Author name: oisinkelly

Ballybofey has the highest proportion of vacant commercial premises in the country, according to figures published this morning by property analysts GeoDirectory and DKM Economic Consultants. 28.2% of all commercial premises are vacant in Ballybofey, compared to a national average of 12.3% The figure for Donegal as a whole is slightly above the national average […]

Police in Derry are appealing for information following a serious road traffic collision on the Buncrana Road last night. Shortly after 8.30pm it was reported that a collision had occurred between a car and a male pedestrian. The 17 year old male pedestrian was rushed to hospital with serious injuries. The Buncrana Road was closed

Donegal man Frank Larkin has been elected Chairperson of Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Ireland, a national campaigning body for people with disabilities. He was elected at the organisation’s annual conference at the weekend, and says he will be hitting the ground running with the budget wext week. In 2009, Mr Larkin ran as a candidate in

Sinn Féin has announced its team of candidates to contest next year’s ‘super council’ election which will see Derry and Stabane councils merge. The 21 candidates were named at a selection convention held in the party’s Rath Mór constituency office over the weekend. It is the first time candidates for both Derry and Strabane have

Pickets are in place outside Letterkenny General Hospital this morning as Non Consultant Hospital Doctors withdraw services from 51 hospitals across the state. More than 3,000 doctors are taking part in the move following a long running dispute with the HSE over working hours. The 24 action got underway at 7 o’clock this morning, but

It’s been confirmed that five beds will reopen at Dungloe Hospital from Monday of next week. Five more remain closed after the total number was reduced from 35 to 25 in May. After a public meeting in Dungloe over the summer, a deputation met with the HSE management to make a case for the reopening

Ninety percent of those eligible to pay property tax have now done so, with the joint lowest compliance rate in Donegal, where 84% have paid. Natonally, two hundred million euro had been collected by the end of September, according to the latest figures from Revenue. In Donegal, 5.2 million euro has been declared and 4.7

With winter fast looming on the horizon, HSE West is today launching its Flu Vaccination Programme, urging people in at-risk groups to get vaccinated. The HSE estimates that over the last eight flu seasons, between 200 and 500 people in Ireland died each year from flu related illness, and up to 1000 people could die

Residents in Dungloe and Glenties who are concerned at the delay in starting their long awaited sewage scheme are to meet with Donegal County Officials this week to ask that work start immediately. The meeting is being facilitated by local Councillor Marie Therese Gallagher, who says tender documents were received last November, a contractor was

The government’s proposals to scrap the Seanad have been defeated. Both Donegal constituencies, with “No” votes  returned in both. The official count results are listed below..     Donegal North East Turnout 29.2% Electorate: 58,032 Total Poll: 16,792 Spoiled Votes: 212 Total Valid Poll: 16,760 Yes: 8,097 (48.31%) No: 8,663 (51.68%)   Donegal South West

Derry Sinn Fein Councillor Tony Hassan has said that the people who defaced a Presbyterian Church in Ballyarnett do not represent the views of local people, and have only brought disgrace upon the local community. Councillor Hassan said those who wrote sectarian and other graffiti on the walls of the Ballyarnett Church are vandals who

There was a security presence around Bundoran and Ballyshannon today for the funeral of veteran republican and former Bundoran Town Councillor Joe O’Neill. Joe O’Neill was one of the founder members of Republican Sinn Fein in 1986 after a split when the policy of abstentionism from the Dail was dropped at Sinn Fein’s 1986 Ard

The referendum on the establishment of a new Court of Appeal to hear cases referred by the High Court was passed in both Donegal constituencies. Donegal North East returned the narrowest margin in the country with a yes vote of just over 56%. Donegal South West matched the national trend exactly, with 65% of the

  2pm – Donegal NE says ‘No’ The counting of votes in the referendum on the abolition of the Seanad has finished in Donegal North East, with a No vote being returned by a nargin og 51.7% to 48.3%. The official figures are – Donegal North East Result Seanad Referendum Electorate: 58,032 Total Poll: 16,792

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