Nostalgia: Young Irelander who later turned Canadian Tory hid out in Culdaff to await Derry ship (from August 1967)

An extract from a book on Inishowen by Carndonagh man Michael Harkin, first published in 1967. In a chapter dealing with the parish of Culdaff the author gives an account of how Thomas D’Arcy Mcgee, the Young Irelander, who was later to become one of Canada’s outstanding legislators, made his escape to America in 1848.

Hunted by the authorities, McGee assumed the dress of a clerical student, changed his name, came to Derry and then to Culdaff, where he remained for a short time concealed in a farm house not far from Kindroyhead. A passage was secured for him on one of the Derry emigrant ships.

Holiday transport arrangements

To cope with the demand during the Derry holiday next week, the Derry and Lough Swilly company has made special transport arrangements.

Continuous services will operate during the week from Derry to Fahan, Buncrana and Moville from 10 a.m. and there will be an additional service from Buncrana to Derry at 10.45 p.m.

There will be cheap full-day excursion fares across all the routes from Monday to Saturday.

Services on other routes will be supplemented during the main holiday period, with special services to Moville and Rathmullan regattas on Monday, August 7.

Donegal is premier oats county

Crop statistics for 1966 showed that Co. Donegal had the highest acreage of oats in the country with a total of 32,600 statute acres, states the annual report of the Co. Donegal Committee of Agriculture.

The report says that barley continued to gain ground and exceeded 8,000 acres last year, with prospects of a further increase, but there had been a marked decline in wheat in recent years. The crop yields showed the average of oats and barley to be 26 cwts. and 18 cwts. respectively per acre. Oat yields were particularly variable, ranging from 10 to 30 cwt. but with good seed and proper management economic yields were easily attainable.