Category: Eccentric

Donegal Democrat As he prepares to hand over the reins of power to the next generation at the Northern Ireland Assembly, it has emerged that First Minister and DUP leader the Rev Dr Ian Paisley plans to retire to Co Donegal. Paisley, 82, revealed in an interview that the idea of moving to Donegal grew…

A far-reaching decision at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg earlier this week could see landowners and householders through Donegal facing bills of several thousand euro each in displacement compensation as an unintended consequence of the verdict on a reparations case brought by the descendants of World War II refugees against the German…

A pensioner from the Connemara Gaeltacht has welcomed a decision from the Equality Authority supporting his complaint that directions on prescription medicine were not printed in the Irish language. Problems in reading English language directions resulted in 67 year old Brian Nolan being admitted to Galway University Hospital last year. Relatives of the man encouraged…

Is Northern Ireland a province? England and Scotland are Kingdoms, Wales is a Principality, and Northern Ireland is, um.. well… hang on a second… The Northern Ireland Constitution Act (1973) states that Northern Ireland is ‘part of Her Majesty’s dominions and of the United Kingdom.’ Hardly informative. Then there’s the Northern Ireland Temporary Provisions Act…

Irish Daily Star On Sunday 18 December 2005, while the rest of the country battled the pre-Christmas crowds to buy last minute presents, President Mary McAleese signed a law to finally end the 700 year old legal obligation that every citizen of Ireland should own a bow and arrow and practice archery. In autographing the…

Donegal Democrat, 8 July 2004 English placenames in the Gaeltacht will no longer have legal standing, if a draft order published by Gaeltacht Minister Éamon Ó Cuiv on Thursday 1 July is accepted. As a native of a Donegal Gaeltacht, this comes as a great relief to me. Not because I have any strong feeling…

Donegal Democrat When I originally wrote this piece, it was simply a way to fill a few hundred words in a weekly column. I wrote it, emailed it off, and thought no more of it. Last year, I found out it had come true. Someone out there really is making money off this idea. I’m…

Donegal Democrat Yer man approached me over a quiet pint in the pub last weekend. He had a look of quiet seriousness on his face that bespoke the gravity of his mission. “I liked your piece last week,” he said, parking himself in the seat beside me. “Oh grand, thanks. I was just so fed…

Donegal Democrat The Official picked up his pen, adjusted his spectacles, and looked over the man standing before him. The man sat uncomfortably; all too painfully aware of the poor first impression his ragged clothing and unshaven appearance gave. “Name?” “Padraig Mac Gabhainn” “Paddy, eh? What was that surname again?” “Mac Gabhainn.” “I see. And…