Category: Old Donegal

The Tyrone Masters followed the path of their seniors this year by taking the All Ireland title last weekend.

The Red Hand’s over 40’s beat Dublin 2-9 to 1-8 in the final played in Longford.

The likes of Connor Gormley, Ciaran Gourley, Ryan McMeniman and Stephen O’Neill who were All Ireland winners during the golden era of Tyrone football in the noughties were part of the victorious side.

Clan NaGael man O’Neill become the first player to win every All Ireland title from underage through to masters.

Damien Leonard is part of the management team with Joe and Kieran Leonard and Eugene Bradley. Damien reflected on their success with Oisin Kelly:

A draft masterplan which will guide Letterkenny’s development for the coming years has been published today by Donegal County Council.

A public consultation will now take place on the Letterkenny 2040 Draft Masterplan, with the council saying the project is intended to imagine the future of the town centre to 2040 and beyond.

Donegal County Council says this plan will shape a compelling vision for the future of Letterkenny as the Regional Centre in the North West, attracting investment and identifying a series of projects to bring about a powerful social, economic and environmental transformation.

Opening the consultation process, Letterkenny and Milford MD Cathaoirleach Cllr Jimmy Kavanagh said this see the regeneration of Letterkenny town centre, with a number of creative and exciting ideas to make it a an attractive and vibrant place and position the town for future investment while responding to considerable challenges such as the climate crisis.

He’s urging the whole community to engage with the consultation process over the next 4 weeks.

The designers say the plan is centred around 4 principal concepts relating to Main Street, Pearse and Port Roads, green and blue infrastructure, and a town square and transport hub.

It is based on a previous consultation, with planners and the council saying the draft is heavily based on what they were told by the people.

More details at http://www.letterkenny2040.ie/

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Release in full –

Donegal County Council is pleased to open a public consultation process on the Letterkenny 2040 Draft Masterplan. Letterkenny 2040 is a process to prepare a Regeneration Strategy for Letterkenny town centre to identify ambitious priorities for it as an attractive, accessible and thriving place. It is a project to imagine the future of the town centre to 2040 and beyond and the public are invited to have their say.

This exciting project is funded by the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF), a flagship initiative of Project Ireland 2040 and match funded by Donegal County Council. The strategy is shaping a compelling vision for the future of Letterkenny as the Regional Centre in the North West, attracting investment and identifying a series of projects to bring about a powerful social, economic and environmental transformation. 

Opening the consultation process, Cllr Jimmy Kavanagh, Cathaoirleach of the Letterkenny and Milford Municipal District said, “I am delighted to see this strong regeneration focus on Letterkenny town centre and to bring the Draft Masterplan to the public to welcome feedback on the projects and ideas that have been included. The Draft Masterplan contains lots of creative and exciting ideas to enhance Letterkenny town centre as an attractive and vibrant place, positioning us for future investment while responding to considerable challenges such as the climate crisis”. He added, “I would encourage the whole community to engage with this consultation process over the next 4 weeks.”

The Draft Masterplan has been prepared by an award winning consultancy team led by urban design and regeneration consultants The Paul Hogarth Company and also comprising Hall Black Douglas Architects, WS Atkins Transport Consultants, AV Brown and Queens University Belfast. The Draft Masterplan is built upon what people said during the first consultation phase in February 2021.

Team lead and Director of The Paul Hogarth Company James Hennessey, said, “The Draft Masterplan is centred around 4 principal concepts relating to Main Street, Pearse and Port Roads, green and blue infrastructure and a town square and transport hub. By listening to the people of Letterkenny during the first phase of consultation and through our study of the town, we see huge opportunity to unlock the potential of the town centre. The Draft Masterplan shows how this can happen by creating and connecting more green space, restoring buildings, prioritising and enabling walking and cycling, repopulating the town centre as a great place for homes and as a result, making Letterkenny a go-to destination”.

Liam Ward, Director of Community Development and Planning Services added, “the publication of the Draft Masterplan is a key milestone to bring together all of the regeneration priorities for the town centre into one clear, visionary and exciting Strategy. It forms part of a wider programme of regeneration initiatives which are also enabled by the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund and which are being progressed in parallel. These include design and development of walking and cycling infrastructure, strategic land acquisition for the purposes of regeneration and, capital investment in the development of the Cathedral Quarter and the old Courthouse. Taken together, there is a clear momentum and many ambitious and game-changing opportunities for the future of Letterkenny as our strong Regional Centre in the North West City Region”.   

Sinead McCauley, Executive Planner of the Regeneration and Development Team of Donegal County Council said, “The community in Letterkenny has already played a key role in how the Draft Masterplan is emerging but it is still a work in progress. Critical to the success of Letterkenny 2040 will be the continued participation of local people and therefore we would like to hear from as many people as possible in relation to the Draft Masterplan. Following the Draft Masterplan, the project will develop more detailed design ideas for key regeneration sites and for further consultation in the New Year.

Get involved

There are lots of ways to get involved during Thursday 11th November to Thursday 9th December 2021:

View the Draft Masterplan consultation panels at the project website www.letterkenny2040.ie 
Complete the short online survey at www.letterkenny2040.ie
Email more detailed comments to letterkenny@paulhogarth.com by 9th December 2021.
Drop into the former A-Wear shop on Main Street, Letterkenny on Thursday 25th November, between 11am-6.30pm to view the consultation panels and talk to the team.
Keep up-to-date on Donegal County Councils Facebook and Twitter
Follow the project on Facebook @Letterkenny2040
Hashtag #letterkenny2040

A consultation event is also scheduled for schools on Friday 26th November at the former A-Wear shop. The team would love to hear from young people so if your school would like to take part, then please get in touch at letterkenny@paulhogarth.com

LYIT 2nd Year Gaelic Football. Photo @lyit.sportscentre

On the colleges front it was a good day all round on Wednesday for four LYIT sides.

Yesterday evening the three gaelic football teams were all victorious with the ladies leading the way beating DCU 4-13 to 3-8 at Corduff in Monaghan.

Aimee McIntyre, Eimear O’Neill, Claire Doherty and Amy Hyndman scored the goals for the Donegal side.

The Men’s 2nd Year footballers beat NUI Galway 2-15 to 0-11 at the Connacht Centre of Excellence.

Jack McSharry scored 2-5 and Keelan Dunleavy knocked over 4pts.

While the LYIT Fresher Men Gaelic Footballers had a comprehensive 4-25 to 0-4 victory over University Ulster Jordanstown in Convoy.

Cian Rooney scored a hat-trick and Fionnan Coyle scored the other goal.

And on Wednesday afternoon, The LYIT soccer men beat University Ulster 5-0 in Letterkenny.

The goals were scored by Institute boys Joel Bradley Walsh and Liam Walsh, Derry City’s Michael Harris and Finn Harps duo Adam McCaffrey and Stephen Doherty.

On Tuesday evening, the hurlers lost to University Ulster but it was another promising showing from the side with
Oisin Markey scoring 0-8 and and Brendan O’Boyle 1-1.

 

The parents association at Magherabeg National School is hoping to purchase land for a car park beside the school.

The school is on the N13 Letterkenny to Derry Road near Manorcunningham, and the risk posed by passing cars has been highlighted in a number of protests.

Parents Association Chair Emmet Murray says they have the money, and following legal advice they are now seeking planning permission.

He told Greg on today’s Nine til Noon Show that the development is a critical one……..

https://www.highlandradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/magherabeg1pm.mp3

The Health Minister says the Government is NOT considering asking people to go back to working from home.

25,000 cases were reported last week, which is the third highest since the pandemic began.

There were 513 patients with the virus in hospital last night with 88 in intensive care. At Letterkenny University Hospital, there were 14 patients with Covid being treated, down eight on the previous night’s figure. Two of those were in Intensive Care.

The National Public Health Emergency Team is meeting later to discuss if further measures are needed to address the high Covid rates, with reports that work arrangements were being considered.

But Stephen Donnelly says a reintroduction of working from home is not on the cards………

https://www.highlandradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/09donnelly-virus-clip-sr-2.mp3

Once again, Letterkenny University Hospital was the second most overcrowded hospital in the country this morning, with 51 admitted patients awaiting beds, 19 of them on Emergency Department trolleys.

There were 15 people awaiting beds in Sligo, six in the ED, giving a cumulative North West total of 66.

Latest INMO figures show there were 397 people waiting for beds at hospitals across the country this morning.

 

Dundalk were champions in 2019

Dundalk owners Peak-6 have sold the club to a local consortium.

The American investment firm took over in 2018, but their unpopular reign has soured in recent months.

Dundalk businessman Andy Connolly heads up the consortium that’s ousted Peak-6, along with sports tech firm, Statsports.

Dundalk currently lie sixth in the League of Ireland Premier Division, 27 points behind champions Shamrock Rovers.

Speaking on LMFM Sport with Colm Corrigan, former Dundalk first team Coach John Gill welcomed the change of ownership:
https://www.highlandradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/JOHN-GILL.mp3

FAI Junior Cup

The draw was made on Wednesday for the fourth round of the FAI Junior Cup, the first run of the national stage of the competition.

After their victory over Glengad United last Sunday, Kildrum Tigers will make a trip to Dublin to play Yellowstone Celtic.

The tie against the Leinster Senior League second tier side will be played on the weekend of the 28th November.

A Donegal Deputy is calling for data centres to pay pollution taxes.

A motion on rising costs and supply security for fuel and energy was debated in the Dail yesterday.

Speaking in the Dail, Deputy Pringle says has had constituents come to his Donegal office who have been waiting for more than two years to be awarded their SEAI grant.

Deputy Pringle believes that a tax on the centres would allow for more funding for such initiatives as increasing the fuel allowance and addressing the SEAI grant backlog………..

https://www.highlandradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/pringlepollution1pm.mp3

Letterkenny Gaels are celebrating 25 years and this weekend have two teams in the Junior Finals.

The Gaels will face off with Downings in the Junior A decider on Sunday afternoon at the O’Donnell Park in Letterkenny.

Having lost the final two years ago, Letterkenny Gaels are hoping to go one better this time around.

Downings were relegated in 2019 and missed out on promotion back to Intermediate losing in last years final to Convoy.

Tom Comack has been speaking with camps ahead of Sunday.

Manager Sean McBrearty and joint captain Darren Hunter:

Downings Manager Kevin Gallagher: