Author name: highlandnews

People who are planning a sea swim over the bank holiday are being urged to check carefully for rip currents. They are strong currents, away from the beach, that can drag anything caught in it out to sea. The lifeboat service recommends swimming sideways, parallel with the beach, to escape it.

Ireland has been formally accepted into the EU Migration and Asylum Pact. Justice Minister Helen McEntee has welcomed the European Commission’s confirmation of the move. She says the pact will greatly assist Ireland as we continue taking an active role in managing migration in Europe. Latest figures from the Department of Integration show there are

Repairs to a burst water main may cause supply disruptions to Rathmullan and surrounding areas. A traffic management plan will be in place for the duration of the works. Works are scheduled to take place until 6pm this evening. Uisce Eireann recommend that those affected allow 3-4 hours after the estimated restoration time your supply

The PSNI says four officers were assaulted while dealing with a reported fight in Newry. They attended the scene in the Bank Parade area of the town shortly after half 12 yesterday morning. They took a 22 year old injured man to hospital, where he reportedly became aggressive, assaulted the officers, and spat at a

The Northwest was the wettest region of Ireland last month. That’s according to Met Eireann’s Climate Statistics report. The Northwest also accounted for the coolest temperatures. The weather station in Finner recorded the strongest gust of wind on the 3rd of July, measuring a speed of 85km/h. Meanwhile, Malin Head recorded the highest 10 minute

Police in Derry are applealing for information following an incident of arson yesterday afternoon. Neighbourhood officers on patrol saw a large plume of smoke coming from the roof of the former Lisnagelvin Leisure Centre in Richill Park and immediately contacted the NIFRS. They say blaze was deliberate ignition. Equipment inside the building was damaged as

Live Register figures for the end of last month have been released today by the Central Statistics Office, showing a fall in the numbers signing on in Donegal when compared to July 2023. There were 8,802 people on the registers in the county’s eight social welfare offices, a drop of 10% on the same period

Buncrana Community Library will now be accessible from 8am until 10pm with the My Open Library service. The initiative hopes to make the library available for more people who may not be able to attend during regular staffing hours. Users will be able to borrow and return items, access the internet and use printing and

The gates at Government buildings on Merrion Street in Dublin have been damaged in an apparent ramming overnight. The scene has been sealed off and a man has been arrested. Gardaí say this incident happened at around 2:30am this morning. Images show damage to a white van at the Department of the Taoiseach and at

Inshore fishing fleets are to now benefit from a new scheme following a census by Bord Iascaigh Mhara last year. Vessels under 8m in length will receive €3,500 while those up to 17.99m will be granted €5,000. The instalments will be split, with €2,000 being received initially. The remainder will then be paid after the

The HSE is appealing to people to to stay safe over the August Bank Holiday weekend. They are encouraging the public to make themselves aware of what healthcare options are available. Tony Canavan, Regional Executive Officer HSE West and North West says Bank Holiday weekends tend to see a high number of people attending EDs.

Emergency services are currently at the scene of a fire in the Waterside area of Derry. The fire service is working to bring the blaze at the old Lisnagelvin Leisure Centre under control. People are being urged to avoid the area if possible. Police say the incident may cause significant disruption to traffic in the

Gardaí are appealing for help in tracing a missing woman from Sligo. 37 year old Amy Conway is reported missing from her home in Sligo Town since Wednesday June 26th. She was last seen in the Galway City area. Amy is described as being around 5 foot 6 inches in height, with a medium build,

Donegal County Council has welcomed the recent approval by Cabinet to progress the TEN-T road project. The Council says the project will transform the core road network and includes significant active travel provision. A Land Liaison team is in place and they have been engaging on an ongoing basis with land and property owners likely

Ireland is breaching international human rights laws over its failure to house those who have sought international protection here. The High Court has ruled that the state’s failure to provide for the basic needs of unaccommodated asylum seekers breaches their right to human dignity under the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights. Mr Justice Barry O’Donnell

A caravan has been destroyed in an arson attack in Castlederg. The fire which the fire service believe was started deliberately broke out at around 11:30pm last night in the Millbrook Gardens area. No injuries were reported. Police are appealing to anyone with information, including video footage or who was in the area at the

The average weekly household expenditure was just over 1 thousand euro in 2022 and 2023. That figure is slightly lower at almost €920 in Northern and Western counties. According to CSO figures released today, the average weekly spend in the Northern and Western region was €919.26 with transport which covers vehicles, fuel, insurance, tax and

It’s been claimed today that four years into the defective block crisis, the Department of Housing didn’t know what measures had been taken to ensure construction materials in affected counties were fit for use and compliant with EU regulations. It later emerged that Donegal County Council had sent 25 letters to manufacturers on the introduction

The RSA and Garda ‘August Bank Holiday’ road-safety campaign kicks off today and runs until Wednesday. Motorists are being warned that means an extended enforcement period across the weekend – targeting drink and drug driving, and the use of mobile phones. It’s also ‘Amber Thursday’…. an inter-agency initiative to improve safety on the roads, the

What’s been a busy week for the Arranmore RNLI volunteer crew continued yesterday with the third callout since Sunday. The crew were tasked to facilitate a medical evacuation from the island at 4 o’clock yesterday afternoon. The patient was then transferred from the lifeboat to a waiting ambulance at Burtonport, and brought to Letterkenny University

Illegal fishing nets equivalent to six lengths of an Olympic sized swimming pool have been seized in Donegal. The 200m and 100m nets were seized by Inland Fisheries Ireland on Sunday on Leenan Bay, Lough Swilly. IFI were conducting a sea patrol at the time of the discovery.

A teenage driver who led gardaí on a 40-minute chase over 80km has been jailed for three years at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Aaron Donnelly (18) was sent forward from the District Court on signed pleas of two counts of endangerment at Tolka Valley Road and at North Frederick St, Dublin, on November 30th, 2021.

A driver in the Sion Mills area was arrested last night on suspicion of a number of road related offences and had their vehicle seized . They were initially stopped for bearing a registration plate of another vehicle which was a similar make and model. It then emerged that the car was uninsured and long

Four projects in Donegal are to benefit from the International Fund for Ireland. €3.7 million has been awarded to 17 projects across border counties and Northern Ireland in a bid to deliver peace and reconciliation work. In Donegal, the Manchester United Foundation has been awarded almost €350,000 for it’s ‘Inspires Programme’. Lifford Clonleigh Resource Centre,

Donegal is to benefit from a new Coast-to-Coast Investment Scheme. The capital funding worth €3 million will be used to upgrade existing visitor attractions and experiences. Donegal, Sligo and parts of Leitrim on the Wild Atlantic Way are included as well as areas in the east coast such as the Causeway Coastal Route. Each project

Two guns and ammunition have been seized in Burnfoot over the weekend. Gardaí conducted a planned search of a vacant property on Saturday last. The items that were recovered are now being subject to a technical and forensic examination. Enquiries are ongoing.

The All-Island Strategic Rail Review has been published. The joint report by the Department of Transport in Ireland and the Department for Infrastructure in the North sets out the implementation of 32 strategic recommendations up to 2050, at the cost of between €35 and 37 billion. In Donegal, there is a line proposed to travel

Motorbike users will now be able to park at the rear of Bank of Ireland in Donegal Town for free on Sundays. It’s after Donegal County Council received backlash following the pedestrianisation of the newly refurbished Diamond. A meeting was held on Monday between elected members, council executives and representatives from the motorbike community to