Author name: highlandnews

The legal age to buy cigarettes is to be raised from 18 to 21. The Health Minister is to seek cabinet backing for the move tomorrow. Stephen Donnelly will tell his colleagues that the ages between 18 and 21 are high-risk for taking up smoking. The law change won’t affect 18 year olds who smoke

PSNI in Derry are appealing for witnesses to a hit and run that happened on Saturday. The collision occurred on the Strand Road, at the traffic lights outside Sainsbury’s at 5:50pm It involved a black Audi Q5 and a blue Peugeot 308. Witnesses or those who have have CCTV or dashcam footage is asked to

St. Bernadette’s Special School in Letterkenny was presented with a new mobility trike on Friday afternoon. The presentation was made by Donegal Minister, Charlie McConalogue. The equipment was funded through the Variety Ireland’s Recycle Mobility Programme. Principal John Haran says the trike will bring fun to those who will use it at St. Bernadette’s. To

Over 300 homes and businesses are without power this morning in Donegal following lightening yesterday. 192 are in the dark in Carndonagh, while that figure is 114 in Moville. ESB says the power fault in Carndonagh is to be resolved by 11am. According to the ESB PowerCheck website, the fault in Moville was to be

Update – Power restored to the final 36 homes at 2.20pm     114 remain with outpower in Moville this morning following lightening yesterday. Its off the back of an outage which left of almost 500 people in Inishowen in darkness. The fault was due to be fixed in the early hours of this morning.

Landowners in Donegal have until the end of this month to have their say on the Draft Residential Zoned Land Tax Annual Map for 2025. The first phase on the consultation closed last month with the second phase continuing now until May 31st. The Draft Residential Zoned Land Tax Annual Map for 2025 was published

Lightning in Inishowen today has left almost 500 properties without power. Parts of Newtowncunningham, Carndonagh and Moville are experiencing power outages. ESB is working to restore power which it expects will be returned to all areas by 6:15pm. A status yellow thunderstorm warning is in place for Donegal this afternoon and evening.

A man has been injured in an overnight stabbing in Strabane. The man in his 20s was discovered injured shortly before 1:40am in the Melvin Road area. Police however, believe he may have been stabbed at another location in the town. He was taken to hospital for treatment to injuries, which are not believed to

A man has been seriously injured in an early morning hit and run in Donegal. The man in his 60s was struck by a vehicle on Main Street, Clonmany at around 12:15am. He was taken to Letterkenny University Hospital but has since been transferred to Beamount Hospital in Dublin where he remains in a critical

People are being asked to avoid the Mourne Mountains, where firefighters are battling a large gorse fire. The Ireland Fire & Rescue Service says eight pumping engines and 64 firefighters are attending the incident at Hilltown. The operation is expected to be ongoing throughout the day.

A man in his thirties has died after being assaulted at a house in Sallins in County Kildare. Gardaí and Emergency services were called to the scene at Sallins Park, shortly after 3am this morning. Another man in his 20’s was arrested at the property and is currently detained. The body remains remain at the

Donegal County Council will be hosting a number of Biodiversity Week events, with the aim of connecting people with nature. On Saturday 18th May at 4.30am, you can hear the dawn chorus in Ramelton and enjoy a woodland walk through Drumboe Woods in Stranorlar at 11am. There are many bat walks on offer from Bat

Investigations are underway into two fires in Inishowen yesterday. The fire service worked to bring a fire at a tyre centre in the Elaghbeg area of Bridgend under control last night at around 11:30pm. The scene is currently preserved for examination and there are no reports of any injuries. Meanwhile, enquiries are also continuing into

Two men are due to appear in court in Omagh today, in connection with a massive drugs seizure during the week. The PSNI seized drugs worth over €2 million in the Castledawson area on Thursday. The men, aged 25 and 53, are charged with ‘being concerned in the supply of drugs – and possession with

A number of Donegal based businesses are coming together as part of the Donegal Jobs Fair to raise the profile of construction and engineering career opportunities that are currently available in the North West. This Fair is particularly targeting Donegal people living in London or anyone who is interested in relocating to Donegal or the

A man arrested in connection with what police are calling a “barbaric” attack in County Antrim has been released. A man in his 20s was found in the town of Bushmills in the early hours of last Sunday, with his hands nailed to a fence. The 37 year old man arrested yesterday, has been released

Clannad is to be awarded the Freedom of County Donegal. The band founded in Gweedore in 1970, have enjoyed success right across the globe, picking up many awards in recognition of their talents. They will receive the honour at a ceremony at County House Lifford next Friday. The County Badge and Scroll will be presented

There has been an arrest over what police are calling a “barbaric” attack in County Antrim. A man in his 20s was found in the town of Bushmills in the early hours of last Sunday, with his hands nailed to a fence. Officers say a 37-year-old is being questioned.

Ireland’s enjoyed a rare sighting of the Northern Lights overnight. Social Media glowed pink and purple, as star-gazers posted stunning displays from all over the country. It followed the biggest solar storm in 20 years. Forecasters say there could be a chance to see the lights again tonight.

Latest National Treatment Purchase Fund figures show there were 1,583 people awaiting in-patient procedures at Letterkenny University Hospital on April 25th, 119 of them for longer than 18 months. The number awaiting out-patient appointments was almost ten times, at 15,171. Of those, 1997 were waiting for longer than a year and a half. There were

A thunderstorm warning will be in place tomorrow in counties Tyrone, Derry, Armagh and Fermanagh. It may result in heavy showers and isolated thunderstorms. It will begin at 11am and finished at 7pm.

Two men have been charged after detectives in County Derry have seized Class A and Class B drugs with an estimated value of £1.9 million. Police say the proactive search took place in the Castledawson area yesterday afternoon. The men, aged in their 20s and 50s, were charged with a number of drug related offences,

Gardaí from Buncrana Roads Policing Unit detected a van travelling at 124KPH in a speed zone of 100KPH today. The driver subsequently tested positive for cocaine and was arrested. Gardai say further test results are now awaited.

Meanwhile, Independent European candidate Peter Casey says he fears the asylum seekers crisis will spiral out of control if what he termed this inept Irish government does not find an immediate solution. He said the way illegal immigrants are flooding across the border from the UK on a daily basis, it will not be long

A man has been charged with four counts of common assault, affray, disorderly behaviour, criminal damage and the improper use of a public communications network, after a fight broke out in Derry City centre on Wednesday. The 28 year old was arrested yesterday, after a civilian and police officer were assaulted during the disturbance in

Cloughaneely Junior Marching Band in Falcaragh is one of 25 organisations in Ireland who will receive a grant under the Education department’s Non-Mainstream Music Education Bursary Scheme 2024. The group will receive €2,000 from a national pot of €100,000. The junior band has five tutors and 42 members who are under 18 years and perform

The RSA is appealing to drivers to be cautious of sun glare as the weather looks set for a clear weekend. It can lead to motorists becoming dazzled or blinded by the intensity and brightness of the sun. Drivers are advised to wear sunglasses, ensure their windscreen is clean and to have sufficient window washer

The Utilities Regulator saw a huge increase in complex complaint investigations opened last year. It has released its annual report for 2023 today. The Commission for the Regulation of Utilities received over 31,500 contacts from water and energy customers last year. It opened 617 complex complaint investigations, that’s a 71% increase on the previous year.

A free online support group will be launched next week to help Leaving Cert students. Mental health charity, Turn2Me, will be on hand to help those gearing up for exams who are feeling stressed and anxious. Students can sign up on Turn2Me.ie.

A 31 year old man and a 25 year old woman have been charged following a disturbance at the Sackville Street area of Derry on Wednesday last. They were arrested yesterday following a fight of up to 5 people in which a civilian and police officer were assaulted. The man was charged with assault on

PSNI have reissued an appeal for information in relation to the Abdi family who were last seen in Derry on Sunday, the 14th of March. A total of seven people are missing. These are 18 year old Hassan, 6 year old Milhan, 9 year old Mushaq, 13 year old Reyan, 10 year old Roman, 11

A woman has been arrested in relation to an incident of criminal damage in Ballybofey. It’s believed a window was smashed at a premises on Glenfin Street on Wednesday. The woman in her 40s has been charged to appear in court at a later date. Gardaí say investigations are on going.

Today is expected to be the hottest day of the year so far, with temperatures set to reach 22 degrees Celsius. Met Éireann is forecasting a dry, mostly sunny day. The sunshine is expected to continue through tomorrow, but heavy rain is forecast for Sunday.

Gardaí in Letterkenny are appealing for witnesses to multiple incidents of dangerous driving that occurred in the Circular Road, Ballyraine and Woodlands areas of Letterkenny today. These incidents involved a grey 520 BMW between 2.20pm and 2.40pm. The car has blacked out windows, blacked out registration plates and it has been lowered. It also has

A third man is being held in custody in after a fight of five or six people broke out in Derry City centre last night. One member of the public, who had his children in the car, was attacked when he intervened, attempting to break up the incident. His car was then attacked before he