Author name: oisinkelly

A judge has lifted an anonymity order granted to a Derry man who had been shot by republicans vigilantes in 2010. Raymond Coyle of 41, Fountain Hill in Derry was convicted last month of possessing class B drugs with intent to supply on March 16 2012 but an anonymity order had been put in place […]

The winter of 2013-2014 was the wettest on record in Donegal since records began. Malin Head had its wettest winter since records began there in 1885 with 530.7mm recorded there. It was also an exceptionally windy winter with a series of Atlantic storms battering the county from St Stephens Day throught to the end of

Staff at Donegal County Council are today counting the cost of another spate of vandalism over the weekend at Barrack Hill Park in Carndonagh. Vandals have caused a lot of damage to the park, which has resulted in the play area having to be closed until such time as the area can be made safe

The Minister for Health, Dr James Reilly TD, visited Letterkenny General hospital today for an event to mark the forthcoming opening of the Emergency Department/Acute Medical Assessment Unit which will become operational on Wednesday March 12. The new €1.65m unit will fully restore all Emergency Department facilities along with the 11 Bed Acute Medical Assessment

The Minister for Health, Dr James Reilly says the treatment that Junior Doctors receive within the health system is one of the main barriers in filling vacant posts. Dr Reilly was speaking in Letterkenny this morning as he re-opened the Emergency Department and Acute Medical Assessment Unit at Letterkenny General. Both facilities will be opened

The manager of Letterkenny General Hospital has insisted there will be no reduction in the service provision for children with diabetes suggesting services will in fact improve. Up to 100 members and supporters of the Donegal Diabetes Parent Support Group held a picket at the hospital today to coincide with the Health Minister’s visit. The

Foyle MP Mark Durkan says it’s no surprise that former Northern Secretary Peter Hain believes that British troops who took part in the 1972 Bloody Sunday shootings shouldn’t face prosecution. Peter Hain’s been speaking after the trial of John Downey in the Hyde Park bombing case collapsed – because he’d received a letter telling him

The latest edition of the National Housing Construction Index compiled and issued by Link2Plans reveals a decline for Donegal, with planning applications down 9% and project commencements down 7% in 2013. However, the company says this is an improvement on the 2012 statistics, when the figure for commencements was down 27%. The company says it

The Justice Minister has defended the Gardaí’s decision not to co-operate with an investigation by the Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman into a murder in Donegal eight years ago. The Ombudsman is investigating the possible involvement of PSNI officers in the exposure and subsequent murder of Denis Donaldson in April 2006. Mr Donaldson, a former Sinn

Negotiations on the provision of a permanent, long-term public access to Tullan Strand in Bundoran are nearing completion, with County Managr Seamus Neeley confirming that a proposal has been agreed in principle by all relevant stakeholders. The strand is in public ownership, but tghe access road to it is private. That access has been very

A protest against the “Gateway” job scheme is taking place in Dublin today. The scheme places jobseekers, who’ve been unemployed for more than 2 years, into roles within local authorities. Last week, Donegal County Council passed a motion asking the county manager and his officials not to cooperate with the programme. MEP Paul Murphy is

MEP Pat the Cope Gallagher has confirmed he is to seek re-election to Europe. He will contest the Fianna Fail selection convention with a view to representing the party in the elections in May. In 2009 Pat the Cope Gallagher secured 16% of first preference votes but faces a tougher challenge this time round with

A former Northern Ireland Secretary claims British troops who took part in the 1972 Bloody Sunday shootings shouldn’t face prosecution. Peter Hain’s been speaking after the trial of John Downey in the Hyde Park bombing case collapsed – because he’d received a letter telling him he wouldn’t be tried. Almost 200 other alleged IRA terrorists

The Health Minister is in Letterkenny tomorrow morning to official re-open the Emergency Department and Acute Medical Assessment Unit at Letterkenny General. Both facilities will be opened to the public on March the 12th. The Donegal Diabetes Parent Support Group intend to protest at the visit – the group is angry at the lack of

Police at Strand Road are appealing for information about a traffic collision in which an officer was struck by a car. At about 12.20am today Gardai at Buncrana reported the theft of a northern registration Toyota Celica car in Bridgend. Shortly before 4am, the car was spotted by police at Caw Hill Park in Derry.

Details of this years Rory Gallagher Festival will be announced tonight (Saturday) in Ballyshannon. The annual music festival saw record numbers at last years event where 20 acts played to over 10,000 rock and blues fans over four days. The announcement will be made at Owen Roe’s Bar in the town at 10 o’clock. A

The homecoming event organised for John Downey in Donegal tonight has been cancelled. In a statement Mr. Downey says he decided to cancel the get together over fears that it was being turned into a media circus. Speaking this morning he said; “Some elements of the media are portraying the event planned for tonight as

Police in Coleraine are investigating the sudden death of a 46-year-old man in the early hours of this morning. The man was found at a house on the Strand Road in the town at 03.50. He was subsequently taken to hospital with head injuries however was pronounced dead a short time later. Two people have

People across parts of Ireland, and particularly Donegal, have been enjoying a rare glimpse of the Northern Lights. They are usually only visible inside the Arctic Circle, but a strong magnetic storm led to them appearing much further south. The lights are caused by the collision of charged particles in solar winds with atoms in

€1.3m is to be allocated to Donegal County Council for damage caused throughout the county by the recent storms. The funding announcement was made last night by the Department of the Environment. The allocation will go towards repairing damage caused to the counties coastline. Junior Minister, Donegal Deputy Dinny McGinley has welcomed the announcement…..

Sinn Fein have defended a homecoming event organised for John Downey in Donegal tonight. An event is to be held in the Lagoon Bar in Termon, Kilmacrenan, where up to 500 people are expected to attend. A number of high profile members of Sinn Fein such as Martin McGuinness, Gerry Kelly, Pearse Doherty and Padraig

The Northern Ireland assembly has officially criticised Sinn Féín and the British government over secret letters given to IRA suspects. MLAs in Stormont have adopted a motion expressing disgust at the “hidden actions” which saw ‘letters of comfort’ given to up to 200 suspected republican paramilitaries. The vote follows the collapse of the trial of

Sinn Fein has expressed its frustration at the lack of action being taken to address concerns highlighted in its Donegal crime survey. The party held a press briefing in Letterkenny today revisiting the recent Crime Survey findings and the recommendations listed by the Party to the Garda for more effective policing. The new survey found

A meeting took place last night to discuss concerns about the provision of Pediatric Diabetic Services in Donegal. The meeting of the Donegal Parents’ Diabetes Support Group heard that a Diabetes Nurse who had been assigned to work with the 141 children with Type 1 Diabetes in the county has been reassigned to work with

A Donegal Government Deputy has said that there must be a focus on identifying and exploiting job creation and investment opportunities in rural Ireland. Deputy Joe McHugh was speaking following the launch by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD, of the third annual Action Plan for Jobs. He says it is understandable

There is a strong representation again this year in the Junk Kouture Recycled Fashion Competition 2014 The competition, run by the European Recycling Platform sets the challenge to budding fashion designers among the nation’s secondary school students to rework trash and other already used materials and craft them into remarkable high-end couture fashion. Amongst those

John McAreavey says he’s working tirelessly to re-invigorate the investigation into the death of his wife Michaela. She was murdered 3 years ago while on their honeymoon in Mauritius. Two men who had previously worked at the resort where she died were acquitted of the crime in 2012, after an 8 week trial. John says

Donegal County Council has announced a library fines amnesty for the month of March. The council was told this week that hundreds of books, CDs and DVDs are overdue from the county’s 13 libraries, and from tomorrow to the 31st of March, those missing items can be returned without fear of fines. The library service

The EU is to consider if a new tax on Hauliers crossing from the Republic into Northern Ireland complies with European regulations. The issue has been raised in the European Parliament by Northwest MEP Marion Harkin. The tax comes into effect at the start of April and will see a fee of 10 pounds payable when

  Those lucky enough to live in Inishowen were treated to an impressive display of Aurora Borealis last night. Photographer Brenden Diver captures these spectacular images in Clonmany last evening. While a treat for locals, there are numerous reports of visitors from other parts of the country traveling to Donegal this weekend to get a

A Donegal hotelier is warning that a prolonged series of airport strikes could bring his industry back to its knees. Siptu members at Aer Lingus and the Dublin Airport Authority are set to down tools for 4 hours on the Friday of St Patrick’s weekend. Brian McEniff is appealing to all sides to get the

The Heritage Council has awarded €58,500 in funding for thirteen heritage initiatives in County Donegal to groups and individuals throughout the county. It is hoped the investment will not only help retain important aspects of Donegal’s heritage but also support jobs and attract tourists. Joseph Gallagher, the Council’s Heritage Officer says they while there is

A weekend welcome home event for John Downey has been described as ‘rubbing salt into the wounds’ of the family and friends of those who were killed in the Hyde Park bomb. John Downey, from Creeslough,  had been charged with the murder of four soldiers who died that day in 1982, but was cleared this

British Prime Minister David Cameron has announced a judge-led review of letters and pardons sent to IRA suspects. It follows the collapse of the trial of Johh Downey who was accused of the Hyde Park bombings in 1982. The trial collapsed after it emerged that Mr Downey, from Creeslough, had been given a secret letter

Two men have appeared at Derry Magistrate’s Court in connection with the finding of £150,000 worth of drugs in the city on Tuesday. William Duncan (68) of Moore Street and Paul Rodgers (50) of Stoneypath both in the city faced a total of 8 charges each. They were charged with possessing cannabis with intent to

Two men, one an Irish army reservist from Co Donegal, have been sentenced on gun charges arising from a planned attack on a trainee policeman’s home in 2009. Belfast Crown Court heard that the attack, in Garrison, Co Fermanagh, was foiled by undercover police. The judge told 28-year-old Gerard James McManus, from Fernhill, Letterkenny and

A former Tyrone GAA minor captain on trial for shooting dead his father, thought that by killing one of his parents they would become his guardian in heaven and resolve his unhappiness in life. Before the killing of his father Aloysius in January 2013, Sean Hackett had split up with his girlfriend. The 19-year-old, from

County Manager Seamus Neeley says the impact of the abolition of Town Councils and the subsequent expansion of the County Council will not be as sever in Donegal as in other areas. As a result of the changes, 37 members will be elected onto the county council in May, an increase of eight. The council

€3,000 ceadaithe ag an Aire Stáit don Ghaeltacht  Donnchadh Mac Fhionnlaoich T.D., mar chabhair chun cúrsa  inseirbhíse do mhúinteoirí ó na Coláistí Gaeilge ar na siollabais Oifigiúla do na Tréimhsí Foghlama sa Ghaeltacht do Mhic Léinn Oideachais a eagrú. D’fhógair an tAire Stáit ag an Roinn Ealaíon, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta Donnchadh Mac Fhionnlaoich T.D. inniu

A Donegal councillor is urging people with planning permission to submit their commencement notices to Donegal County Council in the next two days in order to avoid substantial costs. Councillor Seamus O’Domhnaill says new building regulations which come into force from the 1st of March mean architects or engineer will have to sign off on

A HSE backed initiative to improve health by increasing exercise and community activity in Donegal has been a major success according to an evaluation report published this afternoon. The Green Prescription programme involves doctors advising patients to become more active and referring them to community initiatives such as walking groups. The report found this has