Parenting: Enduring the mischief of Elf on the Shelf


By Louise Flanagan The Elf on the Shelf is one of the most contentious Christmas traditions out there. A lot of parents bemoan the festive arrival of an elf in their home – probably because he gets up to all manner of mischief throughout the month of December. Advertisement We have an elf in our […]


Thousands of Ukrainians to spend second Christmas in Donegal


BY JEROME HUGHES HAVING fled her war-torn country in October last year, Scoil Cholmcille pupil, Yeva Borodina, has had a difficult childhood but her future is looking brighter. The 10-year-old Ukrainian is about to spend her second Christmas in Letterkenny with her mother, Tetiana. Advertisement Unfortunately for Yeva, her father remains back home in Zaporizhzhia, […]


Bumper week of Christmas shopping in Letterkenny


by Kate Heaney BUSINESSES in Letterkenny have reported busy Christmas sales and are expecting a last minute rush over the next few days. Retailers, restaurants and entertainment venues have been enjoying a seasonal boom with many thankful the days of lockdowns are behind us. Advertisement Mark McCloskey of Evolve Menswear is enjoying a great shopping […]


Huge demand for support as cost of living crisis bites this Christmas


By Dionne Meehan THE rising cost of electricity, fuel and rent are just a few reasons why local community organisations are feeling the pressure as Christmas approaches. With Trojan work underway on the run up to the festive season, many are seeing a rise in the demand for their services compared to recent years. Advertisement […]


Ministers urge responsible dog ownership ahead of Christmas period


Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, and Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue TD have today launched a ‘Responsible Dog Ownership’ leaflet, designed to raise awareness about the responsibilities of dog owners. This leaflet highlights in a clear and accessible way, the legal obligations and costs that may be […]


Majestic Mount Stanley – a long way from home this Christmas for Paul Carr


By Diarmaid Doherty THE majestic Mount Stanley in far off Uganda is a long way from home, but its beauty will go some way to easing whatever feelings of loneliness Paul Carr might experience this Christmas. The Cranford man admits that he’ll miss home a lot this festive season. Advertisement There’ll be no carol singing […]


Toy appeal at Freedom Spinal Health a ‘great success’


AN annual Christmas toy appeal at Freedom Spinal Health in Letterkenny for two charities has been hailed a ‘great success’. Chiropractor Anthony Lavin runs a ‘Toy Appeal for Adjustment’ day at the practice at Christmas time, where clients attending the clinic are asked to bring a donation for charity in lieu of payment for their treatment. The donation day was […]


NoWDOC GP Out of Hours Service Christmas/New Year Opening Hours


The NoWDOC service, which provides an urgent GP family Doctor service to patients in Co. Donegal and south Leitrim, has issued its Christmas/New Year opening hours. The service is designed to provide urgent GP care to patients and is not a substitute for the Emergency Ambulance Service, who are the appropriate service to deal with […]


Coláiste Ailigh students raise €1,000 for Donegal Hospice


TRANSITION year students from Coláiste Ailigh in Letterkenny held a fundraising Christmas market recently which raised an impressive €1000 for Donegal Hospice. The market, held on December 8 in the school sports hall, was attended by students and parents. Everything was handmade by the students with a huge emphasis on recycling materials. “It was huge success […]


Shoppers may be impacted by NI’s transport strikes


by Louise Doyle DONEGAL consumers hoping to do a little Christmas shopping over the border this weekend could be hampered by ongoing industrial action being taken by Translink over a dispute about pay. Three unions, Unite, GMB and Siptu have already taken part in a 24-hour bus and rail strike in the north in a row over […]