Louise Doyle delves into the archives to bring you the news and images from yesteryear.
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APRIL 26, 1975
BURST MILFORD SEWER A DANGER TO HEALTH, SAYS COUNCILLOR
A sewer serving the National Building Agency houses at Milford has burst and is leaking into a playing field, causing a serious health hazard that demands the most urgent attention. Although the County Council have been made aware of the problem, for the past five weeks they have taken no action to remedy the position.
Councillor Willie McCafferty has hit out strongly at the situation that is permitted to continue, and charges that this sort of attitude will have to change when such a serious matter is brought to their notice.
He says that despite repeated reminders over the past five weeks, the Council has made insufficient effort to properly rectify the problem. And meantime the burst sewer is overflowing onto the playing fields there.
Many children in the area have been close to the discharge and Cllr McCafferty sees it as a growing health hazard demanding the most immediate attention.
FORMER MISS WORLD TO OPEN LETTERKENNY FOLK FESTIVAL
The former Miss World Rita Faria, has accepted the invitation of the Letterkenny International Folk Festival Committee to declare their festival in August open.
Now Mrs Rita Powell, and working in a Dublin hospital, the Indian-born girl created something of a sensation when she resigned from her high position of the World Number One.
The festival committee has received more enquiries from dance groups and others interested in participating in this year’s festival than ever before. It seems probable that the 1975 event will be very much bigger and better than ever.
Certainly the number of dance groups set to perform on the streets in traditional style or in the halls will be greater, and it is hoped to be the most colourful and spectacular.
PIONEER COUNCIL CONDEMNS LATE OPENING HOURS
At the Annual General Meeting of the Donegal Regional Committee of Pioneers, held in the Loreto Convent, Letterkenny, there was strong criticism of the way the law was willing to give extended licensing hours to publicans.
Members expressed fears that such facilities would encourage teenage drinking and would further rocket our already massive spending on alcohol.
There was a very lively discussion on the topic of teenage drinking in Irish society.
Sr Aloysia of Loreto Convent Milford said that instead of condemning our young people, we should channel their energies in a constructive way.
Fr Denis McGettigan said that he felt that there was still an audience for the spiritual approach of self denial. Pioneers should make it clear that they enjoyed life as pioneers. The portrayal of pioneer suffering the pangs of denial were not helping the organisation in any way.
NO BIRTHS IN MANOR OR CHURCHILL FOR FIVE YEARS
Statistics issued recently by the North Western Health Board in their pamphlet concerning the reorganisation of the register of births, deaths and marriages throws out some interesting facts regarding the traits and characteristics of the Donegal population.
For instance, in the five-year period between 1966-1971 not a single birth was registered in either Manorcunningham or Churchill districts. In fact, the latter townland seems to have suffered badly in that five-year period.
APRIL 28, 2000
‘HUSH HUSH’ CLAIM AS ASYLUM SEEKERS ARRIVE IN DONEGAL
A row was looming in Donegal Town yesterday over the unexpected arrival of forty asylum seekers to the town in what has been described as a “rush job”.
Local public representatives criticised the ‘hush hush’ nature of the arrivals, while the announcement also took North Western Health Board officials by surprise.
The first indication of their imminent arrival came less than 24 hours earlier at a meeting attended by public representatives, various statutory bodies and local residents in the Central Hotel on Wednesday night.
ANOTHER IT BOOST FOR LETTERKENNY
An information technology firm plans to create up to 50 jobs in Letterkenny within the next three years.
Ebylls Ltd., a rapidly expanding information technology consultancy firm, are in the process of establishing a research and development centre for advanced billing and eCommerce solutions at the new Business Innovation complex adjacent to the local Institute of Technology.
The new centre is under construction on the IT campus and it is hoped the company could begin work by July.
OFFICE OPENING PROMPTS HARTE ATTACK
With just over a week until what is expected to be a highly controversial Fine Gael selection convention, one of the five nominees has attacked the party’s hierarchy and local officials.
Letterkenny Urban County Councillor Jimmy Harte said he had been treated “shabbily” by the party’s hierarchy in the run up to the selection convention for the next general election which he said was already heavily tilted in favour of Cllr Bernard McGuinness and Cllr Sean Maloney.
Admitting that he already had an “uphill battle” to gain the nomination to contest the next general election Cllr Harte cited a number of recent developments within the recent organisation which had deeply angered him.
LETTERKENNY SITE GOES FOR RECORD PRICE AS DEVELOPMENT BOOM CONTINUES
The rapid expansion of Letterkenny as a thriving business centre was underlined again this week with news that a site of just less than one acre fetched in the region of £900,000, while further developments in the retail and housing sectors are planned just yards away.
The sale of the 0.9 acre on the Ramelton Road adjacent to the newly opened Aldi supermarket premises was agreed this week.
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