Author name: oisinkelly

Fáilte Ireland says the ‘Wild Atlantic Way’ initiative has the potential to attract significant numbers of additional visitors into Donegal during 2014, building in the increase recorded in 2013. The tourism body’s CEO Sean Quinn says Donegal saw significant growth in visitor numbers last year, much of which can be attributed to the work of […]

It has been confirmed that the PEACE programme for the Border Counties and Northern Ireland will have a total budget of EUR 200 million for 2014. The purpose of the Programme is to reinforce progress towards a peaceful and stable society in the Border Region and Northern Ireland and to promote reconciliation by assisting projects

The crew of Bundoran RNLI Lifeboat were tasked on Sunday afternoon for their first callout of 2014. An 18 foot pleasure craft with two persons on board which suffered engine failure off Mullaghmore Head in County Sligo. The alarm was raised with Malin Head Coast Guard shortly before 4pm on Sunday afternoon by mobile phone and

Searches are set to continue along the River Foyle in Derry today for a 19-year-old man from the City missing since Friday. Andrew Quigley from Fergleen Park was last seen in the Galliagh area at around 2am on Saturday morning. The 19-year-olds mobile phone and other items belonging to him were found on the Foyle

Fine Gael selected candidates at the weekend to contest two of Donegals electoral areas in the local elections. The party held selection conventions in Letterkenny and Glenties yesterday afternoon. In the Letterkenny/Milford electoral area sitting Cllr Noel McBride was joined by Letterkenny Town Cllr Jimmy Kavanagh and first time candidate Grace Boyle from Churchill on

The Justice Minister says the high number of violent deaths so far this year is “very disturbing”. Eight people have been killed in violent circumstances since the New Year and Alan Shatter says he has full confidence in the ability of  gardaí to investigate them. The latest victim, 42-year-old Michael Devoy of Balbutcher Drive in

The Transport Minister has urged SIPTU, Aer Lingus and the country’s airports to reach a quick deal over a pensions dispute. SIPTU is balloting members over whether to pursue industrial action over a deficit in the pension scheme shared by Aer Lingus and the three major airports. The Minister says any disruption to air travel

Be safe not sorry. That is the message from the Irish Cancer Society ahead of European Cervical Cancer Prevention Week. Around 328 Irish women are diagnosed with cervical cancer in Ireland every year with as many as 98 dying from the disease annually. Nurse with the Irish Cancer society Eileen O’Donovan says prevention is the

The EU has approved a military mission to the Central African Republic (CAR). French troops are already trying to keep peace in the troubled African state. Conflict has escalated in the CAR with almost 1 million people fleeing the violence. The Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore has already ruled out Irish involvement in any EU mission. “I

There has been a sharp increase in the number of dogs being stolen in the county over the past number of months according to Donegal Pet Rescue. The latest incident came when a German shepard was stolen in St Johnston last week, only to be reunited with its owner following a social media campaign. This

A Donegal county cllr has called for the establishment of an independent public inquiry into the flooding disaster at Letterkenny General Hospital. The hospital was devastated by flash flooding in July last year, taking out 40% of the hospital’s capacity. Cllr Frank McBrearty Jnr stated the importance of understanding why this was allowed to happen

A search has been launched following the discovery of personal items on the Foyle Bridge in Derry this morning. Police received reports of the items at around 7.40am and that a man had possibly entered the water. Foyle search and Rescue have been leading the search operation, and have been assisted by the Irish coastguard

Police in Derry are appealing for information following a robbery at a business premises last night. The incident took place in the Pennyburn Industrial Estate at 11.40pm. A masked man pushed his way into the premises and, following a struggle with a female member of staff, made off with a cash box containing a sum

The mother of a Donegal man who tragically died after taking legal highs in the UK, hopes a new website set up in her sons memory will help raise awareness about their dangers. 20-year-old Jimmy Guichard suffered a heart attack and brain damage after taking legal highs bought from a headshop in Kent last October.

A Derry MLA says the North’s Housing Minister is losing the confidence of the people after failing to spend £17 million in funding this year, despite there being 3,000 people in need of housing in Derry alone. SDLP MLA Colm Eastwood says it is “absolutely shocking” that the Department for Social Development is giving money

Fine Gael are to hold their selection convention for the Letterkenny/Milford electoral area tomorrow afternoon. It will take place in the Radisson Blue Hotel and will be chaired by Northwest MEP, Jim Higgins. The four candidates at the convention are County Cllr Noel McBride, Letterkenny Cllr Jimmy Kavanagh, Churchill businessman Charlie McClafferty and former GAA

A 34 year old man has appeared at Derry Magistrate’s Court charged with the armed robbery of two bookmakers premises in the city earlier this week. Daren Sweeney, whose address was given as 11, Greenwalk in the city was charged with robbing McLean’s bookmakers on the Strand Road of £360. He is also charged with

The County Museum is trying to track down the clock that used to stand in the Market Square in Letterkenny. Curator Caroline Carr says the clock, which stood in the square since the late 19th Century disappeared sometime around the 1950s, and they are trying to track it down. It’s part of an exhibition marking

A new Local Area Hackney licence scheme has been introduced, with North West MEP Jim Higgins saying this could be an important response to tackling rural isolation in Donegal. The pilot project, which is supported by the EU and coordinated by the National Transport Authority will allow low cost entry into the hackney sector in

The North’s Deputy First Minister is being accused of trying to “scupper” a peace deal. The comments come from the Orange Order, after Martin Mc Guinness claimed they were acting alongside the UVF and PUP. First Minister Peter Robinson has reacted angrily, saying Mr McGuinness has a “visceral hatred of the Orange Insitution” and is

An independent investigation into the ambulances service has been brought forward three months due to the serious issues involved. Health Minister James Reilly confirmed the move by the Health Information Quality Authority during a meeting of the Oireachtas health committee. Dr James Reilly said he believed standards are being maintained in the vital frontline service.

Derry will stage its first UK City of Culture legacy event tonight. There will be performances from former Westlife star Shane Filan, Little Bear and the Clameens. The event starts at 730pm at the Peace Garden on Foyle Street. The concert, which will be hosted by Edith Bowman from BBC Radio 1, is a free

    Funding has been made available to Donegal County Council for a range of private housing grants in 2014. Minister for Housing and Planning Jan O’Sullivan has announced an allocation of €780,000 expressing hope that an additional allocation will be made available later this year. Welcoming the announcement, Donegal Deputy Dinny McGinley said the

A 37-year-old man has appeared at Derry Magistrate’s Court charged with the robbery of a bookmakers premises in Derry last month. Barry Crossan of 142, Creggan Heights in Derry was charged with robbing a bookmakers of £390 on December 14, he also was charged with carrying a handgun or imitation gun on same date. Crossan

  The Government has said the staffing crisis atLetterkenny General Hospital is a matter for the hospital management and the HSE. The issue was raised in the Dail today by Deputy Padraig MacLochlainn. He quoted the INMO which said yesterday that overcrowding at Letterkenny General Hospital had worsened, with patients being treated on trolleys in

  A British MP has called for a review of the status of legal highs in the UK after several deaths including that of Donegal man, 20 year-old Jimmy Guichard. He suffered a heart attack and severe brain damage shortly after smoking a mystery substance. His mother Karen Audino travelled from Donegal to Kent to

New EU proposals on energy targets may seriously jeopardise pylon and windfarm expansion plans according to North West MEP Marian Harkin. She says the EU Commission will shortly announce new energy proposals that will lessen the need for EU states to source energy from renewable supplies such as wind energy. Up until now, the EU

Two bookmakers premises in Derry were robbed last night. Shops at Foyle Street and Strand Road were targeted bringing to seven the amount of bookies shops robbed across the city in recent weeks. At 6pm a man entered a bookies on Strand Road armed with a suspected firearm demanding money, half an hour later a

The Chairman of the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement has re-iterated the importance of dealing with the North’s legacy issues. Justice for the Forgotten – a group representing victims of the Troubles – will attend a meeting of the committee today to give their perspective on the manner in which

The Department of Health says it’s satisfied that the nearest available ambulance was dispatched to the incident which led to the death of Maura Porter. Ms Porter was struck by a car at 5.40pm on Monday the 30th of December at Churchtown suffering serious head injuries. It took 50 minutes for an ambulance to arrive

An Oireachtas banking inquiry could be hampered because of missing documents in the Department of Finance. That’s according to Donegal Deputy Pearse Doherty, who says an urgent investigation is needed to see what documents about the bank guarantee have gone missing. The Department of Finance says it can’t find two documents which discussed a potential

A County Tyrone man has been jailed for 10 years for having guns and explosives, and being in a dissident group calling itself the IRA. Gavin Coyle, of Culmore Park in Omagh, admitted having four AK-47 assault rifles and ammunition along with explosives, bomb-making material and parts for improvised mortars. Gavin Coyle admitted to being

Police in Strabane have issued a warning about the use of laughing gas for recreational use. Officers have said that a parent in the town found their child buying canisters online for a rave party. Police said this was the first report that they have received of this type of substance abuse. Nitrous oxide has many

A Donegal North East Deputy is to raise the overcrowding crisis at Letterkenny General Hospital with the Health Minister. A spokesperson for the INMO yesterday said that the overcrowding crisis at Letterkenny General Hospital had worsened, with patients being treated on trolleys in corridors at the hospital. All patients south of the Twin Towns are

The man behind a new chemist which is planning to slash prescription drug prices for Irish customers says anyone could follow their lead. Healthwave has just opened in the Dundrum suburb of Dublin. The company is going to price drugs at around the same level as competitors in Northern Ireland. They will put less of

The Vatican’s former Chief Prosecutor of Clerical Sexual Abuse says countries must investigate members of the clergy who cover up child abuse. For the first time the Vatican is facing questions in public from the UN Committee on Children’s Rights amid historical allegations of prolific child abuse in the Catholic church. An Irish victim of

Police in Tyrone say they believe they know the identities of the men behind the murder of Constable Ronan Kerr in Omagh almost three years ago. The 25 year old died in a booby-trap car bomb outside his home in Omagh on April 2nd, 2011. A senior detective involved in the investigation told the BBC

Highland Radio understands that Donegal Senator Jimmy Harte has been transferred to a Dublin hospital in a critically ill condition. On November 16th, Senator Harte was found unconscious close to his Dublin apartment in the Newmarket Square area of Dublin 8 with life-threatening head injuries caused by a “tragic fall.” The father of four underwent

The INMO say the overcrowding crisis at Letterkenny General Hospital has worsened, with patients being treated on trollies in corridors at the hospital this week for the first time since 1998. All patients south of the Twin Towns are now being diverted to Sligo, but the INMO says it is now approaching capacity. Attempts were

Donegal County Councillor Barry O’Neill has called on the ESB to remove all fencing that has been erected along Assaroe Lake at the Knather Road in Ballyshannon and along both embankments on the River Erne in the Town Centre. Cllr. O’Neill has made a formal complaint to the Planning Department at Donegal County Council which

Donegal Deputy Joe McHugh has welcomed the announcement of 12.5 billion euro in funding for the Agriculture and rural sectors. The money – which comes from Common Agricultural Policy and exchequer funding will be dispersed between now and 20-20. Along with direct payments to farmers there will also be schemes for farm investment to grow

A Letterkenny Town Councillor is lending his support to an online campaign to help save and restore the Church Lane area of the town. Councillor Gerry McMonagle is backing the campaign groups efforts to enhance the tourist value of the area. One of the main issues affecting the lane is derelict buildings with their owners

A young man involved in a rampage of thievery and burglary by a gang which terrified residents of the Rosses in West Donegal offered Dungloe District Court yesterday an extra €1,500 compensation in addition to €1,600 he already paid into court. Ryan Boyle, 22, of Lower Keadue, Burtonport, was given three months prison suspended for two

A 43-year-old man has appeared at Dungloe District Court, accused of possessing child pornography. The court was told it would take at least a half-day to try the case. Inspector David Kelly said there were 14 Garda witnesses in the case and some of the evidence would be of a technical nature. The man, who