Author name: oisinkelly

The Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation says the Brexit deal reached this evening has demonstrated the duplicitous nature of these protracted negotiations. CEO Sean O’Donaghue says repeated guarantees given to Irish fishermen have, effectively been shredded, and fishing is the sacrificial lamb through which this deal has been reached…………

The Brexit deal confirmed this afternoon averts the worst case scenario of a no deal outcome which would have seen WTO trade tariffs applied to goods and services. It means there won’t be extra charges on European goods in the UK and the British government can now pursue trade deals with other non EU countries.

A  post Brexit trade deal has been completed between the EU and UK. The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier and EC president Ursula von der Leyen were due to issue a statement on the issue around now. The deal which had been expected all morning was reportedly held up because of wrangling over fishing

    In the darkness there is always light. That’s the Christmas message of hope from both the Bishop of Raphoe and the Bishop of Derry and Raphoe as they reflect on a year like no other. As religious leaders, Bishop of Derry and Raphoe Rev Andrew Forester says it’s been a difficult year for

  Farmers are being encouraged to continue to buy and sell their animals online where possible during Level 5 lockdown. It comes despite marts being allowed to stay open as part of the new restrictions. Strict protocols will be in place at the facilities, including the requirement for buyers to pre-book their place. Ray Doyle

  A last-minute hitch over fishing is understood to have delayed the announcement of a trade agreement between the UK and EU. Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney said he thought Boris Johnson was going to hold a news conference earlier, but he’s expecting a deal later. Fishing has long been one of the sticking points.

  A Cavan man’s running from Donegal to Kerry barefoot to raise awareness about suicide and mental health. Stephen Reburn will begin his journey from Letterkenny on Christmas Day, and will travel 440 kilometres to Killarney. The 26-year-old says it’ll take him 4 days to complete, and hope to raise at least 10,000 euro for

  The National Public Health Emergency Team has recommended the closure of non-essential retail from St. Stephen’s Day. The Chief Medical Officer has warned the spread of Covid-19 is “out of control” with the number of cases doubling in less than a week. A further 938 new cases were confirmed last night with 13 additional

  The Minister for Social Protection says anyone who loses their job today will be eligible for the pandemic unemployment payment. Thousands of workers are set to be laid off as hairdressers, salons, cinemas, pubs and restaurants close under level 5 restrictions. Heather Humphreys says those being let go today can automatically sign up again

  Donegal County Council have opened part of Swan Park for the festive season. The popular amenity located in the heart of the town was destroyed by the devastating floods of 2017 and major repair works are being undertaken by the Council to ensure the safety of its users. It’s understood that work is still

  The Holy family Chapel in Derry has been vandalised. A window has been broken and flower arrangements destroyed in the attack which happened at some stage between Tuesday night and yesterday morning. Local Cllr Mickey Cooper the Holy Family Chapel is at the centre of the local community and this is the last thing

    Retailers have accepted that January sales can not go on as normal, but say stock will need to be cleared before spring. Retail Excellence Ireland say sales will not be promoted in the same way as previous years and they expect a lot of transactions to go online. Managing director of the group,

  A Donegal GP says people should consider what it means to self isolate if they contract Covid 19. Dr Martin Coyne, who also chairs the IMO’s GP committee says there’s been a worrying increase in the number of tests sought and positive cases diagnosed in East Donegal in particular, and it would be a

The Social Protection Minister says she plans to defer cuts to the rate of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment. Cuts to the payments were due to come in from February 1st with the number of bands being reduced. However, Minister Heather Humphreys says in light of the new Level Five restrictions she plans to delay that

The Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council Cllr Brian Tierney has called a Special Confidential Full Council meeting to take place next Tuesday. The meeting will be held to discuss calls for a suspension of flights to and from City of Derry Airport and Great Britain. Among those calling for a suspension is

The Chief Medical Officer says the current trajectory of Covid-19 here is of “grave concern”, as people are being urged to rethink their Christmas plans to protect elderly and vulnerable loved ones. The country will move to Level 5 restrictions tomorrow in an attempt to stop the spread of the disease. Hotels, gastropubs, hairdressers and

A Donegal born senator says there are indications that there may be new hope for undocumented Irish in the US. Monaghan based Senator Robbie Gallagher was speaking after Congressman Richard Neal addressed a Seanad Select Committee, saying that a new approach is needed to undocumented Irish people living in the United States. Congressman Neal said

A sunken boat was recovered off the coast of county Donegal last night. Two people were fishing off the 19-foot vessel before it got into difficulty. The occupants were treated on shore. Shane Smith is with Bundoran RNLI – he says it is unclear what happened………. Release in full – The volunteer crew of Bundoran

The Taoiseach has warned post-Brexit trade negotiations could go beyond Christmas Day. There’s still no agreement between the EU and UK as the time before the deadline ticks down. Taoiseach Micheál Martin says there may not be an outcome before Friday……….. Meanwhile, NHS leaders in the UK are calling on the government there to extend

Downing Street’s refusing to confirm reports the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s been talking to the European Commission president about the details of a post-Brexit trade deal. It’s claimed they’ve been examining fishing rights, one of the final barriers to reaching an agreement. With the deadline just days away, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel

  Northern ireland’s Deputy First Minister says the health service will collapse if there is widespread transmission of the new variant of Covid-19 detected. Michelle O’Neill says she cannot fathom why the public health advice didn’t call for a ban on all travel from the UK. The Stormont Executive last night decided against an all-out