Author name: highlandnews

15,000 signature petition to be handed over today calling for retention of Donegal – Dubliin air timetable

Representatives from Donegal Cancer Flights and Services are heading to Dublin today to hand over a petition, calling for the retention of the Donegal – Dublin air timetable. Yesterday, the Department of Transport decided to proceed with the signing of the PSO contract, meaning the afternoon flights will end next month. The decision has been […]

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West Donegal Councillor slams comments made by OPW Minister Moran regarding floodplains

A West Donegal Councillor says it is ‘unfair’ the Government has blamed homeowners whose properties were built on floodplains. The OPW Minister Kevin Boxer Moran yesterday issued a warning to local authorities that building on land prone to flooding will no longer be tolerated. He recently visited Elm Park in Buncrana, where homeowners are dealing

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Number of properties in Ireland affected by defective blocks risen to 9,500

The number of homes impacted by defective blocks has risen to 9,500, an Oireachtas Housing Committee has heard. This relates to more than 6,000 properties in County Donegal, as well as houses in Counties Mayo, Clare, Limerick and Sligo. Sinn Féin TD Eoin O’Broin says a redress scheme to support homeowners impacted by the defective

Number of properties in Ireland affected by defective blocks risen to 9,500 Read More »

Department of Transport to proceed with signing of Dublin – Dublin PSO flight contract

The Department of Transport have been heavily criticised for their decision to proceed with the signing of the new Donegal–Dublin Public Service Obligation (PSO) contract. This would mean the afternoon flights would end next month. Donegal Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher has condemned the decision to sign off on the contract, despite widespread concern from

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Parents asked to discuss online risks with kids for Safer Internet Day

By Tristian Whitney Gardaí encouraged parents to talk regularly and openly with their children about their online activity as a part of Safer Internet Day. A spokesperson said that children were ‘engrossed in the online world’, and that was important parents were aware of the dangers they may encounter while online. Parents were asked to

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INMO say industrial action may be needed to highlight hospital overcrowding in the West and North West

The INMO is calling on the Government to de-escalate what it calls the “chronic level” of overcrowding in hospitals in the west and north-west, with a union official saying industrial action in the region can’t be ruled out. Its data shows of the 711 admitted patients awaiting beds across the country this morning, nearly 60%

INMO say industrial action may be needed to highlight hospital overcrowding in the West and North West Read More »

St Eunan’s College students want to see petition reach 10,000 signatures

Students at St Eunan’s College in Letterkenny say there must be progress on the campaign for a new extension after they were excluded from the ca[ital programme investment announced last month, despite being on the priority list and having planning permission in place. An online petition has over 3,600 signatures, with paper petitions also being

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Gardaí urge parents to discuss risks of dangerous quad driving

By Tristian Whitney Donegal gardaí have reiterated their ‘zero tolerance’ policy to dangerous quad driving on public roads, and urged parents to discuss the dangers with their children. This follows incidents over the past week in the Carrigans, St. Johnston, Manorcunningham and Newtowncunningham areas. A spokesperson said that quads were powerful machines, and that misuse

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Car keyed in Donegal Town

A car’s been damaged in a weekend incident in Donegal Town which Gardai are treating as criminal damage. Sometime between 7.15 and 10.30 on Saturday evening last, the bonnet of a car parked on The Diamond  was keyed, with substantial damage reported. Anyone with information is asked to contact Gardaí in Ballyshannon on 071 98

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Double trouble for speeding driver after two detections in one hour

Buncrana Roads Policing Unit issued a Fixed Charge Penalty Notice to a driver after detecting a vehicle travelling at 90km/h in a 60km/h zone last night. Less than an hour later, the same vehicle was detected travelling at 174km/h in an 80km/h zone. The driver was arrested and charged to appear in court. The vehicle

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Defective concrete block meetings to be held in Leinster house today

The Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage will meet twice today to discuss Defective Concrete Blocks with key stakeholders. From 3pm to 5.30pm, the committee will hear from officials from the Department of Housing, the Housing Agency, the County and City Management Association, the National Standards Authority of Ireland and Engineers Ireland. A

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Two new special classes allocated to Donegal schools

Two new special classes have been allocated to schools in Donegal. They will be located in PCC Falcarragh and one at Scoil Naomh Chaitríona, Ballyshannon. Nationally, 38 new special classes have been sanctioned, bringing the total to 301. Donegal Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher has welcomed the announcement, saying the new classes will provide vital

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People in Donegal urged to attend Irish Blood Transfusion Service clinics

People in Donegal are being encouraged to donate blood this week, as stocks hit a low. The Irish Blood Transfusion Service are holding clinics in Buncrana and Carndonagh this week. Paul McKinney, Director of Services and Logistics at ITBS, says recent bad weather has caused clinical attendance to plummet. He added that the process is

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Letterkenny University Hospital’s Emergency Department ‘extremely busy’

The HSE has warned that Letterkenny University Hospital’s Emergency Department is extremely busy, with high numbers of people attending the department who need to be admitted to hospital for ongoing treatment. Last week, LUH had 1037 attendances at the ED with just under half of those self-referring. The hospital is advising that patients who attend

Letterkenny University Hospital’s Emergency Department ‘extremely busy’ Read More »

Derry City and Strabane District Council agree budget for 2026/27

Derry City and Strabane District Council has agreed its budget for the incoming 2026/27 year and set a District Rate increase for ratepayers of 4.48%. The budget for the year will see an average rates bill increasing by £27.79 per year, or approximately 53p per week for the average domestic ratepayer. The budget was set

Derry City and Strabane District Council agree budget for 2026/27 Read More »

Pilot programme providing domestic violence training to beauty professionals in Sligo and Leitrim

A new pilot programme is providing training to hair and beauty professionals to help them recognise signs of domestic violence. The specialist training is being offered to salon staff in Sligo and Leitrim. It’s hoped the course will deepen people’s awareness of the signs of someone being affected by abuse. Dr Caroline Forde from the

Pilot programme providing domestic violence training to beauty professionals in Sligo and Leitrim Read More »

7,394 people on the Live Register in Donegal last month, down 3% on January 2025

There were 7,394 people on the Live Register in Donegal at the end of January, a fall of 305 on the same period last year. That’s a year on year drop of just under 4%. Decreases were recorded in all but one of Donegal’s eight social welfare offices. The only increase was recorded at the

7,394 people on the Live Register in Donegal last month, down 3% on January 2025 Read More »

Government must follow through on Boxer Moran’s promises – Doherty

A Donegal TD says the government must follow through on promises made by OPW Minister Kevin Boxer Moran at the weekend to reduce the red tape surrounding flood mitigation works, and in particular, make it easier to carry out smaller local projects to address specific problems. Deputy Pearse Doherty was speaking he and Deputy Pat

Government must follow through on Boxer Moran’s promises – Doherty Read More »

The Greg Hughes Podcast: Donegal Person of Year Packie Keeney

  Episode Spotlight: Packie Keeney – A Lifetime of Service & Storytelling In this special episode, we are joined by the Donegal Person of the Year 2025, Packie Keeney. From the early days of telecommunications to the birth of local radio, Packie’s fingerprints are all over the modern history of our county. We sit down

The Greg Hughes Podcast: Donegal Person of Year Packie Keeney Read More »

Update – 144 homes and businesses now without power in South Inishowen

    144 homes and businesses are likely to remains without power in the vicinity of Buncrana for much of the day. At the height of the outage, there were 1,370 premises affected, but 1,226 had their power restored this morning. ESB Networks had hoped the outstanding issues would be resolved by 11.30 this morning,

Update – 144 homes and businesses now without power in South Inishowen Read More »

Jordan says ambulance delays can only be addressed by significant investment in hospital EDs

A South Donegal councillor says while the deployment of a new ambulance in Killybegs is to be welcomed, delays in the ambulance service will not be resolved until the overcrowding crisis in Emergency Departments is resolved for once and for all. Cllr Noel Jordan says the biggest problem facing the ambulance service is the fact

Jordan says ambulance delays can only be addressed by significant investment in hospital EDs Read More »

DCC urges people to stop defacing road signs by painting over English names

Donegal County Council is urging those responsible for covering English placenames on road signs with paint to cease immediately. Describing the practice as vandalism, they say anyone with knowledge of those carrying out the defacing of signage should report the matter to their local Garda station. Responding to a question from Cllr Michael Mc Clafferty,

DCC urges people to stop defacing road signs by painting over English names Read More »

No timeline for restoration of water to Gola – Uisce Eireann

Uisce Éireann says it is aware of the water supply issues on Gola Island, which has been without regular running water after an underwater pipe to the island was damaged last July. In response to questions from Cllr Michael Cholm McGiolla Easbuig the utility says a working group has been established to review the requirements

No timeline for restoration of water to Gola – Uisce Eireann Read More »

Westminister committee urges UK government to formally name Stakeknife

A cross party group of MPs in Britain is pressuring the government to formally name a British agent who infiltrated the IRA and was suspected of involvement in numerous murders. The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee says revealing the identity of the agent – codenamed Stakeknife – would be strongly in the public interest. He’s understood

Westminister committee urges UK government to formally name Stakeknife Read More »

‘Regeneration in Letterkenny taking too long’ – Cllr McMonagle

Regeneration in Letterkenny is taking too long. That’s according to Councillor Gerry McMonagle. He says that given the significant funding allocated for active travel projects in the town, greater collaboration could be achieved through Letterkenny Connect. Councillor McMonagle is calling for some of that funding to be transferred into the regeneration plan and for active

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Essential reservoir cleaning works taking place in South Donegal this week

Uisce Éireann is advising customers in South Donegal that essential reservoir cleaning works will be taking place this week. These planned works are necessary to maintain and protect the water supply for homes and businesses in the area. While bypass systems are in place for most reservoirs, helping to minimise disruption, some customers may experience

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Man hospitalised following two-vehicle collision in Dunkineely

A man has been hospitalised following a two-vehicle collision in Donegal yesterday evening. The crash occurred in Dunkineely at approximately 8.45pm. The male driver of one of the cars, aged in his late teens, was taken to Letterkenny University Hospital for treatment of injuries believed to be non-life-threatening at this time. No other injuries were

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Seven Palestinian children arrive in Ireland for medical care

A group of seven Palestinian children have arrived in Ireland to receive medical care. They are being housed in accommodation managed by the Irish Red Cross, and will undergo medical assessments with teams from Children’s Health Ireland. It’s the fifth medical evacuation from Gaza, in response to an appeal from the World Health Organisation –

Seven Palestinian children arrive in Ireland for medical care Read More »

Meeting with OPW Minister regarding Donegal – Dublin flights ‘positive’

Campaigners for the retention of the Donegal to Dublin flight services say a meeting with OPW Minister Kevin Boxer Moran yesterday was successful. He met with politicians and demonstrators ahead of a protest outside the gates of Donegal Airport. The Minister has confirmed he is meeting with the Minister for Transport, Darragh O’Brien tomorrow to

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Packie Keeney named Donegal Person of the Year for 2025

Ardara man Packie Keeney has been named Donegal Person of the Year for 2025. The announcement took place at the Lake of Shadows Hotel, Buncrana this evening. Packie was a co-founder of Highland Radio and played a pivotal role in reshaping Ireland’s broadcasting landscape. In its formative years, Packie served simultaneously as Chairman, Director, Manager

Packie Keeney named Donegal Person of the Year for 2025 Read More »

Majella O’Donnell shows support for campaign to retain Donegal – Dublin flight schedule

Majella O’Donnell has shown her support for the campaign to retain the Donegal to Dublin flight schedule. She was speaking on the Late Late Show last night with Patrick Kielty. Majella said Donegal lacks appropriate transportation infrastructure and the flights in the morning and afternoon have been a support for those receiving cancer treatment in

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Tánaiste condemns racist video posted on President Trump’s social media

The Tánaiste’s condemned a racist video posted on Donald Trump’s social media. The US President’s refusing to apologise after the clip on ‘Truth Social’ depicted Barack and Michelle Obama as apes. Mr Trump’s told reporters on Air Force One he ‘didn’t see the full thing’ before it was posted, but he’s not saying sorry. Tánaiste

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