Author name: oisinkelly

Launch of Ballyshannon 400th anniversary celebrations to take place on Saturday

The launch of the 400th anniversary celebrations of the town of Ballyshannon will take place tonight (Saturday) in the Abbey Centre at 8pm. To mark Ireland’s oldest town, a special week long celebration will take place from the 5th to 11th of August to include events from archival exhibitions to  guided walks through the town

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Donegal fishing company behind revolutional new lobster pot tracking system

A Donegal fishing company has develpoed a new technological solution that its hoped could have the potential to revolutionise the fishing industry. The new wireless crab pot tracking system is being developed at Letterkenny Institute of Technology. Last year brothers Hugh and Peter McBride of McBride Fishing  in Downings, approached the WiSAR Lab at LYIT

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Attorney General to advise on how Donegal planning corruption claims can be investigated

The Attorney General Maire Whelan has been asked to advise on how corruption claims in Donegal can be investigated. It will also be determined whether gardai or the Standards in Public Office Commission has a role to play. The move comes after the High Court quashed a report into allegations of corruption in Donegal County

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Bogdan Michalkiawicz murder reconstruction to feature on Crimecall

Gardaí investigating the murder of a Polish male in his 40s in Letterkenny are seeking assistance from the public. The body of Bogdan Michalkiawicz was discovered at 15 Westside Apartments, Letterkenny on the morning of Wednesday 15th May 2013. The deceased was last seen alive on Monday the 13th May 2013 Investigating Gardaí are seeking information from

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Department of the Environment apologises to former Donegal County Council planner

The Department of the Environment has today agreed to a High Court order overturning its own findings of no evidence of wrongdoing in the planning department of Donegal County Council.  The department has also apologised to the then senior planner who made those claims and will pay him €25,000 damages. An apology was read in court today to Gerard

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Deputy McHugh calls for funding for border region after funding announcement for Northern Ireland

A Donegal North East Deputy is calling on the Government to introduce a similar stimilus package here to the one that was announced for the North this afternoon. David Cameron has just unveiled a multi-million pound economic package to help create jobs in the private sector in Northern Ireland. The British PM said Northern Ireland

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Laffertys Shop and Filling Station in Creeselough saved from closure

Laffertys Vivo Shop and Filling Station in Creeselough have been saved from closure in the High Court this afternoon. Earlier this week Laffertys Supermarket, the Corncutters Rest and Laffertys pub were closed after an investor couldn’t been found to keep them open. And the owners had feared the worst for the shop and filling station

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Gardai renew appeal for information one year on after death of Seamus Doherty in Letterkenny

Crimestoppers has launched an appeal for information about the murder of Seamus Doherty in Letterkenny almost a year ago. The body of the 67-year-old was found at his home on the morning of the 17th of June 2012. A post mortem revealed Mr Doherty had suffered a traumatic death. The day before he died he

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Bolt visit confirmed as Patsy Mc Gonagle receives the Freedom of Donegal

World and Olympic 100 metres champion Usain Bolt will visit Donegal next year. Irish Athletics Coach Patsy McGonagle confirmed the visit on Highland Radio’s Shaun Doherty Showe today, aheasd of a ceremony this afternoon at which he will receive the Freedom of Donegal. He receives Donegal’s highest honour in recognition of his achievements and his

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Donegal man jailed in Britian for failing to hand over illegally acquired assets

A Donegal man who was given the longest-ever jail sentence for illegal dumping in Britain two years ago has been sentenced to a further three years in jail for failing to hand over nearly £600,000 worth of illegally-acquired assets. 65 year old Hugh O’Donnell, who has lived in Britain for decades, was jailed in 2011

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John Gallaghers brother claims ‘he is extremely afraid and fears his life is in danger’

Double killer John Gallagher has been ordered to stay away from his brother after a District Judge threw an application to vary his bail. 47-year-old Gallagher of Grange Wood, Strabane, had applied to have a bail condition that bars him from having any contact with his brother, Donal Gallagher, lifted. The rationale behind the application

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New research show pupils in smaller schools perform better – Mc Conalogue

Donegal TD Charlie Mc Conalogue has told the Dail that findings published by the Educational Research Centre this week highlight the importance of small rural schools, and should be borne in mind when policy decisions are being made. The Fianna Fáil’s Education Spokesperson was speaking ahead of the publication of a Value for Money review

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Action for A5 group to take legal action against Department for Regional Development in the North

The Action for A5 group is considering legal action against the Department for Regional Development in the North. The High Court blocked planning permission for the €400m project as a proper environmental assessment of the work was not carried out. The Department for Regional Development Minister, Danny Kennedy said his department would not challenge that

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Senator claims St Mary’s NS Stranorlar investment a victim of ‘policical opportunism’

A Donegal Senator has claimed that St Mary’s National School has lost out on funding due to political opportunism on a national level. Brian O’Domhnaill was speaking following the government announcement of an investment package of €50 million last week, in which 18 primary schools and 10 post primary schools will be refurbished. He says

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Buncrana Councillor outlines some positives from recent Minister Phil Hogan meeting

The Environment Minister Phil Hogan has indicated that towns such as Buncrana and Letterkenny which are losing Town Councils will have some local discretion to raise funds. Buncrana Clllr Nicholas Crossan was part of a national AMAI delegation which met Minister Hogan this week. He says the minister was not for turning on his plan

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Letterkenny Town Council may take legal action to prevent council being scrapped

Letterkenny Town Councillors have committed to strongly oppose the scrapping of town councils. This week Councillors agreed to leave no stone unturned in trying to save the council and have not ruled out going down the legal route. Raising the issue Councillor Ciaran Brogan also expressed his disappointment that council staff and members have been

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Donegal has 3rd lowest crime rate but sex crimes and robbery rates soar

An Irish Examiner review of crime statistics since 2008 shows that the rate of reported crime in Donegal is the third lowest in the country. The statistics also show that while the county has recorded the biggest overall crime reduction in 2012 there has been increases in certain areas including robberies and sexual offences. The

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Highland Radio, News, Podcast

Highland Radio appoints Shaun Doherty as new station Managing Director

Highland Radio has today appointed Shaun Doherty as Acting Managing Director. Mr Doherty has 23 years experience in Highland Radio serving on the Board of Directors and Management Team as well as hosting Ireland’s most popular local daily current affairs show, The Shaun Doherty Show. In a statement commenting on the appointment the Chairman of

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PARC says Hit and Run stats are wrong because of problems with garda report form

The road safety campaign group PARC says the form used by gardai to record statistics on road collisions is badly outdated, and needs urgent reform. PARC founder Susan Grey says the CT68 form is used by the Road Safety Authority to record statistics andf by county councils to collate information on road conditions, but the

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Council changes telephone number as new Milford call centre becomes operational

Donegal County Council is changing it’s main telephone number to 074 91 53900. Late last year, a new Customer Contact Centre was opened in the Milford Public Service Centre, and since then, the council has been gradually diverting calls to the new facility. From this month, all calls to the council’s Lifford headquarters and other

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Donegal Deputy leads committee in government talks on suicide prevention

The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions will meet with Minister of State at the Department of Health Kathleen Lynch to hear the range of initiatives which are in place to reduce the incidents of suicide nationally. Ireland has one of the highest rates of suicide in young males in the European

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Three years jail for Donegal man who tried to take detectives gun at republican parade

A Donegal man who tried to take a detective’s gun after being arrested at a republican commemoration parade has received a three year jail sentence. Pat Barry, a member of Republican Sinn Fein, was highly intoxicated at the annual Wolfe Tone memorial march to Bodenstown, Kildare. When stopped by a member of the Special Detective

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Government must address increase in electricity and gas disconnections – Mc Conalogue

The Energy minister’s appealing to homeowners struggling with their gas and electricity to install pre-pay meters. It follows an 82 per cent rise in gas disconnections last year, with electricity cut-offs up by one percent. Pat Rabbitte’s told the Dáil that not enough people have agreed to install pre-pay meters. However, Donegal North East Deputy

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Council gets an extra €3 million for local and regional roads

Donegal County Council is to receive just over €3 million extra for works on the county’s regional and local roads network. The new grant, which will be primarily directed towards restoration works, follows a €19 million allocation in January. According to Donegal North East Deputy Joe Mc Hugh, the counil’s allocation is the third highest

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Police appeal for info on Motorbike involved in Creggan Heights ‘hit and run’

Police in Foyle have issued a further appeal for information in relation to a hit and run incident in the Creggan Heights area on Friday, June 7th when a 7 year old girl was badly injured. Yesterday a 23 year-old local man appeared in court in connection with the incident. A 23-year-old  David Gerard McCloskey

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