Donegal Senator Padraig Mac Lochlainn has called on the Government to introduce a range of measures to support the Sexual Offences Act, 2017 which made the purchase of sex a criminal offence.

He was speaking after hosting a briefing for all members of the Oireachtas by a range of organisations including trade unions, children’s rights groups, immigrant support groups and domestic violence and rape support centres behind the campaign, Turn Off the Red Light (TORL).

The organisations present stressed the importance of the legislation and supports required to ensure its implementation.

Senator Mac Lochlainn said “The measures include, Enforcement Policies; Protection and Support for all victims of sexual exploitation, Monitoring and Evaluation and Public Awareness and Preventative Strategies to be part of an integrated national strategy to address both prostitution and trafficking for sexual exploitation.

“As women and young girls in prostitution and victims of trafficking are integrated into the commercial sex trade and are subjected to pimping, coercion and exploitation, an overall police and enforcement strategy is required, coordinated and aimed at the prosecution of pimps, procurers and brothel owners.”

“The measures being called for are aimed at disrupting the commercial sex industry, to reduce the levels of pimping and trafficking and sexual exploitation and very importantly to prevent the targeting, grooming and coercion of young girls and children to meet the demands of pimps and buyers”.

He said public awareness and preventative strategies should be central to government thinking and the campaigning organisations are calling for a national public awareness campaign on the effects of the Sexual Offences Act.

Research shows that:-

8% men in Ireland buy sex (2015 Red C poll)

1 in 15 men in Ireland report having paid for sex (Kelleher 2009)

The average buyer of sex is male, well-educated, with middle to high income and in a relationship at the time of the purchase of a sexual act.( Immigrant Council of Ireland)

Surveys of men highlight the greatest deterrent to buying sex is a criminal sanction and/or risk of public exposure.

As the state has adopted the position that prostitution is a form of violence against women the demand to have any girls or women made available to supply sexual acts for money should not regarded as legitimate or acceptable in Ireland.

To inform the impact of the legislation the state needs to resource collated and consistent data. Currently the Sexual Exploitation Research Project in UCD (SERP), is beginning to collate data working with relevant state agencies, survivor’s organisations and frontline services to progress research and data collation.

De-criminalisation is a core element of the Swedish/Nordic approach but the introduction of the laws on the purchase of sex must also be accompanied by a wide range of measures to ensure there are no negative consequences for prostituted and trafficked women. The right to protection, accommodation, legal advocacy and support for victims of trafficking have been enshrined in legislation and given that an overwhelming majority of women in prostitution are migrant women and that many may be undocumented, it is critical that all women have immediate access to accurate information and legal advice. Legal representation from specialised lawyers ensures that women obtain consistent information regarding their rights including the right to remain in the state.

“Organisation such as Ruhama, The Immigrant Council of Ireland, Doras Lumni, Stop Traffick, work with victims of trafficking. The Women’s Health Clinic is the State provider. All need to be resourced sufficiently in order to be able to provide early legal intervention, adequate supports and exit routes.

Taking on these measures in Ireland are necessary and have proven to be effective anti-trafficking and demand reduction measures”.

A gorse fire has broken out on the outskirts of Creeslough.

Members of the fire service are at the scene of the blaze which is two kilometres outside of Creeslough on the Letterkenny side.

It is not known how the fire started but firemen are working to bring it under control and stop it spreading.

The fire comes after three days of dry weather.

The fire service has issued a warning to the public not to discard cigarette butts or anything else that could cause a fire to start.

Waterford United manager Alan Reynolds is expecting a ‘battle’ from Finn Harps tonight at the RSC.

Winless Harps are seeking a first victory of the season, but manager Ollie Horgan has a number of injury concerns for the game.

Waterford, whose last game was a 2-0 win over St Patrick’s Athletic, will be missing Kenny Browne, while Bastien Hery is rated as 50-50.

However, Zack Elbouzedi, Aaron Drinan and Hugo Keto have all returned from international duty and will be in line for an appearance for the Blues.

“Friday offers us a different challenge and we know that Ollie Horgan always has his teams in great shape and ready for a battle; that’s what we’ll get and nothing less,” Reynolds said.

The Blues boss was thrilled with his side’s win over Pat’s.

He said: “We needed to pick up three points and we fully deserved the win. St Pat’s are a good side but we showed how that we’re a good side too and what we are capable of.

“We knew it would be a different game to some of the others we’d played already but we prepared properly and deservedly won the game. We created some great chances and Aaron finished took both goals really well.

“I’ve spoken previously about how we were getting punished for mistakes in matches and that last game showed the other side of that, we took advantage and punished St Pats for their errors, and that’s something we need to keep doing going forward.”

A rare event will take place in Letterkenny in May when the Minister with Responsibility for Defence Paul Kehoe will review the 114th Battalion.

Over 400 members of the defence forces led by Lieutenant Colonel Paul Kelly, who is originally from Letterkenny, will parade in Letterkenny on Friday 3rd May at 11am.

They will be assembling in the St Eunan’s College Football Field for inspection by the Minister. They will then march to the reviewing stage at Market Square and then on to the Community Centre.

It is expected that many families will come to Letterkenny on the Thursday evening to stay over to see the parade.

A spokesman for Letterkenny Chamber said “This will be a unique and special event in Letterkenny.”

A Carrigart drug-dealer who hid a stash of cocaine and cannabis in a vent in his kitchen has been jailed for nine months.

Robert Deehan appeared at Letterkenny District Court after Gardai raided his home at Church Road on November 2nd last.

After searching the house they found cocaine and cannabis worth €500 as well as €2,400 in cash in a vent.

Deehan’s solicitor. Mr Michael Shiel, said his client had a drugs problem but was not a big-time dealer.

He was trying to pay off a drug debt and was supplying drugs to some of his friends to come up with the cash.

Judge Paul Kelly noted that Deehan, a father-of-two, had undergone a previous Probation Report in September 2017 for drugs offences and he was said to be at moderate risk of reoffending.

He was also ordered to undergo counselling but this would not have appeared to have taken place.

Solicitor Shiel said his client had tried to get counselling but wasn’t called for it but would try again.

Judge Kelly said he would have some sympathy for Deehan but the discovery of such a large amount of cash suggested a larger scale operation than was being suggested.

He jailed Deehan for 12 months but reduced it to nine months because of the early plea in the case.

Mulroy Hoops are off to the All-Ireland basketball finals.

The young girls from all around Fanad, and Milford, Kerrykeel and Ramelton, will head for the finals on Sunday, March 31.

Mulroy will go to play against teams from Mayo, Midlands and LLR (Longford Leitrim Roscommon) and the next day they will play against teams from Clare or Northern Ireland.

Ten years ago Mulroy Hoops began to organize some basketball sessions.

Three years ago Mulroy Hoops began to compete in the North West Basketball league, starting in the Division 2 league.

Wins were hard to come by, weekend after weekend with long trips to Sligo or late evenings organizsng referees or table officials. Technology came with them (‘What would we do without the WhatsApp list?’ Fergal Coll, a coach, says.

“A lot of people are doing a lot of jobs, parents lifting and laying, water bottles left behind, kits being washed, U8s U10s U12s U14s U16s U19s, week after week, game after game, quarter after quarter.”

In the end it came down to a final against Sligo All Stars, a club with five times as many players, a club with professional coaches, with a Super League Team which plays in the top league in Ireland.

Mulroy Hoops U14 girls, having only lost twice all season, had to win one more time.

Sligo had stepped up their game, determined not to end their season and playing in their home gym came out strong, throwing everything at a last chance but the discipline and energy that coaches Fergal Coll and Bernie Gallagher had instilled in the Mulroy girls throughout the season came to the fore.

Mulroy’s dominance told, the hours, days and weeks of training showed and the girls that had to learn by losing now in the 2018-19 season had to get used to winning and one more time at the end of March will go to Dublin.

Whatever happens at the All Ireland Club Championships for Mulroy Hoops, going to the AICCs for the first time, this is a winning season.

Former Seanad nominee and Fine Gael member John McNulty has been added to a stacked local elections ticket for the Donegal Municipal District. 

Three days after the unveiling of Fine Gael candidates in the Radisson Hotel, Letterkenny last Monday night, McNulty’s addition will see the district tightly contested with an estimated 20 candidates seeking the public’s vote on the May 24.

The self-employed businessman, with premises in Carrick and Stranorlar, performed well in his first local elections outing in 2014, making a return determined to be a representative and voice for the people of South West Donegal.

The GAA enthusiast will run alongside Councillor John Boyle from Bruckless and newcomer Barry Sweeney from Ballyshannon, while Cllr Barry O’Neill will not contest re-election, leaving a vacancy for a potential Fine Gael candidate to fill.

The Cathaoirleach of the Stranorlar Municipal Authority, Cllr Patrick McGowan has said the St Josephs Hospital committee are not politically motivated.

Cllr McGowan said he wanted to make it perfectly clear that the St Josephs Hospital Committee is a totally inclusive committee made up of all opinions, political, religious and no one is excluded regardless of their personal beliefs.

He said “I want to make it perfectly clear this is not my Committee or a Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael or Sinn Fein Committee.

“The Save St Josephs Hospital Committee receives its mandate from the people of the area and it continues to serve that mandate.

“I will work along with the other six local representatives for the retention of long & short term beds in St Josephs.”

Last weekend more than 1,000 people marched on the Twin Towns calling for the development of the hospital.

On the morning of the march, the HSE again reiterated that they are committed to the future of the hospital.

Triple Donegal International Rally winner, Manus Kelly, is to launch his local election bid tonight.

The Glenswilly native has been officially added as a third candidate on the Fianna Fail ticket.

He joins sitting councillor, Ciaran Brogan, and retired principal teacher, Donal Coyle.

The Letterkenny-based businessman received the backing of outgoing FF councillor, James Pat McDaid, who is stepping down after his five-year term due to work commitments.

Confirming his decision to seek election in May, Mr Kelly said he was looking forward to the challenge.

“I feel the time is right for me now to make the step into the political arena. I’m really looking forward to the campaign and to working with my party colleagues who have been a great source of support to me,” he said.

Manus is having the official launch of his campaign this Friday night the 29th of March in the Station House Hotel in Letterkenny at 8pm.

“I am overwhelmed by the support I have received so far and I really look forward to Friday night and then getting on my canvass trail”

A Donegal woman has presented a kind donation to the North West Cancer Centre following her recovery from breast cancer.

Joanne Doherty from Moville received such outstanding care during her treatment at Altnagelvin Hospital that she was inspired to raise funds for the much-valued service.

Joanne was first diagnosed with cancer in 2016 and has thankfully come out the other side.

As she celebrated her 50th birthday this year, Joanne decided to do something different and have an online birthday fundraiser in lieu of gifts.

She also held a successful coffee morning in the Grencrow Hall in Moville in January 2019.

Joanne’s fundraisers have raised a fantastic £3,055 in support of the cross-border North West Cancer Centre. She and her family recently visited Altnagelvin to present the donation to the Western Health and Social Care Trust (Western Trust), which was gratefully received by staff members Tara McIntyre and Caroline McLaughlin.

Donegal fisherman Gerard Kelly has ended his “fast for fish” following the overwhelming success of the Sea Fisheries Amendment Bill 2017 in the Dáil on Thursday. 

The bill was passed by 71 votes in favour of it with eight against.

Following a three-day hunger strike in the capital, Kelly’s family pleaded with the mussel fisherman to end his strike to which he obliged to take up the fight in other avenues.

The bill allows for the reinstatement of a North-South fishing deal that existed between the 1960s and 2016. It allows vessels from Northern Ireland to fish in the Republic of Ireland waters and vice-versa.

Fishermen from Northern Ireland had been banned from fishing inside the Republic’s six-mile-limit.

But the Northern Ireland authorities did not retaliate and fishermen from the Republic continued to be allowed into Northern Ireland inshore waters.

Mr Kelly, 57, a father of five from Greencastle, Co Donegal, had said he had no objection to Northern vessels fishing in Irish waters, once there is equality and reciprocity.

However, the Supreme Court ruled in 2016 that a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ allowing for reciprocal fishing rights was not legal and that a bill was necessary.

The Burtonport Sewage Scheme has taken a step forward.

County councillor Marie Therese Gallagher said the compulsory purchase of lands is a major development for the scheme.

She said “Irish Water has today published a compulsory purchase order for lands required for the Burtonport Sewage Scheme. This scheme is an essential piece of infrastructure for the future development of Burtonport.

“Today’s announcement is a step forward for this scheme and I would call on Irish Water to engage positively with the Community in Burtonport through this process.”

“I will also be in contact with Donegal County Council to ensure that the proposed scheme allows connection for both Council housing estates in Burtonport “Áltan” and “An Choill” as tenants in both these estates have been left with waste water treatment system that do not function.”

“I have continuously raised the need for a sewage scheme for Burtonport over the years, and will continue to do so until this essential piece of infrastructure is delivered.”

Declan Bonner says he will sit down with Odhrán Mac Niallais next week in a bid to convince the Gaoth Dobhair ace to return to Donegal’s colours.

Mac Niallais indicated after Gaoth Dobhair’s All-Ireland semi-final loss to Corofin in February that he ‘needed a break’.

Mac Niallais has appeared for Gweedore Celtic in the Donegal League, but has made no commitment to Donegal for the Championship.

Gaoth Dobhair faced Corofin in Carrick-On-Shannon just three weeks after Gaoth Dobhair player Micheál Roarty was one of four young men to lose their lives in a road traffic accident in west Donegal.

At the time, Mac Niallais said he needed to have ‘a few weeks out’.

“I am nearly two years now on the go and it is non-stop,” he said at the time.

“I just need a break, especially after the last few weeks.

“It’s tough. I just need a bit of time out. There is a lot of pressure and I need to do a bit of relaxing.”

Bonner, speaking ahead of Saturday evening’s Division 2 final against Meath at Croke Park, indicated that he has already spoken to Mac Niallais about a return.

“We will sit down next week and chat with Odhrán again,” Bonner said. “It was always going to be the end of the League before any decision was made on that.

“We’ll concentrate on Saturday’s game first and next week we’ll start to make our plans for the Championship.”

Mac Niallais would be central to those plans if he were to return.

His Gaoth Dobhair colleagues Neil McGee and Daire Ó Baoill have already seen game time while Odhran McFadden-Ferry and Micheál Carroll are also back in training with the county squad.

Job Vacancy: The popular Station House Hotel in Letterkenny is recruiting for an experienced Front Office Manager to join their busy and successful team.

The Front Office Manager we are looking for will have a warm personality with a passion for delivering the highest level of customer services.

We are looking for a candidate who has the following:

• A strong working knowledge of the PMS system Roommaster preferred but not necessary
• At least 3 years previous experience working in a management role in a busy Hotel Front Office department
• Good command of Microsoft Office
• Exceptional customer service and guest relations skill
• Be a good leader with clear communication skills
• Be able to troubleshoot emergencies
• Excellent communication and organisational skills
• The ability to work on their own initiative
• Excellent interpersonal skills required.
• Drawing up weekly roster
• Seamlessly integrate Front Office operation with other departments
• Create day to day communication plans for all departments
• Be able to manage billing and invoicing for all our guests.

To apply for this role, please send a CV to shiloe@shlky.ie

Closing date for applications: Wednesday 3rd April 2019

There is further concern and anger in Lifford this afternoon following a double break-in at two local businesses overnight. 

Blush Beauty saloon and local Chinese restaurant Peking House are the latest premises to be targeted by thieves in the last several weeks.

Gardai say they are investigating the two incidents at the two retail premises in the Bridge Street area of Lifford.

The front window of each of the premises were smashed during in the early hours of Friday morning.

It follows four home daylight burglaries in Lifford and Manorcunningham earlier this month, where thieves caused significant damage as they forced their way into the homes through the back doors and trashed rooms.

Condemning the attacks on the local community, Sinn Féin Cllr Gary Doherty appealed for the attackers to think again before causing further disruption.

“There is a lot of anger in the community because along with these two break-ins last night there have been a number of house robberies in recent weeks,” he said.

“People are very frustrated and angry that this is happening in their community and the people of Lifford have a feeling that these are people within their own community who are carrying out these attacks.

“I would appeal to those people to think twice and think about the hurt that they are causing to their neighbours and the wider community in the town,” Doherty added.

“Regardless of their motive, people are feeling very unsafe in their own homes and businesses and that has to stop.”

Gardaí investigating are appealing for witnesses and anyone with information is asked to contact Lifford Garda Station on +353749141000

In this month’s column with Pascal Curran, financial advisor and founder of advicefirst.ie, we gain a jargon-free guide to understanding the process of planning for a mortgage:

At Advice First, as Mortgage Brokers we’ve done all of the research and know the market inside out, meaning that we can talk it through with you in simple terms, and let you know the best available option for you, unbiased, informed (and zero jargon!!)

Pascal’s tips for getting Mortgage Ready:

Are you ready to take a leap into home ownership (congratulations!) and unsure of the steps to take, and how to ready yourself for this journey? We’ll break some of it down to simplify the process, it’s good to do your homework so that you can be armed with knowledge before you’re bombarded with info (…and a sales pitch!) and luckily, we’ve done this homework for you, and can help you in a personalised way when you call in to us.

Income:
Lenders looking closely at your basic income; make sure you have three months payslips at the ready, last year’s P60 and a salary cert completed by your employer (you can obtain a salary cert from your Mortgage Broker or lender).

Permanency:
To obtain a mortgage you must have completed your probationary period and you should have at least six months (but preferably twelve months) in continuous employment. Lenders want to see consistency and long-term ability to repay.

Costs:
Having saved for this beforehand, is sensible. For example, do you have enough money set aside for the deposit, valuation and legal fees, and for furnishing the property? You will be required to have lender evidence on paper – e.g. bank statements and gift confirmation (if any) of this deposit prior to the loan offer being issued.

Please note: You should also consider the additional costs incurred in taking a mortgage, including the cost of the valuation and the cost of the solicitor. Shop around and find out what the average cost will be, you should never instruct a valuation or solicitor until you get advice from your Mortgage Broker.

Savings:
Lenders will require evidence of savings. Not only is this showing that you can live within your means, it also demonstrates good financial planning and an ability to make repayments.

Paperwork:
When you go to your Broker or lender you should bring the following bits and pieces:

• 3 months’ recent payslips (some lenders require less)
• 6 months’ bank account statements (for all bank accounts)
• 6 months’ saving bank account/Credit Union statements
• 12 months’ loan account statements, for all existing loans including existing mortgages
• Recent P60

Keep an eye on:
Check that you have not had any unpaid direct debits or standing orders on your statements (these are sometimes denoted by referral fees). If there are unpaid direct debits or standing orders, check why this occurred and explain this to your Mortgage Broker/Lender. Doing this can save a lot of time later in the process.

Ability to repay:
Can you show ability to repay i.e. paying rent? You can demonstrate an ability to repay by showing a strong savings history and strong payment history, i.e. ability to pay a specified rent each month. It is important that the rent and savings transactions can be seen on your bank account statements. Loans which have recently been paid off are also useful to show ability to repay.

Deep in the O/D:
Do you live within your means, avoiding overdrafts? If you have an overdraft, check your six months bank statements and ensure you are not continually falling into the overdraft. If you do not have an overdraft, ensure that you have never overspent and initiated an unauthorised overdraft.

Check also that you have not been “living from one pay cheque to another”. If this is the case, very strong savings records may help.

Credit history:
Don’t forget – if you are unsure about your credit history or if you missed payments in the past, log on to www.icb.ie and pay a small fee to get your credit report sent directly to you. You should show this to your Financial Broker/lender when applying for a loan.

In this column each month Pascal will provide financial advice on the most frequently asked topics – here on Donegal Daily and is looking forward to further breaking down the barriers around financial advice in his renowned experienced and jargon-free way!

If you would like to book a no obligations consultation with Pascal, click here to visit advicefirst.ie or simply call +353 74 910 39 38 to talk to us today.

Follow us on Facebook & Instagram  

Advice First Financial Services Ltd trading as Advice First Financial is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

Catch up on Pascal’s first Financial Advice column here:

Meet Pascal Curran – Donegal Daily’s new financial advice columnist!

Mums working at Kelly’s Centra and Diner in Letterkenny have received a special gift this week ahead of Mother’s Day 2019.

The eleven hard-working mammies in the team were each presented with a lovely bottle of wine and chocolates this week as a special thank you from owner Mairtin Kelly.

He said: “When I look at my wife Angie and see the work she does it opened my eyes to those around me. We have many working mothers employed with us in Kelly’s Centra and Diner and they deserved to be rewarded.”

Kelly’s Mountain Top owner with some of the working mums who received gifts this week.

Mairtin continued: “We aim to be very flexible with our rosters to ensure all our staff, especially parents have the right work-life balance and don’t miss out on the quality family time. I myself know how important this is as dad of three.”

“I spoke to some of my staff who are mothers and this is what one had to say: ‘As a working mum I better manage my time with family, my children are independent, and work in Kelly’s is more a release than a job’.”

Mother’s Day, Kelly’s Centra have hampers and treats galore to spoil all the women making the world go round. And from 12noon-3pm, Kelly’s Diner has a Sunday lunch menu special where mums eat free!

After much research, management at Kelly’s determined that wine and choccies were the perfect Mother’s Day treat and you can grab great offers on wine, sweets, flowers and more at Kelly’s today, just in time for Sunday 31st March.

Neil McGee is set to break the record for all-time appearances by a Donegal footballer tomorrow evening at Croke Park.

Donegal’s Allianz League Division 2 final against Meath is set to represent McGee’s 174^th time to play for the county.

McGee equaled Colm McFadden’s record of 173 when he replaced Brendan McCole for the last 13 minutes of the win over Kildare in Ballyshannon on Sunday.

Now, the Gaoth Dobhair full-back – whose 66 Senior Football Championship appearances is already a record – will go to the top of the list with his next game.

McGee first played for Donegal in the 2005 Dr McKenna Cup. A three-time All-Star, McGee won the All-Ireland in 2012 and has also won four Ulster SFC titles.

Declan Bonner, the Donegal manager, has hailed the impact of Donegal’s All-Ireland winners.

Last Sunday, McGee, Paddy McGrath, Leo McLoone, Michael Murphy and Frank McGlynn all played against Kildare. Patrick McBrearty is closing in on a return from injury while Paul Durcan’s recent recall has also added a significant lift.

“It’s the attitude of them and what they contribute on the training ground,” Bonner said.

“The last four or five weeks, there has been a surge in the quality and the intensity of training. That’s been brought by those guys.

“That is so important for us. It’s great for the young lads to see that and to train alongside that. It’s a building process and we are moving in the right direction.”

Bonner mentioned how Oisin Gallen, for instance, was ‘just a 10 or 11-year-old boy’ when Donegal won the All-Ireland seven years ago.

Bonner said: “Every one of those guys are leaders – and the rest of the players look up to them.

“It’s great to have them on the pitch. We didn’t panic with them around and we chipped away at scores, especially in the second half against Cork.”

Although the likes of Mark McHugh and Anthony Thompson have stepped off the carousel in recent months, Bonner insists that those who remain from the Jim McGuinness golden era are as driven as ever.

He said: “They want to be there and they don’t just want to be there to make up numbers. They want to be in the first 15. They want to be winning. That drives everyone else on within the group. They set the standards.”

Neil McGee – By Fr Seán 

Ronan Curtis insists he is ‘good to go’ for Portsmouth’s Checkatrade Trophy final against Sunderland on Sunday at Wembley.

The St Johnston man has missed the last couple of weeks – including the Republic of Ireland’s Euro 2020 qualifiers against Gibraltar and Georgia – after suffering a freak injury.

A door slammed on Curtis’ hand as he was heading out to Portsmouth’s game against Walsall.

Curtis – who has had a superb season for Pompey since moving from Derry City in the summer – required surgery to save a finger, but is poised to make his return and a first Wembley appearance this weekend.

“I couldn’t train for the first two weeks in case of infection from sweat and that might have meant I’d have lost it,” Curtis said.

“But now the wound has closed up and the stitches have healed, so I’m good to go.

“Words can’t describe how sore it felt. I thought I’d be out for a long time. It was a really bad injury. You just don’t really know how sore it can be until it happens to yourself.

“I managed to get three fingers out of the way, but that one stayed in and the door chopped it off. The doctor said four-to-six weeks, but the surgeons have done a good job, stitched it up and saved the finger.”

Curtis admits that he was disappointed to miss out on the international games – the first for this Irish group under McCarthy, who spoke in glowing terms about Curtis, whom he watched score against Charlton at The Valley.

Curtis said: “This is the first time I’ve been injured all season. I was freaking out I’d be out for a long time.

“I missed the two internationals against Gibraltar and Georgia, but I’m back at the club and focusing on the games ahead. Mick McCarthy’s been great and we’ve spoken on a couple of occasions.”

The North West Special Olympics club is calling for volunteers in the community to share a little bit of their time this Friday in support of their National Collection Day.

The Special Olympics Annual Collection Day on Friday 5th April is the biggest fundraising day of the year and it could not happen without the support of the hundreds of volunteers who take to the streets across the country.

The hard work of the North West Special Olympics Club was exemplified this month when athletes achieved major success at the Abu Dhabi World Games.

And you can help the volunteers and athletes continue their outstanding work by offering some time to do a bucket collection at various locations in Letterkenny.

Collections will be conducted on Friday 5th April between 10am – 6pm or later at some locations. By volunteering to help shake a bucket on Collection Day you are helping to support future champions. To sign up, simply call local collection coordinator Diabhann on 087 412 0765