Author name: oisinkelly

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

A documentary which tells the tale of the biggest disaster to strike the island of Arranmore off the coast of Donegal, will premiere on TG4 at 9.30pm tonight(Wednesday). The documentary recounts the story of when 19 people lost their lives off the coast of Arranmore just a few hundred feet from shore after returning from

Letterkenny Councillor Dessie Larkin says he’s disappointed that Eircom haven’t responded to a council request for a briefing on their future plans. Earlier this year, Eircom announced they would be investing further in the telecommunications infrastructure of Letterkenny. However, so far, they haven’t briefed councillors on their plans. Cllr Larkin had a motion before council

The Government will not be reversing it’s decision to remove 428 posts allocated to disadvantaged schools around the country. The rules on class sizes under the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools programme  are to be changed and will see disadvantaged schools class sizes increase to 22 pupils. In the Dail last night Donegal North-East

The highest wave ever recorded in Irish waters was recorded off the coast of Donegal yesterday afternoon, according to Met Eireann. The M4 weather buoy, positioned approximately 16km west of Rossan Point, recorded a maximum wave height of 20.4 metres or 67 feet. The maximum wave height, recorded just after 2 o clock yesterday afternoon,

The Irish Coast Guard is warning people to be extra cautious during the stormy conditions over the coming days. It’s advising people not to go out on exposed coasts, cliffs, piers, harbour walls, beaches, promenades or any other coastal areas during the adverse weather.

ESB has reported that almost 3,000 people are without electricity this afternoon as stormy conditions batter the country. The power outages are confined to the West coast – from Cork to Donegal and crews are now out trying to restore electricity to householders.

Winds in Donegal are set to reach gusts of 140 km per hour this afternoon and more sleet and snow have been forecast for the county. Forecasters are saying that today we will see the worst of the weather, and although winds are expected to calm, the wintry showers will remain over the coming days.

There was a large turnout at protest meeting in Jacksons Hotel, Ballybofey this morning. The protest, organised by SIPTU, was held in response against the proposed budget cuts to Community Employment Schemes. The meeting was supported by a range of organisations including INOU, ICTU Community Committee, Congress Centre Network and Mental Health Ireland. SIPTU spokesperson

A judge today advised families who fear that they will lose their homes in current economic crisis to come before him and he would try to help. However, Judge John O’Hagan said if people bury their heads in the sand and fail to attend court when financial institutions bring actions against them, there is little

A coroner in Donegal has asked for a review of the availability of patient records to out of hours medical services. Dr John Cannon made the call at Buncrana Coroner’s Court at the inquest into the death of a 21 year ol;d man from Glengad who died in February 2009 after visiting the NoWDOC service.

Fianna Fail’s Children’s Spokesperson is urging schools in disadvantaged areas to check their teacher allocations for the next academic year which kicks in next September. Donegal North East Deputy Charlie Mc Conalogue says while staffing details have been released by the Department of Education, they are difficult to understand, and a closer examination is showing

Letterkenny Town Council has backed a draft Winter Maintainence Plan, with a number of priority routes identified for treatment and commitments to keep town centre footpaths as clear as possible. In a report to the council, members were told that Met Eireann is not 100% accurate in its forecasting, and ice free roads cannot be

Letterkenny Town Council has observed a minutes silence in memory of those who have taken their own lives after Mayor Cllr Gerry Mc Monagle made an impassioned plea to those contemplating suicide to seek help. The Mayor said the Christmas season often sees an increase in the numbers of people contemplating suicide, and urged anyone

Despite speculation in recent days that Letterkenny Town Council’s monthly meeting would adjourn for Christmas drinks last night, the agenda was finished. Mayor Cllr Gerry Mc Monagle made no mention of the issue, but when he went to the first motion on the agenda, he was asked by Cllr Victor Fisher to clarify if the

Ambulance staff at Lifford Hospital have recieved a letter from HSE management stating that facilities are not adequate. It’s believed that ambulance staff at Lifford Hospital will be relocated to different accomodation in Stranorlar as part of an amalgamation. Former paramedic and County Cllr Gerry Crawford has asked why staff in Lifford are going to

SIPTU is holding a protest meeting in Jackson’s Hotel, Ballybofey tomorrow morning against proposed Budget cuts to Community Employment Schemes. The protest meeting is being supported by a range of organisations including INOU, ICTU Community Committee, Congress Centre Network and Mental Health Ireland. They say the future viability of hundreds of Community Employment schemes across

Donegal North East Deputy Joe Mc Hugh has renewed his campaign to increase awareness of the Credit Review Office. It comes after ISME issued a report today saying more than half of Irish small and medium businesses have been denied a bank loan in the past three months, and called on the Government to ensure

Gardai and the PSNI today launched their annual Joint Christmas Road Safety Campaign in Bridgend. Both forces say that any drink drivers who believe they can escape garda or police detection by crossing the border should think again, with communication and cooperation between the two forces stronger than ever. Donegal Traffic Branch Inspector Michael Harrison

Car parking , signage, lighting and drainage are all issues which were due to be discussed at this evening’s Letterkenny Town Council meeting which looks set to be put on the back burner for Christmas drinks. A number of motions and questions are down for discussion for the December meeting of the council. However tradition

Two men in their 20s are still being questioned over the death of a woman in a single vehicle collision in County Derry yesterday morning. The North’s Police Ombudsman is investigating, after the 20-year-old woman was killed when the Renault Clio she was travelling in left the road and hit a concrete pillar, in the

Detectives in Derry are appealing for information following a stabbing incident at a house in the Barnewall Place area of the city on Saturday. Police were called to the scene shortly before midnight to find a 25 year old woman with multiple stab injuries. She is currently in hospital being treated for her injuries which

Fianna Fail spokesman on children Charlie McConalogue has called on the Government to apologise on behalf of the State to the victims of an abusive father sentenced to life in the Central Criminal Court last week. Mr McConalogue has also pressed for the recruitment of an additional 60 social workers. The Donegal North East TD

It has emerged that Culdaff and Dunkineely garda stations in Donegal could be sold off. The two stations were of 39 across the country which will close as part of a cost cutting exercise. Now Minister of State Brian O’Shea has proposed a new scheme that could see the stations sold to individual gardaí or

Gardai have appealed for witnesses after a man was hurt in a hit-and-run outside Convoy. The 22-year-old man suffered shoulder and neck injuries in the collision with a jeep half a mile outside Convoy on the Old Letterkenny Road. The driver of the jeep failed to stop and drove off in the Letterkenny direction. The

Gardai have not ruled arson in a fire which rage through an old school building in Ballyshannon. Four fire units from the town, Bundoran, Donegal town and Letterkenny, fought the blaze for four hours last night. The street around the area was closed while fire personnel were battling the blaze in the Old Sacred Heart

A 20 year-old woman has died following a road crash near Claudy in County Derry. The woman was a passenger in a car which crashed shortly before 2am this morning. No other vehicles were involved in the incident.