Author name: oisinkelly

Voting is underway in the General Election. Polling stations opened at 7 o’clock this morning, and will remain open until 10 o’clock tonight. Votes will be counted tomorrow. There are 58,501 people on the electoral register in Donegal North East, and 64,030 in Donegal South West. 1,121 people were added to the register in Donegal […]

The IMPACT Trade Union has accused the of cheating workers in Donegal out of pay. The union says the HSE has reneged on an agreement reached at the Labour Relations Commission last September that staff who had their hours cut until the end of the year would have those hours reinstated from the beginning of

Fine Gael Leader Enda Kenny says he believes the party can take two seats in Donegal North East. Mr Kenny was speaking in Burt during a brief tour of Donegal. Addressing party workers on the final day of the campaign, he urged them to work tirelessly in a bid to return two Fine Gael TD’s

Labour’s Jimmy Harte has been accused of dodging the issue by refusing to comment on concerns that Labour policy on cancer services will see those services cut at Letterkenny General. Independent candidate Betty Holmes says a promise from Labour Sligo / North Leitrim candidate Susan O’Keefe that Sligo General Hospital would be made a centre

Police in the North have issued a renewed appeal for information about the murder of a man in Derry last year. Today is the first anniversary of 31-year-old Kieran Doherty – who was found dead on the Braehead Road. He had been shot in an attack which has been claimed by the Real IRA. The

Fianna Fail Michael Martin has defended his decision not to visit Donegal during the election campaign  stating he simply didn’t have time. Donegal’s constituencies are two of just a handful that the new Fianna Fail leader did not canvas. He said it was agreed that, given her senior status in the party, Tanaiste Mary Coughlan

The row over whether or not Letterkenny General Hospital will be downgraded intensified last night. General Election candidate for Sligo / North Leitrim Susan O’Keefe promised that Sligo General Hospital would be made a centre of excellence if she was elected, some fear at the cost of Letterkenny General. While Fianna Fail’s Mary Hanafin suggested

The Environmental Protection Agency says 70% of Ireland’s watercourses are in good condition but major investment will be required over coming years if Ireland is to meet EU water quality and anti-pollution targets. The Agency today publishes the most comprehensive review undertaken to date of the condition of Ireland’s rivers, lakes, groundwater and estuaries. Today’s

A 46-year-old man has appeared at Derry Magistrate’s Court charged with murdering Paddy Harkin and the attempted murder of Letterkenny man Paul Mythen on February 20. Paul Greatbanks of Bayview Terrace in Derry spoke only to acknowledge his name during the brief hearing. A police officer said she believed she could connect Greatbanks to the

The Donegal man behind a campaign against rising fuel costs has said he and his supporters are prepared to block the country’s ports if necessary. John McLoughlin, who owns haulage company JML, was speaking having taken his protest to the Dail. With the agreement of gardai over 20 lorries and trucks drove to the gates

Tanaiste and Health Minister Mary Coughlan says she has been given a guarantee that Rheumatology services will be returned to LGH. A full time consultant has been appointed to Letterkenny, but there are not adequate facilities at Letterkenny General to accomodate clinics, so patients currently have to travel to Manorhamilton. Following a meeting with Cathal

Four of the five independent candidates in the Donegal North East constituency have issued a joint statement criticising what they say is the the attitude of the national media towards independents and smaller parties. Following what they are terming snubs from both Newstalk and RTE,  Independents Ryan Stewart, Betty Holmes, Dessie Shiels and Cllr Ian

Donegal County Council has formally signed the contract for the Letterkenny Sewerage Scheme. The government last year gave approval for the awarding of the €25.8m contract to Response/Severn Trent Consortium for the Scheme. The project includes a new Wastewater Treatment Plant, Sludge Treatment Plant, pumping stations, new stormwater treatment, some trunk mains and a new

A 46-year-old man will appear in court this morning charged with murder and attempted murder following an incident at a house at Derry. The man will appear at Derry Magistrates Court charged with the murder of 49 year-old Paddy Harkin and the attempted murder of a Paul Mythen. 39 year-old Mr Mythen who has an

Islanders off Donegal will go to the polls today, two days before mainlanders cast their votes. The Islands off Donegal form part of the Donegal South-West constituency. 760 ballot papers have been carried to polling boxes in Arranmore, Tory, Inishbofin, Inishfree and Gola. Ferries and small boats have carred 523 papers to two polling booths

Fianna Fail Donegal South West candidate Brian O’Domnhaill is denying that his party leader has intentionally avoided certain constituencies on the campaign trail. With just 2 days until polling day the party leader has yet to visit Donegal. Brian O’Domhnaill says he had asked Michael Martin to join him on the campaign trail in Donegal.

It’s been confirmed that the Managing Director of Gallaghers Bakery has agreed to buy back the fresh bread section of the company, with production staying in Ardara. In 2007, the bakery was sold to IAWS by the Gallagher family, with Declan Gallagher staying on as Managing Director. Last month, the company announced it was moving

Labour’s Education Spokesperson Ruari Quinn has moved to assure voters that the party will not  downgrade Letterkenny General Hospital. Deputy Quinn was in Donegal today when a row broke out between his party’s Donegal North East candidate Cllr Jimmy Harte and Fianna Fail Cllr Charlie Mc Conalogue over Labour pledges to enhance services in Sligo.

Up to seventy jobs may be saved at Gallagher’s Bakery in Ardara after its former owner bought back the Fresh Bread section of the business. Dublin company IAWS acquired the Gallagher’s Bakery in 2007 from the Gallagher family, IAWS was subsequently bought by a Swiss company which last month  announced it was transferring operations to

The Gweebarra Conservation group has said a decision to allow the construction of a wind farm in Glenties will destroy Donegal’s cultural traditions. An Bord Pleanala granted permission for the wind-farm despite 10 parties having expressed opposition or concerns about the development including the Irish Peatlands and Conservation Group. Pj Malloy had initially applied for

The Prime Minister of New Zealand says the death toll from an earthquake in the city of Christchurch may rise. 65 people have so far been confirmed dead, but up to 200 are still trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings. Because the quake struck at lunchtime, the streets and shops were crowded. Mary Dunne

A new report has shown an increase of 5.4% in violent crime recorded in Strabane. The information was contained in the PSNI’s 9 monthly performance report on policing in Strabane presented to the Strabane District Policing Partnership It showed that despite the overall increase in violent crime, there was a significant reduction in most offences.

Fianna Fail’s Donegal North East candidate Charlie McConalogue has called on Labour to come clean about it’s plans for Letterkenny General Hospital. Councillor McConalogue claims there have been suggestions within the Labour Party that patients in Donegal could travel to Sligo for breast cancer treatment. Last week Labour leader Eamon Gilmore told an audience in

The Tanaiste has rejected claims by Sinn Fein that she is failing the school children of Donegal by not introducing a major school building programme. That claim was made by Donegal North East candidate Padraig MacLaoghlanin says Sinn Fein. A spokesperson for the Tanaiste says Padraig MacLoughlainn ‘couldn’t haven’t have got it more wrong.’ It

281 people in Donegal contacted the Irish Cancer Society’s Cancer Information Service in 2010 according to figures released by the society today. 88 nights of care were provided in Donegal last year, at a cost of €30,800, while over €24,300 in financial aid was provided to people in the county in 2010. The figures were

The JML diesel protest, which saw hundreds turnout in Letterkenny on Saturday, are set to take their demonstartion to Leinster House on Wednesday. A convoy of 45 trucks left Letterkenny at half past four this afternoon to make their way to Dublin. More and more people are expected to join the convoy on their travels,

Sinn Féin has accused Tanaiste Mary Coughlan of failing the schoolchildren of Co Donegal by not introducing a major school building programme. And Donegal North East candidate Padraig MacLochlainn says Sinn Fein in Government would promise a dedicated list of schools each year to revitalise the county’s dilapidated school buildings or prefabs. He says rather

A report into Ilex, Derry’s urban regeneration company, has said that stakeholders consider it’s performance “disappointing”. The report, by independent consultants BDO, highlights a number of concerns including a lack of delivery on two sites at Ebrington and Fort George. It also flags up delays in a regeneration plan for Derry. SDLP Foyle MP Mark

A man has appeared in court in Derry in connection with a weekend attack in Derry’s Bayview Terrace which left one man dead and a second critically ill in a Belfast Hospital. The dead man was 49 year old Paddy Harkin, the injured man was 39 year old Paul Mythen, who has an address at

The Donegal branch of Claiming our Future will host a discussion and debate with all the Donegal North East election candidates in Letterkenny tonight. The event in the Mount Errigal Hotel is being run in conjunction with the East Donegal Forum. Organiser Annette Patton says it’s clear that while candidates have a local focus, the

A man is still being questioned about the murder of 49 year old Paddy Harkin in a Derry flat in the early hours of yesterday. A second man, 39 year old Paul Mythen with an address at Leck Cottages in Letterkenny, is critically at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast. The incident happened in the

More Than 25 people were evacuated on Sunday from a supermarket when gas canisters started exploding in a blaze outside. Thirty domestic gas canisters against a wall outside the Supervalu supermarket in Market Square, Bundoran, exploded as the blaze reached towards them from a parked delivery van. Flames reached more than 30 feet when fire

Police investigating the death of a man in Derry have upgraded their inquiry to murder. The victim, who’s been named as Paddy Harkin, was assaulted in the Bayview Terrace area near Strand Road PSNI station. Another man remains critically ill in hospital. One man is being questioned about the incident.

Truckers from all over the country descended on Letterkenny on Saturday to join a protest against the rising cost of fuel and the impact it is having on the haulage industry. The protest was organised by John McLaughlin. The protestors gathered outside Letterkenny before moving into the town where a crowd of around 200 people

Police  are investigating the death of a man whose body was found in the Bayview area of Derry city. Another man is being treated for serious injuries. The PSNI say one man has been arrested in connection with the investigation and the area around the Bayview Terrace Road has been closed.

Road Hauliers from across the country are in Letterkenny today to protest over the spiralling cost of fuel and the impact it is having on the Haulage Industry. John McLaughlin first muted the idea this week, since then he says, he has been overwhelmed by interest in the protest. He is urging Hauliers, farmers, taxi

Concern is being expressed at long delays for neurology referrals at Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry. It’s emerged today that it is taking up to a year for what are being referred to as routine neurology referrals to get appointments. However, Foyle MLA Pol Callaghan says the recent radiology scandal has shown how possible urgent cases

An Bord Pleanala has given planning permission for the development of a controversial wind farm in Glenties, with clearance given for 13 turbines, significantly less than the original number applied for. 10 parties had opposed or expressed concerns about the development including the Irish Peatlands and Conservation Group. Pj Malloy had initially applied for permission

The young man critically injured in the early hours of yesterday morning on the outskirts of Letterkenny has died. 20 year-old Shane Bonner, from Convoy was on a life-support machine after being hit by a truck at Lurgybrack Hill  at around 4.20am yesterday morning. It is understood his family allowed his organs be donated. Shane