Happy St Patrick's Day
to all our readers!!!

Three glamorous Hawaiian girls dance their way around the Diamond as part
of the magnificent sub-aqua club float: PHOTO: JASON MCGARRIGLE

Begleys newly refurbished premises oficially opened

Town Mayor, Ciaran Twomey, cuts the ribbon of the newly refurbished Begleys Pharmacy on the Diamond at its official opening on Saturday. Pictured with Ciaran are proprieters John and Madeline Begley and staff and family. Back: Andrew, Adeline, Rozanne, Madeline, Ciaran, John, Ruth, Louise, Jennifer. Front: Aoife, Bernie, Onagh, Edward. Photo: Jason McGarrigle

Holiday Times

A longer wait than usual for the next issue of your favourite paper. Because of the way Wednesdays fall, the 14th April is three weeks away – and so is your Times. Our office will be closed from Good Friday 25th March till Monday 5th April. Any materials for the paper during that period can be left in the Craft Shop underneath or put through the letterbox. We can be contacted on 9722860, Fax 9722937 or email – mail@donegaltimes.com

Hospice presentation

Bridie Mullin, Donegal Hospice, receives a cheque from Bernie Breslin who ran the Dublin City Marathon for charity. Pictured with Patrick Seamus Hegarty and Deirdre Hegarty. Photo: Jason McGarrigle

Inver Notes

Inver Community Drama are busy rehearsing for their latest production which will take place from Friday 15th to Monday 18th of April.
Happy birthdays to the following who are celebrating this month Olivia McDevitt, Lorna Doherty, Anthony Mulhern and a happy 30th to Jason McHugh. A special happy birthday to my work colleague Roisin McBrearty. Also a happy birthday to Bernadine Gallagher/McCole on celebrating the big 40 in the USA recently.
Congratulations to Eilish McBrearty, Mullinbuoys, and Morgan Tivnan, Co. Wicklow on getting married recently.
Congratulations to Martin Keeney and Aoife Hanna, and Rhonda Parkes and Stuart Griffith on their recent engagements.
Well done to St Nauls Under 16s on another fine win over Ardara last Sunday. The final score read St Nauls 5-14 Ardara 1-2.
Well done to the Eany Celtic Under 14s who recorded to more wins in their league campaign to extend their unbeaten run. They beat neighbours Donegal Town 3-0 last week and this weekend they beat Erne Wanders 6-1.
I would also like to wish everybody out there a Happy Easter.
Sean Paul McHugh

Art Exhibition in Desk and Easel

Noelle Craig, Johnny McCabe and wife Lisa Craig with Joe Craig, pictured at the launch of Johnny’s exhibition in the Desk and Easel. It runs for two weeks from Saturday 19th March. They are pictured here beside a fine study of Joe enjoying a pint of Harp. Photo: Jason McGarrigle

Donegal man was among founders of Sinn Fein Special weekend planned to commemorate role of Mountcharles man

A Donegal man was at the heart of the founding of Sinn Fein 100 years ago.

Despite the controversy surrounding Sinn Fein’s efforts to seek cross-party support to commemorate the foundation of the party, the memory of Seamus MacManus from Mountcharles will live on.
The centenary will be marked by a weekend of social, cultural and historical events centred in Mountcharles.
MacManus was born in the village on 31st December 1868. He came from rebel stock and remained a rebel all his life.
Seamus became a teacher in the local Glencoagh School, and by 1898, his nationalist activities and teaching of Irish history drew the attention of the Department of Education.
He started the Gaelic League in the county and a branch existed in Mountcharles until to the 1940s. He was also the organiser of the first County Board meeting of the GAA in 1905, the same year he helped to establish Sinn Fein. It was a busy year for him as he also financed the formation of a Republican flute band in Mountcharles which existed up until the Treaty. A plaque was erected at the house in the Main Street to commemorate the first meeting of the GAA.
Seamus’ involvement in the mass Irish Ireland movement of the early part of the century was typical of the rising patriotism of the period and the intense and dedicated involvement of many prominent nationalists of the times – Arthur Griffith, the Pearse Brothers, Thomas Ban Concannon, Maud Gonne McBride, Mary McBride, Mary McSweeney (sister of Terence), the Countess Markievz, Brian O’Higgins, George Russell, Douglas Hyde, Alice Milligan, Ethna Carberry and many others.
In 1901 Seamus married Anna Johnston, better known as Ethna Carberry, the poetess from Ballymena. Sadly, Ethna died the following year in Revlin House, near Donegal Town, and was buried in Frosses. She was a daughter of the Fenian, Robert Johnston.

Married Venezuelan
In 1911 Seamus married Catalina Violante Paex, a grand-daughter of a former President of Venezuela. The couple had two daughters, both of whom are still living in America.
Seamus was a prolific writer and in 1917 he wrote ‘Ireland’s Case’, dedicating it to the Fenian John Devoy. His ‘Story of the Irish Race’ was published in 1938. He also wrote many novels, poems and books on Irish folklore. He was well known in the US and lectured extensively in Colleges and Universities all over the States.
In the 1950s Seamus was billed to be the main speaker at the unveiling of a Memorial to the men who had killed Lord Leitrim in Fanad. However, when he heard that he would be sharing a platform with another speaker, the Stormont MP, Eddie Mc Ateer, he refused to attend on the grounds that McAteer had taken the oath of loyalty to the British Monarch.
Mc Manus remained healthy and active until a tragic fall at age 92. He died in New York in October 1960. His remains were brought home to Donegal in the summer of 1961 for a Sinn Fein funeral which was attended by people from all over Ireland. The hearse was met at the foot of the Glen of Mountcharles by a Sinn Fein Guard of Honour. The tricolour was placed on the coffin by his close friend, Eamonn Monaghan.
The funeral proceeded slowly through Mountcharles which was thronged with mourners before stopping at the Corner Pump. This was the spot from which Seamus used to entertain the children and people with his folk tales.
The Rosary was recited in Irish at the Pump by Sinn Fein member Sean Ohlghine of Glencolmcille. The cortege continued on to the graveyard in Frosses where he was interred in the MacManus plot. The oration was given by Eamon Monaghan of Mountcharles.
No date has been set for the Mountcharles weekend, although a website is being prepared to coincide with it.
During a county council debate on the commemorations in Lifford recently. Cllr Thomas Pringle highlighted the role played by MacManus - but even the presence of a Donegal man at the heart of such an historic moment failed to move his colleagues. The motion calling for cross-party support was roundly defeated. What would MacManus have thought?

Happy Birthday, Jean

Happy 50th birthday to Jean Brogan (seated middle) who celebrated with a party in Dom’s Pier 1 last weekend. Pictured toasting Jean with some bubbly are her sisters, Mary Espey, Angela Bonar and Bernadette McGlynn. Photo: Jason McGarrigle

Donegal Electoral area meeting

At a meeting of the Donegal Electoral Area committee held on Monday 14th March, the minutes of the previous meeting of 7th February were circulated. Among matters listed:
•Cllr Kennedy informed the meeting of problems occurring regarding the transfer of a site to the Cancer Support Unit at St Joseph’s Ave, Donegal Town. This land, which was given to the group by the council, was not registered in the council’s ownership. Members requested that a letter be given to the group confirming that the council was making no claim on the land in order that the group could register it in its own name.
•From a report circulated by Mr Peadar Thomas, Area Manager, Roads and Transportation, members noted that Restoration Improvement Schemes 2005, to the value of €2.1 million, were scheduled for the Donegal Electoral Area. This was a 5% increase on last year.
•Mr Thomas sought members agreement to taking over the road at a private housing estate in Mountcharles as requested by Mr Eamon Monaghan. On the proposal of Cllr Peter Kennedy, seconded by Cllr Byrne, members agreed to take over the road.
•Peadar Thomas advised members of a letter he had received from Donegal Town Community Chamber seeking a contribution towards the cost of Christmas lights in Donegal Town. He suggested it would be a good idea to contribute and suggested a matching contribution up to a maximum of €10,000, funded from pay and display. On the proposal of Cllr Peter Kennedy, seconded by Cllr Barry O’Neill, it was agreed an amount of up to €10,000 be given towards the Christmas lights in town.
•Cllr Kennedy again expressed his annoyance at the damage to roads in Lough Eske and Orbeg caused by lorry loads of timber. Mr Thomas advised that some monies had been received from Coillte and that perhaps some of this funding could be used to address members concerns.
•Cllrs Boyle and Pringle expressed concern at damage caused by flooding at the Dummy’s Bridge. Mr Thomas undertook to have a look at it.
•In response to a request for the erection of directional signs for Leghowney, Mr Peader Thomas undertook to have signs in place as soon as possible.
•Members noted that design/specification work had commenced on the Laghey to Ballintra Road. It is anticipated that the works would go for tender towards the end of March. The estimated cost of the project is €1 million.
•In response to a query from Cllr Boyle regarding an update on the Mountcharles to Killybegs Road, Mr Rodney Irwin, National Roads Design Office, advised members that it would be a few weeks before the route selection report was completed, following which the report would be issued to members. Mr Irwin confirmed that it was unlikely that any significant improvements could be carried out to the road at the top of Mountcharles in the short term. He did advise however that an allocation would be available in 2005 for works beyond the Frosses junction.
•Ms. Eileen Burgess, County Librarian and divisional Manager Cultural Services, advised members that Donegal Town library was first priority on the Council’s list for new library buildings. Stage one approval was still awaited, and until such time as this approval was received, no further decisions regarding the library could be made

Allied Irish Bank Donegal host PPAI Exhibition

Some of the most innovative and imaginative press photographs from the past year made up the prestigious AIB PPAI exhibition, which opened at AIB Donega1 on Tuesday 8th March. The AIB Press Photographers Association of Ireland Awards acknowledge and reward quality and excellence in the dynamic and fast-paced world of Irish press photography.
AIB Donegal was the second venue in the exhibition’s year long tour of Ireland, having hosted the display from 7th-17th March. To ccmmemorate the high standard of skill and talent among the 114 exhibition photographs, AIB Donegal Branch Manager, Barry Naughton, held an official opening reception in the branch on Tuesday 8th March 2005.
The exceptional talent of Donegal’s press photographers was recognised at this year’s awards by featuring Declan Doherty, Donegal News. He was selected from almost 1,700 entries to showcase two of his photos in the politics section of the exhibition, ‘Marian’s Delight’ and ‘Island Democracy’. The AIB PPAI Press Photographer of the Year 2004 is Alan Betson of The Irish Times. His award-winning photos include ‘Sandwiched’ and ‘On the Record Minister’.
The AIB PPAI Exhibition encapsulates the trials and tribulations of everyday life, both at home and abroad, and affords the opportunity to showcase award-winning photography to the general public. This year, AIB plan to bring the exhibition to a wide domestic and international audience and it will travel to various venues throughout the country as well as overseas.

Pictured: AIB Manager, Barry Naughton, and Assistant Manager, Enda Mulligan with Letterkenny photographer, Declan Doherty (centre) who had two photos on display on the exhibition Photo: Jason McGarrigle