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Thomas ‘the Millar’ steps down 02.04.09

Retirement beckons for well-regarded council employee

by Simon McGeady, Inishowen Independent

DONEGAL County Council lost a well-known Inishowen face this week when Thomas ‘The Millar’ Doherty retired from the local authority after 23 years of employment.
The Cockhill 67 year old Clerk of Works has overseen numerous projects in that time, none bigger than the construction of the Fullerton Pollen Dam in the early 1990s.
Fellow Cockhill native, Councillor Rena Donaghey, led tributes to Mr Doherty. Speaking at last week’s Inishowen Electoral Area meeting in Carndonagh, the Fianna Fáil representative said Mr Doherty had given outstanding service to the Council down the years.
Thomas ‘The Millar’ Doherty with wooden toys he made in his workshop. “I know I speak for all of us when I say a big thank you to Thomas Doherty. He is a long-standing servant of this council. He always adopted a common sense approach to the problems he was presented with.”
Cllr Donaghey said Doherty’s impressive knowledge of local infrastructure would be sorely missed.
“A very ordered and practical person, because of the length of time he has served on Donegal County Council and in Buncrana,
Thomas knows where every pipe is. Only last month I had him out on a job and he knew exactly where the problem was.”
Cllrs Denis McGonagle and Frances Conaghan echoed Cllr Donaghey’s comments.
Before joining the council, Doherty worked for 25 years under Buncrana contractor Eddie Barr.
Doherty position in the Council is to be filled by Cahir Doherty. His last project was the Malin Town Sewage Scheme, which has just been completed.
Speaking to the Inishowen Independent Mr Doherty said he planned to take several holidays and make a head start on carving rocking horses (the Millar makes wooden toys in the workshop at the back of his home) in time for next Christmas.
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