Openings, closings and
something in between

Home on holidays at the moment are Ann McGroarty (Ballymachill) and her son Christopher, who celebrated his 18th birthday recently. Danny Boyle is in Meenagran with Peter and Anna Maria; Sean and Ann Boyle, along with aunty Peggy and family, are out in their new holiday home in Ballyweel. Another visitor to Frosses at the week-end was Rheanna Monique Hazeldine, who is representing Melbourne in the Mary from Dungloe festival.
Congratulations to John and Kathleen Kelly who celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary last Friday evening. How time flies!
Vincent McCrea’s Captain’s day of the Frosses Golf Society takes place on Wednesday 4th August in Bundoran Golf Club, with the tee booked at 4 p.m.
Colm Bernard Kelly and Barry Rose took part in the recent Foyle Cup Youth Football competition in Derry, representing the Institute club. Also taking part were young players from the area, representing Donegal South West and the County Donegal Youth Soccer team. Well done to them all.
Patsy was the laziest boy in the class. Only yesterday the children were asked to produce an account of a cricket match. All the other children spent half an hour writing, while Patsy took 30 seconds. When the teacher saw it later she read, “Rain stopped play”.
Pictured are two cousins who made their 1st Holy Communion recently: Michael McGarrigle, Glasbolie, Ballintra, and Claire McGroary, Driminardagh

The winner of the Drimarone Development Association’s weekly draw for the past two weeks was Declan McGroary, Selacais. Well done Declan and congratulations on your recent marriage to Nollag. We wish you both a long and happy life together.
A supper dance will be held in the Bluestack Centre on Friday 30th July in aid of Letterbarrow Celtic. Music is by Aidan Rooney. Tickets are €10 and are available from any club member or the Bluestack Centre. A good night’s craic and entertainment is guaranteed.
‘The Emigrants’ Dance’ will be held in the Bluestack Centre on Sunday night August 1st. Music by Vincie Carr and Ann McGroary. Other dancing dates at the Bluestack Centre are Thursday, August 5th, Larry and Co; Thursday, August 12th, Country Sensations; and Thursday, August 19th, Country Cousins.
The Blessing of the Graves takes place in Drimarone on Sunday August 1st at 3pm.
A summer camp for children will be held in the Bluestack Centre starting on the 26th July and running for two weeks. For booking please contact Heather Cassidy (manager of the Bluestack Centre) at 9735564.
Our deepest sympathy to Danny McNaughton on the death of his mother. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h-anam dhílis.
Mass was celebrated by Fr. Martin Collum, assisted by Fr. John McLoone for the late Cormac McAnallen in the Church of the Holy Redeemer Drimarone last Friday evening. Afterwards, a function was held in the Bluestack Centre at which the Sam Maguire Cup was present. Our thanks to the Tyrone County Board, and Manager Micky Harte for making this possible and for the patience they showed for photographic sessions and the time they spent chatting with the crowd. (see photos on page 23)
Cormac McAnallen had always planned to bring the Sam to Letterbarrow, the home place of his grandfather Charlie O’Neill, but unfortunately due to his untimely death, Cormac never got to fulfil his wish. But thanks to his parents Brendan and Brigid, grandfather Charlie and the O’Neill family, ‘Sam Maguire’ still made the journey from Tyrone to Letterbarrow. Cormac McAnallen was a role model, both on and off the field, and he will always hold a very special place in the hearts of the Letterbarrow people.
A presentation was also made to Bridie O’Neill on the same night on behalf of the Bluestack Centre Committee on her retirement from Letterbarrow Post Office and shop.
Congratulations to Mary Dunlevy, Selacais, who celebrated her birthday last week. Mary, I hope you had a good one! Bríd Curristin

The Sound of Music

One of the biggest projects ever undertaken in Inver, the staging of the musical The Sound of Music is presently being rehearsed with a cast of over sixty adults, children and musicians.
The magnificent stage built by Martin Rose (Jacko) and his crew over the last three weeks is an indication of a first-class show, which opens at the end of August.
The lead role of Maria is being played by Deirdre Doherty, from Meenanary but with Inver connections. Kay McAleevy is directing, and Tina and Paul Coughlan are the musical directors. But Anne Harvey has the biggest task of all: assembling up to 200 costumes for the various scenes.

Pictured: Breege McCreedy, Claire Burke, Marie Burke, Karen Mulreany, Marian McGinley, Shauna Craig and Ann Marie McGroarty sing as Tina Coughlan plays the piano at rehearsals of The Sound of Music

Minister presents €50,000 for Playground

Brian Lenihan, Minister for State at the Department of Health, with responsibility for Children, last Friday presented a cheque for €50,000 to Donegal Town Community Chamber Playground sub-committee.
Mary Coughlan, Minister for Social and Family Affairs, welcomed the funding. “I am delighted that I was able to support the development of this vital facility. It will be a terrific resource for the community, families and especially the children,” said Minister Coughlan. “I’d like to credit the work of the organising committee who pioneered this playground in Donegal Town” said Minister Coughlan.
Under the scheme, administered by the National Children’s Office in the Department of Health and Children, each County and City Council was invited to submit one proposal, for matching funding of up to 50%, for the development or refurbishment of a playground. Donegal County Council submitted a proposal in respect of the playground in Donegal Town.

Public show big interest in town plan

There was great interest in the ‘Drop-in Event’ organised in the Donegal Town Public Services Centre last Monday week at which the public could call in to discuss the Draft Donegal Town Local Area Plan. Catherine Crawford, Assistant Planner, said that up to 50 people turned up on the night. “Most were looking for advice on the lay-out of their submissions, asking the consequences of different zonings in their area, and seeking clarification of the map - but overall nothing too scary,” Catherine commented.

Local Theft

Robberies the weekend before last saw two tills taken from the Texaco service station on the Killybegs Road. Luckily the cash registers contained only nominal floats. Gardaí told Donegal Times that the three raiders involved had been caught on security video and that the whole operation took less than two minutes. Gardaí are satisfied that the culprits are not local and would appreciate if anyone with information would contact the barracks on 074 9721021.

‘Environment better but

atmosphere worse’ – Kelly

A Co. Leitrim pub is facing prosecution for a breach of the smoking ban. Environmental health officers in the north-west refused to make any comment on the case. A spokeswoman did point out that there had been 98 per cent compliance since the ban was introduced on March 29th.
While 14 breaches have been detected, these have been ‘minor’. Written warnings have been issued in a number of cases where butts were discovered in toilets or lobby areas.
A local member of the Vintners’ Federation of Ireland’s national executive said he felt there was a ‘cat and mouse’ situation being played out between publicans and the authorities. Donegal publican, Mr Colm Kelly, said that until offenders were taken to court, people would be wondering what type of penalties were likely to be imposed.
Mr Kelly said he believed publicans would be willing to support a constitutional challenge to the ban. “What happened in Fibber Magees is an indication of the frustration out there on the part of customers as well as publicans. Look at the crowds who travelled to support that pub.”
Mr Kelly, who is based in Frosses near Donegal Town, said many publications in the region were reporting a 20 per cent fall in business, mainly because of a drop in trade from Northern Ireland. “A lot of these people who have mobile homes and holiday homes in Co. Donegal are not coming on day trips now because of the ban.”
He said all publicans were concerned about their customers. “Anyone who owns a dog takes the animal inside when it’s raining, but now we have to put our customers out.”
A non-smoker himself, Mr Kelly agreed he now worked in a healthier environment, “but if the environment is better, the atmosphere is a lot worse because the customers are not happy”.
He did not accept there had been a surge in business because of non-smokers’ enjoyment of a cleaner environment. “I have yet to meet one of the decent people Bertie Ahern said would be returning to the pubs when the ban was introduced.”
Mr Kelly said most publicans were worried about what would happen in winter. “It’s already worrying for the premises in larger towns where people are gathering on the streets. Given that more women are smoking, you have to worry about them being vulnerable when they go out for a cigarette.”