Author name: oisinkelly

Retailers are threatening to withdraw en masse from ESB if workers at the company go ahead with strike action planned for next month. Retail Excellence Ireland says trading over the Christmas period is vital to the sector and should the planned industrial action go ahead they will withdraw all business in the New Year and […]

The State sought bail of €5.8 million today to free one of the world’s largest fishing ships, the Dutch-owned Annelies Ilena, formerly the Killybegs-owned Atlantic Dawn. The Master of the 14,000 tonne vessel, Gerrit Plug, 57, appeared at Donegal District Court accused of breaching EU fishing regulations. The court heard that the likely evidence, some

Local musician Gary Doherty has become the newest member of Donegal County Council. The Sinn Fein representative replaces Cora Harvey, who stepped down from the local authority last month. The Castlefin man, was accompanied by family members as he was officially confirmed this morning. 31-year-old Gary, who is the bass player with Donegal band Heads

The organisers of a Border Poll in Strabane and Lifford have hailed the vote as a success. Over the weekend, only 448 people came out and voted in the poll in Strabanes East Ward and Liffords Clonleigh area, despite 1700 being registered to do so. 93% voted ‘Yes’, and 7% voted ‘No’ in the unofficial

A North West MEP has criticised the Irish Government, over its decision to exclude the West and North West from an important EU Transport Programme. MEP Pat the Cope Gallagher stated that the TEN-T Core Network agreement, is confined to eastern and southern regions. An agreement on the programme was reached under the Irish EU

Donegal Deputy Padraig Mac Lochlainn says a change of culture is needed in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to secure up to 150 jobs at Marine Harvest in the Fanad peninsula, and increase employment nto the future. He’s raised the issue with Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore, following a meeting with management of the

Donegal South West Deputy Pearse Doherty has ruled himself out as a contender for the leadership of Sinn Fein. His party colleague Mary Lou Mc Donald says she would be interested in the leadership, but stresses there’s no question of a vacancy arising at the moment. In a documentary on the party to be broadcast

 Detectives at Strand Road are appealing for witnesses following an incident in the Creggan area on Saturday 23 November. At approximately 8 pm the driver of a fast food delivery van was approached by two men with scarves over their faces whilst making a delivery to a house in the High Park area. They intimated

Donegal County Council says there’s been a positive response to the recent call for payment of outstanding development charges, commercial rates and other charges. Director of Finance Gary Martin says the council understands the financial pressure businesses and others are under, and where possible, is anxious to come to arrangements which suit both sides. Speaking

Donegal County Council officials are to be questioned about what strategy the authority has to deal with the issue of horses being abandoned on public roads in the county. Cllr Dessie Larkin has tabled a question on the issue for Monday’s meeting of council, saying there is a worrying increase in the number of horses

One of the world’s largest fishing vessels, detained  off the Donegal coast by the Navy for alleged fishing law breaches, has arrived in Killybegs. The arrest was made by the LE Roisin off Tory island. The Dutch-registered Annelies Ilena, formerly the Atlantic Dawn and registered in Ireland, is the largest ever detained by the Irish Navy.

Two Northern Ireland men were tonight(Fri) remanded in custody on a €115,000 drugs distribution charge. Paul McConville 55, of Cranny Terrace, Craigavon, and Malachy Doran, 52, of Church Walk, Lurgan, appeared at a special sitting of Sligo District Court. They were accused of having €115,000 worth of Methylone, and ecstasy-type drug, and having it for sale and supply in

Three men caught with a pipe bomb in Derry two years ago have been jailed. Police stopped a blue Citroen car on the Buncrana Road on 26 September 2011 as it travelled towards the city. During a search of the vehicle a viable pipe bomb type device was recovered from under the front passenger seat.

A security alert in the Gobnascale area of Derry has ended, with a suspicious object declared to be an elaborate hoax. It was trhe fourth alert in the area in less than 24 hours. There were three hoax bomb alerts overnight in the same area. Army bomb disposal experts examined suspicious objects in all four

A Court has been told today that the appearance of a key witness at the inquest of a murdered Castlederg schoolgirl has been thrown into doubt because of a row over legal aid. Robert Howard, who was acquitted of killing teenager Arlene Arkinson, has not been granted funding for legal representation at next year’s hearing,

There is now a serious threat of power cuts across the country this December – after unions at ESB announced that they will serve notice of industrial action. The strike threat is over a 1-point-6 billion euro hole in the company’s pension scheme. The unions will serve notice next Friday – and if there is

Gardai  are following a number of lines of enquiry into yesterday’s bomb attack in Letterkenny. A sophistivated device detonated under a jeep in Manor View Park in Long Lane at around 4 am. Nobody was injured but extensive damage was caused to the vehicle. Gardai are appealing to anyone that noticed a silver saloon-type car

  The Dáil will debate Fianna Fail proposals to crack down on hit and run drivers today. The Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar has accepted the principle of the Fianna Fáil Bill introducing tougher penalties for those caught fleeing the scene of an accident. The campaign has been led by Donegal based road safety group

A long leasehold of a two bed ground floor apartment in Letterkenny for 12,000 euro is amongst the lots included on what is being described as Ireland’s biggest ever auction of 150 properties. Allsop Space, which claims it won’t sell repossessed family homes, will host the auction in the RDS next month with a total

Donegal County Council have received reports of bogus collectors in the Lifford area yesterday evening, purporting to be from the Council. A man and women entered a business premises in Lifford between 6 and 7 pm seeking payment of rates. They did not have identification badges but had a letterhead with the Council Crest. No

Donegal County Council is to discuss the takeover of water services by the new company Irish Water at its November monthly meeting on Monday next. A presentation is to be made to members on the handover protocol, but councillors are concerned that this is only coming now, less than two months before the new regieme

Two men accused of attempting to murder a student police officer in Co Fermanagh in 2009 will go on trial in the new year. Ex-Irish Soldier Gerard James McManus from Letterkenny and Kevin Barry Nolan from Blacklion deny attempting to murder the student police officer, and possessing a gun with intent to endanger life in

18 Primary Care Centres and Health Centres in Donegal are to introduce a tobacco-free campus policy next month. From Monday 2 December it will no longer possible to smoke anywhere on certain Primary Care Centre or Health Centre grounds; for example, entrances, doorways, walkways, internal roads, car parks or cars. It will mean that a

Fine Gael MEP Jim Higgins has slammed the HSE for its handling of the medical cards scheme. Mr Higgins says some of his constituents have had their cards unjustifiably withdrawn. The North West MEP describes the HSE s handling of the medical card scheme is an  absolute shambles:

Gardaí have seized a quantity of drugs in Bundoran worth an estimated €115,000. The quantity of Methylone was seized at a house in Bundoran this morning. The seizure was made at approximately 9.15am this morning. A vehicle and mobile phones were also recovered during this operation. Two males, both in their early 50’s, were arrested

A Letterkenny mother has confirmed that post mortem results has shown her son died from a brain haemorrhage after taking a legal high. In October 22-year-old Jimmy Gruichard, died tragically in hospital in England. The post mortem results, which were released this week show that no traces of illegal drugs or prescribed drugs were in his system.

Members of an army unit dubbed Britain’s secret terror force have admitted firing on unarmed IRA suspects in West Belfast. The Military Reaction Force also carried out drive by shootings of nationalists 40 years ago, without any evidence they were members of the Republican group. More than three thousand deaths are being investigated by the

A Northwest MEP says the Government must cut red tape and bureaucracy to ensure that as much of the EUs CAP allocation gets to farmers as is possible. Following a vote in Europe yesterday it was confirmed that Ireland will receive 11 billion euro in CAP payments over the next 7 years. However Jim Higgins

Donegal County Council is being asked to improve safety for pedestrians at the Aura Leisure Centre in Letterkenny. Councillor Mick Quinn is to bring a motion to the council on Monday calling for the council to priorities a footpath from Ballymacool to the Aura in the 2014 Programme. He also supports calls for a safer

The criminal Justice agencies in the North spend 30 million pounds every year investigating legacy issues arising from the Troubles. A new report on the past, to be revealed this morning, shows that the ongoing cost has a negative impact on current criminal matters. The report is published a day after the North’s Attorney General

Police have confirmed that a device left on an bus in Derry last night was viable. A man boarded a bus at around 6pm in the Ballymagroarty area and ordered the driver to take a bomb to Strand Road PSNI station. The bus was then abandoned by the driver on Northland Road. Over 40 families

Police are currently in attendance at a security alert in the Northland Road area of Derry after a suspicious object was left on a bus in the area. Northland Road has been closed between Branch Roundabout and Springvale Park.  A number of homes in the area have been evacuated. ATO have been tasked and there

The Government been accused of once again targeting the elderly in its efforts to save money. Donegal North East Deputy Charlie Mc Conalogue says that a drastic national reduction in the number of grants paid out for the Housing Aid for the Older Persons Scheme has been mirrored in Donegal since the current government came

The North’s Regional Development Minister is being asked to implement measures to ease traffic congestion in Strabane’s Bridge Street. West Tyrone MLA Michaela Boyle raised the issue, saying the worst traffic bottle neck in Strabane is undoubtedly the narrow stretch of road on the Bridge Street approach to the bridge with traffic often coming to

The President of St Vincent De Paul in Letterkenny says the massive rise in people seeking help nationally is beng mirrored in Donegal. The charity has spent more than 40 million euro across the country so far this year, up from around 30 million euro during the whole of 2012. Speaking from Dublin, where she’s

The North’s Attorney General says there should be an end to prosecutions for Troubles-related killings. John Larkin told the BBC there should be no further police investigations, inquests or inquiries into any relevant killings that took place before the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. He said that means all deaths caused by

MEPs will today vote on whether to shut down one of their headquarters to save money. The European Parliament will vote to close its building in Strasbourg and move to Brussels full-time. The move would save 200 million euro a year – but the French government will probably veto the plan because of the economic

The future of Derry’s rail link to Belfast will be discussed when a delegation of business, community and political representitives from the city meets with the Regional Development Minister at Stormont. Derry’s Mayor, Cllr Martin Reilly will this afternoon lead a delegation from the city and the wider North West region to meet with the

The 53 year old man killed in a collision in Ballybofey last night has been named locally as John O’Donnell, of Curraghmone. A post mortem examination has been taking place today at Letterkenny General Hospital, and the road remains closed for a technical examination. Gardai are appealing to any witnesses to come forward. Meanwhile, gardai

No more snow is expected in Donegal this week, with Met Eireann predicting an improvement. The front which saw some snow in Donegal and the North West last night has moved over Scotland, parts of which have been hit with about two inches of snow. Here, temperatures have dropped as winter sets in, but no