The Mayor of Sligo is campaigning to have the 82 years-old deportation order against the man whose life was featured in the film “Jimmy’s Hall” formally rescinded.

The 2014 film, which was partly filmed in Sligo, was based on the life of Jimmy Gralton, who was the only Irishman ever to be deported from Ireland.

Now Councillor Thomas Healy, who had a small part in Ken Loach’s film, is asking the Minister for Justice, Frances Fitzgerald, to formally rescind the deportation order on Jimmy Gralton and “acknowledge the injustice done to Jimmy and his family by the enactment of this order”.

Gralton, who was born near Carrick-on-Shannon, was deported in 1933 following protests over his political activities, principally centred around the hall he built on his family farm in 1932.

The Sinn Fein councillor has a motion calling for the deportastion order to be rescinded down for Monday’s meeting of Sligo County Council.

He told the Sligo Weekender that what had prompted his move at this time was that December 29 would be the 70th anniversary of Jimmy Gralton’s death.

“Also we are going into the 1916 commemoration next year. His deportation was just 17 years after the proclamation was read at the GPO with the promise of civil rights and liberties but his civil liberties were not respected. He was deported because he did not fit into society at that time.”

Cllr Healy said he had written to the Minister for Justice last week but he had not got any reply yet.

He said he had also met with Jimmy Gralton’s grandnieces and other other relations and some of them were going to be at the launch of a petition calling for the deportation order to be rescinded.

He hopes this would be held at City Hall on December 29.

Cllr Healy is hoping that among the signatories will be “Jimmy’s Hall” director Ken Loach.

“A lot of people did not know about Jimmy Gralton until the film was made and his story was told”, he said.

Husband and wife Damien Brennan and Paula Gilvarry, the people behind the Yeats Experience in Sligo, were in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara promoting the North West last week.

Tourism Ireland a delegatrion of 23 tourism enterprises undertook a three-city trade and media blitz in the state of California. Fourteen Irish tourism companies and nine American tour operators met with California-based travel professionals.

The busy schedule involving a 60-minute TV show format highlighting the island of Ireland, as well as networking sessions with travel and lifestyle journalists.

Alison Metcalfe, Tourism Ireland’s head of North America, said: “The United States is one of the most important markets for tourism to the island of Ireland and 2015 is set to be another record year for tourism from North America.

According to the latest CSO figures, visitor numbers from the US and Canada have grown by almost +14% for January and September.

“Our ‘Jump into Ireland’ sales blitz in California provided an excellent platform to kickstart our promotional effort for 2016 and to spread the word about the many spread the word about the many great things to see and do right around the island of Ireland.”

Fine Gael TD John Perry has secured court permission to serve notice to his own party.

It was announced yesterday (Wednesday) that Mr Perry was seeking an interlocutory injunction in the High Court to prevent ratification of the Sligo-Leitrim ticket until he can make his case in a full court hearing.

The Ballymote man has been appealing to the party to add him to the ticket since he lost out at the recent convention to fellow Sligo TD Tony McLoughlin, after it was decided there was to be just one candidate from the county.

Mr Justice Paul Gilligan served short notice of the injunction application, returning the matter to Wednesday, December 9.

Sligo native Declan Lee, who works for Dublin PR consultancy Insight Consultants, has won the Irish Sponsorship Award for his work with AVIVA on their FAI Junior Cup Sponsorship.

Lee, who joined Insight Consultants from O’Herlihy Communications as part of their merger earlier this year, won the award for the second time in three years at the Irish Sponsorship Awards.

Hailing from Calry, Declan has handled sponsorship campaigns for some of the biggest international brands including Three, Powerade and William Hill.

The campaign included Sligo Junior football team City United, who reached the last eight of the FAI Junior Cup earlier this year and were a part of the Quarter Final draw and launch at the Aviva Stadium in March.

The AVIVA campaign for the FAI Junior Cup was also included in a list of the Top 5 best sponsorships in Ireland this year alongside the likes of Vodafone and Bord Gais Energy.

A Sligo woman has been chosen as one of ten global ambassadors for the best of Ireland’s food and drink exports.

Martina Henry from Strandhill was chosen following a competitive recruitment process to be an Origin Green Ambassador. In her new role, Martina will relocate overseas to promote the Irish food and drink industry and in particular, build awareness of its commitment to sustainability under the Origin Green programme.

As an ambassador, Martina will undertake a two-year programme which aims to develop expertise in the area of business sustainability specific to the Irish food and drink industry.

Following an intensive induction, involving study at the UCD Michael Smurfit Business School and industry briefings, she will be assigned to overseas markets and international company placements to promote Origin Green and communicate the benefits of sourcing food and drink from Ireland to key global customers.

“I’m excited to get this opportunity which allows me to travel and step inside some of the world’s leading companies to learn about sustainability first-hand,” said Martina.

“It’s an important topic that will affect all of our lives increasingly into the future. Now more than ever, with Ireland’s success in food sustainability, the food industry is an unparalleled place to work and study.”

A graduate of NUI Galway, Martina has also gained experience by running her own chocolate and coffee lounge in Sligo.

“The people we have selected, like Martina are professionals with high potential who have aspirations to become future leaders in the Irish food industry,” said Bord Bia director Michael Murphy.

“This is only the second year of the programme and already the previous participants have been successful in delivering global recognition for the industry’s work following placements around the world.”

A talented young designer from Beltra, Co. Sligo, was chosen by Bewley’s to create a new limited edition coffee mug and gift set, now on sale in supermarkets nationwide.

Bewley’s identified Paula McGloin for the project for her fresh and innovative approach to art and design. The Bewley’s Paula McGloin gift set is now set to become a collector’s edition for coffee lovers all over Ireland.

The specially commissioned, hand illustrated mug features an intricate pattern of teapots, teacups, cupcakes, oriental fans, birds and butterflies.
The gift set also contains specially produced Bewley’s Café Blend ground coffee and will be available for a limited time only.

A daughter of Martin and Anne McGloin, Paula is an illustrator and pattern designer who creates unique and intricate designs for textiles and fashion. She has a twin sister Emma and two brothers Martin and Damien.

Paula was educated at High Park NS, Skreen and completed her Leaving Certificate in St. Mary’s College Ballisodare. She subsequently graduated from the National College of Art and Design with a Visual Communications Degree in 2004 and then went on to complete a Masters in Digital Media Technology at DIT.

With a retro-inspired and playful style, Paula creates bold and colourful designs using nature, literature and the animal kingdom for inspiration.

For this mug she also drew inspiration from the world famous Harry Clarke Stained Glass Windows in Bewley’s cafe in Grafton Street, Dublin. Paula started off as a graphic designer and credits social media and group exhibitions for getting her designs noticed. She created the bespoke mug design specially and exclusively for Bewley’s.

“It’s a thrill to design for Bewley’s. My first memory of Bewley’s was as an art student, treating myself to a cup of delicious fresh coffee in Bewley’s Grafton Street while mesmerised by the beauty and uniqueness of the Harry Clarke stained glass windows.

“I loved the colours, the lavish details of oriental birds and decorative flowers. I wanted to revisit this oriental theme while also using my own style to celebrate the love of tea and coffee. It’s also brilliant to know that the café is being renovated and will return in sparkling form in the New Year.”

Mark Saunders, Brand Director, Bewley’s said, “Bewley’s has a long and proud association with support for Irish arts so it’s great to work with such a designer as talented as Paula on this project, particularly as 2015 is the year of Irish design.

Paula’s prints are fresh and modern and the oriental feel of the new mug design beautifully captures the rich history of Bewley’s in a lively and colourful way.”

Sligo’s holiday season gets officially underway at 5.30pm on Friday, November 27, when the Christmas Tree at City Hall and the town’s street lights are switched on.

The official ceremony will take place outside Sligo City Hall, Quay Street, in attendance will be the Cathaoirleach of Sligo County Council, Councillor Rosaleen O’Grady, Mayor Councillor Thomas Healy, President of Sligo Chamber , David Kiely, Chief Executive Officer Paul Keyes, and Sligo County Council Chief Executive, Ciarán Hayes.

The entertainment will get underway at 5pm, courtesy of soprano Eunjoo Goh, her daughter Nahee Han and the Tone Cold Sober Barbershop Chorus.