Author name: oisinkelly

People are being urged to check in on elderly neighbours or relatives this weekend – as the heatwave continues. Yesterday was the hottest day so far this year, with the mercury hitting over 30 degrees in south Donegal and county Fermanagh. Met Eireann has stated that temperatures are expected to fall slightly by the end […]

With thousands of Donegal people travelling to Clones for the Ulster Final tomorrow, a south Donegal GAA club is making the same journey the hard way to raise funds for the Donegal Hospice. The Naomh Brid Sandhouse Solo Challenge will see one hundred people, in relay, solo a ball from Donegal Town to Clones in

A man who told police that it was no wonder people put bombs under their cars while in the A & E department of Derry’s Altnagelvin Hospital was told there was every reason why he should go straight to prison. Michael McDaid (40) of 16, Corrody Road admitted a charge of disorderly behaviour on March

With the country on the verge of an official drought, Donegal County Council has asked the public not to use public water to wash cars or water their lawns. Overnight water restrictions are already in place in the Glenties and Stranorlar Electoral areas, but the council is warning that may have to be extended. The

A 15 year old youth has died after falling into the River Roe in Limavady in Co Derry. He fell into the water at Roe Valley Country Park at about 430pm yesterday afternoon. He was taken from the water and airlifted to Altnagelvin Hospital, but was pronounced dead. The Mayor of Limavady, Gerard Mullen says

A community search is to take place around Drumquin on Saturday for missing woman Lisa Mc Gowan. People are being asked to assemble at Langfield Chapel car park on Dromore road Drumquin at 8 30 AM. The 44 year old has been missing now for 9 days. One of the search organisers, Semaus Lunny, is

Northwest MEP Jim Higgins has claimed that airlines companies are bumping up prices if they feel an individual is likely to book. Mr Higgins claims companies are storing details of searches from individual computers to deduce how interested a consumer is in a particular flight and adjusting the price upwards. Jim Higgins says in a

A Councillor wants a commitment from Donegal County Council that the Local Property Tax will not be charged to local authority housing tenants. Councillor Dessie Larkin says information would suggest that each local authority will have it within their power to impose the charge on its tenants. He says it is unfair to expect people

Figures obtained by Sinn Fein show that 32% of all out patients on the waiting lists for Letterkenny General Hospital are waiting over 1 year for treatment. In total. In total 4,000 patients are currently waiting in excess of one year, with surgery, orthopaedic and ENT making up over 2,000 of these patients. Deputy Pearse

An 11 year old boy’s been rushed to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast after a petrol bomb was thrown at him in the Bishop’s Field area of Derry last night. Police are trying to establish the identities of two boys, believed to be aged around 12 or 13, who are believed to have been

An Inishowen councillor has said he is extremely concerned that north’s environment minister did not consult with Donegal County Council regarding the proposed gasification plant at Maydown. The plant which will be built across Lough Foyle in Maydown is just a few kilometres from the east coast of Inishowen. Councillor Jack Murray says he has

Donegal County Council water restrictions have been extended to Glenties Electoral Area. Water restrictions remain in place in the Stranorlar Electoral Area between 11pm and 6am. The new restrictions apply to the Brinaleck Reservoir with water to be turned off from 11pm to 7am. Meanwhile In the Greencastle/Moville area in Inishowen  the Council is asking

Senator Brian O’Domhnaill has said allowing abortions in cases of fatal foetal abnormalities would be depriving future Special Olympics athletes of being born. Labour’s Aideen Hayden reacted by saying it was “incredibly low” to suggest there is any link between disability and fatal abnormalities. Senator O’Domhnaill made the comment as the Protection of Life During

A war of words has erupted in West Tyone over Sinn Fien plan’s to host a Castlederg Republican Commemoration. Ulster Unionist MLA Ross Hussey has said it will be a day of shame in Castlederg when a commemoration is held for IRA members who lost their lives during the conflict in Tyrone. Sinn Fein are

Organisers of this year’s All-Ireland Fleadh have said they still need several thousand bedrooms in Derry. The event is now only less than a month away, but organisers are saying there is no accommodation crisis. The festival of Irish music, which is the largest event in the UK City of Culture calendar, is expected to

It has emerged that Donegal County Council this week had to remove two tonnes of litter from Donegal’s beaches. The local authority is now appealing for the public to act responsibly when visiting Donegal’s beaches during this spell of good weather. The council says that over the recent hot spell it has increased the cleaning

Two women charged in connection with a hijacking of a car in Derry that later crashed in Donegal were released on bail today at Derry Crown Court. Finnvola Gallagher and Cheryl Gardiner both aged 20 and both of no fixed abode were charged with aggravated vehicle taking on July 5. At today’s hearing it was

A new report says there is no direct connection between online-bullying and suicide. Last year – Erin Gallagher in Ballybofey and Leitrim teenager Ciara Pugsley took their own lives after alleged cases of bullying on a social networking site. However the Oireachtas Communications Committee says research from the US indicates the issue is rarely the

A Twin Town’s businesses man has rejected claims from Councillor Cora Harvey that a cut in rates can’t come from Donegal County Council. The Twin Town’s Chamber of Commerce wants a 25% cut in commercial rates to help struggling businesses, but Councillor Harvey says local services would lose investment if it came from the local

Foyle MLA Meave McLaughlin is renewing calls for an All-Ireland Tourism Authority, saying that recent Northern Ireland Tourist Board figures would indicate the ‘Our Time, Our Place’ tourism strategy isn’t working. Ms Mc Laughlin says while a specific analysis of the strategy isn’t yet available, figures would indicate that that overseas tourism into Northern Ireland

UK businessman Alan Sugar says ‘the devil in him’ made him invest in Doctor Leah Totton’s business in the Apprentice. IN the final episode of the current UK series night, he invested a quarter of a million pounds in the Derry doctor’s skin care clinics. She says she was surprised at how forceful she was

A County Councillor has backed calls from the Twin Town’s Chamber of Commerce for a significant business rates cut but says in reality it can’t come from Donegal County Council. The Chamber of Commerce wants a 25% cut in commercial rated to help struggling businesses but Councillor Cora Harvey says local services would lose investment

The North’s Health and Safety Executive has begun an investigation into the death of a 37 year old man in an accident in Derry yesterday. The man fell off a ladder in Strand Road shortly before 3 o’clock yesterday afternoon. He was rushed to Altnagelvin Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

There has been a small drop in the number of houses sold in the first half of this year compared to the same period in 2012. However, new figures show a 20% fall in the value of the properties sold. The latest figures from the Property Register Show that in the first 6 months of

A Donegal TD says it’s very worrying that the government is considering diluting the Rural Broadband Plan. The plan initially envisaged connection speeds of 30 megabits per second being made available to every household in the country, but now Communications Minister Pat Rabbittee is indicating that may be a maximum rather than a miniumum target.

Tá fógartha ag Donnchadh Mac Fhionnlaoich T.D., an tAire Stáit sa Roinn Ealaíon, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta, go bhfuil deontas de €9,072 ceadaithe aige do Choiste Halla na Paróiste i gCill Charthaigh, Co Dhún na nGall chun cur ar a gcumas trealamh cistine agus ranga a cheannach. Ag fógairt an deontais seo, dúirt an tAire Stáit

A High Court jury has failed to reach a verdict in a defamation action brought by a Donegal over an article by Sunday Times columnist Brenda Power. The jury was discharged today after deliberations lasting almost eight hours resulted in no agreement. The case will be relisted for another hearing before a new High Court

The event organising committee of the Sandhouse Hotel Solo Challenge had for a long time endeavoured to find a way to adequately bring their relay solo run from Donegal town to a fitting conclusion upon arrival in clones this Sunday at the end of a 120km journey through the night. Thankfully due to the hard

The family of a Donegal man who died by suicide claims not enough mental health supports are available for those who need them. 47-year-old John McLaughlin died last Thursday on the same day of his sons anniversary. His son Mark was killed in a crash in Inishowen in July 2010 which claimed eight lives. Speaking

The husband of a woman missing from her County Tyrone home for just over a week has made another emotional appeal for her to return. Eight days ago, Lisa McGowans husband Paddy returned to their home in Drumquin, after working in Dublin – but his wife was nowhere to be found. Police have been searching

Over 2.5 million euro is to be invested in the seafood sector in Donegal, the bulk of the money from the private sector backed by government funding of 735,000 euro. The investment is part of a national package to be announced this afternoon by Marine Minister Simon Coveney, with a projected total of 1,200 new

Police in Strabane are warning home owners and car owners in the town to be vigilant following a recent spate of break-ins. There has been a number of thefts from gardens and vehicles in the Jefferson Court and Carricklynn Avenue area of the town. The PSNI have said that residents have reported seeing a dark

It’s emerged that the the North Donegal Money Advice Budgeting Service (MABS) 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 number of people awaiting their first appointment at 160. In contrast, waiting

The Department of Social Protection says its confident a social welfare payment error won’t be repeated. Almost 33 thousand people did not receive their allowances today – due to a processing issue. The payments – which include maternity benefit and jobseekers allowance – will be made by 8 o’clock tomorrow morning. Sean Reilly from the

The jury is out in a defamation action brought by a Donegal man who previously sued a midwife for interrupting him filming the birth of his first daughter. Dubai based property broker John McCauley claim he was defamed by an article that appeared in the Sunday Times in March 2009, after he lost the court

The Minister responsible for planning says she’ll have to organise a second inquiry into irregular planning decisions. Jan O’Sullivan said a new inquiry team would be appointed in the coming weeks. Last month, the Department of the Environment agreed to a High Court order overturning its own findings of no evidence of wrongdoing in the

The families of the eight Inishowen men killed in a road traffic collision three years ago have been told by a judge the case will be made a priority. The case against 24-year-old Sean Kelly, who is charged in relation to the crash in which eight men lost their lives, has been adjourned on a

Donegal Deputy Joe McHugh will lead the government’s charge in the north and west for the Abolition of the Seanad. The former Senator has been appointed the North/West Director for the Seanad Abolition Referendum On his appointement, Deputy McHugh described the Seanad as ‘shockingly undemocratic’ with just 1% of the population voting to elect the

Foyle assembly member Mark H Durkan is to replace his SDLP colleague Alex Attwood as environment minister. Mr Durkan was elected to the assembly in 2011 and had been the party’s social development spokesperson. Speaking to Highland Radio News monents after he was informed of the news,Minister Durkan said it was a very proud day:

It has emerged that thieves who targeted a car at Leck Graveyard on Sunday escaped with hundreds of euro in cash. There has been strong condemnation of thieves who broke into two cars at different graveyards in Letterkenny at the weekend. The first incident took place at Leck Graveyard on Sunday as two ladies were

The Mayor of Letterkenny is hitting out at news that the HSE may be forced to cancel plans to hire 477 new mental health staff – because of overspending in the health sector. Junior Mnister Kathleen Lynch had announced that 35 million euro would be set aside to recruit in areas such as community services

Homebase has gone into examinership. The company has 15 shops in Ireland, including a store in Letterkenny and employs over 550 staff. The home improvement store says the purpose of the examinership is to re-structure and to put the business on a sustainable footing. Homebase has suffered a one third reduction in sales since 2009.

Omagh bomb suspect Seamus McKenna has died after falling from scaffolding last week. McKenna was working as a labourer on a building site in Kilcurry near Dundalk, Co Louth, when he was injured in the accident last week. The 58-year-old was taken to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin where he died on Sunday. McKenna, who was

The EU Fisheries Commissioner is promising to move on imposing sanctions on Iceland and the Faroes for overfishing of mackerel. Commissioner Maria Damanaki said last night mackerel stocks could be destroyed by the unilateral setting of quotas by Iceland and action will be taken within the next month. Marine Minister Simon Coveney described the Icelandic