Author name: oisinkelly

Buncrana’s newest councillor took her seat in the chamber yesterday. Sinn Fein Cllr Mary Kelly, a cycling proficiency teacher, was coopted to replace Darren Lawlor, who resigned this year for personal reasons. Cllr Kelly became involved in community activism when a campaign began to have water from the Fullerton Pollan Dam brought to Ballymagorry, and […]

Water has been returned to a number of areas this morning following the council’s overnight restriction in action being taken to address what is being described as a summer drought. Lake and resevoir levels are said to be extremely low – last night supply was switched off at Lough Mourne, Frosses Mountcharles, Ballymagroarty and Greencastle.

County Manager Michael Mc Loone is today beginning the process of talking to Trade Unions at town and county council level to explore how best to redeploy staff. With less than a month to go before he retires, Mr Mc Loone as again stressed that public service reform is his obsession, and his wish is

The new Mayor of Letterkenny says he’s looking to the future with confidence. Fianna Fail Cllr Tadhg Culbert has previously served two terms as Council Chairperson, but this is the first time he’s held the title of Mayor. He was first elected to the council 25 years ago, but lost his seat in 1999. He

An inquest has been held into the death of a kitesurfer in Rossnowlagh last year has been told winds were over 50 kilometres an hour at the time. 26 year old student David North was unable to take to the air before he was whipped along the beach on to rocks on November 24th last.

Crossing the border to do your shopping may not prove as economical from the start of next year. The UK VAT rate is being hiked. The new Chancellor George Osborne made the announcement as part of his first Budget. From next January, it’ll be 20 per cent – from the current 17 and a half.

The police have said two gorse fires that broke out in Derry on Monday evening were started deliberately. One broke out on Cunningham’s Lane, near Currynierin, at about 5 o clock. The second fire was started at fields in Lettershandoney at about half past 6. Fire and Rescue Group Commander, Billy Orr, says the Lettershandoney

40 new jobs are to be created at Largo Food Exports Ltd in Gweedore. The company currently employs some 184 people on the Gweedore Business Park. The Largo Group companies produce snack-foods at their bases in Ashbourne and in Gweedore and have provided steady employment in the Donegal Gaeltacht for many years. The company plans

A school in Donegal has been hailed as a model in the use of sustainable energy. A Biomass Project has been launched at St Aengus’ National School, Bridgend, Co Donegal. Speaking at the launch of the system, the Tánaiste and education minuister Mary Coughlan said St. Aengus’ National School, together with its supplier, Rural Generation

A meeting is to take place in Derry later to discuss the closure of a gaelic football ground for health and safety reasons. The Sean Dolans ground in Creggan was shut by the County Board after a spate of anti-social behaviour. It’s believed crowds of young people were congregating on club grounds at night. The

Energy Action is celebrating 21 years in exsistence today, and as part of their anniversary celebrations they are revisiting Tory Island. 21 years ago Energy Action lauched their first pilot project on the Island. As part of that project homes were insulated on the island. General Manager of Energy Action, Charlie Roarty, says the charity

Gardai in Donegal Town are appealing for information about the death of a 20 year old Derryman after he fell from a hotel window. Conor Duddy from Lecky Road in the Brandywell fell from a third floor window in the Abbey Hotel in Donegal Town in the early hours of Sunday morning. Gardai want any

It’s expected that Fianna Fail Councillor Tadhg Culbert will become Mayor of Letterkenny at this evening’s Town Council AGM, with Cllr Victor Fisher set to become Deputy Mayor. The positions have been offered under the terms of an agreement drawn up by the five non-Fianna Fail members, a deal which led to some rancerous exchanges

The DUP MP for East Derry Gregory Campbell has called for a police investigation into social networking sites after what he termed vile and vicious threats were made against him on Facebook. A number of groups have been established on the site, one of which appears to include Mr Campbell with a bullet hole through

A Derry man who repeatedly attacked a man lying on the ground was today old his behaviour was ‘simply inhuman.’ 26-year-old Ryan Flanagan of Strand Road, Derry admitted assaulting the man occasioning him actual bodly harm on May 23 2008. The court heard about the incident in John Street in the city and how the

A man who fell from a hotel window in Donegal Town over the weekend has passed away. The youth, thought to be from Northern Ireland, fell from a 3rd floor window of the Abbey Hotel in the early hours of yesterday morning. Gardai in Donegal Town are appealing for witnesses, and they can be contacted

Tullagh Bay Beach was hit by vandals over the weekend. There was a party on the beach over the weekend and the group of people left the beach covered in broken bottles. Derry Councillor, Shaun Gallagher visited the beach with family and friends on Saturday. He said those responsible should be ashamed of themselves. https://highlandradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/shaung.mp3[/podcst]

Fine Gaels health spokesperson, Dr James Reilly is in Donegal today. The party are unveiling their health reform proposals at a meeting in Stranorlar tonight. Dr Reilly has already visited the Rock and Sheil Hospitals today, and he is curretly meeting with representatives from the Save Lifford Hospital group. And, if Fine Gael get into

Investigations are continuing into the fatal crash which ended the Donegal International Rally on Saturday afternoon. Co-Driver Thomas Maguire was killed and driver Shane Buckley seriously injured when their Citroen left the road on the Knockalla stage. Mr Maguire’s family have said that their son loved and lived for rallying, and the future of the

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.