Saoirse Gallagher delves into the archives to bring you the news and images from yesteryear.
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January 31, 1976
GARTAN AVENUE TENANTS COMPLAIN OF DEFECTS IN HOUSES
AT a meeting of the newly formed Gartan Avenue Tenants Association in Letterkenny on Monday night, grave dissatisfaction was expressed with the state of some of the houses. During the meeting allegations were made that rats made their way into household larders; doors and windows let in water; and when one tenant put on a fire smoke filled the house next door.
These were just some of the criticisms levelled by the irate residents and though they accepted a suggestion by the Urban Councillors present to refrain from taking any extreme action to bring their plight to public attention it is thought that if repairs are not forthcoming in the very near future that a more militant line will be adopted.
The Gartan Avenue houses were let to the tenants in January, 1975 and since that time there have been quite a number of complaints forwarded to the Urban Council. At Monday night’s meeting of the Association the Urban Council Chairman, Mr Tony Gallagher and Councillors Hugh Dorrian and Anthony O’Halpin were in attendance.
At the outset of the meeting Mr Tony Canning was elected Chairman and Mrs Mary Noonan as Secretary. Thirteen of the 18 householders participated.
GAOTH DOBHAIR SEEKS A RECORD NUMBER OF LANGUAGE STUDENTS
MORE optimistic than ever before about the 1976 season for Colaiste Cholm Chille, Gaoth Dobhair, its president, Fr Eoghhan O’Frighil of Cnoc Fola said: “No parish in Ireland is more geared for this type of work. There is a very high standard of catering and provision for the student both in the schools and in the houses.”
Fr O’Frighil hopes to bring 800 students from North and South to Gaoth Dobhair this summer. The householders are asking that such a target be reached.
Summer is a long way off it seems in these wintry days but the Colaiste in Gaoth Dobhair is already well advanced with its plans for the season ahead.
There seems no doubt but the college will prove as great a success as ever. For the visiting students and the local people there are clear benefits.
The students pick up a greater speaking knowledge of their native language as they live among a Gaelic-speaking community. This is altogether apart from the expert tuition. But they also see around them a community that really lives with Irish as their everyday language. They come to understand and appreciate more what the language drive is all about.
But, strangely, support for the college from this side of the border is remarkably light, Father O’Frighil says: “In July last year 97 per cent of the 720 students at Colaiste Cholm Chille were from the North. But there were Donegal students from Letterkenny, Milford, Ballybofey and that general area numbering a very satisfactory 150 students.”
ATLANTIC DRIVE ‘A DEATHTRAP’
WHILE It Is one of the most scenic drives in Ireland, the road itself is one of the worst in the country. At the moment it is a death-trap. This was the view of Mr. Harry Blaney, when he proposed a motion at Donegal County Council meeting, on Monday, calling on the Council to allocate £20,000 out of the current year’s road allocation to improvement of the Atlantic Drive in Downings.
Mr Blaney said there was a particularly dangerous corner on the Atlantic Drive but the whole road needed a complete job of repair in order that traffic could negotiate it.
“This road was built when there were few cars and tourists in the country, but anyone who sees it day-to-day would wonder if there was a councillor for the area. That is a reflection on myself and other members of the council from the area. At least £20,000 would make a start on improving it,” Mr Blaney added. Mr A Speers said the County Engineer was of the opinion that a sum of £20,000 would not do very much for the road.
February 2, 2001
DOUBTS OVER ROUTE OF PROPOSED LETTERKENNY RELIEF ROAD
THE original route for a relief road through Glencar Scotch to Sallaghagraine on the outskirts of Letterkenny may now not be feasible due to the developments which have taken place in the area, Cllr Sean Maloney was told at Monday’s council meeting.
Cllr Maloney had asked the council to outline its proposal for the Letterkenny Outer Relief Road from Kiltoy to Carnamuggagh, Windyhall and Glencar to Sallaghhagraine.
He was told by Mr John Holohan, Acting County Engineer, at the monthly meeting of the local authority that the Outer Relief Road from the Business Park to the N56 at Carnamuggagh was presently being processed for a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) of the lands.
FALCARRAGH TO BECOME DONEGAL’S FIRST UNIVERSITY TOWN
Falcarragh is set to become Donegal’s first university town after an American college this week signalled their commitment to setting up a ‘Student Abroad Programme’ at the Ballyconnell Estate on the outskirts of the town.
Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, Connecticut, believe that they have found a suitable environment in the Ballyconnell and Cloughaneely Gaeltacht where such a programme could be nurtured and developed.
The decision follows a weekend of intensive negotiations held in Galway between representatives from the American college and Údaras na Gaeltachta officials.
NO RUSH ON CROSS MAN COLM
THE humble rush plant from a swampy field off the Kilmacrennan Road was given new stature this week when they were used to make more than 300 St Brigid’s Crosses for dispatch around the globe.
Letterkenny-born Colm Doogan from Ard Colmcille in Letterkenny is such an expert at making the traditional St Brigid’s Crosses that he now has to keep an ever expanding order book. In preparation for February 1, the Feast of St Brigid, Colm made the trip to the field beside the technical school every day for the last ten days to cut the rushes.
Each evening he sat and made up to 30 crosses in just the same way as his parents taught him.
