Author name: oisinkelly

Sean Fitzpatrick, the former chief executive of Anglo Irish Bank has been arrested in Dublin this morning as part of an investigation into alleged financial irregularities at a financial institution. He was detained by Gardai attached to the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement. It’s part of an ongoing investigation by Gardai from the […]

A recovering alcoholic who tried to force his partner to drink vodka from a bottle and then raped her at a house they shared in Donegal will be sentenced next week. He pleaded guilty to rape, aggravated sexual assault and assault, on August 17, 2008. Garda Claire O’Hara told the Central Criminal Court that the

The Minister of State for Small Business has launched the Donegal Food Strategy which has the ultimate aim of promoting Donegal as a food producer and exporter on the Island of Ireland. Launched last evening at Glenveagh Caste, the stratedy sets out a road map for creating more food businesses as well as improving profitability

A Donegal judge has said that four penalty points for a few kilometres over the speed limit would be disproportionate punishment. Judge Kevin Kilrane permitted two defendants who were travelling at 109 and 111 kilometres per hour at the same 100 km/h Road Safety Authority checkpoint to make charity payments of €100 each to the

The former PD leader and Tánaiste Michael McDowell says the government’s proposal to abolish the Seanad is nothing more than a gimmick. He told the MacGill Summer School in Glenties last night that scrapping the Seanad would amount to the mutilation of the constitution. Mr McDowell said he believes the government’s proposal will fail……….. Earlier,

The Taoiseach says the government intends to press ahead with a referendum to abolish the Seanad – despite the objection of six former members. Prominent former Senators from across the political spectrum today launched a campaign to save the Seanad from abolition. Enda Kenny was speaking this (Monday) evening at the MacGill Summer School in

A Snowy Owl has made its home on Arranmore, for the time being at least. A Highland Radio Listener spotted the creature last week far away from its normal home in the Arctic. It is the second time a Snowy Owl has made Arranmore its home. Experts say, if not disturbed by humans, the bird

Two men are due in court this afternoon, as part of an investigation into alleged financial irregularities at Anglo Irish Bank. The former Anglo Irish Bank Director Willie McAteer, who’s 56 and originally from Rathmullan, was detained this morning – whilst a second man – who’s also in his 50s – has also been arrested.

At the MacGill Summer School, a Fianna Fail Senator has called for new rules to allow for TDs  to be disqualified from office for ethical breaches. Senator Averil Power was speaking earlier in Glenties. She says all newly elected TDs and Senators should be made to sign up to an ethical code of conduct which

New figures show a decline in young Irish people heading off to the Gaeltacht during their summer holidays. Nationally, less than 24 thousand children are attending Gaeltacht courses this summer, compared to 28 thousand in 2008. The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht is confirming that there’s been a continuous decline in the numbers

Town councillors in Donegal will be awaiting news from tomorrows cabinet meeting, the last before the summer break. Proposals to abolish a number of town councils will be discussed during the meeting, although it will be the autumn at the earliest before anything can be done. Last year, Environment Minister Phil Hogan indicated that smaller

This is the 32nd year of the MacGill Summer School, exploring the theme Reforming and Rebuilding the Republic. Tonight, Taoiseach Enda Kenny will address the event, this morning and this afternoon, the background to the Mahon and Moriarty Tribunals will come under the spotlight. The Director of the school is Dr Joe Mulholland. Speaking on

A 20 year old man is due in court in Enniskillen today charged in relation to an incident in Strabane on Saturday morning. He’s been charged with arson with intent to endanger life following a fire in the Springhill Park area. A family of three inside the house managed to escape after they were alerted

Town councillors in Donegal will be awaiting news from tomorrows cabinet meeting, the last before the summer break. Proposals to abolish a number of town councils will be discussed during the meeting, although it will be the autumn at the earliest before anything can be done. Last year, Minister Phil Hogan indicated that smaller councils

Dozens of confidential documents have been found lying in the streets of Derry. They are from the charity, Lifeline, which supports people in distress and mostly log telephone calls. The charity is based at the Embassy Building in the city. The BBC is reporting it has seen one of the documents, which appears to identify

A 31 yr-old man was shot in the legs in Derry last night. At around 10.50pm, Police received a report of a man shot outside a house in the Kildrum Gardens area. Police are appealing to anyone who may have been in the area at the time last night to contact them at Strand Road.

The Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore says he feared for the financial survival of the state during his first few months of Government. He made the comments last night in his opening address to the MacGill Summer School in Glenties. Delivering the John Hume lecture, he said that while the country still has challenges to face, the

The Donegal Senior football team will be arriving in Donegal Town with the Anglo-Celt Cup tonight between 8.45 and 9 o’clock. Large crowds are expected to welcome home the first Donegal team to ever win back to back Ulster titles.  

The Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore will this evening deliver the 12th annual John Hume Lecture on the opening night of the MacGill Summer school in Glenties. Over the course of the next week, discussions will take place on the report in to the deaths of 196 young people in state care, corruption in public life and

Police in Derry have come under attack for a third night. Petrol bombs and missiles were thrown as they responded to reports of youths burning bins and blocking the road in the Moss Park area. Two men were arrested after disturbances in the city on Friday night. Local Councillor Elisha McCallion has made an appeal

FAI Chief Executive John Delaney has confirmed that he will take a 10 per cent pay cut to his annual salary. Delaney confirmed to delegates at the Association’s AGM in Letterkenny’s Mount Errigal Hotel this afternoon that his salary will drop from €400,000 to €360,000. Last year, Delaney took a 7.2 per cent drop from

The Governments north and south have been urged to agree a funding package which would see the Lough Foyle service linking Greencastle and Magilligan operate all year round. The SDLP pressed on the Irish Government the importance of the service during a meeting with senior officials this week. As it stands, the service runs only

A fire at an electricity substation in Derry was started deliberately. The blaze was reported at about 6.45 on Friday evening at the substation on the Ferndale Road in the Galliagh area . The fire  caused power cuts for up to 3,000 homes – 150 homes are still without power. The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue

Plans to develop identical walled gardens in the White House and Castlefinn have moved a step closer this week with confirmation of a grant of €180,000 for the Castlefinn Partnership Initiative Limited. The partnership has been working with gardener Diarmuid Gavin for a number of years, and during a visit to the Northwest Garden Show

There’s to be a judicial enquiry in Mauritius to examine the Michaela McAreavey murder case, to determine what actions can be taken to bring the perpetrators to justice. A new police team is also to be appointed to re-investigate the murder of the 27 year old teacher from Co. Tyrone on the island last January.

There’s been a single vehicle collision close to the Carndonagh turn off at Quigley’s Point on the Muff to Moville Road. It happened shortly after 4 o’clock this afternoon. One man has been injured and brought to Letterkenny General Hospital. The road remains closed, local diversions are in place.

Transport Minister Leo Varadkar says neither the Government not the Irish Aviation Authority will be able to compensate the 80 student pilots who were left stranded in Florida earlier this month, after their training was suspended. The students from the Pilot Training College in Waterford had paid up to 80,000 euro for their course at

Police in Derry have written to Derry City Council’s Chief Executive explaining the reason for their raid on the home of Sinn Fein mayor Kevin Campbell last Thursday evening. They said that they searched his house in response to suspected RAAD activity in the Creggan area, and insist that two males were seen running in

The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has described the passing of the Gaeltacht Bill as an historic day for the Irish language. The Bill was passed despite all opposition TD’s walking out of the Dail. Dinny McGinely said it was the first major piece of legislation regarding the Gaeltacht in over 50 years.

The Environment Minister is being accused of using “bully boy” tactics in a bid to get more people to pay the Household Charge. Sinn Féin finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty says Phil Hogan has announced he is going to withhold millions of euros from Local Councils. The Donegal South West Deputy says this will have a

Justice Minister Alan Shatter has met with representatives of the Omagh Support and Self-help Group. The group presented the minister with a document outlining their case for a cross border enquiry into events leading up to the Omagh bombing in 1998. Mr Shatter promised that both he and the gardai would carefully consider the document. Spokeperson for

The go-ahead for a shops development which will create 1,000 construction jobs with a further 1,800 permanent positions to follow upon completion is just weeks away in Derry. Planning permission is thought to be imminent for the £200m complex at Crescent Link retail park in the Waterside area of the city. The £7m development includes

A 51-year-old man who defrauded seven people of a total of €177,000 they invested with him has been jailed for five years. After a five day trial last December, Thomas Elvin of Meencargagh, Ballybofey was convicted last year on 26 charges of acting as an investment business firm without authorization and deceiving clients of money.

The road between Moville and Grencastle has reopened to traffic this evening. It was closed this morning following a fatal collision in which 25 year old Shane Mc Monagle from Ballinally, Moville lost his life.  

Police in Derry are appealing for information following an arson attack on two vehicles in the bogside area during the early hours of this morning, Thursday 19th July. At around 4.20am Police and fire crews were called to reports of a white van on fire at Meenan Square and another white ‘pizza’ van on fire

Opposition TDs who earlier walked out of the Dáil during a row with the Government over the Gaelteacht Bill, say they wanted to make it clear that their opinions weren’t heard. They object to the Bill, which changes the funding structure for employment schemes in Gaelteacht areas, and gives the Minister the power to appoint

The has been a 400% increase in online enquiries for Donegal which is being attributed to holiday goers seeking an alternative to London. According to Hotels.com there has been a surge in UK travellers looking up destinations in Ireland in the last fortnight indicating as many are planning a break away here during the Olympics.

The man killed in a car crash on the Moville to Greencastle road this morning has been named locally as 25 year-old Shane McMonagle of Ballinally, Moville. The single vehicle crash happened three miles outside Moville in the early hours – Gardai were notified of the crash shortly before 4.30am. The crash occurred on a

A Donegal man has been jailed for five years for dangerous driving causing the death of a school teacher in Milford last year. Damien McGeehan with an address at New Cottage, Loughanure, pleaded guilty when he appeared in court this week. Marie O’Donnell was killed when McGeehan crossed to the wrong side of the road

The SDLP has made representation in Dublin for the retention of the Malin Coast Guard Station with a Derry representative now positive that the station will be retained. A report published earlier this month by Fisher Consultants on the marine emergency response regimes proposed that Malin be closed. Under the proposals presented to government, Dublin

Gaeltacht Minsiter Dinny McGinley has denied having any involvement in the issuing of a letter to a Glenveagh National Park gardener which threatened him with dismissal. The threat to Mr Donal O Cnaimhsi came in a letter from his employers, the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. Mr O’Cnaimshi is a long standing member

Police in Derry are appealing for information following an arson attack on two vehicles in the bogside area during the early hours of this morning. At around 4.20am Police and fire crews were called to reports of a white van on fire at Meenan Square and another white ‘pizza’ van on fire at Lisfannon Park.