The Wee Paper, Buncrana (2025)

27/11/2025

Moyne Family

On a recent visit back to Buncrana for many of the Moyne family, I came across them as they enjoyed a walk along Castle Bridge. We wandered through the open gates of The Big House, known locally as The Castle.

It is a very impressive building up close, and people are mystified as to why it has been lying idle and decaying all these years.

It is the most iconic and historic building in Buncrana; its history is the history of Buncrana, and they cannot be separated. It is part of us, which is why, when people return to Buncrana to visit family and friends, they go down to have a look at The Castle. They see a part of themselves there as they admire it.

Surely it could be put to good use; it is not beyond the great people who own it and others to come up with a plan to bring it back to life, for the benefit of the owners, the people and the town.

Firstly, it will require a generosity of spirit to get things moving in that direction.

Anything is possible when the right people get together.

We live in hope.

Tony Grant, November 2025

26/11/2025

Final Show Thursday 27th November at 16:00

Old men can't go to war, so they stay at home in Yorkshire and sing in the Choral Society; it beats going to war to get your head blown off.

Life is full of choices.

Life was simpler back then, but the choices remain the same.

The digital sound at Buncrana Cinema did credit to the exquisitely crafted soundtrack of choral music, the best I have ever heard onscreen.

It is a very civilised film about an uncivilised event: the First World War.

Our job is to ensure that we don't get involved in something like that again. (officially or as individuals)

Final Showing: Thursday 27th November @ 16:00 in the afternoon.

Tony Grant, November 2025

20/11/2025

YES / NO

Michael Martin put on the gloves, and he went out there to COP30; he stepped up where others dare not go, not even Trump.

He "socked it to them" as he lambasted the rest of the world for not reaching their greenhouse targets.

It was a world-class knockout!

Yes, he was indeed a superhero.

OR was he?

Because back home on Terra Firma, in little old Ireland, targets are being missed every day by the government in almost every sphere of their broken promises.

Missed greenhouse targets will result in enormous fines being paid by the public to the EU.

Missed water quality targets result in "boil water" notices and "Do Not Swim" notices, as we well know.

Missed Scoliosis targets for children have led to a fatal tragedy and lifelong health problems for many children.

Missed housing targets have led to 5,000 homeless children and a crisis in mental health.

How dare he go in our name and lecture the rest of the world on missing targets with his track record at home?

It was embarrassing beyond cringe to listen to the dribble coming from this neo-liberal puppet, supported by his government.

When is this government going to get real and deliver for the people?

Tony Grant, November 2025

07/11/2025

Transition

I am ok with dying
Because I know it is my destiny
I surprise myself with that realisation
Yet I’m glad I have reached that plateau

When young was in me
Death was a big black hole
To be avoided at all costs

Life was sunshine
Beautiful,
Fresh green grass
Crystal water
Sweetness

Somewhere in between Now
and the sublimity of youth
A haze took my soul
I slumbered in the emptiness

Maybe I was just in the queue
Waiting on my time to awaken
Now, I am detached from materialism
Detached from the power of ego

Is that spiritual awareness
Or resignation

I can smell the green grass
Taste the crystal clear water
See the beauty
Sunshine and sweetness live in me
Again

Nmar, November 2025

06/11/2025

Later Will Do !

People from outside the country are amused at how the Irish handle their problems, big and small.

Even at work, management will instruct staff to start fixing a problem next Monday. (not today, no matter what day it is)

Today (Thursday 6th November), our government has announced that from next Monday, all birds held by owners should be kept indoors to protect them from bird flu.

The same directive was given in Northern Ireland, but it is operational from today. (I wonder why?)

You might ask, on which Monday are they going to start fixing the housing crisis or the HSE?

Don't try to answer that, because they won't.

Tony Grant, November 2025

03/11/2025

DJ goes to prison, trackers go to Hell

On the same day that DJ is sent to prison for fraudulent behaviour, RTE is showing a documentary about the fraudulent behaviour of Banks towards their customers, resulting in catastrophic effects in some cases, only to be rewarded for their commercial efforts with a bailout from us, the Irish taxpayer.

How can it be that the present Taoiseach, Michael Martin was in the government when this occurred and he is still running the country.

Also, Charlie McConalogue is still here in Donegal all these years later, and we have not held either of them to account.

I think it says more about us than it does about them, we are that type of people, we take pride in taking a good battering and we are even prouder to come back for more.

The banks are "still looking into" the request for them to suspend mortgages and the interest of the victims of defective blocks while they are not living in their homes and are under reconstruction. We love the "mighty Banks" and we love the "even mightier politicians", they can do no wrong.

It is indeed "a great wee country."

Tony Grant, November 2025

25/10/2025

Going Nuts about Your Health

The walnut, the prostate, and the brain have a lot in common; to the untrained eye, we are told they look alike for a start; they all contain oils and fats that are essential for remaining healthy.

A few walnuts added to your salad or a handful of pumpkin seeds taken daily is the "medicine in the kitchen" men need to help maintain a healthy prostate.

Movement is the next vital ingredient for a healthy prostate. Get the blood moving into your ge****ls and around your lower limbs. This is also good for your heart and your brain.

Men need to move more as they get older, not less, to keep their testosterone and their libido high.

If both are low, it is reversible, not by going to the gym, no, it can be a lot more enjoyable than that.

The most important s*x organ in the body is the brain.

Stay Curious, Stay Hydrated, Stay Alive, Stay Healthy and Happy.

Tony Grant, October 2025

22/10/2025

Your Number 1

The choice is yours on Friday, so don't waste this opportunity to choose the person most likely to represent your opinions and your way of life.

If your choice was locked out of the election by FG dictating to their councillors not to select anyone in the County Councils, don't let that stop you from using your vote.

FF supporters will want to vote for their candidate, but please don't do so on this occasion because the only outcome of doing that will be a slap in the face for your leader, because he has withdrawn from the race, and perhaps FF may get their deposit back. Very small change in the greater scheme of things.

Our choice is clear, as you can see from the picture above. We believe Catherine Connolly is the best candidate to become President.

Tony Grant, October 2025

19/10/2025

A Bad Article

Heather Humphreys was welcomed to Buncrana as a government minister in July 2022 to officially open Swan Park. I approached her after her speech and gave her my "Shopping List" on behalf of Buncrana. She took my leaflet and said, "I will look into them for you". I never heard from her again.

I am bringing this up again because she is looking for your vote on Friday.

My view is that she was asked to support Buncrana in 2022, and she did nothing for Buncrana.

I think it is only fair that we should do nothing for her now.

The contract is clear:

You do nothing for us, and we do nothing for you.

Tony Grant, October 2025

17/10/2025

Government at WAR

Our government in Dublin gathered all its forces and slammed the door in the faces of the people of Donegal by casting aside every word that Charles Ward put forward in his proposal, which was supported by the entire opposition.

The government crossed the line by crushing any reform of the existing pathetic grant scheme to rescue the victims of the DCB debacle.

In the past, Donegal people thought that they were the “Forgotten County”; they need to think again because this behaviour by the government during the week doubles down on that bad attitude and is more like a “Declaration of War” on the people of Donegal because they are refusing to fix an injustice of their making.

They are saying loud and clear, to the people of Donegal: “Get Lost” – “Shove OFF” – “We Don’t Care” – “You are NOT important to us.” - “Dirt on our shoes”

They stood idly by and watched Defective Concrete Blocks being produced for use in home building. They introduced a “Light Touch Regulation” policy that turned a “blind eye” to the misuse and abuse of defective materials used for profit against the people of Donegal.

The government solution was to introduce a 5% Concrete Levy, which increased the burden on the victims even more as they struggled to rebuild their homes.

The entire opposition used the Dail, as a democratic means to solve the problem and the door was slammed in their face. By doing that, they slammed the door in the faces of the people of Donegal.

Whatever way you look at it:

This is a S**T government, a government at WAR with the people.

Tony Grant, October 2025

14/10/2025

Rated €0

The dreaded Local Property Tax is upon us again as winter approaches; all property owners are faced with putting a value on their property for the purpose of paying the LPT.

Some help can be found online: cso residential property price index

Many of us in Donegal have the added headache of owning a home that is effected with the dreaded “Mica” DCB. In truth, many of us can say that our homes are valueless in their present form and can not be sold on.

Many of us are looking out our windows at other homes on our street being demolished, wondering when our turn will come and how much we will be out of pocket, if and when we get the government grant to rebuild.

It is unfair that people have to wait until the test turns up “positive” before they are exempt from paying the LPT. When they can’t sell and they can see the cracks spreading by the month.

Contrast this with residents from across the border who bought a home in Donegal and now find themselves with “Mica” and combined with other issues apply to return to N.I. and apply for public housing, the value of their home in Donegal is down-valued to €0 to facilitate this.

I think that anyone paying their LPT should write a letter to Revenue explaining this to them and state that “they are making this payment under protest and that they would be seeking a refund when they get a “positive” diagnosis on their home.

Our TD’s and Councillors should be working on this issue, but instead Donegal County Council voted to raise the tax to its maximum value possible under the law.

That is the type of support home owners are getting from our local public representatives.

Tony Grant, October 2025

11/10/2025

Post-Election View

They reach up to the sky
Two tall red chimneys
Viewed across the lough
A landmark, two-finger-like gesture to the world
Still standing, though now a ghostly habitat
Echoes of a busy workplace
A town’s youth lured to early pay packets
Disregarding education to join a roaring Celtic
Tiger workforce
Energising a town in a new Ireland
Birds sing cheerily from neglected shrubbery
Brand name signage visible form afar
An ideal place where a new change could
happen!
To energise a people
If vision be allowed, above collapsing
monetary gains
And small town, small mindedness
Two fingers to the world it would say
A town still alive.

Mary Caldwell, June 2009

The Wee Paper

27/11/2025

26/11/2025

20/11/2025

07/11/2025

06/11/2025

03/11/2025

25/10/2025

22/10/2025

19/10/2025

17/10/2025

14/10/2025

11/10/2025

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Contact The Practice

Shortcuts

Share