Author name: oisinkelly

The Government has awarded funding for a major refurbishment project to go ahead at St Eunan’s College. This is in addition to last month’s announcement that grant for its prefabs to be replaced with permanent accomodation. The latest grant will allow for major refurbishment to a section of the school to allow for new accommodation

Letterkenny Sinn Fein Councillor Gerry Mc Monagle has described the thieves who robbed two cars at different graveyards in Letterkenny at the weekend as the lowest of the low and heartless. Cllr Mc Monagle was speaking after being informed by one of the victims of the robbery on Sunday. The first robbery took place at

A Donegal chiropractor will be sentenced next week for breaking into his ex-girlfriend’s home and then dragging her back into the house and assaulting her. Helen McEvily (33) was at home after a night out when Kevin Ginty (46) climbed in through her sitting room window. She managed to leave the house and call the

Bus Eireann has confirmed that its route between Letterkenny and Dublin will be fully wheelchair accessible by the end of 2013. It is after the issue was raised at Letterkenny Town Council’s meeting last week by Councillor Jimmy Kavanagh. It was argued that in the absence of a rail service, the route was widely used

Buncrana’s Mayor has appealed to beachgoers to take their rubbish home. Councill Peter McLaughlin also wants stricter enforcement of littering laws after broken bottles and other rubbish was left strewn over beaches in Lisfannon and Buncrana. Mayor McLaughlin says the mess that is left is an eyesore and makes the beaches unsafe for users:

Police in Tyrone are appealing for information after a hotel was robbed by an armed gang. Three men, one armed with what’s believed to have been a shotgun entered the Mellon Country Hotel between Omagh and Newtownstewart at around 5 o’clock yesterday morning. They ordered a member of staff to hand over cash before making

The Norths Environment Minister, Alex Attwood has announced £200K in funding to revamp derelict buildings in Strabane. In total fifteen Northern Ireland councils will £1.5m from the Department of Environment to tackle decay and dereliction in their areas. Earlier this year similar funding was announced in February, but Strabanes application was deemed unsuccessful. SDLP Cllr

It’s emerged that a stretch of ‘live’ telephone cable has been removed from poles between Manorcunningham and Newtowncunningham. The wire has been removed at Drumbarnett, close to Colm Dillon’s car showroom, and a number of homes and businesses have had their services affected as a result. Eircom crews are due in the area shortly to

The number of people seeking the help of free legal advice centres in Donegal fell by over 40% last year according to figures published this morning by the legal rights group FLAC. The centre in Letterkenny and Gweedore dealt with 41 calls in 2012, compared to 70 the previous year, a drop of 41.4%. That’s

The first meeting of the Donegal Education and Training Board takes place this afternoon. The body replaces the County Donegal VEC, one of only three in the country not to be involved in a merger of two or more Vocational Education Committees. This afternoon will see the confirmation of outgoing VEC CEO Shaun Purcell as

The Bundoran lifeboat last night responded to what’s been described as a ‘false alarm with good intent’. Just after 9.50pm the crew were tasked by Malin Head Coast Guard to a kayaker reported to be in difficulty off St John’s Point.  Within 4 minutes the Bundoran lifeboat had launched and made its way across Donegal

23 police officers and an MP have been hurt in violence in North Belfast. North Belfast MP Nigel Dodds was taken to hospital after he was hit by a brick when violence broke out during the annual 12th of July parades. It was sparked by loyalist anger over Orange Bands not being allowed to pass

A Letterkenny Town Councillor wants the local authority to secure funding a new home for the youth of the town. Councillor Jim Lynch says the Council already pays rent for the Donegal Youth Service, while the Letterkenny Youth Club is without a base and has very little funding. He acknowledges that a major capital project

  The HSE has rejected the Let Me, Be Me Campaign’s Threshold of Decency Statement. The statement called for the retention of St Agnes’ Special Needs Pre-School, Donegal Town and a  commitment to retain Ballaghderg Special Needs Pre-School, Letterkenny beyond 2015. A number of other measures were proposed. In a statement to Highland Radio this

The Central Library Letterkenny will be closed until further notice The closure is due to water damage. Donegal County Council has  apologise for the unexpected closure. They remind library members that they can renew their loans online, check their account and request/reserve items online at www.donegallibrary.ie

The environment minister says he wants county and city councils to start building more local authority housing. Phil Hogan says councils stopped building homes in the Celtic Tiger years, handing responsibility to private builders. But he says the current waiting lists for council housing are too long – and the government is spending too much

Police say they are becoming increasingly concerned for the safety of a Drumquin woman who may have been last seen in County Donegal. Lisa McGowan left her home in the early hours of Tuesday morning, it is believed she is travelling on foot. Lisa is 6 foot tall, is of small to medium build with

It’s been confirmed today that the creche is Gweedore has been saved from closure. At least 30 children are cared for at the Gweedore Community Creche. The facilty had been threatened with closure earlier this year. But funding has now been found to keep it opened, and Local Community worker Micheál Mac Giolla Easbuig says

The home of an elderly couple in Kilross just outside Ballybofey has become the latest target of a robbery in the county. An elderly couples home on the busy Kilross junction was targeted in the early hours of yesterday morning. A number of men entered their home at around 130am and demanded money. They made

A walking tourist has been rescued from Slieve League after getting into difficulty yesterday evening. The woman, from American, was walking with a friend when they got lost. One of the woman managed to make her way down and raise the alarm. In the meantime, her friend  found herself positioned in a dangerous situation in

More than 30,000 people are expected to descend on Derry today for the Orange Order’s flagship 12th of July demonstration. The Derry march is one of 18 taking part across the north and marks the end of a series of free cultural events held in the city as part of the City of Culture celebrations.

The man staging a hunger strike outside the Dáil is reported to have ended his protest. Last night, Donegal South West Deputy Pearse Doherty announced on Twitter that Tony Rochford from Co Meath had called a halt to his fight against the property tax, after 25 days without food. Earlier this week the Taoiseach Enda

Donegal County Council and the Donegal County Heritage Forum have joined with The Heritage Council to find out more about what Donegal people took with them when they emigrated to various parts of the World throughout the centuries. It’s planned to produce a booklet that includes accounts of emigrant experiences. It follows the recent revelation

Derry’s District Judge Barney McElholm has said that the British and Irish governments must tackle the problem of people holding driving licences in both jurisdictions. His comments came after it emerged in court that a woman caught speeding last year was disqualified from driving in the North, but had a valid licence from the republic.

Inishowen Cllr Jack Murray has requested an urgent meeting with Chief Superintendent Teri McGinn after an armed robbery in An Grianan Hotel, Burt in the early hours of yesterday morning. Cllr Murray said he will use the opportunity to call for more Garda resources in border areas. He says border communities cannot continue to be

Strabane District Council’s top official has described the decision to relocate Stormont’s agriculture department headquarters to Ballykelly as “wholly unjustified”. Speaking to the Strabane Chronicle Council chief executive Danny McSorley made his remarks in response to a formal consultation on the relocation of DARD’s headquarters. It is almost a year since a leaked memo revealed

Gardai are appealing for information about last an armed robbery at An Grianan Hotel in Burt in the earkly hours of this morning.. Three men entered the premises at quarter to three, at least one was armed with a shotgun. They escaped with a sum of money. Local Superintendent Andy Archbold is leading the investigation,

Listening to your local radio station on the move is about to get much easier! In the coming weeks Highland Radio will be releasing its brand new mobile application for both Apple and Android devices. At the touch of a button you will be able to listen live to what people are talking about on

The Government has approved funding for the construction of  four wastewater treatment plants form the Donegal Group B Sewerage Scheme. Under the contract new wastewater treatment plants will be provided in Bundoran and Glencolmcille and the plants in Killybegs and Convoy will be upgraded. The news has been welcomed by Minister Dinny McGinley who says

A man suing the Sunday Times for defamation over an opinion piece about him filming the birth of his baby daughter says he does not accept it was an emergency delivery. Dubai based property broker John McCauley, originally from Donegal but now wth an  address in Co Kildare claims the column by journalist Brenda Power

A Government report is to recommend that cyberbullying be made a criminal offence following a number of teenage suicides in Donegal thought to be linked to the problem. It will also propose new laws to compel all schools to introduce disciplinary codes to tackle the misuse of social media. As part of the proposals social

The hopes of full citizenship for over 50-thousand undocumented Irish in the United States received a significant boost last night. Republicans in the House of Representatives held a meeting during which they agreed to their own version of an immigration reform bill. It follows the approval of a Bill by the US Senate – and

Donegal Creameries has been granted permission to change its name to Donegal Investment Group plc. The Registrar of Companies made the decision following the passing of a resolution relating to a name change proposed to shareholders at a company EGM earlier this month The switch becomes effective for trading on the ESM of the Irish

One of Lettekenny’s best known hotels has been put on the market with a guide price of 900,000 euro. The Letterkenny Court Hotel is being sold on the instructions of David Carson of Deloitte, receiver and manager Pemberley Catering Limited The hotel has 57 en suite guest bedrooms and 26 apartments as well as a

The public is being asked to help find a 44 year-old woman who is missing from the Drumquinn area of County Tyrone. Lisa McGowan was last seen at her home in the Drumquin area on Monday at 10.30pm. Lisa is described as being 6 foot tall , slim to medium build with auburn short to

A Donegal North East Deputy TD says a massive government cut in the Housing Adaptation Grant is having a severe impact on people with disabilities. According to Deputy Charlie Mc Conalogue, Housing Minister Jan O’Sullivan is funding a €10 million programme to build new houses for disabled people by slashing the grants to adapt existing

A Northwest MEP is calling on Minister Phil Hogan to leave the LEADER programme alone. Jim Higgins, who will meet with Minister Hogan later today, is strongly opposed to plans to strip LEADER of its core planing and decision making functions. Mr Higgins is against the plans which would give more power to local councils

Letterkenny Town Council is to write to Bus Eireann seeking to have the route from Letterkenny to Dublin via Omagh made fully wheelchair accessible. Omagh District Council and other authorities along the route are also being asked to make representations. Raising the issue this week, Cllr Jimmy Kavanagh said the route is a very important

Donegal County Council is extended the scope of its water restrictions, with areas served by the Lifford reservoir having their supplies cut from 11.30pm to 6am each night until further notice. The areas affected include Rossgeir, Porthall, Letterkenny Road, Cavan Hill, Glencash, Drumleen, Creaghadoos, Gillystown and Drumearn. Restrictions remain in place in the Finn Valley,

A Donegal born solicitor has been appointed as one of three new non-executive directors to the Board of the Hospital Group for the West/North West. Sharon Moohan is currently a Solicitor to the Residential Institutions Redress Board, and previously worked in the European Commission for a year, as well as lecturing in European Law at

  The Donegal Youth Council is welcoming the Governments confirmation that a recommendation to lower the voting age from 18 to 16 will be put to referendum. The Government has confirmed that a referendum will take place before 2015. Donegal Youth Cllr, Molly McGinty said if the voting age is lowered, then more youth issues

Donegal is one of the top three counties in Ireland for tax defaulters. The county has almost double the national average of settlements with Revenue. An analysis of Revenue Data of the last five years has found that  Monaghan, Wexford and Donegal have the highest per-capita number of tax defaulters in the country Monaghan recorded

There has been 43 deaths on the A5 road since 1998. The Action for A5 group obtained the figures after making a freedom of information request to the PSNI. Since 1998, 43 people have lost their lives as a result of road traffic accidents on the A5 between Favor Royal Road in Aughnacloy and Spencer

A SF Cllr in Strabane has denied allegations that they assaulted a member of the SDLP party. On Sunday the PSNI confirmed they were investigating an incident after they received a report of an assault in the early hours of Saturday morning. The Sinn Fein Cllr, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said that

The RUC knew about an IRA bomb that killed three people in the Creggan in Derry in 1988 – but did nothing to warn people in the area. That’s the finding of a new report by the North’s police Ombudsman published this morning. However, the Ombudsman is rejecting claims the RUC failed to act in