Author name: oisinkelly

A man accused of murdering 29 people in the Omagh bomb atrocity was sought by police for five years, Belfast High Court has heard. Seamus Daly lived “under the radar” near the Irish border before he was arrested at a retail centre car park in Newry, County Down, prosecutors said. It was confirmed charges were […]

With the Lough Swilly Bus Company facing closure at the weekend, the government is being urged to ensure that there is continuity of bus services in Donegal, particularly on school runs. Donegal North East TD Charlie Mc Conalogue is Fianna Fail’s Education Spokesperson, and he’s already been in contact with the Department of Education and

The National Roads Authority has confirmed that there is no money available for what have been identified as two crucial road projects in North Donegal. In response to queries from Deputy Padraig Mac Lochlainn, the NRA says that while plans are in place for works on the Bongee link in Letterkeny and improvements on the

It’s been confirmed this morning that Greenfield Care Home in Strabane is to remain open. The Health Minister in the North, Edwin Poots said that existing residents will be allowed to remain in the residential home for as long as they wish as their needs can continue to be met there. The closure of Greenfield

Former Anglo Irish Bank Chairman Sean FitzPatrick has walked free from court. The 65 year old has been acquitted on all charges of providing unlawful financial assistance to 16 individuals to buy shares in Anglo in July 2008. Francesca Comyn has more………

Police recovered drugs in three seizures in the Derry area on Tuesday evening. In Eglinton, cannabis, cash and mobile phones were seized during a house search. There were no arrests. Meanwhile, a man is to be reported to the PPS after a quantity of cannabis was recovered from a property in the Ballymagroarty area. And

Donegal North East Deputy Charlie McConalogue has hit out at the Social Protection Minister Joan Burton, accusing her of reneging on a promise not to reduce basic social welfare payments. Calling in the Dail for a full review and analysis of the Farm Assist Scheme, he Fianna Fail deputy said in successive budgets, the government

The Lough Swilly bus company will stop trading this weekend with the loss of 80 jobs, according to a trade union. It follows the appointment of a liquidator. About 20 of the jobs are in Londonderry and the rest are in County Donegal. The Unite trade union, said there are now concerns over redundancy payments

Donegal County Councillor Padraig O Doherty has made a u-turn and has confirmed that he will now stand in the local elections as an independent. Just last week he told Highland Radio News that he was to rejoin Fine Gael, and had been put forward for convention to run for the party. But Cllr Doherty

The government has confirmed it will seek 2 billion euro of tax hikes and spending cuts in the next Budget. It’s published an update on the Irish economy to be sent to the EU, which includes 1.3 billion euro in spending cuts and 700 million euro in tax hikes. The document comes only days after

A Councillor is calling for land drainage committees to be re-established to help ease the increase risk of flooding across the county. Councillor Patrick McGowan says flash flooding is causing serious damage to public and priovate roads as well as land and other property. He says the lack of an organise approach means that when

Voters could be faced with a new look ballot paper in the future. Members of the Department of the Environment will appear before Public Service Oversight and Petitions Committee later today to discuss changes to the design and wording of voting slips for future referendums and elections. Research carried out by the Referendum Commission shows

The Cabinet will sign off on proposals for the cost of the water charge at a special meeting this morning. It’s understood the final figure could come in at under 250 euro – with a standing charge of about 50 euro. That’s likely to dominate the agenda – while Ministers will also discuss plans for

Fears have been raised today about the future of Lettermacaward post office, after An Post confirmed that it was considering its closure. The threat comes following the announcement that the local postmaster in the parish is to retire at the end of June. Nearby Doochary post office also recently closed. Cllr Seamus O Domnhaill said

The Donegal County Board has this evening rejected claims made online that Donegal senior football players received fines for failing to turn up to a mandatory drugs test last year. The board says that the headlines which appeared in one online news publication is totally untrue. In a statement released to Highland Radio, the county

A call for more robust protections for whistleblowers has been unanimously backed by middle ranking Gardai. Delegates at the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors conference debated the motion from Donegal based Gardai in Killarney in Co Kerry this morning. The AGSI wants the Garda confidential reporting charter reviewed and revised – to safeguard whistleblowers.

A trade union has said that time is running out to save 80 jobs at the Lough Swilly bus company following the appointment of a liquidator. The Lough Swilly company employs around 20 people in Derry and another 60 in County Donegal. Unite are due to meet the workforce today. The company have said it

The number of gardaí in Donegal fell 17 per cent over the last six years. The figures were revealed by Minister Alan Shatter after Pearse Doherty TD asked him a Parliamentary Question on the issue. In 2008, there were 488 gardaí in the county: by the end of 2011 that had fallen to 444 and,

A man accused of building the bomb used in the Omagh bombing has been arrested by police.      Patrick Joseph Blair was arrested in Newry, South Down, four days after a senior republican, Seamus Daly, was charged with murdering 29 people in the 1998 Real IRA attack. Patrick Joseph Blair, also known as “Mooch”

A Donegal County Councillor has said that he is confident that the Lough Swilly Ferry service will be up and running again this summer. The service links Buncrana with Rathmullan A closing date for tenders for the ferry was March 12th, but Donegal County Council has extended that now to midday to 25th April. Donegal

The race to represent Donegal Town on Donegal County Council is heating up with three candidates making their pitch for votes. Indpendent Council John Campbell has hit out at candidated Jonathon Kennedy and Michael Naughton claiming they have no right to claim a seat as their own. At his campaign launch, Fianna Fail’s Micheal Naughten

The Donegal Youth Council’s new website, which offers information and advice on sexual health has gone live. Sham dot ie aims to inform young people and adults in the county about both looking after their own sexual health and also what services there are should they find themselves in a moment of personal crisis. The

A memorial service is taking place in Boston later – a year since the deadly bombing of the city’s Marathon. 3 people died and hundreds were injured when two bombs exploded near the finish line. A flag raising-ceremony and a moments silence will be held.  

Liverpool Football Club will hold a memorial service later for the Hillsborough tragedy – 25 years on. Before the event this afternoon, volunteers will lay out scarves at Anfield, given by each of the 92 clubs of the football league. They will be used to form the figure 96 on the pitch – the number

All visiting and elective admissions to the orthopaedic ward at Letterkenny General Hospital are suspended for the time being due to suspect influenza-like illness on the ward. The advice was released this evening by management at the Hospital. Management says that If relatives are concerned about patients on this ward, a nominated person from each

The Arts and Heritage Minister has insisted there are no plans to sell off Ireland’s national parks. Jimmy Deenihan says there are “no plans whatsoever” to turn the management of Ireland’s six national parks into private hands. His comments come after newspaper reports that visitor services at the parks could be outsourced to private firms.

The Minister for Transport has claimed that Donegal County Council has sought no funding from government for a new bridge in Cockhill since an application was denied in 2010. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn says this is at odds with his information – he says if the council has made a funding application, the Dail record

It is reported today that Glenveagh National Park could eventually be run by a private company leading to job losses. Tourism Minister Jimmy Deenihan has ordered a wide-ranging review which, it’s claimed could see visitor services at the country’s six national parks change. According to the Independent Newspaper, a whistleblower inside the National Parks &

The IMPACT union has lodged a complaint to the Data Protection Commissioner following revelations that non-essential and non emergency telephone calls were being recorded at a Ballyshannon HSE facility without staff knowledge. An investigation is already underway into how internal calls were were recorded at the facility in Ballyshannon which is one of the HSE’s

A Lifford businessman is protesting outside today’s meeting of Donegal County Council over calls to introduce a one way traffic system into the town. The proposal comes from Councillor Gerry Crawford who says a one-way system in Lifford is ‘very much needed’. The topic was last raised in the Chamber in 2011, after lengthy debate

It is reported today that Glenveagh National Park could eventually be run by a private company leading to job losses. Tourism Minister Jimmy Deenihan has ordered a wide-ranging review which, it’s claimed could see visitor services at the country’s six national parks change. According to the Independent Newspaper, a whistleblower inside the National Parks &

A local election candidate is calling for the end of the practice of co-opting people onto Donegal County Council when a seat is vacated. As it stands, when an elected councillor has to stand down for any reason – his or her party nominates a replacement councillor – not the general public. Alan McMenamin is running

A Letterkenny Councillor is calling on Council Management to ensure the sourcing of water from Lough Salt is maximized. Currently much of the northern end of the town gets its water from Lough Salt while the bottom end of the town is fed water from bore holes. Councillor Ciaran Brogan is of the opinion that

Reports today claim the standing charge facing householders on their water supply could be up to 33 per cent of their final bill. The Irish Independent says the proposal is contained in Irish Water’s submission to the Commission for Energy Regulation. With the average yearly bill expected to be about 3 hundred euro, it means

The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors annual conference will today hear calls from gardaí based in Co Donegal for the confidential reporting charter to be revised to allow for greater protection for whistleblowers. They have also called for the establishment of an Independent Police Authority to control and regulate the force. The motions will

The Social Protection Minister says the government has not discussed the level of standing charges at Irish Water. It follows reports in the Irish Independent that the agency has submitted plans for a 33 percent charge on the average bill to the energy regulator. That could cost householders up to 100 euro before they have

There is no sign of pro-Russian rebels giving up their possession of government buildings in eastern Ukraine. That is despite the passing of a deadline this morning set by the country’s acting president. He has threatened a full-scale security operation. World leaders have warned of a “dangerous escalation” in the Ukraine crisis as fatal clashes

‘Bringing TV back to the people’ – that’s what the people behind IrishTV say is their plan. The company will launch a 24-hour channel on the first of May with 50 home-produced programmes on the schedule each week. Each of the 32 counties will get a half hour slot each week with its own local

The Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn has been accused of engaging in a personal crusade to abolish all independent assessment at junior cycle level. Teachers object to the move to replace the traditional Junior Cert exam with teachers assessing their own students for a new Junior Cycle Student Award, given by schools. Unions say it

A police investigation continues after a car was damaged in a gun attack in Derry. At around 4am yesterday morning a car parked in Southend Park was hit by three gunshots. It is claimed that as police removed the vehicle for examination they had bottles thrown at them by a number of youths – no

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Justice, Pádraig MacLochlainn TD, has today expressed his concern over reports relating to the continued harassment against Garda whistleblower Sgt Maurice McCabe. According to reports,the latest incident involved graffiti attached to a duty detail in Mullingar Garda Station, where Sgt McCabe is based in the traffic corps Deputy MacLochlainn said: “I

It’s hoped Traffic congestion in Strabane caused by traffic works will ease following a review of how work on an urban renewal project will proceed. Some business owners and motorists alike have complained about traffic jams caused by the works on Bridge Street since they began last Tuesday. After reviewing the situation, DRD District Manager

There’s a major clean-up taking place across Donegal today with motorists being asked to take care. In Iinshowen, members of the communities of Newtowncunningham, Killea and Carrigans can be expected out on the road collecting rubbish. There was a similar clean-up in Burt last evening while Annagry Tidy Towns has a clean-up planned for Sunday.