Author name: oisinkelly

An Independent activist in West Donegal has said that the Government need to ensure that more services in the Gaeltacht are provided through Irish. Michael Mac Giolla Easbuig says the Irish language needs to be made more of a priority by the Government and private companies. And he says with many services being outsourced to […]

It’s been confirmed that the long awaited Daffodil Centre will open on the 9th of next month, but at Letterkenny Shopping Centre rather than Letterkenny General Hospital. The centre at the hospital was nearing completion when flooding at the end of July caused massive disruption to services. Kathleen O’Mara of the Irish Cancer Society has

A 23 year old Derry man who was said to have gone ‘on a rampage’ after not taking his medication has been remanded in custody at Derry Magistrate’s Court pending medical reports. David Baronowski of 215, Sperrin Park in Derry faces a series of charges, including assaulting his father, causing criminal damage to his father’s

The issue of alleged state collusion in a number of killings on both sides of the story is the subject of a seminar which takes place today in Letterkenny. “Collusion – The Search For Truth” is being coordinated by Abhaile Aris, the republican ex-prisoners organisation. The speakers include Paul O’Connor of the Pat Finucane Centre

It’s been confirmed that this year’s Donegal Relay for Life raised just over 321,000 euro, cementing its status as the biggest relay event outside the US. The figure was confirmed at a presentation ceremony in Letterkenny last night. Relay Chairperson Robert O’Connor says the success of this year’s event vindicates the decision to concentrate on

Two women accused of trying to smuggle cocaine out of Peru have been refused bail. Michaella McCollum from Co. Tyrone and Melissa Reid from Scotland claim they were forced to carry the drugs by an armed gang, but that has been questioned in court by prosecutors. Michaella’s lawyer Peter Madden, who’s in the capital Lima,

The 23 year old Limavady man arrested in connection with the murder of Jim Mc Connell in Derry four and a half years ago has been released on police bail. Mr McConnell, who had drug dealing convictions, was shot by two masked men in his home in Woodland Avenue in the Prehen area of the

Almost €250,000 has been approved for a 10 metre diving boat on Arranmore Island. The clear waters around Arranmore are teeming with marine life and so make it ideal for diving, And it’s hoped the funding announcement will see a huge boost in tourism in this area. Junior Minister, Dinny McGinley has welcomed the funding:

Inspectors who visited a number of creches in County Donegal found young children were exposed to risks of strangulation, scalding and other serious injuries. According to today’s Irish Independent the potential hazards also included a water supply that was “unfit for human consumption”. They were revealed in a series of newly published reports by aHSE

Donegal County Cllr David Alcorn has today officially been ratified to take up his position on the Board of Udaras na Gaeltactha. He had been nominated by Dongeal County Council to sit on the new Udaras board in October last year, but the nomination wasn’t ratified by Junior Minister Dinny McGinley, pending the investigation into

The Director of Letterkenny Institute of Technolgy says the North West Science Park project has the potential to show the way forward for cross border collaboration. Paul Hannigan was speaking after a meeting yesterday with representatives of the Northern Ireland Science Park in Belfast, which is supporting the North West project which will see campuses

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing  Agency says it has not claimed that moving public jobs from Northern Ireland to Wales would reduce the chances of religious discrimination. The North’s Environment Minister Mark H. Durkan says he was absolutely amazed with the reference, which is included in a consultation document regarding the proposed transfer of over

The government is being urged to ringfence a significant proportion of the new Ireland Strategic Investment Fund for the West and North West. Galway TD and former minister Eamon Ó Cuív says the West is consistently left behind when it comes to enterprise investment, and this new fund should be used to kickstart new projects

Two women arrested in Peru on suspicion of drug smuggling have been charged and face a maximum sentence of 15 years if convicted. Michaella McCollum, from Dungannon in Co Tyrone, and Melissa Reid, from near Glasgow, are accused of trying to smuggle cocaine with a street value of 1.7 million euro out of the country.

Two women arrested on suspicion of trying to smuggle cocaine from Peru have been taken to the District Prosecutor’s Court in Lima to find out if they are to be charged. Michaella McCollum from Dungannon in Tyrone and Melissa Reid from near Glasgow have spent the last two weeks in custody. They both deny the

Sligo will host the event next year, but after the success of last week which saw over 420,000 people visit Derry, Mayor Cllr Martin Reilly says the event should be brought back to the city as quickly as possible…….

An SDLP MLA has launched a scathing attack on Unionist parties for what he termed their abysmal failure to confront the real issues which are affecting ordinary working-class people. East Derry representative John Dallat says the failure of the unionist parties to oppose the discredited Welfare Reform Bill at Stormont is only one indicator of

The Chair of Donegal’s Joint Policing Committee has called for Defence Forces support for over-stretched Donegal Gardaí. Cllr Patrick McGowan claims that the county is so understaffed that whole areas are left with just two guards on duty at night. There has been a number of high profile robberies on elderly people in Donegal over

The final cost of repairing Letterkenny General Hospital will run into millions. Following a phased opening since the weekend, the interim Emergency Department at the hospital opened to walk-in patients this afternoon, three weeks after the severe flooding at the end of July which forced the closure of several departments General Manager Sean Murphy says

Two women are due in court in Peru today over alleged drugs smuggling. 20 year old Michaella McCollum from Co Tyrone and her co-accused Melissa Reid are accused of trying to smuggle around 11 kg of cocaine on a flight from Lima to Madrid. The pair claim they were forced by an armed gang to

As students consider their CAO offers today, Nursing courses at Letterkenny I.T. are once again the most sought after courses atr the college, with 400 points required for General Nursing, 375 for Psychiatric Nursing and 360 for Intellectual Disability Nursing. However, in all three cases, not all applicants with the minimum points requirement were offered

Management at Letterkenny General Hospital say the Emergency Department is continuing to expand its services following last month’s flooding. With effect from midday today, the interim Emergency Department is now open to all ambulance and GP admissions covering the North and West of the county, north of the Barnsmore Gap. It is anticipated the derpartment

Highland Radio News can reveal that The Bay View Hotel in Killybegs is under new ownership. The new owner of the hotel, in the heart of Killybegs, is Peter Gabriel of the Gabriel Law Corporation in Singapore. Restoration work on the hotel has already started and Job Vacancies will be advertised shortly. The Bay View

In what the Irish Coastguard is describing as an unusual incident – a Spanish tourist knocked on Malin Head Coastgaurd Coordination Centre’s door having been attacked and bitten by a dog. It is understood the injured person was badly bitten. First aid was given as an ambulance travelled to the scene to remove the person

The Fleadh in Derry has been hailed as the biggest one ever to take place. The Irish traditional music festival, which came to North for the first time this week, ended last night with a huge closing ceremony in Ebrington Square. Over 430,000 people visited Derry over the past week. Shona McCarthy is the Chief

The question-and-answer website Ask.FM has announced it will be implementing a number of changes to improve safety. The popular site has been under scrutiny following the death of 14 year old British girl Hannah Smith – who endured months of online bullying before being found hanged in her bedroom. The Latvian based website has also been

Letterkenny has the cheapest student accommodation in the country. Figures from Daft.ie show the average rent for a single room is now quoted at 174 euro per month – a drop of over 7% from last year. Students looking to rent a double room face paying 249 euro per month, a rise of almost 8% on last

The solicitor for 20 year old Tyrone girl, Michaella McCollum, accused of trying to smuggle 1.7 million euro worth of cocaine – is expected to discuss her case with police in Peru later today. Belfast based, human rights lawyer, Peter Madden will travel to a police holding centre where the county Tyrone woman and co-accused

The West / North West Hospital Group has set up a steering group to oversee the restoration of services at Letterkenny General Hospital. The commitment was given by CEO Bill Maher at a weekend meeting with Cllr Ciaran Brogan, a member of the HSE West Regional Forum. Cllr Brogan says there are many challenges facing

A Strabane Ulster Unionist councillor has criticised the allocation of places on the Statutory Transition Committee for the North West Amalgamation. The 16 seat committee will see representatives from both Strabane and Derry come together into a new so-called super council. It will have 9 Sinn Fein, four SDLP and three DUP members. There will

Heritage week begins in Donegal today with over 100 events due to take place throughout the county. Many of the events will be free to the public and will be held throughout the week until Sunday the 25th August. Heritage officer from Donegal County Coucil, Joseph Gallagher, spoke earlier about what people can expect…

Fleadh Cheoil 2013 is advising the public of event information to assist with arrangements in attending Fleadh Cheoil over the weekend. Drivers are asked to exercise caution in city centre areas and be aware of the extended event zones at Victoria Market and Ebrington. Drivers are reminded to avoid parking anywhere where they may be

The new Finn Valley Leisure Centre opens its doors tomorrow, marking the end of a campaign for a swimming pool in the Twin Towns which has gone on for decades. Local councillor Patrick Mc Gowan is one of the directors of the centre, and has been closely involved in the campaign to have it built

The HSE has confirmed that a temporary Emergency Department will open on a phased basis at Letterkenny General Hospital starting tomorrow (Saturday). The Emergency Department at the hospital has been out of commision    following serious flooding three weeks ago. The temporary facility has been made possible by bringing mobile diagnostic equipment and temporary buildings onto

The Donegal based Uncle of Shane Geoghegan has said the family have drawn some consolation from the conviction of John Dundon. On Tuesday Dundon was convicted for the murder of the 28-year-old Garryowen rugby player. The 31 year old of Hyde Road, Limerick, has been jailed for life for ordering the killing that led to

A Donegal Senator has claimed that government inaction could lead to 60 million euro of much needed funding for rural Ireland being returned to Europe. Brian Ó Domhnaill  has reiterated his call on Minister Phil Hogan to ensure there is a 100% drawdown of funding under the LEADER programme. He says the minister’s ‘ham-fisted’ approach

Donegal-based Spanish students have for the first time since the  Omagh bomb crossed the border into Northern Ireland. The restrictions were imposed after Spanish and Donegal children and their teachers were caught up in the Real IRA bombing which killed 29 people 15 years ago. 12 year-old Student Fernando Blasco Baselga and group leader Rocio

Donegal Independent TD Thomas Pringle has described the actions of Irish telecommunications companies pressuring people to move to paperless billing as ‘unnecessary and unacceptable behaviour. Deputy Pringle says that while paperless billing is environmentally friendly and should be adopted where possible, it doesn’t suit everyone. He points out that with less than half of all

The SDLP says new allegations about the aftermath and investigation of the Omagh bomb serve to strengthen the need for a realistic and practical inquiry. Yesterday was the 15 anniversary of the Omagh bomb – twenty-nine people died and over 200 people were injured when a car bomb planted by the Real IRA exploded. It

The family of Michaela McCollum – the Tyrone being held in Peru on suspicion of drug-trafficking – will arrive in Lima today. The 20-year-old from Co Tyrone and her co-accused Melissa Reid from Scotland were arrested last week after authorities allegedly found 1-point-7 million euro worth of cocaine in their luggage. Also arriving in Peru

A barrister has claimed he was stopped by police and held for a period on his way to court to represent a dissident republican in what a District Judge described as a matter of ‘concern.’ Mr. Plunkett Nugent was on his way to Derry Magistrate’s Court this morning when he said he was stopped on

Students across Northern Ireland have been picking up their A-Level results today, with many now sure of the college offers they had hoped for. Others who didn’t get the results and offers they wanted, and now find themselves at a crossroads. Peter Mc Evoy is an advisor with the Northern Ireland Careers Service, which has

A Buncrana Councillor is asking why it took a team of army explosives experts six hours to get to the town yesterday. The specialist team travelled by helicopter to Inishowen after a suspected pipe bomb was found on a wall outside Tullyarvan Mill in Buncrana. The device was reported at 10.30 yesterday morning, but wasn’t