities and street music. For schedule see Mary from Dungloe. Dunfanaghy August Fair Festival Week begins on Sunday the 29th July with Sheepdog Trials and Sheep Judging at 9.30am in John Joe McGinley's Field opposite the New Lake in Dunfanaghy. Monday July 30th sees a Beetle Drive in the Church Hall at 8pm. Monday the 6th August is the Annual Fair Day in Charlie's Field on the Hornhead Road, Dunfanaghy. The Prize Giving and Raffle Draw will be held in Arnold's Hotel at 10pm with music by James & Edward. The Ballybofey and Stranorlar Chamber of Commerce have announced that the Twin Towns Mid-Summer Festival will take place from the 17th to 19th August. Anyone who would like to help out, or would like to organize any event, please contact the Chamber office on 074 9132377. The Save Tara Campaign Continues The chairperson of the influential EU Petitions Committee has written to Environment Minister John Gormley calling for a halt to all construction work in the disputed Tara/Skryne Valley area. The letter states that: 'urgent action is needed to halt existing works in this area and to review the routing of this section of the M3 motorway.' The letter from Marcin Libicki, Chairman of the Committee on Petitions, confirms previous correspondence with Minister Gormley where the EU indicated that continuing works on the M3 were illegal under EU law governing the need for Environmental Impact Assessments. The Campaign to Save Tara has repeated its call for all work to be halted on the proposed M3 Motorway through the Tara/Skryne Valley. The seven environmental and heritage activists arrested in July appeared in Navan District Court and were released on bail to appear again on September 5th. The Save Tara grouping has reiterated that it's Campaign of disruption and delay will continue until the road is re-routed out of the Tara landscape. The EU a