Author name: oisinkelly

A derelict building has been destroyed in an early morning arson attack in Sion Mills, County Tyrone. The blaze on the Melmount Road was discovered in the early hours of Saturday morning. The Fire and Rescue Service believe it was started deliberately. The building was formely Marshalls bar, which closed down last year.

A woman has been left shaken after a hijacker attempted to pull her from a car in Derry. The incident was reported in the Moyola Drive area just before 10am on Saturday. An unknown man walked up to the vehicle and grabbed the woman by the arm. He shouted at her to get out before

The search has resumed this morning for a missing teenager off the coast of Donegal. The 17 year old boy – named locally as Sean McNair from Derry – was celebrating a friend’s 18th birthday at Rathmullen Pier on Friday night when tragedy struck. It’s understood a number of teenagers were swimming when Sean got

Underwater searches are continuing for a 17 year old boy who’s missing, feared drowned, in Co. Donegal. The Sheephaven sub aqua unit as well as coastguard helicopters have been stood down for the night but local divers from the Inisowen sub aqua team are still searching Lough Swilly for the boy. The alarm was raised

A teenager who went missing overnight after falling from a pier into Lough Swilly had been enjoying a birthday celebration with his friends. It’s believed the 19-year-old, from Derry, and three of his friends went into the water at Rathmullen pier at about 130am this morning. Only three of the four young men returned out

A young Letterkenny man has been jailed for six years after lighting a fire which almost caused a massive explosion at a local pub. 22-year-old John Gibson stole a car which he set on fire outside the Ard Ri pub in the Killylastin area of Letterkenny on June 15th last year. The flaming car caught

An alert traffic garda whose suspicions were raised by a car occupants solved the mystery of a €3,500 pub robbery on a Sunday morning when people were at Mass in a nearby church. Ballyshannon District Court heard  how Garda John Sweeney who was on traffic duty at Dunkineely became suspicious when he discovered two car

It has been confirmed that the much needed road works between Drimnaraw and Tirlin in the west of the county  will commence before the year end. Cllr Seamus O’Domhanill had earlier met NRA officials where it was confirmed an allocation of €1.6 million was secured  to complete all outstanding works along the stretch.. He says

A 19-year-old man has appeared in court charged with the anal rape of a 15-year-old girl in the grounds of Foyle and Londonderry College a week ago. Adam Titheridge of Glenside Gardens in Derry was charged with rape, grievous bodily harm and assault on the girl on July 8. Titheridge spoke briefly during the short

There’s been another twist in the saga of the IDA office in Letterkenny, with the agency now confirming the office will remain open. Three staff will be based there, including the former North West Regional Manager, who now has a national position. Last week, the government told Deputy Charlie Mc Conalogue that the office would

On the fifth anniversary of a sectarian assault in Derry, which left 34-year-old Paul McCauley in a vegetative state, police are renewing their appeal for information. Following an internal review, detectives from Serious Crime Branch are now re-investigating the assault, which took place on open ground at the back of a house in Chapel Road

A 23 year old woman who has suffered from cerebral palsy since birth has begun a High Court action against the HSE for alleged medical negligence arising out the circumstances of her delivery at Letterkenny General Hospital. Lauren Tinney is confined to a wheelchair, unable to walk or stand, has no power in her left

Fears of a bumpy ride for the thousands expected to take part in an All Ireland Triathlon have been eased after funding was found to repair a stretch of road at the Gartan Adventure Centre in Letterkenny. Because of the amount of competitors due to take part in the event next month, organisers sought repairs

The boss of McGettigan Travel says he was shocked and saddened to discover his fleet of buses had been targeted by vandals in Letterkenny causing thousands of euro in damage. Some time between 5am and 10am yesterday morning, five buses parked in the Long Lane area were targeted with over 20 windows smashed causing an

An 81 year old man charged with dangerous driving causing serious harm has been acquitted after a jury heard he passed out from taking blood pressure tablets. William Barr crashed his car killing his wife and putting a little girl in a wheelchair after a horrific crash in Co Donegal in 2008. Last evening, a

Strabane Grammar School is facing a repair bill running into tens of thousands of pounds after vandals broke in on the 12th of July. Part of the building was set on fire and 70 windows were smashed. The lower floor of the school’s gate-house on the Liskey Road was “gutted” in a large fire which

A team of students from IT Sligo, led by a Donegal post graduate student have won the first prize in the lead category of the Microsoft Imagine Cup World Finals. The Microsoft Imagine Cup is the world’s premier student technology competition, honoring student innovations that address global problems. Aíne Conaghan is a Fáilte Ireland Scholarship

Fianna Fail’s Children’s Spokesperson says he and his party will support the government in bringing in new legislation in light of the findings of the Cloyne Report. However, Donegal North East Deputy Charlie Mc Conalogue new legislation to introduce mandatory reporting and other measures will only work if proper resources are put in place…….. Meanwhile, 

Fianna Fail leader Michael Martin is in Donegal as part of a nationwide campaign to rebuild the party. Speaking to Highland Radio News, he said he believes the party is already re-establishing itself as a credible alternative in the Dail, and his decision to walk out of Leaders’ Questions yesterday was to highlight the government’s

The mother of Garvan Milligan whose body was discovered in a lake in Co Roscommon on Tuesday says she still does not know what led to her son’s death. Garvin Milligan, originally from St Johnston but living and working in County Meath, had been missing since November of last year. The last trace of Mr

The KFO says the pelagic fleet in Donegal will be wiped out if the EU does not take action to stop the over fishing of Mackerel. The Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation says that the Faroes and Iceland are plundering stocks and if allowed continue, the main stay of the Irish fishing industry will be wiped out.

Buncrana could reap the benefits if the Town Council takes control of the Tipp O’Neill commemorations. Last month local historian Leonard Roarty from Manorcunningham told the members of Buncrana Town Council Buncrana could cash in on Tip O’Neills birthday. The famous Ameican politician, whose grandmother Eunice Fullerton resided in Buncrana in the 19th century, was

A young mother has told a court how she thought she and her two children were going to die after their car caught fire after a head-on collision. Sonia Nic Gairbheith was driving to her grandparents home when she was struck by a car driven by William Barr, which veered across the road into her

Clerical sex abuse victims support group ‘One in Four’ says the publication of the Cloyne Report raises concerns about other dioceses across the country singling out the diocese of Raphoe. The 421-page document describes former Bishop John Magee’s handling of complaints as “inadequate and inappropriate”. The investigation found that he failed to report all allegations

The ‘will they won’t they’ Tesco situation in Stranorlar continues with news that the latest council permission for a super store in the town has been appealed to An Bord Pleanala. The council approved the companies latest plans within the last month but the RG-DATA group has appealed the decision to the planning board. Last

Buncrana Town Council is urging the HSE to employ another female doctor at Buncrana Medical Centre. It’s being claimed that a number of local women have been waiting weeks to get an appointment because they would prefer to discuss their issues with a woman. Currently there is only one full-time female doctor in Buncrana, with

It has been confirmed that  the body of a man recovered from Kilglass Lake in Rooskey this week was that of  missing man Garvin Milligan who had not been seen since November last year. The last trace of Mr Milligan, who was originally from St Johnston but living in Meath, was a signal from his

Donegal County Council is to proceed with safety works on the outskirts of Letterkenny between the Dry Arch and Polestar roundabouts. A pavement and centre island is to be built on the four lane stretch between the two roundabouts, with the Cullion Road the only right turn that will be allowed for cars travelling out

The Ulster Council of the GAA has rejected claims that they are pricing families out of going to see Donegal Versus Derry this weekend, stating that in fact they have made it better value for money. They have also rejected headlines claiming that children have been banned from the terraces in Clones, stating that it’s

More details have been emerging of the rescue of six people from the water off Portnablagh yesterday afternoon. Malin Head Coastguard issued an urgent Mayday call after their vessel sank while an emergency call was being made. That call was heard by Sam Burgess and his brother Richard, who got the six people out of

The family of a man killed when a digger bucket fell on top of him after a safety pin had not been fitted to the machine asked a judge not to send the driver to prison. Francis Callaghan died after an accident at a building site in Forqar, Milford, on January 8th, 2007. He had

There was extensive damage done to a Strabane school last night. Thousands of pounds of damage was caused at Strabane Grammar School on the Liskey Road when vandals struck just before 9pm. The Gate House at the front of the school building was set alight causing comprehensive damage. The windows were also smashed in the

A religious affairs commentator is predicting that pressure will now mount for an investigation into clerical child sex abuse in the diocese of Raphoe. It comes as the long-awaited report into the handling of clerical abuse allegations in the diocese of Cloyne is to be published today. The Commission of Investigation examined allegations against 19

A man accused of assaulting Senator Brian O’Domhnaill is considering bringing a private prosecution against him because the politician has not also been charged with assault. Two men accused of assault causing harm on Senator O’Domhnaill are likely to go to trial before the Circuit Court after Judge Paul Kelly said the case is too

A group of 6 people are said to have had a miraculous escape this afternoon after their boat sank off the coast between Marble Hill and Portnablagh. Malin Head received a call from a man on the speedboat at around 4.30pm. Contact was lost with the man as the boat sank during the call. Malin

Gardai have arrested a man following this morning’s armed robbery at St Johnston. At around 9.30am a lone gunman entered the premises armed with a suspected firearm  – in the space of 18 seconds he had left the building with a small amout of cash. No shots were fired and nobody was physically hurt. As

An armed man has robbed a post office in St Johnston within 18 seconds this morning. The masked man went into the branch with a handgun at around 9.15am and made off with a small amount of cash. He fled in a blue car being driven by another man. No shots were fired and nobody

Junior Education Minister Ciaran Cannon is  in Letterkenny meeting with parents from a number of schools who will be affected by changes in the school transport system. In a number of cases, children have been receiving free transport to schools on the basis of agreements made when smaller local schools were amalgamated in the 1970s.

Letterkenny Town Council has adjourned its monthly meeting as a mark of respect to former Cllr Frank Gallagher, who served as a member for six months in 2009. Mr Gallagher, at the time a member of the Green Party, had been coopted onto the council in January 2009 following the resignation of Cllr Neil Clarke.

At least seven police officers have been injured after coming under attack by crowds of rioters in west Belfast. Petrol bombs and missiles, including stones and bricks, were thrown at officers in the nationalist areas of Broadway, Old Park and North Queen Street. A bus was also hijacked and driven at a police cordon, but

A caretaker who returned to work in a Donegal school where he had previously sexually abused a child and went on to molest and rape four more boys there will be sentenced later this month. The boys, who were aged between 10 and 17 years old at the time, were sexually abused on an almost

Letterkenny Town Council will tonight hear calls for the Aura Leisure centre to to cut its leisure centre prices. Councillor Jimmy Kavanagh will make the argument that the council owned facility needs to drop its prices to be more competitive with other privately run leisure centres in and around the town. Councillor Kavanagh also wants

It’s one year today since the States worst ever single road collision. The horrific crash outside Clonmany claimed the lives of eight people. 21-year-old Eamon McDaid, of Ballymagan, Buncrana, 21-year-old PJ McLaughlin, of Burnfoot, 19-year-old Ciaran Sweeney, of Ballyliffin, 23-year-old James McEleney, of Clonmany, 21-year-old Mark McLaughlin, of Fahan, 19-year-old Paul Doherty, of Ballyliffin, 21-year-old