Author name: oisinkelly

A major protest planned for Dublin on the 22nd of February has been delayed until the following week, the 29th February, organisers have said. According to Donegal Action Against Austerity (DAAA), the protest which was originally organised to coincide with a blockade of the capital by the Road Haulage Association, has gained so much support […]

One week on from the brutal murder of Andrew Allen in Buncrana, gardai have renewed an appeal for information from the public. The father of two from Derry died after a number of shots were fired through the window of his Buncrana last Thursday night. Dissident republicans have been blamed for his death – they

A public consultation on the future of Lifford Hospital will begin on March the 1st. While the closure of the residential care aspect of the hospital is proposed by the HSE as part of the consultation process, it is understood that counter proposals to keep the facility open and improve its viability will be considered.

The Derry Journal reports that Mr Allen’s family are not happy with how police on both sides of the border have handled the murder investigation. His girlfriend Arlene says she cannot understand why no description of the gunman has been released. She said that since the gardai or police have not given out her description

Thirteen separate objections have been lodged against the awarding of planning permission for a major wind farm development in Glenties. An Bord Pleanála must now decide if it will uphold a  Council decision to allow the development of 25 wind turbines, 4 burrow pits, a substation, peat disposal units and the clearcutting of conifer plantation.

A rally is to be held in Derry tomorrow in protest at the murder of Andrew Allen. The father of two from Derry died after a number of shots were fired through the window of his Buncrana home a week ago. Dissident republicans have been blamed for his death. One of the organisers, civil rights

Three men are due in court this morning following a dramatic cross border chase on Wednesday which saw a van colliding with police vehicles in Derry and Garda cars in Donegal. The incident began in the Carranbane Walk area of Shantallow after it was reported that a number of men had tried to gain access

Donegal could attract thousands of visitors and bring millions of euro to the county every year through its golf courses. Failte Ireland estimates that an overseas golf tourist is worth almost three times the value of the average tourist to Ireland. It found the average spend by a golfing visitor was about €1,300. With about

Derry’s Peace Bridge has won a top planning award, from the Irish Planning Institute. The Bridge, designed to link both banks of the River Foyle, took the Overall Award along with the former British Army Ebrington Barracks in a project submitted by the Ilex Regeneration Company. The biennial Awards were presented at a ceremony in

The Transport Minister says work on upgrading the A5 road from the North West to Monaghan is only possible because we DON’T have a United Ireland. Last November the Irish Government cancelled the planned investment in the cross-border motorway. Now the Northern Ireland Executive is going ahead with upgrading two sections of the road to

Details of donations made by Donegal builder Pat Doherty to Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats during their reign in government between 2001 and 2010 have emerged today. The well-known builder and developer’s Harcourt Developments built the Park West business campus in Dublin and is behind the Titanic Quarter project in Belfast.  The firm also

The Environmental Protection Agency says inadequate waste water treatment facilities in Moville and Raphoe are causing serious river pollution. The information is contained in a report published today which finds that two towns in Donegal, Moville and Killybegs, are among a total of eleven large urban areas which do not meet the Urban Waste Water

The EPA has identified Moville and Killybegs in a list of towns where waste water treatment work is overdue. They are among a total of eleven large urban areas which do not meet the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive requirement to have secondary treatment in place. They are Moville and Killybegs, where the EPA expects

The partner of murdered Derry man Andrew Allen has said she believes the gunmen meant to kill him. The father of two from the Top of the Hill area of Derry died after a number of shots were fired through the window of his Buncrana home a week ago. Dissident republicans have been blamed for

Shots have been fired at a house in Sion Mills. No-one was injured but a window was damaged in the incident which happened at around 10.45 on the Garvan Road. One man was inside the house at the time, Police want to hear from anyone who was in the area between 10.30pm and 11.00pm or

Six people, including a young boy, were removed to Letterkenny General last night Wednesday following a two car head on collision near Bunbeg. The two cars, a silver Mercedes and a red Volkswagen Bora collided at middle Dore after 9pm. Both were extensively damaged. The road was closed for a period while two ambulance crews,

Donegal South-West Deputy Thomas Pringle is backing moves to allow An Post offer basic bank accounts at all its branches. Deputy Pringle, a member of the Joint Committee on Communications, Natural Resources and Agriculture, says that the Post Office is an ideal location for a basic bank account as there is one in every community.

A Donegal councillor says he’s been told that street cleaning is to be scaled back in Lifford and Raphoe. Cllr Gerry Crawfiord is seeking clasrification after he was told the service will no longer be provided once a week as has been the case, but will now be done “on demand”. He believes council staff

Twenty-six people have died from Pseudomonas in Northern Ireland over the past four years. The Health Minister, Edwin Poots, revealed the figure on Wednesday as he briefed the assembly’s health committee on the investigation. Recently, four babies died following complications from the infection. In December, a baby died from a Pseudomonas infection at Altnagelvin Hospital

Three men have been arrested in Derry following an incident in which a van collided with police vehicles on both sides of the border. The incident began in the Carranbane Walk area of Shantallow this morning. Police in Derry say that at approximately 9.30, yesterday morning  it was reported that a number of men had

The Alzheimer Society of Ireland has told Letterkenny Town Council that a lot can be done to provide a positive environment for people with dementia. Following from a debate in the chamber last month on the prospect of designating Letterkenny as a “Dementia Friendly Town”, the society stressed the need for social interaction for people

The government is being urged to publish a new timeline for the release of funding for the A5 upgrade following on from yesterday’s announcement at Stormont by the North’s Finance MInister Sammy Wilson. Donegal North East Deputy Charlie McConalogue says now is the time for the Government to recommit to funding to the project. The

Campaigners opposed to the new household charge are stepping up the campaign against the 100-euro fee. They will be joined by nine TD’s at St. Stephen’s Green in Dublin, as they begin distributing flyers that urge people not to pay the charge. The campaign says it’s printed the flyers in response to the government’s leaf-letting

A special sitting of Dungloe District Court has been fixed to hear charges against number of people following a melee in which four gardai in Co. Donegal were surrounded by more than 100 clubbers outside a chip shop. Eight men have been accused of 21 offences which included public disorder, obstructing gardai and assault on

The Mayor of Letterkenny says the local town council must send out a strong message that Community Employment Schemes should be retained, and training and materials budgets should be immediately restored to 2011 levels. Cllr Gerry Mc Monagle, who has himself been directly involved in CE schemes through his work with the Community Development Project

People in negative equity could be offered new mortgages. According to the Irish Independent, the Central Bank has given Permanent TSB and Bank of Ireland permission to offer a new type of homeloan which would see existing debt added onto a loan for a new property. More than half of mortgage holders are in negative

A 41-year-old man has been cleared of murdering a teenager, who he killed with a broken glass in a bar on Arranmore Island. Stephen Boyle with an address at Cambridge Road, Kilburn Park in London was convicted by a jury of the manslaughter of 19-year-old Paul Boyle at Early’s Bar in October 2009. He admitted

Donegal North East Deputy Joe Mc Hugh says he believes the Irish government will honour the balance of  its £450 million contribution to the upgrade of the A5. He was speaking after the North’s Finance Minister Sammy Wilson confirmed that 330 million pounds will be spent over the next four years upgrading two stretches of

The old Ebrington Barracks parade ground in Derry are opening to the public this evening, creating the biggest piece of open space in the city, and one of the key performance areas for Derry’s year as UK City of Culture. It’s the first time the square will be open to the public since it was

A 49-year-old man has appeared in court charged with possession of a 100lb bomb. Derry Magistrates Court was told that DNA linked Eamon Terence Cassidy, with an address at Maghaberry Prison, to the device. The bomb was left in a beer keg inside a car found abandoned in Bishop Street car park – across the

The book of evidence is ready to be served on two men accused of assault causing harm to Senator Brian O’Domhnaill. But Dungloe Court was told today that there are background negotiations involving a reluctant witness. Garda Inspector Dennis Joyce held up the book and said he had it ready to serve on Cathal O’Donovan

The North’s Minister for finance has confirmed that 330 million pounds will be spent over the next four years upgrading two stretches of the A5 to dual carriageway status. The money will be spent on a routes from Derry to Strabane and Omagh to Ballygawley. The work on two of the three stretches of the

The Fianna Fail MEP Pat the Cope Gallagher is calling on the Government to reverse its decision to close the Vatican Embassy. The former Donegal Deputy made the plea in the European Parliament in Strasbourg last night. Mr Gallagher comments come as the Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore said he would be prepared to review the closure

The jury in the trial of a man accused of murdering a teenager on Arranmore Island will begin its deliberations today. 41 year old Stephen Boyle has admitted killing, but denies murdering, 19 year old Paul Boyle at Early’ s Bar, Leabgarrow, Arranmore on October 3rd, 2009. The judge, Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy said one

A man has been sentenced to 15 years by Mr Justice Paul Carney for raping and sexually assaulting the daughters of a woman he met through the internet. The 53-year-old former paramilitary, who cannot be named by law, committed the abuse in Donegal and Northern Ireland and in another European country. He began abusing one

Letterkenny Councillor Dessie Larkin says it’s time that groups, facilities and events being funded by the council should come before the council to brief members on how that money is being spent. Cllr Larkin also says work programmes and plans should be submitted to the council before money is handed over to ensure that value

A man will appear in court today charged in connection with a bomb found close to Bishop Street courthouse in Derry in March last year. The 50 kilogram bomb, which was hidden inside a beer keg, had  according to police the potential to cause massive damage – and loss of life. The 49 year old

Calls have been made for plans for  Crana College, Gael Colaiste and the Gaelscoil to merge into a campus in Buncrana to be progressed with urgency. The Donegal VEC is currently working to secure a site for the campus in the town, and they have secured a Department of Education engineer to view sites in

Eircom is to spend up to €5 million in the coming months to improve broadband provision in Letterkenny. The town is one of ten in the country being provided with a new high speed fibre network, with preparatory work already underway. Briefing town councillors on the plan, Eircom spokesperson Paul Bradley said as well as

Strabane District Council has agreed to increase its district rate for the coming year by 3.93%. The council says this reflects its commitment to planned investment in community, leisure and recycling facilities. This means that local ratepayers will see an average increase in their rates bills of £19.07 when the regional rate increase of 2.2%

The senior coroner in Northern Ireland said he plans to call a convicted child killer as a witness at the inquest into the death of a Castlederg teenager. Robert Howard was acquitted of killing 15-year-old Arlene Arkinson at a trial in 2005. Last December, he lost a High Court challenge to the Arkinson inquest being

A 77-year-old former SDLP councillor on Derry City Council will be sentenced on Friday after he admitted two charges of sexual assault in an 11-year-old girl. William McCorriston of  Philip Street in Derry pleaded guilty at today’s sitting of Derry Crown Court to the two charges which occurred between September 6 and September 21 2010.

One of Letterkenny Town Council’s longest serving members is backing a  Heritage Council call for the establishment of a national organisation to support the sustainable development of town centres. The Heritage Council suggestion is included in its submission to a government review on retail planning guidelines. Letterkenny Cllr Jim Lynch says such a body could

The treasurer of Monreagh National School’s Parents’ Association says Education Minister Ruari Quinn needs to consider the links between small schools and local communities. Josephine Duncan was speaking as the 28 pupil school’s new building outside Carrigans was officially opened this afternoon by Junior Minister Dinny Mc Ginley. The old building closed last June after

Hundreds of people who attended the funeral of a 24-year-old Derry man shot dead at his home in Buncrana on Thursday have been told that his murder was an evil which descended on the northwest. Andrew Allen, a father of two from the Top of the Hill area of Derry, died after a number of

A public meeting takes place tonight to discuss the transport crisis effecting schools in the Finn Valley area. The new transport scheme will only offer free transport for new pupils to their closest school – its claimed the move will divide siblings and cause extra expense and inconvenience for parents. The public meeting on the

A complete review by the HSE into how a caretaker on the sex offenders register remained working at a Donegal school and was able to rape and sexually assault four boys should be complete in March Michael Ferry abused the four boys on an almost weekly basis, some for as long as four years despite

The funeral takes place later of the 24-year-old Derry man shot dead at his home in Buncrana on Thursday. Andrew Allen, a father of two from the Top of the Hill area of Derry, died after a number of shots were fired through the window of his home. He will be buried after Requiem Mass

The BBC reports that St Peter’s High School in Derry has been earmarked for closure following a major review of Catholic education. Immaculate Conception College in the Waterside will stay open, but it is understood St Eugene’s in Castlederg will also close. The Commission on Catholic Education is to release a report later confirming the

Plans for the drastic overhaul of 3rd level education institutions will be officaly unveiled later. Small colleges will be forced to merge with larger third level institutions, and universities and Institutes of Technology will have to band together into regional clusters The new plans will be published today by the Higher Education Authority. Letterkenny IT