Author name: oisinkelly

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,

Tanaiste Mary Coughlan has moved this morning to allay fears that the footpath leading up to the new Finn Valley School will not be completed on time. Mayor of Donegal, Cora Harvey, had called on the Government earlier to provide more money for the path. But the Education Minister says although time will be tight,

The High Court  has continued for another four weeks an order restraining a company owned by Francois de Dietrich from reducing its bank account in Ballybofey to €1.7 million. According to the Irish Times the order was granted to two Co Donegal businessmen, who are among a large number of people who invested substantial sums

Letterkenny based solicitor Dessie Sheils has also confirmed that he is to run in Donegal North East. The 34-year-old will launch his campaign in the Raddison Hotel in Letterkenny at 8 o clock tomorrow night. And he says that there is a perception that the “so-called” big parties will dominate Election 2011, but he believes

Independent Donegal County Councillor Ian McGarvey has also decided to run in the General election in Donegal North East. Cllr McGarvey has been a member of Donegal County Council since 2004. He also ran as an Independent in the 2007 General Election. He says he’s believes Independent candidates can represent the needs of small communities,

The Chairman of the Ardara Town Traders, Stephen Mc Cahill(Cathal) has confirmed that he will run as an Independent in Donegal South West. The decision was made at a meeting in Ardara last night. The 51-year-old has been involved in community life in Ardara and the surrounding area for many years. He says he’s running

The Mayor of Donegal is calling on the government to provide more money for a new footpath at Drumboe. The new Finn Valley College campus is nearing completion, and will be open by September. However, Cllr Cora Harvey says there is growing concern amongst parents that the footpath leading up to the new Finn Valley

A Donegal building contractor who ‘faked’ a set of invoice books and failed to make VAT returns of more than €110,000 has been jailed for nine months. Alan James Hynes from Sheercloon, Raphoe, claimed he panicked and had made a false set of books for a four month period between November 2005 and February 2006

One of the Directors of the Bayview Hotel in Killybegs has insisted the hotel is solvent and was closed due to an alleged robbery of cash and goods in excess of 300 thousand euro. There were fears that the appointment of a receiver was imminent after the guest were moved from the hotel last night

The Killybegs Fisherman’s Organisation has backed calls for a cull of seals of the Donegal coast if is found their population needs to be controlled. Fisherman are complaining that an increase in the grey seal population is such that they are decimating fish stocks. There are growing fears that the seals will be culled illegally

Independent candidate Ann Sweeney launched her election campaign for the Donegal South West constituency yesterday unveiling a controversial election poster. At the launch, Ms Sweeney, whose self designed her own election poster, delivered a scathing condemnation of the main party politicians at the launch. Ms Sweeney’s poster contains a word which some people may find

There are conflicting reports coming out of Killybegs following the sudden closure of the Bayview Hotel this morning. Last night, residence of the hotel were moved to a neighbouring hotel and this morning staff were told the hotel was closing. Local Councillor and Independent election candidate Thomas Pringle says he has been told that a

Meanwhile the Co-operating for Cancer Care North West group has confirmed it will not be fielding a candidate in the General Election. The group says it is  being directly asked by members of the public and indirectly by members of political parties if we are going to contest the coming election and has moved to

Highland Radio News understands that efforts are continuing to persuade Fianna Fail Councillor Dessie Larkin to contest the General Election in Donegal North East as an independent. His supporters have spent the weekend gauging support for the Councillor who was expressed his shock at a Fianna Fail decision not to run him as a candidate

Sinn Fein says it would restructure Ireland’s banking debt  in a bid to make the country’s deficit problems more sustainable. The party hit out at what it called the ‘corrupt elite’ in society, blaming cronyism for the collapse of the economy. It says it will endeavour to ensure that taxpayers are no longer taking the

A man in his 50s has died in a road traffic incident  in County Derry. He was a front seat passenger in a car that left the Duncastle Road in Newbuildings and crashed into a wall   at around 11 o’clock this morning. The driver was taken to hospital, but his injuries are not thought to

The has been condemnation of those behind a hoax bomb alert in Sion Mills last night which saw a number of families evacuated from their homes. The alert started around 9pm last night and was declared a hoax after midnight after no device was found. SDLP Chairman of the District Policing Partnership Eugene McMenamin is

It has been revealed that up to 50 jobs will be retained at Gallagher’s Bakery, Ardara following confirmation of the sale of the fresh produce section of the bakery. That information was revealed at a public meeting held in the town last night called in the wake of the news that at least 124 jobs

Eamon O’Cuiv has announced funding which will assist in providing three full time staff work at the recently developed Aislann Rann na Feirste The centre was developed for the most part by funding from the local community and provides community services and an innovation centre. The funding announcement will allow for the employement of a

A new survey of house prices indicates that property prices may have bottomed out. The results of The Sunday Times Property Guide 2011 show that the annual rate of deflation has slowed dramatically to 12 percent. The survey shows that falls across the country ranged from just 5 percent in parts of Cork to 21percent

Labour’s Finance Spokesperson Joan Burton is in Donegal today. At present, she is canvassing in Donegal South West with Cllr Frank Mc Brearty. Earlier today, she officially opened Donegal North East candidate Jimmy Harte’s constituency office before embarking on a series of engagements. Speaking in Letterkenny, Ms Burton rejected Fianna Fail claims that the terms

There was a stand-off between a group of travellers and local residents in Ballyshannon today. It’s believed that the travellers pulled in at the side of a road in the town last night. When they were challenged by locals, the travellers held a sit down protest and remained by the road side overnight. Hugh Friel,

Pat the Cope Gallagher MEP says the fresh bread facility in Gallaghers bakery can be saved. There had been rumours circulating today that Pat the Baker were about to take over the fresh bread facility, resulting in it being removed from Ardara. If that was the case, then it would mean more job losses. But

The man accused of the manslaughter of Garda Robbie McCallion has been found not guilty. Jamie McGrenaghan breathed a heavy sigh of relief as the jury at Letterkenny District Court in Co Donegal returned with a unanimous verdict. The verdict was met with sobs and tears by the late Garda McCallion’s heartbroken family including his

The president of Letterkenny Institute of Technology says he makes no apology for the acquisition of a prime 10 acre site on Port Road opposite the main entrance to the college. A number of questions have bneen raised about the site because it was part owned by former councillor Terry Mc Eniff, a member of

A Buncrana councillor says confirmation of a new national school in the town will be a major boost. Scoil Iosagan is one of the largest national schools in Donegal, with almost 700 pupils. The school has pioneered the integration of special needs pupils since 1997. Cllr Rena Donaghey recently co-ordinated a meeting between the Tanaiste

The man driving the car which struck a Garda, leading to his death, has claimed that he was only trying to get away. Jamie McGrenaghan, who is charged with the manslaughter of Garda Robbie McCallion, said he spotted a gap when Gardai tried to block his escape route and “went for it.” 19-year-old McGrenaghan, struck

Gardai are questioning a man in his 20s in connection with a robbery at a businessman’s home in Buncrana yesterday. The man, who lives in Buncrana but runs a car dealership in Derry, had just left for work when three masked men burst into his home at about 9am. His wife and four children –

The number on the Live Register in Donegal last month increased, in contrast to the national picture which saw a slight fall. There were 21,835 people on the Live Register in Donegal at the end of January, 123 up on December, and 362 up on the figure for January 2010. There is relatively little difference

Six men working on a barge off Rathmullen pier today had a lucky escape today after they got into difficulty because of stormy conditions. Three of the men left the barge on a small tender boat which capsized, but they managed to make there way ashore. But the Lough Swilly lifeboat had to be called