Author name: oisinkelly

Motorists are being advised to drive with care this morning after high winds hit parts of the West and North West last night. Strong gusts ranging from 100-to-130 kilometres per hours battered parts of Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, Clare, Kerry and Limerick last night. So far, ESB Networks are not reporting any major problems

The manager of Letterkenny General Hospital says while media attention has been on the facility’s restoration and rebuilding programme in the aftermath of last July’s flooding, the reality is that the main focus of staff and management has been to deliver patient care. Sean Murphy told a weekend press briefing that despite that fact that

Donegal County Council will meet tomorrow for the first time since the marathon budget meeting a fortnight ago. After four days it had looked certain that the local authority would collapse for the first time in its 118 year history. But the Council was dramatically saved from the brink of dissolution at the eleventh hour.

Gale force winds are set to continue over the next 48 hours with Met Éireann forecasting heavy, thundery downpours of rain and hail. The west is affected by an orange alert, with warnings in particular for extremely high winds in parts of Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, Clare, Kerry and Limerick. While a status yellow

The heartbroken mother of missing Derry teenager Andrew Quigley revealed yesterday how she tried to get her son help for his drug and alcohol addictions but was turned away. Colette Quigley spoke out at a rally held near Derry’s peace bridge. The rally was called exactly a week after Andrew’s personal belongings were found on

It’s been confirmed that a new bridge is to be approved for planning at Fintra in Killybegs. Donegal County Council are to confirm at their meeting on Monday that the construction work has been approved. The bridge is a vital link giving access to Kilcar, Carrick and Glencolmcille. Although planning has been approved, funding as

House prices in Donegal remained flat in 2013 according to the latest Irish Times Property Price Guide. It is the first year since the economic collapse that prices have not dropped here in the county. The Irish Times Property Price Guide shows that prices will rise in Donegal and the Northwest by around 2.5%. Property

A weather warning has been issued for the Northwest for today with severe gusts and heavy rain. The warning comes after a similar warning from Donegal County Council on Friday. Met Eireann forecster Harim Loach says the storm system will return Sunday morning, and coastal areas will be especially effected by damaging gusts: Meanwhile Gardaí say

The family of a missing teenager, who is believed to have taken his own life in the River Foyle, have thanked local people who attend a rally on Saturday. 19-year-old Andrew Quigley, from Galliagh, went missing in the early hours of Saturday morning. A number of his personal belongings were later found beside the River

There is concern that the full time Public Health Nurse on Arranmore Island could be lost. Labour Council Election Candidate Seamus Rodgers says it his understanding that the current nurse will be transferred to the main land. Mr Rodger’s says the local concern is that it is the intention of the HSE to only provide

Donegal Pet Rescue says its was both shocked and disgusted this week after 10 Springer Spaniels were surrendered to its care Six 18 week old pups and four adult females and one Labrador were surrendered into the rescue services care. Donegal pet Rescue says after being contacted by a person in Lifford to take the

A Letterkenny Town Councillor is calling on the public to be vigilant following a spate of car break-ins and an apparent increase in burglaries. Councillor Gerry Mc Monagle was speaking after seven cars were broken into on Wednesday night in the Whitethorn Park estate. Damage was caused to the vehicles and a number of items

Donegal County Council has received notice of extreme weather conditions this weekend. An Atlantic storm depression will develop in mid Atlantic on Saturday and is likely to track north-eastwards across the Atlantic and will pass the North West of Ireland during Sunday. There is potential that some severe southwest to westerly winds will develop on

The Manager of Letterkenny General Hospital says the rebuilding  and restoration of the facility following last year’s flood is continuing. The Emergency Department is on track to be reopened in mid March, and key radiology and diagnostic services are being reintroduced from next month. Sean Murphy paid tribute to staff, saying their perseverance and dedication

A Donegal man has today denied murdering four British soldiers in an IRA bomb attack in London’s Hyde Park in July 1982. John Downey who is 62 is accused of killing Simon Tipper, Dennis Daly, Roy Bright and Geoffrey Young. The Household Cavalry members were killed as they rode from their barracks in Knightsbridge to

A Killybegs man has been talking about a Christmas trip to Amsterdam with friends that ended in him being assaulted and in Intensive Care. Telling his story in his own words for the first time, Ronan Kennedy said he was mugged assaulted and pushed into the freezing waters of an Amsterdam canal. He says he

Emergency services have attended  the scene of a road traffic collision on the Quigley’s Point to Muff road this afternoon. The two car crash happened at around 1.20pm. Two people were taken to Letterkenny General Hospital for treatement – there injuries are not thought to be serious. The road has since been cleared. A Highland

The car that was involved in the collision that resulted in the death of PSNI constable Philipa Reynolds travelled at speeds up to 80 miles per hour Derry Crown Court heard today. Shane Frane (26) whose address was given as c/o Maghaberry Prison and Conor Clarence (24) of Bond’s Hill in Derry have admitted a

The public is being asked for input on possible new laws around Cyberbullying The Internet Content Advisory Group has been set up to discuss whether Ireland’s laws on harassment and abuse need to be updated for the internet age. The sudden deaths of Erin and Shannon Gallagher have been linked to online bullying as has

A 31 year old Malaysian man has appeared at Letterkenny District Court today charged in connection with Tuesday night’s discovery of a suspected cannabis factory in Ballybofey. Ching Ann Low was remanded in custody to appear again by video link next Monday. He is the fourth person to appear in court in connection with the

Donegal County Council has been allocated almost 19 million euro towards the improvement and maintainance of the regional and local road network in the county. Just over 18.5 million will be spent in the county council area, while almost 602,000 euro will be shared among the town councils. Junior Minister Dinny Mc Ginley says after

A member of the Public Accounts Committee says an Garda Siochana can’t be seen to be an ‘island that makes its own rules’. It follows the Garda Commissioner’s appearance at the committee yesterday. Martin Callinan is planning to get legal advice about whether one whistleblower who’s made allegations of corruption in the force should attend

A new inquest has been ordered by the North’s Attorney General in the case of a man who died in Derry over 40 years ago. On 18th May 1973 Thomas Friel, 21, was struck by a rubber bullet in Creggan as he was returning home after a night out. He died four days later The

The Mayor of Donegal says he’s confident that Donegal will receive a reasonable allocation for the improvement and maintainance of the county’s regional and local road network this year. Cllr Ian Mc Garvey is also hopeful the will get some extra funding to help repair roads which sustained flood and strorm damage over the Christmas

The Derry based rail campaign group ‘Into the West’ is accusing Translink of treating the people of the city with contempt by refusing to publish the outcome of a public consultation into a new railway station for the city. The consultation ended on May 23rd last year, and ‘Into the West’ believe that Translink will

Europe needs some fresh faces from Ireland. Taoiseach Enda Kenny earlier laughed off suggestions that he is on the way to Europe, but the message is that a lot of people who went to work there on lower levels in the 1970s are facing retirement in the coming years. The Commission is keen to have

The Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee says the treatment of whistleblowers in Ireland is “disgusting”. John McGuinness was responding to the Garda Commissioner, who yesterday said he found it disgusting that allegations of corruption in the penalty points system, were brought forward by just two members of the force. Martin Callinan is considering legal

In the North the DUP-led Newtownabbey Council has cancelled a play based on the Bible, claiming it is blasphemous. It says “as guardians of all that’s right in society, we’ve got to take a stand somewhere”. The Reduced Shakespeare Company take on ‘The Bible – The Complete Word of God (Abridged)’ was to be shown

A woman has been sent for trial on charges of stealing more than £30,000 from a local church in Derry. Lyndsey Bredin (27) of 12, Primity Crescent in Derry appeared at a preliminary enquiry at Derry Magistrate’s Court today. She was charged with 19 counts of stealing the money from Culmore Parish Church on dates

Donegal Deputy Thomas Pringle says County Councils which aren’t balancing their books appear to be rewarded by Government while those that do are not. The Independent TD has questioned a Government top-up of 1 million euro to Sligo County Council despite it having increasing levels of debt He says this is unfair as Donegal County

Buncrana Councillor Nicholas Crossan has called on the President not to sign the Local Government Bill into law which gives effect to the scrapping of Town Councils. The Association of Municipal Authorities of Ireland has written a letter to Michael D Higgins to that effect. Its argues that the Bill should be referred to the

Gardai investigating the discovery of a cannabis factory above a Chinese restaurant in Ballybofey have charged a male in his 30s. He will appear before a sitting of Letterkenny District Court tomorrow morning. Earlier today, a District judge refused bail and remanded three Malaysian women in custody. Mei Ling Chen (55) and mother and daughter,

A new survey shows the price paid for farmland in the Northwest is on the rise. A new survey by Ganly Walters shows an increase in farm land values in the Northwest and West regions during 2013. Overall the national average price paid for agricultural land in 2013 was 10,500 euro per acre compared with

A Donegal County Cllr has claimed that he has been told that the Catholic Chapel at Letterkenny General Hospital will remain on the hospital grounds. Fears had been raised in the past few months that the facility, which had been closed since the flooding catasrophe in July, would not be replaced. Cllr Noel McBride met

Three females are due to appear before a sitting of Letterkenny District Court this morning. They are charged in connection with the seizure of cannabis plants in Ballbofey earlier this week. On Tuesday, cannabis plants with an estimated street value of €360,000 were discovered, along with other items made and adapted for the growth and

The government is being urged to resolve a legal process which has seen an 11 year delay in issuing a foreshore licence for a tourism business in Burtonport. In 2003, Donegal County Council entered into an agreement with a local family under which they would develop a marina for which it received over 400,000 euro

The North West Region Cross Border Group has launched a new website that allows users to make business or investment decisions in the area. The online project, which is being led by Donegal County Council uses statistics, remote sensing and GIS technologies to identify changes in the rates and levels of urbanisation. It also sets

Work has begun this week to return thousands of tonnes of illegally dumped waste from Fermanagh back across the border. Approximately 2,000 tonnes of waste from a site near Killadeas is being brought to a fully authorised landfill site in the Republic, the third such project in the current financial year. The North’s Environment Minister

Fears have been raised today about the future of Bunbeg post office, after An Post confirmed that it was considering its closure. The threat comes following the retirement of the local postmistress in the parish who hasnt been replaced. AIB and National Irish Bank have also been removed from the Bunbeg area over the past

The Education Minister’s paved the way for some Institutes of Technology to become Universities. Three groups have already expressed an interest in becoming Technological Universities including one that will merge DIT, IT Tallaght and Blanchardstown in Dublin. According to the Minister a fourth group, the Connacht-Ulster Alliance, which includes Letterkenny IT, has indicated that they are

The Taoiseach says he was surprised to hear that Rehab made less than 10,000 euro profit on scratch card sales of almost 4 million euro in one year. The figures were released by the Justice Minister last night as he defended his decision to end the charitable lotteries scheme. Mr. Kenny says he believes that

An online petition has been launched in an effort to secure funding for two life saving charities in Derry. Foyle Search and Rescue and the ‘Hurt’ charity made a joint application for funding to continue and improve their services but had their applications declined. HURT was founded by Derry mother Sadie O’Reilly who lost her

Gardai continue to question four people, thought to be from Asia, arrested in Ballybofey  in connection with a major drugs seizure. €360,000 worth of cannabis was found during a raid in Navenny Street in the town on Tuesday evening. A male, aged in his 30s, and three females (two in their 20s and one 60s) were

Donegal Deputy Charlie McConalogue claims the real motivation for the Government’s replacing of the Junior Cert exam is to save money. In response to the Fianna Fail Education Spokesperson in the Dail, The Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn cited cost as a major factor for abolishing independent State assessment at Junior Cert level. Deputy McConalogue

Calls have been made for local people to be employed when work on the Dungloe and Dungloe and Glenties sewerage schemes begins. Work on the long awaited projects will finally get underway next month. The work will see the provision of new wastewater treatment plants, pumping stations and sewers in Dungloe & Glenties. Local election

614 new buildings were constructed in Donegal last year, bringing the total number of buildings in the county to just over 88,000. That’s according to GeoDirectory, which has published its end of year report today. 96 buildings were under construction in the county at the end of the year. GeoDirectory Chief Executive Dara Keogh says