Author name: oisinkelly

Two bodies were recovered from Killybegs Harbour this afternoon(Fri), one of a 50-year-old fisherman and another of an elderly man who earlier went missing from a local hospital. The fisherman’s body was taken from the water, although he was not reported missing, when gardai launched a search for the missing hospital patient. The first body […]

The Government says it will offer assistance to ensure the best interest of workers at the Oatfield plant in Letterkenny if, as is expected, they lose their jobs. The remaining 15 workers on the site have expressed concerns over their futures after equipment was moved from the plant. This has increased concerns that the site

Donegal Deputy Padraig MacLochlain has called on the Finance Minister to issue an apology for suggesting people were leaving Ireland as a ‘lifestyle choice’ Deputy MacLochlainn says whether or not his comments were taken out of context,  Michael Noonan must recognise they are causing hurt to thousands of families who  have lost loved ones to

A man’s body was taken from the water at Killybegs Harbour today– after a search was launched for a different person. The body taken from the water beside a slipway near the Garda station was of a 50-year-old man from the Glencolmcille area who was last sighted on Wednesday. Gardai said they were looking for

Disruption continues in Derry this afternoon following last night’s double explosion in the City. One device went off close to the Tourist Office on  Foyle Street, a second device went off outside the Council offices on Strand Road. Strand Road, Queens Quay, Foyle Embankment and Johns Street are now open to through traffic. There are

Two men are due to appear in court today in connection with the death of a 57-year-old Donegal man in Glasgow. William McKeeney, originally from Malin Head, was attacked in Melville Street in the Pollokshields area at about 00:40 on Sunday. He died from his injuries after being taken to the Victoria Infirmary. Strathclyde Police

New research has found Donegal South West to be a healthcare blackspot. The healthcare blackspots have been identified on maps which flag up gaps in access to services across the island of Ireland. According to the research, people who fall suddenly ill in rural Kerry, north Mayo, west Clare and south-west Donegal are more than

Gardai are warning people to be vigilant following a sustained level of thefts of home heating oil, but are also asking the public to ensure their oil has actually been stolen before reporting it. Gardai continue to recieve calls from home owners across Donegal reporting oil thefts. Seargent Christy Galligan is advising home owners to

A man accused of raping his housemate in Donegal has claimed in evidence that he would never risk attacking a woman because the IRA would punish him. The 38-year-old accused claimed that the woman asked him to have sex with her and led him into her bedroom but later threatened to call the gardai. He

The “Can’t Pay Won’t Pay” campaing takes to the Aranmore Island this weekend with its organisor claiming that up until now islanders were not getting enough information on the issues. Deputy Thomas Pringle and organisers of the camaign on the mainland will answer questions and queries on the household, septic tank and water charges on

Enterprise and Employment Minister Richard Bruton is being asked to intervene on behalf of workers at the Oatfield plant in Letterkenny. The minister is being contacted this morning by Donegal North East Deputy Padraig Mac Lochalinn, who will urge him to seek clarification on the future of the remaining 15 jobs on the site. Letterkenny’s

There is serious traffic disruption in Derry this morning after explosions at two separate locations in the city last night. Both areas had been evacuated following telephone warnings. One device went off close to the Tourist Office on  Foyle Street, a second device went off outside the Council offices on Strand Road. The offices will

Police have confirmed two seperate explosions in Derry City this evening. There are no reported injuries. It follows the earlier discovery of two suspicious packages. One device was discovered close to the City’s Tourist Office on  Foyle Street,a second device was found outside the DHSS offices on Strand Road. Homes and businesses in both areas

The Sinn Fein Party has described the news that one of their councillor in Donegal has left the party as regrettable. Ballyshannon Town Councillor Rosaleen Branley released a statement today saying she was leaving the party because, as a woman, her voiced was not being listened too. Today’s announcement comes after a Sinn Fein investigation

A Donegal Senator claims he is at the centre of a smear campaign as it relates to claims of irregularities in expenses he claimed as a Donegal County Councillor. Senator Brian O’Dohmnaill was responding to confirmation from Donegal County Council that it had received correspondence addressed to the Ethics Registrar relating to expenses claimed by

Gardai are studying CCTV footage are part of their investigating into an armed robbery at a service station in Liscooly. Last evening two men entered the premises close to Castlefin, at least one of the men was armed and threatened staff. The men took the shop’s till which contained an undisclosed some of cash before

Strabane could be hit with more job losses with the news that Peacocks 40 chains across Northern Ireland could be facing closure. Peacocks, which also owns ten Bon Marche chains in the North, one of them in Strabane, went into administration earlier this week. Peacocks and Bon Marche employ around 30 people in Strabane. It’s

The Independent MEP Marian Harkin has hit out at two government ministers for blaming septic tanks for water pollution in Galway. Speaking in Strasbourg today, Ms Harkin said both Minister Phil Hogan and Ruairi Quinn said the 2007 outbreak of cryptosporidium in Galway was down to septic tanks. She says according to a report by

Plans have been unveiled for a Urban Mountain Bike Hill Race in Letterkenny in May, the first time such an event has been held in the country. The Donegal Mountain Bike Club wants to hold a 200 competitor event on the May Bank Holiday Monday, using a route from St Eunan’s College to Pearse Road

Two hotels in Donegal are included in a list of the Top 25 in the country according to the internet ratings and advise site Tripadvisor. It’s Travellers’ Choice Best of 2012 poll ranks Harvey’s Point Hotel outside Donegal as fourth best in Ireland and 22nd best in Europe. The nearby Lough Eske Castle Hotel is

The Director General of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann says holding the All-Ireland Fleadh Ceol in Derry would be an acknowledgement of the work done in Northern Ireland to support and promote Irish music and culture. Last night, The Derry County Board of Comhaltas ratified a local bid to host the fleadh in 2013 after a sometimes

Two men have been detained for questioning by police in connection with the death of a Donegal man outside his home in Glasgow. 57-year-old William McKeeney, was attacked in Melville Street, in the Pollokshields area of Glasgow, at around 12.40am on Sunday as he walked home from a night out. Strathclyde Police said that Mr

Independent Deputy Thomas Pringle says he will not be returning his Leaders’ Allowance of just over €41,000. Deputy Pringle says he has always maintained payments to politicians are extremely high in Ireland and should be reformed. He says as chairperson of the Members Interests Committee in the Dail he is entitled to an increase in

The Killybegs Employment Project are to hold protests against proposed cuts to Community Employment Schemes. The government announced a 66% cut in funding as part of Budget 2012. It’s claimed that many who have participated in the Killybegs scheme in the past have went on to further education or training, or become self-employed. But as

The newly elected President of Letterkenny Chamber says one of his key aims it to keep pressure on local TDs and councils to create the best environment for business here in the North West John Watson of Watson Tool Hire replaces Patrick McGinley as he chamber’s President. Mr. Watson said he was very much looking

Derry will bid to host the All-Ireland Fleadh in 2013 after a sometimes contentious debate. At a meeting in the city last night, Comhaltas delegates voted 13 to1 in favour of the bid. Some delegates from South Derry did not attend the meeting, having earlier voiced concern that the bid for nexgt year was being

Anyone with symptoms of the winter vomiting bug are now being asked to avoid Letterkenny General Hospital unless absolutely necessary. The Management of the hospital has also re-issued an advisory that visiting restrictions are in place at Surgical 1 ward due to suspected cases of the bug . As well as the visiting restrictions the

A Derry man beat his 11-year-old son repeatedly with a cable because he broke a school window, it has been claimed in the High Court. Prosecutors said welts and severe bruising were inflicted on the boy’s arms and legs before his mother intervened to stop the attack. His 30-year-old father, who cannot be named for

Donegal County Council is to empty some Effluent Treatment Tanks serving private estates in Donegal in cases where the tanks are causing a public health nuisance. A meeting of the Stranorlar Electoral Area has been told that there are problems in a number of estates where developers are no longer managing the waste treatment systems,

A Romanian man has appeared at Derry Magistrates’ Court on a prostitution charge. 25 year-old Razan Nocolae Gros of Kular Court in the city’s William Street was charged with controlling the activities of a Romanian woman for the purposes of prostitution. Mr Gros, who police suspect is also active in prostitution in the Donegal, was

Doubt has been cast today on a statement by the Junior Health Minister Kathleen Lynch that the new Emergency Department at Letterkenny General will be ready for use by June or July. However, speaking on ‘The Shaun Doherty Show’ today the hospital manager said they were working towards those dates, but there could be no

Deputy Padraig MacLochlainn has expressed his shock at claims by the HSE that the current Emergency Department at Letterkenny General has been performing well in recent months. Following confirmation the news E.D will open in the summer, the Dail was told an assessment by the Special Delivery Unit of the HSE  found the current Emergency

Calls have been made for the Minister for Agriculture to immediately open the slurry spreading season in Donegal. Senator Brian O’Domnhaill said that dairy and cattle farmers in the Northwest are under severe pressure as their slurry storage nears capacity. The season for Zone C, which covers Counties Cavan, Leitrim, Monaghan and Donegal, doesn’t begin

A new satellite broadband service is to be rolled out in areas in West Tyrone and Fermanagh that currently are without the service. A new high speed satellite service called Onwave will provide satellite broadband to areas that do not have access by telephone lines. The news was announced today in the Assembly by the

Two people are to be honoured as Donegal Person of the Year following the announcement of the award by the Donegal Association in Dublin last night. For the first time, the award has been given to two people, distance swimmer Anne Marie Ward and New Zealand based businessman Hugh Green. The outgoing holder of the

An inquest into the death of a garda in Inishowen has returned a verdict of unlawful killing. 24 year old Garda Gary McLoughlin died 24 hours after the garda car he was driving was struck by a car being driven by 26 year old  Martin McDermott from Castlegrove, Raphoe. Mc Dermott, who was found to

Letterkenny Town Council is urging gardai to enforce the yellow box at the junction of High Road, Justice Walsh Road, Port Road and Upper Main Street. The issue was raised by Cllr Tadhg Culbert, who said cars which illegally stop in the yellow box are holding up other vehicles, particularly coming down the High Road.

People in Donegal are being asked their views on how the location of mobile phone masts should be regulated in the new County Development Plan. This week, the council met in special session to discuss the document which will outline how the county should develop from now to 2018. A number of Fine Gael and

It has been confirmed that the new Emergency Department at Letterkenny General will be opened and operational in either June or July of this year. The news was delivered in the Dail along with an assessment by the Special Delivery Unit of the HSE which found the current Emergency Department at Letterkenny General has been

Police admit they are puzzled by the ‘motiveless’ murder of Inishowen man William McKeeney in Glasgow street William McKeeney was just yards from his flat when he was the victim of a “sustained and violent” attack by two men. The 57 year old, originally from Malin Head,  had moved to Glasgow a few years ago

The management at Letterkenny General Hospital wishes to advise that visiting restrictions are in place at surgical one ward in the hospital due to suspected cases of the winter vomiting bug (also known as Norovirus). Arrangements will be made for family members of patients on the affected ward to visit and this should be arranged

Sinn Fein has been accused of engaging in opportunistic politics by one of the organisers of Donegal’s  ‘Can’t Pay Won’t Pay’ campaign. Cllr Jack Murray claims he was badgered off the stage at a meeting of the campaign in Burt last night by Francis McCafferty who organised the event. The Councillor says he and his

Police in Derry are treating an attack at a home in the city as a hate crime. Two men broke into a house in the Kilfennan estate just before 6 o clock yesterday evening in what has been described as racist attack. A 35-year-old woman was alone in the house at the time of the

A Sinn Fein Councillor has hit out after he was verbally abused at a ‘Cant Pay Wont Pay’ public meeting in Burt. Cllr Jack Murray claims he was badgered off the stage by the organiser of the meeting before he even got a chance to speak. He has said that he and his party are

Three new people in Donegal will be diagnosed with dementia or Alzhemer’s Disease every week, with 10% of all people with the condition under 65. That statistic was presented to Letterkenny Town Council last night by Cllr Jimmy Kavanagh, who called for all public buildings to be made more user friendly for people with such