Donegal Post

Hotel closure shocks Dungloe

admin — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:30:19 +0000

By Lauren Harte, Reporter
Hope has been expressed that the Ostan na Rosann Hotel will re-open in the near future following its shock and sudden closure at the weekend.
On Sunday, staff at the Dungloe based hotel were informed that the facility was closing with immediate effect resulting in the loss of an estimated 30 full and part-time jobs.
According to the company’s latest accounts lodged last month, the hotel had been “experiencing a severe downturn in trading activities” caused by the current economic climate. The statement added that the hotel’s owners were not forecasting an improvement in the situation next year and that the company’s bank was fully aware of the situation. It was also stated that discussions between both the bank and owners were ongoing.
The 48 bedroom hotel and leisure centre is owned by the McBride family. The hotel’s website stated this week that: “The Ostan na Rosann Hotel and Leisure Centre is closed for the winter.” However, a number of planned Christmas events at the hotel next month have been advertised over recent weeks.
Speaking to the Donegal Post this week, Fianna Fáil Cllr David Alcorn said that while there was a great sense of shock in the Dungloe area, he hoped the hotel could be re-opened as soon as possible.
“There is great shock in the area and the news is deeply regretted by the local community especially since there was no pre-warning of the closure. It is my sincere wish to see Ostan na Rosann re-opened as soon as possible.”
“The hotel has been a real landmark in the area and always a popular venue for functions including concerts, festivals and weddings. The staff were always very friendly and welcoming and many have long years of service. Given all the new supermarkets that have opened in Dungloe recently and the more customers that the hotel enjoyed as a result the news is all the more shocking,” he added.

€12,000 raised by Mid West Donegal vintage club

admin — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:28:47 +0000

The Mid West Donegal Vintage club held their presentation night recently on the 31st of October in the Hills Bar Ardara.
The club having only been formed in February raised a total of €12,000 which was donated to a variety of local charities on the night. The club which is only in its infancy welcome any new members with a passion for all things old to the club which is hoped will prosper further in the coming years.
The club offers members a worthwhile pastime preserving old tractors, cars and motorbikes and offers a spectacle of times gone by when these old vehicles take to the roads on one of the many road runs or shows throughout the year.
The main vintage run of the year, the inaugural Paddy Meehan Memorial Run which was held on the 6th of June 2009 raised approximately 10000 euro which was donated to a variety of local Special Olympics based charities.
The beneficiaries of this money were the Donegal Dynamos Football Club, The Donegal Special Olympics Football Club, The Errigal Special Olympics Club, The Dungloe Day Centre, Little Angels Special School, and The Atlantic Special Olympics Club, Scoil Aodh Rua agus Nuala, The Cleary Centre, St Agnes Special Olympics Club, St Cronas National School and Riding for the Disabled.
Their was also monies donated to the RNLI, The Killybegs Community Hospital and the Glenties play group which were the proceeds of 3 smaller vintage runs throughout the year. The Mid West Donegal Vintage Club would like to convey a sincere thank you to anyone who donated, contributed or helped in any way to making this year a resounding success for the club and its beneficiaries.

Sites sought for new Bundoran and Ballyshannon fire stations

admin — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:27:28 +0000

By Michael McHugh, Editor
Donegal County Council are seeking to purchase land in Bundoran and Ballyshannon for the construction of two new fire stations.
The council say that they are seeking two suitable sites of approximately half an acre in both south Donegal towns.
Landowners are asked to send their proposals to Mr Fitz Howard, Project Manager, Capital Building programme, County House, Lifford. Submissions should be returned by November 27th.
The news has come as a victory for both towns, who fought a long running battle with officialdom, following recommendations that just one new fire station would be built, between the two towns at Finner.
Chairman of Ballyshannon Town Council, Eugene Dolan told the Donegal Post:
“It is a victory for both towns and the idea of a station at Finner was never a runner in my opinion,” he told the Donegal Post.
“You had the real prospect of firemen from this town, having to travel through Ballyshannon past a town fire, having to make their way out to Finner, loading up their crew and tender and then coming back into town. Tenders from both stations back each other up as well and in the summer time, then there is Bundoran with its greatly increased population during the winter months.”
He said that his only concern now was that the stations came in stream as quickly as possible and that it did not become something that was going to end up being dragged on for years again, before the stations came on stream.

Donegal Town prepares to light up

admin — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:26:15 +0000

Businesses in Donegal Town are once again being urged to the support the Christmas Lights Fund ahead of the big switch on later this month.
Last year, the cost of the lights was almost €10,000 and the committee responsible says that the vast majority of funding for this was contributed by the many businesses in the town.
Chairman of the Christmas Lights Committee, Ernan McGettigan is appealing to the local business community for their support in making Donegal Town the best and brightest town in the North West during Christmas 2009.
“To do this involves major costs to the Community Chamber and we are appealing to local businesses for their generosity.
He added: “Over the years, the businesses in Donegal Town have been very generous in their donations to the Christmas Lights Fund. Last year the total cost of the lights came to €9,870 and the sum received in donations was €9,720.”
“The Community Chamber each year meets any shortfall between the cost of the lights and the contributions collected locally which can put a strain on other worthy local projects.”
Members of the Christmas Lights Committee will be calling to businesses in the town over the coming days to collect contributions. Alternatively these can also be left into the Community Chamber Offices on Quay Street between 9.30am and 4pm.
The big switch on of Donegal Town’s Christmas lights will take place on Sunday 29th November at 5pm.

Kilcar oil Spill again causes major traffic hazard

admin — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:25:19 +0000

On Sunday night last Killybegs and Glencolumbkille fire brigade units were called out to a major oil spill on the Kilcar-Killybegs Road.
The Oil Spill started in Keenaghan Kilcar and continued through the town-lands of Drimnafinagle, Leitir, Bavan and other areas.
Gardai were present at the scene with at least one car leaving the road as a result of the oil spillage
The problem of Oil spillage on the Killybegs – Kilcar Roads has become a major issue this year with Units of the Fire Brigade having to be called out on several occasions. The problem has been highlighted in the Donegal Post on several occasions.
Locals are becoming extremely annoyed at how regular these oil spillages are happening and locals point out that that quite apart from the cost of cleaning up these regular spillage’s and the fact that the fire service have to clear these roads each time. Lives are being put at risk because of road conditions, they say.

A Bridge too far!

admin — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:31:34 +0000

By Michael McHugh, Editor
There have been renewed calls for immediate action on the notorious Lennox’s Bridge that divides Donegal and Leitrim after yet another smash at one of south Donegal’s worst blackspots on Monday night.
Kinlough gardai say that injuries were not serious in the latest case, but that accidents were a feature of the stretch of road, because the bridge is so narrow and can only be accessed by one car at a time.
It is just the latest in a catalogue of accidents that have all been linked to the narrow bridge, between Bundoran and Kinlough on the R280, whose quant image is more in keeping with the times of the jaunting cart, than modern traffic.
It’s also a world away from the N15 bypass which that is just 1km away.
Kinlough taxi driver Thomas Kelly told the Donegal Post: “This problem is getting worse, not better. On average, there is at least one accident a month on that bridge. There have been a number of minor accidents in the last couple of weeks and not all are reported. There is a hidden dip on the Kinlough side and at dawn and dusk, the situation is really bad.
“A pedestrian to feel safe literally has to walk over the middle of the road on the bridge and cyclists have to be equally brave. This is a health and safety issue at its most basic and is just being ignored. Now is the time to act, not when something terrible happens.”
Bundoran Town Cllr Michael McMahon said that there were promises that the bridge would be upgraded following the completion of the Bundoran/Ballyshannon bypass and pointed out to the inquiry that was taken place about Irish road safety in Europe this week.
“I have, along with other members of Bundoran Town Council, been very concerned about this bridge for some time now. I have contacted Leitrim County Council about the felling of trees on their side of the bridge to give motorists a clearer view of the dip when coming from the Kinlough side as a short term solution.”
Kinlough based Cllr Tony Ferguson has also made numerous submissions to Leitrim county Council to make a new bridge a priority.
“The work on the bridge would have to be a joint effort and it needs to be looked at more seriously than a few token words in an annual report. As a remedial move I had suggested that the Donegal side, coming into the bridge be raised to give drivers a better view coming from the Kinlough side,” he told the Donegal Post.
The last works to strengthen the bridge were done 25 years ago, when it was also suggested that a new bridge with a newly aligned road could be built, saving the old bridge as a tourist attraction or using it as a walking and cycling access between both counties.
A quarter of a century later, the talking between the two councils continues over the bridge, with the only apparent movement – the famous Drowes salmon that swim beneath the historic bridge.

Over 5,000 penalty points issued in Donegal

admin — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:52:23 +0000

By Lauren Harte, reporter
Motorists in Donegal clocked up 5,595 penalty points last year, new figures have shown. Males were the biggest offenders on the road raking up 4,292 points compared to females who collected 1,303.
A total of 2,912 points were issued to male drivers in the county in 2008 for speeding with 967 issued to females, making this the most common offence followed by driving while using a mobile phone, not wearing a seatbelt and crossing over the white line.
Overall, 1,247,284 penalty points were issued to drivers around the country by last December since the scheme began in October, 2002. During 2008, 318,931 penalty points were issued representing a decrease of 2% on the previous year. Of these 76% were issued to males and 24% to females.
The findings were contained in the Transport Report for 2008 from the Central Statistics Office which also reveals that there were 81,883 vehicles licensed in the county by 31st December last of which 58,565 were cars and 14,820 were goods vehicles.
There were also 4,465 new vehicles licensed in Donegal last year while the total number of driving licences in the county was 94,732 representing 85,707 full licences and 9,025 learner permits. The largest number of driving licences in Donegal are held by those in the 30-39 age group at 19,349 followed by 17,128 to those aged 40-49 and 14,232 are held by those in the 50-59 age bracket.
The number of people in Donegal who passed their test in 2008 was 3,305. Of these 1,011 were females and 965 were males. Waiting times for those wishing to sit their test at a test centre in Donegal have greatly reduced from 2004 to last year, according to the CSO. In 2004, learner drivers had to wait 35 weeks to sit their test in Donegal Town which was reduced to seven in 2008. It was a similar story in Letterkenny where the waiting time five years ago was 45 weeks – down to nine weeks last year.

Morris to cost taxpayers €80m

admin — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:51:12 +0000

The Morris Tribunal will cost Irish taxpayers more than €80m and not the €70m previously thought, it has emerged.
Reports this week confirmed that of the €80m figure, legal fees will account for just under €52m.
The tribunal into garda misconduct in Donegal ran from 2002 to 2007 and was chaired by Mr Justice Frederick Morris.
Two senior counsel, Pat Marrinan and Michael Durack, who defended gardaí against allegations of corruption have been named as the major beneficiaries of the tribunal. Both are believed to have received over €2.5m each for their work at the inquiry while the total legal bill for the Department of Justice and An Garda Síochana comes to €8m.
The report found that gardaí arrested and unlawfully detained several people during the investigation into the death of Raphoe cattle dealer Richie Barron.
The tribunal was established by the Oireachtas in 2002 following allegations and complaints concerning some gardaí of the Donegal division.
Mr Justice Frederick Morris, a former President of the High Court, was appointed the sole member of the inquiry.

Last Donegal Vindicator Editor’s death – End of a remarkable era

admin — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:49:09 +0000

The end of a unique era of Ballyshannon journalism and its once thriving newspaper industry was recorded in recent days following the death of John Ward, the last proprietor and Editor of the once famous ‘Donegal Vindicator’ newspaper, which was printed from 1889 to 1956.
It is a remarkable tale of the man, the town he loved so well, the changing nature of the newspaper business and emigration. In this contribution, Paddy Donagher reflects on this Donegal man’s unique personal journey and the wonderful legacy that he has been left to the winding banks of Erne:

Born on the 5th August 1927 in Letterkenny John Ward RIP passed away on the 28th October 2009 in Ottawa, Canada.
John Ward was a grandson of John Mc Adam who was the founder of the Donegal Vindicator at the behest of the Irish Land League in 1889, the Vindicator was the 1st Nationalist newspaper to be printed in Donegal.
The paper was located at No.7 East Port Ballyshannon and John was its last Editor. Some of its employees were Jimmy Coughlin a compositor, Red Mick Slevin of GAA fame, Eddie Gallagher a printer and Frank Burke a reporter who later went on to work for the Irish Press. The Vindicator ceased publishing in 1956.
From Ballyshannon John Ward decided to expand his horizons and moved to Dublin where he eventually found himself as the Official reporter in Dáil Éireann.
John, like so many of his time and in the tradition of the Wild Geese decided to move to Canada where he was a reporter for 35 years and then Editor of Debates in the Canadian House of Commons.
While so far away in Canada, John’s love for his native land never dwindled and with the advent of modern technology, he created a fascinating web site “vindicator.ca”. From this site Donegal and his beloved Ballyshannon, in particular, was opened up to the modern world and a new generation.
John shared stories that most people believed were lost and forgotten in time. He wrote about “The Hawk of the Erne”, “The Big Wind”, “The Green Lady”, “Early Life in the Purt”, “Ballyshannon’s GAA cycling championship football team”, and a compendium of stories recounting the History of the Falls of Assaroe and stories of Life and about the people from Ballyshannon and so much more.
I had the personal pleasure of talking to John about the celebration’s at the Mall Quay on the 14th September 2003 to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the “Kildoney Men’s Fishing Legal Action”. He was very passionate and talked about his displeasure at the state of the Tail-Race, as he called it the “Ugly hole in the ground”.
I know that Vindicator.ca is John Ward’s legacy to Ballyshannon and its people and I know that everytime we look at this wonderful memorial given to us by a man who had nothing but outstanding love for Donegal and everything Irish.
To John’s wife Betty, daughters Geraldine and Catherine, grandson Brandon and nieces Carol, Helen and Annette we offer our heartfelt sympathy.

Go ndeanaí Dia trocaire ar do anam, a Sheáin. Ni bheidh a leitheid ann arís.

Alterations made to Bundoran development plan

admin — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:46:36 +0000

Bundoran Town Council has approved a number of alterations to the Draft Bundoran and Environs Development Plan 2010-2016 at a special convened meeting in the council chamber last Thursday.
The meeting focused on a number of submissions from the public including a site beside the Holyrood Hotel, beside the Bradóg river. The site owners had hoped to promote a development incorporating a beauty college and salon which would have facilitated the opening up of the river area, which many in the council would have liked to see developed into further walkways.
While the Council, in general, were in support of that permission, Cathaoirleach Cllr Eamon Barrett (Fine Gael) stressed that any development would have to “facilitate the opening up of the river bank area”. The location has been designated to provide for a civic/market space with a community/civic building.
However, Cllr Florence Doherty (Independent) said the area should be preserved as an open space, which she said is vital for Bundoran as the town’s “central point”.
“I would disagree with any building being put on the site because it’s the centre piece of Bundoran,” she said.
Cllr Michael McMahon said he believes the area “serves no useful purpose to the town and should be used to facilitate future possible amenities”.
The alterations were proposed by Cllr Sean McEniff (Fianna Fáil) and seconded by Sinn Fein’s Cllr Michael McMahon.
Submissions from the public following a second period of public consultation on the plan, ended in September.