Caolagh Grimes delves into the archives of the Donegal News to bring you the news and images from yesteryear.
FEBRUARY 4, 2000
PROTEST AT JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR
Members of the Convoy Free Presbyterian Church staged a protest outside An Grianán Theatre, Letterkenny on Wednesday night against the production of the musical “Jesus Christ Superstar”.
Led by the Reverend James Porter, members of the Free Presbyterian Church handed out pamphlets denouncing the production to members of the public.
Rev Porter claimed that the lyrics and text of the original script of Jesus Christ Superstar is contrary to the word of God’s presentation of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Bible.
He added that the play insinuated that Christ was impotent and that Mary Magdalene was his lover. He said that Mary is later referred to as a prostitute.
Earlier this week Rev Porter sent a letter to the local press in which he outlined the inconsistencies in the musical which are not supported by Biblical evidence.
The musical opened on Monday night and is playing to sell-out crowds.
DRUG VIGILANTES THREATEN ACTION
Following the arrest of eight people in a major drugs operation in Letterkenny last weekend an anonymous group calling itself the “Donegal Against Drugs Committee” has issued a stark warning to all drug pushers who pedal their wares in the county.
In a statement submitted to the Shaun Doherty show on Highland Radio on Wednesday morning the group said that it was totally committed to ridding Donegal of the “drug scourge”.
According to the group the drug culture has become quite significant in Donegal in recent times with the numbers of drug smugglers and pushers expanding at an alarming rate.
“These nefarious individuals are oblivious to the damage they do to our young people and are and are concerned only with lining their pockets at the expense of others. They are organised, greedy and are growing increasingly bold owing to the lack of police activity directed against them.
Tommy Daly’s chin gets very close to a famous fist of Olympian boxer Charlie Nash from Derry who was a special guest at the Letterkenny BC reunion in 2013. Photo: Brian McDaid
BATTLE BEGINS FOR SHARE OF 1,000 CIVIL JOBS
Moves are being made in an effort to attract a government department or semi-state body to Donegal as part of a major decentralisation for civil servants over the next three years.
Yesterday (Thursday) a spokesperson for the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Dr James McDaid confirmed he had raised the possibility of relocating a government department with the Minister for Finance, Mr Martin Cullen TD earlier this week
While decisions on which jobs will be moved are not finalised, it is known there is already intense lobbying going on at government level by various Ministers to attract offices to their areas. The government is considering relocating up to 10,000 civil service jobs out of Dublin as part of the next phase of decentralisation which will involve the widest possible range of public sector jobs.
FEBRUARY 1, 1975
FURTHER PLANS TO IMPROVE TRAFFIC FLOW IN LETTERKENNY
Following the granting of an injunction to halt buses parking on Lower Main Street in the afternoons of school going days, the Letterkenny Urban Council has met with heads of the transport companies and Garda Síochána in efforts to further improve the traffic flow in the town.
The Main Street is still the town’s big problem, and while the traffic flow is not nearly as difficult and jammed as it has been even with a lighter flow of vehicles a couple of years ago, the local Council is eager to bring about what they consider very necessary further improvements. They are looking a few years ahead in the expectation that they will have to deal with a minor population explosion.
Already they have lengthened the Cathedral car park term plans for a by-pass road that will connect to Port Road with Kilmacrennan Road.
Members of the carnival group all smiles before the start of the Twin Towns Festival parade in 2009.
MRS WARD RESUMES HUNGER STRIKE
Mrs. Annie Ward, 69 year old mother of republican hunger-striker Patrick Ward, of Glenahilt, Burtonport, on Wednesday night resumed her own hunger strike, accompanied by Mr. Ward’s girlfriend, Miss Mary Lawlor.
Three relatives and friends of another of the hunger striker joined them. They were his brother, Eamonn, his sister Mrs. Ita McVeigh, and his girlfriend Miss Marcella McLeer. Mrs. Ward had earlier given up her hunger strike begun in Portlaoise on Tuesday night.
Mrs. Ward visited her son in the military hospital at the Curragh on Wednesday. She said he was in a very weak condition, but was determined to continue his hunger strike until certain concessions were granted, or to the bitter end.
Mrs Ward said he had asked her if possible to continue her hunger-strike until his five colleagues said to be in a critical condition in Portleoise Prison, were transferred to the Curreah.
FALCARRAGH CONTROVERSIAL COMMUNITY SCHOOL TO OPEN
This week the Department of Education instructed that the long delayed new building for the community school at Falcaragh, which has been the centre of considerable controversy, would be ready for occupation next Monday, and the board of management ordered that all the students now be recalled, debate has arisen again about the Gweedore Community School.
The Falcarragh school has been carrying out with Intermediate and Leaving Certificate students at the Holy Cross College building on a temporary basis after Christmas break, leaving the other students on an extended holiday, until midweek when they were recalled to Gortahork Vocational School building and the grounds will be almost totally unprepared, the patience of the department with the builders seems to have run out.
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