Dún na nGall - pobail i d’teagmháil Donegal - community in touch ISSUE 12 JUNE 2011 / EAGRÁN 12 AN MEITHEAMH 2011 News 2 Donegal Business 7 Education and Learning 10 Social and Cultural 12 Donegal Community Links 15 Message From Mayor A Chara As Mayor, this will be my final message to you as I leave office on the 27th June 2011. I sincerely hope that you have enjoyed keeping in touch with us through the E-zine. From my own perspective this has been a very busy year, but enjoyable, interesting and varied. I have learned so much about my own County and have had a wonderful opportunity exploring all that is so great about our beautiful County of Donegal. Over the past number of weeks our Country has been preparing for two state visits, the first of which was Queen Elizabeth 11 and then the visit of the President of America, Mr Barrack Obama. There are many of our County folk who find themselves undocumented Donegal, the Inishowen Peninsula, Carndonagh – in America at present, and I hope that the President’s visit will have re-opened that conversation of immigration reform that is so the Donegal of my childhood. badly needed. As we approach the summer many of you will be may have been born and raised a very strong sense of cultural identity. The planning your summer holidays, some of you may contemplate a Bourke from Ballina in Co. Mayo but richness of the language, music, literature visit back home, - if you are I would say a Cead Mile Failte awaits you. I was always acutely aware that I was and indeed all cultural manifestations Donegal is preparing for the summer with its many festivals and I of course the Earagail Arts Festival in July, we have also been also an O’Donnell from Carndonagh. runs deep and benefits all on the island of promoting Donegal through the very successful ‘Donegal Live’ Ireland. It has been interesting to see the events in Dublin and in Glasgow. Again as always, keep in touch And I was, and am, a proud member of the contributions to our culture – for example with us back home; keep well and good luck and best wishes to all. O’Donnell clan. by the work of the painters of Tory Island – Slan agus Beannacht where the influence of isolation is so clear I treasure the wonderful weeks we spent but in a very positive sense. Cllr Cora Harvey as a family in Donegal every summer – Mayor when my mother, four brothers and myself Over the years “my Donegal” has extended decamped en masse to my grandparents’ to include such different aspects as the Welcome Fáilte home and my father commuted on the Glenveagh National Park, the fishing weekends. And the sun always shone on This is the twelfth edition of Donegal Community in Touch. The community in Killybegs, the Iron previous editions have been very well received by the extended all those summer days! Age fortress Grianan an Aileach, the Donegal Community at home and abroad. We will continue to contemporary architectural gem of Liam develop and to produce this e-zine as a means of connecting Even in my younger days I was aware that McCormick’s Burt Church, the Rosses, with people who have an interest in, or connection to Donegal, there was a sense of isolation in Donegal Dunlewy overlooked by the Errigal wherever they may be living. We look forward to receiving your – an isolation that was very welcome for feedback with regard to the e-zine and with regard to issues that Mountains - I could go on and on. But I will you might wish us to highlight in the e-zine. holidaymakers but very difficult for the summarise by saying that Donegal, Dun people for whom Donegal is home, and na nGall or the Fort of the Foreigner is a Seo an dóú déag eagrán de Pobal i dTeagmháil Dhún na nGall. the isolation was particularly keen in terms place where I never feel like a foreigner and Bhí pobal Dhún na nGall sa bhaile agus i gcéin an-shásta leis of transport and economy. But I believe where everyone is made to feel at home. na heagráin eile. Leanfaidh muid orainn ag forbairt agus ag these difficulties have led to Donegal foilsiú an e-iris seo mar uirlís chun teagmháil a choinneáil le and its people, in whatever part of the daoine a bhfuil suim nó baint acu le Dún na nGall, pé áit a Mary Robinson bhfuil cónaí orthu. Beidh fáilte roimh aiseolas maidir leis an world they are living, benefitting from a Former President of Ireland e-iris agus le hábhar a mhian libh a bheith clúdaithe ann. Donegal County Development Board Bord Forbartha Chontae Dhún na nGall Donegal County Council Donegal - community in touch Dún na nGall - pobail i d’teagmháil News / Nuacht 2 Earagail Arts Festival takes Donegal to the EU Parliament “The Development and promotion of tourism is a key strategic goal of Donegal County Council and Donegal County Development Board. The Earagail Arts Festival showcases the very best contemporary arts, culture and heritage throughout the County and has helped promote the Donegal Brand throughout the world. The Earagail Arts Festival provides visitors with a compelling reason to come to Donegal, and to experience our excellent accommodation, award-winning restaurants and sample our high-quality local produce, while at the same time take in the Blue Flag Beaches and Iconic attractions like Malin Head, Sliabh Liag, Earrigal and Glenveagh National Park”. Cllr Dessie Larkin, Ms Moya Brennan, Mayor Cora Harvey, Pat the Cope Gallagher, MEP, Paul Brown, Director, Earagail Arts Festival, Cllr Patrick McGowan, EU Committee of The Regions, Seamus Neely, County Manager, Kevin O’Connor, Tourism Officer In a new approach to the launch of its annual programme and part of it’s cultural tourism remit Earagail Arts Festival with the Donegal County Development Board is hosted it’s first ever international advance programme launch at the offices of the EU Parliament at 6pm on Tuesday 24th May. The launch was facilitated by Donegal MEP Pat “The” Cope Gallagher and Cllr Patrick MacGowan, EU Committee of The Regions and Donegal County Council meeting with EU Commission Officials and Irish Regions Office Officials in Brussels featured a breathtaking performance by Moya Brennan. Pat the Cope Gallagher MEP Commented: Cllr. Patrick McGowan, Head of the Irish Delegation of the EU Committee of “I am delighted to have been able to arrange the launch of the 2011 Earagail the Regions, Commented: Arts Festival at the prestigious location of the European Parliament in Brussels. I am grateful to all who assisted and in particular the sponsors who “As an elected member and representative of the North West Region of responded so positively.” Ireland, I am delighted that the EU Committee of the Regions is supporting this important event. The event will allow County Donegal to demonstrate “I am confident that the publicity here in Europe will not only raise the its tourism and cultural potential at a time when funding and investment international profile of this award-winning festival but also attract more in the region is so important. The European Union Structural Funds such as visitors to Donegal and Ireland. This is an excellent opportunity to showcase INTERREG are vital for this regions economic development.” our arts, culture, food and tourism. In this respect, I am particularly pleased that Moya Brennan from Clannad accepted the invitation to perform and to Mayor Cora Harvey who formally launched the event on behalf of Donegal launch the festival here in the European Parliament.” County Council, commented: For further information visit http://www.eaf.ie/ “This is a tremendous opportunity for County Donegal to take the initiative at the beginning of what we hope will be a very successful tourism season. The County has been leading the way in recent times with the highly successful Donegal Live events in Glasgow and Dublin. In addition to targeting these key European markets, this event is an opportunity to continue to build on the Donegal Homecoming Initiative that I hope will result in an increased awareness of what the County has to offer amongst the world-wide Donegal Diaspora.” Donegal County Council continues to support a wide range of festival and events initiatives across County Donegal. Commenting on the launch of the Earagail Arts Festival Programme, County Manager, Seamus Neely said: Pat the Cope Gallagher MEP pictured with Moya Brennan at the European Parliament launch of the Earagail Arts Festival 2011 Donegal County Development Board Bord Forbartha Chontae Dhún na nGall Donegal County Council Dún na nGall - pobail i d’teagmháil Donegal - community in touch News / Nuacht 3 Jimmy Harte and Delving into ‘Donegal’s Brian O’Domhnaill Farming Heritage’ A free booklet entitled ‘Donegal’s Farming Heritage’ by Dr. Jonathan Bell & Mr. Mervyn Watson was launched recently as part of the implementation elected to the Seanad of the County Donegal Heritage Plan. The booklet is based on an audit of heritage objects associated with farming and fishing in County Donegal commissioned by the County Donegal Heritage Office, Donegal County Council and The Heritage Council. The booklet highlights the hand-held implements (such as spades, loys, rakes, sickles and flails) and horse-operated implements (such as swing ploughs, drill ploughs, harrows, seed drills, reaping machines and threshing machines) used in farming in the county. Senator Harte Senator O’Domhnaill The mechanisation of Senator Harte, the son of former TD Paddy Harte, secured 70 first agriculture and the preference votes and placed fourth in the voting out of 35 candidates conservation of Donegal’s with nine seats up for grabs.