Earlier today I was in St Eunan’s College to speak to a group of 3rd Year students, who are currently doing a project on local politicians as part of their CSPE class. I was asked to attend and speak to them by their teacher, Ms Doherty.

It went very well. I spoke primarily about the roles and responsibilities of a local Councillor, and the differences it meant being Mayor. I was very conscious of trying to discuss relevant issues to keep it interesting, so I discussed the position (and abilities) of the Councillors in relation to Planning Control, Economic Development, and recent issues of note like the Celtic Cross at the Cathedral Car Park.

I wasn’t sure what to expect; anyone who has either spoken to a class of 15 year olds, or been one of the 15 year olds when someone comes in to speak, will know that it has the potential to be either fantastic or to go the complete other way. I am very happy to say it went very well! The students were well briefed, and had some prepared questions which led to an active debate. The students were all very well clued-in, with plenty of questions to ask and many points to make. The session was very productive, and reflected well on the boys in the class and on their teacher.

The students were full of questions about local issues on the ground, and knew their stuff on any topics they were asking about. I’m sure we’ll be seeing plenty more young candidates coming forward in Letterkenny in the future elections!

Another round of updates on events or the last week or so…

• Cathedral Car Park: The issues regarding the Celtic Cross in the Cathedral Car Park have, for the most part, been resolved. I’ve added the details to the end of my original post on the issue, you can read them here. This story has generated huge media interest across the Country, so I am glad that we have been able to deal with it quickly and effectively.
• Congratulations to Gerry Davenport, who has been re-elected as President of the National Community Games movement. The Community Games is an outstanding organisation, touching every town and village in every part of Ireland, with up to 500,000 young people participating every year. I’d particularly encourage visitors from overseas to check out their website to learn more about the organisation; in essence, they provide a sort of “mini-Olympics” every year, with young people taking part in various sports at a local, county, provincial and then National level.
• Mayor’s Ball 2006: As officially announced at the last Council meeting, the 2006 Mayor’s Ball, which takes place on May 5th, will be benefetting the Donegal Hospice. Tables/Tickets will hopefully go on sale next week.
• The next meeting of Letterkenny Town Council takes place next Wednesday, March 8th, instead of Monday,March 13th
• We’ve been hit by some very severe weather recently, so I’d like to take this opportuniy to pay tribute to the Council Gritter drivers of both Donegal County Council and Letterkenny Town Council, who have gone to such lengths to keep our roads clear. Many have complained about the coverage, but it remains a fact that they cover a huge area, and keep the roads open for the vast majority of people in the County. It must also be remembered that these drivers are Council workers, who leave their families and home to ensure the roads are kept clear and safe for the rest of us.
• Last night (Thursday March 2nd), Letterkenny Town Council held a Civic Reception to honour Letterkenny Athletic Club and their winning Men’s National Marathon Championship team of Gary Crossan, Pauric McKinney and Martin Gormley. The reception went very well, and was attended by a host of current and former members of the Athletic Club, and their family and supporters.