Author name: oisinkelly

Sinn Fein are considering running three candidates in the next General Election in Co Donegal. In the last general election Sinn Fein topped the polls in the two former Donegal South-West and North-East constituencies. In the next general election Donegal will become one five-seater constituency. Since the last general election the party increased their vote

Five former Donegal County Cllrs are to share €200,000 in gratuity payments. The payments are made to Cllrs who lost their seats or retired from public life in the local elections in May. Donegal County Council has confirmed a total of €193,000 is due to five former Cllrs in Co Donegal. They are David Alcorn,

Jigsaw Donegal are urging young people to be aware of their mental health on National Mental Health Day. A new report has shown that Ireland has the fourth highest rate in the EU of deaths by suicide among 15 to 19 year olds. Separate research found that more than 11,000 people were treated in hospital

The Health Service Executive has urged people in Donegal in at-risk groups to get vaccinated against the flu. Those in the at-risk groups include everyone aged 65 and over; residents of nursing homes and other long stay facilities; pregnant women and anyone over six months of age. Also anyone with a long term illness requiring

Owners of luxury brand cars such as BMW’s, Audi’s and Mercedes are urged to be extra vigilant after a spate of robberies across the country. Car owners are being urged to be vigilant and keep a sharp eye for the movement of vehicles late at night or early morning. Gardai say an organised criminal gang

Outgoing Donegal South-West Deputy Dinny McGinley has said that John McNulty is the right man to succeed him. Deputy McGinley announced earlier this year that he will not run in the next General Election. John McNulty will find out later today if he has been successful in the Seanad by-election. Win or lose today, Mr McNulty is

With the result of the Seanad By-Election due tomorrow afternoon, Donegal South West Deputy Dinny Mc Ginley has confirmed that he voted for John Mc Nulty, and says he knows of many others who have also done so. Up to yesterday, Mr Mc Nulty was still favourite to take the seat, but he has now

The PSNI have confirmed that Shane Sharkey has been located, safe and well.   Shane, 35 years of age was missing from Omagh since 4th September, 2014.

Environment Minister Alan Kelly has issued a directive overturning a decision by Donegal County Council to impose new conditions on wind-farm developments. At the end of June, members voted to vary the County Development Plan in favour of restricting windfarms. They voted 18-11, to create a set back distance ten times the tip height of

  A Donegal Councillor has described the actions of Irish Water engineers in the Finn Valley area as ‘unacceptable’ and ‘utterly wrong’. Contractors are currently installing meters in housing estates in Ballybofey and Stranorlar. A number of residents in the Glenpatrick Estate in Ballybofey have claimed that their driveways have been blocked by barriers throughout

A number of Asian families in Letterkenny have said they are living in fear after suffering a series of racist attacks. In the past month a number of Asian families in the Glencar area have had their homes burgled. Over the years the same families have had eggs thrown at their homes and had their

A Donegal County Councillor is hitting out at Deputy Pearse Doherty and other senior Sinn Fein officials for saying they WILL pay water charges. Speaking as they revealed Sinn Feins alternative budget yesterday, Deputies Pearse Doherty, Mary Lou McDonald and Gerry Adams all said they WILL be paying. The Sinn Fein members claimed that they only

A Fianna Fáil senator has used parliamentary privilege to claim that Enda Kenny discussed appointing John McNulty to the Seanad as long ago as June. Fianna Fáil’s Mark Daly made the claim in the Seanad this evening. Enda Kenny’s spokesman has previously said the two met only once, in the days running up to Mr

Donegal Deputy Pearse Doherty has said he will pay the water charge, despite Sinn Fein opposing it. A number of senior Sinn Fein members said today that they will pay their water charges. Speaking in Dublin Deputy Doherty and Mary Lou Donald said they would be paying. And Gerry Adams says the only way to

Stormy conditions could hit parts of the Northwest this evening, with strong winds and heavy rain bringing the risk of spot flooding. Met Eireann are warning that there will be thundery downpours sweeping across the country. Although they are predicting that the south of the country will be the worst affected. Forecaster with Met Eireann,

Sinn Féin says it would abolish the property tax AND water charges in next week’s Budget. It’s published an alternative Budget where it instead wants to levy higher income taxes on people earning over 100,000 euro a year. It’s the first opposition party to publish its alternative Budget, with the government’s own plans being revealed

  A 32-year-old man has been charged with the double arson attack on an Orange hall and a Presbyterian Church in Convoy last week. Damien Murray of 26 Admiran Park, Stranorlar  appeared at Letterkenny Court charged with two counts of criminal damage in Convoy last Friday morning. Garda Stephen Moyles told the court that Murray

A woman who was alone on an island just off the West Donegal coast has been brought to hospital after falling this morning. The woman fell at 8.40 this morning on Lahan Island near Cloughglass, and managed to ring the emergency services. She was brought to the mainland by Arranmore Lifeboat, and then airlifted to

The possibility of tax concessions for drivers with disabilities will be discussed by the Oitreachtas Petitions Committee this afternoon, along with proposals for a supplementary tax payable by those on working visas to Ireland. The Oireachtas Petitions System allows individuals and groups to influence the parliamentary agenda by submitting petitions for discussion. It’s chaired by

A Donegal councillor has blasted a visit to the United States by a number of politicians from the county this week. The Mayor of Donegal, John Campbell and Junior Gaeltacht Minister, Joe McHugh are currently on a a visit to Boston. As part of the visit, the Mayor will attend the Golden Bridges Conference and meet

  A meeting is taking place tonight in Gweedore to discuss the local water supply. It’s claimed that there are real concerns over the quality of drinking water in the area. The situation has become so bad that parents are being advised that the water is no longer safe for their children to drink. Spokesperson for

Sources close to John McNulty have denied claims that he held a meeting with senior party figures last night. It’s being reported today that the Seanad by-election candidate met with senior figures from the party in the Abbey Hotel in Donegal Town. Sources close to John McNulty have said that there was no meeting with

Sinn Féin is intensifying its campaign to have the PSNI station in Castlederg closed. West Tyrone MLA Michaela Boyle has written to the Minister of Justice and the Policing Board expressing her concerns at the amount of public money being spent on the facility. It follows a recent Freedom of Information request, which showed that

The Letterkenny Hospital Rebuild Steering Group says it expects to be in a position to publish the results of the investigation into recent flooding near the end of this month, at which time the full report and all related documentation will be made available to the public. On Friday last, the Steering Group briefed local

The Acting Chief Fire Officer in Donegal says a small fire at the Beach Hotel in Downings last night shows the importance of effective drills and alarm systems. The fire at the hotel was confined to one room, and Sean Campbell has paid tribute to the staff and management at the hotel, saying their swift

Gardai in Letterkenny have confirmed they are questioning two men about last week’s arson attack on the Orange Hall and Presbyterian Church in Convoy. The men were detained last night. The blaze was discovered during the early hours of last Friday morning. The main hall was gutted in the fire and the roof was destroyed.

Police in the North say they are becoming increasingly concerned about a missing man. 35-year-old Shane Sharkey from the Omagh area, was last seen at around 10.30 am on Thursday 4th of September 2014 in Omagh. Shane is described as being 5′ 9″ tall, with light to medium brown curly hair and is of thin

A second Fine Gael member of the cabinet has said he did not vote for John McNulty in the Seanad by-election. Paschal Donohoe says he respected Mr McNulty’s own call, for TDs and Senators not to vote for him. Earlier Enda Kenny said anyone who hadn’t already cast their vote should follow Mr McNulty’s wish

There are renewed calls are being made for the speed limit to be reduced on the Port Road in Letterkenny following a car crash yesterday. Two cars were involved in a collision on the main road into Letterkenny, close to the Clanree Hotel at lunchtime. There was considerable traffic disruption for around half an hour.