Author name: oisinkelly

Donegal South West Deputy Dinny Mc Ginley has been formally named a Junior Minister today with specific responsibility for the Gaeltacht.. Earlier the Arts, heritage and Gaeltacht Minister Jimmy Deenihan let slip that Deputy Mc Ginley would be appointed to his department. Minister Deenihan – who’s not a fluent Irish speaker, said that Deputy McGinley […]

Buncrana Town Council is to hold a special meeting on Tuesday week next to elect a new mayor. Former Mayor Padraig Mac Lochlainn had to resign from the council following his election to the Dail, and his deputy, Independent Cllr Michael Grant will act as mayor until the special meeting on March 22nd. Cllr Grant

Donegal South West Deputy Dinny Mc Ginley is playing down speculation that he will be named a Junior Minister today, but it seems an appointment is in the offing after Arts, heritage and Gaeltacht Minister Jimmy Deenihan let slip that Deputy Mc Ginley will be appointed to his department. Minister Deenihan – who’s not a

Atlantic Homecare in Letterkenny  is to close with the loss of 18 jobs. Following a staff meeting, the company issued a statement to Highland Radio News saying that the outlet has not been viable for some time, and sales projections are not adequate to make the Letterkenny store sustainable. With that in mind, the statement

The ‘Carers Count’ Campaign will be officially launched in Donegal this moring. The last Census in 2006 estimated the numbers of Family Carers in Donegal at 5,698 but he Carers Association believes this figure underestimates the current numbers. With this in mind, the Carers Count Campaign sees next months Census as a unique opportunity to

Letterkenny Town Council says it’s time that government departments begin paying commercial rates. At present, facilities such as the Social Welfare Offices on Oliver Plunkett Road are exempt from rates, but the council is to write to the new Environment Minister Phil Hogan to seek a change. The council will also circulate the motion to

The government has been told that it must fulfil its commitment to return Cancer services to Sligo General Hospital. Sinn Fein Deputy Pearse Doherty has already made the call and has now been joined by Independent Deputy Thomas Pringle in applying pressure on the issue. Cancer services at Sligo General Hospital, which serves a large

The States standards watchdog is to investigate a Donegal County Councillor who claimed expenses for attending two different local government conferences which took place on the same weekend. A hearing into the conduct of Councillor Terence Slowey, who is the Fine Gael whip on the Council, has been set for later this month, the Standards

People in Letterkenny are annoyed by the increase in the number of street collectors around the town, according to a local  town councillor. Cllr Victor Fisher says he has no problem with collections where all ther money is going to charity, but in many instances, a large amount of the money is going to the

With nominations to contest the Seanad elections closing on Friday, there will be at least one Donegal candidate in the race. Letterkenny based Cllr. Jimmy Harte, who missed out on a Dail seat in  Donegal North East has been nominated as the sole Labour candidate on the Industrial and Commercial Panel.

The Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny will be elected Taoiseach today – as the 31st Dail meets for the first time since the general election. Labour and Fine Gael will form a government this afternoon when Mr Kenny will name his new cabinet lineup. Three new TDs from Donegal will take their seats today –

A Donegal company owner has recieved a suspended prison sentence and ordered to do community services for a number of tax offences. Mary McKinney, a haulage contractor from Cockhill Road, Buncrana was found guilty of 15 charges. The details of that case was included in the latest list of tax defaulters which has been pulished

A defence solicitor has said progress is being made in a row between the Northern Regional Fisheries Board and 34 men and a woman over fishing rights on the Gweebarra River. The legal proceedings stem from a campaign for a group of Gweebarra Anglers to be recognised as a club with traditional angling rights such

Letterkenny Town Council has been told the Aura Leisure Complex is not reaching its full potential in terms of night time events. Cllr Jimmy Kavanagh raised the issue, comparing the faclity to INEC in Killarney and the Royal Theatre Complex in Castlebar. He said the Mayo venue, which is a similar size, continues to host

Household store Carpetright has announced it’s to close seven of its twenty five stores – putting 19 jobs at risk. However, the British company says it cannot specify which branches are set to close until it completes a period of consultation with staff. The company has a premises at Rossview Business Park in Letterkenny –

Police have confirmed that a couple shot dead at their County Armagh home had just returned from a weekend break in Letterkenny. Police believe husband and wife, 56 year-old  Hugh McGeough,  and Jacqueline McGeough, 44, were murdered at their Legahory Court home, Craigavon, at about 11pm on Monday. Police say the couple’s stay in Letterkenny

MEP for the North-West Jim Higgins will tonight question the The European Monetary Affairs commissioner on the EU-IMF Irish bailout. Yesterday Oli Rehn urged other Eurozone nations to grant Ireland – and Greece – easier terms in an interview for German television. And last Thursday the IMF annouced that they’ll reduce the interest rate on

Instructions are still awaited from the Director of Public Prosecutions on a man accused of assaulting failed general election Fianna Fail candidate Senator Brian O Domhnaill. Dungloe District Court today adjourned until April 12th a charge against Jim Sharkey of assaulting Senator O Domhnaill and causing him harm at Meenacuing, Gweedore, last August 22nd. Sharkey,

Vigilantes are being blamed for an overnight shooting in Muff. A man and two children, aged nine and 11, escaped injury last night when shots were fired through the window of their home at about 9pm in the Wheatfield estate in the town. No-one was injured. A burnt out motorbike has been found by gardai

A 35-year-old arrested on Monday in relation to the attempted murder of PSNI officers in Derry has been released from custody unconditionally. Gunmen targeted police in the Glen Road area of the city on Wednesday night. Officers came under fire as they examined a car which had been abandoned. The attack was claimed by the

The government has told local authorities in Donegal to begin the categorisation of so called ghost estates in the county. The Department of the Environment is making 5 million euro available to councils across the country to deal with unfinished estates. The request for detailed reports was received by county and town councils yesterday, and

A burnt out motorbike has been found by gardai investigating the firing of a shot at a house in Muff last night. At around 9 o’clock, a motorcycle entered the Wheatfield Estate, and a pillion passenger fired a shot through the window of the house. A man and his two children were in the house.

The price of petrol has reached a record high, with the cost of a litre of petrol surpassing the 1 euro 50 cent mark at many of the country’s petrol stations. That compares to this time last year when the cost of a litre of unleaded petrol was 1 euro 27 cent. It’s now costing

A woman who was unable to have children after a hospital failed to diagnose and treat a molar pregnancy in time has been awarded £160,000 compensation. Joanne Connolly was awarded damages in a High Court settlement following her medical negligence claim against the Western Health and Social Care Trust. 35 year-old Mrs Connolly, from Strabane,

Letterkenny Town Councillors are calling for more people to be admitted to election counts. A debate last night heard that several people were denied entry to the Aura Leisure Centre because they did not have the correct passes. The list of people denied entry included, at various points, a candidate, a candidate’s parents and the

Shots have been fired at a house in Muff. Gardai have sealed off the property at Wheatfield, and are at the scene this morning. At least one bullet struck the front window of the house just after 9 o’clock last night. A man and three children were inside the house, but were uninjured. No arrests

Detectives in Strand Road are appealing for information following a shooting incident at a house in the Muldonagh Road area during the early hours of Monday morning, 7 March. Shortly after 5:40am two shots were fired at the property. One at the front door and another at the front living room window. A male was

Hundreds attended a weekend function to mark Bran Friel being named Donegal Person of the Year. The legendary playwright, who was named Donegal Person of the Year 2010 at a ceremony in The Burlinton Hotel in Dublin at the weekend outlined to the estimated 650 guests that a flush of pride that lasted for three

Donegal motorists are being hit hard at the pumps. It’s after the price of petrol has risen above one euro fifty per litre at many petrol stations around the country. Prices are as high at one euro forty nine cent in parts of Donegal according to website pumps.ie The price hikes come as the price

A controversial windfarm application near Glenties has been withdrawn. In July of last year, Straboy Wind Energy Ltd lodged a planning application with Donegal County Council seeking clearance to erect 38 wind turbines at Derkbeg Hill outside Glenties. An order seeking further information was issued by the council in September, and the application remained listed

The Mayor of Donegal says that conducting meetings is becoming more and more difficult because of interruptions, particularly by Cllr Frank Mc Brearty. In a lengthy interview on today’s Shaun Doherty, Cllr Cora Harvey said that if a majority of councillors ask her to step down, she will do so, but as of now, most

Donegal North East TD Joe Mc Hugh says as soon as a new Health Minister is appointed on Wednesday, he’ll be calling on him or her to ensure that questions are addressed relating to sub contractors who are owed money in respect of work done at the extension to Letterkenny General Hospital. Since Mc Namara

Gardai in Letterkenny are investigating an alleged sexual assault in the early hours of yesterday morning. Gardai are not releasing any details, but it’s understood the investigation relates to an alleged incident in a nightclub in the town. Gardai say the probe is at a very early stage. Meanwhile, Police in County Armagh are investigating

Today sees the launch of Enterprising Donegal Business Week, which runs until Friday. A series of events and workshops will take place in venues across the county on the theme “Back to Basics – key building blocks for growing your business”. Michael Tunney is CEO of the County Enterprise Board, which is coordinating the week’s

A senior garda has described a motorcyclist filmed riding at speeds of up to 290 kilometres per hour through Barnesmore Gap as a lunatic. Traffic gardai, stunned by hte motorcyclist travelling 28 kilometres in nine minutes, are stepping up weekend speed watches in Donegal. Gardai say their plans coincide but are not directly linked to

A woman accused of breaching planning regulations with a sign over her house accusing government ministers of job-fixing and corruption has claimedthere were four arson attacks on her family home. Patricia McCafferty claimed the sign high on a cherry-picker was a legitimate political protest – not an advertisement – and she and her brother Paul

Police have confirmed that a 31-year-old man has been arrested in Derry in connection with an attack on police officers Several shots were fired as a police patrol investigated an abandoned car in the Glen Road on Wednesday night No one was injured. The PSNI said there was no doubt that the attack, claimed by

The SDLP is accusing the North’s two main unionist parties of using the issue of cancer services at Altnagelvin Hospital as a political football. Pol Callaghan asked in the Assembly for a guarantee that  the new Radiotherapy Centre at Altnagelvin will go ahead – he was told that could not be guaranteed. Recently Finance Minister

There are calls for revenue raised through dog licenses in Donegal to be re-invested in animal welfare in the county. Councillor Dessie Larkin was this week told that over 7,000 dogs are licensed in Donegal, he says the income from that should be used to resource the county’s dog pound. Councillor Larkin says with further

Any General Election candidate, who has yet to remove election posters, is now in breach of the Litter Pollutions Act. Election candidates and their parties could face a €150 on the spot fine for each election poster which remains. Numerous election campaign posters remain across Donegal – poster ties for holding the electionosters must also