Author name: oisinkelly

A man charged with possessing drugs, guns and explosives in Derry last December is part of ‘an organised crime gang operating in Derry’ a police officer told the local Magistrate’s Court today. He was speaking during a bail application for 29 year old Gary McPhillips of 34 Hawkin Street in the city. He is charged […]

Dozens of people turned out in Sion Mills over the weekend in protest against proposals to bring a waste management plant to the village. Donegal based firm Connective Energy Holdings have submitted an application for an anaerobic digestor on the grounds of the old Herdmans Mill. Barry Whyte reports:

There are calls for an amnesty after it emerged that thousands of farmers are receiving letters from the EU seeking the return of money paid to them under the Single Farm Payment. North West MEP Jim Higgins says penalties are being imposed on farmers as a result of an audit which retrospectively changes the land

Donegal consumers are spending more than €108 million online ever year on purchases from companies outside Ireland. The figures were obtained by Emark. The group says the level of online shopping is hitting Irish retail business and job growth and will have a particularly negative impact on sales for retailers in Donegal in the run

Three people have been injured in a two car collision near Tullaghan in Co Leitrim last night. The incident happened between Tullaghan Filling Station and Duff Bridge on the Ballyshannon to Sligo Road at around 10.45pm. Two men and one woman were brought to Sligo Regional Hospital for treatment – one of them is said

Another body has been found in the debris of a Glasgow pub which was hit by a police helicopter on Friday. It takes the number of people who’ve died in the crash to nine. One of those who died, 59 year-old John McGarrigle has strong Donegal connections. His family is originally from Letterkenny. Meanwhile, Police

It’s reported that a Donegal priest has warned parishioners he may remove headstones, statues and trinkets from graves if they do not conform to strict new graveyard rules. According to the Irish Times, Fr John Walsh, parish priest in Buncrana, has also advised parishioners not to close any deal with monumental sculptors without first obtaining

The North’s Environment Minister has met with key representatives from Derry City Centre to identify measures to boost economic growth in the city. DOE Planning has established a Retail Stakeholder Group in tandem with City Centre Initiative to bring together key organisations to discuss ways to tackle trading issues affecting the City Centre The Retail

Tourism Ireland will today launch their plans to attract more visitors to Ireland over the next three years. The body is looking to bring up to 9 million people to Ireland by 2016. They are also hoping to attract more than 12.6 billion euro into the Irish economy through increased activity in the sector. Niall

The Central Remedial Clinic (CRC) is expected to make a statement in the coming days on the extent of salary top-ups taking place at the facility. Yesterday the Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore said questions in relation to the use of charity money to supplement senior executives pay packets needed answering. “The board of the CRC have

110 jobs are to go at a pharmaceutical plant at Castlebar in Co. Mayo. Baxter Healthcare, an American company, is looking for voluntary redundancies with 110 positions to go by early next year. Nearly 1,000 people are employed by the company across its Swinford and Castlebar operations and it has been in Ireland for more

Bank of Ireland and AIB have said they will not need any additional capital after a review of their loan books by the Central Bank. For the last few weeks the Central Bank has been examining whether the banks have set aside enough money to deal with bad loans. AIB says the review found it

 A Strabane woman has woken up today 32 million euro richer after winning  a share of the EuroMillions jackpot. Margaret Loughrey collected the fortune after hitting five numbers and two lucky stars in last Tuesday night’s draw. The unemployed and single 48-year-old said that while she had no immediate plans for the money it, would

Marine emergency services have responded to a call of a boat adrift in waters between Dungloe and Burtonport. Concern was expressed when a member of the public spotted the small boat with nobody on board. The rescue 118 chopper was on route to a training exercise and was diverted to investigate – local coast guard

A number of Residents from a County Tyrone village are today (Saturday) holding a protest against proposals to build an anaerobic digester there. Donegal-based firm Connective Energy Holdings have submitted an application for the waste management plant on the grounds of the former Herdman’s Mill site in Sion Mills. The Sion Mills community group are

Detectives in Foyle are appealing for information following reports of an attempted hijacking. The incident occurred in the Bloomfield Park area of Derry on the evening of Friday 29 November. At approximately 10.15pm, police received a report from a man, aged in his 30s, that two masked men had asked him to get out of

The Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore was amongst those at the Labour Party Conference to wish Donegal Labour Senator Jimmy Harte well. In his opening remarks to the  conference in Killarney Mr Gilmore expressed his hope that Senator Harte would make a speedy recovery and passed on his best wished to Mr Harte’s family. It was revealed

One of Ulster’s great GAA players, Jim “The Natch” Gallagher, died at the age of 84 in Sligo General Hospital today(Sat). Mr Gallagher, who lived at Coolcholly, Ballyshannon, played for Ulster and Donegal. He played on the Donegal senior team in the 1940s and 50s, starting at the age of 16 and captaining the county

Eircom has announced an increase to its high speed broadbrand service in Donegal. It’s estimated that by 2016, 91% of residents in Co Donegal will have access to high speed broadband. Countrywide an additional 562 communities across Ireland will be able to avail of eircoms superfast eFibre service. Paul Bradley is Eircoms Spokesman:  

Families are being urged to check on their elderly relatives and neighbours in the run-up to planned power outages. Unions at ESB have served formal notice of strike action – and are set to strike on December 16th if no resolution is found. Age Action Ireland says the HSE should release details of its contingency

An extension to one school in Donegal is the only inclusion from the county in the Minister for Education’s announced 70 building projects for next year. The schedule includes 22 new schools and 12 extensions at primary level, 12 new schools and 20 extensions at second-level, along with three new special schools and one special

Two men have pleaded guilty to charges linked to the death of a police officer in a car crash in Derry. 27-year-old Constable Philippa Reynolds, died when a stolen car crashed into a police car in which she was a passenger. 26-year-old Stephen Christopher Frane, pleaded guilty to manslaughter, guilty to causing death while driving

A judge has ordered the arrest of screen actor Gerard McSorley after he failed to turn up to court yesterday to face a breach of the peace charge. The 63-year-old who is originally from Omagh, but has an address in Bunbeg, had been arrested earlier this month and was charged at a Dublin Garda station.

Over 100 jobs are to be relocated to Strabane with the creation of a new Government office offering benefits, skills and farming support services. The new offices will be built on the site of the current Social Security Office on Urney Road. Work is due to begin on the new build in autumn 2014, subject

Donegal Senator Jimmy Harte has begun physiotherapy after spending some time in an induced coma. He was found unconscious on a footpath in Dublin having apparently collapsed after attending an international football match two weeks ago tonight. Today on the Shaun Doherty Show, his wife Mary thanked the people of Donegal and all those who

Eircom is denying that there is any threat to customer services in Letterkenny resulting from a voluntary redundancy programme. A spokesperson has confirmed that the building at Kiltoy will close, as it is no longer required, but all services will be run from the telephone exchange behind the post office on Main Street. Office based

Donegal North East Deputy Charlie Mc Conalogue says the IDA needs to do more to attract new investment into Donegal. In a question to Jobs and Enterprise Minister Richard Bruton, Deputy Mc Conalogue asked about the possibility of new companies being brought into the county. Minister Bruton replied that a number of companies in the

Figures published by the Injuries Board this morning show over €157 million was paid out in compensation as a result of motor accidents during 2012 – representing an increase of 2-point-2 per-cent on the amount awarded during 2011. There were 215 cases in Donegal, with almost €4.2 million paid out in total in the county.

Over 650 people are currently waiting for homes in Strabane, the highest number in five years. Latest figures reveal a 37 per cent increase in the local Housing Executive branch waiting list.The rise is among the highest in the North. SDLP councillor Patsy Kelly said the figures revealed the extent of Strabane’s housing problem and

Two Northern Ireland men have been remanded in continuing custody on a Bundoran €115,000 drugs distribution charge. Sligo District Court was told that the family of one of them, Paul McConville, had raised €10,000 in a bid for bail. Donough Cleary, solicitor for McConville, said he didn’t have an address in the jurisdiction of the

There is a threat to the future of the Awear store in Letterkenny after the company announced today it has gone into receivership. The outlet in Letterkenny, along with the companies other stores across the country closed today. Receiver, Ken Fennell of Kavanagh Fennell, has now been appointed to the A-wear chain of shops after

Ireland’s moved a step closer to enforcing laws against driving under the influence of drugs. There has been a strong campaign in Donegal, led by former Councillor PJ Blake for a crack down on Drug Driving. The Transport minister Leo Varadkar says Gardaí will soon have the equipment to test drivers for the use of

The public is being warned to be extra vigilant with reports of a surge in bogus callers and scams in the run up to Christmas. Buncrana Cllr Ciaran mc Laughlin says he has received numerous calls from the public who claim to have been contacted by phone and email as part of a computer scam.

Two members of the Irish Army, one of them from Strabane, face being discharged from the army after getting into a fight in Dublin after a night out “binge drinking”. 30-year-old Michael Kearney and 25-year-old Andrew Gilmore will sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court tomorrow. Kearney of Carlton Crescent, Strabane, and Gilmore of Gormanstown Army

Fáilte Ireland today honoured Ennis as one of the top ten towns in Ireland making a difference to tourism at the 2013 Tourism Towns Awards Ceremony in Dublin.  The highest accolade went to Kilkenny who won the national title of Ireland’s Tourism Town 2013.  The medieval town was chosen from a shortlist of ten top

A Foyle MLA has blamed the 14% drop in visitors from the South of Ireland to Northern Ireland on the on-going flag protests. Maeve McLaughlin says new figures show an over-all increase in visitors to the six counties but that under further examination they show a huge drop in those from the south going north.

Derry Crown Court was told today how a Belfast man told police he had been pressurised by loyalist paramilitaries to go to a car park in Letterkenny to pick up a large quantity of cannabis. Francis Milliken of 21, Stormont Street in Belfast pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis with intent to supply on December 4

Marine Minister Simon Coveney has confirmed he will accept the main elements of Fianna Fáil’s bill seeking to decriminalise minor fishing infringements. Minister Coveney was speaking after the ‘Sea Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Bill 2013’ was debated in the Seanad. It was moved by Senator Brian O’Domhnaill, who says Ireland is the only significant maritime

A Donegal South West Deputy is in talks to set up a new political movement. Independent TD Thomas Pringle and a number of other Independent Deputies and former Labour party members have been holding talks over the past few months about the idea. He says it wouldnt be a new political party, but a political

Letterkenny is one of ten areas hoping to be named Ireland’s best tourism town later today. The 2013 Fáilte Ireland Tourism Towns awards will be announced this afternoon, with awards on offer for the country’s best small and large towns. The awards were designed to encourage more Irish towns and villages to work together to

A Donegal North East Deputy has said that Micheal Martin has reached a new low after remarks he made yesterday. The Fianna Fail leader claimed there were a number of cases of abuse within the Republican movement of Sinn Fein and the IRA, which were covered up. And Mr Martin compared the Republican movement to

There has been a three car collision close to the Manor Roundabout this morning. The accident happened shortly after 9am. The emergency services are at the scene of the crash. Gardai have reported that one driver recieved minor injuries after the incident. There are currently some delays to oncoming traffic from the Letterkenny dual carriageway,

A Child Rescue Ireland (CRI) Alert issued by Gardai in Roscommon has now been cancelled. The alert was issued last night in respect of 41 year old Fiona Gregg, from Hawthorn Avenue in Ballyforan, who was last seen with 8 year old Killian, 6 year old Elisha and 2 year old Derbhla at around 3

The Mayor of Donegal has said that support should be put in place to help young people who are planning to emigrate. Speaking at this weeks Donegal County Council meeting, Mayor Ian McGarvey said young people need all the information and advice possible before they leave the country. Mayor McGarvey visited Boston earlier this month

Donegal County Council will examine the possibility of replacing the collapsed Mullantiboyle Bridge in Glenties with a temporary structure. The bridge collapsed 3 years ago closing what was seen locally as an important route around Glenties Town. There is no money currently available to replace the bridge on the Fintown – Glenties road permanently as