Saoirse Gallagher delves into the archives to bring you the news and images from yesteryear
Letterkenny locals Barney Sweeney and Fr Johnny Crumlish. This photograph was given to us by one of our regular readers, Robbie Sweeney.
Saturday February 21, 1976
BIG ANTI-BLANEY VOTE: AT FIANNA FáIL ARD FHEIS
FIANNA FÁIL has said very emphatically that it does not want Donegal Deputy Neil Blaney back in its ranks.
The vast majority of the 3,000 delegates from around the country at the Ard Fheis in Dublin voted on Sunday overwhelmingly against inviting him back into the party. The result, on a show of hands — only a handful were in favour — was met with cheers from the delegates.
For Mr Blaney it is the gravest blow in years to his political future. Many of his supporters have been buoyed up by the cultivated belief that whenever Mr. Blaney himself thought the moment opportune, he would move back under the Fianna Fáil umbrella. Now that umbrella has been very firmly and decisively whipped away.
For them the question being asked is where does Mr. Blaney’s political future lie? They feel that as a lone operator in the Dáil and in the centres of power, his sole unsupported voice is too weak and too seldom heard it seems quite clear that he will be unable to link up with any other Dáil party. And he had not found favour with Sinn Féin – either wing.
For many weeks there had been speculation in Donegal that Mr Blaney was being urged to move back to Fianna Fáil. Formerly more abrasive pro-Blaney personalities were noticeably carrying olive branches, talking more smoothly on the Fianna Fáil line, avoiding criticism of even local Fianna Fáil activities.
It did seem the path was being smoothed. Among many (but not all) of them, there was an anxiety to return.
HELP FOR DEAF CHILDREN FROM A YOUNG LETTERKENNNY MOTHER
THROUGH the efforts and dedication of a young Letterkenny mother, the only school in the country for deaf children outside of Dublin and Cork, is helping four or five young Donegal boys with varying hearing defects.
Mrs Kathleen McGlynn provides classes for them through her own choice and decision, in her own home at 50 Hawthorn Heights, Letterkenny. She is a fully qualified teacher with her B.A. and B.Comm degrees and was on the staff of a secondary school prior to her marriage.
Mrs McGlynn was brought face to face with the problems of deaf children when she discovered her son Peter, now aged six, had defective hearing.
With her teacher husband she did everything that was possible to help him.
With a number of other Donegal children he eventually was given a place in a Dublin school for the education of deaf children. But the parting from patriots and family was always emotionally disturbing for the children.
Many tears were shed as they travelled to Dublin. And while they were given every care and attention at the residential school, they felt the separation from home.
Mrs McGlynn undertook a parents’ correspondence course with the University of California for the teaching of the deaf, and she has successfully applied it.
Former health minister Dr. Michael Woods pictured in the 1990’s as he launches a new communications system for the Donegal Ambulance Service during a visit to Letterkenny. Included are Henry Murray and Pauric McCann.
TELEFÍS éIREANN SHOWS LETTERKENNY’S ‘BETTER’ SIDE
“LetterkennyY is very beautiful and everything that everyone said it would be.”
This was the comment of former Miss World, Mrs. Reita Powell (née Faria) who had officially opened the 1975 Letterkenny International Folk Festival and participated so much in the various events of the Festival, much to the pleasure of the organisers and the people.
“The nicest part of Donegal” was the comment, and this was the theme of the Tom McGrath-produced half-hour film on the Festival shown on RTÉ last week. Everything was nice and rosy and perhaps intended to heal the wounds created by the now notorious MacLochlainn film on Letterkenny which aroused so much bitter comment in the locality. The happy film on Letterkenny was welcomed generally.
A very big number of people found it entertaining, and said it painted a good picture of the festival with all its bright and joyful moments.
There was an accent on the number of foreigners attracted to this remote North West corner of Ireland. How could this possibly be true? Would Dubliners believe it? Even to them Donegal was so far away. How could they possibly attract Russians, Bretons, English, Latvians, Maltese?
The film showed the bright and lively festive air that was conjured up in Letterkenny , and indicated that there were many hundreds of people of all ages attracted to the big event. The street interviews involving locals and visitors were very interesting, and interviewer Mike Murphy was a winner.
His involvement in the festival also was a hit especially his non – winning Throwing of the Sheaf. Festival Director Barney Doherty, P.R.O. Sally Blake, and others involved in the organisation were included in this 25-minute affair. Certainly a good advertisement for the Letterkenny Folk Festival, for Letterkenny and for Donegal.
Friday, March 2, 2001
FOOT-AND-MOUTH SCARE REACHES DONEGAL BORDER
DONEGAL was yesterday (Thursday) bracing itself for an unprecedented farming and economic disaster following the confirmation of a suspected case of the foot and mouth disease in Castlederg just three miles from the border.
The crossing at Cloughfin, Castlefin has been closed and the leading IFA member in Donegal has called for all crossings to be sealed.
A case has been confirmed on a farm in south Armagh close to the Louth border and there are growing concerns the disease may have already been spread to other parts of the country.
Mr Des Lavin, a Department of Agriculture Veterinary Inspector based at Raphoe confirmed that the designated border crossing route was now closed because of the suspected outbreak in Castlederg.
Lorries and traffic could now cross at one of the other designated border crossing points.
The Department and Gardaí agreed on the eight designated crossing points for Donegal where lorries carrying permitted goods could cross.
All GAA fixtures in Donegal have been cancelled this weekend. A marine tourism plan launch scheduled for Letterkenny last night was postponed until further notice.
Joe McHugh meeting Pope Francis in the Vatican.
MANAGER NAMES HALTING SITES FOR TRAVELLERS
THE Travellers accommodation crisis in Donegal took a dramatic twist on Wednesday when the County Manager Mr Michael McLoone put in place an emergency plan to provide accommodation for indigenous families across the county.
The plan makes provision for emergency accommodation for 12 indigenous families on 13 sites in the five electoral areas of Letterkenny, Inishowen, Stranorlar, Donegal and Glenties as well as providing places for transient families on a further four sites.
Mr McLoone stressed the measures involved in the emergency plan of action would only be in place for a two year period by which time the council’s permanent accommodation plan would be in place.
Mr McLoone said the emergency was in no way to be seen as substitution for the council’s accommodation programme which will go on in tandem with carrying out the
work included in the emergency plan.
ORDINATION PRESENTS STOLEN IN FIFTH BURGLARY OF PRIEST’S HOUSE
A YOUNG priest has this week made an emotional appeal in a bid to put an end to a spate of break-ins at his parochial house, the most recent of which occurred last Thursday evening.
Fr Pat McGarvey’s house behind St Mary’s Church, Stranorlar has been burgled five times since last April including twice in the past month.
The items taken last Thursday were of sentimental value to Fr Pat as they were given to him on the day of his ordination back in 1993.
They included a Tipperary glass chalice, two Waterford trinket boxes, one with praying hands depicted on the top of the lid, and the other with a Book of Kells, along with a Waterford glass clock.
“These items were given to me by family and friends on the day of my ordination.
“They were of great sentimental value to me. Up until this the thieves always took cash. I just can’t believe that this is happening so often,” he said.
“It is very upsetting and the whole thing has gone to the stage that you don’t know what will be left in the house when you go for a while.
“I have to put in extra security measures but the break-ins unfortunately are still going on,” Fr McGarvey added.
He has been in Stranorlar for the past three years and last Sunday made an appeal to his parishioners from the pulpit to help put an end to the litany of break-ins.
The young priest was in Dublin and Inver before he came to Stranorlar. Garda Sergeant Mick Murphy said they had arrested three people for the previous break-ins at the parochial house. However, in relation to the two latest crimes their investigations were ongoing.
Gary Carr and Claire O’Donnell with their daughter Leah receiving the keys of their new house which they won in the St.Eunan’s GAA Draw. The lucky family are pictured with Letterkenny shop owner Joe Gallagher who sold them the winning ticket. The year was 2008.
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