Author name: oisinkelly

The IFA has repeated calls on the Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney to do more to help hard-pressed farmers cope with the unprecedented fodder crisis. Association president John Bryan has challenged the Minister to deliver on a number of measures identified by the association, including advances on Disadvantaged or Single Farm payments. The association says

A Co Donegal farmer who sexually abused seven children has been jailed for 12 years. 43 year old Peter Corcoran of Dunmore, Falcarragh has pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to 15 sample counts of indecent assault, sexual assault and rape between 1984 and 2000.   He was described in court as evil, very

A Carrigart carpenter has been speaking of his experience after the surviving Boston bombing suspect was captured in his next door neighbour’s back yard. Brendan Toye from Carrigart was at his home in Watertown when a SWAT team knocked on his door and evacuated him, his wife Lori and his son Garvin. This morning, he,

The Connacht Gold Co-op has indicated prices may have to increase because farmers are being paid too little. The company, which proposes to change its name to Aurivo, has reported a record turnover of €407m in 2012, an increase of 18%. This is being mainly attributed to the acquisition of the milk and retail stores

Letterkenny will be included in this year’s Irish Business Against Litter league which is being launched this morning. Buncrana, which clean to European norms in 2012, is not included this year, with IBAL saying towns which are in least need of examination are being omitted for funding reasons, and after coming 8th overall last year,

The former administrator of the Diocese of Derry has been ordained as the new Coadjutor Archbishop of Armagh. Bishop Eamon Martin will succeed Cardinal Sean Brady as Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland when he retires in two years time. 52 Bishop Martin is a former Principal of St Columb’s College in Derry,

A man has died in a fire in a flat on Derry’s Waterside. The fire broke out at Winchester Park in Kilfennan shortly after 11.30 last night. Police and the fire service say it’s not yet known how the fire started. A full examination will be carried out at the scene later.

Two men who broke into the offices of Derry’s traffic wardens in an attempt to get cash have been jailed at the local Crown Court. Gary Sheerin (36) of Brookdale Park and James Patrick Rush (34) of Creggan Heights both in Derry pleaded guilty to breaking into the offices in Queen Street on June 17

A Donegal County Council has called on the local authority to publish all information it has on the taking over the county’s water supply by ‘Irish Water’. ‘Irish Water’ is a state agency which will take over the running of the country’s waster supply from local authorities. There are concerns about the impact it will

The funeral has taken place of Cllr Tadhg Culbert. He was buried in New Leck Cemetery after Funeral Mass in St Eunan’s Cathedral at 11 o’ clock. The Tipperary native came to Letterkenny in 1973, working as a post office clerk. As a mark of respect, Letterkenny Post Office closed for the funeral. His coffin

A man guilty of the murder of a Derry man has today been told he will serve a minimum of sixteen years in jail. 49 year-old Paddy Harkin  was beaten to death with a hammer in his flat in Bayview Terrace in February 2011. He died from head injuries. Paul Greatbanks, who is 48 and

Local representatives have said it is extremely lucky that no one was injured today when a three story derelict building collapsed in the Fountain Estate area of Derry. The building in Kennedy place, which was once a synagogue and is the former headquarters of the Ulster Unionist Party in the City, collapsed and buried a

Letterkenny Institute of Technology has been hosting a seminar on Seminar looking the future of support services for adults with disabilities. The conference was backed by Donegal based APP Training Services, which has developed a new person-centred model of support for adults within the areas of autism and mental health conditions. The keynote speaker at

Today marks a significant milestone in the provision of youth mental heath services in Donegal, with the official opening of the Jigsaw centre on Letterkenny’s Pearse Road. Jigsaw service provides a safe and confidential space where young people aged between 15 and 25 can access a wide range of mental health supports for free, either

Parents say they ‘are no further on’ following today’s meeting in Gweedore to discuss the fate of the community creche Parents were told last week that it may have to close next month. At least 30 children are cared for at the facility which is supported by Udaras na Gaeltachta, but run privately on a

People in small fishing communities in Donegal are being asked to feed in to a BIM project to improve the economy and preserve the culture of those communities. Over the next eight weeks, a strategy is being prepared for Donegal which will identify projects to be receive EU funding through BIM. A series of meetings

A new group calling on people in Donegal, Derry and Tyrone to support the proposed A5 dual carriageway has been set up  this week. The ‘Action For The A5’ initiative has been set up by retired Professor Pat Darcy from Tattyreagh outside Omagh, who says he drove that road daily before he retired. He believes the

Police in Britain have issued the picture of a man wanted in connection with sexual assaults in Bolton. 47 year-old Martin Begley is wanted after a girl was sexually assaulted a number of times between January 2007 and November 2008. The girl was between the ages of 12 and 14 at the time of the

There is an appeal for information after an 87 year-old woman had two windows on the front of her home smashed during an early morning attack in Strabane. The home in O’Nolan Park was targeted at 6.40am this (Thursday) morning – the culprits smashed the front gate of the property to gain access. SDLP representative

The Chambers of Commerce in the Northwest have united to express their frustration at the Department for Regional Development’s decision not to appeal a judge’s decision delaying the A5 upgrade going ahead. Its after the Minister responsible,Danny Kennedy said this week he will not appeal the judges’s quashing of the decision to go ahead with

Gardai have carried out another search of land where Mary Boyle disappeared 36 years ago. Her mother Ann Boyle said she was told by gardai last night that an area pinpointed by the Sunday World as a possible grave was searched yesterday(Wed) and nothing was discovered. Mrs Boyle said there was nothing there but rocks.

Donegal Town Enterprise Ltd has confirmed it has bought the old National Hotel in Donegal Town with a view to developing it into a hostel for visitors. The company, which also owns and operates the Donegal Bay Water Bus, purchased the vacant property for around 200 thousand euro. The owners intend to sell the bar

A suspicious device found outside Lettekenny Garda station this morning has been described as an elaborate hoax. Army Bomb were called to the scene this afternoon to deal with the object which was made to look like a viable explosive device. Letterkenny Garda Station was closed for a time but has since re-opened. The New

Two men are being questioned about a fatal crash between Derry and Claudy. A 69-year-old man died following the two vehicle collision, which happened on the Glenshane Road shortly before 9pm on Wednesday. A man and woman remain in hospital where they are being treated for injuries which are not believed to be life threatening.

Cllr Ian McGarvey could be in line to be the next Mayor of Donegal. Mayor Frank McBreartys tenure ends in June when the AGM takes place in Lifford. This year it is the turn of the Independent Cllrs group to select the Mayor from and the name of Cllr McGarvey appears to be the favourite

Health Minister James Reilly is being asked to give assurances about the future of Carndonagh District Hospital. Donegal North East Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn has tabled a number of questions to the minister seeking to clarify the up to date position about the number of people working at the hospital, after the HSE cited ‘staffing

The Dalai Lama has arrived in Derry. The Tibetan spiritual leader says he wants to promote his message of peace in the City of Culture. He’ll walk across Derry’s Peace Bridge with a group of schoolchildren today before giving an address in Ebrington on the theme of compassion. At 2 o’clock this afternoon, the Dalai

A number of piers in Donegal have been included in a programme of works being funded by the Department of Agriculture and the Marine. Among the areas which will see improvements are Arranmore, Ballywhoriskey, Downings, Inisboffin, Portsalon and Teelin. Donegal South West Deputy and Junior Minister Dinny Mc Ginley says the works will benefit a wide range

A so-called ‘Margaret Thatcher party’ passed off relatively peacefully at Free Derry Corner in the Bogside last night. There was a high police presence in Derry last night, but the PSNI kept their distance from the Bogside were the protests took place. Up to 300 people gathered at Free Derry Corner last night and burned

Tom Duffy’s Circus has said it is ‘disappointing’ by a protest outside one of its shows in Letterkenny on Wednesday evening. The company claims the protest was carried out by the Donegal SPCA. Donegal SPCA say their protest was not about the circus itself but about the use of exotic animals for entertainment such as

Donegal North East TD Charlie Mc Conalogue says serious concerns remain for small schools after the government refused to give a guarantee in the Dail this afternoon that none would close. In the Dail this afternoon, the Fianna Fail Education Spokesperson questioned Junior Minister Sean Sherlock on the ongoing review of small schools. The minister

The Irish Government says it remains fully committed to the development of the A5 and says pressure must now  be placed now on the Northern Ireland Executive to ensure it goes ahead. The Regional Development Minister in the North, Danny Kennedy said this week he will not appeal a judges’s quashing of the decision to