Author name: oisinkelly

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

A company behind a proposed waste management plant in Sion Mills have claimed that villagers fears surrounding the site are unfounded. Donegal-based firm Connective Energy Holdings have submitted an application for an anaerobic digestor on the grounds of the former Herdman’s Mill site in the village. Residents in Sion Mills claim that the proposed anaerobic

The Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin has claimed there were a number of cases of abuse within the Republican movement of Sinn Fein and the IRA, which were covered up. In the wake of the sentencing of Gerry Adams’s brother, Liam, Micheal Martin said other cases were dealt with “internally”. Mr Martin compared the Republican

Hundreds of mourners have gathered at the funeral mass in Belfast for Fr. Alec Reid. The 82 year old from Co. Tipperary – who past away last week – has been described as one of the most influential figures of the peace process. Speaking at the service at Clonard Church in Belfast this afternoon, Father

The brother of Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for raping his daughter. 58 year-old Liam Adams from west Belfast was found guilty last month of a string of sexual assaults on Aine Dahlstrom who has waived her right to anonymity. The abuse was committed over a five-year

Gardai have moved to destroy hundreds of porn CDs and DVDs owned by sex-offender Michael Ferry. They also aim to destroy dozens of other items including recording equipment, computer discs and an empty pornographic DVD cover taken when gathering evidence against 58-year-old Ferry who is serving 14 years for rape and assault of four schoolboys.

The apparent lack of Donegal projects in the government’s Infrastructure and Capital Plan 2012 to 2016 led to exchanges in the Dail this morning between Donegal North East Deputy Charlie Mc Conalogue and Enterprise Minister Richard Bruton. This special report from Donal Kavanagh……. During questions to Minister Bruton this morning, Deputy Mc Conalogue asked about

People are being urged to become nosey neighbours after it emerged that thousands of euro worth of home heating oil has been stolen in the South Inishowen area in recent days. Cllr Paul Canning says oil was stolen from the local national school in Newtowncunningham, and he’s also aware of thefts from tanks at homes

A Donegal councillor is calling for the retention of the county’s motor tax service. Councillor David Alcorn says a Department of Transport plan to centralise the motor tax service and put the emphasis on the online renewal system will put Donegal motorists at a disadvantage. Motorists can currently renew their tax at six different locations

Residents of a County Tyrone village are to hold a protest this weekend 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 to hold

A Donegal Deputy has rejected claims by the Government that they have now turned a corner in relation to unemployment here. CSO figures released yesterday show over 1,000 jobs a week were created in the year to the end of September. The Central Statistics Office says employment recorded the largest increase during the period –

The Minister for Housing says NAMA will release 450 homes next year to help people in long term homelessness. Focus Ireland has criticised the agency for failing to deliver on its promise to use vacant units to help those with nowhere to live. The charity says 5,000 people are currently homeless in Ireland and many

Children in the most economically disadvantaged households are more likely to be obese. That is according to the latest Growing Up in Ireland survey which also found that children who spend a lot of time in front of the TV are overweight. The study focused on how 5-year-olds and their families are faring across a

Gardai are investigating after two teenagers were beaten and robbed by a gang of up to 20 men in Letterkenny on Sunday night. One of the teenagers was hospitalised after he was beaten with batons, while the other had a phone worth €650 stolen. The incident happened near the green area at Glencar at around

Cars have been broken into in Burnfoot, with a number of items taken, including a mobile phone. Local councillor Jack Murray says he knows of at least two incidents in Fairview and Pairc an Grianan, and believes there could have have been more. In both instances, the cars were unlocked, and Cllr Murray says its

The Tánaiste says the case of Marie Fleming and her medical card shows the “cold system” needs to be addressed. It’s after the Lifford native’s partner revealed the HSE demanded documented proof that the terminally ill woman is dying, as part of a review of her medical card. However the H-S-E has now told Marie

A number of towns and cities in the Northwest of Northern Ireland are set to benefit from reduced car parking charges over the Christmas period. Derry, Omagh and Strabane will see the introduction of a new reduced tariff of five hours parking for just one pound. It’s hoped the measures will provide a welcome boost

The High Court has upheld a District Court judge’s decision to release the Dutch-owned supertrawler Annelies Ilena on €250,000 bail. The vessel, formerly the Killybegs based Atlantic Dawn, is now free to leave Killybegs Port, after being detained on Friday. Its captain has been accussed of breachiong EU Fishing Regulations. Yesterday, Judge Kevin Kilrane set

Two men in their 30s have been arrested in Coleraine in relation to recent paramilitary-style attacks. They were arrested in the Harpurs Hill area of the town this morning, the same area in which a 15 year old boy was shot in both legs last week. Police say the men are being questioned about attacks

A Donegal County Councillor has said that it could be two weeks before a dispute over access to Carrigart beach is settled. A disputed right of way to the beach has been blocked off by a 7 foot steel gate which has been erected by a contractor developing in the area. Local residents claim they

The partner of Marie Fleming has revealed the HSE demanded documented proof that the terminally ill woman is dying, as part of a review of her medical card. The 59 year old MS sufferer made headlines earlier this year for her failed Supreme Court bid to protect Tom Curran from prosecution, should he help her

A Donegal County Cllr has said that more contracts should be tendered to small, local companies for road resurfacing works in the county. Currently the council has to abide by the requirements of EU directives when procuring works, goods and services. Cllr Martin Harley says the current EU Directive guidelines are currently at level that

Personal debt campaigners say hundreds of more people will soon benefit from the new insolvency regime. It’s after a Donegal HSE worker last night became the first person to enter an arrangement under the Act – which will see 70 per cent of their debt written off. The Donegal borrower was a partner in a

A HSE worker from Donegal is understood to have completed Ireland’s first insolvency deal with more than 70% of the borrower’s debt written off. The arrangement was agreed at a creditors’ meeting today at the offices of  ‘New Beginning’. The Donegal borrower was a partner in a business that failed – the collapse of the

Donegal County Council has claimed that a recent trip to New England by a Council delegation was hugely beneficial. Mayor Ian McGarvey was joined by County Manager Seamus Neely, the Council’s Director of Community, Culture and Planning, Michael Heany and Cllr Noel McBride earlier this month. Flights and accommodation for the week long trip were