Monthly Archives: June 2006

Congratulations, Cllr Ciaran Brogan

Last night saw the AGM of Letterkenny Town Council, and the end of my term as Mayor. Councillor Ciaran Brogan was elected to the position, and Cllr Dessie Larkin was elected Deputy Mayor.

I’ve had a fantastic year as Mayor; I’ve been able to represent the town across the country (and abroad), and have been in a position to push the agenda of the town council. I detail more of this in my speech, which you can read here.

It’s also about a year since I started this website. I’ve been overwhelmed by the response and support it has received, both locally and across the internet. I’d like to thank Damien, Simon (1), Simon (2), James, Michele, Mick at Slugger O’Toole, Irish Election, United Irelander and all those who have linked to the site over the year. I’ve also spent a lot of time on the North West discussion board at boards.ie, which has a very high standard of Donegal-focussed debate.

My year as Mayor has been, by times, controversial, interesting and frustrating, but it has always been very rewarding. I’ve learned an awful lot this year, and I hope I can continue to serve the people of Letterkenny long in to the future.

Thank you to everyone who has helepd me throughout this year. Your continued support is very much appreciated!

Celtic Cross & Cathedral Car Park

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Last week, in one of my last official acts as Mayor, I officially launched the environmental improvements at the Cathedral Car Park, the centre-piece of which is the new Celtic Cross (which was the source of much controversy earlier this year, more info here).

More photos here

The cross is an absolutely stunning piece of work, towering over an area which has seen huge improvements over the last three years. It was a great honour to officially unviel the cross, and launch the new car park. This area of the town is an area the Council are very proud of, and rightfully so. In my speech, I paid particular tribute to all the council staff who have worked on the project, between designing, planning and building.

Redmond Herrity is an exceptionally talented artist and sculptor, and this piece will be a testament to his skill for many decades to come. If you’re in Letterkenny, check it out (it’s located outside the Cathedral, which can be seen from all around the town).

Dinny McGinley announces retirement from Politics

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Fine Gael look set to pin their hopes on Ardara based Cllr. Terence Slowey in their bid to retain a Dail seat in the Donegal South-West constituency at the next general election.
On Wednesday, Deputy Dinny McGinley announced that he will not be standing next time.
The news came as a surprise to many people, especially as McGinley has been very vocal on a number of issues in recent weeks.
Source: Letterkenny Post

Best wishes to Dinny McGinley on his retirement. I’ve met Dinny a number of times at events across the County, and have always found him to be a first-class public representative and a genuine gentleman. He’s also been quite the thorn in the side of Fianna Fail during the term of this Government!

This all leads to make the situation in Donegal South West very interesting. Fine Gael meet on Sunday (June 11th) to select their candidates. Much talk will focus on how this impacts on Sinn Fein’s Pearse Doherty, and who Fine Gael will put up to attempt to retain their seat. Fine Gael have yet to decide on whether they will run one or two candidates in Donegal SW, a decision which will certainly impact on the race.

Most speculation points to Cllr Terence Slowey taking the nomination. Slowey is indeed very popular, and is another very genuine person. I would wish him every success. If Fine Gael look to run two candidates, that opens the interesting prospect of a young candidate, with (County) Councillor Barry O’Neill and (Town) Councillor Brendan Travers both seeking the nomination. These Councillors, both in their early twenties, both from Ballyshannon and both elected in 2004, have performed strongly in polls to date.

From this distance, it would seem that O’Neill has the edge. But I wouldn’t rule out Travers yet; any time you can get a father and son team elected to the same authority, it’s clear you have a hard working team on your hands.

Update: Fine Gael are running one candidate. It’s Terence Slowey, who beat Barry O’Neill, Brendand Travers and David Morrow at the convention last night.

New Street Signage for Letterkenny

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It was once said to me that “whoever put up the signs in Letterkenny, obviously knew where they were going”. It’s true to say that Letterkenny was very poor for signage, both directional and informational.

We’re trying to do something about that. We’re working to improve the directional signage for drivers at all the major junctions, and have commisioned over 100 new place name signs to be erected throughout the town. These signs have come out really well, and are starting to be erected around the town. Here’s an example, from Castle Street (which runs from the Cathedral to the top of the Market Square). This sign is located on the wall of the grounds of the Convent.

The signs are made from cast Iron, and are then hand painted. In particular, the Town Crest has come up really well. These signs should be appearing at all public spaces in the Town over the next few weeks.

I think they really match the character of the Town, in particular the area from the Cathedral to the Square, where the Town Council has been investing money to improve the area. On a side note, we should be officially unveiling the new Celtic Cross (yes, that Celtic Cross) at the Cathedral Car Park on June 21st.

Of course, not everything always goes perfect. It doesn’t take much to wreck a picture-perfect area of the town. In the interest of balance, this is the image that greeted me just beside where this new sign was located:

This would be annoying, and disgusting, at the best of times, but this is of course June, which means Tidy Towns judging. I’ll be in touch with the council first thing in the morning to try to get this sorted out. Letterkenny Town Council puts a lot of resources in to fighting litter throughout the year, so I would be confident this bin will be fixed quickly.

Update: I passed the bin above at 9:10 am the next day (Friday) and it has been repaired and cleaned perfectly. Many thanks to those involved from the council side. Quick to respond as ever!

Update: Here’s a photo from Brian McDaid, for the launch of the new signs

Cllr Damien Blake with Joe Gallagher, Michael McFadden, Raymond Shiels and John Buchanan, launching the new street signs.

Damien Blake

Web Developer & Political Junkie, Letterkenny, Co Donegal

Monthly Archives: June 2006

Congratulations, Cllr Ciaran Brogan

Celtic Cross & Cathedral Car Park

Dinny McGinley announces retirement from Politics

New Street Signage for Letterkenny

Donegal Adopts Ukraine?