Autumn Family Festival At Glenveagh

Saturday 29th to Monday 31st October 2011

Saturday 29th October

Family Derrylahan Walk, snacks & autumn art at the Log Cabin @10am, Booking Essential
Harvest Glen Walk with Fireside Storytelling, Music & light refreshments @ 1.30pm. Suitable for children over 8. Booking Essential.
Children’s Storytelling, Birds of Prey, Traditional Music & Dance. (All Events at the Castle from 12noon – 4pm, Free of charge, no Booking required)

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Sunday 30th October

Family Day at the Park (Two families for the price of One)
Family Derrylahan Walk, snacks & autumn art at the Log Cabin @10am, Booking Essential
Harvest Glen Walk with Fireside Storytelling, Music & light refreshments @ 1.30pm. Suitable for children over 8. Booking Essential.
Harvest Time Crafts & Craft Demonstrations ranging from The Weaver & his Spinning Wheel, Creel Making, Crochet Making, Woodturning, Rushes & Straw Craft, Glass Painting & much more.
(All Craft Events will be at the Visitor Centre from 12noon – 4pm, No Booking required & Demonstrations are Free of Charge).
Children’s Storytelling & Entertainment, Birds of Prey, Traditional Music, Dance & Song at the Castle from
12noon – 4pm (No Booking required & Free of Charge)
Food Stalls presented by the Glenveagh Restaurant & Castle Tearoom in the Restaurant at the Visitor Centre from 12noon – 4pm.

Bank Holiday Monday 31st October

Family Day at the Park (Two families for the price of One)
Family Derrylahan Walk, snacks & autumn art at the Log Cabin @10am, 12noon & 2pm. Booking Essential
Harvest Time Crafts & Craft Demonstrations ranging from The Weaver & his Spinning Wheel, Creel Making, Crochet Making, Woodturning, Rushes & Straw Craft, Glass Painting & much more.
(All Craft Events will be at the Visitor Centre from 12noon – 4pm, No Booking required & Demonstrations are Free of Charge).
Children’s Storytelling & Entertainment, Birds of Prey, Traditional Music, Dance & Song at the Castle from
12noon – 4pm (No Booking required & Free of Charge).
Food Stalls presented by the Glenveagh Restaurant & Castle Tearoom in the Restaurant at the Visitor Centre from 12noon – 4pm.

Festival Finale

“Next Parish Amerikay” a play by local performers will commence at the Visitor Centre at 3.30pm on Monday 31st October. (Bookings will taken on the day at the Visitor Centre reception desk.)
Deer Rut Theme Ranger Guided walk from the Visitor Centre @ 5pm – 7pm. Suitable for all children over 5yrs. Booking Essential

For more information or for Bookings Contact
Tel:+00 353 (0)74 9137090 EXT 3609 OR (0)74 9137698
Office hours Monday – Friday 8am – 4.30pm
Email: glenveaghbookings@ahg.gov.ie
http://www.glenveaghnationalpark.ie/OctoberEvents.htm

More information about Glenveagh National Park

12th October – Donegal Today

Wednesday 12th October in County Donegal. Check out the video of a Peugeot 508 test drive which showcases Donegal’s scenery. Greencastle has just taken delivery of a new lifeboat and news of an upcoming food event in Inishowen. In the twitter feeds below you’ll also find a link to a superb hdr image of Fanad Lighthouse.

News Stories

Derry Journal > Greencastle gets new lifeboat

 

Top Gear Donegal

(not really but sort of) in Donegal with Peugeot 508
 

 
 

Donegal on Twitter Today

[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/#!/whatsondonegal/status/124032820451610624″]
[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/#!/whatsondonegal/status/124051690117808128″]
[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/#!/donegalcottages/status/124054386640039936″]
[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/#!/donegalcottages/status/124085766497374208″]
[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/#!/whatsondonegal/status/124086628389101568″]

Big Auction in Creeslough on Sat 15th October

There is expected to be strong interest in the sale of over 600 lots going under the hammer in a public auction in Creeslough next weekend.

Listed items include a diverse range of objects ranging from art, furniture, plant machinery, antiques, classic cars and house hold items.

The sale is billed as a “Household and Yard Clearance Auction”

On Thursday and Friday the lots will be open for viewing between 2pm to 8pm and the auction will be held on Saturday staring at 11am with car parts and plant machinery being sold at 5pm.

Auctioneers Charlie Robinson Ltd, stated that the sale includes car parts, plant machinery, furniture, collectables, antiques, paintings, prints, household items, old farm machinery. builders equipment; plant and materials, vehicles; classic Cars and have added that some items have asking prices.

Contact Charlie Robinson
+353 74 9136555
dunfanaghy@robinson.ie

Full details at www.brayauctions.com

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11th October – Donegal on Twitter Today

Here is a roundup of the top Donegal related twitter posts (2 relate to our neighbours in NI). Well done to The Mill Restaurant in Dunfanaghy on winning “Hideaway of the Year” at the Georgina Campbell awards in Dublin and to Joanne Sweeney as she flies the flag for Donegal on TV3’s version of the Apprentice.

[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/#!/whatsondonegal/status/123734093929250816″]
[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/#!/JSmediabox/status/123747497792372736″]
[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/#!/whatsondonegal/status/123791237558976512″]
[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/#!/TheRedDoorFahan/status/123758745640632321″]
[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/#!/donegalcottages/status/123717325160591360″]
[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/#!/Failte_Ireland/status/123712209573515264″]
[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/#!/DGFTaverns/status/123678808795656192″]
[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/#!/Derryvisitor/status/123669198634352641″]
[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/#!/HighlandNews/status/123665688761085952″]
[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/#!/bbcnireland/status/123645740030504960″]

The Mill Restaurant Dunfanaghy “Hideaway of the Year”

Congratulations to the Mill Restaurant, Dunfanaghy on winning “Hideaway of the Year” at annual Georgina Campbell awards cermony on Tuesday 11th October 2011. The Restaurant has an idyllic location on the shores of New Lake on the outskirts of Dunfanaghy – a place which has become a haven for seabirds in recent years and is now a special area of conservation.

The Mill Restaurant Dunfanaghy

The Mill Restaurant Dunfanaghy

T: +353 (0)74 9136985
W: www.themillrestaurant.com

The restaurant itself is a split level room overlooking the New Lake. It is a small friendly restaurant offering a relaxing but efficient service. Dinner is served between 7pm and 9pm, Tuesday to Sunday. The dinner menu changes every 4-6 weeks using fresh local produce in season. Derek and his small team produce food with a modern Irish flavour, with an emphasis on local seafood and shellfish…. more details and photos

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Donegal and Derry Showcase in Boston as hubs of Creativity and Culture

Golden Bridges Boston

Golden Bridges Boston

Donegal and Derry will showcase as hubs of creativity and culture at the annual Golden Bridges events in Boston, hosted by the Irish Echo newspaper, in Boston on 10-11 November.

Among the high-profile American participants will be Senator Therese Murray, President of the Massachusetts Senate, House of Representatives Majority Whip Charles Murphy and award-winning entrepreneur Frank Reynolds.

Among those pitching for Donegal and Derry will be County Donegal Mayor Cllr Noel McBride, Derry hotelier Garvan O’Doherty and Barry Henderson of Clinical Translational Research and Innovation Centre (C-TRIC) at Altnagelvin.

The events will build on the success of the Gateways to Tomorrow conference in Boston in 2009 which spotlighted Northwest Ireland to a new generation of Irish American leaders in the Boston area. This year’s events will kick off with a Showcase Seminar at the prestigious Seaport Hotel on Thursday 10 November which is being backed by the two leading Irish American business associations in Massachusetts, the Boston Irish Business Association and the Irish American Partnership.

On 11 November, visitors from Ireland will be guests of honour at business breakfast at the University of Massachusetts Lowell before returning to Boston for the annual Golden Bridges awards luncheon. As part of the Veterans Day celebration, Gerry Adams will take part in “A Conversation with Kevin Cullen” of the Boston Globe during the lunchtime celebration. This will be Adams’ first visit to Boston since he became TD for Co. Louth.

Events will conclude with a Roundtable hosted by Rep Eugene O’Flaherty in the State House that afternoon.
Irish Echo President Máirtín Ó Muilleoir says he hopes the engagement will boost tourism, investment, trade and partnerships between Northwest Ireland and Massachusetts. “I hope we can build on this initiative to bring the biggest delegation to Northwest Ireland from Boston in a decade this coming year, followed by a major initiative from Boston towards the Derry City of Culture 2013 initiative.”

[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/#!/whatsondonegal/status/123715305049559040″]

Riverdance’s Moya Doherty at Magee

Moya Doherty at Magee

Moya Doherty at Magee

Wednesday 12th October 8pm
Great Hall – Magee University
Nothland Road, Derry
Tel: (028) 7167 545

Admission is free and everyone is welcome

Moya Doherty’s career includes theatre, radio and television production and presentation, both in Ireland and internationally. She fronted a number of arts, features and documentary programmes for RTÉ Television and also for TV-AM, the British breakfast television network. She is an award-winning television documentary maker, having won a Jacob’s Award for her work on A Silent Scream. As Executive Producer Moya produced a number of charity telethons, the Eurovision Song Contest and the televising of the opening ceremony of the Special Olympics held in Ireland in 2001.
And here’s a quick reminder…

Global Irish Homecoming in 2013

Hopefully, County Donegal and other western counties are set for an upsurge in tourist numbers leading up to 2013.

A global Irish “homecoming” which has been billed as the biggest tourism initiative ever staged in Ireland has been unveiled.
 

 
The Gathering will be a year-long event in 2013 and the Government is anticipating it will attract as many as 325,000 extra visitors into Ireland.

Such a spike in visitor numbers would add another €220 million to the Irish economy.

Unveiling the Gathering at the Global Irish Forum in Dublin Castle, the Minister for Tourism Leo Varadkar described it as an “invitation to the world to come and join in Ireland’s renewal”.

The initiative has come from Fáilte Ireland, whose chief executive Shaun Quinn has described it as a “compelling vehicle” to tap into the wider Irish diaspora.

Every town and village in Ireland will be asked to participate in the Gathering which will be aimed first of all at the Irish diaspora, then people with an interest in Ireland and people at home.

A renewed interest in Irish roots, particularly following the publication of the 1901 and 1911 censuses, will also be accommodated during the Gathering.

The Gathering will be organised around a series of festivals, both existing and new.

County and city managers will be the key enablers for the programme supported by Fáilte Ireland’s destination project managers and regional teams.

The programme will be formally launched on St Patrick’s Day and a number of special events will take place at that time leveraging high-profile people from Ireland.

There will be a strong emphasis on promoting the event through social media with a view to creating a buzz about the events.

Tourism Ireland will lead the promotion of the Gathering abroad while Fáilte Ireland will promote it at home.

Former Irish diplomat Dr Tim O’Connor will chair the board overseeing the event.

He said: “In order to succeed. the Gathering will be the last word in joined-up thinking. It will require the input of every agency and every parish and its success is ultimately down to us.”

More Details: www.worldirish.com

 
 

Mental Health Week in Donegal

World Mental Health Week runs from 10th – 16th October and this year a variety of events will take place throughout Donegal, Sligo, Roscommon, Leitrim, Clare, Mayo and Galway to highlight the importance of positive mental health.

Mental Health Week in Donegal

Mental Health Week in Donegal

 

The theme for the week is ‘Building Resilience Together’.

According to Bill Vaughan, Mental Health Ireland ‘resilience is about the ability to ‘bounce back’ from difficulties and have the strength to change and adapt to new circumstances.’

He said: “Considering that we are all facing more and more challenges it is vital that we practice ways to build our resilience. That way we can maintain good mental health even in the face of difficulties.”

World Mental Health Week provides an opportunity to show case initiatives promoting mental health in the county. Anne Sheridan, Mental Health Promotion officer, HSE said: ‘Many groups and organisations around the county are doing fantastic work in the area of positive mental health. There is no doubt that it is a major concern in communities at the moment and the array of events during this week will certainly put the spotlight on the many ways in which community, voluntary and statutory services can provide support.”

She added: “I am particularly thrilled to see the work going on in a number of schools this week because schools are an important place for young people to learn the skills for good mental health”

One of the week’s events will involve Donegal Youth Council developing postcards with ‘tips to unwind your mind’ for distribution around the county.

Marie Duffy from Donegal Youth Council said: “It is great to see young people taking an active role in promoting positive mental health in their schools. Promoting positive mental health is a top priority for Donegal Youth Council and they have been working hard to reduce the stigma associated with it.”

In Galway, the Mental Health Association of Ballinasloe is organising a free Trialogue Meeting in Haydens Hotel, Ballinasloe from 7pm – 8.30pm. A Trialogue is a facilitated circle of conversations that offers people unique opportunities to freely and safely share their own experiences, stories or questions about mental health. More details from Gerry Blake, HSE West on 087 418 3139.

In Clare there will be a range of interesting events to attend, such as ‘Laughter Yoga’ at An Grianán Resource Centre which will take place on the 10th Oct.

So, whether it is going for a walk or listening to a talk… a cup of tea and a chat, or yoga on a mat …laughter at your lunch, or joining a new bunch – do something to acknowledge Mental Health Week …. you’re worth it !