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Govt needs to focus on Donegal’s ambulance turnaround times – Cope

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Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher says urgent action must be taken to address the huge deterioration ambulance turnaround times over the past two years.

His comments come following information released to Fianna Fáil Health Spokesperson Stephen Donnelly.

Ambulance turnaround times measure the time interval from ambulance arrival at a hospital, to when the crew is ready to accept another call.

The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) have said that all hospitals in Ireland should monitor the implementation of 95% of patients being handed over from an ambulance crew to the emergency department staff in less than 20 minutes, and where this is not met, corrective action should be taken.

However, the HSE monitors it at 30 minutes with a target of 95% turnaround in that time.

New information for September received by Health Spokesperson Deputy Donnelly shows that the HIQA 20-minute target was only met in 15.9% of cases nationwide while the HSE 30-minute target was achieved in 37.1% of cases.

These figures are shocking, but what makes it worse is the fact that two years ago in September 2017 these figures stood at 25.2% and 53.2% respectively.

Pat the Cope added locally, some of the figures are truly astounding.

In Letterkenny University Hospital just 9 % of ambulances managed the 20-minute turnaround while in Sligo University Hospital 10.6 % managed to reach the 20-minute target.

He fumed “The decline in the transfer turnaround times is yet another reflection of the pressures on hospitals and the lack of capacity to cope with the demands of beds and patient numbers attending A&E. The main reason for the delay is because emergency departments are too busy with too few staff to process a patient coming in by ambulance.

“It’s another vicious cycle; if emergency departments are overcrowded, it causes delays in taking patients from ambulances. If there is a delay taking patients in from ambulances, then the ambulance response times are going to worsen.

“If ambulance response times worsen, then people in emergencies and in urgent need of an ambulance are going to find themselves in a very precarious situation whereby ambulances may not be available.

“Coupled with that, it’s a reality that ambulance cover is at a critically low level at present, with only one ambulance covering the entire southwest of Donegal, that is the area from Inver to Glencolmcille and including Ardara and Glenties added Pat the Cope.

He said the Government needs to carry out a fundamental assessment of ambulance cover nationwide, and particular focus needs to be placed on Co Donegal.

“It is evident that additional staffing and resources are urgently required, the Minister and the HSE need to act now rather than later when it could well be too late,” he added.

Ambulance turnaround times


€2M support package announced for disadvantaged groups in Donegal

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A €2 million Government funding package has been announced by Minister Joe McHugh today to support disadvantaged groups across Donegal.

The funding, which will be provided next year, will see €615,095 distributed to communities in the Inishowen region, €363,582 for the Gaeltacht and €1.09million delivered to other parts of the county.

“This is a hugely important funding package for next year, with €2million of Government money directed to groups and people most in need in Donegal,” Minister Joe McHugh said on the announcement.

The investment is being made under the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP), the Government’s primary social inclusion intervention, and it follows a fund of about €2million for this year.

Mr McHugh, Minister for Education and Skills, said: “This important initiative will support people who are out of work or on low wages. It will help children and their mothers and fathers who live in deprived areas and lone parents. And the funding can also be put to good use to help support people with disabilities, Travellers, Roma and other groups with disadvantage.”

“Cuirim fáilte róimh an deá-nuacht seo inniú maidir le limistéar faoi mhíbhuntáiste, agus an tacaíocht breise a bheas ar fail daofa.

“The money is used to support communities and individuals. It will be of huge benefit in the areas where services are being provided to help reverse disadvantage, to give people the guidance, confidence and support they need to move on with their lives.

“I have seen first-hand the importance of working with young people and the value of working on initiatives for people in disadvantaged areas. These funds will be important for both urban and rural areas to try to encourage and support people towards mainstream services.”

The €2m funding for 2019 under SICAP will be delivered by Local Development Companies across the county.

SICAP is funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development with co-funding from the European Social Fund (ESF) as part of the ESF Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning 2014-2020.

Tommy Canning is new Harps U19 manager

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Tommy Canning has been appointed as the new Finn Harps U19 head coach following the departure of Joe Boyle from the position.

Tommy Canning

Tommy has been working with Sion Swifts ladies, who came second in the National League, only losing out on the title on goal difference.

Canning said “I am delighted to be back at the club again, looking forward to working with the U19s squad and the rest of the Academy staff and the 2020 season.

“The standard of the players is very high from what I saw so far and have been told by Kevin. I will look to put my own stamp on things and do things in the way that I see football being played.

“Every coach has his own way, everything is based on a foundation of hard work and a high intensity game with as much possession as possible.

“The bigger picture for these boys is to get them closer to senior football, that’s what they want and that’s what they are at the club for, because that last step from U19 to senior is often the hardest. We need them to understand what it takes to become a senior footballer.”

Tommy was most recently working with Sion Swifts ladies but reflects fondly on his previous time at Finn Park, “I loved my time here as first team coach with Ollie.

“It didn’t fit in with family life at the time but Kevin contacted me about this opportunity and I am glad to be part of it.”

Head of Academy, Kevin McHugh welcomed Tommy back to Finn Harps saying, “On behalf of the club and academy I am delighted to welcome Tommy as our new head coach of U19 squad for 2020 season, Tommy brings a wealth of experience, energy and enthusiasm to the job, having been at Finn Harps before at underage and senior level, not to mention his role in transforming women’s national league football for Sion Swifts over past 4-5 years.

“He knows the area, he knows the standards required and he will get to know the players over the coming months before selecting his squad.

“It’s been a hectic few weeks within the Academy with assessments and head coach roles becoming available.

“But we’re making great progress and will appoint an U17 head coach in the coming weeks also.”

Letterkenny Hospital staff recognised at Saolta Awards

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Letterkenny University Hospital has won Saolta Staff Recognition Awards in two categories at a ceremony in Mayo recently.

The Donegal Clinical Research Academy won the ‘Education and Training Award’ for their emergency abdominal surgery course for students and the ‘Outstanding Employee Award’ was presented to Dolores Devenney who works in phlebotomy services at the hospital.

More than 160 nominations from across the Saolta Group of hospitals were received for the six award categories which included: Innovation in a Clinical Area Award; Innovation in a Non Clinical Area Award; Research Award; Quality Improvement and Patient Experience Award; in addition to the categories won by LUH – Education and Training Award; and Outstanding Employee Award.

The event was hosted by Mayo Senior Football Manager James Horan and the awards were presented by Saolta CEO Tony Canavan and Chief Director of Nursing and Midwifery, Jean Kelly.

Seán Murphy, General Manager, Letterkenny University Hospital said, “The student emergency abdominal surgery course is a unique multidisciplinary educational event. It exposes medical students to a reality that they haven’t previously experienced and provides valuable inter-disciplinary learning to our future doctors. The Donegal Clinical Research Academy at the hospital is a deserved winner of the Education and Training Award.

Dolores Devenney, Phlebotomoy Services, LUH accepting her ‘Outstanding Employee Award’ from Saolta Group CEO Tony Canavan and Jean Kelly, Saolta Group Chief Director of Nursing and Midwifery.

“I am delighted that Dolores Devenney was presented with the ‘Outstanding Employee Award’ for demonstrating exceptional service to her patients and colleagues over the last 40 years.

“The warmth and empathy she shows patients makes their hospital visit less daunting and she is patient and supportive with new staff and students who are still developing their skills. Dolores is a worthy recipient of the Outstanding Employee Award.”

In addition to winning two categories, the Metabolic Multidisciplinary Team at LUH was shortlisted for the ‘Innovation in a Clinical Area Award’.

The Saolta University Health Care Group Staff Recognition Awards take place every 2 years and aim to recognise the important role that staff play in delivering services to patients cared for in all six hospitals in the Group. All applications are judged by an independent panel and the event is self-funded through sponsorship.


At the Saolta Staff Achievement Award presentation for ‘Education and Training’, from left: Jean Kelly, Saolta Group Chief Director of Nursing and Midwifery; Seán Murphy, General Manager, Letterkenny University Hospital; Mr Zsolt Bodnar, Consultant Surgeon; Ms Louise Flanagan, Research Nurse; and Tony Canavan, Saolta Group CEO.

Windows smashed at Donegal holiday home

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Gardaí are investigating a case of vandalism at a holiday home in Carrigart.

The incident occurred over the weekend of 15th – 19th November, when two windows of a property were smashed in at Altmore, Carrigart.

It is not believed that any attempt was made to enter the property and nothing was taken.

An investigation into the acts of criminal damage is underway. Garda are appealing to anyone in the area who can remember observing any vehicles or people in the area between those dates that arose suspicion then we ask them to call Milford Gardaí on 074-9153060.

 

 

 

Garda probe after work van windscreen smashed in Buncrana

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Gardaí are investigating an incident of criminal damage after a van was vandalised in Buncrana.

The incident occurred in Earlsfort on Friday 22nd November, sometime between 4.30pm and 7pm.

A man had parked his work van in his driveway and the rear windscreen was smashed.

“Nothing was taken from the van so it would appear to be a mere act of criminal damage,” said a garda spokesperson.

If anyone in the Earlsfort area witnessed anything that might assist with the investigation , they are asked to please call Buncrana Garda Station on 074-9320540.

Revealed: The finalists of the Donegal Local Enterprise Awards

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The sixteen finalists have been announced for the 2019 Donegal Local Enterprise Awards.

Businesses from across Donegal will compete for the highly-coveted prizes in the finals the business awards, which will be held in the Radisson Blu Hotel, Letterkenny, on the 6th of December.

The finalists are:

  • Siobhan Boyle of Sculpt Cosmetics
  • Mark Bolton of Bolt On
  • Sara and Philip Moss of Filligan’s Ltd
  • Cathal Sheridan of Huku Balance
  • James Coyle of JC Engineering
  • Conor McLaughlin, McMorrow & McLaughlin Solicitors
  • Hugh Wilhare, Mulroy Bay Mussels
  • Pat Lafferty, Multi-Crete Agri Products
  • Derek Walker, Nat Noot
  • Andrew McElhinney, O’Donnell’s Bakery
  • Andrea Kelly, On the Go Coffee Co
  • Ciara Shine, Shine’s Seafood
  • Eileen Rafferty, The Bothy
  • Lynn Costello Erskine, The Pear in Paper
  • Kieran Murray & Conor McGrath of Thinstone Donegal
  • Jessica Peoples of Zona Dance

The 16 finalists for the 2019 Local Enterprise Awards were selected following a rigorous screening process of the many applicants.

“The awards have been running for over 20 years in Donegal and we have a stringent process in place to make the short-list, never mind be named as a finalist,” said Head of Enterprise in Donegal, Michael Tunney.

He added that the 16 businesses in the final can all be justifiably proud of reaching this stage. 

“Having come through the screening process, the next stage will see the finalists go before the judges on December 5th and the category winners will be announced after that. There will be €10,000 up for grabs across the categories, all that remains now is to see who will win the awards,” Mr Tunney added.

Awards will be presented for Best Established Business (over 18 months trading) with a runner-up in that category as well.

There will also be a winner and runner-up in the Best Start Up Award, while awards will also be presented for Best Donegal Export Enterprise, Best Donegal Enterprise Innovation and also for Food Coast and Creative Coast categories.

“As a county our economy is dominated by small and micro businesses. These awards help to highlight the contribution of these businesses to the economy of Donegal and the important role they play in providing employment and contributing to the sustainability of their local communities,” the Head of Enterprise added.

The Donegal Business Awards are also part of the National Enterprise Awards, with one of the 16 finalists set to get an opportunity to represent Donegal on the national stage next year and Donegal’s overall winner last year, Martin McGuinness, went on to win a Regional Enterprise Award.

Local Enterprise Office Donegal is supported through co-funding from the Irish Government and the European Regional Development Fund 2014 – 2020.

 

ParentStop saved by 11th-hour funding commitment

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The HSE and Tusla have committed to provide funding for the Donegal-based ParentStop service, which was under threat of closure in 2020.

The funding was promised at a meeting yesterday between ParentStop representatives, Donegal Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher and Children’s Minister Katherine Zappone. 

While money has been secured to keep the project going in 2020, further funding will have to be found to make the project sustainable for the entire year, according to Pat the Cope.

He said: “It is self-evident that from the tone of the meeting that ParentStop has universal support from Tusla, HSE and all Donegal public Representatives.

“The outcome of today’s meeting is positive in that Tusla and the HSE have committed funding to the project for 2020, but further funding will be required to make the project sustainable for the entire year. Therefore, it was agreed that officials from the Departments of Health, Education, Children and Justice will meet to explore how a permanent funding model can be put in place.

“The funding commitment from the HSE and Tulsa will give ParentStop enough headspace to put in place a new funding model to guarantee that ParentStop can be put on a permanent basis,” stated Pat the Cope.

Deputy Gallagher has now called on officials from the four Government Departments to work proactively to resolve this funding deficit and put in place a permanent mechanism so that ParentStop will be guaranteed a future without worrying about funding.

“That will allow ParentStop to focus on providing the excellent services which they are well noted for,” concluded Pat the Cope. 

 


Medical Matters: Congestive Heart Failure and coping with it

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This week Dr Ciarán Roarty of Scally McDaid Roarty Medical Practice looks at why the heart fails, and what can be done about it.

Heart failure doesn’t mean that your heart has actually stopped, but rather that it’s not working as well as it should be.

Usually, your heart pumps a set amount of blood around your body during each heartbeat.

In heart failure, your heart cannot cope and pumps the full amount. It can be acute (comes on suddenly) or chronic ( develops over months or years).

Our heart normally pumps a percentage of blood that comes into its bigger chambers further on.

Doctors will usually try to decide if your heart failure means that you cannot pump this percentage, or if your heart can, but is still not coping. This will determine your best treatment. Heart failure is more common in older patients and is commonly diagnosed in patients in their seventies.

Symptoms:

These can vary but will often include breathlessness, especially on exertion, lethargy, coughing, dizziness, loss of appetite, constipation and fluid retention (often noticed as swollen ankles). There may be other symptoms depending on the cause eg chest pain or palpitations.

What causes heart failure?

Heart failure can develop as a complication of a lot of things. The most common is coronary artery disease where the actual arteries supplying blood to the muscle of the heart become narrowed or blocked.

This may cause a heart attack (an acute blockage of one or more of these arteries) and subsequent heart failure.

Other causes include problems with the muscle of the heart itself, raised blood pressure, problems with the valves in the heart, irregular rhythms in the heart as well as some drugs eg cocaine or excess alcohol. Sometimes “ non- heart” problems such as thyroid disease or anaemia may be a factor and sometimes we never really find out what the cause was.

How is it diagnosed?

Your doctor may find signs suggestive of heart failure such as an enlarged heart, fast pulse or signs of fluid retention. This may occur in other conditions so if your doctor suspects heart failure he/she will order special blood tests and an ECG –whick is a tracing of the electrical activity of the heart.

Doctors can gain a lot of information about how healthy your heart is from an ECG. If these tests point towards a diagnosis of heart failure you will be referred to hospital for further tests such as an ultrasound of your heart or “echo”, xrays and further blood tests.

How is it treated?

It will not come as a big surprise to learn that lifestyle changes that doctors commonly recommend to treat other conditions are also useful in managing heart failure. These may include trying to maintain a healthy weight, refraining from smoking, reducing alcohol intake if consumed to excess, and taking some exercise, to the best of your ability.

There are medicines that are commonly used in heart failure and these may require regular blood tests and/or adjustments. Some medicines are aimed at the underlying cause of your heart failure, for example, aspirin if you have had a heart attack. Underlying conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol may also be treated.

It is important to take the medicines that have been prescribed for you exactly as advised and not to stop taking any medication without talking with your doctor. Some patients have little devices implanted under the skin over their chest to aid treatment. For example, an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) may detect an abnormal heart rhythm such as a slow heart rate and work by giving your heart extra support by working as as a normal pacemaker.

Alternatively, if your heart is beating too fast it may give you a burst of extra slightly faster beats to slow your heart down again. It can also give you a shock ( a bit like the defibrillators do when used by paramedics or trained first aiders when someone has collapsed in the community with a heart problem ) to restore a regular heartbeat.

Pacemakers may also be implanted and these work to control the heart signals within the heart so that the heart can beat more effectively.
In a certain number of cases, it may be necessary to have surgery to replace a damaged valve or even heart transplant in some cases.

What’s the prognosis?

This depends on the cause of heart failure, how many other conditions you may have, as well as the severity of heart failure. Your specialist will be able to advise better in an individual case. Often things remain stable for a number of years before deteriorating, while in other cases things progress gradually. If a reversable cause is discovered, then it may drastically improve symptoms by treating the cause.
New treatments are improving the outlook but unfortunately about half of patients who are diagnosed with heart failure will die within 5 years.

The above information is intended as advice only and should you have any concerns please contact your own Doctor.

Dr Ciarán Roarty MB, BCh BAO MICGP DRCOG Grad. Cert. Obst. Ultrasound
is a full-time GP at Scally McDaid Roarty Medical Practice, Scally Place, Letterkenny, Tel 0749164111 http://scallys.ie

Dr Ciaran Roarty at the Scally McDaid Roarty surgery in Letterkenny.

Energy giant buys Donegal wind farm for €10.5M

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Renewable energy investor Greencoat Renewables has bought Beam Hill wind farm, a 14.0MW wind farm in Co Donegal for €10.5m.

The company said this brings its portfolio of operational wind assets to 461MW.

The wind farm, which is located in Buncrana, consists of eight Vestas V66 turbines that have been operational since November 2006.

Vestas will continue to manage the operations and maintenance contract.

Greencoat said it is funding the deal through its €380m credit facility.

“Beam Hill represents our first merchant wind farm acquisition and will allow Greencoat Renewables to explore different contracted power price structures”, commented Bertrand Gautier, the company’ investment manager told RTE.

Risk of water disruptions and discolouration in parts of Letterkenny

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Irish Water has today warned that certain areas of Letterkenny may experience water issues due to new connection works.

Works are scheduled to take place from 8am to 5pm this Wednesday, 27th November in Manor View, Fairgreen Park, Fernhill, Solomon’s Grove, Hunters Wood, Old Glencar Road, Glencar Road, Ard Ghlass, College Park, The Elms, Glenoughty Close, Ashleigh Close, College Farm Road, Glencar Road, Black’s Bridge, Long Lane and surrounding areas.

Supply disruptions, low pressure and discolouration are all possible during this time.

Homeowners are being advised to allow 2-3 hours after the estimated restoration time for your supply to fully return.

 

Investigations find worst levels of unauthorised quarrying are in Donegal

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Donegal has been found to have the highest level of unauthorised quarrying in Ireland – with 30 projects currently operating without permission.

In-depth investigations by RTE have uncovered a high number of quarry operators circumventing the regulations around Ireland.

And Donegal will be revealed as the worst-affected county for planning breaches in a special edition of RTÉ Investigates tonight at 9.35pm.

The RTÉ Investigates – Between a Rock and a Hard Place programme will look at how some operators are able to challenge the system of regulation for quarries. Reporters will uncover a system that is full of loopholes, delays and grey areas, which results in environmental risks.

One case of unauthorised quarrying was detected on an island on the River Foyle estuary – Islandmore – on the Donegal / Derry border. The owner of Islandmore was refused planning permission 19 years ago. He was later served with an injunction, restraining him from quarrying there.

Even though there’s still no authorisation for quarrying, a dredging crew was filmed excavating at various points along the river.

Reporter Barry O’Kelly spoke with the owner of the site, who said that he sought both a judicial review of the court injunction taken out against him by Donegal County Council and a decision by An Bord Pleanala to refuse him planning permission. While those cases have yet to be heard, quarrying here continues. The owner claims he is protecting the island against floods and enhancing the river.

A Donegal Council report noted there is a “potential risk of contamination of groundwater” arising from this dredging. Dr Pat Moran, an ecologist said: “They are operating in a Natura 2000 site which is protected by domestic and European legislation. So that is going to be impacting on a lot of the flora and fauna. It’s got no planning permission, there is no monitoring, there is no mitigation measures.”

Tongiht’s programme will explore how Donegal County Council is dealing with a legacy of 30 unauthorised quarries.

Across Ireland, 151 out of 1,100 active quarries are deemed to be unauthorised by the planning authorities.

 

Paul Doherty wins first turkey of the year at Cloughaneely

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PAUL Doherty produced a classy round of three under par gross for a superb score of 48 points last Sunday morning at Cloughaneely Golf Club. 

Paul had one bogey and produced four birdies on his way to claim the first turkey of the year.

Joe Gallagher took the ham in second spot with a great score of 41 points.  1st: Paul Doherty (9) 48 points, 2nd: Joe Gallagher (24) 41 points, Cat 1: Joe Friel Jnr (11) 40 points, Cat 2: Brian McGee (17) 40 points, Cat 3: Joe Doherty (20) 37 points BOT.  

It was another busy weekend with the Winter League in Ballyconnell. 

In Group A Paul Doherty and Francis Boyle won their match. Mark McGinley and Danny McNulty also got their campaign off to a winning start.  

In Group B Vincent Collum and Brian ‘The Bomber’ McGee played some stuff whilst hitting the ball a mile to record their first victory. 

Group D saw Owenie McFadden and Kevin Barrett maintain their 100 per cent record with a solid win. 

This weekend is another Singles Stableford with Turkey and Ham prizes up for grabs. 

Golf Membership for 2020 is open all new Members are welcome to Cumann Gailf Chloich Cheann Fhaola. The Club AGM is on Thursday 5th December at 8pm in the clubhouse. 

Olympian shine at All-Ireland even ages Championships

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IT WAS sticky in parts and slippy in others but that didn’t stop Olympian Youth Athletic Club athletes getting stuck in when they recently competed at the All-Ireland Even Ages Cross Country Championships at Abbotstown, Dublin with everyone competing with their usual Olympian heart and fighting spirit. 

The U12 girls were first up to contend with the sticky ground conditions of this now famous course with Anna Russell making a fantastic start to the day for the club finishing in 6th place overall, which gained her an individual top 12 finisher medal. 

When placings were counted up Anna also ran off with a bronze team medal where she came in as second counter for the Ulster Regional team. 

Along with her club team members Erin Friel 70th, Orlágh Faul 141st and Chloe Deeney 149th the girls came away as 10th best club team overall in their age group. A great result for this quartet of girls who have been together as cross country team members for the last three years.

Next up for the club was Nuala Bose in the U16 girls race Nuala in her usual gutsy style ran a very determined race and had a brilliant run finishing in the top 20 in 19th position overall a great achievement in itself. 

However when the team counts were verified this confirmed Nuala as 6th counter for the Ulster Regional team and with her team mates she then claimed her first All Ireland gold medal as a team member. 

A just reward for this determined and gusty athlete. 

Final Olympian Y&AC athlete of the day was Sean McGinley running in the U18 Boys race. 

Running a full year out of age and in a combination race with the Junior U20 Men’s race, Sean was not deterred and he had a phenomenal run over a now very mucky and sticky 6000m distance course. 

When the placings between the two groups were confirmed Sean was in amongst the top 12 individual medal winners where he placed 10th overall in the U18 Boys.

 However, his medal collection didn’t stop there as he finished as 5th counter for the Ulster Regional team, with all 6 counters in the top 20 and he picked up a gold team medal with his Regional team members from across the province. 

A great day for all those involved and congratulations from everyone at the club.

Next up for the club is the All Ireland Uneven Age Group Cross country Championships in Dunboyne, Co Meath on 15th December and all at the club wish good luck to all our athletes that got through from the Ulster/ ANI Championships.

Training will continue every Tuesday night at 7pm till 8pm in Glenswilly GAA Hall and Saturday mornings at 11am till 12.15pm at Aura Leisure Centre Track. 

The club is insured to cater for any and all abilities from 7 years of age right up to Senior and Masters level who wish to train, keep fit, have fun, and/or compete at a local to national/ international standard. 

New members as always are more than welcome.

For further details, please do not hesitate to contact Martin O’Donnell on 086 3838240 or message us via Facebook (Olympian AC) or feel free to come down and have a chat on any of our club training times.

Vacancy: Downstrands Family Resource Centre seeks Family Support Worker

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The Downstrands Family Resource Centre in Portnoo is inviting applications are invited for the post of Family Support Worker.

The Family Support Worker will work closely with the Project Co-ordinator to develop a Family Support service.

The ideal candidate should have:

• A relevant third level qualification – minimum Level 6 (for example, Family Support Practice or Community Development);

• A minimum of 3 years’ experience, post qualification, of providing family support in a community-based setting, including experience of:

• providing one to one recognised family support models directly to parents/families in the home;

• delivering parent support programmes;

• working collaboratively with community, voluntary and statutory agencies;

• delivering programmes, activities and/or services to groups;

• Engaging in Meitheals

• Ability to maintain high-quality case records, possess IT, social media and report writing skills;

• Ability to manage a caseload wi-h complex needs;

• Access to own transport and a full clean driving license.

This position is full-time, 35 hours per week.

To request further information and an application form, please contact Hazel Barrett:
Email: admindfrc@protonmail.com or telephone 074 9545879

Closing date and time for receipt of applications is: Monday 13th January 2020 12 noon
Interviews will take place: Friday 17th January 2020 in Glenties, Co. Donegal

Applications will only be accepted on the official application form.

CVs will not be accepted.

This project is an equal opportunities employer.
This position is funded by TUSLA Child and Family Agency.


Watch: Leo McLoone on Naomh Conaill’s refusal to buckle

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LEO McLoone was just 16 when plucked from the bench during the 2005 Donegal SFC final – now he’s hoping to be king of Ulster.

McLoone came on in the drawn game in ’05 against St Eunan’s before Naomh Conaill won Dr Maguire for the first time in the replay.

McLoone, a 2012 All-Ireland winner, has become a key cog for club and county over the last 14 years.

This weekend, McLoone – who played in the 2010 Ulster final defeat to Crossmaglen – will hope to lead Naomh Conaill to provincial glory when they face Down kingpins Kilcoo in Omagh (Sunday, 2pm)

It has been a rollercoaster for the Davy Brennan Memorial Park men, who had to endure three county final meetings with Gaoth Dobhair before they dethroned the reigning Ulster champions.

“The adrenaline kept us going for a long time,” McLoone reflected to Shane Stapleton on #OurGame.

“We were just going on steam and adrenaline, but it was good to get over. When you’re winning, it’s always a bit easier.”

Naomh Conaill lost the previous two county finals. With an Ulster club opener against Castlerahan just four days after the second replay, McLoone has told how Naomh Conaill’s determination and doggedness got them over the line.

He said: “We lost in the last two and we didn’t want that three-in-a-row. That was added pressure. As it went into the second and third game, we really wanted to make sure that that wasn’t the case.

“It was tough in one way, but it was a great time too. There was a good buzz around the club. 

“Everyone was on a high. We felt that we could do it ourselves. 

“We had the attitude that it didn’t matter how many games it took: If we had to play the Friday or the Saturday, we’d have done that. We really dug deep.”

Watch the full interview below …

Win a new Hyundai Tucson in Portsalon Golf Club’s major draw

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Portsalon Golf Club launched its Club Development Draw earlier this year to help raise vital funds to further develop the facilities and help inspire the next generation of young golfers in Donegal. 

There is a prize fund of over €50,000 and the winning prize is a 2020 Hyundai Tucson. 

Tickets cost €50 and make an ideal Christmas gift or stocking filler. 

Tickets are available from Portsalon Golf Club, club members and online via portsalongolfclub.ie.

The club is also donating 10 per cent of profits from the draw to the Donegal Hospice. 

Pictured above are juvenile members Ultan Blaney and Liam Donlon with the winning prize at Portsalon Golf Club last weekend. 

Youth League hopes, ‘sour’ fixtures taste and ‘far too many’ cards

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HOPES have been expressed that the Donegal Youth League can ‘grow significantly’ in the coming years again.

In a difficult year for the Donegal Youth League, three clubs – Erne Wanderers, Fanad United and Drumkeen United – withdrew from competition.

Picture: Letterkenny Rovers celebrate after winning the 2019 Donegal Youth League

The season ended with eight teams taking part having started with eleven.

At Monday’s annual general meeting of the Donegal Schoolboys/Youth League, Assistant Secretary Kieran McGrath outlined the importance of the Youth League.

“The Youth League is a vital grade as it fills the gap between under-16 and senior football,” he said.

“It was disappointing but we accepted the withdrawals of Erne Wanderers, Fanad United and Drumkeen United. We would hope that these clubs will return at some point in due course.

“We believe that the Donegal Youth League can grow significantly, if there is a will and a desire to succeed.”

The advent of National Leagues at Under-17 and Under-19 levels has hit some clubs at this grade hard while the Donegal Youth League’s Inter-League representation has also suffered.

However, this is something that has happened across the country and the 2019 Donegal Youth League still had an enthralling title race that was only decided on the final day when Letterkenny Rovers defeated Keadue Rovers.

Concerns were raised at the meeting, held in the Mount Errigal Hotel, about the non-playing of matches in the underage Champions League.

Fixtures co-ordinator for the competition, Tony McNamee, said the situation had ‘left a sour taste in the mouth’.

“One club failed to qualify in the Champions League due to a 3-0 walkover being awarded to another team,” he explained. 

“One club did not play a single match and pulled out the night before the start of the competition. If we had known earlier, we could have put another team in.”

Meanwhile, McNamee – who is the disciplinary secretary – told that there had been 97 yellow cards and seven red cards in the Donegal Youth League with 667 yellow and 47 red in the Donegal Schoolboys League.

“Far too many,” McNamee observed. 

New report shows Donegal is far from almost everything!

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Donegal is amongst the worst counties in Ireland when it comes to the distances people have to travel for everyday services.

From Garda stations to emergency hospital departments, Donegal people are amongst the poorest served in Ireland.

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) today published the new report called ‘Measuring Distance to Everyday Services in Ireland.’

And not surprisingly Donegal does not come out well from the study.

The report combines data from CSO, Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSi) and a range of service providers to show how close or how far away people live from common everyday facilities such as schools, hospitals, fire stations, public transport stops etc.

The highest proportion of people living more than 10kms from a 24-hour Garda station was in Galway County at 70%, followed by Leitrim (64%) and then Donegal with 61%.

34% of people in Roscommon were more than 50km from an emergency department, followed by Donegal (26%), Clare (25%) and Monaghan (22%).

Commenting on the report, Dermot Corcoran, Statistician, said: “The results show that people in the counties of Galway, Donegal, Mayo, Leitrim and Roscommon had higher average distances to most everyday services when compared against other counties.”

For the full report see https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-mdsi/measuringdistancetoeverydayservicesinireland/generalresults/

Hospital overcrowding again as 125 patients in ED in last 24 hours

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The Emergency Department at Letterkenny University Hospital has been extremely busy this week with 125 people attending the ED in the last 24 hours.

Many of these patients are currently in the ED, awaiting a bed, according to a spokesman for the hospital.

Once again the Full Capacity Protocol has been implemented and all efforts continue to be made to identify patients who are appropriate for discharge.

A spokesman said “We would like to apologise for the distress or inconvenience caused to patients or their families who are experiencing long wait times.

“We also acknowledge the difficult situation for our staff and thank them for their continued dedication and commitment to patient care.

“We would like to remind the public that we encourage them to attend the Emergency Department only in the case of real emergencies.”

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