The Way We Were 

Róise Collins delves into the archives to bring you the news and images from yesteryear.

If you have a photograph you would like published, send it to editor@donegalnews.com

November 1, 1975

AGENDA DRAWN UP FOR TALKS BETWEEN DONEGAL AND STRABANE COUNCILS

THE agenda has been drawn up for cross-border talks between Strabane District Council and Donegal County Council which are to take place near the end of November.

Donegal County Council has already met Fermanagh District Council to discuss matters of common interest.

At a monthly meeting of the Strabane council, Mr Norman McMorran, Clerk, told the councillors that he discussed a possible agenda with Mr J.D. Williams, Donegal County Manager.

The agenda consisted of tourism, roads, recreation, an airstrip at Porthall, just outside Lifford, and the flooding of the River Finn.

It was possible that a joint working party could be set up following the meeting to discuss some of the points raised. Mr John McKelvey, Chairmain, said that he had been informed that Derry City Council had been having confidential talks with Donegal County Council. Mr McKelvey said that he hoped the press would not sensationalise the talks between the Strabane and Donegal Councils. He would not want it to appear that it was the first time that anything like that had happened.

NO DECISION YET ON FUTURE OF FOLK FESTIVAL

NO decision was reached at Tuesday night’s annual general meeting of the Letterkenny International Folk Festival Committee on whether there would be another festival in 1976. Because of the pressure of business the meeting was adjourned until November 11, when a final decision on the future of the festival will be made.

Mr Barney Doherty, chairing the meeting, welcomed the large turnout of Committee members and said there seemed to be no lack of enthusiasm on their part. He pointed out that the financial position was reasonably good, though the committee’s total indebtedness on the 1975 Accounts was £1,446. The total cost of running the ’75 festival was £12,077.

Mr Doherty explained that there were 13 groups invited to the festival and twelve arrived. The committee had promised a good festival and this was why so many were invited. As a direct consequence of this the financial position wasn’t all that it could have been.

DR DELAP HITS AT COALITION MISMANAGEMENT

THERE was a strong representation of Fianna Fáil Cumainn, from Doochary to Dunfanaghy, at the quarterly meeting of Dungloe Fianna Fáil Comhairle Ceanntar held in the Errigal Lounge, Falcarragh.

And they listened with interest and not a little alarm to the speakers, Deputy Liam Cunningham and Dr Patrick Delap, and what they had to say about the chaotic state of affairs in general and the country’s finances in particular under “coalition mismanagement.”

Dr Delap talked of the “ever increasing spiral of borrowing that had left the country in pawn, with the foreigner holding the ticket.” And he spoke of “an interest burden of £100s of millions that could test the resources of much bigger and richer nations.”

November 3, 2000

LONG AWAITED LINK ROAD HITS NEW SETBACK

PLANS to open part of the Neil T Blaney link road in Letterkenny before Christmas have suffered a major setback with confirmation that members of a Letterkenny family have lodged High Court proceedings against Donegal County Council and the Minister for the Environment and Local Government.

The High Court action is seeking to overturn a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) granted by the Minister to Donegal County Council last month relating to lands at the centre of the development.

The CPO paved the way for the local authority to acquire 1.8 acres of land at Ballyraine for the purposes of road alignment and the construction of a roundabout, on which some work has been done.

The roundabout will link the Derry road to the new Neil T Blaney relief road, connecting Pearse Road to Port Bridge, which will help to ease the present traffic congestion problems in Letterkenny town on its completion.

UNEASY CALM BREAKS OUT IN FINE GAEL

FOLLOWING months of speculation and internal strife Fine Gael has announced that Cllr Sean Maloney is to join Cllr Bernard McGuinness as the party’s team for the next general election in the Donegal North East constituency.

The official announcement was made in a statement from party headquarters in Dublin on Wednesday. Cllr Maloney said he was honoured to be chosen as the party’s candidate and would work tirelessly in the months ahead to win back the Fine Gael seat lost in the last election.

In its statement Fine Gael said that following careful and detailed consideration of all factors that would contribute to Fine Gael’s objective of winning back a Dáil seat in Donegal North East, the party leader, Mr John Bruton had decided to add Cllr Maloney to the election ticket.

“It is the party determination to ensure that Donegal North East returns at least one Fine Gael deputy at the next General Election.

“The party believes it is unhealthy for democracy and unacceptable for Donegal that there has been only one opposition deputy out of six TDs in the past four years,” the statement read.

GARDAÍ TARGET SCHOOL PROMS IN CRACKDOWN ON NIGHT TIME INCIDENTS

GARDAÍ in Donegal have launched a major clampdown on public disorder, illicit drug use and underage drinking which is set to continue in the weeks and months ahead.

‘Operation Oiche’ was first introduced in the Dublin Division two months ago but Garda chiefs have now extended it nationwide.

Accordng to Letterkenny based Inspector Vincent O’Brien, the gardaí will be seeking full cooperation and support from the Vintners Federation, licensees and parents to ensure the overall success of Operation Oiche.

“We will be focusing on public disorder, underage drinking, illicit drug use and underage alcohol sales,” said Inspector O’Brien.

One of the first events which will be subjected to the full rigours of the law will be the school proms which are very popular at this time of year.