There is no doubt about it - whether it is the effect of Leap Year or the aftermath of the recent Valentine’s celebrations there simply was a wealth of brides at last weekend’s Wedding Fair in one of the county’s most prestigious hotels.

Restaurants across Donegal have started signing up to Gorta’s National Soup Week, which will run March 5-11. The Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI) is also encouraging people across the county to support the campaign at participating restaurants. During the week, people can also run ‘Soup for Life’ events at home - in the workplace or in clubs, schools and colleges. The annual fundraising campaign encourages people to get out and sip some soup to help make hunger history.

Glenties Drama Group are in full swing with rehearsals for their upcoming production of Brian Friel’s Dancing at Lughnasa in Glenties Community Centre on March 2nd,3rd, and 4th.

This song was written by Seán McBride in about 1955. Seán was a native of Cruit island which is in the Rosses area. He was a school teacher at St Baithin’s school in the Carrigans/ St Johnston area for most of his life. Seán passed away at the age of 90 in August 1996 and is buried on Cruit Island.

Tory Island has always being renowned for its rich storytelling tradition and for the gifted and skilled storytellers it produced. If the results of a recent national literature competition for secondary schools are anything to go by, then it seems that a younger generation of Tory islanders have inherited the older generation’s mastery of storytelling. There are only seven pupils in the islands school, yet three of these students managed to take the top awards in a national Irish Language literature competition sponsored by Údarás na Gaeltachta.

The National Trust at Florence Court is preparing for their annual Big Bulb Planting event on Thursday, February 16 and they need your help.

Hollywood sensation Liam Neeson is Ireland’s hottest male according to the women of Ireland. Hundreds of Irish women took part in the Ladbrokes Love Poll to mark Valentine’s Day with Neeson taking 22% of the vote. Colin Farrell is still getting pulses racing having finished a close second with 19% and star of the Voice of Ireland, Bressie also got a healthy 18% of the vote in third.

See today’s Donegal Democrat and Donegal People’s Press for our Baby and Toddler of the Year 2012 Voting Supplement.

Reports from the post office in Letterkenny has pointed to a serious decline in the number of cards that are being posted by romantics throughout the county leading to the assumption that perhaps Cupid is carrying out the majority of his work in cyberspace!

Second level students from Loreto Secondary School, Letterkenny and the Abbey Vocational School Donegal Town, will be firmly focused on the €7,000 prize fund for product mentoring and development as they prepare for the national heat of Agri Aware’s Green Dragon Secondary Schools Innovation Challenge.

National Pyjama Day takes places on Friday the 23rd of March and Early Childcare Ireland are seeking the support of Donegal early childcare and education services to help raise some much needed funds for the Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF) ‘Children’s Hospice Home Care Programme’.

Flybe, Europe’s largest regional airline announced a new 3-times-a-week service from Ireland West Airport Knock to Leeds Bradford in the UK.

The village of Kinlough on the Donegal/Leitrim border is preparing for an influx of food tourists following the publication of The Bridgestone Guide 2012. The ‘go to’ guide has placed local Chef Piero Melis as one of the “10 Hot Chefs” in the country while also honouring The Courthouse Restaurant as one of the Best 100 Restaurants in Ireland.

For thousands of Irish emigrants across the world, this week is an historic one. Exactly 25 years ago, Liam Ferrie and his wife Pauline started what is generally regarded is the first ever e-newsletter in the world, The Irish Emigrant. This week, Liam and Pauline retired. The Boston and New York Print editions of the Irish Emigrant, which were owned by Connell Gallagher from Gaoth Dobhair and his wife Siobhan, have been sold to Niall O’Dowd of the Irish Voice. The future of the on-line edition is uncertain. There are ongoing discussions with potential buyers but about one thing there is no doubt. There will be no new on-line edition of the Irish Emigrant next Monday.

“What started off as a passion, quickly led to a commercial opportunity,” says Donegal-man and Events Company owner Hugh Bonner.

We are delighted to offer you the opportunity to have your child’s photographic portrait taken in a one off professional sitting and enter into our ‘Donegal Democrat Baby & Toddler of the Year 2012’ Competition ABSOLUTELY FREE.

There was cause for double celebration for Bundoran surfer Richard Fitzgerald last weekend.

The Donegal Vintner’s Federation members were greeted by a red carpet and butlers when they made their way to the annual dinner dance at the Clanree Hotel, Letterkenny on Thursday night last. Many publicans made their way to the event to meet and greet old and new colleagues in their trade.

Last night celebrity TV chef Neven Maguire paid a surprise visit to La Fantasia Restaurant in Letterkenny.

A Donegal Co. Councillor known to all his friends as “the grandfather of the chamber” is all set to embark on a new venture in the far off Islands of Gran Canaria.