Author name: oisinkelly

Nearly a quarter of Irish households are now jobless according to a new report released today. The research from the National Economic and Social Council finds that most people in Ireland have suffered a loss of wealth or income since the economic crash in 2008. In 38 per cent of Irish households – expenditure now […]

A Donegal man assaulted a detective and tried to take his gun after being arrested at a republican commemoration parade in 2010, a court has heard. Pat Barry, a member of Republican Sinn Fein, was highly intoxicated at the annual Wolfe Tone memorial march to Bodenstown, Kildare. As he was about to be put in

 The first steps in establishing independent hospital trusts have been unveiled by the Health Minister. Six groupings have been announced – they are Dublin North East; Dublin Midlands; Dublin East; South/South West; West/North West and Midwest. Letterkenny General and the Sligo Regional will become part of the West/Northwest group along with University Hospital Galway; Merlin

A Donegal County Councillor has warned that the county’s water piping network will fall to pieces when the work of installing water metres begins in earnest. Councillor Patrick McGowan was speaking in the case of Siobhan Kelly  – Ms Kelly says that her family have regularly been left without drinking water over the past six

A Strabane man has been cleared of allowing his basement to be used by paramilitaries. James McGettigan, was found not guilty of providing property for terrorism. The case was brought after photographs showing five masked and armed men apparently holding a bound and hooded drug dealer hostage appeared in the Strabane Chronicle. The article also

The North’s First and Deputy First Ministers have reaffirmed a commitment to building the A5 and the assurance that money allocated for the project will be retained in the North West. The commitments were issued by the Deputy First Minister during a cross party, cross border meeting on the A5 today in Stormont. The A5

A Lifford woman has hit out at Donegal County Council for her continued poor water supply. Siobhan Kelly says that her family have regularly been left without a drinking water over the past six years. She says at least once a month her water supply turns a orangey brown colour. And speaking on todays Shaun Doherty Show,

 One of Northern Ireland’s most wanted criminals, who had reportedly been living in a caravan in West Donegal,  has appeared in the High Court following his arrest on an extradition warrant. 18 year old Casey Morgan has been remanded to St Patrick’s Institution overnight. The PSNI describe Casey Morgan as ‘a high-risk violent offender’. When

A man’s been arrested in Derry in relation to suspected dissident republican activity. Police says detectives from the Serious Crime Branch investigating dissident republican terrorist activity arrested the 43 year in the city this morning. He has been taken to Antrim Serious Crime Suite for questioning.

The Labour Relations Commission has intervened in the Bus Eireann dispute. The NBRU, SIPTU and the company have agreed to attend talks this evening. Tens of thousands of passengers have had their travel plans disrupted today – on day two of the action. Around 95 per cent of Bus Eireann services not operating. The LRC’s

A public meeting has been called in response to the HSE’s decision to close 10 respite beds in Dungloe Community Hopital. Last week, the HSE said there had been an increase in long term sick leave, staff retirements and planned maternity leave, and because of the recruitment embargo, they have to temporarily reduce the number

A body recovered from the river Foyle on Thursday has been identified as that of missing teenager Kieran McKeon. The 18-year-old went missing on the 14th of March after arriving in Derry from Dublin with his friend, 21-year-old Alexandra O’Brien. Her body was recovered from the river Foyle the following day. Search and rescue services

Donegal South-West TD Dinny McGinley has welcomed the granting of €450,00 towards Donegal Airport. The funding is part of the CAPEX scheme for safety and security projects at regional airports. Earlier this year some €151,000 was provided towards Navigation Charts and Hold Baggage X-Ray equipment. The grant will 90% fund an extension to the security

  Politicians from Derry, Donegal, Tyrone and Monaghan are meeting with the North’s First and Deputy First MInisters this morning to discuss the future of the A5. MPs, MLAs, TDs and Senators will make the case for future funding to be guaranteed once the legal hurdles which have delayed work on the project have been

Fishing industry representatives says a Fisheries Council meeting on Monday and Tuesday of next week will be crucial for the future of the industry here. Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation CEO Sean O’Donaghue says there are a number of key issues which Minister Simon Coveney must address. Mr O’Donaghue, who will attend the talks in Brussels, says as President of the Council, Simon

A man has been convicted of sexually abusing his foster mother’s nephew in Co. Donegal in the 1960s and 70s. The 63-year-old had pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to 35 charges of indecent assault of the boy on dates between 1966 and June 1974. He was six years older than the victim.

  The Minister for Health Dr James Reilly was this afternoon greeted with silence when he arrived to make his speech to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation conference Letterkenny. The Minister was addressing the conference on its final day. There was a small amount of heckling during his speech, but delegates clapped when the

Five people, two of them children, have been rescued from a stricken boat in Donegal Bay. The boat lost power a mile off Muckross Head, and began drifting. Malin Head Coastguard Station was called, and a rescue operation began. Coastguard spokesperson Ian Scott has been outlining what happened…..

Two men who videoed an attempted Garda search of them on a mobile phone were given suspended jail sentences today. John Deegan and Sean Fitzgerald had put the video on YouTube, called it Gardathugs, and claimed it showed harassment and intimidation by gardai at the Market Yard, Ballyshannon. It was viewed by Judge Kevin Kilrane

Investigators believe that the disposal of  septic tank waste  may have been responsible for the death of three dozens swans in west Donegal in recent days. 32 swans were found dead at the weekend at the New Lake in Dunganaghy, three more were found thirty miles away in a lake in mullaghduff yesterday. Water samples

Sinn Fein’s Justice spokesperson says that despite 60 million euro being spent on the Morris Tribunal recommendations arising from it have still not been implemented. Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission was critical of gardai in its investigation into alleged collusion between members of the force and a convicted drug dealer. One assertion in the investigation is

Gardai have arrested a man in Letterkenny this morning on suspicion of criminal damage. The local man in his late 20’s was arrested shortly after 6.30am following a tip off from a member of the public. It is understood the man was found in possession of a number of items including glue. Over the last

Seventy years have passed since the Ballymanus mine disaster which killed 19 people. A special mass will be held in the Ballymanus Community Centre tonight at 7 o’clock to mark the anniversary. 19 lives were lost in the incident which occurred in west Donegal on 10th of May 1943. A mine washed ashore at Ballymanus

The body of a woman has been recovered from a river outside Castlederg. The alarm was raised after the woman was seen entering the Derg River close to Castlederg. Fire and Rescue teams along with Foyle Search and Rescue and the PSNI helicopter were quickly on the scene. The woman was later recovered in the

Today is the final day of the INMO’s Annual Delegate Conference in Letterkenny, with Health Minister Dr James Reilly due to address the conference today. He’s likely to get a lukewarm reception at best, with concerns of the effects of cuts on patient safety high on the organisation’s agenda. The INMO’s North West INdustrial Relations

A North West MEP says a Junior Minister should be given specific responsibilities for supporting emigrants. Marian Harkin, who this week launched a National Youth Council report on emigration says emigrants must be supported before they leave, and encouraged to return to Ireland when circumstances improve and there is a need for their skills and

The first female President of the Massachusetts Senate, Senator Therese Murray will travel to County Donegal today. Ms.Murray was elected Senator of the Plymouth and Barnstable District in 1992 and has been a driving force behind children’s issues and health care reform. Donegal County Council will host a ceremonial event to welcome the Massachusetts Senate

An investigation is underway following the discovery of a number of dead birds in the Mullaghduff and Dunfanaghy areas. 33 swans were found dead in the New Lake, Dunfanaghy at the weekend while National Parks and Wildlife Rangers recovered a dead swan from a lake in mullaghduff this (Thursday) evening. An investigation into the deaths

A Donegal man has gone on trial accused of sexually abusing his foster mother’s nephew for eight years. The 63-year-old accused has pleaded not  guilty at the Central Criminal Court to 35 charges of indecent assault of the boy on dates between 1966 and 1974. The complainant was aged between seven and eighteen years old