Author name: oisinkelly

A Donegal priest says a nationwide policy of children making their First Communion or Confirmation in school uniforms should be considered. Its after the Government confirmed that grants for religious ceremonies are to be discontinued – more then 12,500 families availed of the grant last year A recent survey by EBS showed that parents expect

The inquest into the death of Savita Halappanavar is expected to hear more medical evidence today. The 31 year old died from septicaemia last October following a miscarriage at Galway University Hospital. Many of the key witnesses have already testified, such as Savita’s husband Praveen Halappanavar and her consultant obstetrician Dr Katherine Astbury. Apparent systems

The Government has announced its cutting the exceptional needs payments for religious ceremonies. More then 3.4 million euro was paid in communion and confirmation grants in 2011 to over 14,000 families. The payout was slashed last year with 12,500 families receiving 1.5 million euro – and now this year it will be axed altogether. The

Donegal Creameries PLC has released its preliminary financial results for last year with the Board viewing the company’s performance in 2012 as satisfactory. This is the first full reporting year following the strategic disposal of its liquid milk and agri-stores business to Connacht Gold. The company says it delivered a year of consolidation around a

A Donegal Anti-VRT campaigner says customs officials continue to target people in the county despite an Ombudsman’s ruling which would seem to prohibit them from doing so. Ombudsman Josephine Feehily ruled that Customs’officers must follow their own guidelines before seizing vehicles, and prohibiting them from random challenges such as checkpoints, for the purposes of enforcing

Fire crews were called out once again last night to tackle a serious gorse fire near to Glenveagh National Park. Dense smoke and the proximity of the fire to the roadside forced Gardai and fire crews to close the road on the Termon side of Glenveagh. Motorists travelling from Letterkenny to the Rosses and Gweedore

Members of the Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement will meet today to reflect on the past 15 years since the signing of the historical document. The agreement was signed by both British and Irish Governments on the 10th April 1998 and marked a major political development in the Northern Ireland peace

A Strabane District Cllr has hit out at the Alternative A5 Alliance. Speaking to Highland Radio News, the Treasurer of the Alternative A5 Alliance, Hamilton Hassard said that instead of going ahead with the A5 project, the current A5 should be upgraded. He says thousands of acres of farmland would not then have to be

There is shock in west Donegal with the news that the Gweedore community creche is to close. At least 30 children are cared for at the facility which will close in May. Parents learned of the closure of the state supported facility today. It is not yet clear the reasons behind the closure of the

Fire crew continue to battle gorse fired across County Donegal and with little rain forecast for the next few days the problem looks set to continue. The Buncrana Fire and Rescue Service posted this video on their Facebook page which goes some way to showing the job in hand and the dangers the fire crews

Details have been announced of the inaugural ‘Letterkenny Show’, which will take place over the May Bank Holiday weekend. The event is the brainchild of local man Ciaran Gallagher, who says he took his inspiration from the North West Garden Show in Castlefin and the Taste of Donegal Festival. He says the Letterkenny Show will

A verdict in the  trial of a newspaper editor over the publication of pictures of Michaela McAreavey’s body will be delivered next month. The 27-year-old County Tyrone woman was murdered at the Legends hotel, Mauritius, in January 2011. Imraan Hosany, the editor of the Mauritian Sunday Times, is charged with outrage against public and religious

Asda is recalling all corned beef from its budget range after traces of the veterinary drug bute were found in some batches. The British Food Standards Agency has confirmed that “very low levels” of the painkilling medicine have been detected in the Asda Smart Price range. The supermarket withdrew the product last month after it

  Letterkenny Town Council has published proposals to tackle a dangerous bend at Black’s Bridge in the Glencar area of Letterkenny. A safety audit was commissioned following a number of collisions in the area, with Town Engineer John Mc Carron saying that speeds in both directions were too high. The audit recommends that the nearby

A spokersperson for the A5 Alliance says he believes they are close to victory  in a case to quash the decision to upgrade the Derry to Dublin route. Earlier this week, a High Court judge in Belfast confirmed he was quashing the decision to go ahead with the dual carriageway. However, Mr Justice Stephens put

Several fire crews have this morning been fighting what’s has been described as “a massive” gorse fire in the Culacrick area of Annagry. The fire burned for several hours and threatened a number of homes for a time. 5 fire crews began to battle the  blaze 3am and brought it under control shortly after 11a,

Inland Fisheries Ireland have said there were no fish killed in the Eany River in Donegal. It was reported  that hundreds of salmon and trout had been wiped out in the incident near Frosses. But a spokesperson for Inland Fisheries Ballyshannon has told Highland Radio News that an Environmental Officer has investigated the matter, and

Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness has said people should not celebrate the death of Margaret Thatcher. The former prime minister died yesterday aged 87 after suffering a stroke while staying at the Ritz hotel in central London. “Street parties” were held in Derry, West Belfast and in other parts of the UK last night. In a

A man has died following a fire in a flat in Buncrana. The body of the man, believed to be in his mid to late forties was found in the Lower Main Street area this morning. It’s thought he may have died from the effects of smoke inhalation, but that won’t be confirmed until a

Gardai in Donegal are investigating a graffiti attack on the home of County Councillor Ian Mc Garvey. Windows were also broken in the attack, which happened at the house at Moorefield,  Ramelton in the early hours of this morning. Cllr Mc Garvey has lived in the house for over 50 years, and says this is

Letterkenny Town Council is seeking meetings with various bodies to discuss the levels of service available in Letterkenny, and what plans are in place to enhance them. Last night, Cllr Jimmy Kavanagh succesfully proposed that Eircom be asked back to the chamber to update members on what plans are there to improve broadband provision in

Donegal North East Deputy Charlie Mc Conalogue says the Taoiseach and Tanaiste must consult with the North’s First and Deputy First Ministers as soon as possible to ensure the A5 upgrade goes ahead. Yesterday, a High Court judge in Belfast confirmed he was quashing the decision to go ahead with the dual carriageway. However, Mr

A venture could shortly be announced in Letterkenny arising from the town’s twinning arrangment with Elizabethtown in New Jersey. Town Mayor Cllr Dessie Larkin told members last night that during his visit to the town while he was in the US for St Patrick’s Day, he met with local business and education representitives. He said

Fire crews from the west of the county had yet another busy night battling gorse fires in the Gortahork and Falcarragh areas. The Dungloe fire crew attended a gorse fire between Gweedore and Gortahork before midnight. Crews from Gweedore and Falcarragh spent several hours dealing with a fire at Derryreel outside Falcarragh. The fire burned

The North’s Regional Development Minister says he will meet with executive colleagues later this week to discuss whetjher or not to appeal a High Court order quashing the decision to go ahead with the A5 dual carraigeway project. Last month, Mr Justice Stephens indicated he was minded to grant the order sought by the Alternative

A Letterkenny Town Councillor is renewing calls for repair work to be carried out on the footpath from Ballymacool Terrace towards the Aura Leisure Centre and O’Donnell Parkas a matter of urgency. The road is under county council control, and has been substantially upgraded. However, the footpath is currently in a very poor state. Cllr

Figures published today by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation show that between March 11th and April 5th this year, there were no incidents of overcrowding at Letterkenny General Hospital. The new ‘Ward Watch’ programme launched today by the INMO says five hospitals, Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown, Tallaght Hospital, the Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Limerick,

A northwest MEP has welcomed a new multi-million Euro Youth Employment Initiative for BMW Region but is seeking more detail on how jobs will actually be created. The Youth Employment Initiative could translate to as much as €20 million for the BMW region with largest proportions of the funding being directed to areas with over

Its emerged that safety equipment was stolen from the Fire Service as crews battled wildfires in the west of the county on Sunday. Safety lights, which had been put in place by the Dungloe Fire Brigade were taken – gardai have been informed. Acting Chief Fire Officer Joe McTaggart has also confirmed that 57 wildfires

The Can’t Pay Won’t Pay group says the Council would be better served pursuing developers for the millions of euro in outstanding development charges rather than the public who haven’t paid the household charge. The group was responding to calls from the Council’s Finance Director for people you have yet to pay the Household Charge

The Crolly area fire burned across the hill at Bunawack above the townland of Meenaweal and across the hill towards Loughanure before it was brought under control. Fire crews from Dungloe and Gweedore together with many locals battled to bring it under control. Gardai were also on the scene and -roads in the immediate area

A Ballybofey shop has sold the winning ticket of the €5 million lotto jackpot. As of yet the idenity of the new millionaire is unknown. The winning ticket was a €4 ticket using the winner’s own numbers and the ticket was done on Saturday last. The win is the shop’s first jackpot win. Owner of

The Norths Agriculture Minister Michelle O’Neill has met farmers in the Sperrin mountains following concerns over the aid package for those affected by recent snowfall. She said she wanted to reassure them that they will be included in the hardship payments. Yesterday West Tyrone MLA Joe Byrne said more clarity was needed, particularly on the

March saw another fall in the amount of people signing on in County Donegal. 20,864 people signed on in the county last month which represents a month on month drop and a decrease on the same period last year. But the figures again point to emigration, particularly those under25, as a significant cause of the