Author name: oisinkelly

A memorial sculpture commemorating the victims of Bloody Sunday has been vandalised in Derry’s Bogside. The carved red brick sculpture was almost complete when it was attacked and badly damaged in the gasyard Centre at the weekend. Artist Brian McGee, who began work on the sculpture a year ago with a group of students said […]

A man has been seriously injured following a fall from a Donegal Town hotel. The youth, thought to be from Northern Ireland fell from a 3rd floor window of the Abbey Hotel. He is currently receiving treatment in Letterkenny General Hospial were he is being described as critical

Officials from the Donegal International Rally are attending a memorial service on Sunday afternoon following the death of one of their competitors yesterday. Thomas Maguire was co-driving a car which crashed during a race yesterday afternoon. Mr Maguire from Longwood, Co Meath, was a co-driver in a car which crashed on a bad bend between

The Donegal Motor Club has confirmed the Donegal International Rally has been cancelled following the death of a competitor. Thomas Maguire, of Longwood Co. Meath died in a crash between Fanad and Ramelton this evening. The driver of the car is in a critical condition at Letterkenny General Hospital. A service for Thomas Maguire will

A man in his 30s has been killed in a crash at the Donegal International car rally. He was the co-driver of a car that crashed on a bend between Fanad and Ramelton this afternoon. The event has been suspended and a decision will be made this evening if it will resume tomorrow. This is

The Donegal Motor club has confirmed that competition has been suspended for the rest of Saturday after what is being described as a serious incident. It is understood a man suffered serious injuries when the rally car in which he was in crashed  during stage 12 of the competition. Emergency services are at the scene

Donegal Fine Gael Deputy Joe McHugh is to challenge to Taoiseach directly on a government decision not to compensate banned from fishing in Lough Foyle. Early this month the Loughs Agency banned salmon fishing on Lough Foyle in 2010 for conservation purposes Deputy McHugh says the decision not to compensate the 28 fishermen for loss

It’s anticipated that work on new safety measures for the Circular Road in Letterkenny will get underway within the next five weeks. Cllrs Gerry Mc Monagle and Jimmy Kavanagh have both been highlighting the increased levels of traffic on the road, and now it’s been confirmed that the recent “LUTS” Land Usage and Transportation Study

The man expected to be named as the new Fine Gael Deputy Leader will be in Donegal on Monday next for a public meeting on how the party proposes to improve the health service. Former Health Spokesperson Dr James Reilly will also meet with campaigners seeking to keep hospitals open in Lifford and Ballyshannon. Dr

One of the victims of a group of brothers in Fermanagh has called for mental health laws to be changed. after a judge in Omagh today said the village of Donagh in Fermanagh had “an appalling secret” and faced a “tidal wave of abuse”. The judge sentenced 60 year old John Michael McDermott, of Moorlough

Police in Tyrone say the van abandoned outside a police station in Augnacloy in Co Tyrone last night, contained a 300lb bomb. The device failed to detonate and has been made safe by Army bomb disposal officers. The bomb bid has been blamed on dissident republican terrorists. The A5 has now reopened.

A school principal in Inishowen says he fears students doing their Junior and Leaving Cert exams may have been distracted this afternoon by the noise of rally cars on the roads outside the school. Paul Fiorintini, Principal of Carndonagh Community School, says he’d been given assurances that there would be no disruption. Leaving Cert students

The Donegal International Rally gets underway this morning, with thousands of visitors in the county for what is one of the biggest events of the year. Gardai are promising a significant presence on the roads over the next three days, and are urging people to obey marshalls at all times. There will be road closures

Transport Minister Noel Dempsey has confirmed that new legislation is being considered to have all jet skis registered, with compulsory training courses for jet ski operators also under consideration. The issue was raised in the Seanad by Senator Cecilia Keavney, who said that jet skis have the potential to be deadly, and their use should

Five out of six people accused of sex assaults on a 13-year-old schoolgirl in South Donegal have now been convicted, with one man awaitiong trial in December. One man was jailed a year ago for two years and three months on four counts of sex assaults on the girl in the South Donegal area. Three

Donegal County Council has issued an appeal to people in the county to conserve water, saying water levels in lakes and reservoirs are worryingly low. People are being urged to report any leaks to wastage, and to avoid using the mains supply for washing cars or watering gardens. The council says 2010 has been particularly

Enda Kenny will remain as leader of the Fine Gael party. A meeting of the parliamentary party’s TDs, Senators and MEPS has opted to keep him at the helm. It follows a challenge to deputy Kenny’s leadership by Richard Bruton. Among those who spoke in support of Enda Kenny was Donegal South West Deputy Dinny

Derry has made its final bid for the title of UK Capital of Culture 2013. The bid team made a one-and-a-half-hour showcase to judges this morning at the O2 conference centre at Albert Dock in Liverpool, watched via a live online link by hundreds of supporters in the Nerve Centre, including local MP Mark Durkan.

Senator Cecilia Keavney has told the Seanad that more use could be made of the Fishery Training College in Greencastle to provide training for officers to serve on commercial and tanker shipping. Speaking during a debate on the 2009 Merchant Shipping Bill, Senator Keavney said a conference in Norway was told recently that there are

There are calls for the continuation of EU support for the International Fund for Ireland. The fund, which provides financial support to cross border initiatives, was set up by the Irish and British Governments in 1986 to promote cross-community cooperation. This week, the Eu pledged to maintain support for programmes already approved, with some MEPs

A sex abuse survivors group has slammed the Government for allowing a question about the work of Donegal poet Cathal A sex abuse survivors group has slammed the Government for allowing a question about the work of Donegal poet Cathal O Seachaigh to appear on the Leaving Cert Irish exam. A sonnet by the poet

Health Minister Mary Harney has been urged to stop sitting on the fence as debnate continues over the future of a number of community hospitals in Donegal, namely Lifford Hospital and the Rock in Ballyshannon. Speaking during a debate on the HSE, Senator Pearse Doherty said the people have been left in a vacuum while

It seems Donegal’s two Fine Gael deputies will be on different sides when the party meets today to consider a motion of confidence in leader Enda Kenny. The parliamentary party is effectively split down the middle, with supporters of Enda Kenny and supporters of former Deputy Leader Richard Bruton both claiming they will carry the

The Health and Safety Authority has argued before the High Court that it’s entitled under health and safety laws to conduct an investigation into a road traffic incident in Co Donegal which resulted in the death of a 22-year-old woman. In submissions opposing Donegal County Council’s application for orders preventing the HSA holding an investigation

As Donegal North East Deputy Joe Mc Hugh becomes the latest Fine Gael TD to back Richard Bruton’s leadership bid, the former deouty leader has made an eleventh hour appeal to Enda Kenny not to go ahead with tomorrow’s vote of confidence and quit as party leader. Mr Bruton has been given a major boost

Donegal County Council commenced High Court proceedings yesterday aimed at preventing the Health and Safety Authority from conducting an investigation into a road traffic accident which claimed the life of a young woman. The Council claim that the HSA has “exceeded its jurisdiction” by deciding in late 2006 to investigate the circumstances of 22-year-old Sinead

A girl has told a court in Donegal that she had sex in a national school shelter with an older man when she was only 13 and still playing with Barbie dolls. The girl, who is now 20, said she had full sex three times in three successive nights with the man who was 19.

The European Parliament has backed the annual payment of €15 million to the International Fund for Ireland, ending a legal question mark over the legality of the funding. North West MEP Marian Harkin says the uncertainty arose following a judgement of the European Court of Justice, but the parliament has now resolved that. Ms Harkin

The families of those killed in Bloody Sunday have met with Protestant Church leaders in Derry following on from the publication of the Saville Report yesterday. Bishop of Derry and Raphoe, Ken Good, the Reverend Dr Norman Hamilton and Reverend Paul Kingston met with the families at the Bloody Sunday memorial. In a statement afterwards

A campaign set up in Donegal to abolish Vehicle Registration Tax is welcoming support from Donegal County Council. At Mondays council meeting, all 29 Councillors unanimously backed a motion this week formally calling on the government to put an and to the tax. Over 11,000 people have joined a facebook campaign set up within in

British soldiers who killed 14 demonstrators in Derry on Bloody Sunday committed “unjustified and unjustifiable” acts. That’s the finding of Lord Saville’s 12-year investigation into the events in 1972. His report says those killed were unarmed and innocent, and it also accuses troops of covering up the truth. Taoiseach Brian Cowen told the Dail that

Highland Radios Barry Whyte was in Derry today, and he compiled this report….

Some key findings of Lord Saville’s inquiry were: “The firing by soldiers of 1 Para caused the deaths of 13 people and injury to a similar number, none of whom was posing a threat of causing death or serious injury.” This also applied to the 14th victim, who died later from injuries; “Despite the contrary

It’s been confirmed that Donegal County Council has reached an 800 thousand euro settlement with the Revenue Commissioners. The local authority is one of 88 defaulters whose names were published today, who in total paid over 16 million in unpaid taxes, interest and penalties. News of the tax settlement was confirmed to councillors in February,

Lord Saville’s inquiry into Bloody Sunday has vindicated those who were killed and wounded on the streets of Derry on January 30th 1972, saying the first shots fired that day were fired by the British Army, and that some of those killed were shot as they tried to flee from the soldiers, or tried to

The Fine Gael leader has dissolved his frontbench ahead of a confidence motion in him on Thursday. During a short meeting at Leinster House this morning Enda Kenny spoke about the virtues of loyalty and advised his opponents that he would appoint a new front bench next week. He also told supporters of his challenger

The IMPACT trade union is expressing concern that any plans to centralise Now-Doc call answering  would have a detrimental effect on how the whole service is delivered. The union says it is privvy to a document which indicated the HSE plans to establish a call centre which would serve the entire West, removing the local

The Northern Ireland executive has failed to agree a plan to more than halve the number of Northern Ireland’s councils to 11. SDLP, Sinn Fein and Alliance ministers all voted for the 11 council model but the three DUP ministers voted against. The UUP ministers did not vote. Under the plan Strabane and Derry  Councils

It has been claimed that ongoing construction work at Letterkenny General Hospital is causing great distress to families during the removal of deceased loved ones. Councillor Mick Quinn says that he has personally attended removals from the hospital claiming the noise of work men chatting and heavy machinery is insensitive. He has met with hospital

The Mobuoy Road on the outskirts of Derry has been closed to traffic due to a fire at a waste recycling site. The fire was discovered shortly before 6am. Up to 60 fire fighters tackled a blaze at the same location in March. It is not yet clear the extent of today’s fire

At the outset of 1972, the security situation in Northern Ireland was fast spiralling out of control. The Troubles had broken out four years earlier when police in Derry clashed with civil rights protesters demanding an end to discriminatory housing and voting practices against Roman Catholics. Within 12 months British soldiers were deployed on to

The findings of the longest-running and most expensive public inquiry in British legal history are being published this afternoon The ‘Bloody Sunday’ inquiry by Lord Saville has been examining the deaths of 13 people in 1972 at a civil rights protest in Derry British soldiers claimed they’d come under attack. Richard Moore’s uncle was killed

Donegal County  Manager Michael McLoone has promised to respond to issues raised in an internal audit report into the hiring of consultants to advise on how best to reform council services. At yesterdays monthly meeting of the council members backed Mr Mc Loone, although a number did raise serious concerns, particularly on how money was

Enda Kenny’s preparing for a difficult morning with his Fine Gael frontbench today, with a majority of members expected to tell him they’ve lost confidence in his leadersip. At least 9 Richard Bruton supporters are expected to speak out today. Enda Kenny will then have to decide whether to sack them like Richard Bruton, or

All 29 members of Donegal County Council agreed unamiously today to call on the government to scrap VRT. The council where all in agreement that the tax was unfair and unjust, although there was some disagreement on what the alternatives were to the tax. There has been an ongoing campaign against VRT in Donegal recently,

A West Donegal councillor says more should be done to develop and promote Donegal’s prime landmarks with a view towards increasing visitor numbers . Speaking at the council’s reconvened monthly meeting in Lifford today, Councillor Seamus O’Domhnaill said more needs to be done to advertise natural assets such as Mount Errigal and Ards Forest Park.