Author name: oisinkelly

A statement has been issued this evening by Donegal County Council responding to yesterday’s An Taisce report which claimed the county has the worst planning record in the country. The statement, presented to the council a short time ago by County Manager Seamus Neely concludes that the An Taisce report is a distorted representation of the planning […]

A 41-year-old man who killed a teenager in a bar on Arranmore island has been sentenced to six years in prison. Last February, a Central Criminal Court jury found Stephen Boyle not guilty of the murder but guilty of the manslaughter of 19-year-old Paul Boyle (no relation) at Early’s Bar, Leabgarrow, Arranmore on October 3,

A Donegal County Cllr has said that the County Manager should seek legal action, after the former head of An Taisce said that he is in no doubt that Mahon Tribunal type activities were also going on in Donegal. Speaking on the Shaun Doherty Show earlier today, Charles Stanley Smith said councillors in the county

Donegal County Council is calling for the reinstatement of the heating grant, and the restoration of grant schemes to where they were before 2010. Cllr David Alcorn raised the issue, saying the heating grants were removed because help is available from Sustainable Energy Ireland, but that hasn’t worked. He says the traditional grants system should

A Canadian company that has won a licence to dig for gold in parts of South Donegal has said it has no intention of ever mining for gold in or around Lough Derg. Galantas Gold applied for the Donegal licence in an area 550 sq kms in size, covering Omagh to Castlederg and south to

Unsecured creditors are set to lose almost 1.9 million euro following the closing down of the Milford Inn. A meeting of creditors today was told that realisable assets from the sale of building and it land would realise just one million euro in today’s climate which would go against bank loans and other secured debts

There were reports of shots being fired over a coffin at a funeral in Derry this morning. Local man Chang Coyle died of natural; causes at the weekend and during his wake the Starry Plough flag was displayed over his coffin. As the coffin emerged from the house in Rosemouunt Gardens this morning before making

The former head of An Taisce says he is in no doubt that ‘Mahon Tribunal type activities’ were also going on in Donegal and has said councillors must take some blame for Donegal’s poor planning record. The Mahon Tribunal was set up to investigate allegations of corrupt payments to politicians regarding political decisions mostly investigating

The sentencing of a the man found guilty of the manslaughter of Paul Boyle on Arranmore Island in 2009 is scheduled to take place later today. 41 year-old Stephen Boyle was found not guilty of murder but guilty of the manslaughter of 19 year-old Paul Boyle at the Central Criminal Court in February. Paul Boyle,

Labour Councillors in Donegal will go against the government today in support of a Sinn Fein motion on the Household charge. Sinn Fein is calling on the county manager not to collect information from utility companies in order to pursue those who haven’t paid the household charge. Labour whip on the Council, Frank McBrearty has

Households are to pay 40 euro a year – to cover the cost of installing and maintaining water meters. The fee will be paid on an annual basis – and does not include usage charges. The National Pension Reserve Fund is to provide a 450 million euro loan for the water metering programme – which

Donegal North East Deputy, Pádraig Mac Lochlainn has challenged the government to ring-fence teaching posts to ensure rural schools in areas of disadvantage are protected from staffing cuts. Deputy Mac Lochlainn said his party will raise the issue, with the Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn, in the Dáil on Thursday. And he said he will

The HSE has ordered a deep clean at the Nazareth House in Fahan before any new residents can be admitted. The Executive made the order as it confirmed that a flu outbreak at the nursing home was officially over. The HSE has confirmed that the outbreak at Nazareth House, Fahan,was officially declared over at the

It has been confirmed that a bomb found in Derry on Sunday night was left on a car belonging to the parents of a serving police officer. The device was discovered in the Drumleck Drive area of Shantallow. Police say it’s the second time the family has beentargeted. Superintendent Chris Yates says the police officer

Principals at seven Donegal primary schools have put their signatures to a letter opposing cuts to rural disadvantaged schools. They have joined with 10 other schools across the country which will lose teaching posts from September 2012. Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn earlier this year apologised for targeting disadvantaged schools announced a review of cuts

Two men have appeared in court today following a robbery at a filling station in Muff on Saturday evening. The two were among four arrested after a robbery at Donaghey’s filling station near Muff on Saturday night. Buncrana based Superintendent Kevin English says the arrests followed tremendous support from the local community. He’s been outlining

A million euro is to be spent on a tourism marketting programme for five West and North West counties. Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Mayo and Roscommon are set to benefit from the programme annonced this morning by Junior Minister Michael Ring. The campaign will be targetted at Britain, Germany, France and Italy. The Head of Operations

Police have arrested a 47 year old man as part of an investigation into a shooting and assault on a 26 year old man in Strabane earlier this month. The suspect was detained in the town this morning as part of police enquiries into the attack at Carlton Drive on 3 April. A number of

The Minister for Transport has assured Donegal based group PARC that efforts are ongoing to close a loop hole which allows as many as 75% of drivers convicted of a road traffic offense to avoid penalty points. As it stands, a driver summoned to court is not directed to take their license with them which

The Pan Celtic Festival is coming back to the North West. The event, which brings together groups from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, Brittanty and the Isle of Man, will be held in Derry in 2014 and 2015. The festival took place in Letterkenny in 2006 and 2007, and in Donegal Town in 2008 and 2009.

Donegal is ranked as having the worst planning system in the country in a new report by An Taisce. Each of the country’s 34 authorities has been graded in an academic style under 8 criteria, including the percentage of vacant housing stock in a region. Donegal was one of 9 council’s to be given an

Sinn Féin Councillor Jack Murray has said that he believes there’s a possibility that his emergency motion on the Household Charge will be passed by the council this week. The motion calls for the council not to collect information from utility companies in order to pursue those who haven’t paid the household charge will. Councillor

Gardai are investigating two robberies at filling stations in Donegal at the weekend. The first robbery took place on Friday night when three masked men, at least one of which was armed with a knife, targeted the ‘Go’ filling station in St Johnston at 10pm. They escaped with a sum of cash. On Saturday, Donaghey’s

Two people had to be rescued off the Donegal coast at the weekend after their boat’s engine lost power. Bundoran RNLI Lifeboat was tasked to the scene to aid a small pleasure craft, following a mayday call to Malin Head Coast Guard on Saturday evening. The alarm was raised when two emergency flares, deployed from

What has been described as a viable device, has been made safe in the Drumleck Drive area of Derry. A security alert had been ongoing since the device was discovered leading to homes being evacuated. The police have conformed that the ATO has made safe the device which has been taken away for further examination.

Donegal County Council will be among 34 of the country’s City and County Planning Authorities to come under scrutiny in a new report to be released later this morning. Each of the Authorities is graded in an academic style under 8 criteria, including the percentage of vacant housing stock in a region – with 9

A woman has been threatened with a knife and had her car stolen by four men in Derry. She had just got into her car after leaving a shop on the Buncrana Road at about 9 o clock last night when the men surrounded the vehicle. They threatened her with a knife and pulled her

A car has been destroyed in a petrol bomb attack in Derry. Police and fire crews were called to Ardnamoyle Park in Shantallow at about half past two this morning. A petrol bomb was found at the scene. No-one was injured. Police are appealing for anyone with information about the attack to contact them.

Hundreds of Anti Austerity protesters from Donegal are gathering at the Labour Party’s Annual conference in Galway today. The Donegal Action Against Austerity group is leading the protests with dozens of their supporters joining others from around the country on Eyre Square. DAAA says the people are being treated with contempt by the government with

Donegal County Council has been awarded one of the biggest allocations outside of Dublin to tackle the problems of Litter and Graffiti. The Minister for the Environment today announced the provision of €2,150,000 in grants to local authorities, 27,000 of which will come to Donegal. Nationally, the money is the be split between Anti-Litter &

Over crowding has eased somewhat at Northwest two main hospitals. Those on trolleys awaiting or receiving treatment at Letterkenny General Hospital peaked this week at 7 according to the INMO. The organisation’s latest figures show that has been reduced to 2. At Sligo General Hospital there were 18 on trolleys yesterday, today that figure has

The slipway at Burtonport is to be strengthened and resurfaced. A deal has been reached between Donegal County Council and Junior Gaeltacht Minister Dinny Mc Ginley for a 40,000 euro project. It’s proposed that the work will be done on a phased basis so the Arranmore Ferry is not disrupted. Minister Mc Ginley says it’s

A number of Donegal companies are to accompany Agriculture and Marine Minister Simon Coveny on a trade mission to China next week. The list includes Marine Harvest, Atlantic Dawn, Hannigans and Mc Brides. Donegal North East TD Joe Mc Hugh met with Marine Harvest last evening ahead of the trip. He says it’s significant that

The decision by St Vincent’s Hospital to withdraw treatment for pain relief from a 40 year old Donegal man has been reversed after the HSE confirmed last night they would fund the treatment Thomas Keavney from Convoy had been told the treatment was being discontinued because he was from “outside the catchment area”. However, following

Buncrana Town Council is to reinstate diving boards in the area for the summer season in a bid to attract more visitors. The Mayor noted that during the recent warm spell, hundreds of people visited Buncrana. And he says if diving boards were reinstated, then it would ensure that visitors would return during the Summer.

Calls have been made for Letterkenny Town Council to seek funding for an outdoor basketball court. Although there are a number of indoor facilities in the town, there is no outdoor facility. A number of Town Cllrs said Gartan Field would be the obvious place for an outdoor basketball court. But Cllr Dessie Larkin said

A reward of up to £20,000 is being offered for information leading to the conviction of those responsible for the murder of Joanne Mathers in Derry 31 years ago this week. Ms. Mathers, a 29 year old mother-of-one, was shot dead by the IRA as she collected census forms in the Gobnascale area on April

What is thought to be a submarine or boat has been identified submerged in Lough Foyle. The North’s Environment Minister Alex Attwood has said he had viewed sonar images of the vessel. Urgent work is now to be undertaken to determine how and when the submarine or boat came to rest in the lough. The

The CEO of Donegal Creameries says Oatfield plant in Letterkenny has not been sold, but may be in the future. Ian Ireland was speaking after the publication of the company’s End of Year Report today. One aspect of the report shows the value of land held by Donegal Creameries fell by nearly 12 million euro

There remains a relatively high number of patients either waiting for or being treated on trolleys at Letterkenny General Hospital. According to figures compiled by the INMO six people were on trolleys yesterday, that figure has grown to seven today. The situation is even worse at Sligo General Hospital which services some areas of South

The final line-up for the Donegal Live event taking place in May has been confirmed with its organisers promising it will be one of the biggest Tourism events ever held to showcase Donegal. The event is in Donegal Town from the 25th to the 27th of May and will have concerts from Goats Don’t Shave,

Donegal Fine Gael TDs Dinny McGinley and Joe McHugh have been called on to clarify their stance on what has been described as ‘the Education Minister’s attack on small rural schools’ Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill set the challenge after Galway Fine Gael Senator Fidelma Healy Eames described the policy as ‘social engineering of the worst

A court in the North has found that AIB and its investment arm engaged in “negligent misrepresentation” of the terms of an investment product sold to Donegal Cllr Frank McBrearty jnr and his wife. The couple had invested more than half of the €1.5 million compensation Mr McBrearty received from the Irish State with the

Buncrana Town Council is to write to the Finance Minister expressing deep concern at the current price of petrol and diesel. Sinn Fein Cllr Ciaran McLaughlin says many families and businesses in the town were struggling with the continuing rising costs, and Minister Michael Noonan must be urged to act. A number of other Cllrs

Donegal Action Against Austerity is calling on people from Donegal and across the country to descend on Galway this weekend, to protest at Labour Party National Conference. The group want to see scenes simiar to that in Dublin earlier this month at the Fine Gael Ard Fheis. DAAA says the people are being treated with

A security alert ended in Derry just after 9 o’clock last night after a suspect device was declared a hoax. The object was found on Lower Bennet Street. Following the discovery, Foyle Road was closed at it’s junctions with Craigavon Bridge and Bishop Street, and 10 homes were evacuated.