Author name: oisinkelly

The latest unemployment figures for July show a month on month increase on those signing on the live register in Donegal. There were 23,223 on the register last month an increase of 307 on the previous month. Year on year there was a fall of 761 but many people put that down to emigration due […]

343 complaints over the last five years have been made to Donegal County Council by people living in local authority owned estates or properties. The complaints cover a range of matters such as dogs, late night parties, children’s behaviour, graffiti and backyard burning. The council has 25 applications for transfer where anti-social behaviour is seen

An Bord Pleanala has rejected plans for the development of St Eunan’s college in Letterkenny, upholding an objection lodged by a local residents association. The plans included the demolition of the1979 annexe to the rear of the school and the existing gymnasium to be replaced by a new 900 pupil school building on three floors

Frost, Rain and Blight experienced this year so far is putting increasing pressure on Donegal’s potato farmers. That is according the IFA which says  the poor conditions will inevitably drive up the price of the product to the consumer. The Irish Farmers Association was responding to media claims that Donegal potato farmers are damaging their

The Department of the Environment is seeking an independent planning expert to examine its internal review of alleged planning irregularities published last June. The review of complaints about planning in seven local authority areas found “deficiencies” but no evidence of corruption or abuse of public office by officials. The internal review was criticised as a

Three teenagers from Donegal last night received leadership certificates during a gala ceremony in Dublin. Michael McGlynn, Laura Knox and Shaun McMenamin where among a group of nine from the Northwest that took part in the 4th Annual Foróige Albert Schweitzer Leadership for Life Conference which was attended by 270 young delegates from around the

The salmon fishing season on two Donegal rivers has been extended due to poor weather and floods. In a statement released today, it was announced the annual closed season for salmon and sea trout using a draft net, which came into operation yesterday, is to be extended until midnight on the 14th August in a

A 47-year-old man has been described as a hero after six children were rescued off the coast of Donegal today. The man, who is an uncle of some of the children, helped five of the group to safety. He himself was then taken to Letterkenny General Hospital as a precaution. The children were believed to

An emergency meeting of Bundoran Town Council was held this afternoon in response to AIB’s announcement last week that it is to close its branch in the town. Bundoran is one of 8 of the banks branches in Donegal which are set to close before the end of next year. Following other meetings in the

Staff at Donegal VEC have expressed their shock and sorrow following the news that acting CEO Mary Ann Kane passed away earlier today. Mary Ann Kane lost her battle against illness, leaving those who knew her shocked and saddened. The Administration Offices of Donegal VEC in Letterkenny will be closed tomorrow as a mark of

Emergency services were called to assist a group of children that got into difficulty off the coast of Portnoo in Donegal in the last hour. The coastguard lifeboat and helicopter were alerted to the incident near Loughros Point just before 3 o’clock this afternoon. According to Arranmore RNLI, three of the children got into diffculty

The Irish Farmers Association in Donegal are denying that potatoes are being sold for more than they should be. It’s been claimed today that a bag of potatoes weighing 7lbs cost 5 euro, that’s at least 2 euro more than the same bag could be bought for in most shops. It was also claimed that

An inquest into the death of Donegal born journalist Eugene Moloney has been put back until the conclusion of a criminal trial. The 55 year old received a blow to the head while walking home on Camden Street in Dublin city centre in the early hours of the morning on June 24th. Dublin City Coroner

A polish woman living in Donegal has described a Judge’s comments as a generalisation and unfair. It comes after Judge Mary Devins compared the social welfare system to a charity for Polish people, at Castlebar District Court last Friday. In a statement last night, she apologised for the remarks, saying they were intended to be

Gardai are searching for two six-ft men who mugged a local on a cliff-top walk in Bundoran. The victim, aged 20, was attacked in broad daylight as he patrolled a popular walk alone in the west end of the town. Gardai said he was threatened, then viciously assaulted and forced to produce his wallet and

Donegal Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill has called on the Health Minister James Reilly to justify a HSE taxi bill of over €28 million last year, while axing a bus for Donegal patients that cost less than €100,000. The HSE confirmed a 10% increase in taxi costs in 2011. The bill for staff taxis alone was

Donegal County Council is preparing to tender for legal services after the issue was highlighted by the auditor who examined the authority’s accounts for last year. No major problems were uncovered, but a number of issues of concern were raised by the auditor. According to the audit, retrospective approval was received for approximately 21,000 purchase

As parents scrimp together the costs of getting their children back to school there is a warning that the bills will keep coming throughout the year. Two surveys this week – by Barnardos and the National Consumer Agency –  have indicated that stretched household incomes are making it increasingly difficult to meet the costs of

A circus scrapped its appearance in a seaside town last night(Wed) because it couldn’t get council permission to use an emergency site. Courtney Circus sought permission to use Bundoran town centre car park when a sodden field which was pre-booked proved unsuitable for crowd safety. Circus bosses hoped they would be given a seafront car-park

The Co-operating for Cancer Care Northwest has again moved to distance itself from Donegal Action for Cancer Care this time over media coverage of the Relay for Life event. Last week concerns were expressed by the head of DACC, Betty Holmes over where the money would be spent. At the time Ms Holmes stated that

Donegal will be the worst hit county in Ireland by cuts to services, according to a Sinn Fein County Cllr. Cllr Jack Murray has slammed the decision by Minister Phil Hogan to cut a further €4million from Donegal County Council’s Local Government Fund, stating that the authority will be no longer able to provide services

A victim of the 1972 Claudy bombings has said she wants to meet Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness, to ask the former IRA leader for answers on the atrocity. Yesterday marked the 40th anniversary of the attacks which killed nine people. Marjorie Leslie, who survived the bombs, told the BBC she wanted a face-to-face meeting with

A group of scientists who examined Lough Foyle at the weekend say they witnessed gross raw sewage pollution which is being blamed for destroying very rare marine life found in the area. The scientists from Germany, Italy, Spain and Canada described seeing a brown sludge which in the Lough which is being blamed for killing

The Donegal Action Against Austerity has made an appeal to Inishowen and the wider Donegal area for free legal advice. The group is calling on any solicitors out there who support Donegal Action Against Austerity to assist in its campaign against the Household Tax and the ‘septic tank’ debacle. They are also seeking the help

Met Eireann figures show that for most weather stations, last month was the coolest July in at least 10 to 24 years. Malin Head reported an average temperature of 13 degrees, that’s its coolest July in 40 years. Rainfall was above average nearly everywhere except at Finner in south Donegal which reported a long-term average

A Donegal native has taken over as president of the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland. Gerry Breslin – a business and maths teacher at Colaiste Cholmcille in Ballyshannon – says his key priorities for the coming year are protecting the education service from further cutbacks and improving the pay and conditions of recently qualified

A renowned exhibition based around the events of 9/11 and its aftermath will be in Donegal for the 11th anniversary of the event next month. Donegal County Council has agreed to do all it can to facilitate the Ground Zero 360 exhibition at the Regional Cultural Centre in Letterkenny. During the event, tributes will be

The country’s biggest second-level teachers’ union – the ASTI – gets a new President today. Gerry Breslin  has stated that his key priorities for the coming year are protecting the education service from further cutbacks and improving the pay and conditions of recently qualified second-level teachers. Commenting after his appointment, the Bundoran native committed to

Waste collectors in Donegal are being told they must make alternative arrangements after the sole remaining landfill site in the county closed for the final time yesterday. Meanwhile, the County Council is warning people who misuse bottle banks that monitoring is being increased, and a number of prosecutions are already being pursued. Twenty years ago,

The government will today move to formally ratify the European Stability Treaty. It follows the failure of a legal challenge by Indpendent Donegal TD Thomas Pringle. Yesterday the Supreme Court ruled that the European Stability Mechanism is fully compatible with the Constitution – paving the way for ratification of the treaty. The Government will today

The Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, Martin McGuinness, has said the Claudy bombings of 1972 were “indefensible and appalling”. Today the 40th anniversary of the IRA bombings in which nine people were killed. The Sinn Fein minister said the deaths and injuries were wrong and should not have happened. He said they should motivate

Fianna Fail is reacting angrily to a suggestion from Cllr John Campbell that the party will capitulate if it comes to voting on cuts to reflect a 13% reduction in Donegal County Council’s funding from government. SF and Cllr Campbell say the council shouldn’t do Phil Hogan’s dirty work, and should, if necessary, force him

A West Tyrone MLA says he believes work can begin on the upgrade of the A5 within two months, with two stretches being started, one linking Strabane and Newbuildings, the other linking Ballygawley and Omagh. It follows the green light for the project this morning from the North’s Regional Development MInister Danny Kennedy following the

The Supreme Court has refused to stop the Government from ratifying the ESM Treaty. The challenge against the treaty which provides for a permanent bail out mechanism was brought by Independent TD Thomas Pringle. The court has rejected his claim that the treaty involves a transfer of sovereignty that makes it incompatible with the constitution.

Regional Development Minister, Danny Kennedy, today announced his decision to proceed with two stretches of the A5 Western Transport Corridor dual carriageway project. This follows consideration of the Inspector’s Report into the A5 Public Inquiry, which was held last year. The Inspector’s Report and the Department’s Statement on the way forward have now been released.

NAMA has listed 16 Donegal properties  as the subject of enforcement orders with 12 available from the National Asset Management Agency for sale. The agency is offering land, houses, golf courses and a nursing home for sale in Donegal. NAMA has revamped its website giving the public access to crucial details including prices and pictures

An Independent Councillor in Donegal is predicting a fudge if a special meeting is called in September to discuss a 13% reduction in Donegal County Council’s local government funding. If there isn’t a major upsurge in Household Charge payments, then the council may have to agree spending cuts to reflect the loss of just over

Donegal County Council has backed a motion rejecting any move to introduce abortion in Ireland. Cllr Rena Donaghey moved the motion that the council act in keeping with the will of the Irish people as emphatically expressed in the referendum of 1983. Cllr John Campbell moved an amendment that the referenda of 1992 and 2002

Controversial plans for a change use from industrial unit to end of life vehicle and scrap metal recycling facility in Letterkenny have been given the go ahead by An Bord Pleanala. There was a similar type application from Kelvin McElhinney in 2010. On that occasion, permission was granted for retention, but overturned by An Bord

Donegal County Council is to lobby for the reintroduction of the bus service for Donegal patients attending appointments at hospitals in Dublin. The motion, signed by a cross party group of councillors, calls for a meeting with Minister James Reilly. Cllr Gerry Crawford, one of the signatories of the motion, says rather than refer to

The Supreme Court is to rule on whether to grant an order stopping the Government from ratifying the ESM treaty, which provides for a permanent bail out mechanism. The challenge has been brought by Independent TD Thomas Pringle, who disputes the urgency of ratification. His lawyers argued that Germany won’t sign off on the Treaty,

People with big houses could have to fork out more for the upcoming property tax. According to the Irish Independent, the government’s considering imposing a so-called ‘super property tax’ on those with large, expensive homes. An expert report on a property tax was handed over to the Environment Minister Phil Hogan last month. It’s understood

A man has appeared in court in Derry charged with assaulting, kidnapping and falsely imprisoning his wife of ten days. Martin McDonagh, 21, from Iskaheen View in the Waterside, denies the allegations. The city’s magistrates’ court heard that the incident is alleged to have happened on Saturday. A police officer told the court that police

Donegal County Council is to seek a deputation to Environment Minister Phil Hogan in the wake of the 13% reduction in the county’s share of the Local Government Fund. Meanwhile, the council is expected to meet in special session September to decide what adjustments need to be made to the budget. Donal Kavanagh is in

A recovering alcoholic who raped his partner on the day they bought an engagement ring together has been sentenced to eight years. The accused pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to rape, aggravated sexual assault and assault of the woman in their Donegal home on August 17, 2008. Mr Justice Paul Carney sentenced the

Donegal County Council has been told its allocation from the Local Government Fund is to be cut by 13% to reflect the number of people in the county who haven’t paid the Household Charge. A letter from the Department of the Environment and Local Government circulated to members today says the initial grant of just

Donegal Olympian Chloe Magee has been reacting to Bill O’Herlihy’s controversial comments made after her opening badminton group game in the London Olympics. Speaking on RTE the veteran broadcaster stated that when he was growing up badminton was “considered a Protestant sport.” Chloe Magee spoke earlier on the Shaun Doherty Show – she said that

A section of the railway linking Belfast and Derry – has been closed for the next nine months. The track between Derry and Coleraine is closed for major engineering works and will not reopen until April 2013. A replacement bus service is in place for those using that part of the line. The closure will

A farm-worker who has rarely been outside Donegal and who has never been in Dublin, is more than half-way through a 320-kilometre charity  tractor run. 41 year-old Alan Robb from Raphoe has been leading a five-strong convoy of 60-year-old tractors out of Maynooth aiming to reach Donegal today. Alan, who collects vintage tractors, bought his

Emergency meetings are being called for Gweedore and Bundoran this week following the decision by AIB last week to close 8 of its rural branches in Donegal. Business leaders have claimed that decision has been ill thought out – AIB says there will be extra services provided at Post Offices but some say this presents