Grianan In Books
Blacker's Discovery Of Grianan In The 1800's
Dr. Bernard's Restoration Of Grianan 1878
Danger Signs - A More Permantent Picture
Come Together Dates & Deadlines Revisit
Open Letter To The Taoiseach, May 2007
The Billeting Of Stones 21st Century Style
How To Demolish A Monument
Stories, Legends, Myths
Guarding Grianan Aileach - Blog
Sites In Danger
Arts & Crafts
At the beginning of November word reached us, Maurice Harron and myself, that RTE is making a programme about Grianan Aileach and the controversy surrounding its restoration.
On the blue skied morning of November 9 at 10.30am we meet Eileen Magnier and understood a representative of the Office of Public Works would be present as well. To my great relief, Dessie McCallion, a very knowledgeable, local historian, rescheduled and was the first on the hill. He grew up below Grianan, his knowledge of everything Inishowen is invaluable and I would have felt utterly out of my depths without him in the face of such enterprise. Anne McLoughlin from the Inishowen Business Service joined us for moral support. A few more came and we talked off camera, so it would be more comfortable for us to speak in front of it. Our legs still went funny and it was much appreciated, that this part of the body was not shown in the programme. Dessie was the most professional with taking his coat off and not shaking like a leaf. All in all we spent 1½ hour at Grianan. At some stage Eileen Magnier recieved a call from the Office of Public Works representativ, notifying her, of being stuck in traffic. The experience as such was very positive, due to the professionalism of Eileen Magnier and Brian McVeigh.
RTE left before us and a team from TG4 arrived. Dessie was the last to leave the hill and in the early evening we were informed, that it would be on the Nine O'Clock News.
They came and went. Dessies interview was cut out completely and instead and surprisingly, Paul McMahon from the Office of Public Works was shown, standing inside Grianan Aileach, a sensation denied since June to the public.
As I left Grianan Aileach after the interview, I saw one of the workers in the car park and have so far come to no other conclusion, that it was no coincident, that we never met the representative of the Office of Public Works. And RTE was recalled with no imagined interference in sight.
November 2006
OPW criticised over Donegal restoration
Eileen Magnier, North-East Correspondent, reports on criticism of the OPW over its restoration of Grianán an Aileach in Inishowen, Co. Donegal
