Author name: oisinkelly

Mary Durkan has announced that she is stepping down from Derry City and Strabane District Council. In a social media post, she says she made the decision after ‘a great deal of soul-searching’. The SDLP party member says she feels in light of limitations of party structures, her contribution would be more effectively made outside

Almost 7,000 bikes have been reported stolen since January 2020, 21 of them have been stolen in Donegal. Less than half of the stolen bicycles are recovered with just more than 2,000 given back to their owners since the start of 2020. Gardaí have offered advice to cyclists to help keep their property safe, including

Funding has been secured for two new classrooms at St Patrick’s National School, Letterkenny. The money for the additional accommodation has been approved under the Additional Accommodation Scheme 2021 Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue says the funding approval is great news for the school and an important investment in the school’s capacity.

A security alert is ongoing in Derry this morning. The Skeoge Road is currently closed following the discovery of a suspicious object last evening. Diversions are in place, motorists are advised to seek alternative routes. Meanwhile, an overnight security alert at the Craigavon Bridge in the city has now ended. Police and ATO examined a suspicious

Donegal County Council’s Mica Redress Committee will meet in special session this morning. It comes amid growing frustration among Mica affected homeowners in the county. Cllr Martin McDermott is Chair of the Council Committee, he says he called today’s emergency meeting so that the executive of the council can be briefed by the members about

Strong partnership working, the sharing of information, and joined up messaging are key to driving down COVID-19 numbers across the North West. That was the message from the latest discussion between the Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council and the Mayors of Derry City and Strabane District Council. It comes as Donegal’s 14 day incidence rate

Donegal now has the second highest Covid 19 incidence rate in the country, having been overtaken today by Kildare. There were 12 new cases confirmed in Donegal today, giving a 14 day incidence rate of 240.6 cases per 100,000 people, compared to a national figure of 129.7. Nationally, 448 new cases of Covid 19 have

Five men have been arrested in Derry in connection with the attempted murder of a female part-time police officer. A viable explosive device was found beside the young mother’s car in Ballyquin Road, Dungiven last month. The five men are being held under the Terrorism Act at Musgrave Police Station. One of the men arrested

Kerry remains the most sought-after holiday destination in Ireland this summer, with Donegal second on the list. A survey of 1,000 Irish holiday-makers found 39 per cent of people want to staycation in Kerry, 28 per cent would prefer Donegal, and 24 per cent would favour Cork. The Circle K study found the Slieve League

Restoration works have commenced at the site of the Meenbog Wind Farm bog slippage. Donegal County Council says a phased approach has been adopted in relation to the restoration of areas affected by the peat slide in November of last year. Donegal County Council was first notified by the Loughs Agency of the Meenbog peat

A status yellow thunderstorm warning has been issued for Donegal. Scattered thunderstorms are forecast this afternoon and evening, with a risk of hail and localised spot flooding. The warning comes into effect from 1pm this afternoon and will remain in place until 10pm tonight.

18 projects across Donegal and Derry have been awarded funding as part of the Colmcille 1500 Community Grant Scheme. The scheme is part of the year-long commemoration marking the 1500th anniversary of the birth of Colmcille. The successful applicants will bring Colmcille’s legacy to life through a range of themes including history, music, drama, literature,

96% of Ireland’s bathing waters are meeting the EU’s minimum standards. The Environmental Protection Agency’s annual report shows 111 out of 148 were deemed “excellent” in 2020 – an increase of four on 2019. Of the bathing waters examined in Donegal, all are of “excellent”, “good” or “sufficient” quality. Two beaches with “poor” water quality

The number of people claiming the Pandemic Unemployment Payment has fallen by 8,500 nationally, while just over 300 fewer are receiving the payment in Donegal. The Department of Social Protection is expecting the number of recipients to fall further over the coming weeks as more businesses start to reopen. Nationally, 376,665 people are receiving the

The latest rental survey conducted by daft.ie shows that between January and March, rents in Donegal were on average 7.1% higher than during the same period last year. The average listed rent was €704, up 45% from its lowest point. That percentage rise is the same as the figure for the rest of the country

379 new cases of Covid 19 have been confirmed in the Republic today, with nine additional Covid related deaths reported. There were 27 new cases in Donegal, which has a 14 day incidence rate of 253.2 cases per 100,000 people, compared to a national figure of 128.1. Donegal once again has the highest incidence rate

Irish hospitals are more overcrowded now than at any other point in the pandemic, according to a nurses union. Latest figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation today showed 376 patients are without a bed this morning – the highest number since March 5th last year. University Hospital Limerick has the worst overcrowding, with

Planning for an asphalt plant development in Inishowen has been granted. There was some local opposition to the development in Burnfoot. Donegal County Council says in assessing the application, the planning authority took into accounty third party submissions. The council says; subject to compliance with conditions, the proposed development would be in accordance with the

A coroner has ruled that ten people killed at Ballymurphy in west Belfast five decades ago were “entirely innocent” A corner has found that the use of lethal force by the British Army was not justified. The families of the 10 people killed in Ballymurphy in Belfast have been fighting for answers for 50 years.

  Following today’s protest about restrictions in the Maternity Department at Letterkenny University Hospital, the hospital has issued a statement saying restrictions are under continual review, taking into account community transmission rates, local infrastructure within the unit and staffing. Currently, the hospital says birthing partners of women in labour are welcome to attend, subject to

Donegal County Council Library Service has confirmed that libraries will begin reopening on a phased basis as set out below: Donegal Libraries Re-opening – Wednesday 12th of May Donegal County Council Library Service is delighted to announce a phased re-opening of libraries. The Council will review the situation regularly and may make changes to its