Author name: oisinkelly

Labour Leader Eamon Gilmore says he believes he can become the next Taoiseach. Speaking during a visit to Donegal today, Mr Gilmore said he believes the next General Election will see the three main parties contest it on an equal basis, and Labour will be out to win. Speaking to Highland Radio News, the Labour

The new mayor of Derry Cllr Colm Eastwood has called for the families of the Bloody Sunday victims to be given space when the Saville Enquiry’s report is published next week. Cllr Eastwood made his comments after his election was confirmed in the Guildhall last night. Referring to next week’s publication of the Saville report,

Sinn Fein says 30% of Donegal’s labour force is now out of work. In a statement, Cllr Padraig Mac Lochlain says when the latest live register figures are compared to County Development Board figures which show the Labour Force in Donegal as being just over 65,000. Last week, his party colleague Senator Pearse Doherty presented

Donegal’s landscape will be transformed by the construction of more than 50 windfarms over the coming years, new figures reveal. The current number of 117 windfarms across the Republic will rapidly increase over the coming decade to 361 as the Irish government races to meet EU targets which oblige it to produce 40% of all

Donegal South West Deputy Dinny Mc Ginley and Senator Brian O’Domhnaill have been answering claims that they have been overclaioming travel expenses. According to today’s Donegal News, both Deputy Mc Ginley and Senator O’Donal live 290 kilometres from Leinster House. However, both are claiming expenses in Band 11, which covers distances of between 330 and

An SDLP deputation has met with senior PSNI officers, including Derry Commander Chris Yates to discuss last week’s attack in the Slievemore Park area of the city. It comes after police refused to respond when called by a couple whose house was entered twice by armed men who threatened to shoot a man, The couple

A 38-year-old man arrested in Cookstown, County Tyrone last week has been charged with terrorism offences. The man is facing a number of firearm and terrorism offences believed to be linked to a republican show of strength before the funeral of Dissident Republican John Brady in Strabane last October.

Foyle MLA Pat Ramsey has condemned the petrol bombing of two homes in the West End Park area on Friday night. The SDLP representitive described it as a terrible attack on a residential area. He said it’s a matter of luck that this and other recent attacks have not caused death. Meanwhile, Mr Ramsey has

Nine women have been cleared of breaking into Raytheon’s Derry plant in a bid cause criminal damage. The women were part of a group who protested at the Raytheon offices in Derry in January of last year. Seven of the nine women have addresses in Derry. They are Julio Torrojo, Roisin Barton, Goretti Horgan, Elizabeth

A 21-year-old man has died in a road crash in County Tyrone. Michael Nugent from Mountjoy was the sole occupant of a Rover car which left the Dunteige Road near Omagh just before 6.30 this morning. The road remains closed this afternoon.

The road between Lifford and St Johnston remains closed at at Blackrock junction near Coolatee today following a collision last night which has left a man critically ill in hospital. The 28 year old was the driver of a van which was in collision wth a car just after 11 o’clock last night. The car

Derry City Council is to erect a monument to mark the presence of stillborn babies and infants buried in unmarked graves in the Derry City Council area. The annoucement was made after the issue of stillborn babies and infants buried in unconsecrated ground was aised at a council meeting. Plans are now in place to

New figures show that the number of Donegal farmers seeking state support has increased by 16%. According to Fine Gael, 1,254 farmers applied for income support in 2009, the figure for 1st Quarter of 2010 already stands at 1,334, the third highest in the country. Figures from the IFA show the average farm income last

A teenager has been charged with attempting to rob a bank in Ballyshannon with a hatchet. 19 year old Joseph Myers was accused at Ballyshannon District Court with attempting to rob the Bank of Ireland in the town on July 22nd last. He was also accused of intimidation with a hatchet capable of inflicting serious

Three people have appeared at Derry Magistrate’s court today charged in connection with what police described as a ‘creeper burglary gang’ operating on both sides of the border. One of the men had 260 previous convictions for burglary. 27-year-old Edward Crerand, of Brookdale Park, Derry, was one of three charged in connection with a number

Yesterdays Historical Enquiries Team report into the killing of Billy McGreanery by the British Army in Derry in 1971 throws up serious questions in the run-up to the publication of the Saville report, according to Foyle MP Mark Durkan. The former SDLP leader said the revelation that the then Attorney General Sir Basil Kellys view

Motorists in Donegal are being urged to be extra vigilant of pedestrians this bank holiday weekend. Its part of an overall appeal from Gardai who urging people not to speed or drink or drive over the holiday people. So far 8 people have died on Donegal’s roads, Head of the Traffic Corp inspector Michael Harrison,

There are fears that a pilot cross border out of hours GP doctor service in Inishowen could be removed if more people do not avail of the service. While a similar scheme in the south of the county has proved very popular there has been a low uptake for the service in border villages in

Today’s announcement of new jobs in Burnfoot comes as a breakdown of live register figures for last month show that the number signing on in Donegal increased by 395 in a month. However comparing May 2010 to May of last year the number increased by 2,347. Last month there was 21,391 people signing on the

70 research and development jobs are to be created in Co Donegal The Tanaiste made the announcement at E and I Engineering Headquarters in Burnfoot. The company provides power distribution services throughout Ireland, the UK and mainland Europe and have recently worked on Dublin’s Aviva stadium The three million euro investment is being supported by

91 per cent of our beaches comply with the EU standard However the Environmental Protection Agency says they have concerns over the standards in some beaches across the country because of inadequate sewage infrastructure Nine of our 131 beaches and lake shores failed to meet minimum clean water standards last year – showing no improvement

New figures show that the number of Donegal farmers seeking state support has increased by 16%. According to Fine Gael, 1254 farmers applied for income support in 2009, the figure for 1st Quarter of 2010 already stands at 1334, the third highest rate in the country. Figures from the IDA show that the average farm

Plans for a new school in Gortahork have moves a step closer with news that the Education Department has given approval for the purchase of a new site, subject to planning permission being awarded. The current school was built in the 1920’s and is said to be completely unsuitable with concerns over its location on

The Donegal activist who was one of those held after an Israeli raid on an aid flotilla bound for Gaza has said the true extent of the blood shed has yet to emerge. Fiachra O’Luane was speaking from Turkey before boarding a plane to return to Ireland – he says that he and his fellow

Three units of the fire service are trying to bring under control (Thursday pm) what has been described as a serious gorse fire near Annagry. The fire started in the Drumnacart area before 3pm and is spreading towards Annagry via the townland on Bunaman. The fire is quite near to a number of houses, including

Donegal Enterprise Board says a number of small retail businesses have been founded in Donegal specifically to trade on eBay. The Enterprise Board says its Advanced eBay Training Course, which has been running since 2008, and Donegal now has one of the highest concentration of eBay sellers in the country. The Enterprise Board’s Assistant CEO

There are fears in Strabane that a pipe bomb attack in the early hours of this morning was linked to other recent attacks carried out by the group Republican Action Against Drugs. Shortly after midnight, a number of masked men broke the window of a Volkswagen Bora car in the Ballycolman area, and threw in

The head of LYIT has said that further funding cuts impossed by government may well have an impact on the level of services they can offer next autumn. The Higher Education Authority is warned university bosses to prepare for tighter staffing restrictions next year, in addition to the 6% cuts required on their pay budgets

The Ombudsman’s report which was heavily critical of a government’s treatment of a Donegal family has been sharply criticised. Emily O’Reilly’s report stated that the ‘lost at sea’ scheme was flawed and that the Byrne family from Bruckless should have been included, she recommended the family be paid compensation. However former secretary general at the

The SDLP has accused the PSNI of refusing to respond to an incident in the Slievemore Park area of Derry last night during which armed men twice entered a home. The three masked men entered the house and threatened to shoot a man before leaving, they returned 15 minutes later, but the man and a

It’s estimated that a failed section 140 brought forward at this weeks meeting of Donegal County Council cost the tax payer as much as €5,000. The controversial ‘Material Contravention’ allows for councillors to evoke a reserve function allowing a development go ahead, even if it has been refused planning permission by the local authority. However

A number of Irish citizens caught up in the conflict over the Gaza-bound aid flotilla are expected home this evening The group, including Donegal man Fiachra O’Luain, arrived in Turkey last night after being deported along with 488 other activists from the ships which were violently intercepted and detained in international waters by Israeli commandos

Donegal Councillor Frank McBrearty is calling on the local authority to allow councillors use money allocated for attending seminars to fund local sporting organisations instead. Councillors are entitled to 4,700 euro per year to cover the cost of attending the various seminars that are held around country, but Councillor McBrearty wants to be able to

Strabane District Council has its first female chairperson in 32 years. Last night, Sinn Fein Councillor Michaela Boyle was elected Chairperson, DUP Councillor Thomas Kerrigan is the new Vice Chair. Councillor Boyle said that it was a “personal privilege and an honour” to be elected, saying she is commited to inclusion, and to reaching out

As a result of damage to a fibre cable just outside Derry, over 4,000 customers in the Letterkenny have experiencing a disruption to their broadband service. The damage was caused by a third party carrying out road works in the area. Eircom says that crews have been working onsite working to restore service and assuming

Minister John Gormley is promising that draft guidelines governing access onto National Primary and Secondary Roads will be published shortly. The issue was raised in Leinster House last night by Seanator Brian O’Domhnaill, who said that many young people were unable to build on family land, because the NRA is routinely objecting to any plans

The Head of Cancer Services at St Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin has said he is sceptical as to whether or not joint cancer services between Letterkenny and Altnagelvin hospitals will work. John Crown has said the best option would have been a co-operation between Sligo and Letterkenny General hospital’s in providing a centre of excellence

Inishowen ranks as the littering black spot in Donegal according to figures released by Donegal County Council, or it could be argued the most successful in tackling litter. Raising the issue Councillor Terence Slowey was told that 191 litter fines were issued in total last year with a electoral area breakdown provided for the first

Plans for the €17 million Eastern Relief Road in Letterkenny have been saved for the time being at least after Town Councillors adopted revised changes to the Letterkenny and Environs Development Plan. The changes were due to be adopted last week but were delayed when councillors learned that three homes were, potentially, in the path

Donegal Senator Cecillia Keaveney raised the issue of the need of improved security for border Post Offices in the Seanad yesterday. It’s been annouced that National Irish Bank customers will soon be able to lodge and withdraw money from more than 1,200 Post Offices throughout the country. Senator Keaveney, says that this now makes border

Thousands of visitors are expected to descend on Ballyshannon over the next few days for The Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival. The event starts tonight when a bronze sculpture of Rory Gallagher will be unveiled by the Mayor of Donegal and the Mayor of Cork Family and friends of the rock legend are expected in

A dissident republican found liable for the Omagh bombing has said that it “should never have happened”. In todays Irish News, Colm Murphy described the killing of 29 people, including a woman who was pregnant with twins, as “awful” and “tragic”. Michael Gallagher, whose son died in the bomb, said his words were “hollow”. Mr

Bundoran Town Council has adopted a power sharing agreement amongst partys similar to that which is currently in place in Buncrana. The decision was taken ahead of the council’s AGM today. Under the agreement all party’s and independents will have a chance to be mayor. Sinn Fein Councillor Mick McMahon says the council should run

Donegal County Council’s audit committee is recommending that no decision be taken to extend the consultancy contract with One Sigma Ltd. until an independent evaluation of the Whole System of Work project has been completed and presented to council. Between 2004 and 2009, One Sigma was paid almost 1.6 million euro for services which came

An Irish ship that was originally part of an aid flotilla attacked by Israel yesterday is set to approach Gaza today. The Israeli navy has said this morning that it’s ready to stop the MV Rachel Corrie, and expects an easy takeover of the ship. The Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheal Martin yesterday called for

County Councillors have agreed to seek a meeting with the the Transport ministers on both sides of the border in an attempt to secure funding for Donegal linkages to the new A5 motorway from Derry to Aughnacloy. In response to motions from Councillors Cora Harvey and Mick Quinn on the issue the council has also