Caolagh Grimes delves into the archives to bring you the news and images from yesteryear
FEBRUARY 8, 1975
Gweedore sisters on Manchester bomb charges
Two Gweedore-born sisters were accused in Manchester crown Court on Monday of helping to make bombs which were planted in the city centre shops in Manchester. A total of nine incidents involving 11 bombs, are covered by the charges in the case. The biggest caused damage estimated at over £100,000.
Nurse Ann Gillespie (23) and her sister, Eileen (24), a hospital receptionist, both denied charges including conspiracy to cause explosions and conspiracy to commit arson. Most of the bombs were found and dismantled before they went off. But one exploded at a furniture shop, causing £500 worth of damage and another at a shoe shop, causing superficial damage.
The biggest was a 20 or 30lb. Bomb at the City Magisgate’s Court in Crown Square. It devastated a wide area, shattered 150 large plate glass windows and caused £100,000 worth of damage.
Letterkenny workers march again
“Cooney must give in” chanted a parade of 300 workers as they marched through Main Street of Letterkenny in support of the men on hunger strike in Portlaoise Prison.
Men and women from three factories in the town and the men building the big Courtaulds factory took part in the demonstration.
After the parade returned to the Market Square, Mr. Joe O’Neill of Bundoran Urban Council, addressed the crowd and said they were looking for these men to be treated as political prisoners, not as criminals. They were fighting to rid Ireland of all British influences. He said this was Pat Ward’s third hunger strike and his condition was very weak at present, and he charged that the prisoners did not get better treatment they would probably find themselves back to a 1921 situation.
Mr. O’Neill said they were not asking anyone to go out and fight, this was a peaceful demonstration.
![](https://donegalnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/DNM-LD-Old-pic-5-100225_3696195-660x430.jpg)
Former Finn Harps ‘keeper Declan McIntyre at a team training session back in 1986.
Letterkenny Folk Festival to cost £12,000
The big Summer Festivals of Co. Donegal, at Dungloe and the Letterkenny, are to go ahead again as usual this year, despite the challenge of hugely increased costs. To meet their problems the Mary from Dungloe Festival Committee have appointed a new five-man executive this year.
And in Letterkenny the committee of the International Folk Festival, rated one of the best in the country, has been meeting frequently to plan their August event. They now estimate that they will have to meet expenditure of £12,000 for the Festival.
The committee has had extremely encouraging responses from various foreign dance teams who have already indicated their willingness to come to Letterkenny in the late August. This year they may have as many as ten dance groups performing in the streets of the town.
FEBRUARY 11, 2000
Shock as Gweedore man murdered in Ardee
Shock has been expressed in Gweedore following the murder on Monday of native son, Patrick Gallagher (38), in Ardee, Co Louth.
Mr Gallagher’s body was found in a house at Drogheda Road shortly after 2 a.m. following an anonymous 999 call alerting medical personnel and Gardaí.
Mr Gallagher’s body was found in a bedroom of the house and the broken shaft of the brush, used to stab him, and still embedded in this chest. A woman found in the same room was taken to hospital where she was treated for minor injuries to her face. She was later discharged.
Gardaí reported the door to the house and the door to the bedroom concerned had been forced open. They discovered a hammer in a dustbin about 20 yards from the scene and sealed off two telephone boxes where the anonymous call may have been made.
Fraud investigators save almost €6 million
Savings of almost €6 million in social welfare fraud and abuse were made by investigators from the Department of Social Community and Family Affairs in Donegal last year, it was confirmed this year.
Speaking from Sligo on Wednesday afternoon, Mr Christy McDonagh, Regional Manager, said savings of €5.9 million had been made across a range of schemes last year in Donegal. However, he said the vast majority of the savings came in the areas of unemployment assistance and unemployment benefit.
Mr McDonagh had warned that the Department would continue to clampdown in the coming months on people who had the desire to defraud the state. “Their actions will not be tolerated. The inclination to commit fraud will be deal with severely,” he said.
While a comparable figure with last year was unavailable, Mr McDonagh said the savings were “slightly up” compared to 1998.
![](https://donegalnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/DNM-LD-Old-pic-4-100225_3696192-660x430.jpg)
This young lad and his family were enjoying the entertainment at the 1994 Mary. from Dungloe festival.
Award for Donegal man who promoted good race relations
A Donegal man, now leader of Harringay Council in London, was honoured for his effective work in promoting good race relations.
Cllr George Meehan, a native of Drimarone near Mountcharles, has been a member of Harringay Council for the last two years and its leader for the past 12 months.
Cllr Meehan, who left his native county in 1963, was presented with a framed photograph of Horn Head by famous photographer Fergus Noone, in appreciation of his work since the early 1980s in laying the foundations of the borough’s race relations equality programme.
Speaking from Harringay this week Cllr Meehan said he was delighted to have been honoured for his work with the council.
“We probably have the most cosmopolitan population of any borough in Britain. There are some 130 languages spoken by the people who live here.”
If you have an old photograph you would like published, send it to editor@donegalnews.com
Receive quality journalism wherever you are, on any device. Keep up to date from the comfort of your own home with a digital subscription.
Any time | Any place | Anywhere