Róise Collins delves into the archives to bring you the news and images from yesteryear.
November 15, 1975
WATER PROBLEMS CALL HALT TO DEVELOPMENT OF LETTERKENNY
THE further development of Letterkenny has been ground to a halt by the Planning Office of Donegal County Council. Planning permission is being refused for all further building in the town. Even individual houses are being refused.
Only those that have been given previous outline planning permission will be permitted to go ahead. Should Letterkenny be offered a further and much needed factory project, it would have to be turned away on the instructions of the planners.
All of this has come about because the “experts” seem to have made serious miscalculations about the water requirements of Letterkenny. It had been assumed, after very costly schemes had been completed over recent years, that Letterkenny would have an ample surplus of water for some years. But it now turns out that the situation is very different.
Through the years there had been night-time cut-offs for the water in Letterkenny until a few months ago, but never had the situation arisen that the total development of the town was halted.
BIGGEST EVER LAND AUCTION IN DONEGAL – £140,000 FOR 217 ACRES
THE biggest ever sale of land by public auction in County Donegal took place at Market Square, Letterkenny on Tuesday. The auctioneering firm of John Robinson & Son, Letterkenny, offered the 217 acres of rich land at The Big Isle, Manorcunningham, for bidding and there was a speedy response. The final figure after some very brisk bidding was £140,000. Purchaser was Mr Acheson from County Tyrone.
As bidding commenced there were six bidders in competition with one another and when the price rose over the £100,000 mark three of them dropped out. Then as the price went to £130,000 it became a two-man affair that raised the priceto £140,000.
The seller, Captain Watt, of Carrowblaugh, Portsalon, had put the land on the market at £130,000. There was tremendous interest in the sale of which had been forecast to go beyond the six figure mark. Few thought it would rise to £645 per acre.
‘INCREASING LOYALIST DISENCHANTMENT WITH WESTMINISTER’: ROY BRADFORD AT REGIONAL COLLEGE
THE increasing disenchantment and disillusion of the “loyalists” with the Westminster Government were spoken of by Mr Roy Bradford, former member of the Northern Executive, at the first of the new series of lectures and debates on “Contemporary Ireland” at the Regional Technical College.
There was a big turnout for the occasion and the subject was “Thoughts on the Future of Ireland,” the view of the minority in the North being put by Mr Denis Haughey, Chairman of the SDLP, who deputised for Mr Austin Currie who was unable to attend.
There were patrons present from various parts of Donegal, and they were given a clear impression of the fears on both sides of the divided Northern community, that tended to make a solution to the problem so difficult.
Letterkenny Post Office staff members, from left, Paul Herrity, deliveries service manager, with postmen, Eugene Sullivan, Paul Crampsie, Phelim McClafferty, Aaron Baxter and Dara Kely.
Members of the hardworking front office staff at Letterkenny Post Office with office manager, Ed Margey in 2009.
17 November, 2000
OPERATIONS CANCELLED… BLOOD CRISIS AT GENERAL HOSPITAL
A BLOOD shortage led to a number of operations being cancelled at Letterkenny General Hospital last week, it has been confirmed.
Elective surgery procedures scheduled for Thursday last had to be postponed at short notice due to the crisis and a Consultant Surgeon at the hospital has this week stressed the importance of ongoing voluntary blood donations from the general public.
Mr Tim Ryan confirmed that he had to cancel two operations last Thursday.
It was the first time that he has been forced to take such drastic action during his time in Letterkenny.
“The patients were in hospital all geared up to go when had to cancel their operations,” he said.
“It’s hard on the patients who are already under enough stress thinking about their illnesses. Thankfully, as it turned out they only have to endure a one week delay as both operations have been rescheduled for this week but it’s a serious matter,” Mr Ryan said.
ALMOST QUARTER OF DONEGAL SCHOOLS HAVE EXCESSIVE RADON GAS LEVELS
ALMOST a quarter of schools surveyed in Donegal by the Radiological Protection Institute had one or more rooms that exceeded the recommended level of radon gas, it was revealed this week. The link between long term exposure to high levels of radon gas and the increased risk of contracting lung cancer has long been widely accepted.
A total of 152 schools in Donegal were monitored for radon gas levels during the 1999/2000 school year and 35 of these were found to have readings above the recommended level. The schools in the county with the highest readings were Scoil Mhuire Buncrana, St Bridgid’s NS, Convoy and Donoughmore NS, Castlefin.
Those with the lowest readings but still over the recommended level were Woodlands NS Letterkenny, St Patrick’s NS Murlog and Carrick Vocational School.
LETTERKENNY CAR PARKING CHARGES TO INCREASE
CAR parking charges in Letterkenny are to double in the coming weeks after members of the Urban District Council adopted a new pricing strategy on a trial basis at an in-committee meeting on Monday.
The new pricing structure has been adopted in the hope of moving those who park for the full day away from the prime shopping parking spaces. Car parking facilities where no charges applied like the Leisure Centre, the Golden Grill/cinema car park at the Port Road, ‘Skittle Alley’ and Station Roundabout will now have hourly charges imposed between 20 and 30 pence an hour.
Parking on the Main Street will rise to 30 pence per half hour in anticipation that the increase will free up this parking area for shoppers.
Kathy O’Connor and Brian Gleeson, general manager, Radisson Blu Hotel, Letterkenny, who provide the Christmas dinners funded by local Chamber businesses in 2009.
A view of O’Donnell Park in the 1940s.
