Author name: oisinkelly

Some Donegal groups remain thousands of euro out of pocket since the collapse of MFG over a year ago. MFG was a partnership company involved in implementing Leader funding for schemes in Gaeltacht regions around the country. The limited company collapse in September last year. It was claimed in the Seanad today, that some groups […]

The current Junior Certificate examination process is to be phased out over the next eight years. It will be replaced with continuous assessements and a test carried out by individual schools – rather than a State exam. The radical shake-up of the system – announced by the Education Minsiter Ruairi Quinn this afternoon – was

The Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications are to hold a hearing with the Irish Coast Guard at the end of the month on the Fisher Report. The Fisher Report, released in July this year, cast doubt over the future of Malin Head and Valentia Coastguard Stations. The decision to hold the hearing follows the

There’s good news on the jobs front for Letterkenny today with the news that Easons are opening a new store in the town. The new store will open in Letterkenny Shopping Centre in November, with the creation of 10 new jobs. The franchise already as an existing shop in the Courtyard Shopping Centre in the town. Spokesperson

A former harbour master has brought a High Court action alleging he was unfairly dismissed from his job following allegations of wrongdoing made by former Tánaiste Mary Coughlan. Patrick J Kelly was dismissed as harbour master of Killybegs harbour, after an investigation into complaints about the performance of his duties. Mr Kelly, from Drumrooske, Donegal

Two men have gone on trial charged with racially aggravated murder after a 57-year-old Donegal man died of severe injuries earlier this year in Scotland. 20-year-old Asif Rehman, and 19-year-old Adel Ishaq, are accused of punching, kicking and stamping on William McKeeney in a prolonged attack just yards from his home in Pollokshields, Glasgow. 57-year-old

A reward of up to £5,000 is being offered for information on an armed robbery at a post office in Co Derry earlier this year. Two armed robbers escaped with money from the Culmore Post Office earlier this summer. Two armed robbers entered the branch in the village of Culmore on 9 July, threatening the

Claims by the Social Development Minister in the North that there is no need for more social housing funding for Derry have been branded a ‘disgrace’. Minister Nelson McCausland was warned that there were cases of two and three families in Derry sharing single homes because of the social housing shortage in the city. The

The Taoiseach says the development of wind energy off our Atlantic coast holds huge potential for developing the Irish economy. Speaking in Brussels, Enda Kenny said plans are well advanced to launch an integrated marine strategy to take full advantage of Ireland’s off-shore resources. He said he’s hopeful EU President Manuel Barrosso will launch the

Plans by the Health Service Executive to reduce Home Help hours by 1500 per week up to the end of this year are been described as “Financial Madness”. Sinn Fein Donegal County Councillor Mick Quinn is hitting out at the decision. Councillor Quinn says the Home Help Service is the best value for money service

The IFA’s national treasurer says rising costs, coupled with the weather over the summer, continue to put substantial pressure on farmers. JJ Kavanagh attended a meeting of the association’s Donegal executive last night. Speaking to Greg Hughes on today’s Shaun Doherty Show, Mr Kavanagh said farmers will be doing well to break even this year………….

Alcohol problems have been identified as the “number one issue in Ireland” by Donegal Deputy Thomas Pringle. He made his comments during a Dail debate on a technical grouop motion calling for more investment in addiction services. Deputy Pringle said when he was a child, sweets were on display beside the checkout in shops, now

A charity that assists the homeless is looking for 25 volunteers – to sleep rough in Letterkenny. The North West Simon community is looking for people aged over 18 to participate in its annual charity ‘Street Sleep’ in the town this Friday. Last year’s event proved a huge success with volunteers braving the elements to

The surge in burglaries in the Northern Garda Region this year emphasises the need to protect community garda resources, according to a Donegal North-East Deputy. According to the latest CSO crime statistics, there was an 18.3% increase in burglaries in the Northern Region in the year to the end of June. The Northern region includes

A Donegal Deputy has hit out at the Governments failure to create jobs here in the county. The latest figures from the CSO show that between 26% and 30% of the working population in Donegal are out of work. Hundreds have also emmigrated from the County in recent years. Donegal North-East Deputy, Padraig MacLochlain, speaking

30 jobs have been lost in County Derry after the closure of JJB Sports stores in Derry and Coleraine. Only three stores, including the branch on the Strand Road in Derry, are staying open after being sold to the Sports Direct company. Twenty-eight jobs have been saved at the Strand Road branch. Meanwhile, figures released

A public meeting will take place at Malin Head on Friday night to highlight what local campaigners say are serious problems with the report which recommends that the Malin Hed Coastguard Station be closed. Marine Consultant and former Foyle Fisheries Co-op Manager Seamus Bovaird says the report’s authors did not consult with the fishing industry

A public meeting is to take place on Saturday week to discuss anti-social behaviour in the Keadue, Belcruit and Kincasslagh area. There have been two meetings involving gardai, the HSE and local community groups, with spokesperson Michael Mc Giolleaspaig saying that it is now time for the public to be brought into the discussion. He

The Trade Union Impact is hosting a meeting of Home Help workers in Letterkenny tonight to discuss plans to cut hours from the service. The union’s North West Spokesperson Richie Carrothers says the proposals, as they stand, will compromise the health and well being of the most vulnerable in society. Just over three years ago,

A man who decided to visit his brother in Letterkenny Hospital at 5 in the morning after being out drinking ended up crashing his car a short distance from his home. 20-year-old Aaron Moore of 51, Leafair Park in Derry appeared at Derry Magistrate’s Court yesterday charged with failing to report an accident, driving with

Donegal’s footballers will take part in a major fundraiser in memory of Michaela McAreavey next month. Jim McGuinness’s men go up against a selection of Ulster stars as the main attraction of the “Match for Michaela – A Festival with Football,” details of which were announced by Ulster GAA yesterday. The event, which will be

It’s emerged the unoccupied house which was apparently set on fire on the Long Lane in Letterkenny this morning had been damaged in an arson attack six months ago. There was nobody in the building at the time today’s fire was reported at around 7 o’clock this morning. Gardai have confirmed the cause of the

Gardai expect it will be later this afternoon before they can enter the scene of a house fire on the Long Lane in Letterkenny this morning. We understand there was nobody in the building at the time the fire was reported at around 7 o’clock this morning. The blaze was put out by fire fighters,

It’s reported today that the 22 year old man who was critically injured when his microlight plane went down yesterday is now out of danger. The Buncrana based pilot was attempting to land at Ruskey Airfield between Convoy and Castlefin at around lunchtime yesterday when the plane crash landed. John Kilpatrick, the owner of the

Sinn Fein are holding a demonstration in Dublin to protest against the handing over of a further one billion euro to unsecured AIB bondholders today. Donegal Deputy Pearse Doherty, the party’s Finance Spokesperson says people need to realise that this is why HSE services are being cut and people’s standards of living are being compromised.

House prices around the country are continuing to fall. Daft-dot-i-e has released figures which show that asking prices dropped by over 3 per cent between July and September – down 14 per cent from the same period last year. In Donegal, the average asking price was largely stable between June and September, falling by just

The Chairperson of the Alternative A5 Alliance has backed calls for any upgrade of the A5 to finish around Strabane, with the final leg of the improvements to be brought through Donegal. John Dunbar says with most traffic on the route heading for the cityside of Derry, it seems impractical to bring the new dual

Gardai and the Fire Service are at the scene of a house fire on the Long Lane in Letterkenny. We understand the fire was reported at around 7 o’clock, and the building is badly damaged. There are no reports of any injuries. Gardai have confirmed the cause of the fire is under investigation, but it’s

A 29-year-old man has been charged with the murder of Eugene Gillespie in Sligo. Simon McGinley of Connaughton Road, in Sligo appeared at a special sitting of Carrick-on-Shannon District Court this afternoon charged with killing the 67-year-old at Old Market Street over a week ago. Mr Mc Ginley handed himself into police on Friday night

A 22 year old man has been airlifted to hospital after his 2-seater plane crashed in the county earlier today. He was the pilot and sole occupant of the aircraft, which went down at Kilpatrick between Convoy and Castlefin in high winds. Accident and emergency services were rushed to the scene at about 1.30 this

The Donegal Action Against Austerity Group have expressed their disappointment today after the Environment Minister didn’t show up for a meeting at the Mount Errigal Hotel last night. It was believed that Phil Hogan would at some stage attend a meeting of the Local Authority Members Association at the hotel last night. Around 40 members

Gardaí in Donegal are investigating a suspected hit and run. It’s after the body of a man was found on the N15 road – close to Ballyshannon town. At about twenty to one this morning the body of the man – aged in his 40s – was found on the carriageway of the N15 at

Gardai continue to hunt those behind vandalism in Letterkenny in the early hours of yesterday morning which saw houses having their front door locks super glued shut. 28 residents in the Ballymacool area of Letterkenny awoke on Thursday morning to find super glue had been inserted in to the front door locks, at least one

Donegal’s All Ireland winning footballers are to be given a civic reception by Donegal County Council. County Mayor Cllr Frank Mc Brearty says he will formally propose at the next council meeting that the players, management team and representatives of the County Board be honoured by November at the latest. It’s a formality which will

The Alternative A5 Alliance says it had no choice but to initiate a legal challenge into the proposed dualling project on the route between Aughnacloy and Newbuildings. Chairperson John Dunbar told Highland Radio News today that they don’t believe their voices were heard during the statutory process, and nobody should be surprised that they took

Garda Community Safety Week continues with a warning to home owners to ensure their oil tanks are secure as we head in to the colder months. There has been an increase in the theft of home heating oil across the north west in recent years and as the price of oil continues to rise, gardai

A solicitor for former hunger striker Marian Price has told Derry Magistrate’s Court that his client was too ill to appear and that her condition is not expected to improve. The 57 year old who is charged under her married name of Marian McGlinchey, from Stockman’s Avenue in Belfast was charged along with 3 others

A spokesperson for the Alternative A5 Alliance says they cannot be blamed for the potential loss of millions of pounds in funding for the A5 upgrade. Work on the construction of a dual carriageway on to stretches of the route was to have begun next month, but has been delayed because the alliance has launched

The Donegal Team is on the final leg of its tour of Donegal. The team’s journey has been revised. Prolonged stops will only be made in Malin, Buncrana and Glenswilly. The team is due to stop briefly in Newtowncunningham around 5.30pm and then Burt, Muff, Moville,Carndonagh and Urris. It is not clear at this point

A Raphoe farming family has been left shocked after two of their calves where savagely killed and eaten in a mysterious overnight attack. The family checked the stock on Wednesday morning to find two calves dead – most of the meat of the animals had been eaten and such was the force of the attack,

The Donegal Action Against Austerity Group says they plan on holding a protest at the Mount Errigal Hotel tomorrow (Friday) as they understand Minister for the Environment will be attending a meeting there. While it hasn’t been independently confirmed, the group believe Phil Hogan will at some stage attend a meeting of the Local Authority

The decision by the HSE to cut over 25,000 home help hours across Donegal between now and the end of the year is likely to cause severe hardship for many in the county. That’s according to the IMPACT Trade Union are saying that the cuts will effect the sick and the elderly most. The cuts

A directive to prevent gardaí from speaking out about station closures has been branded as “outrageous” by Donegal North-East Deputy Padraig MacLochlain. A directive from Garda Commissoner Martin Callinan that forbids members of An Garda Siochana from using their influence to lobby public representatives regarding any decision on proposed closures has been challenged in the

As part of Garda Community Safety Week Donegal Gardai are advising people living on their own, particularly the elderly, to not allow callers they don’t know into their homes. There have been a number of cases in Donegal in recent weeks where callers have attempted to gain access to homes under false pretences. There is

A Donegal Labour Senator has said that the resignation of Junior Health Minister Roisin Shortall was the result of a clash of personalities. Minister Shortall resigned her position, and the Labour Party whip last night, over what she says is a lack of support for reforms promised in the Programme for Government. Difficulties between Minister

Problems with Saorview coverage in the Quigley’s Point area, after the Digital switch over, have been raised in the Dáil. A number of residents in the East Inishowen area will not be able to pick-up digital TV through their existing aerial and face the increased cost of the service via satellite. But raising the issue,

The future of a potential deal on Ireland’s bank debt is in question – after Germany, Finland and the Netherlands have appeared to row back on the agreement made earlier this year. They’ve issued a joint statement saying Europe’s ESM fund should only be used to deal with current difficulties, and it should not apply

The Environment Minister is under fire, after giving assurances to some of his constituents in Co. Kilkenny that a Traveller family wouldn’t be housed in their locality. A spokesperson for Phil Hogan has told the Irish Daily Mail that a letter on the matter was sent from his constituency office, signed on his behlaf by

Jim McGuinness’s wife Yvonne was paid a special tribute in court today(Wed) for her husband’s triumph with Donegal. Mother of three Ms McGuinness was back at work as a solicitor for the first day after Donegal beat Mayo in the All-Ireland final. Judge Paul Kelly was at Glenties District Court in Jim McGuinness’s home town.