By Sabrina Sweeney IT’S rally weekend in Donegal so brace yourself for noise, crowds, petrol fumes and the pure, unfiltered buzz of it all. Love it or loathe it – and most people at least secretly love it – the Donegal International Rally is hard to ignore. There’s excitement, pride, and a deep-rooted sense of […]
Fresh Take: Health conference shines a light on so many issues
By Sabrina Sweeney Most people who choose a career in Ireland’s health service do so, not for the pay or the work-life balance, but because they care and want to make a difference in the lives of others. These days, however, more and more are struggling to keep going. A recent survey by Fórsa, Ireland’s […]
FRESH TAKE: Taking a stand – just for a bit of basic comfort
By Sabrina Sweeney “Act first, apologise later” is a phrase I associate with the police detective Harry Bosch in Michael Connelly’s best selling series, which I can confess to having binge-watched in a dangerously short amount of time. For anyone not familiar, Bosch is the tenacious type who’s known for breaking a few rules if […]
FRESH TAKE COLUMN: A sense of shock and disbelief once again engulfs a close-knit community
By Sabrina Sweeney For anyone from a close-knit community, tragic events are never just news stories; they are personal and they touch friends, extended family and all those who call the area home. The collision in the townland of Baltoney, Gortahork last weekend that killed two young men and injured another two has left the […]
FRESH TAKE: Will speed limit changes address the problems of road safety?
By Sabrina Sweeney IF you’ve been out on any local roads in rural parts of the county this past week it’s likely you’ve noticed work being carried out on speed limit signs. It’s all part of the preparation for new speed limit rules, the first phase of which came into effect on Friday. The […]
FRESH TAKE COLUMN: Why settle for imitations?
by Sabrina Sweeney Just like champagne must come from the French region, Champagne, and Parma ham can only hail from the province of Parma in Italy, Donegal tweed’s fight for the same recognition will preserve its integrity for generations to come. There are few people in Donegal who would deny that the county’s rugged landscape […]
FRESH TAKE: Burying our loved ones – not an easy discussion
By Sabrina Sweeney UNTIL a person is directly affected by death and the need to bury a loved one, discussions around planning for burial space in the future can feel rather abstract. Let’s face it, it’s not a conversation many of us want to have and it may also feel like less of a priority […]
FRESH TAKE: There’s a reason why you wouldn’t leave a child alone in the playground
By Sabrina Sweeney Imagine a playground children love to visit and can happily spend a few hours. I’m thinking of those worth the journey, with swings and slides and a good variety of other equipment, such as a trampoline, which can result in lots of interesting social interactions; a rope bridge; or a few climbing […]
FRESH TAKE: Finding a home should not be an added burden for new students
By Sabrina Sweeney CONGRATULATIONS to all those Donegal students who received their Leaving Cert results last week. Commiserations to the many who are now wondering how they’re going to find and fund somewhere to live so that they can actually attend their desired course. The fact that Ireland has a housing shortage isn’t news to […]
FRESH TAKE: Disturbing scenes in Belfast show that hatred knows no borders
By Sabrina Sweeney The sight of the Irish tricolour and Union flag flying side by side at an anti-immigration protest in Belfast at the weekend was certainly a feast for the eyes. Belfast is well accustomed to rioting and thuggery. The tricolour atop a bonfire during the summer has been a familiar sight down through […]