Author name: oisinkelly

The government has sanctioned €4.4m to develop a new Endoscopy Unit at Letterkenny General Hospital. Welcoming the announcement, Deputy Joe McHugh said that construction of the unit will start this year, and the unit should be operational by early 2016. €3.2m will go towards building and enabling works, with the remainder of the money going […]

A 74-year-old man described as a pillar of his local community has been fined €1,000 after admitting that he sexually assaulted a middle-aged woman. Although he put both arms around the woman’s upper torso and pushed his genital area into her side a decision on entering his name on the sex offenders register was deferred.

Donegal County Council has adopted a new policy for taking over housing estates. The council’s policy had to be revised due a high profile Court Case this year which ruled that Donegal County Council immediately to take over responsibility for public areas and services in two new housing estates following a legal dispute with the

Donegal County Council is being asked to withdraw from the controversial  JobBridge scheme. Councillor Jack Murray made the call after it emerged that of the 67 people the council has taken on through the scheme, none have gone on to get a job with the council. Councillor Murray says this proves the scheme is ineffective

A Donegal chiropractor who broke into his ex-girlfriend’s home and then assaulted her has been sentenced to five years in prison at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin. On April 4th 2010, 33 year year old Helen McEvily was at home after a night out when 46 year old Kevin Ginty climbed in through her

A post mortem is due to take place today on the body of a woman recovered from the sea off the coast of Donegal yesterday evening. It was feared a young child had been with the woman and a search was due to resume this morning – it has since been confirmed that no child

A government audit of Donegal County Council has identified six main areas of concern. They include concern over the council’s financial standing and it’s deviation from purchasing and tendering processes. Responding to the report, council management says that in most cases the concerns have been or are being addressed. Greg Hughes reports………..

A Donegal man has appeared at Derry Magistrate’s Court today charged in connection with a hit and run on Benone Beach yesterday which left a 4-year-old child and her mother in hospital. 30 year old Paul John Doherty of Ballynahone, Fahan faced a total of seven charges in connection with the incident which left the

Donegal County Council is being asked to pass an emergency motion today backing the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform. The immigration reform bill is currently before the House of Representatives in the US. The Lobby says every politician in Ireland needs to make representations in an effort to get it passed. The Lobby’s Donegal Spokesperson

A coroner has refused to hold an inquest into the presumed death of Mary Boyle, who went missing in 1977 at the age of six. The request for the inquest came from her twin sister Anne Doherty, who had hoped an inquest would focus attention on the case and prompt a renewed garda investigation into

Donegal Deputy Joe McHugh is to meet with the Taoiseach later this week to impress on him the importance of upgrading the Letterkenny to Strabane road as part of the A5 project. The A5, which is delayed because of planning issues, was discussed at a recent meeting in Belfast during which officials on both sides

The body of Lisa McGowan who had been missing for almost two weeks has been found. The 44 year old disappeared from her home in Drumquin on Tuesday July 9th. Hundreds of people joined the search for Lisa on Saturday as fears grew for her wellbeing. It is understood Lisa’s body was found by search

The family of a Donegal man who has been missing from his home in Scotland for a week have made an appeal to the public for help in finding him. Originally from Carndonagh, Barry Doherty was last seen in Paisley Renfrewshire last Monday night. His family say they are very anxious about his wellbeing and

The man who tragically drowned on Saturday afternoon near Ardara, has been named as 24 year old Conor Cunningham from Donegal Town. The father of two who was originally from Clonmel in Tipperary, but has been living in Donegal for two decades, got into difficulty while swimming at Maghera Beach at around one o’clock. Emergency

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