Caolagh Grimes 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
SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 1975
DONEGAL TO BENEFIT FROM DISADVANTAGED AREAS SCHEME
THERE was good news for Donegal farmers with the announcement of the EEC’s Disadvantaged Areas Scheme.
The whole of the county will qualify for headage payments which can be up to £26 under this new scheme, and for the Donegal farmer this incentive could not have come at a better time.
Morale in the livestock trade has been at a low ebb in recent months, but these new proposals should boost the market considerably.
The Department of Agriculture announced on Tuesday night that headage payments would be confined to those areas of the western region which are subject to severe handicaps.
It would seem Donegal was considered disadvantaged because of many cumulative factors – the rocky terrain, geographical isolations and other physical aspects of the county, and the fact that Donegal farmers have great trouble in finding easy accessible markets.
NEW APPOINTMENT THE ‘HEIGHT OF MADNESS’
“I think it is the height of madness to propose this appointment when so many people are being told that no extra road workers would be recruited this year – even on a temporary basis,” said Senator Bernard McGlinchey at a meeting of Donegal County Council.
He was speaking at a General Purposes Committee meeting of the Council during a discussion on the appointment of an Assistant County Manager.
The initial salary for an Assistant County Manager would be £5,500. Proposing the motion, Senator Paddy McGowan said that the total turn-over of the council was now in the region of £9m per year. Because of his work-load the County Manager could not keep in touch with what was going on “in the field” and had to deal with many problems on paper.
DONEGAL ISLAND FAMILIES WANT TO STAY TOGETHER ON MAINLAND
THE PEOPLE of Tory and Inishbofin Islands off the Donegal coast have had one of their worst-ever winters.
They have been cut off from the mainland for the longest period ever. Only the helicopter and ferry service brought relief, carrying in food and other provisions, the doctor when necessary and some island people, as well as taking out a few requiring hospital treatments.
This is the second really bad winter that has hit the islands of the North West and the announcement that several families of Tory had been anxious some months ago to move to the mainland is said to have been reinforced by the hardships of recent months.
But the people of the islands off Gortahork are not anxious to move into any urban area. They want to link up with some fishing villages along the coast.
They wish to retain their own community life and would favour Magheraroarty near Gortahork or further around Bloody Foreland in Gaoth Dobhair.
FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 2000
DOCTOR MAKES HELICOPTER DASH TO AID FISHERMAN
A DUNGLOE doctor made an unusual call on Monday night when he flew 50 miles off the North West coast to treat a casualty on a French fishing vessel.
Dr Peter Sweeney was airlifted from Carrickfin airport by the Finner-based Air Corps helicopter after a call was made to Malin Head Coastguard station around 6.30pm. The French fishing vessel ‘Eureka’ had requested a doctor to assess the medical condition of one of their crew so Dr Sweeney obliged and boarded the helicopter at Carrickfin.
Speaking from his Dungloe surgery this week Dr Sweeney praised the professionalism of Captain Ray Keane and his Air Corps crew. “It was my first ever call out on board a helicopter but I would have every confidence in doing it again. Each of the Air Corps are experts at what they do as they work together as a team.
CHARLIE’S A CHAMPION FOR LOCAL SCHOOL KIDS
ONE of Letterkenny’s best known characters thought that April Fool’s Day had come a week early when he answered the phone to Today FM Breakfast Show presenter Ian Dempsey on Wednesday last.
Unaware that the pupils of Gaelscoil Adhamhnáin had nominated their lollipop man as being the best in the land, Charlie Price (71) believed that he was being “wound up” when he received a call from the former RTÉ children’s television presenter.
It wasn’t until he had hung up the receiver that he realised that he had just been interviewed live on air. “I didn’t have a clue that the principal and kids had nominated me for an award.
“I am just disappointed that I didn’t win as the prize money would have allowed me an opportunity to organise a big party for all the kids” he said.
RAMELTON CELEBRATED OPENING OF FACILITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
RAMELTON Community Centre was officially opened on Friday evening by Minister for Tourism Sport and Recreation, James McDaid who also launched the town’s Community Youth Project. The minister was welcomed to the town by the award winning Ramelton Town Band.
The Youth Project has been operating for a year now and already shown the positive contribution young people can make to community development. The project was funded by Area Development Management Ltd with £56,000 of funding.
A number of projects are already up and running including youth clubs for a variety of age groups. These range from a club catering for 6-8 year olds, clubs for young men and women as well as a ‘Youthennium Club.’
To keep everyone informed about what is going on at the centre, a Hot Gossip Group produces a monthly newsletter that is distributed in local schools.
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