Author name: oisinkelly

Dates for SEA SESSIONS, Ireland’s biggest and best surfing and music festival have been announced for June 21 – 23, 2013 and will be back for its sixth successive year at Bundoran, Co. Donegal. As well as Bundoran, or “Fundoran” to the surfing community, the festival will include tour events at Lahinch and Sligo. Following […]

Plans to replace the Rural Transport Scheme with a new model which does away with local involvement have been described as ridiculous by a Donegal TD. Fianna Fail Deputy Charlie McConalogue says the Rural Transport Scheme has been successful and cost-effective scheme since its inception in 2002, and asks why would the Government seek to

Invest NI has promised to run a number of workshops in Derry to help local businesses tender for government contracts and other public service opportunities. The procurement training had been sought by Foyle MLA Pat Ramsay, who says the level of bureaucracy involved in such applications can be a major deterent to small companies who

A woman was airlifted to hospital last evening after falling while hill walking near Horn Head. The woman was part of a group of five walking the Mc Swyne’s Gun Loop on Horn Head near Dunfanaghy when she fell and sustained a suspected ankle fracture. Malin Coastguard tasked the Mulroy Coastguard Cliff Rescue Unit, the

St Joseph’s Hospital in Stranorlar is closed to visitors at present due to a recent outbreak of the winter vomiting bug. Both the Finn View and Barnes View wards are closed pending an inspection today. The Woodville Unit is not affected, but officials at the hospital  are urging people to think very carefully before visiting,

The group representing town councils believes that the Governments local reform plan will cost jobs and deprive communities of local services. Under the Governments plan named ‘Putting People First’ the country’s 80 town councils, including Letterkenny, Buncrana, Ballyshannon and Bundoran will be replaced by municipal districts and the number of councillors will be cut by

The Mayor of Letterkenny has welcomed the level of commercial planning application in the town and the strong indications that a major retailer set to establish a Letterkenny base. A number of planning application are before the council for the extention or redevelopment of business premisses while there are also plans that would facilitate a

A Buncrana Town Councillor has called on the local authority not to pursue some people who he believes  parking tickets unfairly There is a half an hours free parking on Buncrana’s Main Street to encourage people to shop local but the rule does not apply to the town’s carparks. Councillor Ciaran McLouchlain says that this

Police investigating the death of Constable Philippa Reynolds last week will revisit the scene today in an attempt to speak to potential witnesses and gather more information about the incident. 27 year old Constable Reynolds was killed when the driver of a stolen Toyota Land Cruiser drove into an unmarked police car at Dale’s Corner

 The latest figured from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation show 8 people on trolleys at Letterkenny General Hospital. The figures from the INMO were compiled this morning. One person is on a  trolley at Sligo General Hospital. The news that 8 people are in trolleys at Letterkenny General comes in the same week it

A protest is to be held outside a hotel part owned by Councillor Sean McEniff in Dublin. ‘Anti-Fascist Action Ireland’ says the protest, outside the Camden Court Hotel tomorrow afternoon, is a reaction to Councillor McEniff’s comments on travellers. He has called for the segregation of travellers from settled communities. AFA Ireland says the Councillor

Fine Gael councillor Barry O’Neill has received a sinister package linked to the burning of a controversial house intended for travellers which was gutted. Mr O’Neill received a Mass card with what gardai said was “an unpleasant message” at his home in Ballyshannon. A man was yesterday quizzed by gardai about the package delivered a

While Donegal continues to buck the trend by being the only county in Ireland to see a rise in planning applications last year it was one of the worst performing counties in terms of project commencements. Link2plans dot com has examined every housing construction planning application and planning commencement from January through to December 2012,

It is hoped a preferred site for a new school in Buncrana will be confirmed shortly with the Donegal VEC again stating that the development remains its number one priority. The search for a site for a new school campus, that would house Crana College, The Gaelscoil and Gaelcholaiste, has been going on for a

A Donegal County Cllr has hit out at claims that Inishowen Electoral Area Cllrs are not fully committed to the Aghilly Rd in Buncrana. Speaking at Buncran Town Councils monthly meeting earlier this week, Town Cllr Ciaran McLaughlin asked for an explanation in a delay in funding for improvements to the road. And Cllr McLaughlin

People in Buncrana are being invited to become involved in determining how the town develops in the future, with two different plans going out to public consultation in the coming weeks. This week, the local Town Council agreed a series of draft amendments to the existing Buncrana Development Plan. Those amendments are now being published

Detectives from the PSNIs Serious Crime Branch have arrested two men in Derry on suspicion of dissident republican activity. The men aged 43 and 44 have been taken to Antrim Serious Crime Suite for questioning. It’s not been confirmed what specific incidents, if any, the arrests are linked to.

The families of 13 people killed by soldiers on Bloody Sunday have been offered 50-thousand pounds sterling each in compensation. Paratroopers opened fire on civil rights marchers in Derry in January 1972. Thirteen others seriously injured have been offered the same amount each, as part of a total compensation package from Britain’s Ministry of Defence

  A Derry man has been sent for trial to the Crown Court on 12 drug related charges. 28 year-old Simon Kirk of 8, Henry Street, Derry appeared at a preliminary enquiry at Derry Magistrate’s Court today. He faced two charges of importing illegal substances, two charges of possessing Class C drugs with intent to

It’s been announced that the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly is to hold its next meeting in Donegal The meeting will take place at Letterkenny Institute of Technology on Monday the 4th and Tuesday the 5th of March, with the theme of Energy across Borders. Taoiseach Enda Kenny will deliver the keynote address on the Monday night,

A 29-year-old man has appeared in Buncrana District Court this morning charged in realtion to a robbery at Cullen’s petrol station in the town on Monday. Pavel Whitak was arrested on Tuesday evening, and was held for questioning at Buncrana Garda Station before being charged just after 11pm last night. The Polish national, who has

Four people from Donegal have been injured  in a crash involving a car and a jeep in the Perth suburb of Belmont. A total of eight people are  in hospital. It is understood the four Donegal people are from the Milford area. Their injuries are not thought to be life threatening and their families have

A councillor has expressed his frustration in the lack of progress in providing public toilets for shoppers visiting Letterkenny. Despite hundreds of people visting and spending in the Letterkenny Retail Park area daily, there are still no public toilets available meaning people must rely on the good will of local retailers. Councillor Jimmy Kavanagh says

Letterkenny Mayor Dessie Larkin has launched a scathing attack on the Environment Minister, accusing him of playing parish pump politics with the reorganisation of local government structures. This week, Phil Hogan told an Oireachtas committee that the National Spatial Strategy would be shelved and replaced with a new development model. he also pledged that towns which previously

A delegation from the European Parliament’s Fisheries Committee spent yesterday in Donegal, meeting with a number of interest groups including the KFO and representatives of the island fishermen. The Donegal leg of the committee’s Irish visit was hosted by North West MEP Pat the Cope Gallagher, who says it’s an important visit, coming as it does after

Inishowen’s County Councillors are being asked to explain a delay in funding for improvements to the Aghilly Road in Buncrana. The Aghilly Road scheme will see the widening and realigning of the busy road which connects hundreds of home with the town. The project has been in the pipeline for over ten years and was eventually given

It’s emerged that more than 150 retired teachers were still working in schools, while also claiming a pension in December. An answer to a parliamentary question has revealed that 153 retired teachers were working in primary and secondary schools during December, including 128 substitute teachers. Fianna Fail’s Education spokesperson Charlie McConalogue says retired teachers shouldn’t

An objection has been lodged with An Bord Pleanala against plans for 16 wind turbines to be located at Newmills in Letterkenny. GDNG Renewables Limited had been granted permission for the development on the The Letterkenny to Glenties road by Donegal County Council but two third parties have objected. Conditional permission was given for the

Details of a number of tourism events planned for later this year in Inishowen have been revealed. In an update to Buncrana Town Council,Inishowen Tourism confirmed that The Amazing Grace Festival will take place in April as will the Inishowen Half Marathon. Meanwhile plans are progressing on the Swan Park Development, the regeneration of the

  The funeral has taken place in Newtownabbey of of Philippa Reynolds, the 27 year old PSNI officer killed when the unmarked police car in which she was travelling was struck by a stolen jeep on Saturday night. During the funeral, her sister Deborah said she “touched many lives during her short time on earth”.

There is good news for bus operators in Donegal with the news that they are to benefit a  rebate of up to 7.5 cent per litre of diesel. It was confirmed in Budget 13 that diesel rebates would be given to licenced hauliers from July of this year, today it was confirmed that a similar

Disposal household income per person in Donegal was more than 3,000 euro less than the national average in 2010. CSO figures published today show that once again Donegal has the lowest disposal income in the country at 16,106 euro per person, more than a thousand euro less than the next lowest, County Kerry. That figure

A-29-year-old man has been arrested in Buncrana in relation to a robbery in the town on Monday the night. Just after 7 o clock on Monday night a man armed with a knife entered Cullens Petrol Station on Cockhill Road and threatened a member of staff, he made off with an undisclosed sum of cash.

The HSE in Donegal is providing a series of self management courses for people with long term conditions and for carers of people with long term conditions that promote self care.  Self care means looking after yourself and your general health so that you can manage your life and not just your condition. Participants, to