Author name: oisinkelly

People planning on setting off fireworks, Chinese lanterns or similar items near the coast  are being asked to inform the coastguard in case their activities are mistaken for distress flares. The call comes  after the Bundoran Lifeboat was launched on Saturday following a report from a member of the public that they had spotted a distress […]

An SDLP Councillor says those responsible for recent security alerts in Strabane are being protected by some members of the community. Patsy Kelly was speaking after 30 homes were evacuated on Sunday morning in the Inishfree Gardens area of the town following the discovery of a pipe bomb type device. It was later declared a

The Lough Swilly Lifeboat was launched in the early hours of this morning after a fishing vessel began taking on water just off Dunree. Both lifeboats were launched and the Sligo based coastguard helicopter was also tasked to the scene, but was not needed as the liferboat crew managed to get a pump on board

  At 10.40pm on Saturday night the volunteer crew of Bundoran RNLI Lifeboat were asked to launch by Malin Head Coast Guard to reports of a red flare being sighted somewhere in Donegal Bay.    A red flare is universally known as a distress signal and when an emergency call was made by a member

A security alert in Strabane on Sunday which forced a number of people from their  homes has been declared a hoax. Up to 30 homes were evacuated following the discovery of a suspicious device in the garden of a house in Inshfree Gardens. The device was later declared a hoax. Ch Insp Andy Lemon told

  There was a strong turn out at a meeting in Letterkenny last night hosted by a group of farmers unhappy with the IFA’s stance on the new CAP deal which they says will be detrimental to small farmers. They group want changes to pillar two of the CAP programme which deals with disadvantaged and

A third person has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter following the death of man in a shipping container in Essex in the UK last month. The dead man was one of 35 people from Afghanistan, including 15 children, found at Tilbury Docks on the 16th of August. The 47-year-old man from Dungannon, in Northern

A Donegal Councillor says a fall in the numbers signing on in Donegal last month has nothing to do with job creation or people returning to work. The number on Live Register in Donegal has fallen below 20 thousand last month The figures for August show 19,761 signing on a fall of 1,661 compared to

A solicitor told Derry Magistrate’s Court that his client wanted to go to jail to see if he could abstain from drugs. Before the court was Joseph McCallion (18) of 103 Glenowen Park in Derry who admitted assaulting police and possessing drugs on December 1. The court was told that a foot patrol stopped McCallion

The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Alan Kelly T.D.  has  announced the allocation of 271 thousand euro in capital funding to Donegal County Council for improvement works to social houses. The money is part of an allocation of €23 million capital funding to 31 City and County Councils around the country. €162,973

One person has been taken to hospital following a crash on the Ballyraine Road in Letterkenny. The crash happened just after 3 o’clock close to the Mount Errigal Hotel on Friday afternoon. Two ambulances attended the scene. There was traffic disruption in the area for a time but the road is now clear.  

The Mayor of Derry is calling on Minister Edwin Poots to clarify his future plans for services at Altnagelvin hospital following recent speculation that the current funding crisis may have a detrimental impact on local services. There’s been speculation that budgetary problems may hamper plans for staff training, and that could push back the opening

321 cannabis plants – worth around 128 thousand euro – have been seized by Gardai in Donegal. They were found when Gardai searched a house at Magherawarden in Portsalon yesterday. A 28 year old man was arrested at the scene and brought to Letterkenny Garda Station for questioning. Inspector John O’Toole has been speaking about

The number on Live Register in Donegal has fallen below 20 thousand. The figures for August show 19,761 signing on a fall of 1,661 compared to August 2013. The significant year on year fall will be attributed by some to emigration and controversial schemes such as jobbridge while others will see it as an indication

  A meeting takes place tonight in Letterkenny hosted by a group of farmers unhappy with the IFA’s stance on the new CAP deal which they says will be detrimental to small farmers. They group want changes to pillar two of the CAP programme which deals with disadvantaged and rural areas as many farmers will

Sinn Féin Finance Spokesperson says the announcement by Minister Alan Kelly of how the property tax will operated is further evidence that the government is trying to dupe the people. Donegal South West Deputy Pearse Doherty says while Minister Kelly is pledging that no authority will receive less than 2014, he fails to mention that

The Buncrana Road in Derry has reopened following an earlier road traffic collision. The road was closed in both directions following the two vehicle crash close to Whitehouse Retail Park shortly after 4pm on Thursday. There are no details of any injuries sustained.

Sinn Féin MEP’s Matt Carthy and Martina Anderson have been denied entry into Gaza. They were part of a delegation of 15 MEPs from 6 countries. Speaking from Jerusalem, Ms Anderson, who is leading the delegation, said the Israeli government refused the delegation entry on the grounds that the visit to the region is ‘not

The Inishowen Municipal District Committee will today hear a proposal for Carnagarve Beach in Moville to be designated under the Bathing Waters Directive. This would open the way for the beach to be awarded Blue Flag Status, and woul also mean Donegal County Council would have to revisit its plans for the location of a

The HSE is cooperating with a number of organisations and local groups to develop a Suicide Prevention Action Plan for County Donegal. The HSE says while lots of good work is going on in the county, there is still much that can be done to promote mental health, prevent further suicide deaths and support those

The fire service in Letterkenny has dealt with a fire on a school bus in the town. It happened just before 9.30 this morning in the Glencar area, close to Fernhill. We understand there were no passengers on the bus at the time, and there were no injuries. The area has been cleared, and gardai

The Oaklee Trinity Housing Organisation has confirmed that it will not proceed with plans for an alcohol addiction unit at the Nazareth House site in Derry. There was substantial opposition from the local community when the plan for the unit was first mooted earlier this year, with local people saying there was a saturation of

IBEC North West is calling for investment in infrastructure in next months budget, as well as measures to boost consumer spending. The group says the right tax environment is needed to encourage companies to reinvest their money in new projects, and says the best way to promote growth is to put money in people’s pockets

The Mayor of Derry is launching an initiative in the city to get a better understanding of what’s being done in the city in terms of job creation and developing the local skills base. Cllr Brenda Stevenson is to meet with a number of agencies to ensure that information is shared in relation to the

Green School committee at Niall Mor NS in Killybegs   An Taisce has launched a campaign to encourage families to walk or cycle to school. With the new school year now underway, the organisation’s Green Schools Education Officer in Donegal says in the case of families who travel in cars because they live too far

Broadcaster Christine Bleakley has been filming  a new TV series to highlight the Wild Atlantic Way. The series is being supported by Tourism Ireland. The photographs show her with with Paddy Clarke of the Slieve League Cultural Centre, and also at Rossknowlagh.