This is a plea to all the orienteers out there. I live in Northern Ireland, a matter of two miles from Donegal. And it's a fantastic county of mountains, forests, and areas suitable for orienteering. Ards Forest Park, Loughsalt Mountain and the Urishills are some of the areas of which I would love to see orienteering maps. So why hasn't orienteering been developed in Donegal? What does the Irish Orienteering Association think of this? There are so many hillwalkers and other assorted outdoor pursuits people in Donegal, that surely the opportunity is there.

I am unaware of any maps in Donegal apart from Gartan O.E.C. and I have heard the possibility of a mapped area near Donegal as a potential for a future Irish Champs.

Is there any money available for the development of orienteering in Donegal? What about cross-border money when some of the areas (i.e Inishowen, and those near Strabane and other Western NI border towns) have a catchment area which could cover not only part of Donegal, but also NI?

Shortly after posting this message on the Irish Orienteering newsgroup, Frank Ryan informed me that "...the Connacht Region Orienteering Council has been trying to encourage the formation of a club in Donegal and have assisted with the production of at least two maps in Donegal: Finner Sandhills near Bundoran (on which a Connacht Championship was held a few years ago) and an area near Milford for the FCA unit in that area. As a point of interest, a ladies senior team from the 24Bn FCA will be competing in the All Army FCA orienteering competition in the Galtees on Sunday 9th May."

You can e-mail me on JM.Scott@ulst.ac.uk, or phone 08-01504-341110 after 7.00 p.m.

Jonny Scott, NWOC.