Author name: oisinkelly

  The decision by Bank of Ireland to close five of its branches in Donegal has been described as wrong and at the worst possible time. The outlets set to shut in the county later this year are Bunbeg, Bundoran, Dungloe, Glenties and Moville. It’s the fourth highest number of closures nationwide following Dublin, Cork

  More than 2,000 Leaving Cert students in Donegal have returned to the classroom this morning for the first time this year. Children in the first four years of primary school in the county are also back today. The government plans to allow the other years to return on a phased basis over the next

  Bank of Ireland is closing 88 branches in the Republic, and 15 in Northern Ireland. Donegal has over a dozen branches across the county while there’s also one in Strabane. The branches, due to close by the end of September, are mainly self-service which don’t have a counter service. It says they all have

  Over 300,000 children are returning to school today for the first time this year. Classes will resume for the first four years of primary school and leaving cert students. The government plans to allow the other years to return on a phased basis over the next six weeks, if Covid-19 is kept under control.

  Ireland is on track to have one of the lowest incidence rates of Covid-19 in Europe. NPHET say the number of people in hospitals with the disease has fallen by 38 percent, while also saying disinformation must be overcome. 612 cases have been detected, while six more deaths linked to the disease have been

  The Vice Chair of the Garda Representative Association says weekend scenes in Dublin warrant early vaccination for Gardai. Three Gardai were injured during the anti-lockdown / anti mask rally in the capital on Saturday resulting in members of the force facing increased exposure. Vice President of the GRA and Donegal based Garda Brendan O’Connor

  Irish Water is being urged to give a definitive date as to when sewerage problems are to be addressed on Glencar road in Letterkenny.  The issue is said to be on-going for a number of years with a number of gardens being continuously flooded with a combination of water and raw sewerage. In some

  Donegal County Council is being urged to promote Buncrana as a top seaside tourist destination. It’s thought that there could be a particular emphasis on the Shore Front, enhancing existing facilities while also introducing new amenities which, it’s hoped, would entice more visitors to the area. Local Cllr Jack Murray has written to the

    A senior member of NPHET says he expects there to be an easing of Covid-19 restrictions from April or May. Level 5 restrictions are set to be reviewed before April 5th. Professor Philip Nolan, who chairs NPHET’s modelling group, says he expects widespread vaccination will be underway in the summer months. As of

  It’s been confirmed that Carndonagh Garda Station will be included in a new capital budget plan. Details are expected to be released in the coming weeks but the station is set to be included on the Garda Building and Refurbishment Programme 2022-2028. The current station had previously been deemed unfit for purpose by Chief

  A public health expert says more needs to be done to find the source of Covid-19 infections. 738 new cases of the virus have been confirmed and 13 more patients have died. 33 new cases were reported in Donegal with the incidence rate rising to 191. DCU Professor Anthony Staines says the Government must

  The INTO is warning schools won’t return on March 15th if phased reopening causes a spike in Covid-19 cases. The next stage of reopening starts tomorrow, with Leaving Cert students and the first four years of primary school going back. Fifth years and all other primary school classes will return from March 15th, with

  The Tanaiste says yesterday’s anti-lockdown march in Dublin was a riot, not a protest, and it’s lucky nobody was seriously injured or killed. Three Gardai were injured during the city centre demonstration, with one officer requiring hospital treatment. The Garda Commissioner’s clarified comments he made last night suggesting elements of the far-left were involved.

  Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe is coming under further pressure to address the issues of cross border workers being double taxed if they work from home. Under current rules, workers who live in the south but work in the north are subject to a ‘double tax’ if they work from home. This has led to

  The number of Covid patients in hospital has fallen to its lowest level since New Year’s Day. There are 550 people with the virus in hospital this morning, while there are 135 in ICU. That’s down from 221 at the height of the third wave. There are 8 confirmed cases being treated on site

  The Deputy Chief Medical Officer says there are reasons for hope and optimism in the weeks ahead in reducing the spread of Covid-19. This weekend marks a year since the first confirmed case of the disease in the Republic. The 5-day average of new infections is now 644 – down from 835 two weeks

  The Education Minister says the phased reopening of schools will only go ahead if Irish society reacts responsibly. Over 300,000 students in the first four years of primary school, and Leaving Cert pupils, will return to class on Monday. The other years are due to return on March 15th and April 1st, after studying

  Works are due to commence at The Beeches, Ballybofey, where the road is said to be in such a state that it poses a danger to motorists and pedestrians. Donegal County Council has confirmed that improvement works on a stretch of road in the estate are set to commence in the coming weeks with

A Seafood Sector Taskforce has been established. Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue announced the establishment of the taskforce today which aims to make recommendations on measures to mitigate the impacts of the fish quota reductions on Irish fisheries as a result of Brexit. The taskforce will deliver an interim report in

  Seachtain na Gaeilge 2021 gets officially underway later today with a broad programme of online events planned for the week ahead. Events include concerts, conversation groups, classes, International Women’s Day, read and discuss sessions, storytelling and online cookery demonstrations, The launch is taking place this evening at 7pm. Details of the events, which are

  It’s thought the upheaval caused by the pandemic presents a real opportunity for the country to reform. It’s almost a year on since the Covid-19 crisis began which has effectively unravelled nearly every aspect of society. Manager of the Balor Theatre in the Twin Towns, Conor Malone says he doesn’t want to go back