Christmas Day marks the birth of one of Donegal’s greatest living writers – Noel Slevin.
On this day in 1951, the future wise man of Crossroads, Killygordon, came into this world.
The Kilcadden scribbler cut his teeth in journalism in the old Donegal People’s Press office in Letterkenny.
Indeed, he went on to become one of the country’s top journalists, writing for many national newspapers including the Irish Times, Irish Independent and the Irish Press.
The rather modest Slevin, however, describes himself as merely the best journalist to come out of the Cross – ahead of Cronan Scanlon and BBC Northern Ireland’s current Political Editor, Enda McClafferty.
“I could write them under the table,” he recently told this journalist.
Since retiring from the now defunct ‘Donegal on Sunday, Slevin continues to write in his spare time.
He is also publicist for local raconteur and publican, Benny Browne, whose memoirs he is currently penning.
Noel Slevin and his longtime friend, Benny Browne.
Away from the desk, Slevin is a keen and skilled gardener – his famous Catroney potatoes winning countless titles at garden fetes around the county.
Slevin is also a renowned Sean Nós singer, and you can hear the din going through Glenfin of his trusty Mini Metro as he heads for a seisiún in Glenties.
Over the festive season he will no doubt be joining his old friends, Joe Sweeney and Aiden Kelly, in front of the open fire in Browne’s Bar.
With a glass of Chateauneuf du Pape in hand, he will indeed give us a few bars of ‘Johnson’s Motor Car.’
Happy Birthday, Noel, from all at Donegal Daily!
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