Author name: oisinkelly

Donegal North East TD Padraig Mac Lochlainn is welcoming today’s protest outside the Dail to highlight proposals to close rural Garda stations. The government is believed to be considering the closure of up to 200 Garda stations, with speculation that anything between 14 and 23 of them may be in Donegal. The Justice Minister is […]

IMPACT in Donegal is urging all Oireachtas members in the county to attend a special meeting on Friday, saying uncertainty over the future of the NoW DOC service needs urgent political intervention. The HSE is currently planning on redeploying Receptionist and Call Handler staff in Carndonagh, Derrybeg, and Mountcharles. The centres in these places will

A number of Out Patient clinics have been cancelled at Letterkenny General Hospital after what’s been described as a particularly busy night in in the A&E Department. The affected clinics are Dr Patel’s ENT clinic and Dr Steele and Dr Mohammed’s Medical Clinics. The fracture clinic will go ahead as usual. Patients are being contacted

Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal in Letterkenny will reopen again tomorrow after it was forced to close today because of a fire. The school was forced to close this morning because of a fire which started outside the building. Materials being used in a the ongoing construction project at the school were set alight. Meanwhile, Gaelscoil

Donegal fishermen are being urged to make their views known before the EU Fish Councils quota negotiations next month. The meeting will take place in Brussels on the 15th and 16th of December. The Minister for Agriculture, Simon Coveney will represent Ireland in the negotiations. Donegal North-East Deputy Joe McHugh is encouraging fishermen from Inishowen

It’s emerged that money earmarked for the redevelopment of Ebrington barracks in Derry may have been spent elsewhere. The development of Ebrington is a flagship project in the city, and the site will host several UK City of Culture events in 2013. According to the BBC, money from the sale of Magherafelt Barracks should have

Detectives in Derry have arrested a 32 year old man on suspicion of causing grevious bodily harm with intent and possession of a firearm with criminal intent. The arrest follows a shooting incident in the Creggan Road area on Sunday night last in which a 22 year old man sustained a number of gunshot wounds

The AA is predicting that the price of diesel will go above the price of petrol within the coming weeks, possibly hitting a high of around 1euro 55 cent a litre in Donegal. Speaking on today’s Shaun Doherty Show, Spokesperson Conor Faughnan said VAT and carbon tax increases in next months budget could worsen the

A garda investigation is underway after Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal in Letterkenny was forced to close this morning because of a fire outside the building. There is an ongoing construction project at the school, one of the biggest national schools in the county. Board of Management Chairperson Fr Eamonn Kelly says it appears the fire

Deputy Charlie McConalogue says  a 2% increase in VAT will put serious pressure on businesses in border towns and villages. The Donegal North East TD says Ireland is at the mercy of global economic factors when it comes to currency fluctuations, but we do have complete control over our own domestic VAT rate. Taoiseach Enda

Buncrana Leisure Centre could be faced with closure if it doesn’t recieve immediate funding. Staff at the leisure centre have started an online petition calling on the Town Council and Donegal County Council to make funding available. Management at the facility say it’s vital that they receive support from the councils. Buncrana Leisure Centre currently

New figures out today show that 31 secondary schools across the country send 100 per cent of their students on to third level education, 20 of them fee-paying schools. Only one school in Donegal acheived 100%, St Columba’s Comprehensive in Glenties. Next comes St Catherine’s in Killybegs on 84%, Colaiste Colmcille, Ballyshannon on 80%, Carrick

Donegal North East Deputy Joe Mc Hugh has responded to Deputy Charlie Mc Conalogue’s claim that his suggestion that Europe may provide some funding for the  A5 is “loose talk”. Deputy Mc Hugh says while Deputy Mc Conalogue has a responsibility to hold the government to account in opposition, it’s also important that local politicians

Ryanair’s CEO says Donegal will benefit from an expansion of its service at Ireland West Airport Knock in Co Mayo. Four new routes have been announced today, linking Knock with airports near Barcelona, Frankfurt, Milan and Paris. Ryanair says its 14 routes from the airport will deliver over 500,000 passengers a year – sustaining over

There’s been widespread condemnation of a paramilitary style shooting in Derry last night in which a man in his early twenties was shot in both ankles. The man is recovering in hospital after the shooting which happened just before 7.30 last evening at a house in Creggan Hill. A young mother and a group of

Deputy Charlie McConalogue has accused Fine Gael’s Joe McHugh of ‘loose talk’ on the issue of the A5 and expressed his concern that the project may never go ahead. On Friday it was confirmed at the North South Ministerial Council that the A5 upgrade would not be axed- instead the Irish government has set in

The Mayor of Buncrana says the town has been devastated by the news that over forty jobs are under threat at Flanagan’s Furniture. The company closed its doors on Friday. Buncrana Mayor Nicolas Crosson said the news came as a great shock but the owner of the company, Brian Flanagan is making every effort to

Publicans fear more jobs could be lost within the sector – if the Government approves the Finance Minister’s proposal to increase VAT by 2 per cent in next month’s budget. The move to push the VAT rate up to 23 per cent would add an extra eight cents to a four euro pint of beer.

A man in his mid twenties was taken to hospital after being shot in a punishment style shooting in Derry on Sunday. The shooting occurred after 6 p.m. in a house in Creggan Hill. The young man is believed to have been shot in both ankles,  a young mother who was with her young children

A teenage girl has been raped in Derry. The girl was raped at about 315am this morning in the Temple Grove area of the city. Police have released details of the man responsible for the attack. He is believed to have been wearing a dark trench coat and lace-up boots. It’s the second such attack

Over 200 people have attended a public meeting on the proposed Septic Tank charges in Donegal Town. The meeting, which was organised by Senator Brian O’Domnhaill, heard from members of the public who are opposed to the proposed legislation. The meeting was Chaired by Cllr Sean Mc Eniff and a detailed presentation was made by

It has been confirmed that Flannagan’s Furniture has gone in to liquidation. Staff were informed of the new on Thursday, HIghland Radio News contact management on Thursday and Friday to get confirmation of the shock development, however at that time no comment was given. The company recently extended its number of stores to 5 and

Detectives are appealing for information following a report of a serious sexual assault in the Templegrove area of Derry in the early hours of Saturday 19 November. It is believed that at approximately 3.15am, a young woman was assaulted by an unknown male, described as being of medium build, approximately 6’0″ tall, with long hair

Enda Nicholls has been names as Letterkenny Chamber Business Person of the Year. The Arena 7 owner received the award at a function in the Silver Tassie on Saturday night. You can watch a feature on Enda Micholls here The Hall of Fame award went to Michael Gallagher of Gallagher’s Menswear. And you can find

The Diocese of Raphoe could be scrapped as the Vatican plans to reduce the number of archdioceses in the country. A plan to reduce the 26 dioceses in Ireland has emerged as a major theme following a Vatican investigation — the Apostolic Visitation — into the Church in Ireland. But the four Irish archbishops, led

This weekend marks ‘World Remembrance Day for Road Traffic Victims’, and the people of Donegal are being asked to remember those who have been killed on our roads. A Mass will take place in St Connell’s Church in Glenties tomorrow at 11am. Friends and family of people who have been killed in road collisions will

Donegal County Council is being called on to hold a special emergency meeting to fully discuss and seek clarification on a number of issues regarding the proposed Septic Tank Legislation. The meeting is being sought by Councillor Seamus O’Domhnail. There is great concerns at the impact the new legislation will have on thousands of homes

A Publican suing his insurer over its failure to pay out after a fire on his premises has been told he cannot have CCTV footage or forensic reports related to the premises. Seamus McLaughlin’s Waterfront bar and restaurant on James Street, Moville was destroyed by a fire on February 1, 2009. His insurers, Aviva, failed

Irish business group IBEC, has lashed out at the planned 2 per cent VAT increase  in next year’s Budget. Its Chief Economist says it will hit consumer spending, delay the recovery and be a further blow to an already fragile domestic economy. However the Tanaiste insists the hike, which will increase the top rat to

Donegal woman’s handbag, €200 cash and her passport were stolen while she was doing her daily Stations of the Cross in her local Catholic church, a court heard Nancy McGinty from Mountcharles, was jailed for a week for stealing the material from Mary Breslin when she started her “stations” after daily Mass in St Patrick’s

Mild and cloudy this (Friday) evening and tonight with outbreaks of rain but dry intervals also. The rain will be more persistent in western parts of the province while eastern parts will have the best of the dry spells. Patches of mist and hill fog also.  Lows 10 or 11 degrees Celsius with moderate south

A decision has today been taken by the North South Ministerial Council not to axe the A5 upgrade. Instead the Irish government has set in stone a 50 million pounds sterling investment in the project between now and 2016. Officials on both sides of the border will also be appointed to work together to progress

The North’s Deputy First Minister says people are working “flat out” to proceed with the A5 upgrade linking Aughnacloy and Derry. The Irish Government last week said it could no longer honour a commitment to provide 400 million pounds over the next five years to fund half the project. Instead just 50 million is now

A protest has taken place outside the Letterkenny branch of Bank of Ireland. The Sinn Fein organised protest is to highlight the bank’s refusal, so far, to pass the interest rate cut announced by the ECB this month onto its variable rate mortgage customers. Bank of Ireland and Ulster Bank are the only major banks

Letterkenny Town Council is to erect signs advising motorists of lane changes on the Circular Road approach to the Hospital Roundabout. Previously, traffic travelling down De Valera Road used the outside lane, but now, De Valrea Road traffic is being directed into the inside lane, with the outtside lane just being used for traffic heading

The President of the Letterkenny Institute of Technology has rejected reports that his salary last was greater than that of the Taoiseach. The Donegal News was given the figures under the the freedom of information act which also show that seven senior staff at LYIT earned in excess of 100 thousand euro last year. The

Two Donegal North East TDs have combined with a West Tyrone MLA in a bid to ensure that the pressure is kept on both governnments to deliver the A5 upgrade. Fine Gael’s Joe Mc Hugh and Fianna Fail’s Charlie Mc Conalogue met with the SDLP’s Joe Byrne in Strabane last night and pledged to keep

It’s been confirmed that the civic amenity sites at Stranorlar,Letterkenny and Milford are to be taken over by a private recycling company from the 9th of January. Bryson Recycling are promising longer opening hours, and a 60% saving to the public on the prices being charged, with the price per car falling from €10 to

Taoiseach Enda Kenny and a number of other cabinet members will attend the plenary meeting of the North South Ministerial Council in Armagh this morning. Among the items on the agenda will be funding for the A5 upgrade, after the Irish government confirmed last week it would no longer be meeting its funding commitments within

A 52-year-old Derry man has been told to expect a ‘significant custodial sentnece’ after he admitted 18 sex offences against four girls aged between 14 and 16. Martin Edward Coyle of 55, Bridge Street appeared at Derry Crown Court yesterday on 5 charges of indecent assault, 4 counts of gross indecency, 2 charges of unlawful

Police are investigating an assault during crowd trouble at a GAA match in County Tyrone on Sunday in which a man had part of his ear bitten off. The trouble happened during the Tyrone county football league final between Carrickmore and Dromore at  Dunmoyle. A mass brawl broke out on the field in the closing

Donegal South-West Deputy, Pearse Doherty has described the Governments announcement today as a nail through the heart of the County’s economy. Deputy Doherty said he was disappointed at Minister Brendan Howlin’s decision to abandon plans to move hundreds of jobs to Donegal Town and Gweedore. And he played down suggestions that today’s announcement came as

The Special Criminal Court has today ruled that statements made by a man admitting his part in the murder of a man in Co Donegal more than three years ago can be admitted in evidence. 36-year-old Martin Kelly from Barracks Street in Strabane had challenged three statements made by him to gardaí in which he

The Vintners’ Federation of Ireland says 30-thousand jobs have been lost in the industry over the last 4 or 5 years – with the loss of a further 5-thousand expected next year. It comes after a recent report found that over 70 Donegal pubs have closed since 2005. The VFI, which has 29 member premises

The Government’s axing another 23-thousand-500 public sector jobs. It’ll bring the total cut from the peak in 2008 to 37-thouasnd-500. A Public Service Reform Programme announced this afternoon also sees 48 quangos abolished or merged and 40 decentralisation projects cancelled, including a proposal to bring over 230 decentralised jobs to Donegal Town. Taoiseach Enda Kenny

North West MEP Pat the Cope Gallagher says the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy must take into account new figures which show the state of the Irish fisheries sector. He says in 2009, the total value of landings into Irish fishing ports declined by 14 million Euro, after in 2009, which is alarming, particularly

Ireland into border villages in the county. Former councillor Francis Conaghan who now works as Good Relations Officer with the council is coordinating the Border Villages Social Integration Project, which is seeking to promote unity. Mr Conaghan says large house building projects during the boom times led to fears among the indigeneous populations in border