Author name: oisinkelly

The Northern Ireland Executive has given its approval for the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development headquarters to move to Ballykelly. DARD has said around 700 posts will be relocated to the former Shackleton army barracks in two phases. A DARD spokesperson said 340 posts should be relocated by the end of 2017 when building

The road safety organisation PARC is welcoming news that changes are being made to the way the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission operates. It follows a report from the Oireachtas Justice Committee which makes a number of recommendations which Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald says she will be implementing. They include bringing the Garda Commissioner under GSOC’s

Gardaí in Letterkenny are renewing their appeal in relation to an Aggravated Burglary which took place at Feddyglass, Raphoe a year ago yesterday. Gardai are hoping that anyone with any information which may progress the investigation will come forward, partiocularly anyone who saw any suspicious activity on the N14 Letterkenny to Lifford road on July

Ulster Bank is to close its sub-office in Lifford. It’s one of 7 branches and 3 sub offices around the country. The plans were outlined to staff today and also include plans to shut 5 branches North of the border in Belfast, Newtownabbey and Hillsborough. Last year the bank closed 11 separate locations in the

A music student who was rear ended in her car in Carrigaline in Co Cork on her way to conduct a children’s carol concert is to receive damages of 6.8 million euro. The High Court heard Hazel McGarrigle of Drumstevlin House, Donegal lived for music. She was just 25 at the time of the collision.

Following on from penning what became the anthem for Donegal’s All -Ireland success, Rory Gallagher has released a new track ahead of the pro boxing debut of Jason Quigley. His native Twin Towns and the whole of the county will be cheering on The Golden Boy Promotions fighter when he makes his pro debut in

A legal expert has described the first Irish prosecution for criminal damage to a social media account as a wake up call. A 30 year old Donegal man yesterday received a 2,000 euro fine for criminal damage after he admitted posting an offensive message on his ex-girlfriend’s Facebook page. Barrister Fergal Crehan – who specialises

County Councillors have adopted a variation to the County Development Plan which will see new conditions imposed on wind-farm developments. The changes include a set back distance from homes and to dezone some river catchments to protect fresh water pearl mussels. It is understood the executive of the council recommended the changes were not adopted

A decision by Letterkenny Town Council to permit an new exit from from Letterkenny Shopping Centre onto the Port Road has been appealed to An Bord Pleanala. The council awarded conditional permission for the road which would allow drivers only turn left – but local businessman Eddie Tobin has objected. As part of his objection

Groups representing the elderly say rural Ireland could be devastated if private bus companies pull out of the free travel scheme. It comes as private transport companies have warned that they’ll have to pull out of the scheme unless the government increases its funding. The government says it has no plans to scrap the initiative,

The search will resume today for a missing Buncrana man whose empty yacht has been moored in Sheephaven Bay for over a week. The alarm was only raised last weekend when the coastguard became aware of the situation, and called in the gardai. Yesterday’s search involved teams on the ground at low tide, in the

New figures show Donegal to be the third most dangerous county in the country to drive in. The Road Safety Authority figures, which are based on population rank Donegal the third most dangerous behind Kerry and Cork. The figures show that the national average of deaths on Irish roads per county last year was 41

A Donegal man has avoided a jail term for criminal damage to his ex-girlfriend’s Facebook page after he admitted posting an offensive status update on it. The 30 year old was acquitted by a jury last month of raping and falsely imprisoning the woman in her home on the same date. It’s the first prosecution

Damian Timoney from Donegal Town, Co. Donegal has won €35,000 at the National Lottery’s Money Spinner Damian also won a luxury holidaya at the event held at Breaffy House, Castlebar, Co. Mayo on Saturday. The winning ticket was purchased in Spar/Timony News, Bridge Street, Donegal Town.

The Director of the National Centre for Tourism Policy Studies says state subsidies for regional airports should be reassessed, arguing that such subsidies may give the regional airports an unfair advantage, while working against balanced regional development. Professor Jim Deegan makes the comment in a paper prepared for the Shannon Airport Marketting Consultative Committee. Speaking

    House prices in Donegal rose by 5.6% in the second quarter of the year. This was the second highest rise in the country during the second quarter of this year, according to figures published today by myhome.ie. However, the figures also show the county has the second cheapest house price levels in the

The man found dead in an apartment in Bundoran at the weekend has been named as Jonathan Braniff, nicknamed Shorty. The separated father-one-one boy, is from Downpatrick, Co. Down, but lived in Bundoran for five years. His body will undergo a post mortem examination today at Sligo General Hospital, with Gardai understood top believe that

The search resumes today for a local sailor after his yacht was found moored off Sheephaven Bay. The vessel has been anchored in the bay near Ards for up to the past ten days. However, the alarm was only raised over the weekend when the coastguard became aware of the situation, and called in the

Donegal County Council will convene a special council meeting tomorrow to consider and vote on Variation No.2 to the County Development Plan. The variation proposes a ten times wind turbine height set back distance from homes. At present there is no distance specified in the county development plan. The variation also proposes that Donegal County

Four men have been arrested this evening after a tractor was stolen in Newmills yesterday. The Blue Fiat Newholland 110-90 limited edition tractor was worth €35,000. Four men were arrested in Burragh this evening. The owner of the tractor and a number of neighbours came across the men who were trying to strip the tractor

Gardai are investigating the discovery of a body in apartments in the seaside town of Bundoran, Co. Donegal. The body of a man in his mid-30s was discovered in the Marine Apartments in the town yesterday evening. He was from the Belfast area but had been living in Bundoran for the past five years. Gardai

A man who died yesterday after his fishing vessel sank in Kinnego Bay has been named as Danny McDaid. Just after 10am yesterday local fishermen came across the body and the wreckage of a small boat. The 56-year-old from Glengad was the only occupant of the vessel. Cllr Martin McDermott says the community has been

A 56-year-old man has died after his fishing vessel sank off Inishowen Head this morning. Just after 10am local fishermen came across the body and the wreckage of a small boat off the coast of Malin Head. The man was the only occupant of the vessel. It was initially unclear whether there were further casualties,

The average price of a three-bed semi in Donegal has risen by 8.53% in the first six months of the year, and by over 10% since June last year. That’s according to a national survey carried out by Real Estate Alliance. The price of an average three-bed semi in the county is now €70,000, a

A Donegal Deputy is urging anyone on the Long Term Illness scheme who was wrongly made to pay prescription charges to apply for a refund. Last November, the HSE admitted that it was wrong to force people on the scheme who had medical cards to pay prescription charges. And now it’s been agreed they should

The funeral of Darry McDaid takes place this morning. The 23-year-old, who was injured in a single vehicle crash on the Port Road in March of this year, passed away last week. reports: Hundreds are expected to turn out for the funeral of the popular 23-year-old this morning. Darry who is originally from Rossgier, Lifford

A woman is appealing for information after her mother’s house was broken into this morning while they were at a school event in Castlefinn. Julie says the front door of the house at Rawes Lower on the Castlederg Road was forced open, and attempts had also been made to open the back door. We also

A Donegal family have won a High Court case to ensure adequate resource hours for their child with Down Syndrome. The challenge was brought before the High Court by the Donegal family, and a family from Dublin. Both families cannot currently be named. The parents will now be allocated maximum resource hours for their children.

A Senior Government Minister was met by a single protestor and her children during his visit to Letterkenny last evening. The Communications Minister Pat Rabbitt was in the County for a number of engagements yesterday. And while he may have been expecting a backlash from the county over the government’s budgetary decisions to date, that

West Tyrone MP Pat Doherty has welcomed restrictions imposed upon an Orange Order Parade in Strabane on the morning of 12 July. The restrictions will will forbid the parade of 4 bands, with 200 participants, and an estimated 100 supporters to proceed further than the War Memorial on the Derry Road in line with what

A judge has described as “truly horrific” the case of a Donegal man who drove into a flock of sheep, killing one and injuring two. Glenties District Court heard that Hugh Mooney had been moving 42 sheep on September 21st last year at Doohill, Ardara when Seán Whyte approached in his car in which his

The Communications Minsiter says the new Eirgrid electricity line in Donegal will not put be blight on the county’s lanscape. The new electricity line follows a Y- shaped path from the south of the county near Binbane to a switching station at Glenties. Eirgrid say the line will improve electricity supply throughout Donegal. Speaking in