Author name: oisinkelly

The North’s Education Minister has confirmed that a primary school in West Tyrone is to close next year. The closure of St Macartan’s Primary School in Dromore will see pupil’s transferred to nearby St Dympna’s Primary School. In a statement this afternoon, John O’Dowd said St Macartan’s Primary School has provided an excellent education to

Health Minister Dr James Reilly has told the Dail that the former Chair of the West North West Hospital Group had no involvement in the decision to hire a company in which he had a 50% shareholding to carry out a review of maternity services. Answering questions from Sinn Fein’s Caomhin O’Caoilain, Minister Reilly said

The Donegal Youth Council will today receive a prestigious European award for their recent campaign promoting positive mental health. The Assembly of European Regions “Most Youth Friendly European Region” Special Prize has been awarded for the youth council’s SPARKS campaign. The campaign included a Mental Health Roadshow which saw the youth council work with over

A Donegal man who died in Germany after allegedly carrying-out a series of stabbings has been named as 27-year-old Enda McLoughlin. McLoughlin – from Carndonagh – is alleged to have attacked a taxi driver, a truck driver and another man – before being struck by a car on a motorway near Aachen. Two of the

A West Tyrone MP has said a planned Orange Order parade in Strabane on the 12th of July should not be allowed. Four orange order bands with up to 200 members are planning to march through Strabane town centre on the morning of the 12th of July. There is an application with the Parades Commission

A post mortem is to be carried out on the body of a Donegal man alleged to have been involved in a number of stabbings in Germany. The drama unfolded in the early hours of Monday morning when a man stabbed a taxi driver, a truck driver and another man before being knocked down and

A music student who was rear ended in her car on her way to conduct a children’s carol concert is suing the other driver for damages. The High Court’s heard Hazel McGarrigle of Drumstevlin House, Donegal was just 25 at the time of the collision. The action is against Breda Broderick of Sycamores, Classes Lake,

A 34 year old Derry man already serving a jail term for drugs and money laundering offences was today stripped of all his assets by a court. As a result, Mark McPhillips has been left with virtually nothing to his name and a Confiscation Order for more than £1 million hanging over him. McPhillips was

Foyle MLA Pat Ramsey says he’s received a commitment from MInister Stephen Farry that any future capital requests from the University of Ulster in relation to the Magee campus in Derry will be looked at positively. Mr Ramsey and the Foyle MP Mark Durkan met with Stephen Farry at Stprmont last evening after it emerged

An East Derry MLA says the need for an upgrade of the Derry to Belfast rail service has been highlighted after a Coleraine cyclist made the journey between the two cities faster than the train. On Sunday, John Madden completed the journey in 2 hours and 37 minutes, and Sinn Fein MLA says the fact

Concerns over the garda investigation into the murder of father-of-four Seamus Doherty in Churchill are to be raised in the Dail this afternoon. The 67-year-old’s body was discovered in the bathroom of his home in the early hours of June 17, 2012. Mr Doherty’s family have concerns over how the murder was investigated and also

The first four months of 2014 saw project commencements increase in Donegal by +194% when compared to the same period in 2013. However, planning applications in Donegal fell by -9% for the same period. The data contained in the National Housing Construction Index is aggregated by consultancy Link2Plans from real time planning and project information

The Minister for Health is under pressure to reveal the terms of reference for a national review of maternity services. Last night it emerged that the HSE West/North-West Hospital Group had shelved a controversial review of services in its area. It follows the resignation of the Group chairman after it emerged he had a stake

The Council executive will be giving Councillors a ‘two fingered salute’ if the local authority takes part in the controversial Gateway Jobs Scheme. That is according to Councillor Mick Quinn whose motion calling on the council not to partake in the scheme was passed without opposition earlier this year. Despite this it is reported that

Highland Radio has been granted a licence to broadcast to Donegal for another 10 years. The announcement was made by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland this afternoon. Both Highland Radio and DL Commercial Radio had bid for the licence. Highland’s Managing Director Shaun Doherty has welcomed the decision:  

A Derry man will be sentenced on Thursday after carrying out a machete attack on his then girlfriend which left her needing plastic surgery on her hand. 25 year old Stephen O’Kane of 78, Rinmore Drive in Derry admitted wounding the woman and also his brother on August 16 last. He also pleaded guilty to

The CEO of Letterkenny Chamber says since the scrapping of the Town Council, it’s even more vital that people support the chamber, particularly in its ‘Town Team’ campaign to revitalise the town centre. Toni Forrester was speaking ahead of tomorrow night’s meeting of the chamber, which will be open to the public. She says the

Thousands of people have today welcomed home the Derry-Londonderry-Doire yacht. The yacht has won the home leg of the Clipper Round the World yacht race. The win puts the crew in fourth place and in contention to challenge for the third spot on the podium. The 2,800-mile leg from New York to Derry was the

A video clip on Facebook showing the antics of a driver in the heart of Letterkenny has sparked outrage. The clip shows a driver doing doughnuts right outside Gallaghers Hotel, near the Courthouse at the Upper Main Street junction. The incident was one of more than 100 motoring offences detected by over-stretched gardai during the

Volunteer coastguards today(Sun) called for power to impose penalties on small boat users who fail to wear life-jackets. The call came after four men were seen packed like sardines into a small boat with no room to move as they fished. Although Killybegs Coast Guard, which accidentally spotted them off St John’s Point while on

A man’s been airlifted from Glengesh after he was injured while out walking. Donegal Mountain Rescue Team was called to Glengesh this (Saturday) afternoon to assist a member of a walking group who had sustained a leg injury during a hike. The Sligo based Rescue 118 Coastguard Helicopter was called in, and the man was

A 30-year-old man who stole a truck from a coal-yard and then burned it and separately committed a violent assault, was sentenced to jail for 15 months yesterday(Fri). Judge Kevin Kilrane noted that Gary Cole, who was arrested in Newtowncunningham, and others broke into the coal yard in Ballyshannon, stole petty cash and keys in

Garda have made further arrests as part of their investigation into prostitution in Donegal. Yesterday, six Romanian nationals appeared before a special sitting of Letterkenny District Court yesterday on prostitution-related charges following a garda operation in Letterkenny. Detective Sergeant Carroll told the court that the Riverside Apartment complex on Pearse Road had been under surveillance

A 23 year-old man who was injured in a single vehicle crash on the Port Road in March of this year has died. Darry McDaid has been in intensive care in hospital since the crash. The BMW he was driving was in collision with  road signs and a telephone poll on the Port Road just

Hundreds turned out at An Grianan Fort this morning for the summer solstice. The event in Burt has attracted hundreds of locals and tourists to the area over the last number of years. Our reporter Barry Whyte was there this morning….  

Figures released by the Irish Nurse and Midwives Organisation today show that Letterkenny General Hospital is AGAIN one of the most overcrowded hospital in the country today. 21 people are currently waiting on trolleys and ‘in wards’ in Letterkenny General today – 17 on trolleys and 4 ‘in wards’. Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda

Over 1,100 people have signed a petition in the Rosses area to save Dungloe Library. Petitioners want rumoured cuts to staffing levels and opening hours to be reversed. They are also calling for the library to remain in its current location at Ionad Teampaill Chróine. Speaking on todays Shaun Doherty Show, Patrick Bonner says the

A famous Hollywood actor has given County Donegal a huge endorsement on one of Americas biggest talk shows. Speaking on the Late Show with David Letterman on US Television last night, Paul Rudd, of Anchorman fame, spoke of a recent stag party he took with friends in Donegal. In April this year the actor and

Six people are due in court in Letterkenny this afternoon following raids on a number of apartments in the town last evening. Gardai say the raids in the Lower Main Street area were part of an ongoing operation targetting alleged prostitution and brothel keeping. Inspector Goretti Sheridan says the five women and one man who

A waitress charged with dangerous driving causing the death of 48 year old Alan McSherry in a hit-and-run collision is to stand trial before a judge and jury. 24 year old Lisa Roohan was sent forward for trial at Ballyshannon District Court today to Donegal Circuit Court on October 28. Garda Kevin Garvin, Bundoran, told

The Irish Government is being asked to match funding already committed by the Executive at Stormont for the establishment of a Northwest Health Innovation Corridor. The idea is to foster a partnership between industry and health related statutory bodies along a line from Sligo to Coleraine via Letterkenny and Derry, with its focus on job