Dear all,

I hope this message finds you well.

I received an update tonight (28/10) from Kevin O'Sullivan—thank you, Kevin, for the information.

The update pertains to the meeting held on Wednesday, October 16th, at the County Library in Letterkenny at 3:30 PM. The Mayor chaired the meeting, which included four other councillors: Brogan, Coyle, Kelly, and one additional councillor whose name Kevin did not catch. Brian Reid from the Donegal Roads Office in Donegal Town and David McIlwaine from the Milford Office represented the Council Engineers. Residents from Ballyraine Park, including Margaret Sweeney, Margaret Cullen, and Kevin O'Sullivan, attended, along with three representatives from Orchard Grove and An Garran estates (unfortunately, Kevin did not get their names).

The primary focus of the meeting was the Council's lack of communication with residents regarding their plans. Many residents were unaware of the proposals, as no notifications had been distributed in the affected areas. Furthermore, the Council staff were unable to answer questions regarding what had been proposed and approved back in 2020 during the Covid crisis. They could not provide details on which publication contained the notices or bring copies of the plans to the meeting.

Councillor Brogan expressed concerns that the current proposals differed from the original scheme he recalled and sought clarification on these differences. It was agreed that another meeting would be scheduled to allow Council staff to present the relevant information. They assured us that no development work would commence—particularly regarding any plans affecting the oak tree—until these matters had been addressed in the follow-up meeting.

Residents from Orchard Grove and An Garran expressed their dissatisfaction with the proposed replacement of the roundabout at Key's garage with traffic lights, believing it would negatively impact their access onto the Ramelton Road. This issue will also be discussed further in the upcoming meeting.

Late last week, Kevin received a call from someone at the Council suggesting Wednesday, November 6th, for the next meeting, though this has not yet been confirmed.

I will keep you updated on any further developments as I receive them. Thank you for your attention to these important matters.

Please also find below a link to an article published by Donegal Daily, 28/10

The Ballad of the Ballyraine Oak tree https://www.donegaldaily.com/2024/10/28/the-ballad-of-the-ballyraine-oak-tree/

Best regards,

Pauric