Cathedral Quarter column: Summer flowers in Letterkenny (cloned)

One of the real strengths of our locality is the Tidy Towns floral display.

The flowers were initially prepared by Alcorns Garden Centre. The warm weather has contributed to the growth of the flowers, which is admired by the many visitors to the town. For our part, we take care of them as best we can and the same hot spell did present some challenges as the flowers had to be watered at least every second day.

We do have a water harvesting system in place thanks to Climate Change Funding from Donegal County Council. We have also weeded the top of the wall of Grieve’s field to allow the Nasturtiums, Sunflowers, Cosmos, Sweet Alyssums and Lobelia to bloom fully. These flowers were set, seeded and grown by the teaching staff and students of Errigal College alongside Tidy Towns and for this, we are very grateful.

The original Nasturtium seeds were sourced by Charlie Grant from Monet’s Garden, just north of Paris. We will be asking the residents and the businesses of the area to contribute towards the costs of the flowers. Similarly, we are very grateful to Letterkenny Community Development Programme for their recent donation. And as anyone who spends time on Church Lane will testify, these flowers help to create a wonderful ambience.

The Burnham Factor

It is not often that this column refers to national politics, never mind British politics, but I am interested in the appointment of Andy Burnham to the office of British Prime Minister, especially his plan to give the regions more power. He has started the ball rolling by creating No 10 North.

As students of Irish History will know, when this country got independence, its model of governance was completely based on the British Civil Service and has changed very little since. So much so that Ireland is one of the most centralised countries in Europe; only Russia is less inflexible. Many of our problems in Donegal can be traced back to the fact that those who are making decisions that affect us the most have never set foot here.

The Government has made noises about giving more power to the Municipal Districts, but the proof will be in the pudding. In our experience, our biggest obstacle to progress is the Government itself and the fact that Ministers and Senior Civil Servants are clueless about Community Development. So in this case, we really should take a leaf out of Britain’s book and empower the regions.

Heritage Week

The most important week in our calendar is always Heritage Week, which takes place from Saturday, 15th August to Sunday, 23rd August. We will be holding three separate events during the week – the Cathedral Quarter Jaunt, Office Open Day and Traditional Skills Day.

Donegal Heritage Week was launched in the County Museum last week. We were delighted to attend and pick up decorations which will be put up for the events. It is great that other groups in Letterkenny put on their own events. Last year one of our events clashed with Letterkenny Community Heritage Group, and when we found out, it was too late to change it. This year we have co-ordinated so there will be no clashes.

Rosemount Resident Association is holding a traditional Raking Evening with stories, songs and good neighbours on Saturday, 15th August from 7pm to 9pm. Letterkenny Community Heritage Group is unveiling a World War One Memorial on Wednesday evening, and they will be hosting a Guided Stroll through the Foot of the Town on the Friday evening. Keep your eye for the various events and catch one if you can.