Author name: highlandnews

Areas of Donegal are feeling the effects of Storm Dave this morning. Heavy rainfall led to flooding in different parts of the county yesterday evening. West Donegal Councillor Michael McClafferty says areas such as Gweedore and Falcarragh were badly hit, causing a wake in his MD to end early and Now Doc services to be

Calls have been made for a feasibility study into the accessibility of piers and harbours across Donegal. Cllr Ali Farren says more needs to be done to open up marine facilities to leisure users, including people with disabilities. He says despite previous motions and meetings on the issue, little progress has been made, and insists

More can and should be done to strengthen cross-border ties in the south of the county. Cllr Micheál Naughton says discussions about economic development often focus on north Donegal and Derry and Strabane. While he welcomes that, he believes there is also potential for engagement with areas such as Enniskillen in County Fermanagh. With support

The entire country will be under a yellow wind warning from 1 o’clock this afternoon until 2am tomorrow. Met Éireann is forecasting very strong southerly winds, veering westerly by this evening with severe gusts and coastal gales. A status yellow rain warning has also come into effect for Mayo and Donegal – it’s due to

People are being urged to take safety precautions when visiting the coast this Easter Bank Holiday Weekend. It comes as Storm Dave is due to hit the country tomorrow afternoon, bringing strong winds, especially to coastal areas. Water temperatures are still cold, which significantly increases the risk of shock and hypothermia. Paul Tuohy, from Tramore

ERNACT has appointed a new Chairperson to its board. Waterside representative on Derry City and Strabane District Council, Martin Reilly, will take up the role while Buncrana Cllr Fionán Bradley becomes Vice-Chair. ERNACT is an initiative operated and owned by both Councils and is important in both securing funding and developing both regions. Cllr Reilly

The Irish Wheelchair Association’s It’s No Joke campaign is appealing to local authorities to appoint a dedicated Access and Inclusion Officer. This is with the aim of helping improve access to local and public services for people with disabilities. Only six local authorities have officers in place. The IWA has contacted councillors to pass a

A new app has been founded which allows users to report the price of fuel around the country. FuelRadar, created by Joblar, seeks to show people the cheapest place to fill up as the price of fuel continues to rise. In the app’s first week, it was ranked within the top 15 most popular platforms

A local councillor says he and fellow representatives were unaware of the reasons why the footbridge beside Dromore National School had been closed. Cllr Patrick McGowan said the bridge has been partially shut for several weeks, with the half of the road being turned into a pedestrian zone, while traffic lights at the site have

The Taoiseach says there may have to be an extension of fuel cost supports for hauliers and other sectors. This comes following an address from the US President Claiming the conflict in Iran could end in two to three weeks. However, Donald Trump’s address to the American public did not provide insight into how the

More details are emerging about how the new Changing Places facility which is set to open in Letterkenny later this month will operate. People who wish to use the facility will need a special reader key to access it. Donegal County Council’s Access Officer is working on making the keys available through various groups across

A West Donegal based coach company has announced a major expansion of its Dublin service. From this coming Tuesday, Gortahork based McGinley Coach Travel company will introduce four new daily departures on its Letterkenny to Dublin City and Airport route, and one new daily departure on its Inishowen/Derry to Dublin route. They say in total,

Disability rates North and South are similar, but the severity of disability is much higher in Northern Ireland. A new ESRI study found 23% of 20 to 69 year olds in the north have a disability, compared with 22% in the south. But Northern Ireland recorded a higher share of people experiencing more severe disabilities,

Irish farmers are warning recent government action on fuel costs is not enough. Agri-diesel prices have surged over 50 percent in recent weeks and the IFA says recent excise cuts of just five cents, barely make a dent. The Irish Farmers Association and Farm and Forestry Contractors met last night with Tánaiste Simon Harris and

Provisions must be made for community groups that would have received funding under the Minor Tourism Infrastructure Fund, which was cut in this year’s council budget. The fund was reduced as commercial rates were not increased, due to rising pressure on small businesses. Cllr Liam Blaney is calling for money from the Public Lighting and

Plans need to be put in place for non-domestic buildings affected by defective concrete blocks. Cllr Albert Doherty says a cross-departmental approach is needed to support schools, creches, public service centres, community buildings, and farm outhouses. He expressed disappointment that the social housing scheme he had hoped would already be rolled out has not yet

Derry City and Strabane District Council have submitted a bid for Strabane to become UK Town of Culture in 2028. If successful funding will be granted to the town, similar to Derry when it became City of Culture in 2013. The shortlist of towns is due to be announced later this year. Project Manager, Deirdre

The owner of the Seafood Shack in Killybegs says scaremongering about fuel supplies and a lack of proper supports from the government is threatening businesses which depend on tourism. Gary Anderson was speaking to Highland Radio News ahead of the reopening of the business tomorrow. He says there is fear being stoked among people which

Last month was the second busiest March on record for hospital overcrowding, according to the INMO. Its figures show more than 11 thousand patients were treated without a bed last month, just under 15% of them in the North West. Over the course of March, there were 924 admitted patients without beds in Sligo, and

The school transport scheme is now open for applications for the 2026/27 school year, with concern being raised at the price increases being imposed. Cllr Joy Beard says it’s unacceptable that in some cases, prices are going up 100% at a time when many families who depend on the school transport scheme are facing unprecedented

The Donegal to Dublin air service is return to its previous frequency. Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien has approved the full reinstatement of the afternoon flight rotation, and the overnighting of the aircraft at Donegal Airport, effective from May 1st. Under the restored schedule, the aircraft will once again be based overnight at Carrickfinn, facilitating an

The EU’s energy minister is urging people to work from home. The European Commission is poised to announce a package of measures to address fuel prices and shortages caused by the war in Iran. In the meantime the European Commission says people should drive and fly less frequently to ensure supplies remain intact. In recent