Connecting Communities is committed to fostering meaningful connections between the local community in Inishowen and those who have recently arrived, with a particular focus on minority communities. We offer targeted support to International Protection Applicants (IPAs) residing in the two IPAS centres in Inishowen, as well as to the Ukrainian community who have relocated here due to the war, under the Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection Programme (BOTP). Whether it’s connecting with volunteer opportunities, accessing training, updating a CV, or seeking assistance with relocation requests, we are here to help those starting a new life in Ireland.
What we do…
A range of activities and supports are provided based on consultation on the needs of our new communities. Examples of the type of activities include:
Health & Wellbeing programmes
Social Soccer for Men
Training and workshops
International Protection Applicants or Migrants
- Like to Volunteer? Contact the Donegal Volunteer Centre
- Need Employment Support? Employment Support – Inishowen Development Partnership
- Local Authority Integration Team Donegal – www.donegalcoco.ie/en/services/community/refugee-response/integration
Local to Inishowen, and interested in making connections with our migrant community?
- How to get involved as an individual…you can link in with our Community Development Team and connect to groups across Inishowen who work together with our migrant community- contact [email protected] or [email protected]
- How to get involved as a local community group – connect in through our IFAN Integrating Communities subgroup – contact [email protected] or [email protected]
- At a county level – you can connect to the Donegal Intercultural Platform
Welcome to Buncrana Guide
In 2025 IDP’s Connecting Communities team worked with members of the local IPAs Centre to develop a guide for new arrivals in Buncrana/Inishowen. The guide was designed to be a helping hand for International Protection Applicants and provide them with all the necessary information to help them settle in Buncrana and find out more about key services available.
The Guide is downloadable here:https://inishowen.ie/publications/ 
Some of the activities provided by the Connecting Communities team are supported by the International Protection Integration Fund
Additionally, IDP actively participates in several county-wide interagency working groups dedicated to collaborating with Black and minority ethnic communities, as well as migrant populations. These include the BME Inclusion Group, the Supporting Pathways to Work Subgroup, the Local Authority Integration Team (LAIT), and the Community Integration Forum (CIF).
The guide below was developed by the BME Supporting Pathways to Work subgroup – an initiative of the Black & Minority Ethnic Inclusion Strategy for Donegal 2021-2026. It is a brief guide to the services in Donegal providing supports for people from Black & Minority Ethnic communities in accessing Pathways to Work, including Employment Supports, Education, Work Opportunities, Self-Employment, and Employee Rights.
Click here to download the guide in English.
Scan the QR code or visit Donegal Intercultural Platform to access the guide in various languages.
