Author name: oisinkelly

A Sinn Fein election candidate has expressed disappointment that it appears the government will not assist in funding a long term solution to to the problem of accumulating sands at Magheroarty Pier. Regular dredging has to take place to shifts sands to allow access for local fishing boats and the Tory Island Ferry. There have […]

Gardai are seeking the public’s assistance in tracing the whereabouts of 51 year-old Siobhan McGread from Bundoran. Siobhan was last seen at approximately 6.30 pm on the 19th February 2014 on Rougey Walk, Bundoran. Ms McGread went missing from the same area and on the same day as a coastal search was lunched following fears

The Schoolboy Football Association of Ireland is investigating claims that a 14-year-old African-born player was racially abused during an underage game in Donegal at the weekend. The incident which happened during the U15s cup match on Saturday has been reported to the FAI and the SFAI. The alleged incident is being investigated following claims that a referee stopped

A Ballyshannon town councillor has warned that heroin has become a “major problem in south Donegal”. Fianna Fail councillor Pat O’Malley said that he understood as many as 18 people died in Donegal as a result of drugs last year. Speaking on todays Shaun Doherty Show he said he was very disappointed that the Ballyshannon

Following a lengthy legal battle when four trawler skippers sought to have charges against them dismissed because of a long delay, Donegal District Court ruled today that the cases will go ahead. Judge Kevin Kilrane ruled that depositions will be taken in the court on March 11. Taking of the depositions could last several days.

1 in 4 Irish women have experienced physical or sexual violence, according to Europe s largest ever survey on violence against women. But 70 per cent of Irish women said they don’t report a serious case of violence against them – the highest of the 28 EU countries surveyed. The report by the European Union

Ash Wednesday is National ‘No Smoking Day’ and the Irish Heart Foundation is encouraging people – including those who smoke only occasionally – to stop. It’s estimated that around one million people smoke in Ireland, and a quarter are regarded as occasional or social smokers. The group says people who smoke 20 cigarettes a day

A 50-year-old man has died after the 4×4 he was driving went off the road and crashed into an embankment in Sligo. The crash happened in the early hours of this morning at approximately 1am at Corballa, off the main Sligo to Ballina road. The man was pronounced dead at the scene and his body

Former US President Bill Clinton is in Derry today where he will pay tribute to John Hume. Mr Clinton will honour the former SDLP leader’s contribution to peace in Northern Ireland in a speech at the city’s Guildhall Square. During his visit to the city, Mr Clinton will also visit the University of Ulster’s Magee

A seven-year-old Donegal girl left with cerebral palsy is to receive an interim €1.45m after her mother sued the HSE, on her child’s behalf, for the care she received during her pregnancy. The High Court heard how Ruby Leanne McCandless has diskinetic cerebral palsy and will need care for the rest of her life. The

Strabane District Councillors say they are upbeat about the A5 upgrade going ahead following a meeting this week with the North’s Roads Minister. At the meeting in Stormont the delegation was told by Danny Kennedy that he is fully committed to the project. Speaking following the meeting Chairman of Strabane District Council, Councillor Ruairí McHugh

The manager at Letterkenny General Hospital says the re-opening of the new Emergency Department next week will reduce those on trolleys at the facility, Yesterday, as the Health Minister visited the hospital, there were 29 people either being treated on trolleys or in the wards. During the Minister’s visit the Head Consultant in Emergency Medicine,

Údarás na Gaeltachta has confirmed funding of 392 thousand for a number of organisations in the Donegal Gaeltacht. An administation grant was awarded to seven Co-ops and community companies to continue their work in community development and language planning measures. Siubhán Nic Grianna, Communications and Marketing Manager with Udarus says funding was also confirmed that

A Donegal County Councillor has accused the HSE of waffling on the issue of the service provision for children with diabetes in Donegal. Yesterday up to 100 members of the Donegal Diabetes Parent Support Group held a picket at the hospital angry at a cut in the services provided for children with diabetes in Donegal

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