I hope to make the opening of the new unit at the Hospital today, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to, due to a heavy work load. Indeed, I was unable to make the Taoiseach’s last visit to Donegal for the same reasons (I was out of the county).

A sure sign that there’s an election in the air is the fact that Bertie is attending 15 functions in Donegal North East, and then travels to Donegal South West for the campaign launches for Pat The Cope Gallagher and Mary Coughlan.

From what I’ve found over the last few days, the following are the Waste Collectors to provide door-to-door Bin service for the Letterkenny area. I’ve listed them alphabetically. If there are any more, please contact me or leave a comment on this post.

• DM Waste Tel (074) 915 7189
• Donegal Waste Tel (074) 912 6719
• Ferry’s Refuse Tel (074) 955 1412

As far as I’m aware, all these companies provide both a standard refuse bin, and a kerbside recycling bin.

Some of the casual traders were mounting a legal challenge to the Bye-Laws we passed last year, on a technical point of law. They sought to have the Casual Trading Bye-Laws overturned, leaving no regulations in place for the times, locations and amount of traders on the streets in the town. Their legal challenge effectively meant that there were no regulations in place, as the Gardai were unable to enforce the Bye-Laws while the challenge proceeded.

The case was dealt with during last week’s sitting of the Court in Letterkenny. The challenge was rejected, meaning the Gardai will now be able to enforce the Bye Laws and that casual trading will now be regulated in Letterkenny for the first time.

It took a long time, a lot of consulation and substantial negotiation to get the Bye Laws agreed. When they were passed, most people involved seemed fairly happy; including the Chamber of Commerce, most casual traders, and traders on the Main Street. The legal challenge came out of the blue, and has caued real problems. I’m delighted it’s now sorted, and we can now see the law enforced in the town.

We’ve been working to ensure the Polestar be properly illuminated since it was first erected back in August ‘06. Letterkenny Town Council, the ESB and the artist, Locky Morris, have been working since then to ensure the artwork was lit properly. Rather than just pointing a few floodlights at it, there are now 12 smaller lights located around the base of the Polestar which shine upwards through the monument.

I went out last night to take some photos to put up here. I’m the first to admit that I don’t really know what I’m doing with my camera. For a start, I went out to take photos at night without a tripod. That did lead to one or two, ahem, interesting photos:

In the end, a combination of the 10 second delay on the camera, and the nearby bench seating, had to do the job. I’m very happy with how the photos came out- as I say, I don’t really know my way around a good camera yet.

I’ve put five photos in total in to my Flickr account, here’s the other three. Click on any of them to see the larger image:

Click here for more info on the Polestar

One group working to raise awareness of MRSA, and to seek solutions, is MRSA and Families. The group will be hosting a major conference in the Silver Tassie in Letterkenny on March 2nd and 3rd. They have a number of speakers lined up, including Dr Kevin Kelleher, the Assistant National Director of the HSE with responsibility for Population Health Protection, and Paul Bergervoet, Infection Control Director at Debenter Hospital in Holland.

Further information on MRSA and families is available from their website at wallofsilence.ie, and more information on the conference is available from Rosemary Cassidy. To contact Rosemary, email me and I’ll send you her address.

Update: MRSA will be discussed on tonight’s Late Late Show (Jan 19). MRSA and families will be represented.

Here’s another event to add to that list. Saint Eunan’s College is celebrating its One Hundredth Birthday with a weekend of events early next month. They’ve also launched a new website recently, which already has a huge amount of information on it and continues to grow every time I check it.

One of my proudest (and most surreal) moments as Mayor was returning to St Eunan’s to present the prizes at the Senior Prizegiving back in September of last year.

I got a lot out of my time in the College, as I’m sure most people who went there did. The College is very strong at Academic subjects, but it is exceptional at Extra-Curricular activities. I’m not just talking about Sport; the staff there dedicate their time to a wide range of activities, including foreign exchanges and after-school programmes in computers, drama and numerous other events throughout the year.

On a side note, I’ve just found the website for the Loreto Convent / College (who celebrated their 150th anniversary last year), but can’t see one for Colaiste Ailigh

Visitors to Letterkenny from this week, in particular those coming for the 2006 Fleadh Cheoil which is just getting underway, will be greeted by a new site when they come into the town.

The photo above shows the “Polestar” which has just been erected at the Port Bridge Roundabout (near the Mount Errigal Hotel, on the main approach road from Dublin, Derry, Belfast and Sligo directions). The sculpture is causing some debate locally, with people either loving it or hating it. Personally, I think it’s a stunning piece, and will make a great focal point on the entrance to the town. Full credit to the artist, Locky Morris from Derry, who has done some great work on it.

There’s not much information on the Internet about this new piece, so I’ve put some information about it here. If you have any questions, either send them to me or put them in the comments on this post.

Here’s some of the questions that are being asked locally, which I’ve answered as best I can:

Q – Who decided on this piece?
A – A committee of council officials and engineers decided after an open competition

Q – Who is paying for it?
A – The sculpture has been funded as part of the Government’s 1% Capital Arts Programme. When a major infrastructure project is undertaken, 1% of the budget is allocated for a public arts programme. In this case, Donegal County Council and Letterkenny Town Council have put together the allocations from a number of projects to do this, rather than doing several smaller projects.

Q – How much did it cost?
A – I understand this project has cost around E100,000.

Much of the criticism of this project has been based around a perceived “waste of money”. I defintely agree that E100,000 could be well spent by any of the schools, hospitals or voluntary groups in the county. I would also question the merit of some of the other projects that have been undertaken under this scheme (naming no names).

But the scheme exists, rightly or wrongly. Either the Council used the money like this, or it went unused. Giving those circumstances, I feel the Council(s) made a good decision to put together the different amounts of money to fund a major project like this.

Below is some background on the monument from a Press Release sent out to the Councillors.

According to the artist, the site for Polestar at Port Bridge has historically been an important intersection, where trade and goods were landed by boat and distributed by rail and road to the surrounding area. Although the transport has since evolved, today the site remains at the hub of Letterkennys dynamic expansion. Polestar will make direct reference to the sites rich history as a meeting point, reflecting in its structure and materials its heritage and at the same time provide an impressive landmark.

Although abstract in form its internal structure and logic is intended to make strong visual reference to the former railway line and bridge that once operated along this site. Polestar is to be orientated on a similar axis to the former bridge which sets up a visual dialogue with the old stone bridge supports. Its dynamic movement could be read as acting almost as a ghost image or presence abstractly suggestive of the former movement of trains along tracks through this part of the landscape.

Its visual language also points to local maritime history where Port Ballyraine would have seen the regular importation of timber to the building trade and also particularly the poles to carry out the “Electrification of Rural Ireland�? programme during the mid 1940s onwards. In that way it seeks to combine an almost rural industrial aesthetic with the organic. The transformation of these poles perhaps could represent the changes and developments in Letterkenny and the northwest over the years, in that way it could almost stand for the bringing of light.

According to the artist, the name Polestar, while playfully revealing its constituent material, also points to a celestial navigation system. This is a star to be steered by, something serving as a guide or axis of rotation. In that sense it uses the function of roundabouts here in microcosm. Its articulation and vertebration at once points to the heavens while reflecting on the circulation and movement of traffic here on earth. These normally earth-bound timber poles will be transformed to take them beyond the everyday. The artist believes this to be a rich dynamic statement that will hold its own as a new landmark within the Letterkenny

The artwork will be made with up of 104 large stout treated timber poles, each measuring approximately 300mm in diameter and 6.5 metres in length. Essentially the piece will be built from a series of very stable triangular sections bolted in galvanised steel. These sections will then in turn be bolted together in an interlocking pattern to give an extruded, circular, star-like configuration. It is likely to rise to 12 metres in height, be of a similar length, and have a breadth of six and a half metres. JC Warnocks, a Dery based firm were the Consulting Engineers on this project.

The artist, Locky Morris was born in Derry in 1960, where he continues to live and work. He studied in Belfast and Manchester. His work has been exhibited widely including Directions Out at the Douglas Hyde Gallery in Dublin 1987, the British Art Show touring Britain in 1990, New North 1990 and Strongholds 1991, both at the Tate Gallery in Liverpool, Kunst Europa in Germany in 1991, the XLV Biennale Venezia1992, L’Imaginaire Irelandais in Paris 1996, The Puffin Room in New York in 1998, the Ellipse Arts Centre in Washington in 2000, Something Else touring Finland in 2002/3, The Trouble with Talkies at the ADI space in London 2005, and is currently showing in the Dogs Have No Religion exhibition at the Czech Museum of Fine Arts in Prague. Throughout his career, his engagement with Derry City and its changing character has shaped his work, often showing in community centres and the street. For a number of years in the late nineties he concentrated solely on making music with his band Rare. In recent years he has been expanding his practice from object making to include text, sound and digital media. The recipient of numerous awards he has realised a broad range of public art projects.

PoleStar has been commissioned by Letterkenny Town Council and Donegal County Council utilising the Per cent for Art Scheme. This scheme was established by the Office of Public Works in 1978 and the Department of Environment in 1986 and allows 1% of the budget of capital projects (up to a maximum of €63,000) to be set-aside for a Public Art Project. Traditionally the monies were used to commission permanent sculptural pieces but national guidelines published in 2004 state that ‘Public Art’ can be of any form and can work within or across many art forms, such as visual art, dance, film, literature, music, opera, theatre and architecture and that works under the scheme can be of any duration, temporary or permanent. Donegal County Council’s Public Art Policy and Public Art Plan Making Shapes¹: Public Art in Donegal 2006 – 2010 are based on these guidelines where the vision is to put in place a programme that continues to support and encourage original, artistically ambitious and high quality public art, which aspires to international standards of innovation, imagination, excellence, contemporary arts practice and value for money, across all art form disciplines that will impact, charge, animate and connect with the public or local community. The delivery of the plan which will be managed by Ms. Terre Duffy, Public Art Manager with Donegal County Council, and will be launched at the end of September simultaneously with the Public Art Website.

Update: The Polestar has now been illuminated. Click here to see photos of the Polestar at night

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!

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).

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.

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.

The road is properly open- when the tape was cut, the road was opened to all traffic and will remain open, unlike some other road openings (I’m referring to some outside Donegal over the last few years).

But nothing ever passes off smoothly….

The photo above shows Sinn Fein councillors Gerry McMonagle (in Blue jacket) and Tony McDaid working to change a tyre on Cllr McDaid’s car. Tony had the dubious honour of having the first breakdown on the new road!

The Donegal Action for Cancer Care group (DACC) are hosting a major rally and demonstration here in Letterkenny on Sunday, May 14th at 2pm. The march is going from the Market Square to the Town Park, where there will be a rally with a number of speakers (no politicians though).

I have supported the campaign for Cancer Services here in Donegal before, both on this site (1, 2, 3) and in other places, and I will be supporting the march on Sunday.

Some reports in the local press are expecting up to 10,000 (this article from the Democrat has some details) to attend on Sunday, and numerous groups have rolled in to support the march. I believe that 10,000 is a reachable number, and I would call on anyone who can make it on Sunday to turn up.

The Gardai and Council have been working with the group, and the Quality Court hotel on the Main Street are giving their Multi Storey car park free for the use of the march.

There’s not really much more to say about this. Current provision, and current plans for provision for Cancer Services in Donegal are totally sub-standard. All we are asking for in Donegal is equality of service.

Update: This Highland Radio Article has details on the preparations, such as traffic restrictions and parking plans around the town.

We’re still waiting on the final details, but just to get the word out, plans are almost finalised for the first Letterkenny Comedy Fesitval, which takes place at the end of July (weekend of the 29th and 30th).

Daithi Ramsay (in An Grianan Theatre) has been working on this for a good few months now, and has a number of great acts lined up to play in different venues around the town (not just in the Theatre).

More details should follow, hopefully this week. This is another great event for what should be a big summer in Letterkenny, with the Donegal International Rally in June, Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann in August and the Letterkenny Reunion, at the start of August.

Update: Found online: Arj Barker is coming for the Comedy Festival, according to listings on his website.

Update: More acts found on their own websites: Emo Philips, Doktor Coca Cola McDonalds, PJ- Naked Camera and Kitty Flanagan

Update: Another act coming to Letterkenny: Brendan Burke

Update: The festival is officially being launched on Wednesday, June 21st. It will be called the Smithwicks Comedy On Tap festival. I’ve seen the draft programme, and it’s great. More details here as soon as all is confirmed.

Update: Line-up and listings are now available. Here’s some detail from the An Grianan theatre website:

Update: All tickets are now available from Ticketmaster, on this special page

Educate Together Schools are multi-denominational, parent-led schools with a strong focus on inclusion and bringing children of differing religious, cultural and social backgrounds together. After the development of Letterkenny in recent years, most people would agree that this new school is very welcome, and fills a real need locally.

Kathryn, together with a very hard working committee, have put a huge effort in to this project. They have more than 40 children registered to start in September, and are now working to finalise a location for the school. I’m sure they will be as succesful in that as they have been at every stage of this project.

Update: More information on Educate Together is available on their website.