Author name: oisinkelly

Independent Election candidate for Donegal South West Stephen McCahil has called for a change in the way rates are applied to businesses claiming the current system is unfair. Mr McCahil says that as it is, the Central Valuation Office sends an inspector from Dublin who decides what the rate a business will pay based on […]

Strabane District Council has adopted its rate for the year, coming in with the lowest rate set in Northern Ireland The rate is 1.79% than last year. All parties have welcomed the cut which will  offset to some extent an expected rise in the regional rate which is set in Belfast. Ulster Unionist Cllr Derek

Over the next four days we will host a series of debates ahead of General Election 2011. On Tuesday the focus of our attention was Donegal South West – four candidates were in studio for the debate – Fianna Fail’s Brian O’Domhnaill, Fine Gael’s Dinny McGinley, Labour’s Frank McBrearty and Independent Ann Sweeney. The Green’s

Donegal North East is the only constituency in the whole country that has yet to have a count centre confirmed. The John Bosco Centre in Donegal Town will host the count on the 26th of February for South West, while a number of locations are still being considered for Donegal North East. The returning officer

Letterkenny Town Council has been briefed on its roads programme for the year, with long awaited surfacing on the Kirkstown Road due to start within the coming weeks Meanwhile, members have been told that €30,000 has been made available for safety works on the Circular Road. Cllr Gerry Mac Monagle says that when other funding

A new cross border project  providing health-focused education and training programmes to vulnerable and ‘at risk’ groups across the border counties has recieved a funding boost. €2.2 million in funding has been secured for the multi agency programme from the European Union. The 3-year project aims to improve the health and wellbeing of groups such

A new group seeking to forge closer business ties between Derry and London is inviting firms in Donegal and Tyrone to come on board. London~Derry Connections say in 2006, Greater London purchased over £123 billion worth of goods and services from the rest of the UK and Ireland. The group wants to network with business

Letterkenny Town Council has come out against the idea of sub post offices in Gortlee and Glencar, with a majority of members saying they favour improving facilities at the Main Street post offices, particularly after sorting and parcel services move to a new centre. A lengthy discussion followed a motion from Cllr Victor Fisher that

Derry City Council has increased its rates by 2.25%. For the average household this represents an increase of £20 per annum. The meeting to discuss the rates came on the day it was confirmed that  £8.6m of funding has been allocated for safety works at City of Derry Airport. Chairperson of Policy and Resource Committee,

The INMO has published a five year analysis of A&E performance and trolley numbers over the past five years. The figures show a drop in the number on trolleys at Letterkenny General Hospital over the five years. There were a total of 3,059 patients on trollies in 2006, while last year, the figure was 469.

Independent election candidate for Donegal North East Ryan Stewart, says he does not wish to be seen as a single issue candidate. Mr Stewart has been in the publicly eye, for the most part in his objection to the government’s VRT on cars which he believes is contrary to spirit of EU law. He says

The North’s Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy today has announced that a Public Inquiry will be held into the proposed A5 Western Transport Corridor dualling project. The recent formal consultation attracted over 2,000 objections, and Minister Murphy says it’s important that these issues are fully discussed and debated. The inquiry will be held at a

Letterkenny Town Council is being asked to provide temporary car parking facilities at the site of the old mart in the town. Motions have been tabled for a town council meeting tonight by both Cllr Dessie larkin and Cllr Jim Lynch. Cllr Lynch says the mart in the long term, the mart site can play

A Donegal councillor appointed to the Higher Education Authority by Tánaiste and Education Minister Mary Coughlan says he will not accept the €8,250 annual fee and suggests others should follow suit. Cllr Brendan Byrne’s appointment last week was condemned  by unions, with TUI General Secretary Peter Mc Menamin calling it “blatant croneyism”. Critics say such

Police in County Derry are appealing for witnesses to a road crash outside Limavady yesterday. 22-year-old Ronald Moore who was from the town died from injuries sustained when the car in which he was travelling crashed on Bishop’s Road at around 3pm. Three teenagers who were also in the car were injured – but not

An Omagh based developer with projects in Tyrone and Donegal has been declared bankrupt. Seamus P Leonard runs Leonard Brothers Construction, one of the best known building firms in west Tyrone. He owns a variety of completed projects and undeveloped sites mainly around Omagh. One of his firm’s most ambitious projects was the Ros Mor

It has been confirmed that people living on the islands will go to the polls on the 23rd of Febuary, 2 days before those on the main land. 760 people have the right to vote on Donegal’s 5 islands of Arranmore, Gola, Inishboffin, Inishfree and Tory. Meanwhile the bookmakers are released their latest odds, reflecting

Jamie McGrenaghan has been sentenced for a total of seven years in jail for dangerous driving causing the death of Garda Robbie McCallion 19 year-old McGranaghan, from Cashel, Kerrykeel, was given five years for wreck-less endangerment of Garda Shane Lavelle and Garda Joanne Doherty on the same occasion. He was also sentenced to three years

The fire service has brought a large fire at a farm in Porthall, on the outskirts of Lifford under control. Ten fire appliances and officers in breathing apparatus extinguished the blaze within a couple of hours. Fire engines from Strabane, Derry, Newtonstewart, Castlederg, Stranorlar and Letterkennny helped tackle the blaze.

Minister for Health Mary Coughlan, has asked the Secretary General of her Department to review the rationale for the total abolition of clinical placement payments to student nurses. The Tanaiste has denied the decision is motivated by the upcoming election or is a pointless exercise with a new government to be in power. Protests have

A Labour party survey has found one in every four primary schools in Donegal have problems meeting demand for spaces. A rise in enrolment figures and a lack of progress on school building projects are being blamed for the reason why increasing numbers of schools are having to turn pupils away or operate at over-capacity.

The mother of a man who had shots fired at him during an attempted abduction in Strabane has told the BBC her son has been “terrified” by the experience. It happened in the Melvin Court area of Strabane at about 9 o clock on Wednesday. The man was walking in the area when he was

Foyle MP Mark Durkan is backing a report conducted by by U4D and the Chamber of Commerce which claims that the draft budget discriminates against Derry and the wider North West. Mr Durkan says the report highlights some of the significant deficiencies in the Budget plans from a Derry point of view, particularly in terms

Jamie McGrenaghan will be sentenced today for dangerous driving causing the death of Garda Robbie McCallion. The 19 year old from Kerrykeel, was found not guilty of the manslaughter of Garda McCallion at Letterkenny Circuit Court last Friday. But he has been found guilty of reckless endangerment of Garda Shane Lavelle and Garda Joanne Doherty

A Donegal councillor is calling for more support for festivals in the county, psrticularly from the County Council and Failte Ireland. Cllr Barry O’Neill was speaking events in Donegal took two of the top three prizes at the National Festival Awards Ballyshannon’s Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival won the National Medium sized Festival Award, defeating

There has been a broad welcome to the news that  approval has been given for the Killybegs Coast Guard station to go to tender. The Department of Transport is providing some €1million in its 2011 budget for the facility. The state-of-the-art facility will consist of a three-bay boat and vehicle store as well as adjoining

Irish Naval officers have spotted the largest ever group of killer whales off the coast of Ireland, more than 100 of them have been spotted feeding close to Tory Island. As many as a dozen killer whales, or orca, were spotted close to an Irish Naval Service vessel on patrol 30 miles off Tory Island

It is hoped a new initiative will allow Donegal tap in to the lucrative sailing tourism market. Sail West is a multi million euro initiative which includes West Scotland and the north west of Ireland. 750,000 euro has been allocated to help promote Donegal and the northwest as a sailing desrination and to help fund

It has emerged that Inishowen will be left without a litter warden due to the government’s recruitment ban. Buncrana Town Council has heard that the current litter warden’s temporary rolling contract will not be renewed leaving Inishowen the only electoral area in the county without a warden. Raising the issue, Buncrana Mayor and General Election

The NowDoc service in Donegal has secured a Quality Assurance award from the Royal College of General Practitioners in Northern Ireland. The award praises the additional care taken to ensure that patients with access issues, sensory problems and disabilities are well cared for. It also says the GPs on call were very professional, engaged well

An Bord Pleanala has refused a retention application for an unauthorised mixed used development in Bundoran. The application, in the name of Damien Connolly, involves the retention of 49 apartments, 2 retail units, restaurant and various amendments to a previously approved planning application. The appeal had been lodged by local activist Patricia Mc Cafferty. An

MacDara Blaney, the youngest son of the late Neil T Blaney has confirmed he is going to contest the General Election in Donegal North East. McDara is a member of the new-vision alliance, as is his brother Eamon Blaney who is contesting the election in Dublin. Mr Blaney, who is Dublin based, says he will

Nominations to contest the General Election closed at noon today, with 20 candidates contesting the election in Donegal. Candidates now have until noon tomorrow to withdraw their names before the ballot papers are finalised. There are 11 declared candidates in Donegal North East They are, in alphabetical order – Dara Blaney – Independent Cllr Jimmy

Donegal County Councillor Patrick McGowan has hit out at Sinn Fein for confirming that a cross-border initiative has been granted €4 million in EU funding. Councillor McGowan says this annoucement was premature, although he believes the initiative will go ahead eventually. The Stranorlar based councillor says there is half a million euro shortfall at the

4500 people will emigrate from Donegal in the next two years according to Donegal South West candidate Pearse Doherty. And the ESRI says that countrywide 100,000 of our citizens will go abroad in the next two years in search of work. Across Donegal, bars are witnessing a resurgence of the so-called American wakes of the

The Green Party  has confirmed it is running two candidates in Donegal. In Donegal North East, Business Consultant and part time lecturer Humphrey Murphy will represent the party, while in Donegal South West, solar panel installer and former Donegal footballer John Duffy will run. Speaking to Highland Radio News, John Duffy says while job creation

The people of Falcarragh are being urged to attend a public consultation meeting tomorrow to discuss the proposed new sewerage treatment plant for the area. It is hope that work on the 2.5 million euro project can begin in 2012. This will be the first phase of the scheme which will alleviate pollution in to

Letterkenny Councillor Dessie Larkin has confirmed he will not be running as an Independent candidate in Donegal North East, and intends remaining on as a member of Fianna Fail. Last week, it was widely believed he would be added to the ticket after Deputy Niall Blaney indicated he would not be going forward again. However,