Author name: oisinkelly

Failte Ireland are predicting a bumper year for tourism in Donegal. St Patricks weekend proved to be a positive start to the tourism season, with most Donegal hotels reporting that they were busier than usual. And a number of key hotels in Donegal reported a significant increase in visitors from the UK, Germany and the

The IRSP in Derry have dismissed speculation that the INLA was responsible for a gun attack in which two brothers were shot in the legs in Ballymagroarty two nights ago. The two men, aged 25 and 26, were shot shortly after 8pm on Thursday night and were taken to Altnagelvin hospital for treatment for their

The Health Minister has said that he will address shortly whether or not Letterkenny General Hospital will become a Regional Hospital. Regional hospitals recieve more payments from insurance companies than General hospitals. In July 2011 Minister Reilly said he was considering the classification of the hospital and in the past Donegal North-East Deputy Joe Mc

The Health Minister, James Reilly has officially opened the new Emergency Department and Medical Block at Letterkenny General Hospital today. The new bloc cost €24 million to construct, with significant delays experienced after the initial contractor went into liquidation. Minister Reilly said the new Emergency Department was a huge improvement on the old one….. Meanwhile,

The two men found liable for the 1998 Omagh bombing earlier this week are to appeal the decision. In a civil action taken by relatives of the Omagh victims against Colm Murphy and Seamus Daly from a Belfast High Court judge decided on Wednesday there was compelling evidence against them. Earlier this week, the judge

A young Donegal woman has been turned down for a nanny’s job in Russia after being told her lrish accent was too strong. Former Rose of Tralee finalist Grainne Boyle, applied for the job through an agency in London. The 25 year old completed a Skype interview last week and was told she had more

Donegal North East Deputy Joe Mc Hugh has called for people with disabilities to be given a say in formulating policy. Speaking during a motion on disability supports tabled by the Technical Group, Deputy Mc Hugh said politicians must be creative in how they approach the issue of targetting services and resources for people with

Health Minister Dr. James Reilly is in Donegal today for the official opening of the new Emergency Department and Medical Block at Letterkenny General Hospital. The new bloc cost €24 million to construct, with significant delays experienced after the initial contractor went into liquidation. First, Minister Reilly will open the new ‘Jigsaw’ premises on Pearse

Foyle MP Mark Durkan is calling for more to be done to create jobs West of the Bann. It was announced earlier this week that there are now over 15,000 people unemployed in Derry, Limavady and Strabane. And according to the latest figures Derry is still Northern Irelands dole capital. Mr Durkan says more needs

The Derry to Coleraine railway line has reopened today ahead of schedule after a 30m refurbishment. The line wasn’t due to reopen until April. Services will resume this weekend ahead of Easter and in time in many of the events for the City of Culture year. Spokesperson for the rail lobby group, Into The West,

Two men have been shot in the legs in Derry. The 25 and 26 year old men were brought in a van from another part of the city, and shot in the Ballymagroarty area at around 8 o’clock last night. Police are investigating and appealing for information. It’s understood the two men are brothers, with

Care is being advised on all roads in Donegal following heavy winds and overnight snow in places. ESB workers are working to rectify a number of faults, with over 420 homes without power in West Donegal between Creeslough and Gweedore. Problems in Buncrana are being addressed with 59 customers now outstanding, There are 89 customers

The Director of Public Prosecutions is close to deciding whether there will be criminal prosecution into the murder of Sinn Fein spy Denis Donaldson. If he orders a prosecution the inquest will be adjourned indefinitely, the 11th session of the hearing before the coroner was told today. The 56, was shot dead seven years ago

It’s been confirmed that Donegal County Council plans to abandon the Rathmullan Water Supply and connect the town to the supply in Milford. It follows a warning from the Environmental Protection Agency that if the council does not address persistent exceedence of trihalomethane or THMs in the supply, it will be prosecuted. THMs are organic

Fianna Fáil Seanad Spokesperson on Health Marc Mac Sharry has called for the resignation of the Health Minister James Reilly due to his mismanagement of the health services, particularly in the North West. This week a Consultant Dermatologist, serving Sligo and Donegal, said the prioritising of GP referrals was becoming a lottery – the wait

As a list is published of unfinished estates whose residents are exempt from the Property Tax, a Donegal Councillor says there are several such estates in Donegal which are not on the exempted list. He also says there are  many instances of people in established homes beside such estates which are being affected by the

The government’s published a list of homes that won’t have to pay a property tax in July. The exemptions will apply to around 5,000 properties deemed to be in unfinished housing estates. In Donegal, properties on 48 unfinished estates are incuded in the list. But more housing estates were exempt from paying the household charge.

Relatives of some of the victims of the Omagh bombing are promising to pursue the 1-point-6 million pound damages that have been awarded to them. It’s after two men were found liable for the 1998 blast which killed 29 people. The judge at the civil retrial of Colm Murphy and Seamus Daly said the evidence

A rally is being held outside the Dáil later – urging the Government not to privatise water services here. SIPTU – which has organised the protest – say they fear the Government could follow in the footsteps of many European countries and privatise our water services. There has been strong opposition to the proposals from

A new Donegal group which offers to mediate in disputes within companies groups and organisations will be officially launched next week. The Donegal Mediation Network, which is funded through the Donegal VEC, uses Alternative Dispute Resolution’ approaches to resolve issues in families, organisations and communities. The DMN will also train people in mediation, conflict coaching

The Minister for Agriculture has hailed the deal on the reform to the Common Agricultural Policy as a major step forward for all in the agri-sector. The agreement follows two days of intense talks in Brussels chaired by Simon Coveney. The deal will now have to be finalised by the EU Council, the European Parliament

Two people, both from west Donegal, appeared in court in Letterkenny today on charges relating to an assault in Falcarragh on St Patrick’s night which has left a local man in a critical condition. 20 year old Stephen O’Donnell from Cnoc Fola, Brinaleck, Gweedore and a juvenile, were arrested yesterday by Gardai investigating an assault

Two men have been found liable for the Omagh bombing following civil action brought by the families of some of the victims. 29 people including a woman pregnant with twins died in the blast in 1998. No-one has ever been criminally convicted over the attack, but today relatives won their civil claim against Colm Murphy

Over 15,000 people are claiming the dole in the Derry, Limavady and Strabane areas according to latest figures. The latest statistics from Stormont released this morning show that the three Northwest disctricts make up a total of 23.5% of the overall Northern Ireland unemployment rate. In Derry 5,581 people are on the dole. This is

The Department for Regional Development  has been given more time to make submissions in a legal case over the A5 dual carriageway. Last week, a judge said the department had not carried out a proper Habitats Directive assessment. The case was due to heard today but the case was adjourned as a DRD barrister was

A North West MEP has welcomed last night’s Council of Ministers’ agreement on the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy. Jim Higgins says he believes Simon Coveney has done a good job on securing a deal which will be to the benefit of farmers. In terms of direct payments, to Irish farmers, the amount will

The former head of the North Western Health Board and current Chair of Alcohol Forum has said Ireland’s alcohol culture is now of epidemic proportions. Pat Harvey was speaking as first National Alcohol Conference got underway in Dublin. It’s entitled “The Power of Local Community in Reducing Harmful Drinking”. In his previous role with the

The Minister for Agriculture has hailed the deal on the reform to the Common Agricultural Policy as a major step forward for all in the agri-sector. The agreement follows two days of intense talks in Brussels chaired by Simon Coveney. The deal will now have to be finalised by the EU Council, the European Parliament

Richie Boucher’s pay, pension and benefits package has been described as “beyond belief”. Bank of Ireland’s annual report for 2012 revealed today that the CEO was paid 910 thousand euro last year. In total the bank’s directors collected 2.5 million euro between them. Sinn Fein’s Finance Spokesman, Donegal Deputy Pearse Doherty says Mr. Boucher and

A man who stole from charity boxes at a church in Eglington in Derry has been refused bail. 20 year-old Bernard Cooke from Lettershandoney Avenue in Eglinton, appeared in court in Belfast charged with burgling St Brigid’s Church on Racecourse Road on November 29 last year. Prosecutors said he kicked in a door to the

A man in his 20s and a juvenile are  due in court in Letterkenny later this morning on charges relating to an assault in Falcarragh on St Patrick’s night which has left a local man in a critical condition. They were arrested yesterday by Gardai investigating an assault on 47 year-old Patrick McLaughlin on Falcarragh’s

Donegal’s TDs have been called upon to ask in the Dail why the Maritime Casualty Investigation Board will not co-operate with a Northern Ireland investigation into the deaths of two Glengad brothers It was confirmed last week that Northern Ireland coroner John Lecky is to write to the PSNI inviting them to investigate the mysterious

A man has been arrested by Gardai investigating an alleged assault in Falcarragh at the weekend which has left a man in hospital in a critical condition. The man, in his 20s and from the local area, was arrested this morning and is being held at Glenties Garda Station for questioning – investigations are ongoing.

Teams searching for a missing teenager in the River Foyle are now looking for a second man. It is believed he went into the river on yesterday morning while crews were looking for missing 18-year-old Kieran McKeon. The body of Mr McKeon’s 21-year-old companion, Alexandra O’Brien, was found in the river last Thursday. Mr McKeon

A man has drowned after he was washed off rocks at Mullaghmore Head while fishing with friends in Co Sligo. The Bundoran RNLI lifeboat was tasked by Malin Head Coast Guard to attend the scene, but were stood down as gardaí and ambulance crew assisted the man. The foreign national, in his 50s, was brought

A Derry Councillor has called on those involved in attacking buses in the Galliagh area of Derry to stop immediately. Over the past ten days there have been a number of attacks on buses which resulted in Translink withdrawing its service in the Galliagh area for a time over the weekend. Windows of buses have

A public meeting against Croke Park proposals will be held in the Mount Errigal hotel this Tuesday evening. The four leading trade unions opposed to the proposals for an extension to Croke Park are hosting the meeting as part of their nationwide campaign. Senior figures from the INMO, The IMO, The CPSU and Unite will