Author name: oisinkelly

Donegal South-West Deputy, Pearse Doherty has accused the Government of lying to the public. The Sinn Fein Finance spokesperson said in the Dail yesterday evening that it was “absolute nonsense” that Ireland would face sixteen years of austerity if they were to receive a write-down on their debt. Deputy Doherty said Greece have been offered […]

Donegal Deputies Pearse Doherty and Padraig MacLochlainn were today amongst a group of Sinn Féin and Independent TDs who staging a Dail walkout over the Government’s refusal to burn former Anglo bondolders. This afternoon, almost three quarters of a billion euro has been repaid to unguaranteed bondholders at the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation. The Taoiseach’s

A 31-year-old man has been remanded in custody after appearing in court in Derry charged with murdering his uncle. James Healy from Hollymount Park in the Gobnascale area of Derry wept as he appeared in court this morning. 56-year-old Christopher McGaughey, was stabbed in the early hours of Sunday morning. The joiner was given medical

New figures show that a huge number of  Donegal people either submitted spoiled papers or invalid votes in the two referendums held last week. The figures show that between the referendum on Judges pay and the Houses of the Oireachtas Inquiries Referendum a total of 3,716 votes were either spoiled or invalid. In Donegal South

Gardai say they are not treating the death of a man in Dungloe as suspicious. The man’s, thought to be in his 30’s, was found dead on a property on Chapel Road last evening. Scenes of Crimes Officers were in Dungloe this morning and determined that the man’s death was not suspicious.

Young people are being encouraged to move in pairs following reports that a teenage girl has been raped by a man wearing a Halloween mask in Derry. The attack happened in Edenmore Street near the Northland Road shortly before 1am yesterday morning. Police say the man wore a Scream-type mask with blood over the face

A Ballyshannon Town Councillor has accused the media of portraying his town in a bad light to fill time and column inches. At last nights council meeting  the former Mayor of Ballyshannon Fine Gael Councillor Brendan Travers stated that he was very angry and concerned that Ballyshannon is getting tarred with a bad name. He

The body of a male has been discovered at a house at Chapel Road, Dungloe on Tuesday. Gardaí have sealed off the area near the rented premises awaiting the arrival of scenes of crimes officers. A spokesman at the Garda Press office last night confirmed that the body remains at the house and that the

A man is in a serious condition after being stabbed in the Francis Street area of Derry. Police say the 51-year-old man was stabbed shortly before 1:30pm yesterday afternoon. It’s the second stabbing in the city in the past week.

Efforts to crack down on crime and anti-social behaviour in west Tyrone move will forwards with the launch of 3 new Neighbourhood Watch schemes in Castlederg later this month. This will mean that Strabane District Council area will have 5 Neighbourhood Watch schemes. The 3 new schemes cover the Castlegore, Hospital Road and Millbrook Gardens

The former finance director of Anglo Irish Bank, who was arrested at his Co Dublin home yesterday morning, has been released without charge. Donegal born William McAteer was arrested in Rathgar by detectives from the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation. He was questioned at Irishtown Garda station

Detectives are appealing for information after a report of an alleged serious sexual assault in Derry in the early hours of this morning, Tuesday, 1st November. Shortly before 1am, it was reported that a teenage girl was sexually assaulted by an unknown male in the area of Edenmore Street and Northland Road. The male is

Donegal farmers have given a warm welcome the the news that Donegal Creameries has agreed the sale of its milk market to Connacht Gold. The deal, which includes Donegal Creameries Retail business, is worth 13.5 million euro to the company but could rise to almost 21 million depending on how the business performs. Pj McMonagle

75 year-old Castlederg man Pat O’Loughlin yesterday completed his 32nd Dublin City Marathon, today he says he may try and keep his record going next year. He ran the course in 5 hours 42 minutes, quicker than the time he recorded last year. Mr O’Loughlin ran the marathons to raise money for MS Research, in

Third level students in Donegal are being urged to make contact with Fine Gael Deputies Joe McHugh and Dinny McGinley to protest against increases in college fees and grant cuts. The Union of Students in Ireland has taken out ads in several national newspapers criticising the government for reneging on pre-election promises. The full-page ads

Gardai are appealing for witnesses following a weekend armed robbery at a service station in Muff. The robbery occurred at 10pm on Sunday – two men entered the Texaco filling station at Muff, one is believed to have produced a firearm and demanded money. The pair left the premises with an undisclosed sum of cash.

Donegal Creameries has struck a deal to dispose of its Milk Business and Retail Stores Business to Connacht Gold Co-operative Society Limited. The deal is worth 13.5 million euro to the company but could rise to almost 19 million depending on how the business performs. The deal will see Connacht Gold take over the drinking

Police say that 15 witnesses have come forward following the murder of a man in Derry at the weekend. 56 year-old Christopher McGaughey was stabbed to death at Hollymount Park in the Gobnascale area of the city at about 1am on Sunday moring. A woman also suffered minor injuries in the attack. Police have been

A man who died after being stabbed in Derry has been named as 56-year-old Christopher McGaughey. Mr McGaughey was attacked at Hollymount Park in the Gobnascale area of the city at about 1 o clock this morning. A woman suffered minor injuries in the attack. A 31-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

Gay Mitchell and Martin McGuinness have been eliminated in the Presidential election count. It means Michael D Higgins will be confirmed as the ninth President of Ireland later this afternoon. After the third count Michael D Higgins was still some 90,000 votes shy of the quota. That then led the Presidential returning office (Rena Ni

Dana Rosemary Scallon says she does not regret entering the Presidential election. The Independent candidate – who also contested the 1997 race for the Áras – was eliminated along with fellow Independent Mary Davis, after the first count last night. Dana – who’s not ruling out contesting for the Presidency a third time – admits

Michael D. Higgins is accepting that he may win the election on the first count. That will come some time this evening – and the Labour candidate is expected to have a comfortable lead over Independent Sean Gallagher. Speaking to Galway Bay FM, Micheal D. says he is quietly confident of finishing in first place:

While it won’t effect the outcome of the Presidential Election nationally, Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness has topped the poll in Donegal North East. The figures are academic to the result with Labour’s Michael D Higgin’s set to be elected the country’s 9th President, probably on the first count. This is how the candidates fared in

Deputy Pearse Doherty has predicted that Martin McGuinness will top the poll in Donegal South West. He told Barry Whyte that the former Deputy First Minister’s entry in to the race broadened the debate: There was controversy this morning at the Aura leisure Centre where complaints were made that those who had planned to tally

Lawyers for a Donegal business man sentenced to over six years in jail in a Czech court say he will appeal. William Harkin, known as Billy, was tried in absentia for taking out a series of loans that he said were for investment in  Moravan Aviation company, which he bought in 2007. According to the

Counting of votes to elect the ninth President of Ireland got underway at 9am but a result may not be known until tomorrow. The ballot boxes were opened  in count centres representing all 43 constituencies. Results of the two referendums won’t be known until tomorrow. The Donegal South West count is taking place at the

Convicted child killer Robert Black has been found guilty of murdering Jennifer Cardy in Ballinderry, County Antrim, 30 years ago. The nine-year-old was abducted from the roadside near her home on 12 August 1981. It emerged during the trial that the 64-year-old was a predatory paedophile with a history of abusing young girls. Black has

The latest stages of the Dungloe and Glenties Sewerage Schemes have been passed with work on the projects expected to now start next year. The government has given Donegal County Council the ok to put the project out to tender. The schemes will provide new wastewater treatment plants, pumping stations and sewers in Dungloe and

The latest independently compiled listenership figures show that Highland Radio remains the most listened to local radio station in the country. Of those that listen to any radio station during the week in this franchise area, 65% choose Highland Radio with the station enjoying a market share of almost 63%. At the weekend, Highland Radio’s

Voting is underway in the Presidential election and the referendums on Oireachtas inquiries and judicial pay. Polling stations – which opened around the country at 7 o’clock this morning – will remain open until 10 o’clock tonight. A by-election is also taking place in the Dublin West constituency. Voting in Donegal is said to be

A number of people, who have been rescued by the Donegal Mountain Rescue Team, have lent their support to calls for the council to financially support the organisation. Early this month the DMRT made an appeal to the public for assistance and this week a delegation was in the County House in Lifford calling on

Garda numbers in Donegal have fallen by sixteen in the year up to the  end  of August. Currently the county has 457 garda officers. A large number of senior garda are expected to retire before February to avoid more sanctions on their pensions. And none of these officers will be replaced due to a moratorium

Work is under away today on road and pavements at Lurgybrack. Traffic controlling measured are place with work expected to take six weeks. Local Cllr Dessie Larkin says that some parts of the road and footpath were falling apart. And he said these works today are much needed:

European MEPs in Strasbourg have today agreed to freeze their expenses for next year. At the moment MEPs are entitled to a monthly allowance of 4-thousand-200-euro for their office and other working expenses. They’re also entitled to travel expenses provided they send in receipts. And on top of that MEPs also get a daily allowance

The Taoiseach has welcomed a deal hammered out in Brussels overnight, which – its hoped – will calm the eurozone debt crisis. After a marathon session of talks, eurozone leaders agreed to boost the bailout fund to around a trillion euro, as well as a 106-billion euro fund to re-capitalise banks. Banks have also agreed

It’s emerged that thousands of construction workers may miss out on European money for re-training because of mistakes by the previous Government. The Education and Skills Minister Ruairi Quinn says he’s concerned that millions of euro will have to be returned to Europe unspent. In June of last year the Fianna Fáil/Green Government applied for

Polling stations have now opened around the country as voters prepare to cast their ballots in the Presidential election. We’ll know who the ninth President of Ireland is by tomorrow, or Saturday at the latest. Voters are also being asked to decide whether to implement  two constitutional referendums. Polling stations will remain open until 10

A Romanian teenager with an address in Letterkenny has admitted stealing eight bottles of aftershave from a department store in Derry. 19-year-old Robert Christian Bicler of Station House, Pearse Road in Letterkenny, appeared at  Derry Magistrates Court today. He also admitted possession of a tin-foil lined bag which he used to conceal the bottles. The

Dr James McDaid was elected the new Chairman of the Donegal Hospice last night. The former Government Minister was one of the five founding members of the Hospice in 1988. This is the first time that he has been elected chair. Concerns have been raised about the future of Donegal Hospice in past, but Dr

Tough new drink driving laws will come into force from tomorrow – ahead of the bank holiday weekend, with gardai in Donegal promising a large presence on the roads. The drink drive limit is being cut from 80 to 50 milligrammes – and 20 milligrammes for learner and professional drivers. There’ll also be a graduated

A Donegal Councillor and hotellier says a new report on tourism on the western seaboard will be of no use unless it is backed up with resources for promotion. The Irish Tourism Industry Confederation has published  its “New Direction for Tourism in the West” report, which says demand for tourism in western counties has dropped

A Donegal North-East Deputy is claiming that rather than consulting with local politicians and communities about Garda Station closures, the Justice Minister is preparing his excuses for going ahead. Deputy Padraig Mac Lochlainn is dismissing Alan Shatter’s claim that it may well be the case that best policing can be provided by closing some Garda

A Donegal County Councillor is calling on the Government to stop cuts to disability services and benefits. Cllr Patrick McGowan says the last two budgets have seen disability benefits cut by €16, while people attending training centres are now being charged for transport by the Rural Transport Initiative, when it was previously  provided free by

The government says there are no plans to cut NoW DOC services in Donegal. The Dail was told last evening that there are real concerns in the county that thecould be completely cut after midnight, and that the four NoW DOC centres covering the county could be reduced to one centre based in Letterkenny. That

The Justice Minister says it may well be the case that best policing can be provided by closing some Garda stations, or cutting their opening hours. Alan Shatter’s waiting on proposals from the Garda Commissioner on how to make savings – and it’s expected to see dozens of rural stations hit. The Minister’s told the

An attempt by two brothers to have one sit the driving theory test in place of the other has resulted in them both being jailed at Derry Crown Court. 24-year-old Terence Stokes, from Glenvale Gardens in Derry was jailed for nine months while his  28-year-old brother, Michael Stokes, from Chapel Road, received a six-month sentence.

A number of major tourism events are due to take place in Donegal next year as part of the “Donegal Gathering”. The initiative is the brainchild of Donegal’s Mayor Cllr Noel Mc Bride, who wants to see a number of events geared towards promote the County and encouraging members of the Donegal diaspora the return.

A Donegal councillor says while there was some serious flooding in the county last night, the situation could have been much worse were it not for council staff and local communities. Cllr Frank Mc Brearty says there were serious flooding problems in the Stranorlar Electoral Area, particularly in Ballindrait and Lifford, with a number of

Gardai have confirmed that the body found in Greencastle yesterday morning is that of 37 year old Gregory Burns from Eglinton in County Derry. Mr Burns, known locally as Bolt, was reported missing a week ago, having last been seen in the Carnmoney Road area on Tuesday last. His family had been increasingly concerned about