Author name: oisinkelly

A National campaign to boycott the household charge is stepping up a gear today. Those against the controversial 100-euro tax are meeting in Dublin later – to plan ways to encourage more people not to pay. Socialist Party Councillor Ruth Coppinger says the aim of the campaign is to persuade people that they have nothing […]

A fresco painted by the renowned church artist Harry Clarke has been restored to its former glory after decades buried under layers of peeling paint. The Irish Independent reports how the gilded painting of an angel was hidden on the wall of St Eunan’s Cathedral in Letterkenny for 60 years, until it was uncovered by

Some Donegal County Councillors are embracing Twitter in an other way to stay in touch with the people. Twitter’s popularity is growing all the time in Ireland with hundreds of thousands of people exchanging news and their points of view with others. While a number of national politicians are already Tweeting up until recently few

The owners of of the Oatfield Confectionary plant in Letterkenny are refusing to comment on growing fears for the future of the facility. The remaining 15 workers at the plant are expressing concern, saying that key ingredients are now being outsourced and key machinery has been moved from the factory. Mayor Cllr Gerry Mc Monagle

Derry City Council has approved a DOE recommendation to demolish the former Hamilton Shirt Factory, and is now in consultation with the buildings’ owner. The DOE had refused an application to demolish the building last October, but after an internal wall collapsed in the building over the holidays engineers have concluded the building is now

The ongoing row between the British Government and Scottish Executive over Independence has surfaced in Dublin. Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond used a visit here for the British Irish Council to accuse the London Government of “bullying” over the holding of a referendum. That’s been rejected by the UK’s Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, who’s

The North’s Department of Environment has approved the demolition of the former Hamilton factory at John Street in Derry. The building is not listed but is in a conservation area. Once Derry City Council endorses the notice to approve, a decision notice permitting the demolition will issue immediately. A meeting involving council officials is ongoing

A Bundoran family had a lucky escape after being taken to hospital with carbon monoxide poisoning, a housing association has said. In a statement the Clúid Housing development said four members of the same family living at the Silver Hill estate were treated last Friday at Sligo General Hospital. A full investigation is underway and

Plans are being drawn up for a “wild Atlantic drive” along Ireland’s West coastline to rival the most scenic road trips around the globe. Tourism chiefs are working on a link-up of existing routes from Donegal’s Slieve League to west Cork to draw in thrill-seeking motorists from overseas. The trail will be pitched to continental

There are growing fears about the future of Oatfield Confectionery Plant in Letterkenny. The remaining 15 workers are becoming increasingly worried for their jobs. It follows the continual removal of key machinery and equipment and outsourcing of key ingredients. Oatfield Sweets have been manufactured in Letterkenny for more than 80 years. Mayor of Letterkenny, Cllr

Donegal Senator Brian O’Domhnaill has called for an initiative to bring community nursing units into line with modern standards. He was speaking after exchanges in the Seanad with Junior Health Minister Kathleen Lynch, who could give him no guarantees on the future of Lifford Hospital. Ms Lynch said the Department of Health is awaiting proposals

There are major traffic delays around Foyle Road and John Street in Derry, where a cordon went up last night around the old Hamilton Shirt Factory, which is now in a dangerous state because of a collapsed wall. It’s feared the building is in imminent danger of collapse, and a demolition order has been issued.

A woman has told a jury she thought she was “going to die” when a man entered her bedroom in a house in County Donegal, and demanded she have sex with him. The woman said on day-two of the Central Criminal Court trial that she vomited when the man entered her room and demanded she

Highland Radio News has learned  that one man has been arrested following the seizure of a substantial amount of cannabis at Lettermacaward. 47 cannabis plants with a value of 18,800euro and cannabis herb valued at 2,500 were seized in what is understood to be a cannabis cultivation facility on Thursday. The 43 year old man

The Irish Examiner today reports how a former estate agent who stole €1.6m after he used solicitor Gerald Keane’s name to encourage 25 investors to participate in a “Ponzi” scheme has been jailed for six years. Eamonn Kelly (aged 48), who previously owned two RE/MAX Auctioneers franchises, told investors that they could make €15,000 profit

Motorists in Derry are being advised to avoid the Foyle Road and John Street area of the city due to the possible collapse of the former Hamilton Shirt Factory which is now in a dangerous state because of a collapsed wall. Road closures and diversions have been put in place  this evening to ensure the

Police in Derry say they have found no evidence of an explosion in the Waterside area on Tuesday evening. A number of homes were evacuated in the Spencer Road and Fountain Hill areas after the blast was reported shortly after 5 o’clock on Tuesday. Much of the cordon was lifted yesterday, and the final cordon

Donegal schools who are part of the DEIS scheme are being urged to contribute to a review announced by Education Minister Ruari Quinn. In the budget, it emerged the government was planning to cut resources from the scheme, which would have see teacher cuts in disadvantaged schools. Last night,  Mr Quinn said his Department would

Police in riot gear were called to Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry on Wednesday. It is believed they were called to deal with a man who was being aggressive towards staff. The Western Trust has confirmed there was an incident at half twelve on Wednesday night where police were called in to assist. A spokesperson said

Junior Agriculture Minister Shane Mc Entee says he has warned the supermarket sector that it is endangering the future of fruit and vegetable production in Ireland through below cost selling. Mr Mc Entee says the horticulture sector is becoming the victim in a supermarket price war, and he may have to take action to deal

Donegal’s two electoral constituencies may be merged into one and the number of TDs here reduced from six to five. Fine Gael wants to reduce the number of TDsin the country to 158. The coalition party has written to the body in charge of revising the constituency boundaries and reducing the number of TDs, proposing

Buncrana Town Council is to join up with Inishowen Tourism to try and reap the benefits from Derry’s year as City of Culture in 2013. Inishowen Tourism are to appoint a project officer, who will look at different initiatives, to see which ones are achieveble and what will best benefit the Northwest region. Buncrana Town

Donegal North East Deputy, Pádraig Mac Lochlainn is to seek a Dáil debate today on the ongoing overcrowding at Letterkenny General Hospital’s Accident and Emergency ward. Earlier this week all Outpatient Clinics were cancelled at the Hospital after what was described as unprecedented numbers attending A&E overnight. Deputy Mac Lochlainn has described the conditions for

The Mayor of Letterkenny has jumped to the defence of the town for the second time this week, after it was criticised from an international travel guide. The Lonely Planet Guide authors describe Letterkenny as a town that has been ruined by the excesses of the Celtic Tiger era, through mindless development. They say the

A Donegal County Council delegation will meet with senior National Roads Authority figures in Dublin this morning to discuss funding for the county’s roads network. A number of projects in the county have been stalled, with hopes that at least some of them can be progressed in 2012. Among the projects shelved last August were

A  man has gone on trial at the Central Criminal Court accused of orally raping and sexually assaulting a female housemate. The 39-year-old has pleaded not guilty to orally raping and sexually assaulting the woman in a house in County Donegal on October 30, 2010. The trial continues today before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and

The campaign against the 100 euro household charge is stepping up, with the launch of a telephone line to help coordinate the national campaign. The ‘Campaign Against Household and Water Taxes’ group says it hopes one million people will refuse to pay the charge. The Dublin launch was addressed by Donegal South West Deputy Thomas

No clear explanation has yet been found for a blast heard in the Waterside area of Derry yesterday, despite extensive searches by police. The loud bang was reported across the city and as far away as City of Derry Airport, but it was loudest in the Waterside – where it shook buildings and windows. Theories

One person who is welcoming yesterdays budget is the Chairperson of the Board of Management at Buncrana Leisure Centre. As a result of yesterdays amended budget, Buncrana Leisure Centre will now receive 20 thousand euro that was to be cut from its funding. If that funding had of been cut the leisure centre was faced

The Competition Authority has okayed the acquisition of Donegal Creameries’ milk and retail stores by Connacht Gold. In a statement the authority said it had taken account of the views of customers of both entities as well as the views of the Irish Farmers Association about the competitive impact of the acquisition on farmers in

Donegal County Council passed its budget for 2012 last evening after two full days of negotiations. In the end Fine Gael, Fianna Fail, Labour and three Independents backed the budget while Sinn Fein and Councillor John Campbell opposed it. The extensive negotiations meant a number of amendments to the draft budget – these include 400

Senator Jimmy Harte has accused Donegal South-West Deputy, Pearse Doherty of blatant hypocrisy. He claims Deputy Doherty is scaremongering local communities about the situation with rural schools. Speaking to Highland Radio News yesterday, Deputy Pearse Doherty called on his fellow Donegal TD’s to support a Sinn Féin motion on Thursday which calls on the government

Dozens of residents were evacuated from their homes last night as police investigated the cause of an explosion in the Waterside area of Derry. Scores of people contacted police to report the blast which was heard over a wide area on both sides of the River Foyle at around 5 o clock yesterday evening. Police

A number of people have been charged following a melee in Gweedore when four gardai were surrounded by more than 100 clubbers outside a chip shop. Nine men were accused at Dungloe District Court yesterday of 22 offences which included public disorder, obstructing gardai and assault on three of them. Two of the men, a

A Strabane Councillor says a realistic government strategy is needed to tackle child poverty and reduce deprivation among children in the town and its environs. Figures published this week by the End Child Poverty show the Strabane council area has one of the highest poverty rates in the North, at 31%, with only Derry and

A County Donegal man has set a new lamb shearing world record. Ivan Scott from Kilmacrennan shore 744 lambs in eight hours in New Zealand on Monday, beating the previous world record by just two sheep. Brought up on a farm Ivan had a little sheep shearing experience, but that all changed when he travelled

There’s been a breakthrough at Donegal Council’s Budget Meeting, with a majority of members set to adopt a revised budget. Losing a million pounds for local roads was a bridge too far for Fianna Fail, and they were unwilling to allowe the budget go through as long as that was the case. In the end,

Police in Derry say they are continuing to investigate reports of a loud explosion in the Waterside area just before 5pm this evening. Police are asking members of the public in the Waterside area to be extremely vigilant. Should they discover any suspicious objects they are asked not to touch them but to contact Police

Bereaved families in Donegal who want to have their loved ones cremated may soon have the option of going to Omagh. Preliminary planning documents have been submitted for a crematorium at Greenhill Cemetery, with the facility to be run by the private sector with the cooperation of Omagh District Council. If approved, work on the

The 46 year old man arrested earlier today on suspicion of arson at Sean Dolans GAA club in Derry on the  has been released on bail pending further enquiries. The clubhouse in Derry’s Creggan estate was set on fire on 28 December 2011. At the time of the blaze, police said it had been started

A 55-year-old man has been sent for trial accused of defrauding the Department of Social Protection of €3,700. John Harley, of Gortnabrade, Carrigart appeared at Dungloe District Court today on 19 counts accusing him of defrauding the Department at the Public Service Centre in Gweedore Rd, Dungloe between August 27, 2009, and March 8th last

A 46-year-old man has been arrested after a Derry GAA club was extensively damaged in an arson attack. Sean Dolan’s club in Derry’s Creggan estate was set on fire on 28 December 2011. At the time of the blaze, police said it had been started accidentally, but security footage was released showing people starting the

Government TD’s in Donegal are coming under pressure to seek a reversal of cuts in education, particularly to schools in disadvantaged areas in Donegal. Sinn Féin TD for Donegal South West, Pearse Doherty has called on local TDs to support the Sinn Féin motion on Thursday which calls on the government to reverse cuts to

The father of a five year-old girl who suffers from a rare bone disorder has said his family may have to move to the UK again if their daughter doesn’t receive the specialist treatment she needs. Sarah Morrison was born with brittle bone disease. Her father, Phillip, says he wants his daughter to receive specialist

Children in the North experience some of the highest rates of child poverty in Britain according to a new study. 46 per cent of children West Belfast live in poverty – putting it 4th in a league table of the worst areas in Britain. Derry has also performed badly – with 36 per cent of

A second man has been arrested following an assault on a taxi driver on the outskirts of Letterkenny. Two men threatened and assaulted a taxi driver before hijacking his vehicle just around 6am on Sunday morning. A garda spokesperson said the two men were passengers in the taxi and had asked to be taken to

All Outpatient Clinics have been cancelled at Letterkenny General Hospital this morning after what’s been described as unprecedented numbers attending A&E overnight. The 20 bed overflow ward is full, with twelve patients now being accommodated in Outpatient department, while there are seven patients on trolleys in casualty. As a result, the medical clinics of Dr

Donegal County Council’s stalled budget meeting resumes today, with no signs yet of a resolution. Today is the government’s deadline for a decision, with fears that failure to agree a budget will lead to Environment Minister Phil Hogan by-passing the council, and appointing a commissioner to run the county. Before Christmas, the draft budget was

The Mayor of Letterkenny has described the latest IBAL Litter Report as both “spiteful and ludicrous”. The survey placed Letterkenny 49th in a list of 53 towns, describing it as “littered”. However, Cllr mc Monagle takes exception to the finding, saying the report gives the town a mixture of As, Bs and Cs with most