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Eighty O'Neills to visit Buncrana 03.09.12

MORE than 80 O'Neills are scheduled to travel this week from America for the inaugural Tip O'Neill Donegal Diaspora Award in memory of the late former Speaker of the US House of Representatives.
The clan gathering, starting this Friday, will take place in Buncrana, Co Donegal, home of Tip O'Neill's maternal ancestors.
US-based journalist, Niall O'Dowd, will be the first recipient of the Tip O'Neill Donegal Diaspora Award. The weekend programme will also include the presentation of Irish American Partnership bursaries to five local national schools and the first annual Tip O’Neill Lecture to be delivered by Professor Paul Arthur. A permanent sculpture commemorating O'Neill will also be unveiled at Buncrana's Shore Front by the town’s mayor, Cllr James Gill.
Tip O'Neill's daughter, Susan O'Neill, said: “It is a great honour to come back to Ireland and especially Inishowen to participate in the Tip O’Neill Donegal Diaspora Award and the great festivities planned over the weekend.
"Tip’s grandmother Eunice Fullerton was born outside Buncrana so this part of the world still resonates as home for many of us.
"There are over 80 making the trip and this is a great opportunity for members of our family to visit our ancestral home and meet the local community who have put so much work into organising this weekend of events," Ms O'Neill added.
Donegal County Council director of services, Michael Heaney, said this year marked the centenary of Tip O’Neill’s birth.
"This award has been established to acknowledge his many outstanding achievements and give credit to the grandson of a Donegal emigrant and an eminent member of the Irish diaspora," said Mr Heaney.
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