Happy birthday!!!
Mary Hunt, Ardeskin, who recently returned home from Sweeden to celebrate a special birthday.
Pictured with her mum and dad, Phyll and Michael. Photo: Jason McGarrigle
Frank's Back
84 year old Frank Bustard, Main St. is back on the road again. He was grounded for the last year after his car was stolen from his back yard, crashed and written off. “You hear a lot of young ones taking a year out, a gap year I think they call it, well at 84 and having driven for 63 of those years, I never thought I’d have to take one!
The active and popular octogenarian is not a man to hang around the house and, with the help of his friend Billy Browne and daughter Adorina, he was able to continue his travels around the highways and byways of Donegal. “I had some hairy scuds with that pair, but I would have been lost without them” he said, jumping into his shiny ‘99 Ford Focus with the agility of a man a quarter of his age.
President McAleese to visit Gael Scoil
na gCeithre Maistri
The staff and children of the Gael Scoil na gCeithre Maistri, Donegal Town are delighted and proud to announce that President McAleese is to visit the school on the 29th April. This is as a result of an invitation sent to President McAleese to come and meet the children at the school. The President herself has a keen interest in the Irish language. Gael Scoil na gCeithre Masitri is an Inter-denominational school where the children are educated through the medium of Irish.
Gael Scoil na gCeithre Maistri school first opened in 1999 with 15 children and one teacher. Today there are over 70 children attending the school who are looked after by three teachers. The school was the first Gael Scoil to open in South Donegal and children attend daily via a free bus service from as far away as Bruckless and Ballintra. The huge interest in the Irish language has seen another Gael Scoil opened in nearby Ballyshannon recently bringing the total number of Gael Scoileanna in the county of Donegal to five.
During her visit the President will meet all classes from Junior Infants up to Fifth Class. A regular visitor to Donegal, the President has herself attended the Irish Summer School in Glencolmcille in recent times and is said to be looking forward to the visit where she will get the opportunity to converse with staff and children through Irish spoken with a distinct Donegal blas!
Everyone connected with the Gael Scoil, staff, children and parents alike are very excited about the forthcoming Presidential visit and are busily preparing for the event. It is a great honour that President McAleese has chosen to take the time to visit the Gael Scoil in Donegal Town and we are awaiting the visit with great anticipation.
An tUachtarán Mhic Giolla Iosa ag tabhairt cuairt ar Ghael Scoil na gCeithre Maistrí.
Tá athás mhór ar foireann agus paistí Ghael Scoil na gCeithre Maistrí, Baile Dhún na nGall go bhfuil an t-Uachtarán, Máire Mhic Giolla Iosa ag tabhairt cuairt ar an Scoil ar an 29/4/2004. Is seo de thairbhe cuireadh a fuair an Uachtarán le bualadh le paistí na scoile. Tá suim mór ag an Uactharán í féin an Ghaeilge a labhairt. Is scoil Idirchreideamh an Ghael Scoil agus faigheann na paistí a gcuid oideachais trí mhéan na Gaeilge.
D,Oscail Gael Scoil na gCeithre Maistrí in 1999 le 15 paistí agus muinteoir amháin. Inniu tá thar 70 dalta agus trí mhuinteoir ar an scoil. Is an Ghael Scoil an chéad scoil a foscladh í deisceart an Chontae agus faigheann na daltaí bus saor go dtí an scoil. Tá an oiread suim í dteanga na Gaeilge gur foscladh Gaelscoil eile í mBéal Átha Seannaidh agus tá cúig Ghaelscoil sa chontae anois.
Bualfidh an Uachtarán le na daltaí go léir agus foireann na scoile ar an cuairt seo. Ní stróinséir í do Dhún na nGall mar bíonn an Uachtarán ag foghlaim Gaeilge í Ghleann Cholmcille gach Samhradh.
Ní bheith fadhb aici na paistí na scoile a thuigbhéal mar tá blás Ghaeilig Thír Chonnaill ag an Uachtarán fein!
Tá áthas mór ar gach duine a bhfuil baint acu leis an Ghael Scoil ar chuairt an Uachtarán agus tá said go gnóthach ag ullmhú don ócaid speiséalta seo. Is ónair mhór seo go bhfuil an Uachtarán ag tabhairt cuairt ar an Ghael Scoil í mbaile Dhún na nGall agus tá an Scoil go léir ag fanacht go cíocrach leis an ócaid seo.
Flash of inspiration from Donegal Student
Yvana Murphy, with her teacher Noleen McGarrigle, and Peter Gough, HP Ireland, receiving her
prize of a digital camera and certificate Photo: Jason McGarrigle
A distinct image depicting the snow covered Austrian countryside by Yvana Murphy, [11], from Scoil Aodh Rua agus Nuala in Donegal Town has been chosen as ‘Image of The Month’ in the nationwide HP Digital Imagination Challenge.
Involving over 4,000 primary and special needs schools across the island of Ireland, the HP Digital Imagination Challenge encourages children to explore the world of photography using either a digital or standard camera. Yvana’s winning image, taken on a recent holiday to Austria, captures the beauty and tranquility of the country’s scenery. Yvana’s achievement was rewarded with a HP digital camera, BMW Williams Formula 1 goodies and a HP Digital Imagination Certificate. “Clearly school children are motivated by the medium of photography given the fantastic response we’ve had to date for the HP Digital Imagination Challenge. The visual taken by Yvana deserved to be rewarded as it portrays just how striking nature can be”, said Imelda Cahill, Marketing Manager, Imaging and Printing Group, HP Ireland.
It’s not too late to enter the competition, as closing date is 30th April 2004. Children have to submit a photograph (standard or digital), which represents one of three themes - Friends, Holidays or Technology. The entrants also need to include a short written description of what the image means to them. HP will award up to €25,000 worth of digital cameras, printers and PCs as prizes in the HP Digital Imagination Challenge – enabling the winning schools, teachers and schoolchildren to further their exploration and use of digital imaging technology. Further information on the competition can be found on the dedicated website www.hpdigitalimagination.com. The website also offers practical advice for teachers, top photography tips and a Get Creative section plus lots more information on the competition.
The Spring issue of ‘Lough Eske News’ came through our letterbox last week and a tribute it is to the community spirit of residents in that area. Among topics covered: Disruption of the mains water supply causing ‘grave concern and hardship to all concerned’. But the writer has suspicions ‘There is much speculation as to the use of water in the locality. During the current disruption, water was drawn from the reservoir at a phenomenal rate. In one night around 10,000 gallons were taken from the scheme – in the opinion of the committee it is unlikely that one domestic consumer could use that amount’.
The ‘News’ also commented on the road improvements taking place around the lake. These are to widen the road and create some laybys. The work will concentrate on the stretch from Ard Na Mona picnic site to the crossroads.
The newsletter also claimed that there is great disquiet in the Lough Eske region at the way Coillte has left the area around the famine pot, picnic and parking area, after their orgy of tree felling over the last year. People can no longer walk the paths, even though the forestry company had promised that these would be maintained after this work was finished. One visitor to the area described the scene as akin to one from the First World War.
And finally the writer calls on people of the area to take part in the annual spring- clean over the weekend of April 16th – 18th. The official community clean-up is on Saturday 17th April at 12 noon – assembly point is the Lough Eske car park.
Mary says Donegal is first in line for decentralisation
Tommy Marron and Minister Coughlan photo: Jason McGarrigle
When North West Radio opened its studios on New Row in September 2002, CEO Paul Claffey made a speech in which he said that, with this new state of the art premises in place, both he and Tommy Marron would be using its facilities on a frequent basis, to air their high profile shows. Well, eighteen months later, one of them has finally lived up to this promise. On Monday of last week, taking his life in his hands, Tommy Marron ventured out to the sticks, to present his programme from Donegal Town. The reason - an interview with Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Mary Coughlan, during which our woman covered a wide range of topics, including widows pension, fuel allowances and fabric of family. Of local interest was her assertion, on the subject of decentralisation, that Donegal would be the first destination to which her department would move. We await with baited breath!
‘I will be running in Local Elections’
In an interview with Greg Hughes of North West Radio, Cllr Peter Kennedy confirmed his intention of running in next June’s local elections.
Greg: On a personal note a lot of discussion whether or not you are going to be running in the Council Election. Have your made a decision yet?
Cllr Kennedy: I will be running in the local elections. I have done a term in hospital and am back now with the ‘bit between my teeth’ and I am certainly not going to let it go. I will be fighting my corner when the 11th June arrives. With the help of God there will not be many doors in this part that I will not be knocking on - I might not be able to knock on all the doors but I certainly will be making contact with as many people as I possibly can.
Greg: You will be standing on your record so far for the town since you have been a County Councillor.
Cllr. Kennedy: Well I hope that people will take this in to consideration, there is a lot of work done and a lot more to be done and my ambition for this part of the country is that we will be able to create more jobs for our young people and bring more jobs into this part, not only Donegal Town, but the whole area surrounding Donegal.
Murder Accused has drink/driving charge adjourned
Murder accused Gary McCrea had drink and dangerous charges against him adjourned at Ballyshannon Court on Friday 2nd April.
McCrea (39) from Ballybulgan, Ballintra is out on bail on a charge of murdering his estranged wife, Dolores.
The alleged driving offences are not connected to the murder case and relate to August 5th last at Lisminton, Ballintra.
The case was adjourned by Judge John O’Donnell to May 7th at Ballyshannon Court.
McCrea was not in court for the hearing.
|
