Tag Archives: Donna McGettigan

CLARE Champion journalist, Owen Ryan, has scooped a major journalism award for an article on how Shannon’s Jamie Walsh embraced his transgenderism after years of depression and inner torment. “The Importance of being Jamie” outlined Jamie’s experience of being a young transgender person and the impact on his mental health. The article won the top award in Headline’s Mental Health Journalism Local Print category for a news report or feature, published in a regional outlet, that deals with mental health issues. The judges citation stated: “The judges felt that the Importance of Being Jamie was a beautiful and well-written piece. It gave a voice to Jamie, a young transgender person, to share his experiences of being trans and the impact on his mental health. He did so with great openness and integrity. It felt especially important that a piece on this topic appeared in a local paper, shining a much-needed light on what can be a very dark and lonely …

THERE is local anger about the poor standard of the grass cutting in public areas again this summer, last week’s meeting of Shannon Municipal District heard. “People are very angry about the way that Shannon looks and they want the contractor to be local,” said Sinn Féin’s Donna McGettigan. Councillor McGettigan said that while it may not be legally possible to ensure the contract goes to a local company, there still needs to be steps taken to make sure things are done to an acceptable standard. She put forward a motion that an enforcement structure be implemented, which would include agreed standards and time frames for the contracted works. The motion also proposed that the company and the Council “streamline their communication structures. It also said that the company would preferably have a local contact who could ensure that necessary works get carried out. In a written reply Senior Executive Engineer Aidan O’Rourke stated, “Grass cutting is subject to an …

50 households have exited homeless services since the introduction of the Homeless Action Team, a meeting of Clare County Council has revealed. Latest figures have highlighted that as of August 21, 2020 there were 62 new homeless presentations in the county, and 339 repeat presentations. Details were outlined following a query by Councillor Donna McGettigan seeking “the true figures” for the homeless situation in Clare by area. She stated that she has been contacted by people are living on couches, asking what is the council’s plan to “end homelessness”. Anne Haugh, director of social development detailed it is not possible to breakdown the homeless list by area. The figures showed 15 homeless families receiving emergency accommodation as at August 21. There were 60 adults and 21 dependants. She outlined that the Homeless Action Team was introduced on February 1, 2019. From that date until December 31, 2019 a total of 26 households, made up of 33 adults and 36 dependants …

INNER torment, fear of rejection and depression marked much of the early life of 21 year old Jamie Walsh, but he is now far happier and hopeful about what the future holds. What has changed for Jamie is that he can now be open about who he really is and what he feels. Raised in Shannon as a girl and named Saoirse, it was never a good fit but now he is living with a new name, has embraced his transgenderism and is planning to have hormone therapy within the next year or so. His mother Donna McGettigan was recently co-opted onto Clare County Council, and last week the two spent an hour of their morning talking about Jamie’s journey, in the sitting room of her Shannon home. Donna has been supportive all along – when Jamie was deeply depressed, when her only child came out as a lesbian and when she was told that the person she knew as …

LAST Friday evening Sinn Féin formally chose Donna McGettigan to fill the County Council seat left vacant following the death of Mike McKee. She was the only person nominated, and the nomination came from Mike’s wife, Eileen. On Monday Donna met with The Clare Champion and spoke about her own background and her views on her new role, as one of two Shannon based county councillors, and Sinn Féin’s only representative in Clare. She left Belfast as a young child, with several of her male relatives interned in Long Kesh and her own granny on the run from the authorities in the North. “She was a strong woman. So that’s where I obviously picked that up from,” Donna laughs. The Belfast they left in the 1970s was a very violent place, with frequent bombings and shootings. “When we weren’t down herethat long, my Mum’s Granny, our Great Granny, had died in her sleep. And me uncle came to pick us …

FOLLOWING a meeting in Shannon this evening, Sinn Féin have opted for Donna McGettigan to fill the vacancy on Clare County Council left by the death of Councillor Mike McKee. It is understood she was the only candidate put forward by party members. She was nominated by the late Councillor McKee’s wife, Eileen. She still has to be approved by the party’s Ard Comhairle, but this is a formality. The party are expected to announce a candidate for the general election tomorrow.

SHANNON’S Donna McGettigan is likely to replace the late Mike McKee on Clare County Council. This week Ms McGettigan confirmed she is interested in taking up the role and it is understood that the local party are also set to support her. Ms McGettigan actually ran in the Ennis Municipal District for last year’s local elections, despite the fact that she was living in Shannon. In the coming days, invitations will be sent out to Sinn Féin members in the area who would be eligible to take on the role. Following this, there is likely to be a selection convention towards the end of the month. Speaking this week, Ms McGettigan confirmed she would be looking to fill the seat. “Mike himself would have asked me before he passed if I would put myself forward. Gary Fitzgibbon was interviewed about it and a lot of people afterwards would have suggested myself. As I walk through the Town Centre I’m always …