By Dionne Meehan
DONEGAL Donkey Sanctuary has lodged plans with Donegal County Council to expand its premises.
Founded in 2010 by Sandra and Danny Curran, the sanctuary is family run and located in the tranquil countryside of Castledooey, Raphoe.
It began as a result of the Curran family rescuing a donkey that had been found tied to a scrapped car in an area of bog land and left to die.
The family were so moved by this poor animals predicament that they brought him to their farm to live with the three donkeys they already owned.
Over the course of the next year, they began to hear of more and more neglected and abandoned donkeys in their locality.
As numbers steadily grew, the Curran’s realised there was a dire need for a sanctuary for these gentle creatures.
Now, with almost one hundred donkeys in their care and thousands of visitors passing through their doors yearly, the sanctuary has announced exciting plans to expand.
Hoping to provide even more opportunities for the public to visit, learn and connect with these beloved animals, they have applied for planning permission to construct a new visitor’s centre containing a café, a gift shop and a classroom.
As well as this, it is hoped a new hay barn with an adjoining paddock and a storage shed will be constructed, enhancing the sanctuary’s facilities and care for its resident donkeys.
Donegal County Council are due to make their decision on this application on July 29, 2025.
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