Latest news with #LoughSwilly
Irish Times
11-06-2025
- Irish Times
Donegal five-bed with beach access on shore of Lough Swilly for €1.75m
Address : Rock Cottage, Rathmullan, Co Donegal Price : €1,750,000 Agent : Sherry FitzGerald Country Homes & Sherry FitzGerald Paul Reynolds On the western shores of Lough Swilly, Rathmullan is a pretty seaside village with a pier, marina and a beach. Its country house hotel, Rathmullan House , with lawns that roll down to the shore, is a big draw and it has also been a second home setting for decades for many in the nearby counties. The village is a punctuation point in Irish history for it was from Portnamurray Bay, a short distance to the north, in 1607, that the chieftains of some of the leading families of Ulster, including the O'Donnells and the O'Neills, raised anchor, bound for Spain, in what has been called the Flight of the Earls. There is now a monument there by sculptor John Behan to commemorate the event. From the balcony off the upstairs sittingroom at Rock Cottage – a five-bedroom, three-bathroom detached residence – you can see Lough Swilly and across the water to Fahan as well as the long sandy strip of Lisfannon Beach. This sizeable house sits on lands originally purchased from the Fort Royal Hotel and is on what was once that establishment's eighth fairway. A pump house belonging to the hotel on Kinnegar Road is listed on the Buildings of Ireland historical register. READ MORE Rock Cottage, Rathmullan Rock Cottage The backstory explains the property's mature sylvan setting with views to the water through tall, elegant trees. The owners are second-generation holiday-home owners, whose parents bought the house about 25 years ago. It comes with right-of-way access directly to the beach, which is also just a short walk away by road. Also notable are the nearby bike and walking trails through Rathmullan House that mean you can travel to the village centre without ever having to go on the roads, a boon for families. The hotel also serves up delicious food, should you fancy eating out or taking away. There are several other good restaurants to sample: Belle's Kitchen for brunch, the Water's Edge for family gatherings framed by views lake views, and the Beachcomber Bar for a bowl of steamed mussels. The owners completely renovated the interior, and although they haven't extended it's footprint, they did expand its plot size by buying additional land to allow them to create the smart, contemporary garden. It has been designed to track the sun and has a patio that wraps around the house. The sun rises at the soccer pitch, where there is also a wellness centre comprising sauna, cold-plunge pool and whirlpool hot tub, under a steel pergola. Inside, the residence, which extends to 238sq m (2,562 sq ft), is in as pristine condition as Rathmullan's Blue Flag marina. Kitchen Diningroom Living area Livingroom It opens into a large hall with a roomy kitchen-diner to the right. Its solid timber in-frame units, painted in Farrow & Ball colours and topped with marble, were designed by Derry-based Heywood and Robinson, who did all the bespoke joinery. Full-size sliding glass doors open out to a patio where there is an outdoor kitchen and dining area. This steps up to a raised outdoor lounge, protected from the soft rainy days by a second steel pergola. The owners hired a landscaper so that the garden would bloom all year round, also planting a herb garden of basil, mint, thyme and rosemary, so that they would have fresh herbs for cocktails. Back indoors, with glass on three sides, the adjacent sunroom is glorious and gets light all day. On the far side of the hall are two of the property's five bedrooms. The principal has similar glass doors that open to the manicured garden. It has an en suite bathroom and walk-in wardrobe. The garden Outdoor entertaining space There are three more bedrooms upstairs, one of which is en suite. Occupants of the other two will have to use the downstairs bathroom. There's plenty of marine activity too, with members of yacht club across the water at Fahan visiting regularly. You can also take fishing trips with Rathmullan Charters. The B2-rated house, which has oil-fired central heating, is on the market seeking €1.75 million through joint selling agents Sherry FitzGerald Country Homes and Sherry FitzGerald Paul Reynolds.
Irish Times
31-05-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Buncrana drowning victim Matt Sibanda was ‘truly special' with ‘generous heart', funeral hears
Matt Sibanda, who died after getting into difficulty in Co Donegal 's Lough Swilly, was a 'truly special soul' who 'made others feel seen, valued and heard', his funeral has heard. 'That is a rare gift ... and one that touched everyone who knew him,' said Mr Sibanda's uncle, Buhle. The 18 year old died earlier this month with his friend, 16-year-old Emmanuel Familola, after they went into the water off Ned's Point in Buncrana, to retrieve a football. Originally from Zimbabwe, he, his mother and younger sister were living in the Co Donegal town. READ MORE His funeral Mass took place in St Mary's Oratory in Buncrana on Saturday morning. Pupils from his school, Crana College in Buncrana, formed a guard of honour outside the church alongside students from Emmanuel's school, Scoil Mhuire. Relatives from Zimbabwe travelled to Buncrana for the funeral. His family visited the scene of the tragedy before the service on Saturday. Other family and friends from Buncrana and from the migrant communities in Donegal and Ireland were also present. Commandant Joe Glennon, aide de camp to the Taoiseach , attended on behalf of the Taoiseach and Tánaiste , as did the chaplain to the Taoiseach, Father Daniel McFaul. Also present were Kevin Cooley, principal of Crana College, and the principal of Scoil Mhuire, Evelyn McLoughlin, and teachers from both schools, as well as representatives from the emergency services, including An Garda Síochána , the RNLI, Coastguard and ambulance service. [ 'They were Buncrana sons' – the Co Donegal lives and tragic deaths of two immigrant teenagers Opens in new window ] The requiem Mass began with the playing of the Zimbabwean national anthem. In his homily, parish priest Father Francis Bradley said Mr Sibanda was known for 'his quiet but sociable presence, his smiling face and his ability to always listen and respond with a deeply respectful and generous heart'. He and his family arrived in Buncrana in late 2023. 'He was undeniably wise and good beyond his years, with an ability to sit with other children reading, debating and learning with great enthusiasm, always curious to know a little more.' Fr Bradley said the teen had 'profound respect' for his mother and was 'a good and kind boy, a humble kid who would play with other children, always looking out for his sister'. 'He adored her, and she him. He would watch her when his mam was working. He taught her to ride a bike, he would play piggyback with her and chase her after school.' Mr Sibanda loved healthy food, exercising and lifting weights, Fr Bradley said, adding that he was a powerful swimmer. Fr Bradley also spoke of the impact of the double tragedy on the town of Buncrana, describing the loss of the two teenagers as 'an open wound, a sore blow for us all'. Mr Sibanda's uncle Buhle thanked everyone for coming 'to honour and remember' the life of his 'beloved' nephew. He said 'the pain of losing him so suddenly ...is something we are still struggling to understand'. [ Vigil for two teenagers who drowned trying to retrieve football from the sea Opens in new window ] He described his nephew as 'a humble young man, never one to seek the spotlight, never one to boast'. 'He moved through life with a quiet dignity and deep respect for others,' he said. 'Though his life was far too short, Matt left us with memories and moments that will live on forever.'
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Sibanda family's grief 'speaks to the human in all of us'
The funeral is due to take place later of the second teenager who died after getting into difficulty in the water in Buncrana earlier this month. Parish priest Father Francis Bradley said 18-year-old Matt Sibanda was much loved and admired, especially by his seven-year-old sister who he doted on. He said the outpouring of grief after his death had happened because this kind of tragedy "speaks to the human in every one of us". "People know the pain of loss," he said. Matt's family will make a poignant visit to the scene of the tragedy on Saturday before the funeral. His grandmother travelled from Zimbabwe with his two older siblings, a brother and sister in their twenties, to be there alongside Matt's mother and younger sister. The 18-year-old died along with his friend Emmanuel Familola, a native of Nigeria. They were playing football on the beach at Ned's Point and had gone into the water to retrieve a ball when they got into difficulty. A third boy made it back to the shore. Later that evening, the body of Matt Sibanda was recovered from Lough Swilly. Emmanuel Familola was rescued and taken to Letterkenny University Hospital but passed away the following morning with his mother at his bedside. Fr Bradley says Matt Sibanda's family are quietly trying to come to terms with the tragedy. "Matt's mum is a woman of few words but deep deep emotion and she talked to me so powerfully about what Matt meant to her," he told BBC News NI. "His little sister is so full of life, she's a gift from above really, telling me she speaks four languages. She's better in Irish than I am sharing her lovely phrases with me in Irish that she has learnt in school and they are all just telling me about what Matt meant to them. "The way he would watch over his little sister teaching her to ride a bicycle. How he was so devoted to his mother. She said she could put her hand on the Bible and say that he never once disobeyed her. "Can you imagine what it means to her then to lose somebody as special as this." Fr Bradley said the family members had made a special journey to the scene of the tragedy. "It has been so important for them to see where he died. "A little ritual took place there by the pier with his grandmother as the head of the family. It was so important that she come for a little gesture so they could, in their terms, release his soul allowing him to go to heaven." Fr Bradley said he was a "gifted boy in so many ways," of whom classmates and peers speak glowingly. "And not just in the way that people might speak of people after they die but just a real sense of his giftedness. "Someone who looked not to their own needs but who looked to the needs of others." Fr Bradley said Matt was hugely important to his family as he was the one in which they placed their hopes. The support from the Buncrana community for both families had been overwhelming, according to Fr Bradley. "It's not a flash in the sky coming together. It's a real sense of loss. So many families here unfortunately, as throughout the country, have suffered losses similar to this. "Even since Matt and Emmanuel passed away another child just down the road in Sligo died in similar circumstances. So people know the pain of loss. "These are the sorts of tragedies that cross all cultural, political, jurisdictional boundaries because they speak to the human in every one of us. "And it's at that human level that there has been an outpouring of grief. It is something natural and wholesome and it something that will endure." 'Terrible grief' descends on town after death of two teenagers Vigil held in Buncrana for teenage boys
BBC News
31-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Sibanda family's grief 'speaks to the human in all of us'
The funeral is due to take place later of the second teenager who died after getting into difficulty in the water in Buncrana earlier this month. Parish priest Father Francis Bradley said 18-year-old Matt Sibanda was much loved and admired, especially by his seven-year-old sister who he doted said the outpouring of grief after his death had happened because this kind of tragedy "speaks to the human in every one of us"."People know the pain of loss," he said. Matt's family will make a poignant visit to the scene of the tragedy on Saturday before the grandmother travelled from Zimbabwe with his two older siblings, a brother and sister in their twenties, to be there alongside Matt's mother and younger 18-year-old died along with his friend Emmanuel Familola, a native of Nigeria. They were playing football on the beach at Ned's Point and had gone into the water to retrieve a ball when they got into difficulty.A third boy made it back to the shore. Later that evening, the body of Matt Sibanda was recovered from Lough Familola was rescued and taken to Letterkenny University Hospital but passed away the following morning with his mother at his bedside. 'Devoted to his mother' Fr Bradley says Matt Sibanda's family are quietly trying to come to terms with the tragedy. "Matt's mum is a woman of few words but deep deep emotion and she talked to me so powerfully about what Matt meant to her," he told BBC News NI."His little sister is so full of life, she's a gift from above really, telling me she speaks four languages. She's better in Irish than I am sharing her lovely phrases with me in Irish that she has learnt in school and they are all just telling me about what Matt meant to them. "The way he would watch over his little sister teaching her to ride a bicycle. How he was so devoted to his mother. She said she could put her hand on the Bible and say that he never once disobeyed her."Can you imagine what it means to her then to lose somebody as special as this."Fr Bradley said the family members had made a special journey to the scene of the tragedy."It has been so important for them to see where he died."A little ritual took place there by the pier with his grandmother as the head of the family. It was so important that she come for a little gesture so they could, in their terms, release his soul allowing him to go to heaven." 'Gifted in so many ways' Fr Bradley said he was a "gifted boy in so many ways," of whom classmates and peers speak glowingly. "And not just in the way that people might speak of people after they die but just a real sense of his giftedness. "Someone who looked not to their own needs but who looked to the needs of others."Fr Bradley said Matt was hugely important to his family as he was the one in which they placed their hopes. The support from the Buncrana community for both families had been overwhelming, according to Fr Bradley. "It's not a flash in the sky coming together. It's a real sense of loss. So many families here unfortunately, as throughout the country, have suffered losses similar to this. "Even since Matt and Emmanuel passed away another child just down the road in Sligo died in similar circumstances. So people know the pain of loss. "These are the sorts of tragedies that cross all cultural, political, jurisdictional boundaries because they speak to the human in every one of us."And it's at that human level that there has been an outpouring of grief. It is something natural and wholesome and it something that will endure."
The Independent
17-05-2025
- The Independent
Funeral service takes place for Co Donegal drowning victim
A funeral service is under way for a teenager who drowned in Co Donegal. Emmanuel Familola, 16, originally from Nigeria, and Matt Sibanda, 18, originally from Zimbabwe, both died in the incident last weekend. They had been playing football on Saturday when they went into the sea after a ball and got into difficulty. Matt's body was recovered from Lough Swilly on Saturday evening while Emmanuel was rescued and taken to Letterkenny University Hospital, but died in the early hours of Sunday. A vigil was held in their memory in Buncrana on Sunday evening and another vigil was held on Monday evening in Londonderry. Both teenagers had been living with their families in separate international protection centres in Buncrana. Schoolchildren from the Co Donegal town formed a guard of honour at St Mary's Oratory in the town on Saturday morning ahead of the funeral service for Emmanuel. Speaking ahead of the service, Parish Priest Father Francis Bradley said it was a profoundly sad day. 'This day last week, life changed for so many people unspeakably in just a few moments when tragedy struck again at Lough Swilly,' he said. 'Emmanuel was able way beyond his years because of all that he had experienced. 'He didn't allow the harsh things that he had seen to shape him, instead he saw those as opportunities to enable him and others to move on and to move up in the world.' The funeral mass for Matt will be held next week.
