Author name: oisinkelly

Three school projects in Letterkenny are to begin construction in the New Year. Gaelscoil Adhmanain in Glencar will begin while work on the Irish-speaking secondary school Colaiste Ailigh will start at its location in Carnamuggagh. It has also been confirmed that work on the extension to St.Patrick’s National School in Lurgybrack, on the outskirts of […]

Hundreds turned out in Letterkenny yesterday for a protest against Budget 2012. The protest, which was organised by Buncrana man, Joe Murphy, was held in Market Square at 3 o clock. It was the second protest in County over the weekend, hundreds also came out in protest in Falcarragh on Saturday. Joe Murphy, says there

The Council is looking to introduce charges for parking in a number of towns across Donegal. Six towns are to be considered for the charges in the first quarter of 2012. A further four towns that already charge for parking are to see charges increased. Donegal County Council is proposing to introduce car parking charges

The Government won’t consider any inquiry into clerical child sex abuse until church-run audits into 24 more dioceses are completed. Deputy Charlie McConalogue says the decision of Children’s Minister Frances Fitzgerald not to order an inquiry into Raphoe and other dioceses now fails victims of abuse. Mrs Fitzgerald has not ruled out a state commission

Speed gardai have launched a search for motor cyclist who clocked 240 kilometres per hour on an 80 kmh road in Donegal He has put up a Youtube video of his danger-drive on the narrow road, which has a single white line over much of it to prevent traffic crossing. The 6 minute 44 second

A man and his two children have been found dead at a house in County Sligo. The bodies of the 52 year old father, his 12 year old daughter and 9 year old son were found at the house at Morgara in Gurteen before ten o’clock last night. Gardai were called to the house at

Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Simon Coveney says it’s a positive day for the Irish fishing industry, following an overnight agreement on quotas at a council meeting in Brussels. Mr Coveney says he has secured 141,000 tonnes of open sea fish and tuna quotas and 36,000 tonnes of whitefish. The Minister said the  total value of

A 34 year old man has been arrested followeing the death of a 48 year old man at an enmtertainment complex in Portrush. The man died after falling down stairs at the Playhouse on Main Street in the early hours of this morning. Police are investigasting, and are asking anyone who witnessed an altercation outside

A man accused of illegally depriving seven people of €177,000 savings linked up with an American financial dealer who he expected to turn 50,000 dollars into 98 million dollars in 35 days, according to emails presented in court yesterday. 50-year-old Thomas Elvin, described by his own counsel as a bible-believing small Donegal farmer, told his

Hundreds of people protested today outside the Government Oireachtas members constituency offices around the County. The protests, organised by SIPTU, are being held in response against the proposed budget cuts to Community Employment Schemes. And there will be a public meeting on Monday morning in Jacksons Hotel, Ballybofey against the cuts. SIPTU’s Martin O Rourke

Police in Strabane are appealing for information after a young girl was mugged yesterday eveing. The attack happened between 6 and 630 yesterday evening as the young woman made her way down Bradley Way towards the Urney Road. She had been walking home after doing her shopping in a local supermarket. Local Cllr Patsy Kelly

A man who claimed to have access to a 100 million dollar management fund when he persuaded people to invest €177,000 was not an authorised financial advisor, an investigation leader told a court. The prosecution claims Donegal farmer Thomas Elvin headed a number of companies, including one called Pear Shaped Resources, to which he tempted

The North West College in Derry has re-iterated its safety advice to students following another reported sexual assault in Derry. Sometime between 1.30am and 1.45am yesterday morning a young woman was raped by an unknown male in an alley in the Strand Road area. He is described as being approximately 6ft 3″ to 6ft 4″

The Coastguard says there is no environmental threat from an oil tanker which earlier anchored 25 miles north of Tory Island having developed cracks in its deck. The 42,000 tonne Genmar Companion was en route from Rotterdam to New York when the captain requested assistance this morning. The vessel which is carrying 54,000 tonnes of

Buncrana Leisure Centre is facing closure after it was revealed today that the facilities funding from the Council is being cut by a third. Buncrana Town Councils pre-budget submission, which was released yesterday, states that the annual funding for the local Leisure Centre is to be cut from €60,000 to €40,000. Just last month management

Sinn Fein’s Donegal Deputies, Pearse Doherty and Padraig MacLochlainn have confirmed they will not be paying theHousehold Charge. At least seven Sinn Fein TDs have now confirmed they are to boycott the household charge taking the number of Dáil representatives who will not pay the €100 tax to well over a dozen. Pearse Doherty and

The cost of calling the Fire Services to your home in the event of a house fire is set to double. That is one of the measures contained in Donegal County Council’s draft Budget 2012. The minimum cost is to increase from 100 to 200 euro. The cost of running Donegal’s fire service for 2012

The Arts Council of Ireland has just made available over 400,000 euro to sixty-six small festivals across the country. This specific funding programme is aimed at small, locally-based events and festivals that have requested funding from the Council of up to 20,000 euro. The Inishowen Traditional Singers Circle has been granted 4,000.

The Environment Minister says it’s up to landlords and tenants to work out how to deal with the new household charge. The Irish Property Owners Association has called for landlords to introduce a new charge for tenants, to cover the new 100 euro payment and the existing second home tax of 200 euro. Housing charity

The head of the Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation says he doesn’t expect any speedy conclusion to ongoing negotiations on Ireland’s fishing quotas for next year. The annual EU Fisheries Council meeting has entered its second day with little chance of an agreement before the weekend. The KFO says is satisfied with Ireland’s qouta for the Bore

A man accused of depriving investors of €177,000 was just a small farmer who was a simple bible-believer, his own counsel claimed in court. Witnesses claimed at Donegal Circuit Court yesterday that Thomas Elvin claimed he was connected to a 100 million dollar back-up system when he persuaded them to invest. 50-year-old Elvin, of Meencargagh,

Plans for a significant development by the Children’s Point Childcare Centre can go ahead after one objection was dismissed and a second withdrawn. The Children’s Point Childcare Centre LTD were granted permission for the development at Foyleside Caravan Park in Tromaty Quigley’s Point, however that decision was appealed to An Bord Pleanala. The Council granted

Protests will be held this morning outside the constituency offices of the two Fine Gael TD’s and Labour Senator here in the county. The protests, organised by SIPTU, are being held in response against the proposed budget cuts to Community Employment Schemes. And there will be a public meeting on Monday morning in Jackson’s Hotel,

Detectives are appealing for information following a report of a serious sexual assault in the Strand Road area of Derry in the early hours of Thursday 15 December. It is believed that sometime between 1.30am and 1.45am, a young woman was assaulted by an unknown male in an alley in the area. He is described

Gardai are advising motorists to drive with caution this evening – as icy conditions continue to persist on many roads throughout the country. Temperatures are set too drop below freezing here in Donegal’s tonight, mixed with wintry showers, so there will be the threat of black ice on the roads. And Met Eireann’s warning that

Nine TD’s have joined a campaign of opposition to the new 100 euro household charge – and say they are willing to go to prison over the issue. The TD’s – made up of some Independents and some from the United Left Alliance – say the charge targets the poorest in society. They want people

A Buncrana man, who took part in a drive-slow from Buncrana to Dublin, is now organising a mass protest. Joe Murphy, is calling on everyone opposed to the budget, to turn out at Market Square in Letterkenny at 3pm on Sunday. The small-builder says he wants the people of Donegal to come out in their

Eircom says it is doing all it can to restore phone services to the thousands who are reporting problems since storms earlier this week. In excess of 5,000 people are without phone or broadband services with Donegal one of the worse counties effected. Eircom spokesperson Paul Bradley says the company will work through the weekend

The Killybegs Fisherman’s Organisation is urging the Government to challenge catch quotas proposed for next year by the European Commission. The annual EU Fisheries Council is under way in Brussels with most Donegal Fishermen focused on negotiations on Herring, Bore and Haddock proposals. Bore fish numbers are up 250% off the northwest coast but the

Hard press businesses in Donegal will be deprived a commercial rate cut as the council struggles to make up a 5 million euro deficit ahead of its budget announcement next week. The County Manager has a proposed budget of 148 million to spend in 2012, that is 5 million less than was available last year.

It’s been claimed in Donegal Circuit Court that a 50 year old man accused of depriving investors of €177,000 headed a company called Pear Shaped Resources. The court was told the company was set up in January 2004 in the British Virgin Islands and the share capital was in US dollars. Thomas Elvin denies 26

Eircom says it is doing all it can to restore phone services to the thousands who are reporting problems since storms earlier this week. 5,000 people have reported a fault on their phone line, Donegal is one of the worse counties effected. Eircom says it will work through the weekend in an effort to return

The government says there are no plans to remove or downgrade the existing Paediatric Diabetic Service at Letterkenny General Hospital. Senator O’Domhnaill raised the issue in the Seanad, and was told by Junior Health Minister Roisin Shorthall that specialist nurses are already in place in Letterkenny and a Specialist Consultant is due to start at

Letterkenny Town Council is to investigate ways of removing overhead ESB wires in the centre of the town and rerouting them underground. In previous years, Tidy Towns adjudications have raised the issue of the wires, saying they take away from the area between the Courthouse, Crossview House and Gallagher’s Hotel. Ahead of next week’s budget

Northwest MEP Marian Harkin says the Government needs to have a back up plan in place in the event of the euro collapsing. She was speaking in Strasbourg where many MEPs are pessimistic about the future of the Euro. Marian Harkin says the failure to broker a more comprehensive deal at last weekend’s summit considerably

A nephew of the North’s Deputy First Minister is reportedly of the victims of a punishment-style attack in Derry. That’s according to a Derry MLA – after two men were shot in the leg in the High Park area of Creggan last night. Ruairi Canning’s mother is Martin McGuinness’s sister. The SDLP’s Pat Ramsey says

There was heavy security around Derry’s Bishop Street Courthouse today as a 41-year-old man appeared on a charge of organising a meeting in support of a proscribed organisation namely the IRA. Paddy McDaid of 57, Beechwood Avenue in the city was charged with the offence which was said to have occurred on Easter Monday April

Donegal North-East Deputy, Joe McHughs defending the impending 100 euro household charge, saying it amounts to just 2 euro per week, which will go towards funding vital local authority services. The issue led to heated Dáil exchanges earlier,  after it emerged those who don’t pay will face a fine of 2,500 euro. It follows calls

Letterkenny Cllr Dessie Larkin has welcomed a commitment from Eircom that they will attend a meeting in the chamber in January, and brief the council on their future plans for the town. The company is planning a major broadband upgrade for next year, with Letterkenny one of a number of towns in which a pilot

Irish football fans who are keen to see the Euro 2012 games next year – will now have the option of a one day return flight through Ryanair. The airline announced today it will fly for the Croatia game on June 10th, the game against Spain on the 14th of June, and against Italy on

Almost one in three Donegal Drivers do not lock their car when filling up and paying for fuel. That is one of the findings of a new report from AA Motor Insurance. The report also finds that motorists in the northwest are some of the least vigilant when it comes to car security. The AA

A soldier with the 28th Battalion at Finner Camp has told a young woman in court of his remorse for stalking her and committing a brutal sex assault on her. 32 year old Adrian Gallagher followed the woman, who is in her late 20s, on her way home from a night club and pounced in

Settlements in excess of 1.7 million euro were made in Donegal with the Revenue Revenue Commisioner in the last quarter. The latest Tax Defaulters List shows the single biggest settlement in Donegal was with Pearse O’Neill, a grocer and newsagent from Ballyshannon – he paid almost 538 thousand euro for underdeclaration of Income Tax and a

Eircom has rejected claims by a Letterkenny Town Councillor that it has ignored a council request for a briefing on its future plans in the town. Councillor Dessie Larkin said it was not good enough that Eircom has so far ignored a request to brief the council on plans, unveiled in August, to introduce fibre

Donegal Deputy Thomas Pringle has called on people to support a campaign not to pay the new €100 Household Charge or any charges for septic tanks. The Independent TD says he will not register for the household tax, nor will he pay it. The charge which will come into effect from January is expected to

Two men were taken to Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry last night after being shot in what appears to be a punishment type shooting in the High Park area in Creggan. The shooting occurred shortly after 7 p.m. and it is thought that both men were shot in one leg each. This is the third punishment

The family of a Donegal man who died when he fell from a wall has appealed for the return of his mobile phone. Caolan Page from Upper Kildrum, Carrigans was found lying in Magazine Street in the the early hours of Saturday the 15th of October – he was taken to Altnagelvin Hospital, where he