Feb 04

Earthquake Hits Donegal

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An Uachtarán Chumann Luthchleas Gael Criostoir O Cuana and GOAL CEO John O'Shea keep the fundraising balls in the air.
An Uachtarán Chumann Luthchleas Gael Criostoir O Cuana and GOAL CEO John O'Shea keep the fundraising balls in the air.
THIS ARTICLE has the potential to be considered tasteless, but we have a point. In the last few days an earthquake has been reported in some newspapers. Ah, now I know you’re thinking Haiti. But I’m not, no not yet.

Talking Balls was shocked to learn that an earthquake measuring 1.6 on the Richter scale struck Donegal a week ago. The epicentre located at Bridgend in the south of the Inishowen peninsula, and the tremor was felt in Buncrana in Inishowen and westwards across Lough Swilly in the Fanad peninsula. Reports said that a number of people fled their homes in terror fearing the worst before they realised the threat had passed.

A couple of thousand miles away an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter Scale had devastated Port au Prince in Haiti. The deathtoll is estimated at 200,000 people with tens of thousands more homeless or maimed for life.

By way of comparison, the last time an earthquake marked at 7.0 on the Richter scale struck San Francisco 75 people died. The difference? One country is the most powerful in the world with proper housing, infrastructure, resources and riches to burn. The other is a third world country, one of the weakest and most vulnerable in the world, with little going for it.

If a minor earth tremor in Donegal terrified people and caused them to flee their homes, just imagine the impact of a quake many times more powerful in Haiti? A place few of us will ever visit, let alone have heard much of other than their soccer team played in the World Cup in 1974 and their former leader Papa Doc Duvalier was a fearsome dictator. Now it will forever be associated with this catastrophe. How does this affect Talking Balls?

Well the PtB in the GAA has already reached out to give financially to Haiti with a €50,000 donation across the four provincial councils to GOAL.

Former Birr and Offaly hurler Darren Hanniffy is leading GOAL’s relief operation in Haiti.?

Upon arrival Darren said: “We were met with chaotic scenes. . . the destruction is catastrophic, almost every house has been either totally destroyed or collapsed.”

If you can, find the time and the money to help the relief effort. www.goal.ie .

No more Talking Balls, let’s see if we can all do something about it no matter how small.