Author name: oisinkelly

24 Garda stations in Donegal have been earmarked for possible closure as part of upcoming budget cuts. Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan has asked Chief Superintendents around the country to draw up a list of Garda stations that could be closed as they prepare for a cut to their funding. More than 200 small stations could […]

Dana Rosemary Scallon is poised to make a late entry into the Presidential race. The former MEP and past Presidential candidate has said the announcement of her candidacy is imminent. Mrs Scallon is planning to make a press conference today or tomorrow at which she will make clear her intentions. It’s also understood that Mrs

Donegal Mountain Rescue Team is involved in a search for  missing woman in her forties on Slibh League A bulletin issued by the tem earlier this evening read “The team are still searching in the Slieve League area for a missing American female, aged 41 years, last seen yesterday (Saturday) evening in the Glencolumbkille area.

Martin McGuinness claims the Northern Ireland peace process will be strengthened by his involvement in the Irish presidential election. The former IRA leader’s been formally endorsed by Sinn Fein’s leadership. Mr McGuinness says he has a strong track record in peacemaking and that he’s received expressions of support from people who lost loved ones at

The ferry service between Greencastle and MaGilligan is to be suspended in October. Also the DRD in Northern Ireland are to spend £114 million on 20 new trains, while the services between Coleraine and Derry are to be reduced by 40%. There will also be a new rail timetable introduced in some parts of the

A paramedic has been assaulted by a man he was trying to give medical assistance to in Derry. The attack happened while the paramedic, along with a colleague, was responding to a call in Bank Place in Derry at around 1 o clock this morning. The patient struck out at one of the medics then

A man has stolen money after breaking into a shopping centre in Derry. He managed to enter through a skylight at the centre in Shantallow 730am this morning. He smashed a number of vending machines during his ten minutes inside. The intruder made off with a sum of money.

Gardai in Letterkenny are appealing for information after seven Charolais heifers were stolen from Drumaraghy, along the dual carriageway. The animals were stolen between 6pm on Thursday evening and 3pm on Friday afternoon. The heifers are worth about one thousand euro each and their owner has offered a one thousand euro reward to anyone with

Cigarette sales in clubs and pubs could be suspended for illegal smoking on the premises, Ballyshannon District Court was told. Lisa Finnegan, prosecuting on behalf of the HSE, said any smoking offence since July 1, 2009, could lead to a vending machine on the premises being closed for between a day and three months. Gerry

The Revenue Commissioners accepted 114 settlements between April and June of this year totalling over 26 million euro. 68 were for amounts of more than 100 thousand euro. 11 of these exceeded half a million and three of those 11 were worth more than a million. In Donegal there where 6 settlements totalling almost 950

It’s understood three Independent TDs have agreed to support Martin McGuinness’s bid for the Presidency. The  North’s Deputy First Minister is returning from the US today and he’s expected to be formally ratified as Sinn Fein’s candidate in the presidential election, at an Ard Chomhairle meeting tomorrow. Sinn Fein currently has 17 Oireachtas members, meaning

Gardai today(Fri) described a high-powered car chase when they arrested two men and a teenager after a gang of four abandoned a vehicle. The fourth man swam a river to escape into Northern Ireland, Judge Kevin Kilrane was told at Ballyshannon District Court. He heard that during two burglaries in neighbouring villages Laghey and Ballintra

It’s emerged that Pramerica Managing Director is heading up a new committee seeking donations for the construction of a €4 million Medical Education and Research facility at Letterkenny General Hospital. 40 medical students from Galway who are based at Letterkenny General as part of a strategic link up between the hospital and NUIG. The iniative

It’s emerged that the Irish government may face EU court action for failing to implement the 11 6000 Missing Children’s Hotline in line with commitments to do so by May. North West MEP Jim Higgins says there is an obligation to put the hotline in place, and not doing so leaves Ireland open to rulings

Tributes are being paid today to pharmacist Jim Mc Cormick, the driving force behind the Tidy Towns Committee in Letterkenny. The 69 year old father of three died suddenly last night while on holiday in Spain. As Chair of the Tidy Town’s Committee in the town, he has seen its performance improve to the point

The introduction of new housing benefit legislation in Northern Ireland could have a catastrophic effect for younger parents with shared access. The piece of legislation has already been passed in England and would see a drastic reduction in housing benefit for people under 35, forcing them to enter into shared accomodation,  rather than giving them

Ulster Unionist leader Tom Elliott has said he has no regrets about attending the funeral of Catholic police officer Constable Ronan Kerr. Mr Elliott and UUP colleague Danny Kennedy – both Orange Order members – are facing disciplinary proceedings by the order for attending the funeral. The Orange Order bans members from Catholic services and

Police in Derry are appealing for witnesses after confirming that a device found in the city last night WAS a viable pipe bomb. The object was found at a carwash on the Racecourse Road just before 10pm. Police are appealing for information on three masked men who were seen travelling in a silver car in

It’s reported this morning that a recent donation to Letterkenny General Hospital has kick started advanced discussions on the provision of a new Medical Education and Research Centre at Letterkenny General Hospital. It would provide a dedicated building for the medical students from Galway who are based at Letterkenny General as part of a strategic

A Donegal based bus company has been fined £400 for letting one of his vehicles to be driven in a dangerous state in County Derry. The 53-seater bus belonging to Reddin Coaches was stopped by police on the Limavady road on 26 February. When police examined the bus on February 26th, they found the windscreen

Three of the Counties six civic ameniety sites are to be tendered out to contractors. The sites at Milford, Letterkenny and Stranorlar are going out to contract, and it’s hoped that the three remaining sites in Dungloe, Laghey and Carndonagh will get a contractor in the near future. It’s hoped now that opening hours at

There was tight security at Letterkenny Courthouse this morning as a man appeared in connection with the stabbing of four people including a Garda outside a local nightclub. 46-year-old John Boyle was charged with four different counts of assault causing harm. He was also charged with the illegal possession of a knife. The attack happened

The President of Letterkenny Institute of Technology says discussions are ongoing which could see the college become part of a Regional Technological University. Speaking as the college celebrates its 40th anniversary, Paul Hannigan said they are in ongoing discussions with other institutions, particularly the University of Ulster. He says since it opened as Letterkenny Regional

North West MEP Pat The Cope Gallagher is calling for an administrator to be appointed to MFG, which ceased trading without warning last week. Mr Gallagher has written to Environment Minister Phil Hogan urging him to seek and support such an appointment. He says an interim solution must be found, and liquidation avoided if at

The retired GP whose Claudy home was targeted in a Real IRA bomb attack earlier yesterday morning says he and his wife have lived to serve their community, and will not be bullied into leaving it. A controlled explosion was carried out on the device found at Dr Keith Munro’s home early on Wednesday morning.

Letterkenny Town Council is examining ways of improving the junction of the Paddy Harte Link Road and Pearse Road, after Cllr Tom Crossan this week called for the construction of a roundabout to improve access. The council rejected the roundabout suggestion, but is inviting engineers to a meeting to discuss options based on the findings

The HSE is moving to improve facilities for terminally ill people in Donegal, with an initiative to ensure there are dedicated palliative care beds in all district hospitals in the county. The ‘Closer to Home’, initiative is led by nurses, and is intended to allow people too ill to travel to Letterkenny or another centre

It has been confirmed that work to complete the new Medical Block at Letterkenny General Hospital will resume on Monday. The project is almost a year behind schedule – work ground to a halt when the previous builders McNamara & Co went into administration. However an agreement has been reached which will see most of

Donegal Deputy Thomas Pringle has called on the government  not to grant any licenses for ‘fracturing’ in Donegal or the Northwest Basin until a full investigation is carried out by an independent group. ‘Fraking’ is the controversial method of drilling using pressurized fluid to find energy reserves such as coal and oil. Parts of South

A project to reduce the risks faced by young people on the streets of Letterkenny is being launched tonight to coincide with the release of Junior Cert results. The Letterkenny Youth and Family Service is setting up a gazebo close to a night club in town, offering water, tea and biscuits to young people who

It’s emerged that police in County Derry have arrested three men as part of an investigation into an explosion Claudy this morning. A device exploded outside a house at Ervery Road in the early hours, damaging the front door. There was noone in the house at the time. Three men, two 36-year-olds and one 28-year-old,

It’s emerged police in Derry are dealing with an on-going security operation. A suspicious object was discovered in the area of Learmount Road and Ervery Road in Claudy in the early hours of this morning. Earlier, police urged people living in the Claudy, Eglinton and Waterside areas to be extremely vigilant.

The ESB says a network fault has been identified and rectified in North Donegal this morning, and all homes have had their power restored. A spokesperson has indicated at this point, they do not believe the fault was caused by Monday’s storm.

Power has been lost to over 5,000 homes in Donegal over the past half hour, with some households already reconnected. The ESB says the problems were concentrated in the are from Letterkenny to Creeslough via Fanad. Power has already been restored to homes  around Milford and Kilmacrennan, with the main problems now centred on Gortlee

Almost 57-thousand Junior Cert students will get their exam results today, just over 2,200 of them in Donegal. The Education Minister Ruairí Quinn is congratulating pupils, parents and teachers on what he calls ‘the culmination of many hours of hard work by all’.

A warning’s been issued about the possibility of devices being left in areas of Derry. Police in the city are urging people to be extremely vigilant on the east bank of the Foyle. The warning specifically mentions Waterside, Eglinton and Claudy.

A man already serving an 18-months sentence, with three months remaining, was given another four months at Dungloe District Court . Michael Reddan, of Meenacladdy, Meenlaragh, Gweedore, was jailed for having no insurance and fined €350, payable immediately, for not having a driving licence when he was banned. The offences, which Reddan admitted, were committed

Letterkenny Town Council is to investigate whether money is available to buy the Old Forge building opposite Skittle Alley close to Ballymacool. The issue was raised this week by Cllr Jimmy Kavanagh, who says the forge is a part of Letterkenny’s heritage which should be retained if at all possible. However, he accepts that it

Independent Presidential Candidate Sean Gallagher is asking for a motion of nomination due to be put forward at the next meeting of Donegal County Council to be withdrawn. Mr Gallagher has already secured the support of four County Council’s and is officially a presidential candidate. With that in mind, he has thanked all other council’s

The Transport Minister says we’re better prepared this year to deal with a bad winter. Leo Varadkar says lessons have been learned from the big freeze that gripped the country for the past two winters. Extra money’s been allocated for this year to ensure plenty of salt and grit supplies. But Minister Varadkar says if

Bundoran Town Council is to bring forward a special meeting to discuss the issue of derelict buildings in the town after one of them was targeted in an arson attack at the weekend. The vacant premises was damaged in the West End of the town at approximately 1.10am in the early hours of yesterday morning,

New political boundaries under consideration in the North could see one Westminister seat and up to six Assembly seats lost in Derry and Tyrone. Under the proposals, which are going out to public consultation, East Derry, West Tyrone and Mid Ulster will be scrapped, to be replaced by two new constituencies, Mid Tyrone and Glenshane.

In what the Pat Finucane Centre is describing as an almost unprecedented move, the British Army has apologised for shooting dead of an innocent man in Derry forty years ago this week. Billy Mc Grenery was shot dead by a British soldier at the top of Westland Street on September 15th 1971. The soldier who

One of the North West’s best known clerics has questioned the value of compulsory clerical celibacy. In his new book “A Troubled See : Memoirs of a Derry Bishop”, the former Bishop of Derry Dr Edward Daly says there needs to be a place in the modern Catholic church for a married priesthood. Speaking this

It’s emerged that a major audit is underway of fire hydrants in Letterkenny after two hydrants were found not to be working while the fire service tackled a recent fire. Mayor Cllr Gerry Mc Monagle said when he was advised of the problem, council staff quickly repaired the two hydrants, and are now engaged in

Letterkenny Town Council has been told that when water charges are introduced, the quality of water being supplied to households in the town will be closely scrutinised. Cllr Victor Fisher raised the issue of water supplies to Mc Neely Villas in the town, where he said residents are concerned about the water quality. County Manager

Leading Derry dissident republican Gary Donnelly who had been held by the Gardai in Monaghan in connection with the death of Denis Donaldson has been released without charge. Mr. Donnelly was arrested in County Monaghan on Saturday as he made his way back to Derry from Dublin. It is believed he was questioned about the

A man had a lucky escape today when he fell from a boat in to Mulroy Bay. It is understood that he was making his way out to a second boat which had broken its moorings when rough weather conditions overturned his vessel. The alarm was raised around midday and Mulroy Coast Guard where called