The sun shone on the bust commemorating Patrick MacGill in Glenties, Co Donegal, yesterday afternoon.
It was a busy day for the Donegal town. First, there was the annual Mass for the deceased of the area. Later, the broadcaster and journalist, Ms Olivia O'Leary, officially opened the 24th MacGill Summer School and Arts Week.
Patrick MacGill was born in the Glen of Glenties in 1889 and died in 1963. The memory of the poet is marked by the bust in the town which carries the brief poem: "I'm going back to Glenties, When the harvest fields are brown, And the Autumn sunset lingers on my little Irish town".
The theme of this year's school is "Politics and Democracy in Ireland in the 21st Century", with a number of well-known politicians and journalists among the speakers. The former Taoiseach, Dr Garret FitzGerald, gave the annual John Hume Lecture. The School's Director, Mr Joe Mulholland, said yesterday that much work had to be done to adapt the political system to the Ireland of the 21st century.
"It was, in fact, the strength and cogency of the views expressed at last year's MacGill School that convinced me that it was time we gave over the whole week to the theme of politics and democracy on the island of Ireland. It seems to me that our future well-being as a nation depends, to a large extent, on the health and vigour of our democratic system".
The "tribunals show", featuring Joe Taylor, Malcolm Douglas and Susie Kennedy, from Tonight with Vincent Browne, will be performing. The venues are the Highlands Hotel and the local Comprehensive School.
