Author name: oisinkelly

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

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