A Matter of Record - The Donegal Democrat down the years

This week, we bring to you a follow up to last week’s instalment after an avid reader of the column ‘A Matter of Record’ in the USA got in contact with the author and provided what he thinks might be the only photo linked to a reference made in last week’s tidings, writes Michael McHugh.

And there is no substance to the rumour that the piece on the introduction of the Air Corps Sea Air Rescue service at Finner Camp all of 30 years ago, was penned by the same McHugh, as a then fledgling reporter with this paper.   

Last week I mentioned that 70 years ago the Donegal Democrat reported on the death of the Grand old man of the Roads, Bob Davitt.

I reported that the mysterious Knight of the highways and bye-ways of Donegal, passed quietly to his eternal reward in the Rock Hospital, Ballyshannon, having spent over 50 years roaming  the countryside, selling matches, bottles of ink, shoe laces and the like.

Big Bob, as he was known by some, ‘Obituary’ had also appeared inadvertently some years previously  in the “Democrat” from what the paper described on his actual death “a usually reliable source and the obituary was printed and published before word was received, that Bob was, in fact, alive and in no danger of death.”

I thought it was nice that we remember him again but since then I have heard from Hughie Flynn, who resides in Texas, U.S.A. 

John had previously contacted me about his family connections in the area, which I will  follow up, but for now, we will concentrate on how he was able to supply me with a very rare, if only photo, of the late Bob Davitt.  

Hughie is a cousin of the late Jim Flynn, who was one of Ballyshannon’s most well known and respected citizens, before his death in 2011. 

Jim owned the local shoe shop on Main Street and was well known for many community endeavours, including his involvement with Ballyshannon Drama. 

His cousin Hughie told me that about 20 years ago he had been corresponding with the late John Ward, one time Editor of a rival newspaper to the Democrat, that was then also printed in Ballyshannon, the Donegal Vindicator. 

John Ward later emigrated to Canada, spending 35 years as Reporter and thereafter Editor of Debates in the Canadian parliament after ‘the Vin’ halted publication in 1956 and stint as an official reporter in Dáil Éireann. He died in October 2009, aged 82 years. 

The Grand old man of the Road, the late Bob Davitt in what is probably the only photo that was ever taken of him

Hughie told me: He (John Ward)  wrote a series of stories on "Ballyshannon the Friendly Spot". 

I would print the stories and mail them to my Dad, whom you know grew up in Ballyshannon. Dad really enjoyed John’s writings and asked me to ask John if he remembered this or that about Ballyshannon. My Dad sent me the attached photo of Bob Davitt. 

“I scanned it and forwarded it to John. John did in fact remember Bob. I was told this very well may be the only photo of Bob. I don’t know how many times I thought about throwing the photo away. Don’t know why I kept it, other than my father gave it to me, and he described Bob to me.”

The late John Ward, the last Editor of the Donegal Vindicator later emigrated Canada where he spent the rest of his life 

Hughie told me that in correspondence with the late Jim Flynn in Ballyshannon, he also learned the names of the Godparents of his Uncles and Aunts with one of them being, the late Vindicator Editor's parents. Small world indeed! 

Thanks to Hughie and his late Dad, we can now honour the memory of the late Bob Davitt, by reproducing his photo in the Democrat of 2023, adding to the obituary of 1953.  

Donegal Democrat - October 21 - 1993 - 30 years ago 

Bravery of Air Corps lauded at meeting 

The commendable acts of bravery by members of the Air Corps, some in the most hostile of environments was a recurring theme when Minister of Defence and the Marine, Mr. David Andrews, T.D. officially opened the new Air Corps Search and Rescue station at Finner Camp on Friday last.

He said that he felt the number of lives that the Air Corps had saved was a very important statistic and something that the general public should be made aware of, when they come to reflect on the contribution that the Defence Forces make.

“I don’t think we proclaim sufficiently loud enough and long enough what we do as a defence force,” the Minister said, adding that on this occasion he was specifically referring to the Air Corps.

Finner Camp on the 100th anniversary after its takeover from British Forces in 1922

He outlined how since the decision to locate a Dauphin helicopter on a full-time search and rescue as is at Finner a lot of work had been completed at the camp to upgrade the facilities necessary for continuous search and rescue operations. 

He said that the facilities now included in the air sea rescue accommodation block were completed in March of this year at a cost of £250,000.

He told the assembled audience that the Dauphin helicopters had carried out 485 search and rescue missions, saving 270 lives with a total flying time of 1,020 hours since their delivery in 1986, adding that since the move to Finner Camp in 1991 the Dauphins have flown 111 search and rescue missions, as a result of which 66 people were rescued.

“Some of these missions have been carried out in the most hostile of weather conditions. Additionally, the Dauphin based in Finner has regularly assisted in the transfer of seriously ill patients to hospitals; 49 such missions have been carried out since July 1991,” Minister Andrew said.

A Matter of Record - Donegal Democrat Archival History and News from the Vaults

This week we read about Grand old man of the Roads, Bob Davitt who died in 1953, but who was one of the few people who had doubtful distinction of reading of his own death in the local paper and then there was accusations of "pull" when Galway/Salthill won an award in the Bord Fáilte Tidy Towns competition of 1963, despite the Donegal resort of Bundoran gaining more marks than the award winners, and in 1972 border smugglers retrieved seized onions in a daring exploit

Speaking later (to the paper) he said that it wasn’t that he was of the opinion that the Air Corps was not getting the credit they deserved, rather than he did not think that the public were aware of the “type of effort that goes into rescue services and more particularly the demands, the courage that is demanded of some of thes pilots, when they go on these rescue missions, in the most difficult circumstances”.