Shoebox gift appeal meeting to take place in Letterkenny


By Kate Heaney THE wonderful work done by the Donegal Team Hope’s Christmas Shoebox appeal has benefited thousands of children who might not otherwise have received a Christmas present. A meeting to launch the campaign, which has been running in Donegal for more than 30 years, will take place on Monday, September 23 in the Lecture […]


Bunbeg man charged with the murder of grandfather


A BUNBEG man has been charged with the murder of his grandfather just days before Christmas. Derek Mulligan (36), of Magheraclogher, Bunbeg, was brought before Letterkenny District Court on Thursday charged with the murder of Derek Burns on December 19, 2023, at Carrickaboyle, Derrybeg. Detective Garda Paul Dolan told the court he arrested Mulligan, and when […]


€4,400 raised for 16 charities


LETTERKENNY man Tom Giblin has raised a whopping €4,471 for local charities as a result of his Christmas fundraiser. Beginning his fundraising mission in the late 70s, Tom has held a number of small fundraising events over the years. Launching his Live Animal Nativity Stable for the first time in 2022, Tom pulled out all […]


Arranmore RNLI crew have busy Christmas


ARRANMORE Island’s RNLI all-weather lifeboat volunteer crew responded to three calls for assistance over the Christmas period. On Tuesday 26, Wednesday 27 and Friday 29 December the volunteer crew answered their pagers to help others in need. The first two call outs were to assist in medical evacuations from the island and the third to bring […]


Stranorlar charity shop places third in Christmas window competition


A Christmas window display in Stranorlar has attracted national attention placing third in a competition run by Charity Retail Ireland. Cúnamh Finn Valley thanked everyone who voted for their Christmassy display. The judges said they were blown away by the creativity of this year’s entries. First place went to the St Vincent de Paul shop […]


Don’t ‘suffer in silence’ this Christmas, say gardaí


GARDAÍ in Letterkenny are urging anyone in need of support over the festive season not to suffer in silence and reach out to them. While Christmas time is a happy time for the majority of people, it can also be a challenging time for others because of grief, financial worries, domestic abuse, loneliness and various […]


Moya Brennan’s new music to highlight the feeling of loss at Christmas


DONEGAL folk singer Moya Brennan has released a new single ‘I Still Believe’ and a new album ‘Nollaig Gaelach’ to highlight the feeling of loss around Christmas. Moya’s brother Leon passed away in December 2021, and her uncle Noel (a founding member of Clannad) passed away in 2022, as well as the losses of her […]


‘Tis the season for festive trends


The most wonderful time of the year has arrived. The festive season is filled with social gatherings, parties and events… oh what fun! However, these events require a lot of planning, particularly when it comes to your outfit and sometimes… the struggle is real. When we think Christmas, we associate it with sparkles, bold prints […]


Bishop McGuckian urges people not to forget the story of Christmas


THE Bishop of Raphoe Alan McGuckian has urged people not to forget the story of Christmas and to ponder the extraordinary love that descended from the heavens into a humble manger. In his Christmas message to all parishes around the diocese, he said those who might be lonely, sad or desolate at this time, need […]


Long-lasting memories don’t come wrapped in rolls of Christmas paper


By Sabrina Sweeney  Christmas can be a funny old time of the year, full of contradictions. I’ve spoken to so many people over the last couple of weeks, all saying they wish for a return to a more relaxed time, with more energy left to enjoy the build up to the festivities. Advertisement There was […]