Author name: oisinkelly

The new Mayor of Buncrana says there are a number of important events on the horiozon to help develop the town as a centre for business and tourism. Cllr Michael Grant was speaking after he been elected to replace Deputy Padraig Mac Lochlainn. Cllr Nicholas Crossan, who assumes the role of mayor in June under […]

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has refused to drop the States appeal against Donegal South-West Deputy Pearse Dohertys High Court victory, that resulted in the by-election last year. Last year the Sinn Fein Deputy successfully argued in the courts for a by-election in the constituency. He won the by-election – and the subsequent General Election by a

Derry City Council has revealed a masterplan that will see at least nine million pounds spent developing the former landfill site at Culmore. Most of the money will be spent on making the site safe and extracting methane gas, which will be used for electricity generation. The works will also include landscaping and the development

Up to a hundred people who drive from Derry to work in Belfast every day may now be spared that round trip. The Department of Social Development has announced the transfer of 95 jobs dealing with the state pension from Belfast to Derry. According to Minister Alex Atwood, the process is set to begin this

Solicitors acting on behalf of businessman Francois De Dietrich have issued a statement in response to financial allegations raised recently in the press and media. The Financial Services Authority in the North has obtained a High Court order freezing over £20 million in assests in the name of Mr De Deitrich and his company ETIC

Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams has announced the portfolios allocated to each of the party’s TDs today. And Donegal’s two Sinn Fein Deputies have been allocated two of the most senior positions within the party in the Dail. Donegal South-West Deputy Pearse Doherty will remain as Finance spokesperson for the party.While Donegal North-East Deputy Padraig

It’s hoped the Bay View Hotel can still be saved, despite a reciever being appointed last week. The Killybegs hotel is one of the oldest in the county and was established in 1850. A reciever was appointed by the Bank of Scotland last week, but management at the hotel are still optimistic of opening the

Buncrana Town Council meets this evening to select a new mayor, with current Deputy Mayor Michael Grant expected to be chosen. The agendas also provides for the co-option of a new Sinn Fein Councillor to replace Deputy Padraig Mac Lochlainn, but we understand the party has not yet decided who that will be. The first

Donegal’s woodlands could be in line for a major European environmental award. The woodlands are part of a Coillte project to restore 550 hectares of four priority woodland types. Already, the project has restored some of the rarest woodland in Donegal and eight other counties, and has won an International Energy Globe Award.

A special meeting of Donegal County Council took place today to fill the vacancies left by the election of three former councillors to the Dail last month. Former councillors, Sinn Fein Deputy Padraig McLaughlin, Fianna Fail Deputy Charile McConalogue and Independent Deputy Thomas Pringle were all present. to see their replacements confirmed as councillors. Cllr

A security operation in Derry is over after a suspicious object found this morning was declared to be a hoax. The object was on a car windscreen at Kinnego Park in the Foyle Springs area of the city.

It’s emerged that Fine Gael will have a Donegal candidate in the Seanad election, after Danny Byrne from Bruckless confirmed he will be running. After the close of nominations for political parties at noon today, there were no Fine Gael candidates from Donegal. However, Mr Byrne, who lost his father and brother in the Skifjord

A security operation is underway in Derry after a suspicious object was found this morning. The object was on a car windscreen at Kinnego Park in the Foyle Springs area of the city. Army bomb experts went to the area after the incident was reported at quarter to eight this morning. The police say 18

Seanad candidates have until midday to decide if they’ll contest the election. Locally, Councillor Jimmy Harte will run for Labour on the Industrial and Commercial Panel. While, Seantor Brian O Domnhaill will run again for Fianna Fail. Highland Radio news understands that there will be no Fine Gael candidates from Donegal contesting. Labour nomination Jimmy

A special meeting of Donegal County Council is taking place in Lifford today to fill the vacancies left by the election of three former councillors to the Dail last month. The three incoming councillors are John Campbell, who will replace Deputy Thomas Pringle as an Independent in the Donegal Electoral Area, Paul Canning, who will

A Derry councillor is urging closer parental supervision of their childrens internet usage. Cllr Mark H Durkan made the call after he was contacted by a constituent who told him an attempt had been made to groom her eight year old daughter. She said the child had been contacted by an adult pretending to befriend

Hundreds of acres of uplands in Co Donegal have been fenced by farmers in compliance with area aid requirements imposed by the Department of Agriculture. That is according to campaign group Friends of the Irish Environment, which claims the fences block walking trails, and impede access to beaches, hills, lakes and rivers. The group has

Lecturers at the Magee campus of the University of Ulster and Queens University in Belfast are taking strike action today in protest against revised pension arrangements. The dispute centres on attempts to increase pension contributions for staff, raise the retirement age and end the final salary element of the scheme. Further protests are planned for

Human Rights activist Rev. Jesse Jackson is making a one day visit to Derry at the invitation of the  Pat Finucane Centre and the Bloody Sunday Trust. While in the city he will visit the Museum of Free Derry.  At 4 pm, there will be an open session in the Guildhall where the Rev. Jackson will

A special service commemorating all Irish people who died to defend freedom in the First World War and elsewhere will take place in St Eunan’s Cathedral in Letterkenny tomorrow. The celebrants will be Catholic Bishop Dr Philip Boyce, Church of Ireland Bishop Dr Ken Good, Presbyterian Moderator Dr Brian Brown and Methodist Moderator Rev Ian

A cross border investigation is continuing this morning following an incident in Strabane on St Patrick’s Night in which four men  were stabbed. Three men remain in a serious, but non-life threatening condition in Altnagelvin Hospital following the incident outside Joes Bar in Abercorn Square. It’s believed their attackers fled across the border into Donegal.

Police in Derry are appealing for information following an assault in the Foyle Road area last night. At around 8pm, a 15 year old man was sitting close to a car wash when he was assaulted by a number of people. He was kicked to the head and body a number of times before he

Destination Donegal is an occasional series of documentaries taking in the sounds of different parts of Donegal. On Arranmore Island, Thomas Costello takes us on a journey through his community. From the German couple who’ve made the Island their retirement home to the manager of the legendary Crystal Swing. There’s stories of going away and

The Federation of Irish Fishermen is calling for its members to be invited to give their opinions on enhanced environmental strategies rather than being hit with a populist blanket ban on discards. Chairperson Sean O’Donoghue, also head of the Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation, was reacting to EU Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki’s recent blanket ban on discards.

The Department of Education will receive final representations today from interest groups concerned about the future of small primary schools. It has begun a review of all schools with fewer than 50 pupils to examine whether they represent value for money. Today is the deadline for submissions. The McCarthy report recommended amalgamating all of these

Two men remains in hospital following a Stabbing incident in Strabane last night. A total of four men were stabbed in the Abercorn Square area of Strabane after a large number of people were involved in a disturbance outside a bar in the area at about 9.30pm last night. The two men in hospital are

There is anger in Derry over claims that nationalist songs were played over the PA system at Foyleside Shopping Centre on St Patrick’s Day. It is has been claimed the  Soldier’s Song and the Fields of Athenry were played over the speaker system at the centre during the course of the day. SDLP Derry City

Just under a third of Americans who visit Ireland this year plan to come to Donegal, according to new research published by Amárach Research. The Irish Diaspora Omnibus, a monthly survey of Irish American attitudes shows that while one in five plan to visit Ireland this year almost two thirds hope to make the trip

The decision not to gift the former Shackleton Barracks site in Ballykelly to the local community is a “thundering disgrace” according to East Derry MLA John Dallat. Mr Dallat He says the area is being discriminated against, in contrast to the use of other former military sites such as Lisanelly in Omagh and Ebrington and

Thousands of people have been attending St Patrick’s Day Parades across Donegal, with the largest taking place in Letterkenny. The overall prize at the Letterkenny Parade was won by Lurgybrack Open Farm, the best float award went to Encore Performing Arts Academy, and the Letterkenny 400 Historical Prize sponsiored by the Town Council went to

The North’s Historical Enquiries Team is being urged to investigate the murder of a woman by the IRA in Derry almost 30 years ago. 29 year old Joanne Mathers, a mother of one, was shot dead as she collected census forms in April 1981. Her husband has called for a new investigation, and now, East

Highland radio news has learned that no Fine Gael candidates from Donegal were among the final 15 Fine Gael nominees for the Seanad today. The selection process was in Dublin earlier today. Cllr Martin Harley, Cllr John Ryan and Danny Byrne, who has campaigned on behalf of his family for compensation under the Lost at

Foyle MLA Pol Callaghan says the passing of the Autism Bill last night is an example of what Stormont can achieve. He says the law in the North is now tighter than the law in England, and it will ensure that resources are distributed in a fairer way. Mr Callaghan says after the acrimony of

Derry GAA star Eoin Bradley has admitted assaulting a referee after a quarter final championship match last August. The 27 year old Glenullin player from Woodland Park in Kilrea admitted one charge of common assault at Limavady Magistrate’s Court today . The court was told that on August 8th last year, police received a report

A house in Omagh where a convicted sex offender burnt his partner and five children to death has been demolished today. Arthur McElhill killed his family in a house fire in 2007, because his partner, Lorraine McGovern threatened to leave. The inquest into his death concluded that this, coupled with his fear of prison for

Presidential Hopeful Senator David Norris says he wants to visit Donegal to meet people, particularly those who disagree with him and would not support his candidacy. Earlier this week, Senator Norris embarked on the quest to secure the support of either four local authorities or 20 Oireachtas members. Speaking on today’s Shaun Doherty Show, he

The latest figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation show a peak in those awaiting treatment on trolleys at Letterkenny General Hospital. According to figures compilled this morning 8 people are on trolleys at the hospital. Today there are 446 people on trolleys across the country’s hospitals.

More details have emerged of a new plan to attract people home for St Patrick’s Day. The Donegal Homecoming Initiative is the brain child of Mayor Cora Harvey and will target a number of key actions throughout 2011. The aim is to then develop a keynote event of international standing during the St Patrick’s Festival

An inquest has heard how  young man died after the car in which he was a passenger flipped over and did three somersaults after being involved in a high-speed chase with Gardai. 22-year-old Paul McMonagle, was the front seat passenger in a car being driven by his father Paul Snr through the village of Muff

Donegal Senator Brian O’Domhnaill has been included in the Fianna Fail leaders list of ten approved Seanad election candidates. Micheál Martin has issued a list of 10 candidates, and is asking Fianna Fail councillors to give them priority to in the forthcoming Seanad elections. Fianna Fail says the selection of the ten marked the starting

Donegal North East Deputy Padraig MacLochlainn has accused Labour and Fine Gael of promising change but instead delivering more of the same. The Sinn Fein Deputy was speaking in the Dail last evening on the motion for the Programme for Government. Deputy MacLouchlainn said both Labour and Fine Gael campaigned ahead of the election to

The police have released the name of a 53-year-old man who died after being hit by a van in Claudy on Monday. Daniel O’Neill, from the Claudy area, was walking on Old Glenshane Road shortly before 8pm when he was hit by a van. The man who was driving the van was not injured.

A 26-year-old Derry man who cannot be named for legal reasons has pleaded guilty to child cruelty against his son, who was then aged two months. Derry Crown Court heard that the man swung the baby back and forth by the left leg over a five minute period on October 26 2009 at his home.

Gardai are investigating the discovery of a woman’s body on Rossnowlagh beach this morning. The woman, in her late 40s, was found at the bottom of a 30-metre cliff by a man walking along the beach before 8 a.m. The woman is believed to be a native of Co. Fermanagh.

A man has appeared in court in Antrim charged with the murder of Marion Millican. The 51-year-old was shot dead in a launderette in Portstewart, County Derry on Friday. A detetective tiold the court he believed he could connect  48 year old Freddie Mc Clenaghan from Broad Street in Magherafelt to the charge. Ms Millican’s