Donnan Harvey and is the secretary of Letterkenny Cathedral Quarter Community Group. Having grown up on the Church Lane, the former history teacher is now spearheading the revival of an iconic part of Letterkenny.
His mission is to regenerate the historical Church Lane street and surrounding area to create a vibrant cultural, historical quarter in the heart of Letterkenny.
This is Donnan’s My Donegal
(1) What is your favourite place in Donegal and why?
Apart from the area which we are trying to develop, I am extremely fond of Killydonnell Friary just outside Ramelton. I have some relatives buried at the Graveyard. It is very very tranquil steeped in History. If you take a short walk down to the Shore, you will be hard to find a more beautiful place in the country.
(2) Who is the one person in Donegal that you look up to and why?
Shane Toolan, who is our special adviser and the founder of the Ballyshannon and District Museum. His sound advice has been a major reason why the Cathedral Quarter project has got to where it is despite having very little funding from Central Government which is now hopefully changing.
Cathedral Quarter Letterkenny
(3) What’s your happiest Christmas memory in Donegal?
I remember being out on Christmas Night in the Grill with my sister Tamara and her friends and we stayed the night in the Church Lane. On St Stephens Day, the whole street was covered in snow and it laid as there was no traffic on the street. They did a reenactment from Charles Dickens ‘A Christmas Carol’ of Scrooge on Christmas morning. Very funny and very apt.
(4) If you could change one thing about Donegal what would it be?
Decent infrastructure. It is simply not enough that there is no motorway or a railway line in the county. Everywhere in the country has one or the other or both. We should be no different.
(5) What has been Donegal’s proudest moment in recent years?
The All Ireland Win in 2012 gave everybody a lift.
(6) If you found a magic wand that allowed you to grant one wish for Donegal, what would it be?
Either the railway line or a motorway.
(7) What is your favourite Donegal-made product?
Football Special
(8) Who is Donegal’s greatest ambassador around the world and why?
Not that I am a fan of his music but Daniel O’Donnell has done a huge amount of work promoting the county wherever he is in the World.
(9) What is your earliest memory associated with Donegal?
My father bringing me to watch a Donegal GAA match in Ballyshannon in the mid eighties.
(10) What has been the biggest compliment you’ve ever received?
I was told I looked like Daniel Craig (James Bond) but my brother brought me down to earth pretty quickly saying I looked more like Kirk from Coronation Street.
(11) Who is your favourite Donegal sportsperson of all time?
Martin McHugh
(12) What is your favourite Donegal restaurant/bar?
Enjoy the bars of Letterkenny especially McGinleys, Blakes and The Central
(13) What is your favourite Donegal saying or expression?
No real saying or expression but the words Aye and Wains.
(14) What is the biggest challenge facing the people of Donegal today?
Because of our perceived remoteness from Dublin, we don’t get our fair share of resources and that is a massive challenge to change this inequality.
(15) What is your favourite food that you associate with Donegal?
Potatoes
(16) Is there anything that really annoys you about Donegal or its people?
I think that we don’t stand up for ourselves and we are far too easy to accept Second Best from ‘Official Ireland’. No is not an answer that we have to accept.
(17) Who is your favourite Donegal entrepreneur?
The Late Hughie Greene and Sir Geoffrey Robinson – they never forgot their roots.
(18) If you had a hundred million euro to improve something in Donegal what would it be?
Fully develop the Cathedral Quarter and invest in other Heritage areas in Donegal
Heritage Council visits the Church Lane: Pictured outside some of the historic buildings conserved as part of the Historic Towns Initiative on Church Lane, Letterkenny are members of the Letterkenny Cathedral Quarter, Lower Church Lane Residents’ Association, Donegal County Council, Dedalus Architecture, The Heritage Council and the Department of Culture, Heritage & the Gaeltacht on Wednesday, November 6, 2019.
Photo: Clive Wasson.
(19) Where’s the most unusual place you’ve logged on to Donegal Daily?
Abuja in Nigeria when I was working over there.
(20) Nomination for best dressed Donegal person?
Adrian Doherty. He spends a lot of time on his phone telling others how well he is looking.
(21) Is there anything about Donegal that you are very proud of? (example: our culture/language)
Not than I am biased but I think we are the most friendly people in Ireland. We do try and make others who come from different places to live here welcome.
(22) What is the most rewarding thing about what you do?
What we are doing to do now will have a lasting legacy in Letterkenny and will be of real benefit to the North West.
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