FAMOUS FACES ADD NAMES TO PETITION IN SUPPORT OF PROPOSED DUNNES STORES
The petition which was submitted by Bennett Construction Limited to An Bord Pleanala in support of the proposed Dunnes Stores Development at the Mullans/Drumcliff includes the names of Thiery Henry (Ardaghey & Arsenal FC); Sol Campbell (Mountcharles and Arsenal FC); Wayne Rooney; (Manchester United and England); Ruud Van Nistelrooy (Manchester United and Holland); Homer Simpson (Springfield); Will Smith (Beverely Hills); and Daffy Duck (Disney Land).
Councillor Jonathon Kennedy may have come under intense criticism in recent times for failing to respond to any of the points raised in a letter from Danny Keeney of Keeney Construction Limited at the public meeting on the 29th March 2006. However, one must be impressed at his ingenunity in amassing such an impressive list of signatures to his petition. Quite how Mr Van Nistelrooy signed the petition in the Abbey Hotel on that memorable night in March is another question that Councillor Kennedy could add to his list as our reporter in Manchester has reliably informed us that he was involved in a Premiership Match against West Ham that evening in which he scored the only goal in a drab encounter!!

BREAST CANCER SURGEON FOR LETTERKENNY
Donegal Fianna Fáil TDs have confirmed the decision of the Health Service Executive to appoint a consultant breast cancer surgeon to Letterkenny General Hospital on a permanent basis. The surgeon will form part of the breast cancer team centred at Galway Regional Hospital for quality assessment and critical mass purposes.
Welcoming the announcement, Minister Coughlan, Minister of State Gallagher, Deputy McDaid and Deputy Keaveney said: “This is an important and welcome decision by the HSE. The appointment of a permanent breast cancer surgeon at Letterkenny General Hospital is something that we have been working hard to achieve over the past number of months. We are confident that the decision should address the concerns of the Donegal Action for Cancer Care Group, which have been campaigning vigorously and highlighting the necessity of the appointment. The surgeon’s membership of the cancer team, centred in Galway, also ensures that the highest possible standard and quality of cancer care will be provided to patients in the county.
“We are grateful for the role played by both the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, and the Tánaiste and Minister for Health, Mary Harney, with whom we have had many meetings on the issue at which both have been receptive to our point of view. The issues of access to, and quality of, care have been at the centre of this debate and we are confident that today’s decision by the HSE is the best outcome for the future of breast cancer services in County Donegal.”

One Sneeze Leads to €898,500 Spending
By Paul O’Sullivan

Who would have thought one sneeze would lead to this? A small congregation spending nearly €900,000 and two-thirds of that collected in just four years. And there are supposed to falling church attendances!
It was the winter of 2000 and Fr Paddy Dunne, the then curate of Mountcharles, was living in the Parochial House. You could smell the awful musty damp, and you could see the discolouration on the walls. The roof was leaking too, the water trickling into the electrics, blowing fuses like fireworks. “It was like Halloween here some nights”, Fr Paddy said this week from Letterkenny where he is now based in St Eunan’s College.
The sneezing went on, and then the flu. One flu too many. Clearly the house was a health hazard.
Experts Called In
The experts were called in and the prognosis was not good, major surgery was required. The Parochial House would either have to be sold or re-furbished. Fr Paddy (now recovered) decided to ask the people what they wanted and, in a democratic election, a large majority decided to refurbish to a habitable and proper standard befitting an historical house of this stature. (which was originally a gift to the parish)
Wheels in Motion
Two committees were set up comprising of local parishioners, one a Building Committee, the other a Finance Committee. And so began a long journey that lasted four years and would see a small parish spending €898,500 as follows: €233,000 on the Parochial House and the remaining €665,500 on renovating and extending the Church.
However, Fr Paddy was no sooner into the new house than he was called back to Letterkenny. Fr Martin Collum was his ideal replacement a man who, in his own quiet way, kept things moving along.
In Nov. 2005 Bishop Philip Boyce attended the Rededication of the Church of the Sacred Heart, 109 years after another Bishop (O’Donnell) opened the original in Easter 1897.
Original Roof Slates
Go On Sale
There is still a shortfall of €327,500 to be collected and one of the novel ideas to raise a portion of this is to sell some of the original roof slates as keepsakes. A limited supply of just two hundred of the Bangor Blues have gone on sale. Money from this fundraising idea will go to offset the remaining debt. The slates are 109 years old and come in a beautiful presentation box with a numbered Certificate of Authenticity signed by Fr Martin Collum CC. The slate itself is etched with an outline of the church with a prayer printed around the four corners, and is priced at only €120.
A spokesperson for the Finance Committee said “Brendan Malone came up with the idea, they went on display last weekend and already we have taken a substantial amount of orders”.
Fr Martin added “they would make a great gift, something of real worth and lasting value”. The designers were Fionntan Gogarty and Niall Bruton, assisted by McMonagle Stone.
Remarkable Achievement “This is a remarkable achievement for such a small congregation”, Fr Martin said at masses last weekend, as the final cost of the project was presented to the public. In a era of widely reported overruns, he went on to say that “the cost of the church came in at 150,000 euro under budget which is a credit to Eamonn Friel, the contractor and the Building and Finance committees”.
The church is particularly pleased to get a tax rebate of €34,000 through a charity related scheme which involved the co-operation of PAYE paying parishioners.
The treasurer of the Building Fund committee, John J. Harvey said “a further €50,000 rebate is in the pipeline over the next three years”.

Architect Tribute
Fr Martin also paid tribute to the architect Tom Mullarkey who was a renowned expert in church buildings. Tom was diagnosed with cancer and, knowing this could be his last project, it became a labour of love for him. Fortunately he saw the fruits of his work completed but sadly died a few weeks before the Rededication Ceremony in Nov 2005.
Because of the limited supply, the slates will inevitably become a collectors item so you are advised to order now. There are three ways of doing this: Contact Fr Martin at 074 9735009, or any of the finance committee, or text the word SLATE with your name, tel. no and address to 086 1030989.