Author name: oisinkelly

An East Derry MLA says the ability of Derry and Antrim to benefit from the success of initiatives such as the Wild Atlantic Way is being compromised by the continued presence of an army firing range at Magilligan. John Dallat says the council in Limavady have received funding to promote Magilligan as a tourist region, […]

BreastCheck, the National Breast Screening Programme, has extended the length of time its mobile unit is staying in Letterkenny, and is urging women aged between 50 and 64 who live in the town and surrounding areas to get themselves checked if they haven’t already done so. Spokesperson Aoife O’Sullivan says anyone who missed their BreastCheck

The Tánaiste says no decision’s been made on setting water charges. It emerged Irish Water could be given permission to hike charges if demand and usage is lower than expected. The issue will be considered as part of a consultation being overseen by the Commission for Energy Regulation. The Commission says such a move might

A solicitor told Derry Magistrate’s Court today that neither the defence team nor the police could find any record of an attack that a man charged with being involved in the murder an RUC officer 21 years ago had admitted to. 40 year old Christopher O’Kane 10 Woodland Avenue in Derry is charged with a

It has been revealed that the City of Culture celebrations made “no significant impact” on passenger numbers. Airport director Damien Tierney told Derry City Council he expected passenger numbers for 2013 to be down on previous years. Official figures will be out in March. Airport officials gave a review of the year at a Regional

Labour Senator Jimmy Harte has been transferred to Letterkenny General Hospital, almost eight weeks after he was found unconscious in a Dublin street with life-threatening head injuries. The 55-year-old underwent emergency surgery at Beaumont Hospital just hours after attending the Republic of Ireland versus Latvia international match at the Aviva Stadium, on Friday, November 15.

Derry charity Foyle Search and Rescue has been denied funding for a counselling base. Foyle Search and Rescue had applied for funding to create a counselling facility for people found in distress around the River Foyle. The charity has expressed disappointment at failing to secure the 220,000 needed for the project. The groups Chairman Craig

Scottish authorites are being accused of not taking seriously a complaint made by a group of Donegal people allegedly offloaded by a Glasgow taxi driver for speaking Irish. Two of the four in the taxi were native Irish speakers, however when they communicated with each other in Irish they were told to either stop or

Police are investigating after there was an attempted hijacking of a bus in Derry last night. The incident happened just before 8 o clock in the Carnhill area when tow men tried to force their way on to the Translink bus. The incident comes just two months after an incident in Ballymagroarty when a device

The Department of the Environment has confirmed that Donegal councillors have just five days to agree a Budget – or be put out of work. Donegal County Council has failed to agree a Budget for 2014 after three weeks of talks – and councillors could be replaced with a government commissioner if a deal isn’t

A Glasgow private hire driver is under investigation for allegedly refusing to allow Irish visitors to speak their language in his car. The man, who has not been named, has been accused of offloading the passengers at the side of the road at 2am on a Monday morning after they objected to his demand that

A Union representing Ambulance staff says recent tragic cases in Donegal highlight the fact that there is neither adaquate staffing or vehicles to cover Donegal. The National Ambulance Service Representatice Association was responding the claims that it took 50 minutes for an Ambulance to arrive at the scene of an accident in Carndonagh which took

A 62 year old man has died following a two vehicle collision on the Melmount Road between Sion Mills and Victoria Bridge this morning. The collision involving a black coloured Suzuki Vitara jeep and a blue coloured Toyota Avensis occurred at approximately 10.50am. The deceased was a passenger in one of the vehicles. Two men,

The Impact trade union has moved to reassure staff following the failure of councillors to agree the 2014 budget. Assistant General Secretary Richy Carrothers says now is the time of for cool heads to prevail and to consider any implications. He says Impact represents hundreds of workers at Donegal County Council, and he will be

Donegal County Council is still in place this morning despite members’ failure to agree a budget by last night’s deadline. After a marathon meeting that took place over three days and three nights, with a total of 21 adjournments, a vote was finally held just after midnight last night. The budget was voted down by

Letterkenny IT President Paul Hannigan has been elected Chairperson of the national representative body for Institutes of Technology. Mr Hannigan, who has been at the helm of Letterkenny IT since 1998 says 2014 will be another year of significant challenge for Institutes of Technology Ireland. He says they are faced with a continuous increase in

Donegal County Councillors have been given until January 13th to agree a Budget – this after Councillors took part in a vote that they thought effectively dissolved the council. Despite three days and nights of deliberation, Councillors failed to reach an agreement on a Revenue budget for 2014. Fianna Fail, Sinn Fein and Independent John Campbell voted against

It seems inevitable that Donegal County Council will collapse at some point this evening. Cllrs have been meeting for a third day and a third night now, and an agreement has still not been reached. The Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein parties have confirmed to Highland Radio News  that they will vote against the budget, which would

Gardaí have confirmed to  TG4 that they have completed a high-level investigation into how former school caretaker Michael Ferry was able to continue to sexually abuse boys. The abuse took place on the premises of an Irish-Language summer college based at Ard Scoil Mhuire in Gaoth Dobhair in the Donegal Gaeltacht, despite a previous conviction

Donegal County Councillors are no further ahead this evening in reaching an agreement to pass the budget for this year. After fifteen adjournments over the course of three days, the Council is heading for another marathon budget meeting. The 2013 budget meeting wasn’t passed until 5am in the morning after 34 adjournments and today’s meeting

A cross border investigation is underway after a staff member was injured during an attempted robbery at a mortgage broker’s premises in Castlederg. Police say one man, armed with a knife, entered the premises at around 2:15 yesterday afternoon. After a struggle with a staff member, the assailtant left empty handed, and was driven away

A Fianna Fail Councillor has claimed that the Gardai should be brought into the Council Chamber because his fellow party members are facing intimidation and abuse. Today’s meeting, to agree a spending Budget for this year began at lunchtime but was adjourned for the first time today at 1.45pm amid rowdy scenes. Cllr Ciaran Brogan

Police in Tyrone have confirmed one person has been arrested following a drugs find in Strabane. Quantities of suspected cocaine, ecstasy, cannabis and a variety of legal highs were found during a house search in the town yesterday. About £53,000 in cash was also seized during the search. In a statement, police said the find

Donegal County Council will only receive an initial 9.5 million euro allocation from the National Roads Authority in 2014. That’s almost 10m euro less from last year. In 2013 the Council received 19m euro, while in 2012 they received 22m euro. Cllr Terence Slowey said this years allocation is very disappointing and this should made

A 40 year old man arrested in Donegal following a weekend hit and run in County Fermanagh has been released without charge pending a file to the DPP. The 40-year-old who is from south county Donegal, was released shortly after 10 pm last night following questioning about the hit-and-run death of a man in his mid-50s

Donegal County Council could cease to exist if the budget for next year is not passed by midnight tonight. The budget meeting for 2014 was adjourned last night and will reconvene this afternoon. Cllrs failed to come to an agreement last last night after eight adjournments. The meeting ended at 11pm. Fianna Fail say they

A niece of fashion designer Ralph Lauren has told a court in Clare that she intends to plead guilty to charges following an alleged air rage incident on board a flight bound for JFK New York yesterday. 41-year-old Jenny Lauren was travelling from Barcelona when the Delta Airlines flight had to be diverted to Shannon.

States in the centre and Midwest of America are experiencing the coldest and most dangerous temperatures in decades. In one part of Minnesota it fell to minus 40 degrees Celsius which is the same in Fahrenheit. The east coast and deep south are now being warned to brace themselves, with overnight temperatures falling 50 degrees

20,000 new gadgets are being shown off at a huge technology fair in Las Vegas. Curved TVs and phones have been making a big impression – along with a set of smart glasses from Epson. There is also a string of internet-connected device like a washing machine you can text to find out how it

Donegal County Council is being urged to ensure lighting is returned to Burtonport and damage repaired on Arranmore Island caused by recent storms. Local Councillor David Alcorn says the lack of public lightening close to the dock in Burtonport presents a serious hazard to the public. He says he has no indication as to when

Councillors continue to meet in Lifford this evening in an effort to agree a revenue budget for 2014. Councillors are being asked to approve a budget that would see revised county council revenue expenditure increasing from €133 million in 2013 to €138 million in the coming year. Last years budget meeting wasn’t passed until 5am

Two women have been remanded in custody after what a judge described as ‘an invasion’ of the Intensive Care Unit at Derry’s Altnagelvin Hospital. Bridget Mongan (23) of 46a, Stanley’s Walk in Derry and Eileen Stokes (29) of Mourne Park in Newtownstewart both face a total of five charges. They were charged with attempted grievous

A man in his 40s remains in Garda custody in Co Donegal this morning following a suspected hit and run in Co Fermanagh. A man in his 50s died when he was struck by a car at Leggs, near Belleek at around 3 o’clock yesterday morning. The man was detained in Pettigo yesterday afternoon and

Hundreds of mourners have attended the funerals today of the Brogan sisters who died in a Letterkenny House fire last week. 28 year old Jolene Brogan and her 27 year old sister Anngeline died in the fire at their home in Ceannan View at around 11 o’clock on Friday morining. They were be buried after

The campaign to retain an Art Gallery at the site of the Turner Prize Exhibition at Ebrington in Derry has intensified, with up to 400 people attending a demonstration outside the venue yesterday as the Turner Prize Exhibition closed. The demonstration was chaired by local activist and Void Gallery Director Eamon Mc Cann, who says

Donegal County Council engineers are assessing the extent of storm damage in Donegal after strong gusts on Friday, with damage reported in a number of areas including Donegal Town and Killybegs. In Dunfanaghy, the local GAA pitch has been badly flooded, with damage estimated at thousands of euro, while in Moville, the shore walk between

Todays reconvened Donegal County Council Budget meeting for 2014 has been adjourned as a mark of respect to former Cllr John Kelly who passed away this morning. John Kelly, was elected as Fianna Fail’s first councillor from Falcarragh in 1953, serving twice as chairperson. The meeting today will now begin at 2pm. Cllrs today also

Letterkenny is cleaner than European norms, according to the latest Irish business against litter survey. The 2013 IBAL survey of 42 towns and cities around the country shows 83 per cent of places are clean. At the end of 2011, Letterkenny was deemed littered, and did not participate in the 2012 survey. IBAL Spokesperson Conor

The funeral of two sisters killed in a house fire in Letterkenny on Friday morning takes place in Drumoghill today. 28 year old Jolene Brogan and her 27 year old sister Anngeline died in the fire at their home in Ceannan View at around 11 o’clock. They will be buried after requiem mass in Drumoghill

The Chairman of Limerick City of Culture says he never asked for the appointment of Patricia Ryan as CEO. Ms. Ryan stood down yesterday amid controversy over why she was brought in to lead the project. In total four people have stood down in Limerick’s first week as Ireland’s City of Culture for 2014. Discussions

St. Luke’s Hospital in Dublin has officially become a smoke-free campus. The Health Service Executive (HSE) says all 51 of its hospitals will be smoke-free by the end of the year with just four hospitals outstanding. Health experts say it is never too late to quit smoking. Radiation Oncologist at St Luke’s, Dr. Osama Salib

The Northwest is expected to avoid the worst of the stormy weather due later Sunday. Met Eireann has upgraded its weather warning from yellow to orange in a number of counties predicting gusts of up to 90km/h this afternoon. The weather warning covers counties of Wexford, Galway, Mayo, Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick and Waterford. For the

Directors of the Foyle Ferry Service have put on hold any decision about the future of the 12 year old service which has carried more than 2 million passengers between Greencastle and Magilligan since its inception. TDs and Councillors from all political parties in the Republic met the directors on Friday to hear at first

There is some positive news for the property market in Donegal. That’s according to the latest survey from property website MyHome.ie. According to the website, the last quarter of 2013 saw the first increase in house prices in the county for three years. The median price for a four-bed semi-detached home rose by 5.9% to