Ava Maguire delves into the archives to bring you the news and images from yesteryear.
May 10, 1976
Community school to go ahead
Although the Donegal Co. Council’s Planning Office has told the Minister for Education that they consider the selected site for the erection of a Community School in Gaoth Dobhair unsuitable, it was stated by the Gaoth Dobhair Branch of Fine Gael this week that the Minister has given an assurance that the Community School will in fact be built at the Ard Scoil Mhuire, Bunbeg site and nowhere else.
The Minister, Mr Richard Burke was in Falcarragh last weekend and during his brief visit by helicopter, was met by Mr Padraig Doherty of Gaoth Dobhair Fine Gael.
Now Mr Doherty says the Minister gave him an assurance that only this site will be used.
And Mr Doherty added that the Minister wished to have it made clear that at no time had the Dept. of Education given the impression that the school would be erected at another site. He added the rumours suggesting otherwise were completely fictitious.
New Mills man wins £50,000 in Prize Bonds
A prize bond bought on a snowy day in April 1960 by 48 year old bachelor, Eddie Kane, of Killymasney, New Mills turned up trumps, winning £50,000 for a delighted Eddie.
Though naturally very pleased at his good fortune the quiet living New Mills man isn’t going to let it go to his head. Despite all the furore, and excitement of his friends and workmates he remains cool, calm and collected with no visible change in outlook.
There are no plans for a yacht or a holiday in the south of France; “I’ll think about all that later”, he says.
The first news came on Tuesday morning last when a telegram arrived at the Kane home at Killymasney. It was brought into Eddie’s work place at St Conal’s Hospital, where he opened it and read the golden line: ”I have great pleasure in notifying you that the prize bond detailed below has, this month, been drawn for a prize of £50,000.”
“ I sometimes check the prize bond winning list, but I forgot all about it this time and when my brother brought in the letter I could hardly believe it,” he said.
Perishable goods perish before they get to Donegal
There are such delays in delivering of goods from Dublin to Donegal by C.I.E that in warm weather perishable goods arrive in very bad condition.
It frequently takes several weeks to make deliveries that should be made in a matter of days.
A group of Donegal Wholesale Grocers have raised the matter with C.I.E and the Department of Transport and Power.
Mr Frank Morris, Convoy, who acts as Secretary to the Donegal group, points out that it takes an average of two to three weeks to make deliveries to their members from Dublin, in some cases there are delays as long as five weeks.
With goods so long in transit wholesale grocers are placed in a very embarrassing and difficult situation.
Mr Morris pointed out that in the case of margarine it is frequently stamped with the final date to be offered for sale. Delays by C.I.E have long been so long on occasion that the final date of sale has passed before the margarine supplies arrive in Donegal.
May 11, 2001
Magees move to allay job loss fears
The Chairman of Magee Clothing Ltd. moved to allay fears of job losses in Donegal Town. This followed the announcement that it was considering the future of its manufacturing operation in Ballymena where 112 people are employed.
Mr Lynn Temple said its manufacturing facility in Donegal Town, where 120 people are employed, would be maintained at its present size.
Mr Temple said it was with deep regret that the Board of Magee Clothing was entering into a period of consultation over the future of manufacturing in Ballymena due to competitive forces outside the company’s control.
High wage costs in Britain, Ireland and Europe have seen an accelerating trend in recent years to overseas manufacturing, he said.
“Magee has fought long and hard to resist this and to maintain employment at home but there is a relentless increase in competition from other clothiers using off-shore manufacturing.”
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Commander in Chief of the Defense Forces President Mary McAleese paid the first ever visit by a president to Lifford Military Barracks on Wednesday.
Following her Lifford visit the President went on to officially open the St Johnston and Carrigans Resource Centre.
President McAleese, accompanied by her husband Dr Martin McAleese, met the full complement of soldiers currently serving in Lifford Military Post. She inspected the guard of honour and signed the visitors book accompanied by Colonel Brian O’Reilly.
She and her husband met families of members of the 28th Infantry Battalion who are serving overseas on United Nations peacekeeping duties.
She met the five McLaughlin brothers who followed their father and grandfather, the late Eddie Crawford, into a career in the defense forces and the 28th Battalion. A sixth brother, Danny, a member of the battalion’s pipe band, died two years ago from cancer at the age of 31.
Brothers Eamon, Pearse, Shane, Fergal and Ruari said they never considered any other career and all joined the army at the age of 19.
First Filipino nurses due in Donegal
The first of 104 Filipino nurses recruited by the Health Board are due to arrive in Donegal within the next eight weeks.
By targeting nurses in the Far East the Board wants to ensure a supply to fill vacancies in the Learning Disability and Community Hospital services.
Attracted by a salary ten times that of nurses in the Philippines and the promise of free accommodation during their initial assessment period Filipino nurses have been recruited to help relieve some of the pressure caused by chronic nursing shortages.