Author name: oisinkelly

The decision of the European Commission to approve changes prepared by the Department of Agriculture under the 2012 Disadvantaged Area Scheme has been described as most disappointing by Independent MEP Marian Harkin. Ms Harkin is calling for the new requirements for payments under the DAS to be interpreted in the most flexible way by the […]

It has been conformed that the Council has finalised land negotiations and works on the Trusk Road Footpath are due to commence shortly. The news will be welcomed by pedestrians and motorists who use the stretch of road, in particular the residents of the Weavers Estate who have been waiting for this footpath for 10

Donegal Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill claims the Government’ review of the Domiciliary Care Allowance has again targeted the families most in need of assistance. The Government instigated a review of the DCA towards the end of last year, which resulted in over half of the children with autism and severe intellectual disabilities losing their payments

55,815 people, the vast majority of them secondary school students, receive their Leaving Cert results today, just under 2,000 less than last year. A total of 2,046 people sat the Leaving Cert exams in Donegal in June – that is around 10% less than last year. Last year more females than males sat the exam

A salvage operation is being planned after a truck carrying building materials went into the sea off Owey Island pier yesterday afternoon. It had been previously reported that the building materials were for a home owned by Daniel and Majella O’Donnell – but Dan Gallagher, who is renovating a property on the island, says the

The holders of the  two winning tickets for the Lotto Plus 2 draw from last Saturday each collected their separate prizes of €250,000 in Dublin today. Pat O’Hagan from Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, a retired Post Office worker, said he was ‘delighted’ to collect his Lotto Plus 2 prize of €250,000 today. He bought his ticket

It was a happy afternoon in National Lottery offices today when the holders of the two winning tickets for the Lotto Plus 2 draw from last Saturday (11 August 2012) each collected their separate prizes of €250,000. Pat O’Hagan from Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, a retired Post Office worker, said he was ‘delighted’ to collect his

North West MEP Jim Higgins fears the refusal of the Garda Commissioner to give the AG in the North access to a report into the death of Donegal woman Sinead Mc Daid may have an impact on cross border cooperation, and set a worrying precedent. Speaking to Highland Radio News today, Jim Higgins said the

It is being suggested that a lack of communication from the Ireland manager with Shay Given may have accelerated his decision to quit international soccer. With a glittering career for Ireland behind him, Shay Given took the unusual step of announcing he was quitting international football via twitter. The 36-year-old Lifford man, who won 125

North West MEP Jim Higgins says a decision by the Garda Commissioner not to facilitate a new inquest into the death of a 22 year old Donegal woman in 2001 is “bizarre and illogical”. The Attorney General in the North is being asked to open a fresh inquest into the death of Sinead Mc Daid

Ireland’s most capped player, Shay Given has announced his decision to retireme from international football. The 36-year-old won 125 caps for his country over a 16-year career. The Lifford man described it as “a most difficult decision” but has told the FAI that he would be willing to come out of retirement to help his

A Donegal Sinn Fein Councillor says Environment Minister Phil Hogan must rethink the cutting of Donegal County Council’s share of the Local Government Fund to reflect the low level of Household Charge compliance. Cllr Marie Therese Gallagher says a comparison of the compliance figures with the CSO’s annual disposable income statistics show that the higher

The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht is seeking expressions of interest from people interested in being appointed to the board of Údarás na Gaeltachta. The deadline for applications is Friday next, the 17th of August. There has been strong opposition in Donegal to thje changes. Elections to the board have been scrapped, with

There were 13 arrests in Derry over the weekend in relation to public order offences in the city during and after the August Apprentice Boys Parade. Petrol bombs were thrown in the Bogside last night and on Saturday, but no major incidents have been reported and the parade passed off peacefully. Six juvenilles have been

The manager of the Irish athletics team says he believes sprinter Usain Bolt is coming to Donegal. Patsy Mc Gonagle was speaking on today’s Shaun Doherty from Heathrow Airport as the team preares to return home. Inevitably, the issue of a Bolt visit arose after Highland Radio’s Sunday Sports programme got to speak with the

A man’s been arrested and charged after two men were hit by a car in Portnoo in the early hours of yesterday morning. The incident happened at 3am, when the car mounted a ditch, hitting the two men. Both men were brought to hospital with minor injuries, one was discharged yesterday morning, the other earlier

A Derry Councillor says the Culmore area needs investment to tackle antisocial behaviour in the area, with all community facilities being concentrated on Inner Shantallow, and Culmore being left out of the loop. It follows a weekend arson attack which saw a 70 year old hut at the Lough Foyle Yacht Club set alight. Last

Ten petrol bombs were thrown in the Bogside area of Derry last night with children as young as seven reported to be present in the area at the time. There were a total of ten arrests in Derry over the weekend after the annual Apprentice Boys August parade passed off without major incident on Saturday.

There’s been another incident of crime in the Newtowncunningham area, this time in a Chinese Takeaway. At around 8.20 last night, it’s reported two men in their late 20s arrived at the City Chinese takeaway with their faces partially covered, one remained in the vehicle whilst the other entered the takeaway armed with an knife

Four men have been arrested after petrol bombs were thrown in Co. Derry. It happened last night in the Bogside and Lecky road area. The trouble came after the annual Apprentice Boys Parade in the city, which had passed off without major incident earlier in the day. There were 6 arrests, five males and one

The Divisional Controller at Malin head Marine Rescue Centre says he’s hopeful that when determining the future of the base, Transport Minister Leo Varadkar will bear in mind successes such as yesterday’s rescue on Lough Swilly. A man who was swept out to sea from Five Fingers Strand was brought on board the Lougn Swilly

The cost of medicine in the north versus the south is back in the spotlight again with claims that private patients in Donegal and other Border counties are crossing to buy their prescription drugs much cheaper. It is estimated that heart patients who don’t have medical cards can save up to €80 on a month’s

The annual Apprentice Boys of Derry parade will take place today, with significant traffic disruptions possible. Police say this is the largest loyal order parade in Northern Ireland with 15,000 people and 140 bands expected this year. Diversions will be put in place from around 10.30am in various points around the city centre, and traffic

Police in Derry are appealing for information following a suspicious approach made to a 10 year old girl in the Ballymagroarty area last night, Thursday 9th August. Sometime between 9.30pm and 10pm, as the girl was playing in a green area behind Ennis Place in the vicinity of the Community Centre she was approached by

A rescue operation is over on Lough Swilly this afternoon after a man taken from the sea onto the Lough Swilly Lifeboat and airlifted to Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry. The rescue was coordinated by the Malin Head Marine Rescue Centre, which is potentially facing closure following a review earlier this year. Joe Joyce of the

Rescue update – man airlifted and brought to Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry. Audio from RNLI to follow.

A rescue operation is ongoing in Lough Swilly this afternoon after a man was washed out to sea off the Five Fingers Strand in Inishowen. A number of units were tasked, including the Lough Swilly Inshore Lifeboat and Greencastle Coastguard A woman with binoculars on the Isle of Doagh guided the lifeboat to where the

There’s been a glimmer of hope that the bus service that took outpatients from Donegal to Dublin could be restored. Francis Marley, owner of the coach company in Cloghan, held a special meeting with a top HSE executive in Donegal this morning. He presented a set of figures to show the service, stopped two weeks

County Councillor Dessie Larkin has said he will co-operate fully with Donegal County Council after they recieved documentation claiming he was involved in alleged expenses irregularities. The anonymous correspondence sent to Donegal County Council claims that he may have pocketed expenses for two conferences that were going on at the same time in 2006. Details

Two men who allegedly abused and insulted tourists of three different nationalities in what was described as ‘a disgraceful incident’ have been remanded in custody at Derry Magistrate’s Court. 19 year old Ryan Sharkey of 11, Jasmin Court and 20 year old Ruarai Canning of 42, Southend Park were charged with two counts of disorderly

Donegal North East Deputy Padraig Mac Lochlainn has accused government officials of pursuing a vindictive campaign against the Lough Swilly Marina in Fahan. In a letter to Minister Simon Coveney, he says far from supporting the only successful marina in North Donegal, officials are trying to block its development. Deputy Mac Lochlainn says the government decision to

The owners of the old Adria factory in Strabane are being urged to secure the site and ensure access cannot be gained to the compound. Cllr Patsy Kelly made the call after the fire service fought to bring an intense blaze under control yesterday morning after tyres hidden in the undergrowth on the site were

There are reports that several people are without telephone coverage at present because thieves have stolen the copper telephone wires. It’s the latest in a series of such thefts, which have been concentrated in the Fanad area over the past two years. Tirconaill Tribune Editor John Mc Ateer has been writing about this phenomenon, and

Police and fire crews were called after a number of tyres which were being stored in undergrowth for use in bonfires were set ablaze, very close to the nearby residential area of Ashgrove Park. Local Cllr Patsy Kelly says the fire appears to have been started by people using the abandoned site as a drinking

Sinn Fein is calling on Irish emigrants in Australia to get involved in politics at home. The party’s Finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty is travelling to Australia to meet with the Irish diaspora in Perth, Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra. Donegal South West Deputy Doherty says the trip has been timed to coincide with the run up

Corner shops across Donegal are struggling to stay open because of high bank charges. And trade is down by more than 15% according to Chief Executive of the Convenience Stores and Newsagents Association. Vincent Jennings said local shop owners are facing a huge uphill battle to stay open. Speaking on todays Shaun Doherty Show he

Several thousand spectators are in County Donegal today for the start of the Irish National Sheep Dog trials. Organisers say the competitions are an exciting spectacle. The 2012 trials are being held at Glebe Farm on the grounds of Castle McGrath in Pettigo from today to 11 August. About 150 competitors are aiming to qualify

The Manager of the City of Derry Airport has welcomed news that a new route to Lanzarote from the City of Derry Airport has been included in Falcon Holidays summer sun schedule for 2013. Damien Tierney says the addition of Lanzarote as a sun destination for passengers in the North West was a significant boost

A bird-watching facility at Fort George beside the River Foyle in Derry has been destroyed in an arson attack. The vandals struck sometime between Tuesday night and yesterday morning, torching the wooden structure. It is thought that those responsible for the damage may have doused the area in petrol before setting it alight. The bird-watching

Sinn Fein’s Finance spokesperson has described a row between the Ceann Comhairle and Independent TD Luke Ming Flanagan as “political banter”. Deputy Flanagan hit out at Sean Barrett’s Dail chairmanship in a newspaper article. The Labour Party Chief Whip Emmet Stagg has said the comments were out of order. But Sinn Fein’s Pearse Doherty says

The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association has described as “lunacy” proposed changes to the assessments of third level maintenance grants. It’s thought that the changes may see productive assets, such as farmland and machinery, being included in the means testing of the grants. The I-C-S-A says it’s worried such changes could result in children

The Donegal IFA has said the farming community will not tolerate any changes which would result in children from low income farm families being excluded from third level grants. There are concerns that productive assets, such as farmland, will be included in the assessment of third level maintenance grants. Farmers claim the existing system already

Donegal looks set to be bathed in wall-to-wall sunshine for the rest of this week, sending temperatures soaring. Forecasts for the next few days are for bright, sunny skies with barely a cloud in sight. And temperatures are set to reach the mid 20’s on Friday. But sun-lovers should make the most of the warm

The bellboy at Legends Hotel who disappeared from Mauritius before he could give evidence at Michaela McAreavey’s murder trial has returned to the island to speak with detectives involved in the new probe into her death. Police were under pressure to speak with Rajiv Bhujun, who was with her husband John McAreavey when he discovered