Community Notices Monday 9th October, 2017

Good Luck Eileen: The Oral Health Awards aims to recognise excellence and endeavour in oral care in Ireland and the UK, and Eileen is nominated for the Best Children’s Care and Best Community Initiative awards.  She is the founder of Smiley Eileey’s Oral Health Promotions, and she visits preschools and national schools across Donegal to educate kids on how to keep their pearly whites nice and healthy. She was contacted by the Irish Dentistry Magazine who asked her to do a feature, due to her oral health work with young children and of course her charity work to raise money for the local hospice but also to raise awareness of the importance of flossing to the Northwest. From that, a lady contacted her and advised her that she would be an ideal candidate for the Oral Health awards and was nominated. She then received a phone call weeks later to inform her that she had been shortlisted in two categories.  Eileen will now attend the awards ceremony on the 17th of November at the lavish Royal Gardens Hotel in London. Eileen has been a dental nurse since 2011 after completing her degree in Oral Health Promotion. Rural Social Scheme:  There are vacancies for participants on the Rural Social Scheme in Ardara and Glenties.  To be eligible to participate on the R.S.S. you must need to meet the criteria as laid down by the Department of Social Protection.  For more information contact Anthony on 087 9072698 before Friday 6^th October, 2017.  Matchmaking Weekend: The Matchmaking Weekend is taking place from Friday Nov 10^th to Sunday November, 12^th.  A new committee are working hard and this years festival promises to be one of the best ever.  This year the focus is very much on events in town and we hope all get involved in the fun of the occasion.  More details next week.  Big Bands in town are: Jimmy Buckley on the Friday night and Jim Devine on the Saturday night. Set Dancing: A Beginner’s class in Set Dancing commenced on Monday last 2nd October, at 7.30pm in Heritage Centre, Ardara with Clement Gallagher instructor.  This was followed by the usual class from 8.30-10.30p.m. Tea and home-bakes will be served at interval. This continues every Monday night. Admission €5 so why not come along and enjoy this good social night and get some exercise as well. Defibrillator Fundraiser for St. Shanaghan House & Ardara:Teague McFadden, Residential Services Manager of the Ardara Sheltered Housing Association are running a Talent Showcase as fundraiser to purchase a Defibrillator for Ardara.  This will be in the Nesbitt Arms Hotel on Friday 17th November from 8:00pm. The Nesbitt Arms have very kindly donated their function suite for the night. This will include a rich variety of local established and up and coming artists and should be a really entertaining night for a great cause. Posters will be distributed shortly. They hope that you might be able to support us through the donation of a prize for a raffle/auction, a direct donation to the fund and of course purchasing tickets for what we hope will be a fabulous night.  Given the vulnerability of our residents, it is our intention to site the Defibrillator at the rear of St. Shanaghan House, but in a way that the whole of Ardara might have access through trained individuals to an essential piece of life saving equipment. They are also looking at the establishment of a Cardiac First Responder network of trained volunteers within Ardara to ensure that we are really well prepared to respond to any cardiac difficulty. They have had an offer of free training already which is fantastic.  Duchas Calling:Deadline is end of October for submissions for publishing .So if you have a story or a piece of memory or history please send to layoutduchas@gmail.com or to Duchas office at Westend House, Ardara. ‘The Warp and Weft of Heritage’ Weekend: This weekend sees the second annual ‘Warp and Weft of Heritage’ Weekend taking place in Ardara and the greater GAP area. On Friday evening at 8pm in the Nesbitt Arms Hotel ,the weekend will be launched by Joe McHugh TD, Minister of State at the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. From 8.30pm in the Ramblers Bar, renowned storytellers; Gene Curran, Bart Whelan, Breezy Willow and Seosamh MacSuibhne will gather around the hearth for the much anticipated ‘Oíche Cois Tíne Storytelling’ evening.  Saturday and Sunday programme includes talks on shipwrecks, tracing the lives of our local saints, seeking out Queen Medb’s royal site at Rathcroghan in Co. Roscommon, the truth and tales of the Spanish Armada, looking at our living landscape from the placenames of Loughros Peninsula, how The Heritage Council works with communities and more. Saturday afternoon’s demonstration’s of traditional crafts takes place in the Heritage Centre and includes spinning, weaving, creel and basket making, hand-knitting and more. On Sunday afternoon there will be a field trip of the greater GAP area. Brochures are now available from around the locality. Online booking for registration is now open and you can contact: ardaraheritagehistory@gmail.com or 087 921 4206 for full details.

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