Author name: oisinkelly

Martina Anderson is to replace Bairbre de Brun in the European Parliament, Sinn Fein has confirmed. She was the only candidate to succeed Ms de Brun, who is stepping down as an MEP for personal reasons. The move means Sinn Fein will have to replace Ms Anderson in the assembly and find a new junior […]

Sinn Féin says it’s clear the government could ask the electorate to vote a second time on the Fiscal Treaty – if it’s rejected later this month. Yesterday, Jobs Minister Richard Bruton was forced to retract comments he made suggesting this may be the case. In a statement last night Minister Bruton said he dealt

The group which organised the Education Rally in Letterkenny last March has announced plans for a series of vigils on May 31st as the country votes on the EU Fiscal Treaty. Between 3 o’clock and 4 o’clock, it’s intended that one hour vigils will take place outside every school being used as a polling station

Education Minister Ruari Quinn is in Donegal today for a series of engagements. He begins this morning with a visit to St. Eunan’s School in Raphoe, before the official opening of the new Finn Valley College in Stranorlar. Minister Quinn will also open the extension at Scoil Phadraig, Drumkeen, before travelling to Letterkenny. When he

The vigilante group Republican Action Against Drugs has offered people they have ordered out of Derry an opportunity to return. The group claim the number of people affected is actually very small, and figures are being exaggerated by some media outlets in a bid to discredit them. The vigilante group Republican Action Against Drugs in

The Health Information and Quality Authority says it is “wholly unacceptable” for patients to be treated on trolleys in hospital corridors. The HIQA warning comes following the health watchdog’s inquiry into services at Dublin’s Tallaght Hospital – where a man died while awaiting admission. Hilary Coates – HIQA’s Head of Operations – says the 300-page

The co-ordinator of the Golden Eagle Project says he fears the initiative could fail if there are more cases of poisoning in Donegal. Lorcan O’Toole was speaking after it emerged yesterday that a White tailed Eagle released in Kerry three years ago was found poisoned in the Bluestacks three weeks ago. Today, on Highland Radio’s

The Department of Education has confirmed that Minister Ruairí Quinn will not meet with a delegation from the Finn Valley School Transport Group when he visits Stranorlar tomorrow to open the new Finn Valley College. Fianna Fail Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill says it’s extremely disappointing that the Minister with responsibility for Education will not meet

The Tánaiste has clashed with Sinn Féin in the Dáil, telling the party its ‘fairytale economics’ will drive us in the direction of Greece. Ahead of the referendum on the fiscal treaty in two weeks time, Pearse Doherty asked Eamon Gilmore to admit that austerity isn’t working. The Donegal South-West Deputy told the Tanaiste that

The Donegal Branch of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association are holding an information meeting on EU Fiscal Treaty Referendum tomorrow evening. The meeting will take place at 730pm in the Mount Errigal Hotel. There will be speakers from both the ‘YES’ sides and ‘NO’ sides. Chief Executive of the ICSA in Donegal, Malcolm

A 28-year-old man has been beaten by three masked men who abducted him and took him across the border to Donegal. He was walking in the Circular Road in Derry at about 930pm on 10 May when a red car pulled up alongside. The masked men pulled him into the car, then took him to

A number of Outpatient Clinics have been cancelled at Letterkenny General Hospital this morning after what’s been described as unprecedented numbers attending the Emergency Department overnight. As a result, the medical clinics of Dr Khamis and Dr Mulpeter have been cancelled. Today’s ENT clinic has also been cancelled. A decision will be taken later to

A new group hoping to replicate MFG’s work is considering making a complaint to Europe due to Government delays. MFG closed suddenly last September with the loss of 130 jobs. It delivered the LEADER and LCDP funding programmes to the Gaeltacht regions. Since Meitheal Forbartha na Gaeltachta ceased operations last September, there’s been a vacuum

The Dail has been told that the use of garda resources to tackle drug crime in Donegal is under review, but there’s been no commitment to extra funding. Senator Brian O’Domhnaill called for additional resources to be deployed in the county to fully resource the Drugs Unit in Donegal in its fight against drug abuse

A 33-year-old man has appeared in court charged in connection with a £800,000 cannabis seizure in Derry. Mark William McPhillips, of Elmvale in the Culmore area, was charged with importing the drugs from the Irish Republic with intent to supply. The cannabis was found concealed in kitchen units in a van in Glengalliagh Road on

More than half of stores operated by Clinton Cards in Northern Ireland are to close. The company runs 30 stores in Northern Ireland, including 16 in the Birthdays chain which is closing. Clinton Cards, which is the biggest card retailer in the UK, went into administration last week. Adminstrators Zolfo Cooper said that it has

The Irish Blood Transfusion Service is asking people in Dungloe to please give blood today to help replenish vital supplies following the recent Bank Holiday. In a statement, the service says supplies of O Positive are down 23% on last week and these need to be replaced. The mobile unit will hold a donation clinic

The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has condemned the apparent poisoning of a white-tailed sea eagle in Donegal. Post mortem results from the eagle, found dead sonme weeks ago in the Blue Stack mountains, showed it had been poisoned. The National Parks and Wildlife Service are investigating the killing. Minister Jimmy Deenihan urged

There are renewed calls for negotiations to take place with a view to opening a closed fishing area off the Donegal coast. The area has been closed since 2008 as part of a cod recovery plan. However, there has been a significant increase of haddock in the area with calls for Donegal’s inshore vessels to

A Councillor has suggested that HIQA, the Health, Information and Quality Authority is placing unrealistic expectations on Community Hospital and this is leading to their closure. Councillor Ciaran Brogan, who is a member of the Regional Health Forum, also believes it is inevitable that Lifford Community Hospital will be downgraded and the same fate may

A Derry man has claimed that republican vigilantes told him to go to anger management classes or get shot. RAAD has been behind paramilitary-style shootings against those they claim are guilty of so-called “anti-social behaviour” in Derry. The man, who did not give his name, said he had been threatened by RAAD, and he said

An inquest has been held into the death of an 87 year old man who drowned after leaving Killybegs Community Hospital on January 22nd last The coronor stressed that no staff were to blame, because the hospital wasn’t a closed unit, and the patient, Paddy Keeney, had exercised his option to go out. The inquest

A public debate on the EU Fiscal Treaty will be held this coming Monday in Ballybofey. The debate will feature Fine Gael Deputy, Joe McHugh arguing in favour, and Independent Deputy Thomas Pringle arguing against. The debate has been organised by the Stranorlar Traveller Women’s Group and Donegal Travellers Project. It will begin at 2pm

Letterkenny Town Council is to write to the HSE and the minister for Health demanding that no further cuts are made to services at Letterkenny General Hospital. A motion was passed at this weeks meeting of the council off the back of a request by campaign group ‘Donegal Action for Cancer Care’. Some services have

A Donegal senator has claimed that progress on shared health services is too slow. Speaking at a meeting of the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly attended by the Health Minister, Senator Jimmy Harte asked Dr James Reilly to bring the Health Bodies that operate on both sides of the border closer together. Senator Harte says he

The most senior police officer in the north west has admitted his officers are struggling to secure convictions against the republican vigilante group Republican Action Against Drugs. The group have carried out numerous punishment style attacks in the Northwest in the past year, and a number of men have been ordered to leave Derry. Chief

The Head of Information Services with Donegal County Council says the council is to embark on a new Communications and PR strategy which will bring the council closer to the people. Brian Boyle was speaking today at the launch of the new Donegal Library website in Letterkenny today. The new library website is easier to

Two men have appeared in court accused of the racially aggravated murder of a 57-year-old man in Glasgow. Asif Rehman, 20, and Adel Ishaq, 19, are alleged to have attacked William McKeaney near his home in Melville Street, Pollokshields, on 15 January. Mr McKeaney, originally from Donegal,  later died in hospital. The BBC  reports that

A Glasgow Celtic fan at a supporters’ festival returned before midnight to his holiday home when he got drunk at a resort night club and died within hours after a fall downstairs, his relatives said today. A cousin who accompanied Victor Hendry checked he was getting into bed before she returned to the Paris niteclub 

Letterkenny Town Council held its monthly meeting last night. Councillors have an opportunity to ask council officials specific questions on issue which the public have raised with them. Councillor Jimmy Kavanagh asked if a residents only parking sign could be erected at Binnion Avenue, he was told that signs would be ordered and erected –

Donegal fishermen have welcomed an agreement by the Council of Ministers in Europe to scrap the issuing of transferable fishing quotas. There are fears the move would have meant the privatisation of the Irish Fishing Industry, with the possibility of Irish Quotas being sold off to other European States to the highest bidder. This is

Police in Derry have seized drugs estimated to be worth £800,000 and arrested a 33 year old man. Local officers, with assistance from colleagues in Organised Crime Branch, stopped a van on the Glengalliagh Road shortly after 7pm last night. A 33 year old man was arrested and a substantial quantity of herbal cannabis which

A Councillor has called for a crack down on on-street drinking in Letterkenny claiming it to be one of the key factors in a recent spate of violent crime. Councillor Tadg Culbert has questioned if gardai have issued a single fine for the offence of drinking alcohol in public since a by-law was introduced making

Donegal Creameries and ZedCandy have both been heavily criticised by members of Letterkenny Town Council for their role in the demise of Oatfield in Letterkenny. Letterkenny’s Oatfield sweet factory finally closed at the end of last month with the loss of 17 jobs – manufacturing of the sweets has been switched to Britain. Last nights

Police in Derry say they do not believe the dissident group “Republican Action Against Drugs” poses any threat to next year’s UK City of Culture events. During a briefing last evening, Chief Superintendent Stephen Martin called on the group to disband, and refuted figures published in the Guardian newspaper that up to 85 men have

Foyle MLA Mark H. Durkan says the decision to centralise health administration in four sites will see 15 staff in Derry face a commute of an extra 100 miles, and create problems for all staff in the Western Health Trust. Currently each of the five health trusts has its own administration department which includes payroll

A rock face in County Donegal is causing a stir, with some people saying they see the face of Jesus in it. It’s been discovered at Glenveigh National Park, but its precise location is a secret so far. Those who see the image in the rock say it shows Jesus with his head bowed, and

A call has been made to Ireland’s diaspora to come home to where the heart is. Taoiseach Enda Kenny urged the 70 million people worldwide of Irish descent, and even those who just want a touch of Irishness, to make a trip to the Emerald Isle next year to be part of The Gathering 2013

The mother of Andrew Allen, who was murdered by Republican Action Against Drugs earlier this year, has said that the people who killed her son are nothing but thugs. 24-year-old Andrew Allen was murdered at his home in Buncrana in February when four masked gunmen fired shots through the window of his home. According to

There has been a dramatic increase in hoax phone-calls to Donegal’s fire service Acting Chief Fire Officer Joe McTaggart says there has been an increase in hoax calls of more than 60% in the past five years and other vital services are suffering as a result. Mr McTaggart told the Shaun Doherty Show earlier that

Buncrana Town council is to write to the HSE calling for English fluency standards to be put in place for Doctors from outside the country being employed in Ireland. The issue was raised by Councillor Mary Kelly who says she has been contacted by numerous people who claim to have not understood Doctors from outside

The Mayor of Letterkenny has said the minimum of 10,000 euro it costs to clean chewing gum off the town’s main street could be better spent of other more important projects. Councillor Gerry McMonagle was speaking following the weekend launch of Donegal County Council’s Gum Litter Awareness campaign. Run by the Gum Litter Taskforce in