Author name: oisinkelly

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

Gardai discovered a sheep skeleton and other dying animals when they visited a farm in Co Donegal. Gardaí were tipped off by animal welfare officers about possible cases of cruelty on the farm of 56-year-old Joseph McBride. Sgt Christy Galligan told Letterkenny District Court he had called to the farm at Murlog, Downings, in February

Councillor Barry O’Neill says he is taking immediate legal action action relating to the reproduction of a picture of his wife which was described as depicting her adopting a Nazi salute. In a statement to highland radio news this afternoon, councillor O’Neill says he is taking the action regarding how he and his wife have

A fugitive businessman at the centre of a suspected multi-million pound investment scam has lost an appeal against an 18-month prison sentence. Francois de Dietrich had sought to overturn the term imposed for failing to disclose his worldwide assets. The Court of Appeal dismissed his challenge. The BBC reports that the French man, who was

There are a number of possible outcomes to tomorrow’s reconvened budget meeting in Lifford. Despite the county manager indicating there is very little wiggle room in terms of how money could be redistributed, some compromise could be reached and the budget could be passed. Although tomorrow is being flagged as D day for deciding the

An Independent County Council has joined the ranks of those who believe Donegal County Councillors will not be able to agree to pass a budget for this year when they meet in Lifford tomorrow. Councillors failed to reach agreement on the budget when they met in December with Sinn Fein, Fine Fianna and a number

Letterkenny has finished a lowly 49th place out of 53 towns and cities in the 2011 Anti Litter League survey. The latest survey carried out by the Irish Business Against Litter deemed Letterkenny as ‘littered’. This is despite 70% of Irish towns and cities were found to be clean to European norms. In 2010, Letterkenny

An investigation has been launched into reports of the illicit slaughter of cattle and distribution of beef from back-street abattoirs in areas along the Border. The Department of Agriculture is working with farming organisations to investigate claims that cut-price door-to-door meat sales took place in several towns and villages in the North-east and North-west prior

A taxi driver was threatened and assaulted before his vehicle was hijacked and later found burnt out in Lifford in the early hours of yesterday morning. Two young men assaulted the taxi driver; who is in his 40s, and left him at the roadside. One man in his twenties has been arrested, but Gardai are

Donegal Senator Jimmy Harte is one of a number of Labour Oireachtas members who are meeting this week to seek changes to proposed education cutbacks. Senator Harte says the changes to pupil teacher ratios in disadvantaged area schools will create major problems in some Donegal schools, and he and a number of colleagues are coming

A Buncrana accountant is urging pensioners who have received letters about the possibility of extra tax liability not to panic, but to have their situation checked by an accountant or tax expert. Paul Mc Gonagle says an accountant will be able to tell very quickly if there are potential problems, and in most cases, he

Hundreds of people took to the streets of Donegal this afternoon for a series of protests against the provisions of Budget 2012. The demonstrations, under the banner “Enough is Enough”, took place in Castlefin, Convoy, Raphoe, Ramelton, Rossnakil, Buncrana and Letterkenny. The organisers say it’s vital that the message gets through to government that people

The transfer of 54,000 tonnes of oil from a damaged tanker in Belfast Lough has been successfully completed. The Genmar Companion had been sheltering in the Lough since a crack was found on its deck 40 miles off Tory Island just over three weeks ago as the ship was heading from Rottrerdam to New York.

** Update – Letterkenny protest time changed, now due to start at 3.45pm.   More protests are taking place around the county this afternoon against Budget 2012. The demonstrations, under the banner “Enough is Enough” will take place in Castlefin, Convoy, Raphoe, Ramelton, Rossnakil, Buncrana and Letterkenny. The organisers are hopiong fopr a large turnout,

A number of homes and businesses had to be evacuated in Dungannon last evening after a suspicious object was spotted on Mark Street. Army experts attended the scene, and determined the object was a pipe bomb. It was made safe and residents allowed return to their homes last night.

A 35-year-old Derry man with what was described as ‘an extensive record’ was jailed today for a assaulting police. Terence Edward Doherty of 29 Chamberlain Street in Derry was charged with four assaults on police, one resisting and one count of disorderly behaviour all of which occurred on Thursday last, January 5th. The court was

A major operation is underway in Belfast Lough to remove 54,000 tonnes of oil from a damaged tanker. The Genmar Companion has been sheltering since a crack was found on its deck 40 miles off Tory Island on December 16th. The operation to transfer the vacuum gas oil onto the BW Seine has been delayed

Police in Strabane have discovered a car which was stolen during a raid on a shop in Lifford on Wednesday night. The black BMW 316 car was taken when two men, one armed with a handgun, held up a shop in Porthall at around 7.15pm on Wednesday evening. The men escaped with a small amount

A drugs peddler told a court today that he would be shot if he implicated his supplier in his case. Steven Heraty, from Finner, Bundoran, was before Ballyshannon District Court when the State lodged a bid to forfeit €1,160 and €85 sterling taken from him when cocaine and ecstasy was also seized. 24-year-old Heraty who

Sinn Fein says it will not able to support the adoption of Donegal County Council’s revenue budget for 2012 unless the government commits extra cash to the county. Councillors couldn’t agree the budget in December with Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein stating that they would be unable to support it for a number of reason,

There has been an angry reaction in Donegal to the government’s recent announcement of a 40% increase in the Health Insurance Levy. Deputy Thomas Pringle says this will mean extra costs for customers with private health insurance despite the government saying that the companies should not pass it on. Deputy Pringle says the 1.9 billion

The CEO of the Irish Tourist Industry confederations says comments made by the Chairman of his organisation as it related to Donegal Tourism were ill informed but not intentional Yesterday the head of Oideas Gael in Gleann Cholm Cille hit out at John Healy questioning his logic as it relates to tourism in Donegal – 

Overcrowding at Letterkenny General Hospital has eased but remains an issue. According to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, there are 5 people lying on trolleys this morning either being treated or awaiting treatment. That figures is significantly less than was recorded earlier this week. However the problem does appear to be getting worse at

A young shop-assistant has been left badly shaken after she was threatened at gunpoint and had her car stolen during an armed robbery in Lifford on Wednesday night. The young woman, who was alone in the shop,  had a handgun pointed at her when two men raided a shop in Porthall  at around 7.15pm. They

A Derry woman with almost 40 convictions in the last two years has been jailed for two months for throwing a tin of hairspray at a police officer. 31-year-old Edel McLaughlin, of Bishop Street, admitted disorderly behaviour. The court heard a police patrol in the Diamond area of Derry city centre on Christmas Eve was

A number of campaign groups are to come together later this month to hold a mass protest against Budget 2012. A number of representatives from different groups met in Buncrana on Tuesday night, and they are to meet up again to organise a mass protest in Donegal in the near future. The protest will include

New figures from the IDA show that 13 thousand jobs were created last year by companies they support. Nearly 500 new jobs were created in the North West in 2011, with the agency pledging to continue seeking 50% of all investment in the regions. The figures released today show that in the North West, there

One of Donegal’s best known businessmen has said he believes a motorway network and sustainable energy project should be considered as part of a programme to boost Ireland’s infrastructure and grow the economy. Willie Mc Carter, a former Chairman of the International Fund for Ireland and Managing Director of Fruit of the Loom hit the

A Strabane woman who is locked in a international custody battle says feels lost and without help. On Christmas Eve a Belfast Court ordered Tracey McCay to hand her six-year-old son Sean over to her husband – he has since returned to their adopted home of Singapore with Sean. The 37-year-old has told Highland Radio

The head of Oideas Gael in Gleann Cholm Cille has hit out at the Chairman of the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation questioning his logic as it relates to tourism in Donegal. John Healy, in reference to the lack of growth in tourism in Donegal, stated that unless visitors are staying in the country for at

There are further reports of spot flooding and fallen trees across Donegal this morning following over night winds which gusted over 100km/h in places accompanied by heavy rain. Gardai are advising motorists to exercise caution on the roads. The ESB’s continuing its efforts to reconnect customers electricity supply today. 250 households or businesses are without

It is hoped that a cut in the cost of using Donegal’s recycling centres from the start of the year, will help address the problem of illegal dumping. A number of the county’s recycling centres are being run by a private company leading to the price cut, the remaining centres still under the council’s control

A garda investigating rape suffered a cruciate ligament injury when the suspect resisted arrest, a court heard yesterday. The rapist, Martin O’Hara, 25, is already serving six years for his crime, but he appeared at Donegal District Court on other offences linked to the investigation. The court was told that a number of squad cars

The Police Ombudsman is to examine the PSNI’s investigation into a fire at the Sean Dolan’s GAA clubhouse in Derry last week. Police were forced into a u-turn after initially stating that the blaze at Sean Dolan’s in Creggan during the early hours of last Wednesday was not suspicious. The reversal of the decision came

More protests are taking place around the county this weekend against Budget 2012. At 3 o clock on Sunday demonstrations will take place in Castlefin, Convoy, Raphoe, Ramelton, Rossnakil, Buncrana and Letterkenny. Joe Murphy, who took part in a drive-slow from Buncrana to Dublin last month, and who is organising Sundays protests, says he hopes

Torrential rain and gale force winds are set to lash Donegal tonight. But forecasters say that tomorrow will be a much drier day with winds easing. Met Eireann says there will be more high winds tonight with gusts of between 100 and 120 kilometres per hour in exposed parts of Connacht and west Ulster. Forecaster,

Over 2,000 people have already registered to pay the controversial household charge. The 100 euro fee was introduced in December – and a campaign has been launched, urging people not to pay. However, figures released today show that around 2,400 people have already logged onto the website householdcharge-dot-ie, with an intention to pay. Donegal South-West

Met Eireann is warning of further gale force winds in parts of the country tonight. Gusts of between 100 and 120 kilometres per hour are forecast in exposed areas of Connacht and west Ulster. Meanwhile Eircom says its currently dealing with over 5,000 faults – with Mayo, Galway, Sligo and Donegal the worst affected areas.