Author name: oisinkelly

The numbers of those signing on the live register in Donegal have fallen by 624 over the course of the last year according to the latest statistics from the CSO. In September, there were 20,064 signing on the county. The numbers signing in the Finn Valley increased by 108 people to 2,717. There was a […]

The counting of votes cast in yesterday’s two referendums is underway. One referendum was on the abolition of the Seanad, the other was on the establishment of a Court of Appeal. In Donegal North East, early indications are that it could be very close in both referendums. In the Inishowen area, two out of the

A host of senior politicians and celebrity guests were in attendance in Buncrana today for the opening of Donegal’s Amazing Grace viewing point. Having come ashore at Lough Swilly John Newton went on to pen one of the most famous and well-loved songs of all time – “Amazing Grace” and to mentor William Wilberforce in

Everton Star Seamie Coleman has been added to the Heroes and Legends event being hosted by Shay Given and Packie Bonner this weekend as part of The Gathering. On Sunday the pair host a Golf Day at Ballybofey and Stranorlar Golf Club ahead of a dinner evening in the Villa Rose Hotel that night. There

A Buncrana Town Cllr has said that parents in Inishowen are keeping their children indoors in the wake of an incident were two children were approached by a man. Two schoolchildren, one in Bridgend and the other in Buncrana, were approached by a man in a blue or silver-coloured car on Monday. Yesterday Gardai made

The finance minister has insisted that keeping the special VAT rate for tourism would cost hundreds of millions. Michael Noonan says it will cost 360 million euro a year to keep the 9 per cent rate, which expires in December. Mr Noonan’s government colleagues and members of opposition parties have been lobbying to keep the

A Donegal County Cllr has said that the introduction of CCTV on the border would curb cross-border crime. In the past year there have been a spate of cross border robberies. Cllr Michael McBride says since the peace process, it has become easier to cross the border, and he claims, this has resulted in an increase

Independent Deputy Thomas Pringle says there may be some hope that the Community Welfare Officer services in rural areas could be returned after the minister responsible said the situation is under review. The Welfare Officer services in over a dozen rural areas across Donegal have been withdrawn with the public now being told they must

Shay Given will be the special guest tomorrow when the Donegal Youth Council officially launches its SPARKS Mental Health Roadshows. The initiative will reach over 1,000 young people on roadshows to be held in Letterkenny, Stranorlar, Gweedore, Buncrana and Donegal Town over the course of October and November. The events will be addressed by a

The Chairman of Labour in Donegal has said that he is considering his position with the party. Earlier this week Cllr Frank McBrearty left the party, while an Irish Times opinion poll said support for the party had fallen to an all-time low. And it was also announced yesterday that Mary Harte, wife of Senator

Polling stations are open for voting in the two referendums being held today. Irish citizens are being asked to vote on whether they want to abolish the Seanad, and whether to set up a new Court of Appeal. Polling stations across the country are open until 10 o’clock tonight. Polling booths will remain open until

Two Donegal women who went on stealing spree at Strabane’s Asda store have been warned they face prison if caught again. Erica Walsh (21) of Hall Demesne, Mountcharles and Siobhan Hearty (21) of Stragar, Killybegs both entered guilty pleas to theft when they appeared before Strabane Magistrates on Thursday. The duo were detained on August

Gardai are investigating after a lone male approached two children in the Inishowen area. The first incident happened on Monday afternoon at around 330pm in Bridgend, while the second incident happened in the evening at around 7pm in Buncrana. Gardai are asking parents to be on the lookout for single male occupant in a light

Donegal County Council is calling for additional resources to be allocated to the North Donegal Money Advice Budgeting Service. The North Donegal service has an average waiting time of 20 weeks, the longest in the country and five times the state average of four weeks. North Donegal MABS also has the highest number of people

A Donegal County Cllr has called for legislation to be brought in to prevent large numbers of camper vans from taking up prime parking locations around the county. Cllr Sean McEniff made the calls at this weeks Council meeting. He said these vans park in public carparks and leave “a bloody mess behind them”. The

Mary Harte, the wife of Senator Jimmy Harte, has put herself forward to run for the Labour party in next years local elections. She was one of three potential candidates who met with party representatives this week to discuss running next year. Along with Mary Harte, Donegal Constituency Council Chairman, Peter Cutliffe and Siobhan McLaughlin,

New figures show that 149 Donegal claimants were awarded a total of 3.1 million euro from the Injuries Board in the first six months of this year. The Injuries Board makes statutory personal injury awards in respect of motor, employer and public liability accidents. During the first six months of 2013 the total compensation awarded

A Consultant at Letterkenny General Hospital has claimed that the majority of Junior Doctors in the country are against strike action. The doctors are demanding an end to shifts of more than 24 hours and a guarantee that the 48-hour week will be in place at the end of next year. The Irish Medical Organisation,

A Donegal County Cllr in the Finn Valley area has hit out at Cllr  Frank McBrearty. Cllr McBrearty has said that residents of problematic housing estates should come together and take a legal case against the local authority. But Fianna Fail Cllr Patrick McGowan says the Council are doing everything they can to deal with

A Donegal County Councillor has said that residents of problematic housing estates should come together and take a legal case against the local authority. Cllr Frank McBrearty believes there are over 200 unfinished housing estates in Donegal who have maintenance problems that are not being dealt with. Many of the contractors who built these estates

Donegal County Council has backed a motion calling on the Government to classify Down Syndrome as a low Incidence disability. The issue was raised in the Council Chamber as members of the Donegal Down Syndrome group watched on – other councillors across the country will now be asked to put forward similar motions. There are

The Seanad has heard calls for the suspension of the granting of planning permissions for all wind farm developments until a new legislative framework to govern wind farm developments is introduced. The call was made by Senator Brian O’Domhnaill. The issues has been a controversial one, not least in County Donegal. where there is a

Tyrone woman Michaella McCollum and Melissa Reid from Scotland could face a six-month investigation if their guilty pleas for drug smuggling are not accepted by prosecutors in Peru. The state’s lead prosecutor in the case made the comment after the pair appeared in court last night. He didn’t give details of the private hearing but

Having already conquered Everest, Letterkenny man Jason Black has reached new heights by reaching the summit of  Mont Blanc ”the highest mountain in Northern Europe” Having climbed the 4810 Metres Jason Black described the achievement as ‘amazing’. Jason made the journey with three fellow county men namely Clive and Keith Davidson and Francie Gallagher. You

Liam Adams has been found guilty of sexually abusing his daughter nearly 40 years ago. The 58-year-old, from Bernagh Drive in Belfast, had denied all 10 charges – three of rape, three of gross indecency and four of indecent assault. The offences were alleged to have occurred between March 1977 and March 1983 when his

A Donegal Labour Party Senator says he’s concerned by a new opinion poll which shows support for his party has collapsed. The Ipsos MRBI poll in today’s Irish Times says Labour support has fallen to just six per cent – the lowest level in over 25 years. Fine Gael leads the poll on 26 per

The Finance Minister is under pressure from his cabinet colleagues not to scrap the special rate of VAT for tourism. The special 9 per cent rate is due to expire at the end of this year – returning to the original rate of 13.5 per cent. Minister Michael Noonan says he’d like to keep the

A Donegal Labour Party Senator says he’s concerned by a new opinion poll which shows support for his party has collapsed. The Ipsos MRBI poll in today’s Irish Times says Labour support has fallen to just six per cent – the lowest level in over 25 years. Fine Gael leads the poll on 26 per

Donegal County Cllr Frank McBrearty has said that he left the Labour Party because of the broken promises they made to the people of the county. The Raphoe politician announced yesterday that he had resigned from the Labour Party over the weekend. Speaking today Cllr McBrearty said the party can no longer represent rural communities.

Donegal Oireachtas members are to put forward a special case to the Environment Minister that Letterkenny Town Council should be saved. Members of the town council met with Deputies Joe McHugh, Charlie McConalogue and Pádraig Mac Lochlainn last night, along with Senators Brian O Domhnaill and Jimmy Harte. A number of local business representatives where also present.

A Donegal County Cllr has said the situation with house break-ins in the county is now at crisis level. In the past fortnight there has been a number of break-ins in the Letterkenny area, with an 80-year-old woman being beaten when her home was broken into over the weekend. And as well as this, over

Staff from Donegal County Councils Water and Environment Service are going to meet with the residents of a housing estate in Lifford. Residents of Hazelwood Drive have been plagued by a stream of foul smelling sewage for over four years now. There is also a stench which hangs in the air in the estate. Cllr

Gardai in Letterkenny are repeating their appeal for information about a man who beat and robbed a pensioner in her home at the weekend. The incident happened in the Glencar area at around twenty past five on Saturday morning. The 80 year old woman received minor injuries and has been discharged from Letterkenny General Hospital

The Mayor of Donegal will be part of a delegation from the county on a trip to Boston next month. Mayor Ian McGarvey will be joined by County Manager Seamus Neely, the Councils Director of Community, Culture and Planning, Michael Heany and the Chairman of the Local Development Board, Cllr Dessie Larkin on the trip.

The number of people getting married is on the decline. The CSO says 19,855 marriages were registered in 2011, down 3.6 per cent from 2010 when 20,594 couples married. There were 536 civil partnerships registered, eight of them in Donegal. Meanwhile, there were over 900 marriages in Donegal in 2011 There were a total of

The Mayor of Donegal has confirmed to members of the Council this morning that Cllr Frank McBrearty has left the Labour Party. Cllr McBrearty informed the party at the weekend that he was no longer a memberHe was elected to Donegal County Council on the Labour Party ticket in 2009. On a number of occasions