Letterkenny Post

Monaghan will test Harps

admin — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:44:04 +0000

Finn Harps will be hoping to make it two wins on the trot when they travel to Century Homes Park to face Monaghan this Friday evening (kick-off 8.00 pm).
But manager James Gallagher knows that it will be a tough test against a Monaghan outfit who showed their credentials by drawing away to Shelbourne in their first match.
“Last year we had a disappointing record against Monaghan and some of the players returning to the club were surprised that we had lost all three games against them – something that had been unheard of in previous years,” he said.
And he added: We have spoken about that this week and I’ve told the players that last year wasn’t acceptable. Monaghan are very similar in terms of personnel to last year and in Philly Hughes they have a quality player who will be their main threat. Mick Cooke will have them well organised and they have a squad of decent, steady players who don’t have any real weak links in their team. We’ll have a good go at them and it is important that we start well and not let them control the game from the off.”
Tommy Bonner (shin), Chris McBride (thigh strain) and Aaron O’Hagan (knee) are all back in training again, although this week’s game may come too early for them.
Kevin McHugh and Oisin McMenamin (both knee) are slight doubts ahead of the trip to Monaghan tomorrow (Friday).
Gallagher was not expected to finalise his team selection until after Thursday evening’s training session.
Reflecting on the 2-0 victory over Salthill Devon last Friday, he said: “I wasn’t pleased with the first half and I let them know that at half-time, but they weren’t pleased themselves. As a player you don’t need someone to tell you that, but that’s my job. It was disappointing because you want them to do well, especially in their first home game and in front of a decent crowd.
“In a certain way, maybe that had a wee effect and they might’ve been caught in the lights. But we settled in the second half and all that I was really looking for was just to be a wee bit braver. I mean brave in possession. I thought in the first half that there were too many flick-ons and nobody was taking responsibility. So, credit to them, in the second half they did that. When you don’t look like giving anything away at the back and have the likes of Kevin McHugh and Davitt Walsh then you have a chance.”

Malta call

admin — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:41:24 +0000

One of Donegal’s most successful snooker players will represent Ireland at the European Team Snooker Championships in Malta which begin on March 24th.
Anthony Bonnar, who has won the Donegal Championships a record seven times, is considered to be the most successful and consistent snooker player that Donegal has ever produced.
He has been selected for the over 40’s Irish team to travel to Malta next week, and has been playing on the green baize since he was 14 years of age.
In his twenties Anthony was ranked as high as number six in the national rankings but for the last decade he concentrated on building up the family business (Bonnar Engineering Ltd). Recently, though, he has risen through the ranks of the over 40’s to reach number four in his first year back on the national scene.
He says that he is looking forward to playing for Ireland and he hopes he will do his country and club proud in Malta.
Ireland has a 19-strong team going to this year’s European Championships in Malta, comprising six players in the men’s, four in the masters, four in the under 19’s, two in the ladies and three in the Billiards.
Three of the five Irish referees are from from the North West Snooker Club in Letterkenny. Bernard McGuinness who is a referee’s tutor has been asked to do head referee at the event, and he will be supported by John Doherty (grade 1 referee) who is the owner of the North West Snooker Club and Peter O Brien (grade 2 referee).

New mountain rescue base

admin — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:37:57 +0000

The Donegal Mountain Rescue Team has just opened a rescue base at Glenveagh National Park.
So far this year, the team has dealt with 14 call-outs and this new facility is seen as a major boost to the voluntary organization.
Being centrally located in the county, it’s an ideal base and it’s also in an area where the DMRT has responded to four potentially serious incidents in the last two years.
On one occasion an American got lost in very severe wind and rain conditions walking from Dunlewy to the West Park area. The team was in contact with the walker who sheltered near an upland lake but had no idea where he was. The team finally found him at 5.00 am and walked him off the mountain to safety.
In another incident, an experienced walker was late coming off Dooish and phoned park personnel to say he was going to swim the park river near the ‘Stalkers Hut’ to gain access to the Glenveagh Bridal Path Road. Communications were then lost. A full call out was initiated between park staff, DMRT and An Garda. The walker was found safe near the car park. He had dropped his phone in the river during the crossing.
Other call-outs were to deal with a group from Belfast who were late coming off the Glenveagh ridge and were not equipped for night walking, and to find a rock climber who was reported missing in the Poison Glen area.
The DMRT, which has over 20 members and five response vehicles, also has a base in the old fire station in Glenties.

Times past

admin — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:37:14 +0000

The National Library of Ireland has launched a new online gallery that contains a wealth of photos capturing various locations throughout Co. Donegal in bygone days.
The pictures capture almost 100 years of history and feature a variety of places in the county. The snapshots offer people a chance to get a glimpse into the past.
Many of the online pictures show Letterkenny before the advent of motor transport, when Donegal’s largest town was a far cry from the bustling cosmopolitan urban centre it is now.
Whether looking at the traffic-free streets in earlier days or capturing Cardinal O’Donnell giving a speech to the people of the town, the photos offer local people a valuable resource.
The included photos are used courtesy of the National Library of Ireland and these and many other images can be viewed online at www.nli.ie/digital-photographs.aspx

Wanted: Rockall volunteers

admin — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:35:49 +0000

A Donegal person could be landing on Rockall this summer and could even put up the Irish flag on the disputed rocky Atlantic islet that is claimed by the Republic of Ireland, Britain, Iceland and Denmark’s Faroe Islands.
Yorkshire adventurer Andy Strangeway is planning two trips in June to try and land on Rockall.
Initially, he had indicated that he intended to erect a plaque on behalf of the British Queen, to replace one that was erected in 1955, but which has since disappeared.
Now, though, following the story in the Letterkenny Post and an interview on Highland Radio, he has received a number of suggestions.
One of these is that he has a representative from each of the countries claiming rights to Rockall.
“I love the idea of the four flags of the countries who dispute Rockall and of course my Yorkshire flag flying together over the island,” he said.
Rockall lies 430 kilometres off the Donegal coast – the nearest mainland – but the UK formally annexed it in 1972, maintaining that it is closer to the Scottish island of Hirta and under the administration of the Outer Hebrides.
The first recorded landing on the island was in 1811 (HMS Endymion), but it wasn’t until September 1955 that the UK formally claimed uninhabited Rockall.
Recently it came to Mr. Strangeway’s attention that the Queen’s plaque – and with it the UK’s symbolic claim to Rockall – was no longer to be found on the small rock.
In recent years the controversy over Rockall has re-surfaced, largely due to the possibility that the Rockall basin could hold significant oil and gas reserves.
The expedition will consist of two back to back trips, both leaving from Oban in Scotland. The cost involved per berth is from £1,795 per berth, Further details are available by e-mailling: info@island-man.co.uk

Dual carriageway delay

admin — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:32:31 +0000

Plans to build a €200 million-plus dual carriageway which will complete the link from Letterkenny to Lifford are set for further delays – because no money has been allocated for the project this year.
The section of road between Pluck and Lifford is one of the worst sections of the Letterkenny – Dublin route.
It had been indicated that a target date of 2016 was earmarked for completing the Pluck – Lifford section. When complete, it will mean there will be a four-lane dual carriageway from Letterkenny to the border.
Although council sources are reluctant to predict a start or completion date, they privately admit that the N14 Letterkenny – Lifford/Strabane project could now be delayed by years.
A 19km route has been identified and preliminary design works, an Environmental Impact Statement and Compulsory Purchase Order documentation has been completed.
The Donegal National Road Design Office had sought approval to publish the CPO and EIS this year, but now has no funding to do so.
It has now also emerged that a new link section of road to tie in with the A5 road in Strabane will have to be re-designed. A new bridge will be built over the River Finn in Lifford.

Battle to save jobs

admin — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:30:10 +0000

A Letterkenny businessman has vowed to “fight to the very end” to keep his company going and to protect as many jobs as he can.
And Hugh McGee, the Managing Director of the McGee Group, has also issued a hands-off warning to anyone hoping to capitalise on his current difficulties.
Last Friday Anglo Irish Bank put a receiver into the Clanmaca company which is part of the group.
Clanmaca comprises the Sister Sara’s Superpub, the Dry Arch Bar, and two petrol stations and some development land.
Staff in Clanmaca are being issued with their P45 redundancies notices, but it is hoped that they will all be brought back. The businesses will continue to operate under the receiver.
On Monday, Mr. McGee, addressed his staff at a special press conference in the Clanree Hotel.
Commenting on the fact that Anglo Irish Bank had put in a receiver to the Clanmaca Company, he warned that the move could be just the “tip of the ice-berg”.
At its peak the McGee Group – which has six companies – employed 400 people. It now employs 260 people.
“If left to run the business we would be up to that peak again in the summer,” he said. “We do not want to be losing jobs; we want to be maintaining jobs.”
He pointed out that there was a re-structuring of the companies last year, they had got equity and had made an offer to Anglo Irish Bank, but it was turned down.
He acknowledged that he was “not sure what is going to happen.”
And he added: “There will be certain people who will be hoping to cash in on what they see as my misfortune and downfall.”

St Patricks Day Parade in Letterkenny

admin — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 12:38:53 +0000

Out and about in Letterkenny on St Patricks Day

admin — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 11:19:55 +0000

Out and about @ The Grill

admin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:45:07 +0000