Author name: oisinkelly

A bomb alert at Omagh PSNI station has been delcared a hoax after a security operation last night. A number of houses in the vicinity were evacuated after a suspicious package was found at the police station. After it was examined by amy bomb disposal experts, the object was declared a hoax late last night. […]

Donegal North East Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn has said the polictical campaign to prevent the closure of rural garda stations must continue. At the weekend, Deputy Mac Lochlainn led a Sinn Fein Deputation to meet with Donegal’s Acting Chief Superintendent Jim Sheridan to discuss a number of concerns. Deputy Mac Lochlainn says the Chief Superintendent

There were 20,847 people on the live register in Donegal at the end of April, 204 down on last month and 880 down on April 2011. While the drop is being welcomed, campaigners say when emigration is taken into account, there’s little comfort to be found in the figures, and little evidence of major job

Authorities on both sides of the Border are said to be closing in on companies responsible for large-scale illegal dumping 10 years ago. Prosecutions are being sought against a number of firms who illegally transported 250,000 tonnes of household and commercial waste across the Border to be buried, with files being prepared on both sides

Cardinal Sean Brady has used a visit to Donegal today to apologise to the victims of clerical abuse. He also said he would welcome the appointment of a Coadjutor Bishop with succession rights in Armagh, though he’s again refused to resign his position as the Primate of All Ireland. Speaking at a pilgrimage in Lough

A security alert is ongoing in Co. Tyrone. The PSNI and the army are dealing with the incident on the Drum Rd (A505)- which has been closed at Teebane Cross, west of Cookstown. Diversions are in place on the road, which is the main route between Cookstown and Omagh.

The man who died in a single car collision at Murlog outside Lifford yesterday afternoon has been named as 22 year old Bobby Rodgers from 26 Colehill, Newtowncunningham. He was a passenger in a wine coloured which left the road just past the Raphoe turn off at around 1.30 yesterday afternoon. Two other people who were in

An injured climber has been airlifted to hospital following a rescue near Glencolmcille. The Donegal Mountain Rescue Team, Killybegs Coastguard Unit and the Coasguard Helicopter were tasked to Scalpuna Bay to help a fallen rock climber. The helicopter reached the casualty and flew him to hospital with a suspected broken ankle and shoulder. The mountain

The body of a man has been found in the River Bann during the search for a 21-year-old man who went missing near Kilrea in County Derry last night. Police say the man, who was seen going in to the River Bann near Kilrea at about 6 o’clock yesterday evening, is a 21 year old

There’s been a fatal crash outside Lifford on the N14 Letterkenny Road. One man in his early twenties was killed, and two others injured when a car left the road at around half past one this one this afternoon.  The crash happened close to Murlog,  just beyond the turn off for Raphoe. Gardai are appealing

Sinn Fein are challenging the Finance Minister to disclose the cost of a YES vote in the fiscal treaty referendum. The challenge comes after Michael Noonan rejected Sinn Fein’s claim that a YES vote would lead to an additional 6 billion euro consolidation after 2015. The party’s Finance Spokesperson Deputy Pearse Doherty claims the Government

Police in Fermanagh have uncovered a suspected cannabis factory close to the Donegal border. Around 130-thousand pounds – or 160-thousand euro – worth of cannabis was uncovered by officers when they carried out a search of a property in the Brollagh Road area of Garrison last evening. The PSNI is appealing for anyone with information

Police in County Derry say a man seen getting into difficulty in the River Bann near Kilrea at about 6 o’clock yesterday evening, is a 21 year old from the Ballymena area. Rescue teams have this morning resumed their search for the man around the Bann Road bridge area of the river. Three men aged

The HSE has launched a ‘Clean Hands Save Lives’ campaign aimed at healthcare workers, patients and the public. The campaign’s been launched to coincide with the World Health Organization’s World Hand Hygiene Day which takes place today. The HSE’s Public Health Specialist in Donegal is Dr Anthony Breslin. He says hand hygiene is the most

Donegal business leaders have come out in support of a YES vote in the upcoming Fiscal Stability Treaty referendum. At a meeting last evening organised by IBEC North West a number of high profile business people endorsed a Yes vote. Speaking following the meeting Peter Mulrine of P Mulrine & Sons said: that A yes

A Sinn Féin delegation including Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn, Letterkenny’s Mayor, Cllr Gerry McMonagle and Cllr Jack Murray has met with Acting Chief Superintendent Jim Sheridan to discuss a number of concerns. Deputy Mac Lochlainn says a number of questions were raised about a number of issues, including Speed camera locations, violent assaults and garda

A man arrested in connection with a stabbing incident in Letterkenny on April 23rd has been released pending a file to the DPP. The incident happened when the assailant approached a man close to the junction of High Road and Main Street, and asked for a cigarette. When the man refused, he was stabbed in

A public warning has been issued about the risk of gorse and forest fires in the North-West over the Bank Holiday weekend. The Department of Agriculture says factors such as temperature, wind conditions and humidity are creating a high risk of fires in certain areas. Land owners, farmers and forest managers are being reminded that

A man’s been arrested in connection with a stabbing incident in Letterkenny on April 23rd. The incident happened when the assailant approached a man close to the junction of High Road and Main Street, and asked for a cigarette. When the man refused, he was stabbed in the face, requiring plastic surgery. The local man,

Family, friends and colleagues of the late Garda Gary McLoughlin have gathered at the County House in Lifford this afternoon for an occasion to officially honour him. 24-year-old Garda McLoughlin was killed when the patrol car he was in was struck by another car in Inishowen three years ago. His brother Enda earlier spoke of

A Derryman who made what were described as ‘vile and disgusting’ comments about murdered PSNI constable Steven Carroll and Derry’s judge was jailed today at the local Magistrate’s Court. Gary Campbell (28) of Northland Road in Derry was charged in connection with offences at the A&E department of Altnagelvin Hospital on February 29. The court

The Swilly Group has been asked to assist in the recruitment of 20 Articulated Truck drivers for a major haulage company for work in Ireland. The Letterkenny-based driving school were also asked last month to find dozens of bus drivers for Australian bus company Ventura. Drivers with an E+C licence, 2 driver CPC modules completed

Gardaí in Donegal are calling on motorists to be mindful of driving conditions over the Bank Holiday weekend. Last May Bank Holiday weekend, 4 people were tragically killed and 9 people were seriously injured on our roads. 11 people in total were killed in the month of May 2011. 33 people have lost their lives

The father of a man who was shot in the arm and both legs on Tuesday night in St Johnston has said his son almost died as a result of losing so much blood. 39-year-old James Curtis was shot four times in front of his partner, while his 8-month old child slept upstairs. Republican Action

Foyle MLA Colum Eastwood, has hit out at the RAAD statement released yesterday that ‘no amount of protest’ will stop their activities. He added that any cloak of republicanism should once and for all be discarded from the organisation, saying that the true Irish republican position believed in the authority and will of the Irish

The Minister for Children will address an information session on the EU Stability Treaty in Letterkenny this evening. Frances Fitzgerald will hold a question and answer session at Arena 7 at 5 o clock. The Minster will also meet with representatives from family resource groups and visit the Donegal Youth Service earlier in the day.

The latest independently compiled listenership figures show that Highland Radio remains the most listened to local radio station in the country. Of those that listen to any radio station during the week in this franchise area, 66% choose Highland Radio with the station enjoying a market share of 62%. At the weekend, Highland Radio’s market

A man from Newtowncunningham in Donegal will be sentenced next week for driving into a group of people at a garage forecourt in what was described as a ‘moment of madness’. 32 year old Paul Mc Bride of Gortree, Newtowncunningham admitted three charges of attempting to cause GBH on April 5th. The court heard that

Colm Bryce was speaking after the group issued a statement today admitting the shooting of a 29 year old man in St Johnston on Tuesday night and an 18 year man in Derry a week ago. The group also defended their death threat against a Derry shopowner stating that they had been ‘innundated’ with complaints

Two patients at a Roscommon Nursing Home – where there’s been an outbreak of seasonal flu – have died. The HSE has confirmed that 42 of the 76 residents have been affected by the outbreak of influenza A-H3. This is the same strain that claimed six lives in less than a fortnight at Nazareth House

Republican Action Against Drugs have claimed responsibility for two gun attacks in the north west in the last week. An 18-year-old man was shot in Derry last week, while a 39-year-old was shot in St Johnston on Tuesday night. Republican Action Against Drugs said it was responsible for shooting a man at his home in

Donegal South West Deputy Thomas Pringle has hit out at the Government’s negative campaigning on the upcoming referendum, describing their approach as “Machiavellian”. Deputy Pringle claimed there is provision for more money to be made available under the current bailout programme, and questioned the government’s claim that the European Stability Mechanism is the only future

The daughter of a 72-year-old man who died after confronting a burglar at his Coleraine home has spoken of her family’s heartbreak. Bertie Acheson was assaulted by a man who broke into his house in Glenmore Gardens in the early hours of Monday morning. The police said he suffered a heart attack brought on by

A West Tyrone MLA says he wants answers from Environment Miniser Alex Atwood about the failue of ther North’s Planning Service to enforce planning regulations at a gold mine near Omagh. Ulster Unionist MLA Ross Hussey has welcomed the Northern Ireland Ombudsman’s recommendation that the Planning Service should pay a total of £30,000 compensation to

Donegal County Council will officially honour the late Garda Gary McLoughlin at the County House in Lifford tomorrow afternoon. 24-year-old Garda McLoughlin died from his injuries after the garda car in which he was travelling was struck by a car in Burt while on duty three years ago. The late Garda McLoughlin is the second

A judge has ordered that 27 people who failed to turn up for jury duty in Donegal yesterday be brought before the court to explain why they failed to show. Judge Donagh McDonagh was speaking as a jury was sworn in at Letterkenny Circuit Court yesterday. He is quoted in this morning’s Irish Times as

One person had died and two have been injured following a collision near Ballyarnett Village in Derry, close to the Donegal border. There were two cars involved in the crash on Alder Road at 12.20 this morning. The male driver of one of them lost his life. Investigations into the cause of the collision are

A drug dealer was today given a six-month jail sentence suspended for two years at Donegal District Court. Judge Kevin Kilrane told Thomas Skeffington, who was found with 247 grammes of herbal cannabis worth almost €4.000 at his home that he was not a small cog in a chain of drugs distribution where “very unfortunate”

The Garda Commissioner has admitted that the closure of garda stations will impact communities. But Martin Callinan says that he and his colleagues are working to minimise the impact of station closures. Three Donegal stations, Culdaff, Doochary and Dunkineely have already been earmarked for closure, with fears there may be more to come. At a

Gardai in Letterkenny are continuing their investigation into the paramilitary shooting incident at Legnatraw, St. Johnston at quarter to eleven last night. A 29 year old man was shot in both legs and both arms. He was brought to Letterkenny General Hospital last night, where his condition was described as stable but it’s since emerged

A Donegal councillor says the planning permission for the Asian Hub in Athlone is to be welcomed if it creates jobs, and it should help to relax rural housing policy insofar as planning is concerned. Cllr Paul Canning says it’s difficult to understand why Planning Departments up and down the country refuse planning permission for

A pensioner collapsed and died of a heart attack after struggling with a burglar demanding money, the PSNI confirmed last night. 72-year-old Bertie Acheson was found dead at his home in Coleraine, Co Derry, where his ailing wife was then forced to hand over her purse with £375 before the man fled. Mr Acheson had

A man in his late twenties has been shot in a punishment style attack in Donegal. Two armed and masked men entered the man’s home in St Johnston, close to the Derry border, and shot him in the legs and arms. It’s understood the man was originally from Derry, and had been living in the

There’s been another break in at Immaculate Conception College in Derry’s Waterside, the third in a week. On this occasion, thieves entered through windows at the front of the school and escaped with a safe containing a sum of cash.

Detectives investigating the murder of pensioner Bertie Acheson during a burglary at his home in Coleraine are waiting for the results of a post mortem examination which is taking place this afternoon. The PSNI says the investigation into Mr Acheson’s death in the early hours of yesterday morning is continuing, but they need more assistance

Donegal County Council considered a 116 million euro Capital Programme yesterday, but Councillors expressed concern at the capital projects in their electoral areas that did not appear on the list. Just over 116 million euro will be spend on roads, sewerage, water and other major works between now and 2014. County Manager Seamus Neely has

An initiative is to be launched to address the concerns of small businesses in border counties, and make it easier for them to operate both North and South. Junior Enterprise Minister John Perry has agreed to bring a Border Regional Authority delegation to meet with Minisetr Richard Bruton and also to formulate a plan to

A pharmacist from Donegal had just been elected as the new President of the Irish Pharmacy Union. The IPU represents over 1800 pharmacists across the country. Rory O’Donnell is a native of Dungloe and is the proprietor of a pharmacy in Gweedore in the West Donegal Gaeltacht. He says while times are difficult,  pharmicies will

As the remaining 15 workers at the Oatfield factory in Letterkenny prepare for the shut down of the facility at the end of the month, the town’s Mayor is calling on owners Zed Candy to honour their responsibilities in relation to redundacy payments. Cllr Gerry Mc Monagle spoke to workers last evening, and says they’re

A Donegal auctioneer says there is very keen interest in agricultural land in the county, with the sale of a 71 acre farm in five lots at the weekend. In total, the farm near Ballyare realised 830,000 euro, with some of the plots securing 15,000 euro an acre. Auctioneer Boyd Robinson says it is a