Author name: oisinkelly

There were protests in Derry and Coleraine last night as unionists and loyalists voiced concern at the decision to remove the Union Flag from City Hall in Belfast. Up to 80 pople blocked the main Derry to Dungiven Road for around 20 minutes, while in Coleraine, there were protests outside the local council offices. Both […]

A school bus carrying 60 pupils has left the road near Moneymore in County Derry. There have been no reports of any injuries following the incident at Knockadoo Road and police are asking parents not to go to the scene as the road remains treacherous due to icy conditions.

The Mayor of Donegal says the the possibility of reinstating the tradition of sending the mayor to New York and Philadelphia for Saint Patrick’s Day is a bridge that should be crossed when the council comes to it. Cllr Frank Mc Brearty attended the Golden Bridges event in Boston last month, and will return to

Sinn Fein are holding a protest in Letterkenny today at lunchtime. The demonstration will be held at 1 o clock in Market Sqaure to coincide with the todays budget announcement. Cllr Jack Murray is calling on everyone to turnout at voice their concerns against the budget. Meanwhile, the Cant Pay Wont Pay Movement will be

Donegal Councillor Ciaran Brogan says it’s vital that the council reach out to tourism businesses and service providers ahead of The Gathering next year. He says while it has traditionally been very proactive, one area in which the council may be falling down is by not interacting enough with the trade. It’s important, Cllr Brogan

A Donegal County Cllr has said that a bridge in Letterbrick in Cloghan is an accident waiting to happen. It’s being reported that three lorries were stuck on the bridge on Monday for three hours. The bridge is on a busy road, and it’s too small for large vehicles to get over. Cllr Patrick McGowan

The Mayor of Donegal is to return to Boston for a celebration of the centenary of Tipp O’Neill next Sunday. Cllr Frank Mc Brearty attended the Golden Bridges event last month, the third mayor to do so, and during a comprehensive report on the trip, he informed members about the invitation to return. After a

Residents in Donegal are the least compliant in the country when it comes to paying the household charge – with just 55% paying so far. But those in a part of South Dublin are the most compliant when it comes to paying the household charge. 85 percent of those living in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown local

Donegal County Council has been told that tomorrow’s budget is likely to be one of the most cruel in living memory. Cllr Mick Quinn made the comment as the council passed a motion calling for no further cuts to student grants. He told the council that for many, the wheel has turned back to the

Workers at The Ostan Na Rosann Hotel Dungloe says they hope wages which they say are owed to them will be paid tomorrow. It was confirmed today that the hotel is to close for the winter season due to what management describe as ‘the current climate’ Management say the hotel will re-Open in the spring

Police in Derry are appealing for information after a car was stolen from the Ivy Terrace area following a creeper burglary at the weekend. The appeal comes as the SDLP express concern at what the party says is a spate of such burglaries in recent weeks. Police in the city say that sometime between 11

A Strategy which will set out the Social, Cultural and Economic Development of County Donegal for the next two years is being launched today. The emphasis of the strategy is on harnessing the county’s resources – its people, landscape and coastal waters. Its aim is to maximise the funding that is available within the county

The Ostan Na Rosann Hotel Dungloe has confirmed it is to close for the winter season due to what management describe as ‘the current climate’ In a post on it Facebook page, management say the hotel will re-Open in the spring apologising for any problems the temporary closure will cause for customers. The news comes

A Donegal County Councillor is seeking clarity on the impact the proposed take over of our water system may have on council employees and members of the public. Councillor Paul Canning says it is unclear what the implications will be for 187 council staff when ‘Irish Water’ takes over the provision of water in the

A Zimbabwean national has been fined £1300 and disqualified for three years after he was involved in a police chase through the streets of Derry in the early hours on Saturday morning. Bikani Sikwela (29) whose address was given as Muff in County Donegal admitted a series of driving offences including dangerous driving and drink

An Garda Síochána and the PSNI have launched their cross border Winter Road Safety Campaign on the Donegal / Derry border. Drivers are being warned of an unprecedented level of co-operation on both sides of the border and that if you drink and drive you will be caught. Garda Inspector Michael Harrison and PSNI’s Steve

Another unfinished housing estate in Donegal is facing losing its water supply due to an unpaid electricity bill. Airtricity says it is forced to charge the residents of the estate as it can no longer pursue the contractor who built the estate and installed the pump. The residents say they are caught in a catch

A number of events are planned across Donegal and west Tyrone  as part of a Disability Awareness Week which runs until the 7th of December. The series of events, jointly organised between Donegal County Council and Strabane District Council are along the theme of removing barriers to create an inclusive society for all. A full

An SDLP councillor is expressing concern at what he says is a spate of creeper style burglaries in Northlands area of the city, with two in the Grangemore and Ardgrange areas at the weekend. Councillor John Boyle says it’s vital that people ensure their homes are secure at all times of the day and night.

The family of a missing 71 year old man in Derry is becoming increasingly concerned for his well being. James O’Boyle from Galliagh Park was last seen at his home around 9:30am on Fri 30 Nov.  He is described as approx 6ft tall, of stocky build, grey hair and blue eyes.  When last seen James was

Donegal CLG Ard An Ratha €50,000 Donegal CLG Gleann Fhinne €50,000 Donegal CLG Iorras / Urris GAA Club €100,000 Donegal Clonleigh Social Services Ltd. €35,558 Donegal Cockhill Celtic Youth & Football Club €55,000 Donegal Coiste Forbartha Dhobhair Teo €5,500 Donegal Curragh Athletic Football Club €40,000 Donegal Donegal Bay Rowing Club €15,000 Donegal Donegal Mountain Rescue

Three lifeboats have been involved in a nine hour operation to being a stricken fishing vessel into Rathmullan. The crabber Mary Ellen, with five crew on board, lost power a mile-and-a-half off Fanad Head in the early afternoon yesterday in treacherous sea conditions. In an operation coordinated by Malin Head coastguard, the Lough Swilly lifeboat

More than half a million euro in grants have been allocated to various Donegal sports groups and organisations. A total of €840,00 was allocated from the Sports Capital Funding for the county by Minister Michael Ring. The biggest single allocation of €100,000 has been made to Dungloe GAA club while Letterkenny Community Centre received €90,000.

Sinn Fein has published legislation for a wealth tax on assets worth over a million euro. It wants the government to shift the burden of austerity away from low and middle income families, on to high earners. And it says it will oppose a property tax- it was reported in the Irish Independent earlier this

It’s been confirmed that Letterkenny Institute of Technology is extending their CoLab facility. Plans have been drawn up for a partnership between the North West Cross Border Region Group, the Northern Ireland Science Park, Letterkenny Institute of Technology and Ilex in Derry. The aim is to set up a regional Science Park campus, modeled on

The Manager of City of Derry Airport is calling for a £13 tax on all flights to and from Northern Ireland to be scrapped. The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee has said air passenger duty on short haul flights was a major stumbling block to rebuilding the NI economy. Such flights make up 98% of all

Sinn Fein says proposals to cut child benefit by ten euro in the budget would amount to taking clothes off the backs of children. The party has today published legislation for a wealth tax on assets worth over a million euro. It wants the government to shift the burden of austerity away from low an

Police in Derry are warning of some traffic delays tomorrow during the Apprentice Boys’ annual ‘Burning of Lundy Parade’ tomorrow. The events begin tonight when a cannon will be fired at midnight on Friday 30th November, during an initiation ceremony at the Memorial Hall. As well as the main parade in Derry, there will be

Cyber bullying is less likely to be noticed by an adult than traditional bullying. That’s one of the findings contained in a new report on bullying, which reveals 17 per cent of second level students have been victims of cyber bullying. The study by NUI Maynooth says one in ten students admitted carrying it out

A Fisheries Local Action Group, or FLAG, has been established by BIM to develop a strategy for the development of fishing communities in Donegal. The Northern regional ‘FLAG’ covers the Donegal coast from Ballyshannon to Muff, and includes representatives from the fisheries, community, county council and tourism sectors. BIM says the intention is to help

Police in Derry are appealing for information following a crash on the Victoria Road between Magheramason and Newbuildings at twenty to five yesterday afternoon. Police say a white Ford Transit van and a red Peugeot 106 were involved in the collision. Four people were taken to hospital and a 56 yr-old woman remains in a

An Grianan Theatre in Letterkenny has held a reception to highlight the work it is doing under the Peace 3 programme. The event coindiced with the end of a series of performances of the play ‘Bassam’, exploring the Israeli / Palestinian conflict. A series of other events has also taken place exploring themes of conflict

The Northerrn Ireland Fire and Rescue Service has released its preliminary report on the fire at Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry last Friday night. The investigation has indicated the fire started accidentally in a small room on the roof containing electrical equipment, near water storage tanks. The statement adds the fire did not start in the

Calls have been made on Donegal County Council to add roads that lead to the county’s filter houses to be added to the Councils gritting list to help ensure a continous water supply during the winter months. At this weeks council meeting, Councillor David Alcorn called for the road to the main county filter house

Donegal County Council will later today officially launch its new Winter Weather website. The website will show the Council’s gritting routes, outline its winter gritting policy and offer links to live updates which are provided through social media outlets such as Twitter. Stephen Flynn is a Senior Roads Engineer with the council, he says there

A Donegal South West Deputy has criticised the proposed property tax calling it ‘grossly unfair’. It was reported in today Irish Independent that most homeowners will pay between 200 and 400 euro. However, city dwellers will pay more than those living in rural areas. Deputy Thomas Pringle says the kite-flying has begun ahead of next

The Environmental Protection Agency says over 99% of public water supplies in Donegal comply with micro biological and chemical standards. Hoever, the agency’s water quality report for 2011 expresses concern at the poor water quality in many of the country’s private wells. According to the EPA figures, microbiological compliance in Donegal’s public schemes fell by

Members of the Donegal Mountain Rescue Team were put on standby last night after a search was launched for a missing girl in Gweedore. The 15 year old had been reported missing just after 11pm and a massive search involving Gardai and locals was launched in the Bunbeg area. The services of the Sligo Coastguard

One of Donegal’s top foresters has said it’s disingenious of the government to differentiate between the sale of state land and land under the control of Coilte. John Jackson claimed last month that over 1,000 acres of Coillte land outside Ballybofey has been put on sale. Since then, he says no-one will officially confirm that

Sinn Fein has launched proposals to tackle youth unemployment following the release of census figures recently showing that 49% of 18-25 year olds in Donegal are unemployed. In the EU, 22% of adults under 25 are unemployed but Donegal ranks alongside the likes of Spain and Greece which have 50% of 18-25 year olds without

There has been a broad welcome to the news that the Coastguard centre at Malin Head as well as those in Valentia and Dublin will remain open The news was confirmed last evening by the Minister for Transport who said the reviews into the coast guard services are ongoing. The minister said however that the

The Minister for Tourism, Sport and Transport has confirmed this afternoon that Malin Head Coastguard Station will not close. Malin Head Coastguard Station was under threat of closure following publication of the Fisher Report, which recommends a reduction in the number of coastguard stations. The report is still being considered by government but today Minister

A 39-year-old Derry man with over 470 convictions has been jailed today at Derry Magistrates Court. Eamon Lynch from Wesley Street, Derry, and who also has an address in Letterkenny admitted a series of road traffic offences in the city in 2010. The father-of-eight’s criminal record now stands at 472 convictions with almost 300 driving

Hundreds of LYIT students marched to Government Deputy Joe McHugh’s office in Letterkenny today protesting at grant delays and possible cuts to third-level education in the next week’s budget. Students fear that many may be forced to drop out of college if grants get lower and fees increase. Many students are still awaiting news on

The Department of the Environment has approved plan for a major science park on the site of the old army base at Fort George. It will be part of the North West Regional Science Park, which will have a second base at Letterkenny Institute of Technology. It’s hoped the venture could create up to 280

Divers have begun a serach in Donegal for what they believe could be some of the worlds rarest golf balls. The gutta percha balls they are searching for once belonged to golfing legend Tom Morris, who won the British Open four times. It’s believed that Tom Morris drove up to 20 golf balls into Lough

A Tyrone man who was questioned about events surrounding Constable Ronan Kerr’s murder last year has been released. The PSNI says he was released, unconditionally, late last night. The 39-year-old from Omagh was arrested yesterday over incidents related to last year’s killing, but not for murder. 25 year old Ronan Kerr was killed when a

A delegation of environmental campaigners from Moville is going back to Stormont next week to meet with Environment Minister Alex Attwood, after meeting earlier this week with Agriculture Minister Michelle O’ Neill. The group from the Campaign for a Clean Estuary outlined their concerns about the impact on the Foyle estuary from the proposed sewerage

Fianna Fail is hosting a public meeting in Glenties tomorrow night on the Common Agriculture Policy and the challenges facing the agriculture sector in Donegal and across the North West. Representatives from all the major farming organisations will be in attendance, with Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Agriculture Éamon Ó Cuív the guest speaker. The party

A Donegal County Councillor is warning that road funding for the county could be cut by even more than initially anticipated. It’s expected that the council’s road funding will be slashed by 15%, although there are worries that this could rise to 25%. Sinn Fein Cllr Marie Therese Gallagher says this is a short sighted