The fallen tree on the outskirts of Gortahork village
There is concern in Gortahork after a fallen tree was allowed to hang over a road which just cones to highlight its danger.
The tree, which has fallen on the road to Cashelard, has remained across the road for the past 24 hours.
Many motorists have even taken the risk and driven beneath it.
However other locals have urged the council to have the tree removed before somebody is hurt.
Donegal’s Voice of Ireland hopeful Ryan Hegarty will owe it all to his mum if he goes far on the show.
Voice of Ireland hopeful Ryan Hegarty.
The 19 year old will battle it out on the RTE show’s blind auditions this Sunday night.
But he admitted that he would not have even been on the show but for his mum Valerie.
Ryan revealed “The deadline for applications was on midnight and my mam grabbed me before I went out the door at 10.30pm and she got my brothers to film a video of me performing.”
When Ryan was called to the wildcard selection, he didn’t even have his trusted guitar.
But his mum stepped in again and bought him a second guitar while he was studying engineering in Dublin.
“Mam sent her credit card details to a shop in Dublin and got me a new guitar. I’ve got two guitars now,” laughed Ryan.
Ryan will sing Fisherman’s Blues by he Waterboys this Sunday night.
Best of luck Ryan!
The road into Letterkenny at Ballyare this morning. PIc Donegal Daily.
Fresh falls of snow across the county has again made driving conditions challenging.
The falls of sleet, snow and hailstones are not as heavy as previous days.
But drivers are asked to continue to exercise extreme caution.
There are no reports of schools being shut.
Heavy falls in and around Buncrana and Letterkenny are understood to be very bad.
Many motorists are down to a crawl in and around towns and people are asked to have patience.
The Céilí to be hosted this Sunday by Rosses CDP has been cancelled.
Representatives from the Rosses CDP have requested to have the following public message published on our website.
*The Céilí which was due to take place on Sunday 18th January in the Rosses CDP is cancelled.*
Staff are hoping they can re-schedule the Céilí for a later date.
Lifford Clonleigh Resource Centre News:
Car Boot Sale. The Lifford/Clonleigh Resource Centre are thinking of hosting a Car Boot Sale here in the Centre Car Park soon. For further information please contact the centre on 074 91 41773.
Book Club: Do You Love Reading?
Do you want to meet people with the same interests as you?
Lifford Clonleigh Resource Centre
Starting January 2015
Contact 074 91 41773 for further information!
Men Sheds. Free courses and training.
First aid. (Three days).
Health and Safety (Safe Pass).
Carpentry (Basic Skills).
Telephone Reception on 074 91 41773.
Email: mensshedslifford@yahoo.co.uk.
Clay Modelling: Attention Ceramics enthusiast.
New model making classes starting at Clonleigh Resource C entre Lifford
Classes encourage the making of both hand-made objects and connections among people within the class. Participants will create baskets and sculpture from clay and decorate with creative patterns and colours.
Beginner classes will start with basics of model rendering and design.
If you are interested you can contact the Lifford/Clonleigh Resource Centre on 074 91 41773.
BLOSSOMS: Blossoms charity shop is open Tuesday to Thursday from 12pm to 4pm and Friday from 10am to 1pm. We would also like you to donate any old items such as books, clothes etc. We are looking for winter clothing (jackets, hats, scarf etc.).
Retiring Donegal star Rory Kavanagh has said players are simply not getting enough rest during games.
Rory Kavanagh
The St Eunan’s player, who called time on his inter-county career this week, said there is huge pressure on young players to perform all the time.
In an interview to be broadcast today on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, he says that the pressure on older players, and a lack of recovery time, were important factors in his decision to retire from intercountry football.
And suggested managers needed to adopt a different approach for younger and older players to address these issues.
‘Teams will do anything to win the championship. The good teams are out training in December. The managers will do whatever they can to get the results. I don’t agree with it, but it’s the way things are going for teams up and down the country. The big thing for me is that players don’t get any recovery time, they have no time to rest.’
‘The game is getting too professional. Dublin, Mayo, Kerry, Donegal, the standards are going up every year, to a professional level, yet we’re still amateur players.’
He stopped short of saying that the level of preparation is taking away from the pleasure of playing.
‘I have really enjoyed playing for my county, and I think the other players are the same. But this issue very important for the older players in their thirties. It’s a game for young men – the younger players who aren’t married, don’t have family ties, but it puts huge pressure on the older players.’
When asked what he thought the solution was, he suggested managers tailor their approach based on different needs of the players.
‘I think that managers need to look at their panels, and have a different approach for the younger and older players. The older players need more recovery time. It will drive people away from the game eventually if they don’t address this problem. I know it’s something the GPA is looking at, and we need to get input from players.’
On the issue of the 2014 All Ireland final against Kerry, Kavanagh admitted that he was still very sore about it, and that he couldn’t, as yet, bring himself to watch the match again.
He will continue to play for his home team, St Eunan’s.
Rory Kavanagh was speaking to Séamus Mac Géidigh in an interview will be broadcast on Barrscéalta on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta today at 11 am.
Termon GAA club have recently launched a new DVD entitled “All Ireland Journey 2014″.
This unique DVD highlights and shows exclusive behind the scenes footage of the recent successes of the Termon Senior Ladies football team.
Footage includes scenes from the County final right up to and including the All Ireland final.
It also includes exclusive pre match interviews from manager Francie Friel and Termon’s ace goal scorer Geraldine McLaughlin. Club meetings, erection of banners, buntings, flags.
It also covers team talks, departure and the Coach trip south to Tuam on All Ireland day.
Extensive footage of the raw emotion of the faces of the management, players, parents and supporters at the final whistle are all covered.
Scenes from the momentous home coming for the All Ireland Champions are also highlighted in this special edition DVD.
This DVD was recently launched in The Lagoon Termon by former Derry footballer Joe Brolly and Minister Joe McHugh in conjunction with the Termon GAA dinner dance amongst huge crowds.
It can be purchased in all local shops and outlets or contacting Termon GAA Club via Facebook
Anthony Thompson has committed to Donegal for the 2015 season.
Donegal have been handed a massive boost following the news that wing half-back Anthony Thompson will commit for the 2015 campaign.
There had been huge doubts regarding Thompson’s future after he was forced to emigrate in search of employment.
Thompson is now living and working in London and it looked highly unlikely he would return to the Donegal set-up under Rory Gallagher.
However, it has been announced that the Naomh Conaill will fly over and back for games and should be available for Donegal’s National League encounter with Derry in a fortnight.
Thompson has been a mainstay of the side for the previous four seasons under previous manager Jim McGuinness and been an outstanding and pivotal figure for Donegal.
He’s been very unlucky not to be awarded with an All-Star award.
With Rory Kavanagh announcing his retirement yesterday, the news Thompson is staying on is even more significant now following the loss of the St Eunan’s man.
Seamus Coleman British?!
The editor of the Daily Mail can expect a few angry e-mails from outraged Killybegs locals following their claim that Everton star Seamus Coleman is British.
Coleman has been getting a lot of coverage in the press recently with paper reporting that both Arsenal and Manchester United are lining up a big money move for the Everton full-back.
Coleman is considered as the best right-back in the league and it seems inevitable he will either leave Everton this month or in the summer.
However, the fact Coleman is a household name in the Premier League and an established International player with the Republic of Ireland it’s surprising for him to labelled as British.
The paper reports that both Coleman and Nataniel Clyne are being touted by Manchester United.
However, The Daily Mail brackets both players as being British by going with this headline.
“Manchester United to hold talks over big money January swoop for British duo Seamus Coleman and Nathaniel Clyne.
Sinn Féin Councillor Gary Doherty has today called on Donegal County Council and the Office of Public Works to immediately carry out a flood risk assessment of the Finn Valley.
Flooding in the Finn Valley
The call comes in the wake of the significant flooding which occurred in the area over the last two days.
Cllr Doherty said “After the heavy snowfall on Tuesday and Wednesday and then the onslaught of Storm Rachel, we were faced with a torrent of flood water throughout the Finn Valley and indeed the County as a whole. This caused serious problems on our roads and in the river network of streams and burns which run adjacent to residential homes.
“In Castlefin last night the bridge crossing the River Finn was flooded and had to be closed to traffic causing significant delays. We also had flooding in the N15 National Primary road leading into and in the town itself, as well as on the Hollow Road and in the Twin Towns area.
“I am also aware of one family who were unable to reach their home because the access road was flooded, so they had to take refuge with a neighbour for the night. Other homes in the area were at a serious risk of being flooded as burns and streams burst their banks.”
He called on Donegal County Council and the Office of Public Works to carry out a flood risk assessment of the Finn Valley as a matter of urgency.
“I am fully aware that in the short term it is difficult to prevent the flooding we have seen over the last two days, but a long term solution must be found before we have a serious injury or a home destroyed by flood water. It is imperative that we look at solutions such as improving flood banks and the overflowing tributaries sooner rather than later when it may be too late. “
Donegal is set to suffer the coldest weekend of the year with temperatures plunging to -7 degrees in places.
More snow and frezing conditions are forecast for Donegal this weekend and into next week.
And there will be more snow across the North-West right up until next Wednesday.
The warning has just been issued by Met Eireann who admitted the cold snap is here to stay for the foreseeable future.
The forecast comes following a week of unsettled weather culminating in the arrival of Storm Rachel yesterday.
More than 300 homes, the majority in the west of the county, are still without power after up to 12,000 customers were knocked off the grid yesterday.
Met Eireann forecast
Tonight
Tonight will be cold, with scattered showers of sleet and snow, mainly in Atlantic coastal counties at first and in Ulster, becoming more widespread, with accumulations in many areas. Some clear spells also. Widespread frost, with icy stretches on untreated surfaces and hazardous driving conditions. Lowest temperatures 0 to minus 3 degrees.
Tomorrow, Saturday, will again be cold, with further scattered showers, some of them of snow, especially over high ground and mostly in the west and north. Further east will be drier and brighter but it’ll be a cloudier day overall. Temperatures during Saturday will be between 2 and 4 degrees generally, in a moderate west to southwest breeze.
Outlook
The cold snap will continue up to and including Wednesday next, with severe night frosts, a risk of freezing fog and further wintry showers. However, there will be some sunny spells also.
Saturday night : Bitterly cold, with air temperatures of minus 1 to minus 6 or minus 7 Celsius, leading to a widespread severe frost, with a risk of icy stretches. There will be further wintry showers of hail, sleet and snow, especially across the northern half of the country, but good clear spells further south.
Sunday : Very cold, with sunny spells and scattered showers, some of hail and sleet, with some snow showers also, especially over high ground, but possibly at lower levels also, especially in the north and east. Max. 3 to 7 C, in a moderate to fresh north to northwest wind. Many areas dry overnight, with widespread severe frost, but further wintry showers of sleet and snow will occur, mainly along Ulster and eastern coasts. Risk of freeing fog also.
Monday : Still bitterly cold. Most areas dry, with light winds, but rain and sleet will develop in the southwest and west later, with moderate southerly winds, extending eastwards Monday evening and night, turning to snow in places, with severe frost and a risk of freezing fog overnight.
Tuesday & Wednesday : Little change, as the cold snap continues, bringing some wintry showers and frosty nights, but a good deal of dry, with sunny spells, especially in the east and south. Winds mostly moderate, west to northwest.
Further outlook : Early indications suggest that it will become less cold and unsettled for the end of the week and weekend.
Relay for Life, the major fund-raising initiative that celebrates those who have come through cancer and remembers those who succumbed to it, is gearing up again.
There is also an emphasis n fun at the Relay for Life event.
The event offers both hope and encouragement and provides a hugely significant boost in the fight against a disease that will affect one in three people in Donegal alone.
Now in its fourth year, Relay for Life Donegal is staged in the grounds of the Letterkenny Institute of Technology in the month of May and has, in its short history, touched the hearts and lives of thousands.
The word ‘inspirational’ sums up what the event is about – an overnight community celebration that honours current and former cancer patients along with their families and friends.
Relay for Life is a team event with each team comprising of between ten to fifteen friends, co-workers, classmates and neighbours.
“We’ve had up to sixty-four teams per year since we started but due to reasons of safety and comfort, we are limiting it to fifty teams in 2015,” chairperson of Relay for Life Donegal, Robert O’Connor indicated this week.
Relay for Life has been a huge source of comfort to families affected by cancer.
Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the 24 hour event – symbolic of the pertinent fact that cancer never sleeps. But while the shadow of the disease is there throughout, the event is also a fun one as those who have been in attendance at any of the previous three will testify with smiles on their faces. It’s an event where patrons get the opportunity to socialise, make new friends, enjoy live entertainment and take part in numerous activities over the 24 hour period.
On a weekend of many highlights, one of these is the opening ceremony where cancer survivors lead the way in the first lap of the event followed by their carers.
Another hugely emotional aspect is the candelight ceremony held at dusk. Here is a time to remember those lost to cancer and to show support for those living with it.
Celebrate, Remember, and Fight Back – that’s the key elements of Relay for Life.
Over the last two years, there have been 2,092 journeys made to the chemotherapy department at Letterkenny General Hospital – that’s a reflection of the fight that goes on and is aided significantly by the proceeds raised by Relay for Life.
Over 850,000 euro has been funded from Relay for Life Donegal for the Irish Cancer Society as it continues its work in attempting to eliminate cancer and improve the lives of those forced to live with it.
The organisers stress that the money is spent in Donegal. “We also want to make it clear that Relay for Life is for the whole county. It takes place in Letterkenny but the teams come from all corners of Donegal,” said the chairperson.
To help reflect this, Relay for Life will be launched at four different venues next week. They include the Abbey Hotel in Donegal Town on Monday 19th; Sliabh Sneacht, Drumfries, Clonmany, Tuesday 20th; Ionad Teampall Chroine, Dungloe, Wednesday 21st; and the Mount Errigal Hotel, Letterkenny, Thursday 22nd. The starting time for each launch is 7.30.p.m.
It’s hoped that as many as possible will attend the launch nights where details will be provided on how to set up teams and film footage shown on aspects of the Relay for Life initiative.
Set your clocks to 6.p.m., May 30th, and prepare for this year’s Relay. “It’s more than just an event – it’ s an experience,” insist the organisers. And what an experience.
A Donegal man charged with the murder of his elderly parents has been remanded in custody following a brief court appearance.
Julian Cuddihy appeared in court today. Pic by Northwest News Pix.
Julian Cuddihy (42), of Churchtown, Carndonagh,, appeared in court at a remand hearing atHarristown District Court in Co Roscommon, which is adjacent to Castlerea Prison, reports the Irish Times.
He is charged with the murder of his parents Jimmy (77) and Kathleen (73) at the family home in Carndonagh on or around October 22nd.
Mr Cuddihy has been in custody at Castlrea since he was remanded at a sitting of Ballyshannon District Court on October 24th.
Judge Geoffrey Browne remanded Mr Cuddihy in custody to appear before Harristown District Court on February 13th.
The accused man consented to his further remand.
St Eunan’s College.
Fine Gael TD Joe McHugh has welcomed the announcement that St Eunan’s College is to receive significant funding for structural improvements to be made to the school.
Minister McHugh said, ”I welcome the announcement from the Department of Education that St. Eunan’s College, Letterkenny, has received funding for Structural Improvements under the School Building Unit for Additional Accommodation.
“The funding will be of huge benefit to the school and I’m delighted the relevant authorities have given the green light on funding for the redevelopments to take place.
TIME CHANGE: The U16 County Ladies Trials are going ahead this Saturday and Sunday at the Finn Valley Centre in Stranorlar but at a different time that was previously stated.
Coach Terry McCole will split the trials over two days and the trials will last from 12-2pm on both Saturday and Sunday.
Registration is at 11.30am sharp on both days.
Coaches of the clubs are asked to contact their players to inform them of the time change.
The details are below:
The players selected from the following northern area clubs please attend the first county trial in the Finn Valley centre Saturday the 17th of January at 12- 2pm registration is at 11.30am sharp:
Malin
Carndonagh
Milford
McCumhaills
St Eunan’s
Buncrana
Moville
Termon
Robert Emmett’s
Downings
Glenswilly
Urris
Red Hughs
Convoy
Fanad Gaels
The players from the following clubs please attend their first trial in the Finn Valley centre on Sunday the 18th of January from 12-2pm with registration taking place at 11.30 am sharp.
Dungloe
Glenties
Four Masters
Gweedore
Naomh Mhuire
Naomh Columba
St Naul’s
Ardara
Cloughneely
Glenfin
St Micheal’s
Protestors at Dungloe Community Hospital today.
Protestors have called on the management of Letterkenny General Hospital to come and meet them to discuss the future of antenatal services at Dungloe Community Hospital.
Around 40 people gathered at the gates of the Dungloe hospital at lunchtime.
It follows what organisers say was an email from the management of Letterkenny General Hospital was circulated at the meeting which did not give any commitment to reinstate the clinic.
They say this comes despite announcements by local politicians that they had received assurances from hospital management that the clinic would be reopened as soon as the consultant returned from sick leave.
Protestors now want hospital management to come and met with them to discuss the issue.
Local independent TD Thomas Pringle and independent Cllr Micheâl Cholm Mac Giolla Easbuig attended today’s the protest.
‘It is really important that the community make their voices heard about the loss of this vital clinic to expectant mothers and their families and ensure that the HSE do not get away with withdrawing this service. If they remove this service what will be next’ commented Mac Giolla Easbuig.
Snow thunder
ESB Networks says it has new faults over north Donegal as a thunder and lightning storm moves across the county.
There have been faults in Creeslough, north Inishowen and Glenveagh.
More snow showers are on their way tonight, say forecasters.
Donegal County Council gritting lorries are being deployed.
However Gardai are appealing to motorists to take extreme care on roads tonight and over the weekend.
Rory with Sam
RORY KAVANAGH’S decision to leave the Donegal County Senior Football set-up as been the talk of the national and local media in the past 48 hours.
But for the Kavanagh family it is much more than that.
It is the end of an era for the St Eunan’s man – and a very proud one at that.
Rory’s sister Alma posted these pictures from some of the special moments for her, Rory and their family over the past few years.
What a journey…..
ESB Networks is working to fix a fault with electricity supplies in Bridgend.
They say 101 customers in the area lost power around 22.45pm.
Crews say they hope to restore supplies around 2.30am
Sean McGinley turns the camera on the stunning location of Glenveagh Castle.
Actor Sean McGinley has showcased his native Donegal as the perfect location for filmmakers to shoot future blockbusters.
McGinley, the star of such hit movies as Braveheart and Gangs of New York, spoke as he launched the Donegal Film Office’s website at the stunningly scenic location of Glenveagh Castle.
McGinley was born in Pettigo but grew up in Ballyshannon.
Naoise Barry, Irish Film Board, Aideen Doherty, Donegal Film Office and Sean McGinley at the launch of the Donegal Film Office at Glenveagh National Park.
He said “This website is a wonderful representation of what makes Donegal great, the landscape, the history but most of all the people”.
Aideen Doherty, Manager of the Donegal Film Office said the website has been developed to profile and market the county to the film and media sector.
“The website contains images of a range of locations throughout the county including beaches, lakes, historical monuments, mountains, castles and homes and so on.
“The website is targeted at film and media companies and will hopefully become the first ‘go to’ site for location managers interested in finding information on Donegal.”
Naoise Barry, of the Irish Film Board, said the Irish film industry has grown hugely over the last decade and is going from strength to strength.
“The recent improvements to Irelands tax incentive Section 481 for film and television production has dramatically improved Ireland’s competitive position as a film location”.
He added “I am delighted that Donegal Film Office is launching a new website that will showcase the wonderful offering that is Donegal. We have been working closely with the Donegal Film Office for a number of years and have been successful in attracting films such as Grabbers, Shine of Rainbows, Dead Long Enough and Wakewood and this new website will be an additional resource for ourselves and the Donegal Film Office to continue to promote Donegal as a great film location in Ireland”.
