A parents group in Donegal have raised concern over a potential sex education bill that could lead to school children aged four and under being taught about masturbation. 

The claim comes following the Provision of Objective Sex Education Bill, published in April 2018, sponsored by Solidarity-People Before Profit TDs Ruth Coppinger, Paul Murphy and Mick Barry.

The bill is currently making its way through the Oireachtas.

The proposal aims to amend the Education Act 1998 to ensure that the rights of students to receive factual and objective information on relationships and sexuality regardless of the school’s ethos.

It contains provisions for education on consent, the termination of pregnancy, different types of sexuality and gender and different contraception methods.

A Parents Right, a Donegal group, oppose the proposals and a spokesperson for the group said the lack of information parents have received from schools and the government on the potential bill has been ‘alarming’.

Rebecca McNamee, a member of the Parents Right group, said: “At the minute, we are allowed to object to the Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) programme but there is still a problem because some of the schools (in Donegal) are telling us that we have to physically remove our kids from the class in order for them not to be taught the curriculum in school.

“But for some parents that is simply not feasible, so it means that it is therefore compulsory for those children.

“We know some of the teachers are not comfortable teaching the children the curriculum and therefore an outsider has to be brought in, in order to give out this information.

“So we now have a situation where teachers, who know these children and sees them every day, don’t want to give out that information.

“We don’t see why an outsider, who doesn’t know these children or their backgrounds, should be able to give out this type of information and have it as a one size fits all – it is not acceptable.”

And McNamee said while certain school across the county are more than willing to help parents with further information more can be done with the majority who are leaving parents ‘with a massive question mark’.

McNamee continued: “Every parent needs to be given the information before they can make a decision on whether they want their child to have that information or not.

“And some schools do give us information about the RSE programme and some don’t and that leaves parents with a massive question mark, especially now that it is the summer time.

“You can’t make that decision without the information and so what we are trying to do is bring the parents together in a forum, like the one in Letterkenny tonight, so that they can liaise with the schools and government ministers.

“We are prepared to put ourselves forward for them, there is no profit in this for us, we are only doing this because we were concerned parents about our own children coming home saying certain things.

“I wasn’t prepared for my girl coming home and saying certain things and I just thought that parents should be getting told about what our children are being taught in schools.”

The concern comes ahead of a public meeting in Letterkenny on Friday night (July 5) in McGettigan’s Hotel were parents and being urged to attend to express their concern and gather more information.

“What certain school do is that they give you a website that you can visit and there is information that can be printed off so that you can be prepared for these questions from your children, but that takes time and not every parent out there has the time to do this.

“Most of the school are not being very family oriented and it isn’t fair on the parents and the idea that this could be mandatory is not right.”

The Oireachtas Education and Skills Committee released a report in January 2019 on relationship and sexuality education.

The committee made a series of recommendations, including that a relationship and sexual education curriculum should be taught at “primary level in an age and developmentally appropriate manner.”

But the Parents Right group said that sex education simply ‘wasn’t anywhere near’ a young child’s thinking and the idea that masturbation should be taught to primary level children was ‘utterly ridiculous’

“First of all, children are not capable of getting any benefit from such a curriculum and we want people to know that we are not against an RSE programme but it has to be age-appropriate.

“We understand that certain things have to be taught to our children but the current proposals are not age-appropriate and as far as we are concern some of the things currently being taught are not age-appropriate either.

“We want to do now is put together a programme that is age-appropriate for the children and we want to be able to liaise with other parents before talking to the correct authorities on this in order to put the education together and that’s why we are encouraging people to come along to the public meeting.”

In this month’s column with Pascal Curran, financial advisor and founder of advicefirst.ie, looks at why pensions should be a young person’s game. 

Are You Too Young for A Pension?! Before you continue reading, know that the answer – is very likely, no! 

Ask anyone you know, friends or family in their 50’s and they will say “If only I started saving when I was young.” And so, as a young learner, it’s key to learn from their hindsight. 

So, should young people worry about pensions?

The short answer is – No.

Instead of worrying (we’re not a fan!) which solves nothing and causes bad health anyway, they should plan. Pensions are mostly thought of as a savings plan for older people but in reality, this should be jump started earlier in life to ensure simplicity for when you are older.

However, because so much of the language that is used to describe and explain pensions is confusing this turns-off the very people that really do need to learn about pensions, how they work – and how they can offer real benefits.

Why they matter

Pensions really do matter to each of us. This is more so because of a raft of changes that have taken place over the last two decades.

To begin with, the medical experts predict that we will all live longer.

Whether it is as a result of taking better care of our bodies, advances in medical research or innovations in pharmaceuticals, people are living longer (yay!)

And, this points to a longer time frame of life post-employment. A longer window which should be spent, worry-free and enjoyed. 

So, how young is too young for a pension

Are You Too Young for A Pension?

Starting out in your first job can be pretty daunting. Your salary sounded like a sweet deal when you signed up, but now each month you’re left feeling as though you’re scraping for change as your income disappears on tax, rent, bills, credit card repayments… And that’s before you add in all those extras, like that gym membership you keep promising yourself you’ll use and the smashed avocado on toast you ordered for brunch last Saturday, washed down with two skinny lattes (!!)

With a bank statement already flooded with direct debits, the idea of losing even more money each month to the vague and far-off concept of a pension can seem particularly unappealing at this early stage of your career.

Why worry about something that’s decades away? Surely, it’s an unnecessary cost compared with your more immediate plans, such as taking a trip around the world, or buying a property, or getting married, to suggest but a few.  

It’s saving not spending  

But contributing to your pension is not just another way to burn through your pay cheque every month.

In fact, by paying into a pension, you’re saving your money to use at a later date. And, if you’re paying into your workplace pension scheme, your employer will also usually add in some money, which is in addition to your salary.

Money kept in a pension scheme is invested with the aim of helping it to grow over the years to fund your retirement. So, for most people, joining a pension scheme is a great idea. But…

Are you too young?  

There is simply no such thing as being too young to contribute to your pension – it’s a case of the sooner, the better. The longer you spend contributing to your pension, the more money you will have saved by the time you have retired.

If you start saving at a younger age, you can also contribute a steady amount each month and avoid desperately scrabbling around for as much money as possible in your forties, when you realise your retirement is looming.

Of course, when you first start out on the career ladder you may not be able to afford to contribute much to your pension – but a little each month will go a long way, and you can build up your contributions as your career progresses.

There are plenty of helpful pension calculators available online that can help you decide how much money you should tuck away each month, so that you can live comfortably when you retire.

For a practical example of this, visit our blog section (www.advicefirst.ie)

More time to take risks

If you start to make pension contributions while you’re young, you can take advantage of the lengthy time frame by choosing riskier investments, such as shares, as they will have more time to ride out stock market highs and lows, and could potentially make you more money in the long run.

As you approach your retirement, you can switch to safer investments, such as government bonds, and continue saving at a steady pace. Some pension schemes will even do this for you automatically. A financial adviser can explain different pension schemes and different investments to you.

If you are lucky enough to receive money from any relatives (for example, a savings account set up by your grandparents), you should consider the idea of putting all or some of this money towards a pension fund. You will reap the benefits, and the money will be stored away until your retirement (guaranteeing you aren’t tempted to delve into it from time to time). This might not seem like the most creative and fun way to use this money, but if you don’t need it for anything in particular at the moment, then your retirement is an excellent investment.

How to get started

If you want to find out more about pensions, we can give you information about your options.

As soon as you can afford it, it could be a very positive move to start contributing to your pension. Just consider it as another small cost you need to budget for each month.

Even swapping your daily barista-made cappuccino for a home-brewed blend could give you enough of a budget to start. After all, €3 a day is €21 a week, or €84 a month. And contributing just €84 a month to your pension fund early in your working life could set you up for a more secure future.

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 or simply call  +353 74 910 39 38 to talk to us today. 

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

Glenswilly GAA club will host a Gambling Awareness Workshop this Saturday (July 6) at 11.30am in the Glenswilly clubhouse. 

All club members are welcome to come along.

The workshop aims to outline the preventative way to limit the impact of gambling in GAA, while also providing education and facts about gambling in the sport.

For more information on the event, you can contact Donnacha Gallagher on health.glenswillygaa@gmail.com

Magees Pharmacy in Letterkenny is recruiting for a full-time Pharmacist to join their experienced dispensary team.

Magees is a well-established and experienced dispensary with two pharmacists and five technicians.

Management are currently seeking a Qualified and PSI Registered Pharmacist to join the team.

Benefits of this role include an attractive salary, staff incentives, pleasant working environment, no Sunday work and occasional Saturday working, and flexible working arrangements.

If you think this job role is suitable for you or if you know of anyone that would be interested in working in a busy pharmacy, please send all CVs to careers@magees.ie

UCD won for the first time in a dozen games to move within a point of Finn Harps.

UCD 1 Finn Harps 0

Jason McClelland’s goal, after only eight minutes, condemned Harps to what could prove a costly defeat in the race for Premier Division survival.

Ollie Horgan’s side, who had taken four points from their last two games, were beaten by a badly-depleted UCD, who had only two substitutes – one of whom was a goalkeeper.

UCD have lost half a team of late and manager Collie O’Neill has yet to add new faces, leaving him with only a 13-man squad tonight.

But they hit the front early on when McClelland steered home past Mark Anthony McGinley after good approach work by Danu Kinsella-Bishop.

Energised by the goal, UCD were intent on a repeat of a 3-0 pasting they handed Harps earlier in the season.

However, Yoho Mahdy couldn’t hit the target after a good passage of play by the hosts.

Nathan Boyle, who scored both goals in Harps’ 2-0 win over Sligo last weekend, was denied by Conor Kearns when the Harps hitman broke clear.

Kearns was on form for UCD and Harps’ finishing let them down on occasion.

Mahdy was thwarted by Sam Todd and Daniel O’Reilly with Harps fortunate not to fall further behind.

Harps saw the return of Keith Cowan, Raffaele Cretaro and Jacob Borg, but McGinley had to be at his best to save from the ever-threatening Mahdy.

Cretaro saw a shot deflect off a defender and Kearns was able to collect.

Kearns was worked by Caolan McAleer’s volley, but he was called to arms by a Daniel O’Reilly header that drew a top-drawer save from the home ‘keeper.

UCD held on to claim a win that may yet prove decisive.

UCD: Conor Kearns, Daniel Tobin, Harry McEvoy, Evan Farrell, Luke Boore, Paul Doyle, Jason McClellend, Mark Dignam, Yoyo Mahdy, Danu Kinsella Bishop, Richie O’Farrell

Finn Harps: Mark Anthony McGinley; Keith Cowan, Daniel O’Reilly, Sam Todd, Mark Russell, Jacob Borg (Tony McNamee ‘46), Gareth Harkin (Mikey Place ‘70), Mark Coyle, Caolan McAleer, Raffaele Cretaro (Mark Timlin ‘62), Nathan Boyle

Referee: Rob Rogers

Appetites are growing for the third annual Off the Street Food Festival, which comes to Letterkenny on the 27th and 28th of July 2019.

The festival was officially launched on Friday evening at the Bank of Ireland Letterkenny WorkBench. Guests enjoyed a feast of food and music to sample what’s in store for this year’s top foodie event.

The Letterkenny Food Festival will return to the Orchard Inn car park on the High Road on the final weekend of July. A packed programme was unveiled at the launch party, with top chef demonstrations, live music, fun food challenges, talks and masterclasses all in the line-up for 2019. There will be many street food stands, producer and craft stalls too, with familiar names and new faces in the mix.

Paddy Crossan, Michael Tunney, Jimmy Stafford, Toni Forrester, Anna Walker and Derek Walker at the launch of the “Off The Street” Food Festival taking place in Letterkenny on the 27th and 28th of July. Photo Clive Wasson

Speaking at the launch party, co-founder Derek Walker of NatNoot Nutrition Co. talked about the origins of the event: “It all started back in 2016, we were talking about having a food festival. We felt there was something missing in Donegal and we thought we’d try it. When we made the decision, it’s just amazing how it came together.”

Michael Tunney, LEO Donegal and Derek Walker, NatNoot at the Off the Street Food Festival Launch Party in Bank of Ireland Letterkenny, Friday 5th July

Derek paid tribute to everyone involved and the support that he and co-founders Chef Chris Molloy of the Lemon Tree and Letterkenny Bank of Ireland manager Jimmy Stafford have received in the past three years.

Derek acknowledged the Letterkenny Chamber, the Local Enterprise Office, Paddy Crossan from the Orchard Inn, the organisers and the public for their support of the festival.

“We are glad to create something different for the town,” Derek said.

“It’s been an amazing journey so far and we are only three years into it. We enjoy every minute of it.”

Anna, Oscar and Derek Walker at the Off the Street Food Festival Launch Party in Bank of Ireland Letterkenny, Friday 5th July

Michael Tunney, Head of Enterprise, wished the committee every success in the event. He talked about the momentum that has been gained with the Donegal Food Coast and said: “It’s all about raising our own confidence in our own county and our ambition, and Derek and his team are doing that in spades.”

Oscar Walker with Jimmy Stafford, Michael Tunney, Derek Walker, Joan Crawford, and Anna Walker at the launch of the “Off The Street” Food Festival taking place in Letterkenny on the 27th and 28th of July. Photo Clive Wasson

Jimmy Stafford speaking at the Off the Street Food Festival Launch Party in Bank of Ireland Letterkenny, Friday 5th July

Singer/songwriter Tanya McCole gave a thrilling performance of ‘Midnight Special’ for a preview of the many talented local artists performing at Off the Street 2019.

With the dates set and the programme officially unveiled, it’s time to start spreading the word about Off The Street LK – and mark the 27th and 28th July in your diaries.

Check out more photos from the party below: 

Peter and Luke Gildea at the Off the Street Food Festival Launch Party in Bank of Ireland Letterkenny, Friday 5th July

Tanya McCole performing at the launch of the “Off The Street” Food Festival taking place in Letterkenny on the 27th and 28th of July. Photo Clive Wasson

Jimmy and Triona Stafford at the Off the Street Food Festival Launch Party in Bank of Ireland Letterkenny, Friday 5th July

The Off the Street Food Festival Launch Party in Bank of Ireland Letterkenny, Friday 5th July

The Off the Street Food Festival Launch Party in Bank of Ireland Letterkenny, Friday 5th July

Isabella and Maria Hetherington at the Off the Street Food Festival Launch Party in Bank of Ireland Letterkenny, Friday 5th July

Heather McKeeman and Tanya McCole at the Off the Street Food Festival Launch Party in Bank of Ireland Letterkenny, Friday 5th July

Amanda Clarke and Maria McCormack at the Off the Street Food Festival Launch Party in Bank of Ireland Letterkenny, Friday 5th July

The Off the Street Food Festival Launch Party in Bank of Ireland Letterkenny, Friday 5th July

The Off the Street Food Festival Launch Party in Bank of Ireland Letterkenny, Friday 5th July

Martin Murphy, Home Instead Senior Care, and Susan Stevenson, Travel Consultant at the Off the Street Food Festival Launch Party in Bank of Ireland Letterkenny, Friday 5th July

The Off the Street Food Festival Launch Party in Bank of Ireland Letterkenny, Friday 5th July

Noelle Blane, Laura Blane, Daragh Breslin and Ben McDonald. at the launch of the “Off The Street” Food Festival taking place in Letterkenny on the 27th and 28th of July. Photo Clive Wasson

Up to 3,400 visitors are expected in Killybegs this Sunday with the arrival of two large cruise ships.

The MS Oriana and the MV Seabourn Quest will both arrive on Sunday morning for a day for passengers to explore Donegal’s Wild Atlantic Way.

The Killybegs community will put on a welcome party for tourists with ceol agus craic for all at the Shore Road Car Park from 11am to 5pm. World Champion Irish Dancers and St Catherine’s Band will also be putting on a show in the Bay View Hotel from 11.30am.

First to arrive is the MV Seabourn Quest at 8am until 5pm. This 198m-long ‘Ultra Luxury’ cruise ship hosts 450 passengers and 335 crew members.

The eight year old mega yacht is on a 15 day round-trip of the Gems Of The Irish Sea & Hebrides.

Seabourn Quest. Image via Seabourn.com

The MS Oriana will arrive at 9am until 5.30pm, bringing up to 1,800 passengers and 760 crew.

She is the smallest of the P&O Cruises fleet, but at 260m, she is another mighty visitor for Killybegs pier.

Killybegs is the first stop on the Oriana’s 14-day voyage from Southampton to Iceland and the British Isles. This is the ship’s final visit before it leaves the P&O fleet in August.

MS Oriana

DONEGAL manager Declan Bonner has described as ‘nonsense’ suggestions that his side are the prime candidates to derail Dublin’s five-in-a-row bid.

Donegal soared to the Ulster title with routine wins over Fermanagh, Tyrone and Cavan.

The Tir Chonaill men scored a combined 2-55 across their three games and many believe them to be serious Sam Maguire contenders.

“A lot of guys are talking about Donegal being the serious challengers,” Bonner acknowledged.

“We’re not listening to that nonsense to be quite honest.

“We’re still far from the finished article and we have work to do.

“That is out of our control and all we can do is control what is within our group and that is all that we are doing.

“That is out there social media and in the press.

“That to me is just nonsense. We have to get ready for what we have to do.”

With the exception of long-term injury victim Kieran Gillespie’s Bonner has a full panel to select from.

Eoin McHugh has recovered from the knock that sidelined him from the Ulster final and Caolan McGonagle is also back at full fitness.

Bonner said: “Everyone is in good form.

“We were back in training the Wednesday after the Ulster final and it was all about getting ready for the first Super 8 game.

“Our target from now is to get to the last four.”

Bundoran suffered their second home defeat in Gaelic Park in a week following the visit of the men from the cathedral town on Friday night.

Bundoran 2-13 St Eunans 4-14
By Noel Carr

Despite a battling second half performance they will rue the concession of several goals of the soft variety.

Veteran forward Tommy Hourihane got the scoreboard ticking with a free after two minutes.

St Eunans were soon ahead with a fine effort from Conor O’Donnell followed by a point by Peter McEniff.

The home side then enjoyed a fruitful five minutes with points from Cian McEniff, Daragh Hoey and Hourihane.

The Letterkenny men finally got their running game functioning with firstly McEniff and then Sean McVeigh splitting the posts.

A short kickout on 13 minutes was intercepted by the alert Jordan O’Dowd who set McVeigh up to blast home.

Further points from O’Donnell and Brian McIntyre left the visitors 5 up midway through the half.

Two frees from McEniff and Hourihane reduced the deficit before the towering Rory Carr (pictured) found his range on 24 minutes.

The Letterkenny men, in their white Donegal jerseys to avoid the clash of colours, found the net again when corner forward Conor Gibbons fisted a ball across the goals for the in rushing James Kelly to palm to the net.

Bundoran responded well with scores from Alan Russell and Hourihane.

Then with the last kick of the half the excellent O’Dowd boomed over to leave the halftime score
Realt na Mara 1-07 St Eunans 2-08

On the resumption both sides exchanged early points from Carr and Hourihane.

Another O’Dowd effort edged the visitors further ahead.Then on 36 mins cornerback Sean Halvey did brilliantly to provide Conor Gibbons the ammunition to fire home for a third goal for St Eunans.

At this stage it looked like it was game over but to their credit the homeside dominated the next 15 minutes, hitting 1-3 whilst keeping Eunans scoreless.

Points from Timmy Govorov and two from Hourihane and a well crafted goal by Johnny Boyle after great work from second half sub Michael McEniff left two between the sides with 15 minutes left on the clock.

A much needed score from another sub, Oisin Carr, stemmed the flow before Cian McEniff again replied with another free.

Two more frees for either side from Carr and McEniff left it a two point game with three minutes left.

As the homeside attacked another Johnny Boyle effort went agonisingly wide from exactly the same spot as he had earlier goaled from.

But there was to be no fairytale ending for Niall Dunne’s men as points from Conor Parke and Carr eased the nerves before another catastrophic mistake at the heart of the Realt na Mara defence gifted Rory Carr the easiest of tasks to tap home.

Bundoran: Conor Carty; Matthew Duffy, Diarmuid McCaughey, Matthew Ward; Oisin Walsh, Shane McGowan, Johnny Boyle (1-0); Niall Carr, Ciaran McCaughey; Timmy Govorov (1-0), Gary Clancy, Cian McEniff (0-4f); Tommy Hourihane (1-6, 5f), Alan Russell (0-1) Daragh Hoey (0-1). Subs: Michael McEniff for Clancy (38), Brian McHenry for Ward (54), Paul Delaney for Carr (58).

St Eunans: Conor Harley; Sean Halvey, Conor Morrison, Conor Parke (0-1); Brian McIntyre (0-1), Sean Ryan, Daragh Mulgrew; Conor O’Donnell (0-2) Sean McGettigan; Jordan O’Dowd (0-2), James Kelly (1-0), Sean McVeigh (1-1); Peter McEniff (0-2), Rory Carr (1-4, 3f)
Conor Gibbons (1-0). Subs: Niall Hannigan for McVeigh (40), Oisin Carr (0-1) for McGettigan (black card, 42).

Referee: Greg McGroary (Four Masters)

A man caught driving at 126kph on the outskirts of Letterkenny has been fined €250.

Michael Herrity, aged 27, with an address at Donnybrook in Dublin, was stopped by Gardai at Dromore on the dual carriageway on July 21st, 2017.

Herity, who was driving a black Ford Focus, was given a ticket by Garda Paul Smith but it was not paid.

Judge Paul Kelly fined Herrity €250 when the case was brought up at Letterkenny District Court.

The Summer Shape Up 2019 is in full swing in the Rushe Fitness gym here in Letterkenny.

We have loads of members who are taking their goals seriously this summer and we will help them to reach those goals in the easiest way possible.

Too often the information that people get about dieting and weight loss is either too complicated or completely restrictive and doesn’t allow for life to happen.

Diets like these only have 2 ways of ending up;

1. They are too difficult to follow, and the person stops after 2-3 weeks.
2. The person may manage to complete the diet, but they have learned nothing along the way and will go straight back to their old habits after they finish and will regain all the weight they have lost.

So, both are pointless and only give the impression that dieting and weight loss is a restrictive and complicated process.

But it isn’t!

The information we provide to our Rushe Fitness members is easy to follow and is very effective for setting up good habits that will help them to achieve their goals without having to alienate themselves from their family and friends and without having to restrict everything they enjoy eating.

I have given the tips below many times, but the basics of what works never changes and if you have seen our member success stories, you will see that this method works VERY well.

When added into your daily routine, these tips can be adhered to very easily and work very well.

1. Using a food diary:

A simple food diary can prevent you from taking in excess calories from seemingly innocent sources, such as sugary drinks cereal bars.
Writing down everything that you eat and drink, means that you are holding yourself accountable for your actions.

It can prevent you from making mistakes.

If you are training with a friend, swap diaries once a week and hold each other accountable.

2. Portion Control:
   Your hand is your very own customized meal planner.
   If you are small and have small hands you will eat smaller portions and if you are tall and have large hands you will eat larger portions.
   At each meal you should be getting in a portion of protein, a portion of carbohydrates and a portion of fibrous vegetables.

   1: Protein (Chicken, beef, fish)
   You should use the size of an open palm and should roughly be the thickness of your thumb.

   2: Carbs. (Potato, sweet potato, rice)
   You should use the same size as a cupped hand.

   3: Vegetables (Any vegetables, but green is best)
   You should use the size of a closed fist.

   4: For extra fats if needed, such as oils and butter for cooking, or nuts for snacking on, you will use the length and thickness of your thumb, from tip to the large knuckle or a tablespoon for liquid fats like olive oil.

3. Snack on high protein/low-calorie foods:
   A small snack of fruit and nuts mid-morning and mid-afternoon has been shown to be effective in weight loss and can keep hunger at bay for longer.
   An apple and a portion of almonds is a perfect snack providing that you keep the nut portions small enough.
   Protein bars like Quest, Fulfil and Carb Killas are great ways to snack in order to get protein with the majority of the carbohydrates coming from dietary fibre.
   Greek yoghurt is another great snack, add in a small handful of berries and you are sorted.
   This simple yet effective way of snacking, also allows you to always have something at hand that you can have if you are caught out and miss a meal.

Use the 90% rule:
The 90% rule allows you to be consistent with something but to have some leeway throughout the week as well. An example of this is that if you planned to eat 4 meals per day 7 days per week that is 28 meals, 90% of this would give 25, and this allows 3 free meals throughout the week. Think business lunch, family celebration or wedding etc.

These are very simple, but very effective ways to create structure to your weight loss goals.

If you are still unsure how to put this together, we give a full nutrition guide to our Rushe Fitness members when they join our classes.

Check out the link below for more information.
#summershapeup

If you need some help, The Rushe Fitness Summer Shape Up 2019 is now open.

Click the link and find out how you could win the holiday of a lifetime: CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP NOW!

* Emmet is the owner and operator of Rushe Fitness LTD

Georgie Kelly helped Dundalk earn a hard-fought 2-2 draw against Derry City at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium. 

The Tooban man earned a place in the starting eleven with head coach Vinny Perth opting to rest star striker Patrick Hoban ahead of their Champions League fixture against Latvian outfit Riga on Wednesday.

However, the league leaders never had it all their own way as David Parkhouse gave City the lead in the first half.

Re-inspired and ready to respond, Perth’s faith in Kelly proved fruitful as the 22-year-old snatch a well-placed equaliser in the opening stages of the second period.

The night ended in high drama as two late goals from Patrick Hoban (90) and Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe (94) meant that both sides earned a share of the spoils on Foyleside.

(Photo:JPphotography)

St Mary’s GAA hosted thier annual Kelloggs cul camp this week with Ulster champion and Donegal GAA man Hugh McFadden in attendance.

McFadden, scoring a vital point, was part of the most recent panel that won the Ulster Final against Cavan in June.

The Killybegs man was a special guest at the event and brought the famous Ulster title with him!

The event attracted a fantastic attendance as always.

The club would like to thank all the coaches and everyone who helped out this week

The former M McGettigan & Sons butchers building in Donegal town has been sold for a price of just under half a million euro, it has been revealed. 

One of Donegal’s best-known businesses closed its doors in 2017 as a result of falling sales, more than half a century after it opened.

At the time, the shop employed seven people and was run by brothers Ernan and Diarmuid McGettigan, who took over from their father in 1980.

And now it has been revealed that an Enniskillen company, Carren Properties Limited, has agreed on the sale of the prominent building for just under €500,000.

It is understood that Donegal County Council is in negotiations with the company over the potential sale of part of the building for potential car parking at the rear end of the land in question.

The potential car park would house 20 car spaces.

Fans of Daniel and Majella O’Donnell have been given a unique chance to hundreds of personal items from the home of the stars.

The singing sensation and his wife are hosting a garage sale from their Room To Improve house and everything has a price!

The house was RTE’s most-watched show last year as Daniel brought in celebrity architect Dermot Bannon to give his Co Donegal home a makeover.

Now the celebrity couple have decided to declutter their home and it’s all for a good cause.

All proceeds raised from the garage sale will go to Donegal Mind Wellness, a charity that is close to Majella’s heart.

The sale takes place at the Cope FoodStore in Dungloe during the Mary from Dungloe Festival Week on July 28th next.

Fans from Daniel from across the globe are already excited about the sale in the hope of getting their hands on a unique slice of Daniel’s life.

“It’s your chance to buy a piece of their past from before their Room to Improve transformation,” said a spokesperson for the sale.

And with Daniel always around for the Mary from Dungloe Festival each year, fans may get a chance to snap up a bargain form the man himself.

Information on the garage sale has been posted on Daniel’s Facebook page and it has received a huge reaction.

Fans from around the globe are hoping to get their hands on the personal mementoes at the right price.

One fan Juanita Wheeler said ” I so love this idea I love garage sales wish I was flying across the globe for this one.”

The Room to Improve show featuring the couple’s stunning homemade for compelling view for television fans.

It featured real-lifer interviews with Daniel including the singer’s battle with architect Bannon over the price of the makeover!

Judges from the national Price of Place competition visited Donegal this week to adjudicate on four Donegal projects which have been nominated by Donegal County Council for this year’s finals. 

The projects are Falcarragh Parish Development, Dungloe Network Development, Greencastle Community Development and Donegal Town Community Chambers.

Judges Donal Connolly and William Beattie visited each of the projects during their two-day visit to Donegal this week.  They first visited Ionad Naomh Fionnán on Wednesday morning meeting with the Falcarragh Parish Development and other community volunteers who frequently use the new state of the art community centre which was opened in November 2018.

The judges learned about the work of the group, how they transformed the original Halla Naomh Fionnán into a state of the art Ionad Naomh Fionnán. During a tour of the centre, the judges saw first-hand the various facilities available including the main hall, multipurpose rooms, catering facilities and the outdoor AstroTurf pitch.

The centre is used for bingo, dances and concerts and also by the local Marching band and cycling club.

The judges were treated to a cup of tea and some home-made refreshments.

The judges then made a short trip to the beautiful town of Dungloe where they were met by the Dungloe Community Network. The judges learned about the work being done to achieve their vision for Dungloe Tourism and how they have worked tirelessly to enhance existing facilities and events as well as develop new ones.

Their work in developing and growing events such as the Dungloe Street Feast and the famous Mary from Dungloe festival was highlighted.

The judges visited the newly upgraded pond – the outdoor seawater swimming pool on the Wild Atlantic Way, the Cope Mountain Walk, the sensory garden and the newly developed Dungloe Bay walk.

All these new developments have added greatly to the amenities available in Dungloe for both locals and tourists.

The visit finished in the Bridge Inn, where the judges enjoyed performances by the local talented musicians and dancers from the area.

Day two saw the judges travel north to the scenic fishing village of Greencastle on the Inishowen Peninsula where they met with the Greencastle Community Development group to find out more about their determined drive to develop their multipurpose Community Centre for the people of the area.

A range of services is provided in the centre including training and counselling services all delivered by volunteers.  They also learned about the first automated life-saving external defibrillator in Inishowen which is installed in the centre.

The judges were treated to a choral performance by patients from the Carndonagh Dementia nursing home and they even enjoyed a dance or two.

In the afternoon, the judges travelled south to Donegal Town to meet with the Donegal Town Community Chambers where they visited the Waterbus on Donegal Bay and learned more about the varied projects being delivered in the area.

This included improvements works to the river walk, which is home to two Red Squirrel families, and to the playground and discovered more about plans for the Diamond.

The judges also heard first-hand about the voluntary work involved in hosting a range of festivals including the Summer festival, St Patricks Day Parade and the Food Festival which is now one of the largest food festivals in Ireland.

Hosting the National Older Persons Convention which included a walkability audit of the town was also highlighted.

The judges remarked on the bio-diversity difference being made in the area as they toured the town.

The judges were also treated to a performance from the local marching band in the Donegal Castle and finished their visit with a trip to the newly developed Men’s Shed.

The Pride of Place Competition is hosted by Cooperation Ireland and each year groups from all over Ireland enter the competition.

Mairead Cranley, Social Inclusion Co-ordinator with Donegal County Council, thanked all the groups in Donegal that entered this year’s competition.

She said: “We would like to thank all groups for entering the competition.  We were overawed with the great work being done all over the county by volunteers. The hard work of each of these committees and groups is what creates that pride of place in a community.”

She also thanked all four groups who hosted a visit from the judges this week for their efforts in welcoming the judges to their own community and to Donegal and wished them well in the National Pride of Place Competition with winners set to be announced at a special awards ceremony on 30^th November in Kilkenny.

Thousands of people have attended the Orange Order’s annual parade in the village of Rossnowlagh on Saturday. 

The Donegal march took place six days before the traditional date for Orange marches; the 12th of July.

The only Orange Order parade to take place in the Republic of Ireland, the Rossnowlagh Twelfth march has taken place there annually since 1978.

Members from both Northern Ireland and the Republic took part in the march, which is traditionally held a few days before the main Twelfth of July events.

About 50 lodges from counties Cavan, Leitrim and Monaghan, as well as the host county of Donegal were on parade.

Orange Order marches commemorate the 1690 Battle of the Boyne.

The battle marked a decisive defeat for the last Catholic monarch of England and Ireland, James II, by his Protestant son-in-law, William III.

Most of the Orange Order’s main Twelfth of July venues are in Northern Ireland but Rossnowlagh is a few miles over the Irish border on the Donegal coast.

You can almost feel Carl Mullan’s fear as he braves the heights of Sliabh Liag for his new RTE series.

The 2FM presenter recently visited Donegal to film an episode of Go Outside and Play, the new non-traditional travel series launching this week.

Carl couldn’t contain his nerves, and his amazement, as he took on the One Man’s Path at Sliabh Liag. With nothing but staggering drops at either side, he soon realised it’s not for the faint-hearted.

Watch a preview below:

This incredible Donegal adventure will be featured in episode two of Go Outside and Play. The show will be streamed on the RTE Player from Monday 8th July. 

The series promises to take viewers to some of the most stunning and instagrammable spots in Ireland.

Viewers will be able to follow Carl’s adventures to some of the most stunning parts of Ireland, from the ultimate sea cliff experience at Sliabh Liag to the Stairway to Heaven at the Cuilcagh Mountain Boardwalk in Co Fermanagh. 

Commenting on his new series, Carl said: “The whole idea for the series came about from scrolling through Instagram and coming across an image of a lake in Waterford. It’s called Coumshingaun Lake, and to be honest with you, I couldn’t believe that a place so spectacular was in Ireland. If you had said it was in Canada or Iceland I would have believed you, but Ireland? No way! 

“I started doing some research about places to go see in Ireland that aren’t necessarily on the front page of a tourism magazine. 

“We featured 6 of them, but there’s so many of them you wouldn’t believe it. 

“We live on an incredible little island and I hope this series will give you a sense of that. Once you’ve watched it you’ll want to call your mates, hop in the car with them and go on an adventure.”

The sun shined as Raphoe Bishop Alan McGuickan completed his 100th Parkrun on Saturday morning in Letterkenny. 

The 66-year-old completed the Letterkenny Parkrun in a time of 29:44, coming in at around 54th place.

Alan McGuckian SJ was Ordained as the Bishop of Raphoe at St Eunan’s Cathedral, Letterkenny, in 2017.

A native of Cloughmills in County Antrim, but who has a close affinity to west Donegal, he was the first Jesuit Bishop in Ireland.

The Raphoe resident is a keen runner and he earned a commemorative t-shirt for the achievement.

Meanwhile, it was the 178th Letterkenny Parkrun recorded and over 90 runners, walkers, joggers and pram pushers turned out to embrace the good weather.

Active runners, Aaron Nepgen and Eoghan Mcgannety also completed100 Parkruns on Saturday morning.

Organisers have made an urgent call to those who’d wished to volunteer for the Parkrun on a Saturday morning to contact them through email here: letterkennyhelpers@parkrun.com