Author name: highlandnews

Donegal has the second highest unemployment per capita in Ireland. 464 people per 10,000 in this county are without a job. It follows only Louth at 496. The analysis by the National Pension Helpline revealed that eight counties had over 400 people on the Live Register per 10,000, while the average across the 26 Counties […]

A public inquiry is due to start today into proposals for a controversial gold mine in outside Omagh. Canadian company Dalradian is behind the application for the Sperrin Mountains. It says it’ll boost the economy – but local campaigners are worried about the impact on the area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The proposed underground mine would

Gardaí in Donegal have issued security advice to homeowners. They are urging people to always report any suspicious activity or vehicles immediately. The advice is to be vigilant when leaving your house vacant, even if it’s only going to be for a few minutes as that is all the time it would take for a

The sister of a woman murdered in Killygordan six years ago says more needs to be done to tackle femicide in Ireland. Jenna McMonagle was speaking on RTÉ’s Upfront: The Podcast days after the sixth anniversary of her sister Jasmine’s death. She was killed by her former partner Richard Burke, of Killygordan in her home.

A memorial mass and commemorative walk has taken place today to mark the third anniversary of the death of schoolteacher Ashling Murphy. The 23-year-old was out jogging on the Grand Canal near Tullamore, Co Offaly when she was murdered on the 12th of January 2022. Her third anniversary mass took place at St Brigid’s Church

Repairs to a burst water main may cause supply disruptions to Tullagh and surrounding areas. Works are scheduled to take place until 5pm tomorrow. It is recommended that those affected allow 3-4 hours after the estimated restoration time for supply to fully return.

A new poll shows a post-election ‘bounce’ for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. The latest Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks poll puts Fianna Fáil at 23.8% support, up 1.9% – and Fine Gael at 22.3%, up 1.5%. However, independents and others are down significantly from 15.5% per cent at the election – to 8.8&. It comes as

A 21 year old Irish woman has died after falling 150 metres while rock-climbing in Spain. It happened in Malaga, near the village of El Chorro. Two climbers got into difficulty and lost their balance while trying to descend. Her climbing companion survived by grabbing onto a boulder at the side of a ravine, but

A power outage may cause supply disruptions to Muff, Quigley’s Point, Moville, Greencastle, Gleneely, Carndonagh and surrounding areas. Works are scheduled to take place until 6pm this evening. It is recommend that those affected allow 3-4 hours after the estimated restoration time for supply to fully return. Uisce Eireann Statement: Uisce Éireann is working to

A man has been arrested following the discovery of drugs, cash and drug paraphernalia in Derry. Officers from the Waterside Neighbourhood Policing Team and the tactical support group carried out searches in the waterside area of the city over the weekend. A quantity of suspected class A, B and C drugs were seized along with

A murder investigation is underway in County Cavan following the death of a woman in her 50s. A man in his 30s has been arrested in connection with the investigation. Gardaí remain on scene here at the end of Derrycasan lane just outside Kilnavart. Up the lane, a house is sealed off pending the arrival

A nun from Derry will be a step closer to sainthood following a ceremony today. Sister Clare Crockett from the Brandywell was killed in an earthquake in Ecuador in 2016. The 33 year old had been a TV presenter before she took her Holy Orders and became associated with fertility miracles. The opening of the

A yellow fog warning has been issued for Donegal and the rest of the country. The alert comes into effect at 6pm this evening and will last until 9am tomorrow morning. Met Éireann are advising motorists of impaired visibility.

There has been widespread shock and anger after the Illies Community Centre was damaged. In a social media post, the Centre said the main gate was rammed open and quads were driven on the pitch, causing significant destruction to the property. CCTV cameras caught footage of the perpetrators and has been handed over to an

Inland Fisheries Ireland has launched a new recruitment drive for seasonal posts in Donegal. Eligible applicants from diverse backgrounds are being sought for a number of outdoor roles. IFI says a number of posts will be available in Donegal as part of its new national recruitment drive to hire temporary staff. Starting salaries of €30,979,

Two major power outages have left over 3,400 homes, farms and businesses without supply in Buncrana. One fault is impacting 973 ESB customers, while a second larger fault has left 2,461 premises in the dark. It’s hoped electricity will be restored by 6:30pm this evening. Update 6:03pm: 2,213 remain without power in Buncrana. It’s hoped

The number of people on the Live Register in Donegal is down 14% over the past year. CSO figures show there were 7,756 people signing on in the county in December, down compared to 9,118 during the same period in 2023. All eight of Donegal’s Social Welfare Offices saw their year on year figures fall.

Residents and businesses in Ballybofey and Stranorlar are being urged to conserve water. It comes as the Corradooey Reservoir records a 50% increase in daytime usage. Uisce Éireann crews are currently working to locate a major burst on the network in the Ballybofey area which is leading to significant loss of water and is impacting

National Treatment Purchase Fund figures have shown a continuing trend for December, with a similar pattern emerging from November. That is a rise in inpatient waiting lists and a fall in those waiting for an outpatient appointment. There were 1,461 people awaiting inpatient appointments, up just over 8%. Of those, 1,418 were adults, and 43 were

The number of people on the Live Register in Donegal is down 14% over the past year. CSO figures show there were 7,756 people signing on in the county in December, down compared to 9,118 during the same period in 2023. However, the figure is up 3.2% from November last. Nationally, the number of people

Repairs to a burst water main are ongoing in Ballybofey, Stranorlar and surrounding areas. Uisce Eireann say works are scheduled to be completed by 6pm this evening. A traffic management plan is in place for the duration of the works.

Gardaí have confirmed that they are investigating a complaint of an alleged fraud at a business in East Donegal. The complaint was made on December 19th and is believed to have involved a number of people at the major manufacturer in Ballybofey. Gardaí say the investigation is ongoing. The exact nature of the alleged fraud

It looks like the cold snap will be coming to an end, with temperatures slowly starting to rise from today. The entire country is still under a yellow warning for low temperatures and ice until midday, before a gradual thaw begins. Motorists are again urged to take care on the roads this morning with temperatures

A 39-year-old man has been charged with a number of drug-related offences as part of an investigation by detectives from The Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Organised Crime Branch. The man was first arrested in October 2024 and subsequently bailed. On the same day, searches were carried out in Derry during which around £20,000 in

The Northern Ireland Executive is to try and identify those abused as children in church settings. It addresses all faiths and includes schools overseen by Northern Ireland’s main Churches and religious congregations. It follows the scoping inquiry into childhood sexual abuse in schools run by the Catholic Church in the Republic. It’s calling for survivors

Gardai say foul play is not suspected in the death of a man whose body was found at a vacant property in Burnfoot earlier this week. The man’s, body was discovered in the Dundrain area at around 2:30pm on Wednesday. Gardai believe the death of the man, who was in his 30s was a tragic

Sligo University Hospital has opened a medical offsite ward. The 26-bed ward is hoped to lessen the burden on current bed capacity. The facility will be used by many in South Donegal as it is their nearest ED. The facility located at St. John’s Community Hospital in Sligo has six four-bed rooms and two single

Grainne’s Gap remains closed this morning due to the hazardous road conditions. The closure was requested by an Garda Siochana. The road is due to reopen at 10am this morning pending weather conditions.

Jerry Early has been appointed the role of Lifeboat Operations Manager at Arranmore RNLI. It follows 43 years of service in which Mr Early has held the position of volunteer crew member, 10 years as the 2nd coxswain and the Deputy Launch Authority. He is also chairperson of the Irish Islands Marine Resource Organisation. Mr

375 drivers have been caught speeding over the last 72 hours. One motorist was travelling at 156 kilometre per hour in a 100 zone on the N15 Drumrat in Donegal. 29 motorists were arrested for drink or drug driving during that same period. Gardaí are repeating their appeal to drivers to Slow Down during the

Grainne’s Gap in Muff will be closed at 6pm this evening at the request of an Garda Síochana. It is due to the treacherous conditions with the cold snap. The road will open once more at 10am tomorrow morning, subject to weather conditions.

A vehicle collided with the front of the Donegal Hearing Clinic on Pearse Road in Letterkenny this afternoon. The organisation shared images of the damage caused at the front door of the premises on social media. Gardaí confirmed they received a report of criminal damage earlier today in the area. It’s believed the vehicle fled the scene