Bring out your black tie this February

The Carndonagh Scouts group has planned a Black Tie Ball in the Ballyliffin Lodge next month that will give everyone a chance to glam up and beat away the January blues.

And it’s all in a good cause; the group need to complete its new scout den which will house the group and will also be available to other community groups to use.

Tickets for the ball in the Ballyliffin Lodge on Friday 10 February are €55, and available from Visit Carndonagh Tourist Office, Deirdre’s at the Diamond, any scouting family, or by contacting 086 6028542 or 087 7717415.

The Black Tie Ball, and separate €10 prize draw, are by far the biggest fundraisers the Carn scouts have ever undertaken.

“It’s a night for the whole community, not just scouting families,”
said scout leader Ailish Tully said.

“It’s shaping up to be a great night out, and one we can enjoy after all we’ve been through over the past few years.

“There are a lot of work colleagues and groups of friends going, just taking the chance to get out for a night in February, which can be a quiet month.”

Discounted accommodation rates are available, and a late night bus back into Carn for those who want to make a big night of it.

Mrs Tully is looking forward to the completion of the construction work and hopes to ‘pay it back’ by making the centre available to other scout troops and organisations who’ve helped the Carn scouts over the years.

“Once this is all up and running, the plan will be to make it available to other groups in the community and other visiting scout groups or training events.”

The new den is in the old youth club/GAA club building at the former O’Doherty Park in the middle of the town.

The 8th Donegal Scouts, as the Carn group is known, secured funding from LEADER and the Sports Capital Programme to and create a state-of-the-art scouting centre.

The old building was stripped back to the walls, with a new roof, insulation, heating system, activity room, sports hall, kitchen, toilets and storerooms all either complete or under construction.

More than €200,000 in grants have been secured, and the group needs €50,000 to provide the necessary matching funding to draw down the grants in full.

If they achieve their target, they hope to complete work at the new den by September and be open for the start of the new scouting year.

A separate €10 raffle ticket, which will be drawn on the night of the ball, are also available.

Prizes are €1,000 in cash, sponsored by the McCarron family in memory of their father Michael who was a founder member of the Carn scouts, and vouchers for the Shandon Hotel, Finn Lough Resort and shops in Carndonagh.