Author name: oisinkelly

Rents in Donegal have fallen again in contrast to an almost five percent increase across the country over the course of the last year. The latest report from property website Daft-dot-ie shows the national average rent has gone up 4.8 percent in the third quarter of 2013, when compared with the same period last year. […]

The Garda Ombudsman has launched an investigation into a dig for the body of missing schoolgirl Mary Boyle. Earlier this year the Sunday World along with a scanning company, carried out a geographic survey of land at Cashelard near Ballyshannon, and identified a number of anomalies consistent with a grave. Acting on the information, Gardai

A Buncrana Town councillor has accused the government of ‘shifting the blame’ for the property tax on to revenue. Last week the revenue commissioner, Josephine Feehily, stood over the decision to deduct debit and credit card payments this month for next years property tax, on the basis that there are significant risks involved in retaining

District Judge Barney McElholm told a man that he had ‘absolutely no sympathy for him’ as he jailed him for what he described as a ‘disgraceful’ domestic assault. Niall O’Hara (31) of 2, Elmwood Terace in Derry admitted assaulting his partner, her sister, making threats to kill and causing criminal damage on April 20. The

  Positivity about the future was the theme of the Letterkenny business awards which took place last night. The brightest and best from the business world in Letterkenny gathered in the Radisson Blu for the chambers annual awards ceremony. The winner of the business person of the year award was Alfie Green of Greens shoes,

A man who died in a road crash in Co Donegal yesterday has been named as 63-year-old Christy Lipsett from Cashel in Rossnowlagh. Mr Lipsett died when the tractor he was driving was involved in a collision with a car on the N15 at Ballintra yesterday morning. The driver of the car was not injured.

The Minister of the Environment has announced the commencement of the €13m Gweedore sewerage scheme. The long anticipated works will go to tender at the beginning of next year. Over the years the lack of progress on the scheme had been a major issue of concern with residents in the area. Minister Hogan exclusively made

12fitz~1 The Children’s Minister has welcomed a drop in the use of the controversial website ask dot fm. A survey by the Irish anti-bullying service Bully4u showed that of the 40 per cent of nine to 12-year-olds that had used the site, only 8 per cent were still using it. The website came in for

Gardai say they are treating as accidental the death of a man in South Donegal. The body of the local man in his 50s was discovered in a drain on a minor road in Ballintra at around 10 o’clock this morning. The dead man is thought be a farmer, originally from Scotland, who lives nearby

The CEO of the Simon Community in the North West says there is a need for a programme to provide more houses for people in need of permanent accomodation. Speaking on today’s Shaun Doherty Show, Claire Mc Tiernan said while there is a perception that housing is plentiful, people on rent supplement are having severe

An action taken by Adrienne McGlinchey, a key witness in the Morris Tribunal which investigated the activities of a number of Gardai in Donegal in the early 1990‘s, against The Garda Commissioner, Ireland and The Attorney General has been settled. In a statement, Ms Mc Glinchey says it has taken twenty two years, a major

The Chairperson of Donegal IFA has said he is not surprised at yesterday’s news there’s been a 300 per-cent rise in calls to a suicide prevention and bereavement organisation over the past six months. Financial worries and rural isolation are among some of the main issues being expressed to Console by distressed farmers. PJ McMonagle

The legacy of Michael Collins in the North West will be the focus of  night of history and heritage in Letterkenny this evening. The Michael Collins 22 Society is hosting the event, which is being chaired by Fine Gael General Secretary General Tom Curran at the Station House Hotel. Speakers include former SDLP Deputy Leader

MEP Pat the Cope Gallagher says that while there are no immediate concerns over the removal of support funding for Donegal Airport he is concerned new regulations could pave the way. Draft guidelines by the European Commission will change the rules that permit EU Member States through national, regional and local authorities to invest in

The Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan has officially opened the new wastewater treatment complex in Letterkenny. There had been suggestions that a number of local public representatives would boycott his visit in protest at the scrapping of the local Town Council and the refusal by the Minister for a meeting to discuss it. However,

A new community alert system is being put in place in a number of town lands across Letterkenny in response to a spate of crime over recent weeks and months. It follows a well attended meeting earlier this week called by local man Noel Sweeney The initiative covers town lands stretching from the top of

The Chairman of the Labour Party in Donegal has confirmed to Highland Radio News that he has quit the party. Peter Cutliffe told Highland Radio last month that he was considering his position claiming he no longer felt the Labour party represented the people. He was also upset after it emerged Senator Jimmy Harte’s wife

Two men have been returned for trial to Derry Crown Court on charges linked to the death of police constable Philipa Reynolds in Derry on February this year. 26 year-old Shane Frane whose address was given as HM Maghaberry Prison and Conor Clarence, 24, whose address was given as 27, Bond’s Hill in Derry appeared

The case against a Derry man who was murdered in the city last month has been formally dismissed at Belfast Crown Court. 35-year-old Barry Joseph McCrory was due to have been sentenced for an attempted robbery just before Christmas 2011. Barry McCrory had claimed that his robbery bid on the Santander Bank in Derry was

As the fight to preserve almost 300 vehicle licensing jobs in Coleraine continues, a deputation from the NIPSA Trade Union is in London for a series of meetings today. They’re meeting with the Transport Minister Robert Goodwill, and also addressing the Northern Ireland Select Committee at Westminister. NIPSA Assistant Secretary Ryan McKinney is leading the

North West MEP Jim Higgins has added his voice to the growing clamour for an extension of the REPS scheme. 13,000 Irish farmers will exit REPS 4 this year, but cannot apply for the new AEOS scheme until 2015. It’s also been claimed that the new scheme is overly restrictive, with many applicants being refused.

The IFA says the drafting of new multi annual plans for the development of aquaculture are a “defining moment” for the sector and coastal economies and could have a huge benefit for Donegal Those views were expressed by the Association’s Aquaculture Executive Richie Flynn who yesterday addressed over 100 national government, European Commission and parliamentary

Judgement has been reserved in a High Court case taken by Donegal Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill seeking to halt an investigation by the Standards in Public Office Commission into alleged duplication of expenses claims. The Commission was due to begin a public session concerning the expenses matter, but that was postponed after Senator O Donhnaill

A Donegal man was amongst five people with alleged links to dissident Irish republicanism who have made a second private appearance in court charged with terrorism offences. Four of the accused were also charged with a plot to murder Johnny Adair and Samuel McCrory, former high-profile members of the loyalist UDA. The five are charged

The government is being urged to prepare for the ending of flouoridation in Irish water supplies. The call from Independent Donegal Deputy Thomas Pringle comes as the Department of Health announces the establishment of a working group examine the practice. On Friday, Sinn Fein will introduce legislation in the Dail to end fluoridation, amidst claims

Sinn Féin says it has secured new secret tapes relating to Anglo Irish Bank. The party says it’s not making the tapes public now on legal advice, but reserves the right to do so. Finance Spokesman Pearse Doherty says he has passed the recordings to the Gardaí and the Central Bank. And he says many

The Irish Wildlife Trust is claiming that illegal dumping and large scale turf harvesting are threatening Glenveagh National Park. In a letter to management at Glenveagh, the trust says large areas of sensitive habitat are being destroyed by what it claims is the use of machines to extract large volumes of turf on a commercial

The management board of the Ecclesville Centre in Fintona have said that the Jamboree in the Park will go ahead next year. A number of people were “crushed and trampled on” during the country music festival over the weekend. The organisers of the event met last night to discuss safety concerns surrounding future events. Chairman

A Councillor has called on the mining company, awarded ten prospecting licences in the Stranorlar area to outline details of their plans to the council and the local commnunity. Connemara Mining has been awarded ten prospecting licences covering gold, silver and base metals. The area was selected by Connemara’s geologists following a extensive review of

A conference highlighting the issue of Irish female suicide, cyber bullying and Facebook amongst others gets underway in Sligo today. The Psychological Society of Ireland are hosting the four day conference and they are hoping to shine some light on many of the issues pertaining to social issues affecting the youth of Ireland. It follows

There was a large turnout at a public meeting in the Letterkenny Council Chamber last night expressing opposition to the government decision to abolish the town council structure and replace it with expanded county councils from next year’s local elections. Councillors were joined by community and business leaders, who expressed concern that Letterkenny’s status as

The Buncrana Road in Derry has reopened between the Skeoge Road and Templemore Sports Complex following an earlier security alert. The Coshquin, Whitehouse and Groarty Roads remain closed. Police say they are searching the area following reports of suspicious activity, and army bomb disposal experts are at the scene.

Sinn Feins Finance spokesperson has played down claims that Gerry Adams position as party leader is under increased pressure after last nights ‘Disappeared’ documentary. In a Boston College taped interview with deceased IRA commander Brendan Hughes, which was played for the first time last night in the BBC programme, Hughes accused Mr Adams of ordering

A Donegal Councillor says he is disgusted at what he says is the Government trying to have water meters installed through cheap labour. Jack Murray was responding to a jobbridge advert which is aiming to recruit a water meter installer in Donegal. He says while he is absolutely opposed to the taxing of public water

Connemara Mining has been awarded ten prospecting licences in the Stranorlar region of Donegal covering gold, silver and base metals. Spanning 413km2, the area was selected by Connemara’s geologists following a extensive review of gold opportunities in Ireland. Historical records of the Donegal area show certain anomalies consistent with gold while the geology shares similarities

Police in Derry are investigating reports of an armed robbery and car theft last night. Two takeaway restaurants in Derry were robbed by a masked man with a hammer. Two cars were also broken into. Police have said that they received reports at 7:20pm of a masked man breaking into two vehicles in the Lenamore

A Strabane District Cllr has called on Donegal County Council to foot the bill of sending old tyres back into the county. It’s emerged that police in Strabane seized 250 tyres which were being brought into the town from Donegal. It’s understood the tyres were destined for an illegal Halloween bonfire at the old Adria

The Letterkenny tidy towns committee held its annual awards ceremony last night, and also laid out its strategy for the next year. Schools, residents groups and businesses were honored for their efforts in another successful for year for Letterkenny in the tidy towns competition. Anne Mc Gowan is chairperson of the Letterkenny tidy towns committee.

The Garda Assistant Commissioner has launched a new ‘Farm Security’ Crime Prevention Booklet in Tipperary which was originally trialled in Donegal. This booklet was produced by An Garda Síochána in partnership with the Irish Farmers Association to assist in preventing farm related crime. The booklet aims to build on the success of existing good crime

The organisers of a one act drama festival taking place in Letterkenny later this month say they hope it can be the precursor to a full drama festival in An Grianan Theatre in the future. Nine companies from around the country are taking part in the event from the 21st to the 23rd of November.

It’s reported this morning that a doctor at Letterkenny General Hospital has been suspended following allegations that a child was physically assaulted in recent days. The hospital is confirming an investigation, but is not confirming reports that a four-year-old child was struck in an incident which was reportedly witnessed by a parent. . In a