Author name: oisinkelly

The Government has promised to review the commercial vehicle tax rules following public outcry over their strict enforcement. In a crack down on the legislation, many people who have the vehicle registered as commercial are being stopped by gardai inquiring if they are using it for private purposes. The issue was raised in Dail last […]

A Buncrana man who had threatened to go on hunger strike outside Letterkenny General Hospital has deferred the action after being contacted by the HSE and promised urgent attention. Martin Gill from Parkmore claims that he has been seriously ill for three years, but cannot get a diagnosis. He says numerous referral letters have been

Two men in their 20s have been arrested in connection with an arson attack in Derry in the early hours of this morning Two cars were set on fire in the car park of the Clipper Quay complex just before 2 o’clock, with the fire service saying young children were amongst those who had to

A Buncrana man is threatening to go on hunder strike outside Letterkenny General Hospital today, claiming that he has been seriously ill for three years, but cannot get a diagnosis. Martin Gill from Parkmore has told the Derry Journal that this is the “last throw of the dice”, claiming he’s being passed around the medical

A group representing those who have lost loved ones in road traffic collisions is welcoming a new piece of legislation – which was passed in the Dáil last night. The Road Traffic Bill, which will come into force in two weeks time, makes it compulsory for Gardaí to breathalyse drivers involved in any road collision

The issue of the Greencastle Breakwater is being put back on the agenda of Donegal County Council with calls for renewed pressured to applied to Government to complete the project. Millions of euro has been invested in the Greencastle breakwater however work ground to a halt when funding dried-up. The concern is that in it’s

A number of homes have been evacuated in the Carnhill area of Derry as a result of a bomb alert. Army technical experts weere sent to the scene after reports were received of a suspicious object. Motorists have been advised to avoid the Collon Lane and Carnhill areas.

Detectives investigating the murder of PSNI officer Ronan Kerr in Omagh on April 2nd have searched a house in County Monaghan. A number of items were seized and have been taken away for forensic examination. No arrests were made.

A post mortem examination is taking place of the Donegal woman who drowned off the Queensland coast on Monday. 23 year old Science Graduate Elaine Morrow was from Ballintra. She’d been in Australia for almost a year when she drowned, during a three-day introductory diving course. It’s thought it will take up to a fortnight

Fine Gael has confirmed that the party’s Disciplinary Committeeis considering whether or not Donegal Councillor Terence Slowey should be reprimanded for his double expenses claim. During the same weekend in October 2008, Cllr Terence attended a local authority conference in Cork and a cross border conference in Kerry. However, he submitted two seperate travel expenses

Road safety campaigners are are again warning that the new Road Traffic Bill – due to be discussed by the Dáil again today – could mean drivers involved in fatal collisions could escape being breathalysed. Up to now, Gardai could only test a driver for alcohol at the scene of a crash if they believed

Authorities in Australia have confirmed the identity of the Donegal woman who drowned off the Queensland coast on Monday. 23 year old Science Graduate Elaine Morrow was from Ballintra. She’d been in Australia for almost a year when she drowned, during a three-day introductory diving course. Ms Morrow was scuba-diving with a group at Langford

The campaign group Donegal Action for Cancer Care is urging women aged between 50 and 64  to ensure they are on the Breast Check register if they haven’t yet been called for a mammogram. DACC say this can be checked online at www.breastcheck.ie, or by calling Freephone 1800 45 45 55.

A 23-year-old Donegal woman has died in a diving tragedy off the coast of North Australia. The woman was scuba diving with a group at Langford Island in Queensland yesterday afternoon when she failed to resurface. The 23-year-old woman, who was scuba-diving with a group at Langford Island at the Whitsundays in Queensland yesterday at

An Irish woman has died in a diving incident in Australia. The Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that it is providing consular assistance to the young woman’s family. Her name has not been released but it’s understood she is from Donegal. She died after getting into difficulty in a diving incident in Queensland.

Police in Strabane are appearing for information about the whereabouts of a Strabane woman in her thirties who has been missing since Sunday. 33 year old Claire Roulston from the St Johns Place area was last seen at her home around 7pm on Sunday evening 17 April. She is described as 5’6″ tall, slight build,

Garda sergeants and inspectors say the €3 million severance payment made to former AIB Managing Director Colm Doherty could have been used to provide much needed equipment and resources for gardai. Donegal Crime Prevention Officer Paul Wallace told the conference the money could have been used  in this county during the big freeze. The AGSI

A Donegal Councillor says reports that a deal has been done to take Rockhill House into council ownership are premature. Earlier today, the Rockhill House Heritage Association issued a statement saying that agreement had been reached, and calling for close coopertion between the council and the association. However, Cllr Dessie Larkin says while discussions on

The non-attendence of a police officer at an assault case in Derry Magistrates Court yesterday has angered a district judge. As the Chief Constable of the PSNI Matt Baggot announced his new commitments to the public, District Judge Barney Mc Elholm warned he will be seeking disciplinary actions against a police officer if notes and

Donegal councillor Terence Slowey is facing a crunch meeting with Fine Gael’s disciplinary committee today. It arises from a Standards in Public Office Commission hearing into a double claim for expenses. Cllr Slowey claimed travel expenses for attending two separate conferences on the same weekend in October 2008. The commission, which published details of its

We understand an agreement has been reached to transfer ownership of Rockhill House outside Letterkenny to Donegal County Council. The Defence Forces withdrew from the building just over two years ago, and since then, serious concern has been raised about its state of repair. In a statement this morning, the Rockhill House Heritage Association welcomes

Several units of the fire service are tackling what has been described as a “serious” gorse fire in a built up area at Knockastoller in Bunbeg. Two residential property has been damaged. Fire crews from Gweedore, Dungloe and Glenties are understood to be at the scene. Meanwhile, a second gorse fire is burning out of

The Donegal Mountain Rescue Team responded to four call-outs at the weekend, including a nine hour operation yesterday to rescue a climber who was  stuck on Muckish. The team says yersterday’s rescue of the climber from a small ledge on the north side of Muckish yesterday was the longest and most difficult D.M.R.T. technical rescue

As concerns grow over the possibility that there won’t be enough Non Consultant Hospital Doctors in the system after the end of June,  Donegal North East Deputy Joe Mc Hugh says he’s hopeful, a HSE mission to India next month will see more doctors come to Letterkenny General Hospital. Deputy Mc Hugh met with members

The Chairperson of the Donegal Joint Policing Committee is urging people to be vigilant in their local areas as gardai report a significant rise in the number of burglaries in the county. Figures presented to the JPC by Superintendent Vincent O’Brien show a 36% increase in burglaries in Donegal, and a 66% rise in thefts

Hundreds of people took part in a clean-up operation across Inishowen on Saturday. The Peninsula’s seven Councillors came up with the idea a number of weeks ago with the public, sport clubs, community groups and residents associations asked to take part. The Mayor of Buncrana says they were overwhelmed with the level of support for

The Donegal Mountain Rescue Team responded to four call-outs at the weekend including two mountain rescues. On Sunday a climber become stuck on Muckish – the search and rescue helicopter based out of Sligo was tasked to the scene to assist in the rescue. On Saturday the DMRT where involved in a rescue of a

Sinn Fein is hitting out at the continued detention of three men in connection with the murder of Constable Ronan Kerr in Omagh. The PSNI has been granted a number of extensions to question the suspects, who are aged 26, 33 and 40. Sinn Fein’s policing spokesman Alex Maskey says it’s not acceptable that people

A survey of Highland Radio listeners on Facebook shows that most of those that responded either welcome or are indifferent to the Queen’s scheduled visit to Ireland next month. Over 50% of people said they welcomed the Queen’s visit choosing the option that it will be good for Ireland. A third of those who took

Buncran Town Council has agreed to look at the formation of a youth council. If established the youth council would shadow the senior council with the aim of allowing younger people in the town raise issues of concern and to encourage an interest in politics. The idea has been suggested by Councillor Lee Tedstone:  

A 22-year-old Limavady man alleged to have set up a bogus model agency site on Facebook in order to entice teenage girls to pose naked for him is back in custody after an apparent breach of his bail conditions. Scott Joseph Tootill of Meadowvale Park, Limavady who was charged with five counts of causing or

45 members of the European Democratic Party are in the North West this weekend for their annual congress. The EDP weekend meeting in Sligo is being hosted by North West MEP Marian Harkin, the sole Irish member of the alliance. The delegation includes MEPs from 10 member states, with the current economic situation high on

The PSNI have been given almost seven extra days to question a man over the murder of officer Ronan Kerr. The 33 year-old suspect was arrested last week. On Wednesday detectives were given an extra six days to quiz two men aged 26 and 40 who were also detained last week. It’s in connection with

The two men arrested in connection with the murder of Denis Donaldson have been released without charge. The men, a 69 year old from Dungloe and a 31 year old from Annagry, had been in custody at Letterkenny Garda Station since Tuesday evening. A file on the men’s arrest will now be compiled and sent

A derelict house was burned down last night at around 2am in the village of Newtowncunningham. The dwelling was unoccupied and no one was hurt. Fire Brigade services from both Derry and Letterkenny attended the scene and quickly put out the blaze. Newly co-opted Fianna Fail Councillor, Paul Canning, says it was lucky the burnt

A major cross border business forum in Derry has been told it’s time for closer cross border cooperation. Over 100 business leaders and senior Government officials met in Derry last evening for the second IBEC-CBI Joint Business summit to be held in the North West region. The forum was hosted by Derry City Council and

The people of Inishowen are being urged to take part in a massive clean-up operation across the Peninsula tomorrow. The area’s councillors are each taking part with residents groups, sporting clubs and community organisations urged to join in. Buncrana Mayor, Michael Grant is calling on everyone to get involved:

It has been claimed that jobs in Buncrana have been lost due to the lack of a business development/ incubation centre in the town. A similar centre has proved hugely successful in Letterkenny with Enterprise Ireland now being called on to supply a similar one in the Inishowen Town. Following on from a motion from

The case of a 15 year old boy having sex with a 14 year old girl in the Donegal Gaeltacht has sparked a huge legal case in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has been urged to overturn the so-called ‘Romeo and Juliet’ laws which allow the prosecution of teenage boys for having sex with

Police in the North are appealing for information about a shooting incident in Derry last night. A 24-year-old man was shot and wounded at a house in the Shantallow area just after 10 o’clock. Two men entered the house and fired a number of shots at the man – he was hit in the lower