Author name: oisinkelly

It has emerged that while the money is available to conclude the new emergency department at Letterkenny General Hospital, work on finishing the project will not start before the end of February. The project stalled when McNamara Construction were declared insolvent last year. Councillor Padraig MacLoughlainn has met with the HSE on the issue. He […]

The increase in people presenting to Letterkenny General Hospital is continuing to effect services today with a number of clinics cancelled. Last evening the hospital said a surge in people presenting with flu like illness as well as staff shortages due to sickness and recruitment issues were the cause of the delays. Restrictions have been

Donegal County Council’s treatment of roads is still being hindered by a lack of salt. Met Eireann is predicting temperatures will drop to lows of minus four degrees in some places tonight with a covering of snow likely in the north and northwest. The Council says that once again certain routes will have be prioritised

Letterkenny General Hospital says the current delays within the Emergency Department are the result of high numbers of people attending with flu related. A reduced numbers of medical staff available due to a combination of recruitment difficulties and sickness is also adding to the problem. Letterkenny General Hospital says it is taking all necessary steps

Donegal Airport has described 2010 as an extremely challenging year with December the worst operational month on record. A total of 32 flights were cancelled last month while the volcanic ash crisis of April and May saw a further 70 flight cancellations. There was some good news however as 2 million euro was approved for

A 19-year-old man originally from Coleraine but now with an address in Ramelton in County Donegal has been sent for trial to Derry Crown Court charged with rape. Shaun Anthony Hegarty whose address was given as Elmcourt, Ramelton County Donegal appeared at a preliminary enquiry at Limavady Magistrate’s Court today charged with raping a woman

It is claimed many schools across Donegal have not been able to open early, to catch up on lost days, because of bureaucratic nonsense between the Department of Education and Transport Providers. Senator Cecilia Keaveney says she has been contacted by school principles who wished to open for three days this week to catch up

A Donegal Councillor is accusing the government of cynically presenting water metering as a solution to the supply problems that have hit the country since Christmas. Cllr Thomas Pringle says the problems experienced after the severe weather will not be helped by the introduction of meters. He says the real problem is that ater services

Plans for a controversial cross border landfill at Macosquin in County Derry have been approved by the Planning Service in the North. Almost 2,000 objections were filed against the application from the North West Region Waste Management Group to locate the landfill site for non-hazardous waste at the Cam Quarry near Macosquin. The group is

Two reports from property websites daft.ie and myhome.ie show that house prices in County Donegal continued to fall last year. Nationally the latest fall brings the total decline from the peak of the market in late 2006 to 34.6%. According to myhome.ie in County Donegal the average price of a four bed semi detached house

A Donegal Councillor and potential Fianna Fail election candidate is calling for the abolition of the Seanad, and urging the opposition to back a referendum on the same day as the forthcoming General Election Cllr Charlie Conalogue says he believes the Seanad as it stands is a waste of time and money, and while there

Fianna Fail Senator Brian O’Domhnail says he would favour reform of the Seanad rather than it being scrapped altogether. The Defence Minister Tony Killeen has said a plan to hold a referendum to abolish the upper house on the same day as the general election would be discussed at Cabinet. The Green Party Chairman Dan

A Strabane family have said they believe they now know how their mother’s body sustained more than 30 fractures after her death in 2007. The family of Maureen McGinley have been trying for four years to find out how the fractures were caused at Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry. Mrs McGinley’s son James said they have

An SDLP councillor has welcomed the seizure of equipment which he claims could have be used to make pipe bombs. Mark H Durkan said shotgun cartridges and copper wire were found by police in near Hollyhall Road in Derry on New Year’s Eve. Councillor Durkan says it is regrettable that some with in Derry are

A woman from Donegal has beaten off competition from Olympic athletes around the world to win the title of World Open Water Swimmer of the Year. Anne Marie Ward from Portnablagh took more than 47% of the vote in the global online poll. She defeated bad weather, cramp and shoals of jellyfish to successfully swim

The IDA says it is aiming to create 10,000 new jobs this year through foreign direct investments. However the agency says restoring Ireland’s image in the international media will be an essential part of the process to attract further investments. Almost 11,000 new jobs were created by IDA supported companies last year – In Donegal

A man’s body has been found after a search for a missing local angler in Glenties. The man, named locally as Kieran Ward, was last seen in the town just after 7pm on Sunday evening. Members of Donegal Mountain Rescue, the Gardai and dozens of locals had spent all day yesterday searching the area around

Letterkenny General hospital is reporting a small number of confirmed cases of H1N1 virus and is urging the public with flu like symptoms to contact there GP before attending the hospital. In order to assist staff in the hospital in maintaining the best possible infection control measures people are advised not visit the hospital unless

The body of a  woman has been found at the scene of a house fire in Carndonagh. Carndonagh Fire Brigade were alerted to the fire at the Bungalow at around 11 o’clock this morning. It is understood the woman was in her 50’s and living alone. Gardai have launched an investigation into the matter –

Two of the victims of Monday’s horrific crash in Co Monaghan will be laid to rest today. Roisin Connolly and her unborn child along with friends Paul Carroll and Glen Curtis were killed in the three car collision on the N2 near Carrickmacross. Hundreds of people turned out for the removal of Roisin and her

Donegal County Council says it is its intention that all business in the hospitality sector across the county will have a water supply tonight. There are no plans for water restrictions to be put in place this evening. Last night large parts of all of Donegal’s electoral areas were effected by  up to 14 hour

The families of those killed and wounded on Bloody Sunday have said next month’s anniversary march will be a public thank you to the people of Derry. It will be the first march since the Saville Report found the dead and wounded innocent. Some relatives have said it will be the last ever commemoration march.

This is the latest bulletin from Donegal County Council, including details of restrictions to water supplies tonight. GLENTIES ELECTORAL AREA Water supplies will be restricted in the following areas from 6:00pm until 8:00am The Rosses Gweedore Leittermacaward Area Ardara Area Gortahork Falcarragh Creeslough Dunfanaghey DONEGAL ELECTORAL AREA Water supplies will be restricted in the following

Donegal County Councils Director of Water has admitted that the authority’s Emergency Phone line for people affected by the water crisis needs to be looked at. Since the thaw began at the weekend, thousands of pipes are believed to have burst across the county, many of which have not been detected. Donegal County Council is

One of Donegal’s landmark hotels is to close with the loss of 20 jobs. Gleneany House Hotel in Letterkenny, which was a 25 bedroom family-run hotel, has been open for the past 20 years. Increased competition and a down-turn in the economy has been blamed for the hotel’s closure. President of the Letterkenny Chamber of

Deputy Niall Blaney has emerged as the highest claimant of Dail expenses over the past three years since December 1st 2007. In stark contrast Deputy Joe McHugh is placed at number 75 on the list. Deputy Niall Blaney claimed €212,112 over the past three years, while Deputy Joe McHugh claimed €151,900 over the same period.

Papers released under the 30 year rule show John Hume suggested that the Irish government “put Margaret Thatcher straight” on the crisis in the North. In 1980, the SDLP leader gave a scathing analysis of the then British Prime Minister saying her approach to the North was simplistic. He suggested Taoiseach Charlie Haughey put her

The HSE is refusing to comment on reports that two people have been admitted to Letterkenny General Hospital with swine flu. Both are understod to know each other. A spokesperson for the HSE has confirmed a general increase in the number of cases nationally, saying the increase was expected and is not a cause for

Police in Derry are trying to identify the driver of a stolen car that made off after colliding with a police vehicle. At around 10pm on Christmas Day, a white Mercedes car drove through traffic lights at Northland Road and crossed to the ‘wrong’ side of the road before colliding with the police car. The

This is the latest bulletin from Donegal County Council, including details of restrictions to water supplies tonight. GLENTIES ELECTORAL AREA Water supplies will be restricted in the following areas from 6:00pm until 8:00am The Rosses Gweedore Leittermacaward Area Ardara Area Gortahork Falcarragh Creeslough Dunfanaghey DONEGAL ELECTORAL AREA Water supplies will be restricted in the following

The Small Firms Association says recent decreases in local authority rates are nowhere enough. SFA Chairperson Ian Martin says the two greatest challenges facing small firms heading into 2011 are  access to finance and the cost of running a business, with commercial rates making up a large proportion of that cost. All local authorities in

The Mayor of Donegal has conceded that the authority’s Emergency Phone line for people affected by the water crisis is not functioning as it should. Since the thaw began at the weekend, thousands of pipes are believed to have burst across the county, many of which have not been detected. Donegal County Council is continuing

It’s emerged that the pregnant woman who died following the three car crash outside Carrickmacross on Monday was a native of Fanad. 39 year old Roisin Connolly of Drumcondra, Dublin, was born Roisin Langan from Ballure in Fanad, where her mother and other family members still live. She went to school in Doaghbeg  National School.

The latest bulletin from Donegal County Council Planned Restrictions to public water supplies (Tuesday 28th December 2010) Demand for water has increased throughout the County seriously affecting reserves. As a result water supply will be restricted in the following areas tonight, note some from as early as tea-time: GLENTIES ELECTORAL AREA Water supplies will be

As the thaw sets in across the county, Donegal County Council is urging motorists and pedestrians not to become complacent on roads and footpaths. However, the council’s main concern at present is water, with fears of burst pipes right across the system. The council’s emergency number is 074 91 72399. Meanwhile, disruptions will be experienced

Donegal County Council says there should be no further was restrictions imposed until at least St Stephen’s day. Since the cold snap many consumers across Donegal have seen their water cut off over night. Once again last night a  number of areas served by the Lough Mourne supply were affected by water restrictions including  Convoy,

A councillor and former MLA has appeared in court charged with drink driving. 62-year-old Derek Hussey from Castlederg, appeared in court in Strabane yesterday. The court heard he was stopped in Orchard Road in Strabane last month. The case was adjourned until 6 January. Mr Hussey has been an Ulster Unionist member of Strabane District

A postman from Donegal says the freezing conditions will be here for weeks Michael Gallagher forecasts the weather by spotting signs in nature. He reckons a horse grazing near the farmhouse means bad weather and the arrival of a robin tells him snow is on the way. Michael’s wife Margaret says he’s been telling his

Road temperatures in parts of Donegal today have fallen so low that salt has become ineffective. In Stranorlar, Ballybofey and Letterkenny, road temperatures of –13 degrees where recorded earlier today. Salt is not effective when temperatures drop below -10 degrees. Senior Engineer with Donegal County Council, Vincent Lynn, says he’s never seen temperatures drop so

Bundoran Town Council in Co Donegal has reduced its commercial rates by a massive 8 per cent in response to the growing challenges that businesses face in the popular seaside resort. Vice Chairman of the Council, Fianna Fáil’s Cllr Philip McGlynn, who proposed the motion yesterday said that the council had to deal with the

The council has confirmed that all council car parking charges in the town are being waived from now until the end of the year in a bid to stimulate the local economy after serious losses  due to the bad weather. The announcement was made following meetings with the Letterkenny Chamber. CEO Toni Forrester is welcoming

Letterkenny Town Council has unanimously adopted its budget for 2011, with projected expenditure of just over €7.5 million. Of the council’s income, €4.5 million, or 55%, will come from commercial rates, which will be cut by 3.5% next year. Members praised Manager Seamus Neely for achieving the cut while maintaining services, particularly in the area

Buncrana Town Council has passed its budget for 2011, with projected expenditure of just under €3.4 million. The commercial rate will be reduced by 2%, after manager John Mc Laughlin initially proposed that the rate be frozen. As well as the rate reduction, members agreed a number of adjustments in the budget to increase the

Letterkenny Cllr Jimmy Harte says one of the legacies of the Fianna Fail-led Government will be its disgraceful neglect of child welfare, and its failure to tackle the child poverty issue. A report published this week by the Department of Health says over 1,100 children are in need of social housing in Donegal, and the

A terrorism charge against a leading dissident republican in Derry was dropped at the local Magistrate’s Court yesterday. 40-year-old Gary Donnelly, Rathkeele Way, Creggan was charged last August with possessing a mobile “phone for use in the commission or instigation of an act of terrorism”. He was alleged to have committed the offence in September

Scoil Colmcille, Kerrykeel Castletown NS, St Johnston

Distribution of a new load of salt for treating roads is set to begin tomorrow. A 4 thousand tonne shipment is arriving into Cork this evening, with a fleet of vehicles on standby to distribute it nationwide. Some supplies have already arrived in Dublin and Belfast, with extra salting taking place from tomorrow, with the

All drivers involved in serious crashes will face automatic breath-testing from January. The new law was due to come into force in July – but was delayed until next September to coincide with new, lower drink driving limits. However Transport Minister Noel Dempsey decided to push through the special legislation next month. Mary Clinton from

The grieving parents of a 25-year-old charity worker killed by a drunken hit-and-run driver in Derry last year have appealed for an increase in the sentences available to judges for such offences. Martin and Elizabeth Gallagher made the appeal outside the Crown Court in Derry minutes after a 23-year-old man was jailed for three years

Letterkenny and Buncrana Town Councils both hold their budget meetings this evening, with members in Letterkenny seeking at least a 3% reduction in the commercial rate. It’s expected the status quo will be proposed in Buncrana, but members may seek a slight reduction. After Donegal County Council passed its budget with a 3.5% rates decrease