Eyes of country on Inishowen

The eyes of the country are on the business people of Inishowen, a meeting in the peninsula has been told. A substantial majority of the 150 people, who were invited to sign a petition calling for a “Task Force” to be set up to deal with the region’s “economic crisis,” voted in favour of a threat to sage a “rates strike,” despite warnings such action would be illegal. Last Thursday night’s hastily-arranged gathering of the peninsula’s business owners by the Ballyliffin Development Group is believed to be the first of his kind and those in attendance were told the rest of the country was eagerly awaiting its outcome. Elected representatives on Donegal County Council - Bernard McGuinness (Fine Gael), from Culdaff, Rena Donaghey (Fianna Fail), Buncrana, and Marian McDonald (Fianna Fail), Moville - along with election candidates Nicholas Crossan (Independent), Buncrana, Michael Doherty (Fine Gael), Quigley’s Point, Charlie McConalogue (Fianna Fail), Carndonagh, Sean Ruddy (Sinn Fein), Carndonagh, Martin Farren (Independent), Moville and Batty Connell (Independent), Moville, addressed the gathering, as did Buncrana Town Councillor Paul Bradley. Also in the attendance were Cllr. Daren Lalor and Ciaran McGuinness, Sinn Fein candidates in next month’s Buncrana Town Council election. During an “open floor” debate, speakers congratulated the Ballyliffin Development Group, organisers of the meeting and vented their anger and frustration at their elected representatives. All who spoke revealed how their businesses were struggling in the current economic climate and backed the call for “special circumstances” to be afforded to Inishowen. Planners, the “high” minimum wage rate along with funding cutbacks to farmers, the construction of the new Harry Blaney Bridge at Mulroy, dubbed “the bridge to nowhere,” were among the issues brought to the fore. Those from the construction sector hit out at how local builders and suppliers had been prevented from tendering for public building works at several sites across the peninsula. The meeting also heard how Donegal Council organised a free bus to take the peninsula’s elderly on a shopping trip to Derry. Those who spoke from the floor included Hugo Boyce and Denis Coyle (both Clonmany), Jim McLaughlin (Muff), Brian Flanagan (Buncrana), Frank Faulkner (Moville), Paddy McLaughlin (Buncrana Chamber of Commerce), Sinn Fein Buncrana Town Council election cadidate Ciaran McGuinness and Michael Doherty (Carndonagh). The majority backed a proposal to threaten to withhold rate payments despite being advised by Fine Gael Cllrs. Bernard McGuinness and Paul Bradley that such action was illegal.