Author name: oisinkelly

Donegal Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill has criticised Environment Minister Phil Hogan after a Fianna Fail motion aimed at defending the partnership ethos at local development companies was defeated in the Dail last night. Significant changes are being made in how Local Community Services, including the LEADER Programme, are delivered, but Seanator O’Domhnaill says instead of […]

The identity of Ireland’s newest millionaire remains a mystery. A lucky punter has won over 12 million euro having purchased the winning ticket at the American House Newsagents on Main Street, Bundoran. It is the second jackpot winning ticket sold at the outlet. The winning numbers were: 13, 14, 24, 31, 35 and 43. The

Here are the pictures that show a Gosafe van overtaking in a dangerous fashion on a Donegal road. The picture was taken by a motorist in Donegal with a dashboard mounted camera at the weekend. The GoSafe van appears to cross an unbroken white line whilst overtaking another vehicle. The man who took the picture

Irish Country Living has corrected figures released this morning which actually show that all three Donegal Driving Test centres have pass rates well above the national average. The investigation into national driving test pass rates did that the chances of success can differ significantly between test centres across the country. Author of the investigation Aisling

Police in the North have not handed over information requested by the Police Ombudsman about the murder of Denis Donaldson. It understood the PSNI has refused to hand over information requested by investigators looking at claims that police officers may have contributed to the death of former senior Sinn Féin official Denis Donaldson, who was

Donegal pubs and businesses have dominated a list of smoking ban breaches. The HSE published the list today saying, in general, compliance with the Public Health (Tobacco) Act, which banned smoking in the workplace including pubs, had been high since its introduction 10 years ago. In total 11 premises breached the smoking ban in the

A waitress has been charged with dangerous driving causing the death of skilled surfer Alan McSherry, 48, in a hit-and-run collision. Lisa Roohan, from Boyanagh on the Leitrim/Donegal border outside Ballyshannon, is accused of the offence near Mr McSherry’s home outside Bundoran on August 25 last year. Lisa Roohan appeared at Ballyshannon District Court last

The Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment in the North has said it is outside Invest Northern Irelands control on whether or not businesses locate in Strabane or not. Invest Northern Ireland confirmed last week that seven businesses are still interested in locating at a business park in Strabane. In December 2012 Invest NI released

Newly elected Independent Donegal County Councillor Dessie Shiels says the first meeting of the local authority this Friday is a farce. The first 45 items on the agenda is to fill positions on forums, committees and groups as well appoint the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson of the council. Councillor Sheils says no consideration is given to

County Donegal has retained all of its 13 Blue Flags. An Taisce today announced the International Blue Flag Award and the National Green Coast Award recipients for 2014 confirming the news. Donegal also retain its 6 Green Coast Awards. The 13 beaches to retain their blue flags in Donegal are Bundoran, Culdaff, Fintra, Downings, Killahoey,

The Donegal Youth Service has launched a new website, creating a central hub for information on all projects, events, services, training and other work carried out by the DYS. The site was formally launched by Judge Paul Kelly, who praised the training provided for young people, and how it helps them get on in life.

There will be an open air mass tomorrow night at Malinbeg Pier in memory of all fishermen who lost their lives in the seas off Donegal. The crews of the Carraig Una and the Evelyn Marie will also be remembered at the mass which takes place at 8pm. This is the first time the mass

Donegal Senator and Fianna Fáil Seanad spokesperson on Agriculture & Food Brian Ó Domhnaill has expressed concern about the abolition of the Sheep Grassland Scheme. The Senator says Minister Simon Coveney is scrapping the essential programme without establishing a sustainable replacement. He says this will lead to a reduction in payments to sheep farmers in

A Donegal man will be sentenced later this month for criminal damage of his ex-girlfriend’s Facebook page after being acquitted of false imprisonment and rape. The thirty year old accused, who cannot be named, had pleaded not (NOT) guilty at the Central Criminal Court to falsely imprisoning and raping the woman at her home in

4,539 Donegal Students have this morning began their the Leaving and Junior Certificate exams. 2,134 are sitting the Leaving Cert in the county, a further 2,405 are taking on the Junior Cert.   Minister of State for Training and Skills, Ciarán Cannon, is urging students to try not to get too stressed. Meanwhile, it’s emerged

British and Portuguese police are using sniffer dogs to search an area of scrubland in Praia da Luz where Madeleine McCann went missing 7 years ago. Workers have been using strimmers to clear away undergrowth. Sky’s Tom Parmenter is there:

A 16-year-old learner was stopped while driving a tractor on a public road in Co Donegal over the weekend. He was pulled over by gardai in Buncrana, while operating the vehicle on a narrow country road. A picture of the incident was posted on the official garda Twitter feed, along with an appeal to farmers

A car stolen in Eglinton late last week is believed to have been used in criminal activity in Co Donegal. The white Ford Focus was stolen from the driveway of a house at Dunboyne Park in Eglinton in the early hours of Friday last. Police in Derry say several other cars were searched through at

Households in Letterkenny will have three bins from next month, with the introduction of a brown bin for household food waste. Under the new ‘Household Food and Bio-Waste Regulations’, all householders in the Letterkenny area will be required to separate their food waste and make it available for conversion into compost by placing both cooked

The family of Michaela McAreavey have hit out at Mauritian authorities after becoming frustrated with the slow progress in the murder investigation. The family released a statement as the second anniversary of her murder trial approaches. 27-year-old teacher Michaela was murdered in a hotel room on her honeymoon in 2011. They have said they are

It’s been confirmed that the Letterkenny Court Hotel will be renamed “Dillons Hotel” when it is relaunched in September The announcement has been made by Eugene Mc Keever, Managing Director of the Mc Keever Hotels Group which bought the hotel on Letterkenny’s Main Street last month. Mr Mc Keever says the inside of the hotel

A newly elected councillor in Donegal says the tourist potential of Errigal and Dunlewey is not being realised, and addressing that must be a priority. Independent Councillor Michael Colm Mc Giolla Easpaig says he will be looking to the Council to draw up and implement a plan for the area. He says while that area

The new Mayor of Derry is SDLP Cllr. Brenda Stevenson, who has become the last Mayor of the current Derry City Council. The council will continue to operate until April 1st, when it will be replaced by the new 40 member Derry City and Strabane Council, for which elections were held last month. Cllr. Stevenson,

MTV is to host a major concert in Derry’s Ebrington Square in September. It’s reported this morning that Derry City Council is investing close to a million pounds into the event, which has been under discussion for some time. Last year’s BBC ‘One Big Weekend’ was one of the flagship events of the City of

Relay for Life 2014 has been hailed a major success, with the organisers saying over 127,000 euro has already been raised, with more expected to come in from the 46 teams in the coming weeks. This is already well above the 100,000 euro target set for this year, and the committee has confirmed that the

SDLP Cllr Brenda Stevenson will tonight become the last Mayor of the current Derry City Council. The council will continue to operate until April 1st, when it will be replaced by the new 40 member Derry City and Strabane Council, for which elections were held last month. Cllr. Stephenson, a niece of the former SDLP

Police and the family of a missing Derry man say they are becoming increasingly concerned for his safety. 55 year old Patrick McNeilly hasn’t been seen since he was dropped off at the bus depot on Foyle Street at around 1.30pm on 23rd May. It’s believed he may have then travelled from Derry to the Northamptonshire area

More than 20 drugs arrests were made during the weekend at a tribute rock festival in Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal. Gardai said one dealer with nearly €1,000 of ecstasy tablets was arrested at the Rory Gallagher festival. A spokesman said most of the rest of the drugs arrests were for simple cannabis possession. Gardai said there

Detectives at Strand Road are investigating an overnight petrol bomb attack in Derry. The device was thrown at a house in the Fergleen Mews area at around 2am this morning causing scorch damage to the front door. Anyone who was in the area at around 2am and who witnessed the attack, or anyone with information

A 33-year-old man was charged today(Sun) with assault causing harm to a 73-year-old who fighting for his life in hospital. Lee Mitchell, 33, from Windmill Park, Letterkenny, was accused of the attack on Friday evening on Patrick McLoughlin at his home in Convent Road, Carndonagh. Mitchell was also charged with burglary earlier on Friday at

Almost a thousand motorists have been caught speeding on the roads in the last 24 hours, with the highest speed recorded in Donegal. Gardai say a motorist was detected doing 147km/h in a 80 km/h zone on the R238 at Lisfannan outside Buncrana. Hundreds of speed detection points remain in place across the country following

Gardaí are appealing for witnesses following a serious assault in Carndonagh last night. At approximately 9.30 p.m. Gardai were alerted to an incident in Convent Road, Carndonagh where a 73 year old man was assaulted. He was taken by ambulance to Altnagelvin Hospital, Derry where his condition is serious. A man in his 30s was

Twenty seven new jobs will be created as one of Letterkenny’s most popular hotels undergoes a major €500,000 facelift. The Letterkenny Court Hotel has been bought by McKeever Hotel Group, which plans a major refurbishment in the coming months. The company says all 30 staff jobs will be retained and an additional 27 people will

Thousands of people are expected to participate in the 3rd Donegal Relay for Life, which gets underway this evening at 6 o’clock in the grounds of LYIT. Since the first relay in 2012, the event has become the premier Relay in Europe, and the biggest outside the US, raising over 600,000 euro since then. With

Police say they are becoming increasingly concerned for the welfare of a 17 year old girl missing from the Omagh area. Kim Hazlett is understood to have caught a bus from Omagh to Derry on 27th May and was last seen in the Waterloo Place area of the city at around 3.40pm on that date.

The case against two former members of the RUC who were due to appear at Derry Magistrate’s Court charged with perverting the course of justice has been adjourned. The two John McGahan (71) and Philip Noel Thompson (54) both with addresses as c/o PSNI, Knock Road, Belfast. They were supposed to appear at a preliminary