Author name: oisinkelly

University of Ulster Chancellor James Nesbitt has called on the people and institutions of Derry to get behind the University’s call for Magee expansion. Addressing a graduation ceremony at the Millenium Forum in the city this afternoon, he said the University of Ulster is Derry’s university, and they are committed to its development at the […]

The hunger strike of Tony Rochford, who is fasting in a campaign against austerity measures, has entered its fourth week. The Donegal Action Against Austerity protest group showed their support for Tony over the weekend by undertaking a 24 hour fast. They also took to the streets of Letterkenny at the weekend to ask members

Fianna Fail are requesting a meeting with the Garda Commisioner to appear before the Oireactas Committe on Justice to address concerns over CSO crime figures published at the end of June. The figures show a decrease in most recorded crimes, but Fianna Fail are claiming this does not ring true. Along the Lifford border area

Donegal is set to bask in glorious sunshine for the next couple of days. Temperatures will peak at 25 degrees in the Northwest today, while they’ll reach as high as 28 degrees tomorrow. And the good spell will last until at least Friday. Meteorologist with Met Eireann, Evelyn Cusack, said while the weekend was slightly

An SDLP representative in Strabane has claimed he was assaulted by a Sinn Fein Cllr in the town over the weekend. The PSNI in Strabane have confirmed they are investigating the incident. The well known local SDLP representative claims they were assaulted by the local Cllr in a bar in the town. And it’s understood

Two Strabane men arrested in connection with a robbery in Lifford on Thursday have been released on bail. According to the PSNI, the pair, aged 46 and 47, were arrested in connection with a robbery at a filling station in Lifford. On Thursday a man armed with a knife entered Gallagher’s Fuel Depot in Rossgier

Police in Derry have charged two 20 year old women with aggravated vehicle taking causing damage to the vehicle. They are due to appear atDerry Magistrates court on Monday. It follows a hijacking incident in the Clooney Terrace area of Derry on Friday evening. Just after 10pm a woman who was in the driver’s seat

Two people have died following a car crash in Kilrea in County Derry. Shortly after 3.30am this morning, police received a report of a blue BMW car on fire in the Agivey Road area. Following the attendance of emergency services it was determined that the vehicle had been involved in a road traffic collision. The

An Orange Order leader’s brother has been accused of links to cultivation of €220,000 worth of illegal cannabis plants. 45 year old Ivan Mahon, a farmer, yesterday appeared at Ballyshannon District Court, accused of allowing premises to be used for cultivation of a controlled drug. The court heard that Ivan Mahon and Chinese national 70-year-old

Hundreds of teenagers from Donegal will travel to Lacken Strand in Mayo later today for a major outdoor music festival which will be free of alcohol or drugs. Up to 2,000 young people are due to attend the ‘Foróige Band on the Strand’ and organisers say the event will prove that teenagers can have a

Gardai have said they will increase patrols along the border area, after a surge of robberies in the past week. A man armed with a large knife failed in an attempted robbery on Gerard McDaids grocery shop in Newtowncunningham yesterday evening.   The incident followed three robberies in and around Lifford in the past week

A man armed with a large Knife entered a Grocer shop on main street Newtowncunningham in and around 4pm this evening. But luckily the man failed in his attempted robbery of Gerard McDaids grocers in the village. The attempted robbery is the fouth of its type in the past week.

It’s been announced this evening that the Rosses Community School is to get 8 new classrooms. Four exsisting prefabricated classrooms are to be replaced with four permanent classrooms. And in addition to this approval has been given for four permanent special education classrooms. The new accomodation will cater for an increase in enrolment, which has

The Northwest should enjoy good weather over the next week as temperatures rise to the mid twenties over the coming days. This latest good spell is due to the position of an anti-cyclone over Ireland. It’s forecast to be cloudy in Donegal tomorrow, but temperatures are set to soar in the county on Sunday, Monday

A 19-year-old youth today admitted two burglaries and the theft of a quad last December and January in Ballyshannon. One of the burglaries admitted by Lee Williams involved the theft of €12,500 goods, including another quad, at Sean Nugent’s yard at East Rock, Ballyshannon, on January 4. A 19-year-old girl companion with him, Kerry Doherty,

Two men have been arrested in Strabane in connection with an armed robbery in Lifford on Thursday evening. Between 7.30pm and 8pm a man armed with a knife entered Gallagher’s Fuel Depot in Rossgier and threatening a young male member of staff. The culprit escaped initially on foot but is thought to have later entered

The Donegal Action Against Austerity Group has called on the public to support a man who is on day 18 of a hunger strike outside of the Dail. Tony Rochford says he will not end his hunger strike until the Property Tax is repealed. Yesterday members of DAAA met Tony in Dublin unsuccessfully urging him

A Donegal Deputy has said that the Government still has to do a lot more to tackle youth unemployment. This is despite the latest figures from the CSO showing a significant drop in the number of under 25s signing on in Donegal over the past year. In June there were 21,378 people signing on in

  A woman whose brother was shot dead by the British army in May 1972 has has called for the PSNI’s Chief Constable to be sacked in light of the findings of a report into the Historical Enquiries Team. Helen Deery’s brother Manus was shot dead by a British soldier firing from Derry’s Walls on

Police in Derry have arrested a 21 year male on suspicion of a number of incidents of indecent exposure and similar offences in the Kilfennan Country Park area during June and July 2013. The male involved in these incidents is described as being in his 20’s, tall, of thin build and pale complexion. Police are

  The parents of Madeline McCann have welcomed a new British police investigation into the disappearance of their daughter. It’s more than six years since the three-year-old went missing while on holiday in Portugal. Madeleine, who has strong family connections with Donegal, went missing from a holiday apartment in Portugal’s Algarve in 2007. The Metropolitan

The auction of the Bay View Hotel in Killybegs didn’t go ahead today after protesters entered and disrupted a property auction at the Shelbourne Hotel. The auction by Allsop Space was due to start at 10am but has been cancelled until further notice. The Bayview Hotel and leisure complex in Killybegs, with a reserve of

The latest figures from the CSO show a significant fall in under 25s  signing on in Donegal over the last year with many blaming emigration for the drop. In June there were 21,378 people signing on in Donegal – a drop of 706. The figures show that those under 25 made up the vast majority

Detectives in Foyle are appealing for information after a man viciously assaulted in Derry. The man was found injured in the city centre shortly before 4am on June 30th. An ambulance crew picked up the man at Waterloo Place however it is not clear if that is where he was attacked. The man was left

Labour Councillor has said he doesn’t agree with the Justice Minister that Donegal was not a special case in terms of policing. Councillor Frank McBrearty was commenting following two serious incidents in Donegal this week – two elderly sisters where attacked in their Raphoe home while a shop in Lifford was robbed at knife point.

Plans to build a campsite close to St Columb’s Park in Derry have been shelved by Derry City Council. Councillors had set out proposals in December for the campsite to accommodate visitors to the city during the Fleadh in August. However, they backed a proposal to withdraw the planning application this week after hundreds of

The Donegal ‘Let Me Be Me’ group  say they have been insulted and let down by an apparent split amongst two elected representatives on the issue of Donegal’s special needs pre-schools. Labour Senator Jimmy Harte has accused Senator Brian O’Domhnaill of using Donegal’s Special pre-schools for his own political gain and of has described his

Labour Senator Jimmy Harte has accused Senator Brian O’Domhnaill of using Donegal’s Special pre-schools for his own political gain and of has described his ‘manipulation of the truth’ as grossly offensive. Senator Brian  Ó Domhnaill had called for the Health Minister James Reilly to come before the Seanad to discuss the threatened closure of St

One of the woman targeted in a aggravated burglary earlier this week has spoken about the incident which left her sister in hospital. 91 year-old Isa Arthur and her sister 89 year-old Suzy where both pushed to ground by three men who entered their house on Monday evening. Suzy is undergoing an operation today for

Staff have been threatened with a knife during a robbery at a Lifford Filling Station on Tuesday evening. A masked man, described as 5 foot 10 inches, entered the premises at around 7.45pm threatening staff. He escaped in a green coloured UK registered vehicle driven by a second man. No one was physically injured in

Donegal mothers will further feel the impact this week of the anti-family approach of the Government. That’s according to Senator Brian O’Domhnaill who was speaking as Government’s budget policy of taxing Maternity Benefit comes in to effect. 46,000 mothers throughout the Country are to be effected by the move and could cost as much as

BreastCheck – The National Breast Screening Programme is currently inviting women aged 50 to 64 living in Letterkenny and surrounding areas for a free BreastCheck mammogram (x-ray) in the BreastCheck mobile digital screening unit located at the Letterkenny Public Service Centre, Neil T. Blaney Road, Letterkenny, Co Donegal. If the appointment time or date doesn’t

A series of public meetings are to be held in response to concerns expressed by Donegal farmers over the spread of the Schmallenberg Virus. The virus does not effect humans but can cause stillborn or deformed offspring in cattle and sheep. A number of animals have already been effected in the UK and Ireland with

Northwest Jim Higgins MEP has expressed concern after the European Parliament voted to impose the NCT on motorbikes, caravans, and trailers. This means that caravans and trailers will have to carry separate number plates from 2016. Speaking after the vote in Strasbourg, where he voted to reject the report outright, Jim Higgins said motorcyclists will

The Committee stage of the abortion legislation will continue today with the contentious suicide clause to be discussed. Last night, the Health Minister ruled out extending the legislation to cover fatal foetal abnormalities. After the Government won the first vote in the Dáil it went straight into committee. All Donegal TDs voted in favour of

The brother of a Donegal journalist who was killed after a night out in Dublin says society and parents have to look at drunken behaviour of young people. Eugene Moloney died after a single punch to the neck while walking home on Camden street on June 24th last. Gary Burch of Kennington Close, Templeogue was

Strabane District officials have met in recent days to consider the possibility of a new leisure centre for the town. The talks are the first phase of a consultation that could see leisure facilities moved from Riversdale to a new location elsewhere in the town. There has been a dramatic rise in the number of

Northwest MEP Marian Harkin has given an enthusiastic reaction to Emily O’Reilly’s result in this morning’s first round of voting for the position of European Ombudsman.  Six candidates are competing for the position including three incumbent MEPs. The final round of voting will take place in the Parliament tomorrow. People close to Ms O’Reilly’s campaign

A 22 year old Dublin man has been jailed for 3 and a half years for the manslaughter of journalist Eugene Moloney. Gary Burch of Kennington Close, Templeogue pleaded guilty to killing the 55 year old on Camden Street on June 24th last year. At closing time Eugene Moloney left Hogan s bar following a

Donegal All-Ireland winning star Patrick McBrearty yesterday appeared as a guest speaker at the 2013 Phoenix Ulster GAA Elite Academy. Patrick addressed all the players before fielding a number of questions from the very captive audience. He spoke of his own experiences as an elite underage player and shared some excellent advice for the players

A Councillor has described the aggravated burglary on the home of two elderly sisters near Raphoe as a cowardly and despicable act. 3 men targeted the home of the sisters, aged in their 80s and 90s, at around 5 o’clock on Monday evening in the Feddyglass area. During the incident one of the sisters was

The HSE is intending to provide children with complex needs, who are currently educated at special pre-schools in Donegal, a home support package. From September St Agnes pre-School in Donegal Town is to close – children will either be integrated into main stream schools or offered the home support package. It is expected that the