Author name: oisinkelly

Gardai have said they now know who murdered Derry man Andrew Allen and they are building a case against those involved. Mr Allen was shot dead in February 2012 at a house near Buncrana in County Donegal. Andrew was originally from the Waterside area of Derry, and had reportedly been driven out of the city […]

Concern has been expressed that if the authorities do not act to remove a small number of families accused of anti-social behaviour in the Glencar Park/ Meadowbank areas of Letterkenny, then the wider community may take matters into their own hands. There have been a number of house break-ins and a serious assault in the

A Councillor has questioned why a casino continues to operate in Letterkenny despite not having planning permission to do so. Majestic Casino Limited was granted permission to operate a bingo hall on the Ramelton Road in Letterkenny by the council but has since been operating as a casino. A change of use application is now

A man is to appear in court on Tuesday after a disruption outside a committee meeting of Bundoran town council on Monday afternoon. He is charged with breach of the peace following angry exchanges between councillors and subsequently between councillors and protesting members of the public. At one stage there was a texted claim that one councillor

An orange weather alert is in place this morning warning of snow and ice in Donegal. Up to 6 centimetres of snow is expected to fall above 500 feet and ice may affect many roads this morning. A yellow wind warning is in place for the Atlantic coast, with gusts of up to 100 kilometres

A European Parliament hearing into the Donegal ‘Lost at Sea’ case has called on the Irish government to find a solution for the Byrne family who were excluded from the controversial scheme. In 2010, an Ombudsman’s report found the Byrne family had not received fair treatment under the scheme and it was recommended they should

A preliminary agreement has been reached on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, which provides for a number of supports for the fishing sector. The European Parliament, the European Commission and the Council of Ministers have approved the terms, but it must now be agreeed between the EU and the member states. Among the provisions

The Justice Minister will brief the Cabinet this morning over claims the office of the Garda Ombudsman was bugged. GSOC confirmed last night that an investigation was carried out last year that uncovered three technical and electrical ‘anomalies’. But they said that no databases were breached and no evidence of Garda misconduct was found –

SIPTU says they would welcome new intervention to resolve their pension dispute which is threatening disruption at Dublin Cork and Shannon airports. Counting of votes is getting underway after members at Aer Lingus were ballotted on whether to take industrial action. SIPTU members at Dublin and Cork airports have approved the idea, and a result

The Transport and Tourism Minister Leo Varadkar says his Cabinet colleagues should not boycott New York’s St. Patrick’s Day parade. Yesterday Social Protection Minister Joan Burton said she has made it clear that she will not take part in the event in protest at the parade restrictions on gay and lesbian groups. New York’s Mayor

Met Eireann has issued further weather warnings tonight. Up to 6 centimetres of snow is expected to fall on high ground in parts of Donegal over the next 24 hours. A snow and ice warning is also in place for Connacht, Longford, Westmeath, Cavan and Monaghan Forecaster Pat Clarke says Donegal is in for a

The Irish Cancer Society’s Daffodil Centre is moving to Letterkenny General Hospital. Since opening in September, the Daffodil Centre has been located at Letterkenny Shopping Centre, where over 1,700 people have visited to consult with the cancer nurse and volunteers who run the facility. From tomorrow morning, the service will be available at the hospital.

The mother of a Derry man shot dead in Buncrana two years ago has made a fresh appeal for information to catch his killers. Andrew Allen was shot dead at his home near Buncrana on the 9th of February 2012. Republican Action Against Drugs said it carried out the murder. His family have denied RAAD’s

The Road Safety Authority has issued a ‘Road Safety Alert’, following a level orange weather warning forecasting very cold, wintry conditions for county Donegal. Met Eireann is forecasting falls of snow, possibly from early tonight with wintry showers of sleet and snow expected tomorrow away from coastal areas.   The warning in full –  

A public meeting has been called for Manorcunningham this Wednesday night in response to crime in the area. Over the last number of weeks a number of homes have been targeted, mostly occupied by older people who have been abused and robbed – in at least one incident a gun was used to threaten. Tony

A man who assaulted two pregnant nurses at the A&E department of Derry’s Altnagelvin Hospital has been jailed at the local Magistrate’s Court. Patrick Farren (51) of 22, Stoneburn Place in the city admitted several charges of assault and criminal damage in the hospital on January 31 this year. The court was told that police

There’s been another fall in the numbers the Live register in Donegal, with 19,722 people signing on at the end of last month, a 5.6% fall on the January 2013 figure. However, while all of the other offices recorded falls, there was a substantial increase in Killybegs. There were 960 people on the Live Register

The Chief Executive of the Donegal County Enterprise Board has called for more investment in the small business sector, saying that in Donegal, 95% of businesses empoy less than 10 people, but supporting such businesses accounts for only 1% of the Department of Enterprise’s budget. Michael Tunney was speaking at the press launch for Donegal

There will be no vote management by Fine Gael in the enlarged Midlands -North West constituency for the forthcoming European Elections. Following a selection convention in Athlone last evening, it was confirmed that Sitting North West MEP Jim Higgins will be joined on the ticket by current Ireland East MEP Mairead Mc Guinness. Speaking to

The PSNI has arrested two men as part of the investigation into an armed robbery of a business premises in Ballybofey. The two men in their 20s were arrested on Sunday evening in the Carlton Drive area of Strabane as part of what has been described as major police operation. reports: The arrests follow an

Two candidates have been selected by Fine Gael to contest the enlarged Midlands -North West constituency in the forthcoming European Elections on May 23rd. Sitting North West MEP Jim Higgins will be joined on the ticket by current Ireland East MEP Mairead Mc Guinness. Ms McGuinness was proposed by party Chairman Charlie Flanagan TD, and

A security alert in Derry yesterday afternoon has been declared a hoax. A number of homes were evacuated in Crannog Park in the Strathfoyle area of the city as army bomb disposal experts investigated a suspicious object Shortly before teatime, the area was declared safe and residents were allowed return to their homes.

Sinn Féin’s Finance Spokesperson has accused the coalition of putting banks and bondholders before the Irish people. Donegal South West Deputy Pearse Doherty was speaking this morning at the party’s Ard Fheis in Wexford. He claimed the Government’s only ambition seems to be to have unemployment at 10.5% by the end of next year. Mr

The North’s deputy first Minister’s described sectarianism as being no different to racism or homophobia. Martin McGuinness has appealed to civic society to make their voices heard now. He says no longer can voices be drowned out by rejectionists. Mr McGuinness told the Sinn Fein Ard Fheis in Wexford today that compromise, as envisaged in

A Garda Inspector has said that he wouldn’t like to walk alone down the street in Bundoran at 2.30 or 3 a.m.in the morning. Inspector Dennis Joyce was raising concern over numbers on the streets at that hour in Bundoran. He was opposing a number of late-night extensions at Ballyshannon District Court for Paris night-club

Gardai are investigating an armed robbery of a business premises in Ballybofey. At around 6pm on Friday evening two masked men threatened a taxi driver with a suspected gun in the Glebe area of Strabane forcing him to drive to Ballybofey. The men told the driver to before entering the Betting Lounge. Despite being threatened,

Gardai are investigating an armed robbery of a business premises in Ballybofey. At around 6pm on Friday evening two masked men threatened a taxi driver with a suspected gun in the Glebe area of Strabane forcing him to drive to Ballybofey. The men told the driver to before entering the Betting Lounge. Despite being threatened

Fianna Fail Cllr Dessie Larkin has confirmed this evening he is quitting politics. He was coopted onto Letterkenny Town Council in 1999 following the death of his father James, and in the same year, he was elected to both Letterkenny Town and Donegal County Councils as a member of Independent Fianna Fail. He became a

Gardai are appealing for information after a number of elderly peoples homes were broken in to in the county last night. Between 9pm and 1030pm there were a number of homes targeted in the St Johnston and Manorcunningham areas. The raids are the latest in a spate of burglaries along the border in recent months.

The Department of Agriculture in the North have said they will not release a business plan into the relocation of its headquarters to Ballykelly. It was announced in September 2012 that 800 civil service jobs would be moving from Belfast to Ballykelly, even though a leaked memo revealed that Strabane actually topped a table of

  The future of Ballybofey United Football Club is positive after an agreement was reached to secure the club a new 3.4 acre site. That’s according to club secretary Gary Foy who spoke after an agreement was reached that they would pay the Butt Hall Trust 25 thousand euro for the land. There was a

Donegal Pet Rescue has welcomed a court conviction of a Donegal woman for animal cruelty. The woman from Raphoe was this week banned from keeping dogs for two years after two dogs were found emaciated in her back garden. The ISPCA says the animals were found in horrific condition and could have died from neglect

There is a major job boost for Strabane today with news of a 3 million pounds investment by O’Neills International Sports Company. 60 positions will be created with the expansion of the companies operations. O’Neill’s will mark its 40th year in Strabane this year – the business designs, manufactures and sells sports and leisure wear

Two men from Donegal and Cavan who admitted having a gun with intent to endanger life in County Fermanagh have been told they face “substantial sentences”. They are 28-year-old Gerard James McManus, of Fernhill in Letterkenny, and 35-year-old Kevin Barry Nolan, of Main Street in Blacklion, County Cavan. The judge told them she would review

The European Parliament’s Petitions Committee will next week hear the case of a Donegal family who were excluded in the ‘lost at sea’ scheme. Francis Byrne, his son Jimmy (16) and three crew members were lost with their fishing vessel in 1981. The Byrnes, from Inver had appealed to the Ombudsman because they felt the

Down Syndrome Ireland says there’s been considerable cross party support for a new bill due before the dail later today. Independent TD Finian McGrath will present “The Down Syndrome Equality of Access Bill 2013” which is expected to proceed to committee stage without a vote. The bill will add Down syndrome to the list of

In the North investigations are continuing into what caused up to 60 young people to fall ill at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast last night. Fleets of ambulances were called to the DJ Hardwell gig and 15 teenagers were taken to hospital. Their conditions are now described as stable. Police are now trying to establish

The Communications Minister says he plans to amend the law which currently bans broadcasters from carrying material which can cause offence. Pat Rabbitte wants to change Section 39 of the Broadcasting Act so that only undue offence is banned – giving broadcasters a stronger right to discuss contentious topics. It comes after RTE paid out

Talks between unions and management at Tallaght Hospital in Dublin are getting underway this morning. The meeting is to discuss overcrowding at the facility which resulted in the cancellation of a number of procedures yesterday and today. The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) says the hospital is full to capacity and staff are not

It’s emerged that an architectural design team for the new St Mary’s National School project in Stranorlar will be appointed by Easter. A site has been secured opposite the Finn Valley Sports Centre, the design is completed, and what is now needed are detailed architectural plans and costings which will allow the process go to

An Bord Pleanala has been notified of plans for a Windfarm at Carrckduff Hill and Lismullyduff in Killygordan Co Donegal. The prospective developer is Planree Ltd. The development is at pre-application stage with consultancy yet to be concluded. No details of the size of the development are currently available. Meanwhile Donegal County Council has been

The Minister for Defence has been asked re-investigate the case of a Donegal soldier who was shot dead in Lebanon. In 1981 Private Hugh Doherty was shot in the back when manning an observation post overlooking Palestinian controlled territory while serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. His colleague, Private Kevin Joyce from

A grenade dating back to the early 20th century has been made safe in Ballyshannon. It’s believed the device was washed ashore at the Mall Quay  following recent storms. The Army Bomb Disposal team was deployed to The Mall Quay this morning at the request of local Gardai. The device was transported to another location

Legal proceedings against a development group in Creeslough are expected to be dropped with a commitment that funding owed to it for regeneration work that took place in the village will be paid. With the assistance of Donegal County Council and the approval of LEADER Grant Funding by DLDC, the group’s Creeslough Enhancement Project was