WHAT I LIKE ABOUT DOUGLAS
10th February, 2000

A few weeks ago, we in the ‘Douglas Weekly, came up with an idea which we thought would be good because it would involve our young people in St. Columba’s girls and boys school. We rang school principal Michelle Cashman and asked her if her students would write a composition on “Why I like living in Douglas”. Michelle liked the idea and today Luke Philpott dropped up to the office with 38 entries. We will publish three or four entries each week, starting with the four below, and at the end of the competition we will get a judge to pick three winners, who will receive a prize from Douglas Books. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as we did ...

What I like About Douglas
by Jackie Desmond.

I like my neighbourhood because every year we pick a month toclean our park. I have lived in Douglas, Grange for the past eleven years. The people in my neighbourhood are very friendly. I like my neighbourhood because there are a lot of people my age, older and younger.
I have been attending St. Columba’s N.S. with facility for the Deaf Children for eight years. We have various sport activities to offer during school hours and after school. The activities we have during school are Gaelic Football, Camogie, Basketball, Swimming, P.E. Games, Speech and Drama, Pottery, Creative Dance, Computers and Gardening. The activities after school are Gymnastics, Irish Dancing, Tennis, Karate, Music, Art Classes, Flute & Violin and Drama, French Lessons and Choir.
The Village itself is like a town because there is everything you would need in the two Shopping Centres. Also there is a swimming pool, two shopping centres, a Cinema, Shops, Video Shops, Chip Shops, Pubs, Bookies, Hairdressers, and Restaurants. For the Sport activities there is a G.A.A. pitch and hall also the G.A.A. holds a Disco for people of eleven to fifteen. There is a Playground where your children can play while you take a walk.
I like Douglas itself because you can go shopping with your friends and go to the Cinema or McDonalds with them. Also you can go to the park or go for walks. I always go to Douglas with with my friends and we always have fun. I love all the Clothes Shops and especially Dynasty.
I love being an inhabitant of Douglas. I enjoy Douglas because of all the Sports activities, walks, shops and playground. I think Douglas is a great place to live. So if you want to find out more about Douglas area catch the “Douglas Weekly”.

What I like about Douglas
by Leanne Synnott

My parents and I have recently moved from Dublin to Cork. I am now living in Carrigaline and it is a very friendly neighbourhood. There is a Supermarket and two Pharmacies, two Video shops, a Library, several Pubs, a Pottery shop, a hotel and a Garda Station. All it really needs is a Cinema.
I have been attending St Columba’s N.S. with Facility for the Deaf Children since September 1999. There are many activities such as Gaelic Football, Tennis, Camogie, Arts and Crafts, Gymnastics, Creative Dancing and lots more taking place there.
Douglas used to be in Co. Cork, but the City boundary was moved out to the Finger-Post in the 1960s. It is about two and a half miles from the City Centre. Douglas was once a small village with two Pubs, two Grocery Shops, a Butcher Shop and the two Churches. Douglas got its name from the Black Stream.
Now a days in Douglas we have a Cinema, a couple of Pharmacies, Garages, a few Video Shops, several Supermarkets and much more. Our School was built in 1976. It is built in four blocks each containing four classrooms, surrounding an attractive Courtyard and assembly hall. In the late 70’s, the principle of the B.N.S. was Con Foley.
Many years before the school was built, Donnybrook, Calderwood, Pinecroft, Clifton, Frankfield and Grange were all undeveloped. The original Douglas was divided into the east and West village The original two Churches were St. Lukes Church of Ireland and St. Columba’s Catholic Church.
The money for the belltower was given by the two Reeves sisters. The only condition was that they could see the tower from their window. These ladies lived in the original house where Douglas Community School is located. Douglas has changed a lot in the last thirty years from a small sleepy village to the busy centre it is today.

What I like about Douglas
by Ailish Murphy

In my neighbourhood we are all mostly very friendly. If we realise something has gone wrong with someone we all pull together and see if they’re okay. In some neighbourhoods they have a system called “Meals On Wheels”, this means that a group of people cook meals for people who can’t get out somewhere, it’s usually for the elderly people of Douglas.
I attend St. Columba’s N.S. I like it very much. The staff are thoughtful and the school offers a number of different activities such as Gaelic Football, Camogie, Basketball, Swimming, P.E. Games, Gymnastics, Irish Dancing, Tennis, Karate, Music, Speech & Drama, French Lessons and Art Classes, last year our school joined with the school for the Deaf. Our school is now called St. Columbas N.S. with Facility for the Hearing Impaired.
Our village is very convenient. It is situated in a place where we are mostly near everything. We’ve got two excellent Shopping Centres and one of them, Dunnes Stores has recently been extended. Our town consists of Dental Clinics, Libraries, Supermarkets, Jewellery Shops, Clothes Shops, Banks, a Credit Union, Pubs, Chip Shops and much much more.
I have been an inhabitant of Douglas for the past twelve years. In all that time I have hardly had any complaints, and if I did have any they would be very minor. I love living in Douglas and I hope I still live here in years to come as well.
Finally I would like to say that Douglas is very welcoming. We always try to come together and fix anything that’s wrong because we care so much for our town. One of the best weekly things in Douglas which I always get to know about news and happenings is “Douglas Weekly”. I hope it never stops printing because ITS TOPS!!!

What I Like about Douglas
by Michele Keating

I have been an inhabitant of Douglas for over twelve years. I love where I live, the people are really friendly. I have a lot of really good friends at home and at school.

I have been attending St. Columba’s N.S with Facilities for Deaf Children for eight years now and I really enjoy it. It has various activities during and after class such as Music, Choir, Swimming, Basketball and P.E. Also in our school we have a Computer Room and we have a special garden. I will be very sad leaving this year.

Another thing I like about Douglas is Douglas Village. It has two Shopping Centres, a Library, Cinema and McDonalds close by. It has plenty of clothes shops. Douglas also has a range of Pubs, Chip Shops and Restaurants. Every year the G.A.A have a
supervised Disco. I enjoy going to Douglas with my friends almost every week.

I celebrated my Communion in Douglas Church which has been recently renovated. I enjoy been with my class other than school. We have just come through the Millennium, I think there has been a big difference in Douglas since the year 1901 My Grandmother was born by the Fingerpost and looking back at old photographs from that era you can see how Douglas and surrounding areas have greatly transformed.