Author name: oisinkelly

The government has been officially advised to change Ireland’s election laws to allow for bigger constituencies, including an amalgamated Donegal constituency which will see the number of TDs in the county reduced by one. Following a vote in June, the Constitution Convention has now formally submitted its report, which says each constituency should be represented […]

A shopfitting company with bases in Muff and Derry says up to 100 jobs are under threat because of the potential loss of a Tesco contract. Martin Mc Cafferty, Managing Director of Rock Shopfitting Services claims Tesco is withdrawing contracts from them on both sides of the border in favour of a multi-national company. However,

A 36 Derry man who has been in a coma for seven years following a sectarian attack has been asked by the Social Security Agency if he is fit for work. Paul McCauley was attacked by a gang at a barbecue on the Waterside in July 2006. He suffered severe brain injuries and is now

Sinn Fein is calling on the Government to set up a school book scheme. It says a state scheme – where pupils would borrow books at the start of the year – would cost the Government an initial 45 million euro. But it’s claimed the cost would fall quite rapidly as the books continue to

The Donegal Road Safety Group PARC has welcomed written confirmation from the Garda National Traffic Bureau that forms for recording road traffic collisions will now include a field for recording Hit and Runs. The group has lead the campaign arguing that in the absence of such a field the true level of Hit and Runs

A Donegal man has failed in a High Court bid to block Donegal County Council’s plans to build a waste water treatment plant on the shores of Lough Foyle. The action was brought by local man Enda Craig of Carnagave, Moville. Mr Craig had legally challenged the development on environmental impact grounds and the adequacy

A Defence Forces spokesman has confimed that a controlled explosion has been carried out on an suspect device found outside a house in Inishowen. The controlled explosion was carried out by an army bomb disposal team who arrived at the scene in Gleneely by helicopter this afternoon. Minor damage was caused to a door of

Gardai investigating a fatal  hit and run near Bundoran believe a car found close to the scene may not have been involved in the incident. A senior officer said an inital examination of the car meant it was unlikely to have been involved – although further testing tomorrow will be carried out. It was found

An 18 yearold man and a 24 year old woman have appeared at a special sitting of Derry Magistrate’s Court charged with attempting to hijack two cars on Saturday. There was no bail application granted, and both defendants were remanded in custody for a video link hearing on 12 September. 24 year old Hannah Kerrigan

The Mayor of Buncrana has said he does not see where jobs are going to come from, even if there is an economic recovery in Europe as some commentators are suggesting. Cllr Peter Mc Laughlin says emigration remains a major issue in Buncrana, a fact which was highlighted recently when it emerged that All Ireland

A number of men from the North West have begun studying for the priesthood in Maynooth today. Twenty new seminarians have started today in St Patricks College, over 25% of them from the region. Four are from the diocese of Derry, two from Raphoe and one from Clogher.

It’s emerged that the family of a Real IRA member murdered by his former colleagues are to be compensated, although half the amount will be withheld because he had a criminal conviction. Kieran Doherty was shot dead and his body dumped on Derry’s Braehead Road close to the Donegal border in February 2010. His mother

The man killed in a suspected hit and run incident outside Bundoran at the weekend has been named locally as Alan Mc Sherry, a native of Liverpool who had been living in County Leitrim for nearly 20 years. He was in his late forties. In a tragic twist, it’s emerged that Mr Mc Sharry’s body

A Donegal senator says reports that members of the Seanad are seeking thousands of euro in funding to set up local offices are inaccurate being spun by elements of the pro abolition side ahead of October’s referendum. The request to Public Expenditure Minister Brendan Howlin is reported in today’s Sunday Times, which says a request

The body of a man, believed to be the victim of a “hit and run” incident, has been found on the outskirts of Bundoran. The man, in his late 40s, was discovered shortly after 5am this morning on the Newtown Road about a mile outside the town. Gardaí said the man appeared to have been

The Northwest’s Search and Rescue Helicopter services is unaffected by a helicopter crash off the coast of Scotland which cost the lives of four people.   The company which operates the  helicopter that crashed also provides the search and rescue helicopter which operates out of Sligo. CHC cancelled operations today as a mark of respect

A Northwest MEP says we need to do more to make the 11 6000 hotline more widely known. Jim Higgins has welcomed the new hotline which to ensures a rapid response during the crucial first hours after a child’s disappearance, helping parents and guardians access the support they need. The MEP says however, that he

The Holywell Trust and Foyle Hospice are calling on the public to get involved in tomorrow’s Wave on the Walls. They currently have around 800 people registered for an attempt to form a human ring around the walls in Derry and need at least 400 more to achieve the goal. Mark Lusby Project Coordinator with

It is that time of the year as Children prepare for a return to school. Here is some back to school material from a nutritional perspective & lunch box ideas. It has been prepared by Dr. Catherine Logan, Nutrition Manager with The National Dairy Council and you may find it a useful resource at this time. …

This photo shows how stranded a stranded walker had actually become recently on Slieve League. The person, who was safely rescued, is identified by the black arrow with the rescue heliopter (of course) in the foreground. The picture is courtesy of the Sligo Letrim Mountain Rescue Team via the Irish Coast Guard.      

 A Letterkenny Town Councillor has said the town has been robbed of a piece of its heritage with news that planning permission has been granted for the demolition of the old Oatfield Factory building. It is now expected that the sites owners Zopitar Ltd will begin demolition work within weeks. Hoarding will be erected until

Strabane District Council looks sets to push ahead with the construction of a new multi-million pound leisure facility. Consultants told Cllrs earlier this week that the current facility, Riversdale Leisure Centre, was no longer fit for purpose. Consultants said that if moves were not made to replace Riversdale, then it would eventually close itself. V4

The Irish Cancer Society is defending the concentration of a large amount of funding from Relay for Life on research, and says a substantial proportion of the money raised will come back to Donegal. Meanwhile, the organisers say they want Relay for Life 2014 to be as much about education and awareness as it is

It’s anticipated that the first public consultation on the long awaited proposals to alleviate flooding in Raphoe will take place next month, with a plan expected to be on the table by January. The issue has been a major point of discussion since several hundred thousand euro worth of damage was done in Raphoe by

The phased opening of the interim Emergency Department at Letterkenny General Hospital has been completed, with GP referrals and walk-in patients from the whole catchment area now being accepted. Meanwhile, in-patients who had been transferred to Sligo are now being returned to Letterkenny. The full HSE statement issued this evening reads as follows –  

It’s emerged that the family of slain Donegal Councillor Eddie Fullerton is planning legal action against the Minister for Justice in relation to what they say are inadequacies in the garda investigation into his murder. Cllr Fullerton was murdered by the UVF at his Buncrana home in 1991, with claims of collusion within the North

The PPS in the North has confirmed that the driver of a car involved in a collision in which a 27 year old PSNI constable lost her life is being charged with manslaughter. 25 year old Shane Frane and 23 year old Conor Tyrone Clarence, both with addresses at the Simon Community, Bond’s Hill in

Two fishermen whose boat ended up stranded on rocks have been rescued. The alarm was raised shortly after lunchtime when the men’s fishing boat struck rocks close to the Isle of Doagh and began taking on water. Malin Head Coast Guard Station launched a rescue operation tasking the Loughswilly Lifeboat, the Greencastle Coast Guard and

A call has been issued in the Northwest to locate some models of gas cookers which, in certain circumstances, can cause carbon monoxide poisoning. Certain models of BEKO Leisure and Flavel cookers with a separate oven and grill can produce dangerous levels of Carbon Monoxide which poses a serious risk to your health or death.

DUP councillor Ruth Patterson has appeared in court to face a charge of sending a message on a social networking site that was grossly offensive. It relates to a Facebook comment she made about an imaginary attack on a republican parade in Castlederg. 57-year-old Ms Patterson appeared at Belfast Magistrate’s Court. Her lawyer said she

With the start of the 2nd Gallagher Globall Gathering just a couple of weeks away, a request has come from one of those coming from California to find a home for his special Gallagher Clan surf board. Dave Gallagher was a Californiam lad of twelve when, in the early 80s, he was bitten by the