Letterkenny rider Dylan Browne McMonagle had to settle for a double at Loughrea over the weekend in a very competitive bumper race card on an overcast but pleasant afternoon. 

Dylan got his first win on board Unhinged as he took the 143cm in effortless fashion and then had to wait until the concluding race of a 11 race programme to double up on Murphys Stroke 2 in the two-mile open, winning with plenty in the locker.

County Antrim rider Sam Ewing had a good day at the office as he drove Waratah to victory in the 148cm in an epic finish and soon doubled up when he guided Omega to score in the first divide of the open mile.

Daniel King is building up a good partnership with the Kyle Browne-McGuigan stable when he was seen to good effect getting Louis Vuitton home by the slenderest of margins in the 153cm but had a much easier time winning on Who Knows in the second divide of the Open mile.

Galway rider Danny Gilligan kept up his bragging rights when coasting to victory on the diminutive Little Mainne in the 138cm but he had to get pretty animated when driving home Try Your best in the ten furlong open.

Co Meath jockey Rory Mulligan is a young rider going the right direction as he got his second win of the season on the pint sized Where It Began in the 128cm.

Limerick man Philip Byrnes was seen at his most powerful as he got a renew run out of The Whistle Blower in the 12 furlong Open to just touch of Churchall in what was a very exciting finish denying Daniel King a Treble.

Racing resumes in Carrickadawson on June 9th at 2.30pm, weather permitting. 

Two women were caught during a burglary at a home in Carndonagh last weekend.

The women were apprehended after smashing their way into a home in Clos Padraig and ransacking the upstairs and downstairs rooms. 

Gardaí were alerted to the burglary at around 3.30am on Saturday 1st June.

Entry was gained via the rear window and extensive damage was caused inside the home.

Two women were caught at the scene, arrested and subsequently charged with the offence of burglary. They are due to appear at Carndonagh District Court.

A Stranorlar family are set to hit Ireland’s television screens after landing a prime part on a new series.

The Mc Menamin family Stranorlar, children of Damian and Daireann who have been selected from a nationwide search to be stars of the new show.

The series will comprise of ten shows and will be broadcast this summer.

The children Dylan, Kate and Emily are all students of the Karen Gorman Academy of Speech and Drama and Casting Agency.

A delighted Karen told Donegal Daily “We have been working on this project in our Casting Agency since Easter and are thrilled with today’s news.

“Dylan, Kate and Emily excel in every Speech and Drama class as well as Grade exams.

“The series will comprise of 10 episodes with an entire episode being dedicated to the Mc Menamin sisters and brother. Filming will take place with a crew of 10 professionals later on in the summer over a two day period.

“We cannot wait to reveal more details.”

Acting talent runs in the family with their mum Daireann and grandmother Mary Lafferty both being very well known and respected actors.

“We look forward to all the preparations and shoot with great excitement,” added Karen.

Clients of the Letterkenny based agency have featured in multiple TV and print advertisements nationally & in Milan and Barcelona. These include advertisements for Aer Lingus, 123.ie Insurance, Vodafone Failte Ireland and Skoda to name a few.

Donegal fans traveling to Kingspan Breffni Park on Saturday are in for a Donegal v Tyrone double treat – with two senior championship matches to view.

Saturday sees Declan Bonner’s men and Maxi Curran’s ladies both put their Ulster titles on the line when they face Red Hand opposition.

The Donegal-Tyrone Ulster SFC semi-final takes the prime billing at 5pm.

The curtain-raiser for that game will be the TG4 Ulster Ladies SFC clash of the two counties.

The Donegal v Tyrone ladies game throws in at 2.45pm.

For ticketing information and news regarding bus parking, click here: https://donegalgaa.ie/2019/06/04/tickets-and-bus-parking-dun-na-ngall-v-tir-eoghain/

It was the day Colm McFadden ‘torpedoed the All-Ireland champions’ – an Ulster Championship clash in 2004 when Donegal defeated Tyrone.

The previous September, Tyrone won their first ever All-Ireland title.

Picture: Christy Toye and Brian Roper celebrate with Donegal goalscorer Colm McFadden in 2004.

Mickey Harte’s men entered the Clones cauldron as the defending All-Ireland and Ulster champions.

Donegal had been semi-finalists in 2003, losing out to Armagh.

In 2004, Donegal stunned Tyrone. Brian McEniff’s men were held scoreless for 23 minutes, but were only 0-4 to 0-3 behind at half-time.

Donegal lost Niall McCready to a second yellow card late in the first half, but they were scintillating in the second half and McFadden scored an excellent 1-7.

“The new golden boy of Gaelic football, Colm McFadden, torpedoed the All-Ireland champions with a magical display of finishing,” the Irish Examiner of the time reported.

See highlights of the 2004 clash below, courtesy of GAANOW …

The inquests will be held in Buncrana today of two brothers who drowned while fishing for lobster off the Donegal coast.

Glengad men Francis (68) and Danny McDaid (70) died when their boat capsized three miles off Inishowen in March, 2008.

The brothers had been plucked from the water and rushed to Altnagelvin Hospital but were pronounced dead later.

No alert had been issued by the vessel, and it is believed the two men had been in the water for some hours.

Both had been separated and swept some three miles from where they had been working, into Northern Irish territorial waters.

Apart from loose debris, there was no sign of their boat, the 10 metre Strath-Marie.

The alarm had been raised by Francis McDaid’s son when their wooden half-decker boat failed to return to Bunagee harbour.

The search for the men, which was coordinated by the Malin Head Radio Coastguard, involved the Rescue 118 helicopter as well as the Lough Swilly Lifeboat, Portrush Lifeboat, the Greencastle Coast Guard vessel and several local boats.

It’s time to cast your vote for this week’s Donegal Daily/Donegal Sport Hub Sports Person of the Week, in association with O’Reilly’s.

Each weekly award winner will receive a kitbag, a jacket and a bobble hat, supplied by O’Reilly’s.

The award winner will be chosen via a public vote from a shortlist selected by our panel.

O’Reilly’s Sportswear was founded in 2017 by well-known Twin Towns sporting brothers Steven and Martin O’Reilly.

Our poll closes at noon on Thursday.

Click here to cast your vote

Lorcan Connor (Na Dúnaibh)

Na Dúnaibh retained their All-Ireland Junior Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta title at the weekend in Kerry. On Monday, Na Dúnaibh overcame Béal Atha’n Ghaorthaidh in Monday’s final 2-12 to 1-4. Lorcan Connor hit six points in Monday’s final. In the semi-final, Connor scored four points and was at the hub of all that was good about his side over the weekend.

Fintan Doherty (Finn Harps Under-15s)

Finn Harps Under-15s had a fine 3-1 win away to Longford Town at the weekend. The win at the City Calling Stadium sends Harps to the knockout phase on a winning note. Goalkeeper Fintan Doherty was Man of the Match for the young Harps.

Adrienne Gallen (Lifford-Strabane AC)

There was joy for Donegal athletes at the weekend in the Irish Schools Track and Field Championships. Pride of place in Tullamore went to Adrienne Gallen. The Lifford-Strabane AC woman, competing for St Columba’s College, Stranorlar, not only won the junior hammer, but broke the Irish Schools record in reaching out to 57.24 metres, beating Jade Williams’ 2015 mark by over three metres.

Luke O’Donnell (St Oran’s NS, Cockhill)

Last week, there was Aviva Stadium glory for St Oran’s National School of Cockhill as they took victory in their section at the SPAR FAI Primary School 5s National finals. For St Oran’s, Luke O’Donnell was star of the show and was named as Player of the Tournament – collecting his prize from former Ireland international Keith Andrews.

Oisin Orr (Rathmullan)

Donegal jockey Oisin Orr is on the crest of a wave right now. Having lost his claim recently, Orr last week competed in his first group two race in Baden-Baden, Germany, finishing in second spot for Dermot Weld. At Listowel at the weekend, Orr had a 20/1 winner aboard Engles Rock for Mark Michael McNiff, holding off Meryems Way right at the death.

Click here to cast your vote

Buncrana Youthreach was awarded a Silver Standard Health Quality Mark (HQM) by the National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI) at a special event, held in the Buncrana Youthreach Centre last Friday.

The centre was awarded the health award in recognition of their work on health promotion for young people.

Presenting the award, Rachael Treanor, from the NYCI National Youth Health Programme said the award was a testament to the hard work and dedication of all at Buncrana Youthreach.

She said: “They are committed to the highest quality standards in health promotion and it is clear that ensuring a healthy and safe place for young people and staff is a key priority here.”

“Congratulations are in order to the staff, volunteers and young people of the service, especially those who have completed the Special Certificate in Health Promotion with NYCI and NUIG and guided the organisation through the process to ensure that their work is in line with national and international best practice in the area of youth health promotion,” she added.

“The great work carried out here supports the national healthy Ireland campaign, which is about increasing our focus on prevention and supporting young people to improve their own health and wellbeing.”

A man with 110 previous convictions has been jailed for three months after driving off from a petrol station without paying for €82 of fuel.

Gardai spotted Thomas McDonagh after he spun the wheels of his red Hyundai Tucson and he left the Applegreen Filling Station and drove across four lanes of roadway in Letterkenny on May 4th, 2018.

McDonagh’s solicitor Mr Patsy Gallagher said his client was a 39-year-old father of three who had battled drug and drink addictions for many years.

The court also heard that McDonagh, with an address at Castlerea Prison, had pleaded guilty to public order charges at Letterkenny University Hospital and at Lower Main street in Letterkenny.

Judge Paul Kelly imposed fines totalling €300 and also jailed McDonagh for three months on the theft charge.

Another charge against McDonagh was put back until June 17th to allow the Director of Public Prosecutions to review the charge.

Several 24/7 club members travelled to Athy, Co. Kildare to take on both Double Olympic Distance and Sprint triathlons on Saturday.

TriAthy

Nick Fowell and Alaistair Hetherington took on the Double Olympic distance- a 3k swim, 80k bike and 20k run event. Nick had a fantastic race, finishing a very impressive 9^th overall.

Nick had a superb swim of 51:09 and a brilliant bike split of 2:15:37 followed by a 1:28:21 run to cross the finish line in a time of 4:39:18, picking up 2^nd place in the M45-49 category.

Just 17seconds separated Nick and the M45-49 winner Dave Murphy. Impressive form from Nick ahead of Ironman Copenhagen on 18^th August. Alaistair Hetherington is also Copenhagen bound and he too had a brilliant race. Exiting the water in a time of 1:11:02, Alaistair went onto to have a brilliant bike split of 2:42:43 before completing the 20km run in 1:50:29. Alaistair crossed the line in a total time of 5:51:04.

Georgina Dill chose TriAthy for her very first sprint race. Despite having a shaky start to the swim Georgina had a great swim time of 19:03 and went onto finish her debut sprint in a fantastic time of 1:38:40.

Sheral Hetherington also took on the sprint event. Sheral also swam very well, exiting the water in a time of 19:56 before a strong 46:05 bike split. Sheral finished in a total time of 1:55:12.

Cuilcagh Sprint Triathlon

Closer to home, Niamh McDaid was the sole 24/7 representative at the James McManus Memorial triathlon hosted by Cuilcagh Triathlon Club. Niamh was in fantastic form for her first triathlon of the 2019 season and finished an impressive 5^th female overall, winner of the F30-39 age category. Niamh exited the water in a superb 12:23 before going on to post an impressive 40:46 bike split and a solid 23:19 5k off the bike.

Crooked Lake NS Sprint Triathlon

Natasha Kelly travelled to the Crooked Lake NS Sprint Triathlon hosted by Newry Triathlon Club. Natasha had a fantastic race, finishing 5^th female overall. She had a brilliant swim of 14:30, followed by a 33:55 bike split and a 21:02 to cross the finish line in 1:11:08- 2^nd place in the F25-29, agonizingly just 7 seconds behind the F25-29 winner.

Crana Swim Series- Swim 3 Ludden 2k

The final swim of the 2019 Crana Swim series took place on Saturday. Paddy Bond had another good swim time of 34:17 for the 2k event.

VHI Women’s Mini Marathon

The annual VHI Women’s Mini Marathon took place on the streets of the Capital on Sunday. Over 30000 women took part in what is the biggest all female event of its kind in the world. Margaret Kelly had a fantastic run clocking 43:24 for the 10k event. Fiona Gibbons ran well also crossing the line in a time of 70minutes.

Junior

Well done to our junior member Danny McKinley who was in action at the Ulster Children’s games held at Finn Valley at the weekend. Danny competed in the Long Jump, High Jump and 600m sprint.

5K Round Up

Letterkenny Gaels 5k

At Thursday evening’s Letterkenny Gaels 5k Terence Diver was 1^st M50 in a time of 19:45. Rory Kennedy ran well clocking a time of 23:19. Amanda McNulty was 1^st F40 with a run of 24:00. Junior member Aoibheann O’Grady had a great run of 25:57, with Mary Bond not far behind her in 26:10. Suzanne Bogan also ran well clocking a time of 27:30.

Scoil Mhuire NS Ramelton   

The Carr’s were in action at the Scoil Mhuire NS Ramelton. Ben finished in a time of 16:43 and his Dad

Enda had a brilliant run of 21:24.

Run Session Tuesday 4^th June

Please note the planned run session for Tuesday 11^th June will be the Convoy AC 5k. Start time 7.30pm.

Club Notes

All members are encouraged to contact club PRO Fiona McDaid if they are competing in events and want to be included in club notes. It is great to see so many members take part in events each week so please submit your results. Results can be sent to 0879044287.

Club Training

Club training continues as follows:

Monday: Gartan Open water sessions. In the water for 6.30 SHARP. Please see email for more information on the rules of Open water sessions at Gartan.

Tuesday: Please note Tuesday 11^th June Run Session will be the Convoy AC 5k Start time 7.30pm

Wednesday: Swim session- Novice 7-8pm, Intermediate/Advanced 8-9pm

Thursday: Brick/TT Session-30^th May       TT Session –7pm SHARP at Foxhall

Marshals: Siobhan Brennan, Terence Quinn, Julie McBride

Saturday: Club cycle from Aura at 8am- All members must have front and rear lights to take part in the club session.

Saturday: Club swim session Saturday at 6pm Additional lane added for 14-16yr old club members- MUST be accompanied by a parent (please note prepayment does not cover Saturday swim).

 Full Results

TriAthy

Double Olympic Distance

Nick Fowell                                       4:39:18                  9^th Overall 2^ND M45-59

Alaistair Hetherington                    5:51:04

Sprint Distance

Georgina Dill                                      1:38:40

Sheral Hetherington                         1:55:12

Cuilcagh Sprint Triathlon

Niamh McDaid                                      1:18:06                  5^th Overall Female 1^st F30-39

Crooked Lake NS Sprint Triathlon

Natasha Kelly                                        1:11:08                  5^th Overall Female 2^nd F25-29

Crana Swim Series- Swim 3 Ludden 2k

Paddy Bond                                             34:17

VHI Women’s Mini Marathon

Margaret Kelly                                      43:24

Fiona Gibbons                                       70:00

Letterkenny Gaels 5k

Terence Diver                                        19:45 1^st M50

Rory Kennedy                                        23:19

Amanda McNulty                                24:00 1^st F40

Aoibheann O’Grady                           25:57

Mary Bond                                               26:10

Suzanne Bogan                                     27:30

Scoil Mhuire NS Ramelton   

Ben Carr                                                    16:43

Enda Carr                                                  21:24

A team of Porsche promoters and influential bloggers from Germany had the ultimate road trip in Donegal recently to showcase the potential for adventure on the Wild Atlantic Way.

Tourism Ireland in Germany recently teamed up with the famous car manufacturer Porsche for the visit to showcase Donegal as a fantastic driving holiday destination.

A team from Porsche captured content – at places like Horn Head, Fanad Lighthouse, Sheephaven Bay, Glenveagh National Park and Glencolumbkille – for its website and social media platforms. Their itinerary was designed by Fáilte Ireland.

The Porsche crew was joined by two bloggers from Off The Path, a popular German adventure travel blog.

The bloggers then travelled on from Donegal to counties Clare, Kerry and Cork – creating stories and posts for the blog, which will be published later this month – reaching an audience of around 925,000. They will also create a suggested Wild Atlantic Way road-trip for their fans and followers.

“Tourism Ireland was delighted to collaborate with Porsche, to highlight Donegal’s spectacular scenery,” said Peter Nash, Tourism Ireland’s Manager Central Europe.

“We are actively promoting longer-stay holidays and encouraging people to come and discover the Wild Atlantic Way and the island of Ireland by car. Visitors who use a car on holidays tend to stay longer, spend more and are more likely to visit more than one region.

“We were also really pleased to welcome the bloggers from Off the Path. They have a really strong following on their blog and social media, so their visit was a really good opportunity to showcase adventure holidays and the spectacular scenery of the Wild Atlantic Way to a wide audience of prospective German holidaymakers. They’ve been sharing lots of great photos and footage – inspiring their followers and fellow outdoor enthusiasts to come and explore this part of Ireland for themselves.”

Germany is the third-largest source of visitors to the island of Ireland and one of the largest outbound travel markets in the world. 2018 was the eighth consecutive year of growth for Irish tourism from Germany, when Ireland welcomed almost 818,000 German arrivals, delivering almost €500 million to the economy.

Donegal musician Rory Gallagher cheated death after his van was involved in a horrific crash yesterday.

The former Revs singer, famous for his “Jimmy’s Winning Matches’ anthem, crashed into a camper van.

The singer managed to crawl out of the van before it caught fire in the crash in Dunkineely.

Rory, from Kilcar, admitted that he is lucky to be alive.

He revealed his van hit a massive puddle and then spun across the road straight into a campervan.

“There was a huge smash. I was knocked out and thank God they tore down the partition in the van and got me out before it went on fire.

“The poor couple in the camper received leg injuries and I damaged my hand, hips and have severe whiplash.

“Everyone says I am lucky to be alive but I just feel so down, running through all the what ifs,” he said.

Rory has been forced to cancel a number of gigs in London this weekend.

But he vowed the crash will not stop him from playing on.

“Once I can move my hand and neck we will take it from there,” he said.

Job Vacancy: Radisson Blu Hotel in Letterkenny are currently seeking a motivated Account Receivable Assistant to join their top-class team.

Is BLU for you?

If you say Yes I Can! here at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Letterkenny we’re looking for passionate employees just like you! At Radisson Blu Hotel, Letterkenny, we stand out together as one team and make memorable moments for our guests.

If you love a fast paced, inspirational environment, full of people who are powered by passion, then you are just what we need. Our Accounts Assistants are natural organisers and team players with finicky attention to detail.

Key Responsibilities:

• Facilitates payment of all money due by promptly preparing invoices and processing incoming checks.
• Maintains all necessary income reports and journals by accurately auditing the daily revenues of the hotel.

 Requirements:

• Proven working experience in accounts receivable

• Solid understanding of basic accounting principles
• Clear thinker with excellent communication abilities, numerical accuracy and attention to detail
• Hands-on experience in operating spreadsheets and accounting software
• Driven and ambitious to consistently deliver and exceed service standards
• Accounts qualification desirable

To apply for the vacancy please email your CV to Damien.McCullagh@RadissonBLU.com

Radisson Blu is an Equal Opportunities Employer

Sean McGoldrick says he’s excited for what the future holds.

The Newport bantamweight moved to 9-0, 2KOs on Saturday night thanks to a points win over Moises Mojica at the Vale Sports Arena in Cardiff.

McGoldrick, whose father, Liam, hails from Ballyshannon, recently changed trainer. Now working with Jamie Moore, McGoldrick has his eye on title territory now.

“It was a great night and great atmosphere,” McGoldrick said.

“I feel like I’m getting better and better and I’m definitely on the right track and I’m excited for the future.”

McGoldrick, a former Commonwealth Games gold medallist, was the 59-55 points winner after six rounds.

Among the crowd for a home bout for McGoldrick was the President of the Donegal Boxing Board, Peter O’Donnell.

McGoldrick said: “I was really pleased with the great reception which I seem to get wherever I go, so really grateful to my friends and family for always coming to support me.”

The Short Stay Ward at Letterkenny University Hospital is to open this week with a capacity of ten beds.

The long-awaiting opening of the ward will begin on Thursday 6th June, with a further 9 beds to be opened between October and December 2019, pending Saolta funding.

Any increase in capacity is a step in the right direction for Letterkenny University Hospital, says Charlie McConalogue TD.

The Fianna Fáil deputy obtained confirmation of the Short Stay Ward opening from the HSE through a Parliamentary Question.

Deputy McConalogue commented, “This is good news for a hospital that has been dogged by patients waiting on trolleys in the emergency department. Any increase in capacity is a step in the right direction for our local hospital.

“This has been a long time coming with LUH first requesting funding for the short stay ward almost two years ago. Despite rising trolley numbers and repeated commitments from Government, we are only now seeing the first 10 beds on the ward opening.”

McConalogue TD said questions must be raised as to why only 10 beds are opening this week.

He said: “Minister Joe McHugh stated prior to the budget that funding had been secured for the full commissioning of the 19 bed short stay ward but the latest reply from the HSE states that the opening of the further 9 beds is ‘pending Saolta funding’.

“This raises serious concerns about the commitments and assurances that have been given regarding the opening of this ward. It is clear from the figures that are waiting on trolleys on a daily basis at LUH that the short stay ward must be operating at full capacity in order to relieve some of the pressure on our local hospital.

“The opening of these beds is a welcome development however, we need to see the further 9 beds opened as soon as possible. I will continue my representations to the HSE & Minister for Health to ensure that this happens,” concluded Deputy McConalogue.

The Letterkenny Alzheimer’s Café is about to celebrate its second anniversary.

To mark this big occasion, an open invitation is being extended to those affected by or interested in Dementia to come to the Silver Tassie Hotel on Thursday the 6th of June for a party.

The setting will be informal with song and dance and light refreshments.

The organisers would like to invite any person who is living with Dementia and their carers, family members or friends to come along to the celebration of a very important service that is provided for the community.

The Café also welcomes any volunteers who have an interest in Dementia and who like to become involved.

The owners of the Silver Tassie Hotel, Ciaran and Rose Blaney have been extremely supportive in maintaining the Letterkenny Alzheimer’s Café.

Their staff always provide a very warm and welcoming setting, providing tea, coffee, homemade scones and cakes.

The Café was launched at the beginning of June 2017 and since then it has met on the first Thursday of every month from 11 am to 1 pm.

The aim of the Alzheimer’s Café of is to help reduce the stigma about living with Dementia, providing an opportunity for learning more about the condition, for providing information, practical support and opportunities for questioning and interacting.

Over the last two years, various professionals have delivered talks, engaged in discussions and question and answer sessions with people living with Dementia and their carers.

The first Alzheimer’s Café was started in the Netherlands in 1997 by Dr Bere Miesen. It is more than just a “social outing”, it’s a gathering of people affected by or interested in Dementia.

The monthly gatherings are for the purpose of education, discussions, exchanging information about Dementia and for opportunities to socialise and meet others. Attending the Alzheimer’s Café is free of charge.

Anyone who attends the Alzheimer’s Café can receive support, information, education about Dementia, and meet others in similar circumstances. They also meet professionals knowledgeable about Dementia, members, of the local Alzheimer’s Society or any other Dementia Support Group.

If anyone requires further information or has any queries please contact the Alzheimer’s Society Ireland Donegal Branch Office on 074 97 22795.

A Letterkenny Institute of Technology tourism graduate was part of the official Liverpool staff for the Champions League final at the weekend.

Manorhamilton native Gabriel McSharry is employed as a senior chef de partie at Liverpool, based at the club’s Melwood training complex.

Gabriel was in Madrid at the weekend with Jürgen Klopp’s squad for the 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur as the Reds won their sixth European Cup.

Gabriel is a graduate of LyIT’s Killybegs campus, where he competed a degree in Culinary Arts.

Lawyers for a Donegal man jailed for indecently assaulting a babysitter almost 40 years ago have claimed the jury were “pressurised” into returning a guilty verdict.

Patrick Patton, of Cashelard, Ballyshannon, had pleaded not guilty to two counts of indecently assaulting the then 14-year-old babysitter in his home in July 1980.

Patton today launched an appeal against his sentence with his lawyer arguing the jury were “pressurised” into the verdict on a Friday evening when weather warnings were in place.

He pleaded not guilty to a third count of indecently assaulting another young female between June 1981 and August 1982.

A jury at Donegal Circuit Criminal had unanimously found Patton not guilty on counts two and three but returned a 10-2 majority verdict in respect of count one, following a four-day trial.

He was accordingly sentenced to 14 months imprisonment by Judge John Aylmer on April 4, 2019.

Patton moved to appeal his conviction today in the Court of Appeal where the judgment was reserved.

For full story see……https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/jury-pressurised-into-finding-man-guilty-of-abusing-babysitter-due-to-weather-warning-lawyers-argue-928913.html

Newly re-elected Donegal County Councillor Albert Doherty has called for the appropriate authorities to outline a plan for the ‘urgent repair work’ that is required at the Barrack Hill play park in Carndonagh. 

The Sinn Fein Councillor said it was now time for the Donegal County Council to undertake an immediate audit on the site to ensure the safety of parents and their children coming up to the summer holidays.

Speaking to Donegal Daily, Cllr Doherty said: “The Barrack Hill play park has a powerful potential to deliver for the local area and over the course of the election and in the past grave concern has been raised about the safety of the play park and the condition that it is in currently.

“I have asked and written to Donegal County Council and have called for the immediate maintenance and repairs that are required on the site,” he added.

“It is now time for the authorities to sanction funding and proper investment for the Barrack Hill play park.”

Doherty added that the main roadway to the play park was ‘far from inviting to family and children’ and was ‘unwelcoming’ for those who wished to pay their respects at the local graveyard nearby.

He continued: “The area is also an entrance avenue for those who wish to pay their respects to their loved ones at the nearby graveyard and it is unwelcoming at present and I have outlined this to the council and there is an urgent need for significant snag list of repairs to be carried out.

“We have the potential to make it a safe facility and make it an attractive invite to those who wish to use it.

“I think as we approach the holiday season we will see more families looking to use the area and the priority must be for use to make the area safe for them and that is why maintenance must be carried out as soon as possible.”

A popular Donegal farmer has taken on a side job of acting as he stars in a new comedy series on BBC.

Bobby Patterson from Raphoe is one of the main characters in Northern Ireland’s first scripted reality series – There’s No Place Like Tyrone.

The 47-year-old part-time farmer features in the series with his girlfriend Lynda Hamilton.

Lynda Hamilton and Bobby Patterson, stars of There’s No Place Like Tyrone on BBC NI – Photographer: Stellify

There’s No Place Like Tyrone features real life characters, but events have been constructed purely for the series. The show skips around the Mid-Ulster Countryside and into the lives of some of the people who live or work there.

The three-part series began on BBC1 Northern Ireland on Monday night, when Bobby’s scenes as a bewildered lingerie shopper left locals in stitches.

Image via @BBCNI Facebook

Episode two will see Bobby and Linda having their weekly date night – at the mart!

The second episode airs on Monday 10th June at 10.35pm on BBC1 NI