‘Highlight was community spirit over threat to Dalriada’

SDLP councillor Donal Cunningham holds the honour of being the last ever chairman of Moyle District Council.

Holding down a full-time job with the Civil Service and being a husband and father has made for a hugely busy diary for the chairman but it has been a challenge which Donal has relished.

“Being Chairman of Moyle District Council in its last year has been an honour and I’ve enjoyed meeting community groups the length and breadth of the district from Bushmills to Glenariff and everywhere in between. That’s what I said I wanted to happen at the start of my year.”

Donal said he was particularly pleased to be involved in regeneration projects such as those on Castle Street and Clare Street in Ballycastle and praised the work of Ballycastle Town partnership.

“Ballycastle Town Partnership are working in the right direction and, going forward, they will make a positive contribution.”

And it was a Ballycastle issue - and one which made the news all across Northern Ireland - which Donal highlighted as the highlight of his year in office.

“The highlight was the solidarity from across the community shown in the campaign to Save Dalriada Hospital. There are further cuts anticipated in 2016 but the community has shown that Moyle is very resilient. We have to treasure what we have, retain it and build upon it.”