The Wee Paper

21/07/2025

The Fest.

Here we go again . The excitement is building to yet another Clonmany Festival which every year seems to grow bigger and bigger. Who would have thought that over 50 years ago, when this small town’s people got together, this would grow to an international event.
This festival had been a springboard event for many of the big stars on the Irish and international country scene.
The diaspora love it , travelling from Australia, USA, UK and even Kerry.

Promotional Notice

The Festival in 2025 will take place from August 3rd to 10th in Clonmany, County Donegal. It's a week-long celebration featuring live music, dance, and various family-friendly activities. The festival is known for its open-air concerts with top Irish bands, daytime events , pet shows, talent competitions, and overall, a week of fun and entertainment for the whole family.

Not to be missed is the superb Agricultural Show, a two day event that spans from Show jumping, food stalls, fashion shows and of course the now famous Sheep-sheering spectacle.
Oh , did I mention the Sheepdog Trials, a must see for the canine enthusiasts and green wellie fashionistas.

Get your left-one down there.

Noel King, July 2025

14/07/2025

Keeping the Main Street Open

Every town has or had customs that earmark its characteristic. The town of Buncrana, being no exception, carries on with the tradition of the
“gents barbers”.
The good old days were graced with the skills of Jack Cutliffe, George Butler and Peter McGowan.These men, long gone, catered for the needs and grooming of scholars, gentlemen and farmers alike.
Maybe this is not “politically correct” but who cares. Does everything have to be so censored and so boringly appropriate today, touché.

Up the Main Street of Buncrana is the cosy little barbers run by Liam Smith. There is one thing for sure, you will never be bored as the puns and craic in that establishment are mighty. Liam’s prices are fair and reasonable, but the banter, that’s priceless.
From tall stories to ego bashing, you’re not going to leave without a good old belly laugh. Getting your hair cut or your beard trimmed, incidental, getting a run down on the local shenanigans, yes you’ve come to the right place.
Liam is a folklorist and meanders his way through old local history and family connections while making sure you get the job you came in for done.

Liam is not a stylist, he’s a man with style.

Noel King, July 2025

10/07/2025

Racist Culture

In society, hate finds a way of expressing itself disguised in songs, poetry, dance and the popular media.
Hate and fear go hand in hand; the antidote to both is love, awareness, education and understanding.

In Ballymena and other parts of N.I. we see hate and fear on display in abundance this week.

Last week on the train to Belfast, We met Billy (his real name), he expressed the pride he felt in his home town of Londonderry, and he was going up to Belfast for a rehearsal for the upcoming Big Day. He was proud of his culture, and he justified violence as a means of preserving it. He did not sound like a man who hated anybody.
He admitted that on that day they would be operating outside the law as they would be displaying paramilitary regalia.
He boasted that they would have people there to safeguard the pipe band that he would be part of.
He said that they were “prepared for peace and ready for war”

We talked about the “Ballymena Incident” of a few weeks ago, where people were burned out of their homes, which he applauded.

I have no doubt that if William had been given a higher level of education in life, he would have more opportunities to improve himself and his interests would be well above the activities that he was now engaged in. (which he was well respected for in his community)

Growing numbers of people are finding RACISM as a means of expressing their anger and frustration with the governments on both sides of the border.

The divide between rich and poor is growing daily, and it is felt by the have-nots, who are finding a way of fighting back through racism. (unfortunately)

The “Fat Cats” in Stormont and Dublin are ushering in a backlash to their cronyism and corruption, just like the reaction to the “Clinton Cronies” in the US.

Tony Grant, July 2025

05/07/2025

More Choice

The modern liberal Catholic Church dominates the Primary and Post-primary educational system in Buncrana and many Catholics are not happy about that.

Some of them would prefer a more conservative doctrine to be taught in Catholic schools; they express opposition to this modern and liberal form of education.

They would like more choice in the educational system, and they feel that their needs and, more importantly, the needs of their children are not being met under the present system.

There are other parents in the town who would like to see more choice in the local schools for their children because their children’s needs are not being met, either because of the monopoly of the Catholic Church over the educational system in the town.

Buncrana has now developed into a modern liberal society, and the people demand choice in all things, and that includes education.

A variety of schools need to be considered when planning the "New School's Campus" for Buncrana. We need to plan for the future development of the town and its people.

A more conservative Catholic school, along with a liberal Catholic school, is required to give choice to parents and a Multi-denominational school is also required to reflect the true nature of the practices and beliefs of the people in the town.

At present, there is not enough choice in the educational system to provide personal growth and to allow children to reach their full potential.

Many children are being stifled in school because the present system does not meet their needs, and also, these schools just don’t cut it for many more.

Tony Grant, July 2025

03/07/2025

"Paddy Last" AGAIN !

Donegal County Council came last again, nothing unusual about that, you may say.

They came last out of the 31 Councils in the country for the provision of social housing last year, which is all the more shocking because of the “ Mica” defective blocks debacle in the county.

How did the council become so much out of touch with the reality of the housing needs in the county, and why are they the worst in the country at their jobs?

Is it laziness or stupidity that puts them at the bottom of the list?

We need to know the reason for the failure, so that we can fix it next year.

Social Housing League Table
Position out of 31
31
Local Authority
Donegal
New Homes Target - 534
Delivered - 248
Result - 46% FAIL

We need a Council that delivers for the people.

Tony Grant, July 2025

02/07/2025

Doctors Under Attack

Tonight at 10pm on Channel 4 (Wednesday 2nd July) Doctors Under Attack, the documentary will be shown.

www.channel4.com/programmes/gaza-doctors-under-attack

Tony Grant, July 25

A forensic investigation into Israeli military attacks on hospitals in Gaza

01/07/2025

Van Morrison

Music lovers will love this story of the day out from Buncrana to Belfast to see, among other things, the house where Van Morrison lived from 1945 to 1961. So he was 16 years old when he flew the nest, very early, like a lot of us working-class boys in the 60's.
We walked up and down Hyndford Street and soaked up the atmosphere. we chatted to a few teenagers on the street, but they had never heard of him. "Come on, Van the man, have you never heard of him?" Naw came the reply.
There you go, you have to be of a certain age to know about Van the Man.
We were now in the middle of East Belfast, formerly known as the industrial heartland of Belfast, which boasted the largest rope factory in the world. We were soaking up the atmosphere amongst the red and blue.
"My mama said, not every day is like this."
Tony Grant, June 2025

23/06/2025

It's Squeaky Bum Time

The nations of the world must stop spending our resources on war machines.
We must call upon our leaders to invest more time and effort in the non-proliferation of weapons.

Stop wars
Stop war preparations
We are heading towards extinction exponentially
Without weapons, we remove the threat and the power of despots.

Ireland is increasing its War budget to
1.5 billion, which is half its allocation to fix MICA/ DEFECTIVE BLOCKS

One American Stealth Bomber costs a staggering 2.4 billion

Yes, you have read it right!!!!!!!

One bomber 2.4 billion

When we close our eyes
When we fail to despise
When we allow evil to prevail
When we are disconsolate and stale

Living in the meta verse
distracted
Dying in your failure to engage
Dispensing with our obligations
To voice our disapproval
We are killers

Quote Bernie Sanders:

“Supporting Netanyahu’s war against Iran would be a catastrophic mistake. President Trump must work with the international community to rein in Israeli PM Netanyahu and urgently push for a diplomatic solution to end the fighting with Iran.”

Quote Jeremy Corbyn:

“The world could have stopped the genocide in Gaza.
Israel’s reckless strikes on Iran are the product of that impunity. They represent a shameful failure of global leadership. They pose a threat to the safety of humankind worldwide."

We are all human beings on one planet. Surely that is enough to try and bring about a world of peace.

“Peace Now”

Noel King, June 2025

21/06/2025

Coffee Wars

The selling of coffee has reached fever pitch in Buncrana, with many, many outlets jumping on the bandwagon (pun intended) to cash in on the present-day obsession with coffee.

Many people can’t go for a walk without carrying a paper cup and sipping as they stroll along.

The €1.99 cup of coffee will surely shake things up as a new competitor enters the market.

Paper cups should come with a health warning, as they are lined with plastic. When a hot beverage enters the cup, microplastics containing “forever chemicals” are released and enter the body.

One or two cups of coffee a day is recommended as being good for your health, when consumed in an ordinary cup or mug, but certainly not from a toxic paper cup. Yuk.

It is recommended that you bring your own safe drinking mug when you want to enjoy that satisfying and refreshing drink of coffee.

Tony Grant, June 2025

17/06/2025

Move On.............

Rebecca Brown, aged 21 when she died as a result of being hit by a Garda patrol car at Ludden on The Derry Road, Buncrana on 21st May 2023.

Two years on from the tragedy, the full disclosure of the facts in this case has not been revealed.

The family of Rebecca are still waiting for the truth of the circumstances of her death.

Investigations inside the Gardai on the circumstances surrounding the case are continuing but how long does it take to investigate a case like this with so few people involved.

Rumours abound as a result of the secrecy and a bizarre video on social media that resulted after a member of the public went to Buncrana Garda Station and asked questions relating to the case, ongoing push-backs continue by the Gardai when questioned by the family and members of the public.

Is this going to be another case where the Gardai refuse to cooperate with the family of Rebecca and wait for years for a call for a public inquiry and then an apology in the Dail “for the hurt caused” as was the case recently in Monaghan.

This is a mark of Authoritarianism.

In a democracy, justice must not just be done, but it must be seen to be done.

The people can see no justice here and the Gardai seem to be saying “Nothing to see here”

Tony Grant, June 2025

15/06/2025

Father

We all have vivid memories of our childhood, of one kind or another. My stand-out recollection is the hill, the bog, the turf.
There was nothing more ethereal than lying back on the heather, and gazing at a boisterous lark as it rose elegantly into the bright blue summer canopy. A boiled egg and a cup of tea flavoured with the bog water, was the essence of quintessence, or to put colloquially, “great stuff sir”.

My father “cut and holed the turf” in one skilful action, a turf cutting style he brought from Galway. I was in awe of his strength and determination. Sweat dripping from his snout, sun beating down, he’d exclaim, “We’ll be glad of them in the winter”.
I wish I had laughed more with him.
I wish now that I could have told him l loved him.
I just didn’t know that I did.
He was a soldier, l was a boy, no time for that old sissy stuff.
One hug now would mean so much.

Nmar, June 2025

11/06/2025

Government of Mass Distraction

This executive government's mismanagement of the increase in foreign nationals entering the country, from war-torn conflict areas, has polarised opinions and given opportunities to the rise of extremism and derision.

This executive government has not been honest with its citizens and is directed by the EU to carry out a set agenda.
Scant regard has been afforded to the concerns and needs of this nation.

Compounding the mayhem that ensues from a large influx of displaced people without proper planning, and the decades-long failure to invest in infrastructure, this administration has already created a massive housing shortage, health services shortages, and the depletion of other local services, which in turn have exacerbated social disarray.
Many of these people are forced to live in inhumane conditions while the “fat cats” make millions and grease the coffers of their big political buddies.

Pointless flag flying and calls for “close the borders” by fear-mongering agitators, are setting a dangerous precedent that will contort future generations and destroy the heart of our friendly nation, which had earned respect in the world for our generosity, dignity and international peace efforts.

Our political choices have been abysmal. We have returned the same neo-liberal government again and again.
Leading up to the Election, they drip-fed handouts by way of bonuses, and people fell for it hook, line, and sinker.
“Oh yes you did”

What were you expecting?
You gave the green light for more of the same!

Quote: Mahatma Gandhi

“If you want change then YOU must be the change”

Our protest must be against the executive government that sits in Dáil Éireann .

Focus on the real issue!!!!!!

Mica/ Defective Block humanitarian crisis mishandled and ignored.

Cancer services in the North East of the country abysmal.

Increase in cost of living, cost of food through the roof.

The list is endless.

Noel King, June 2025