Author name: oisinkelly

  A key meeting took place over the weekend on ways to build an All-Ireland rail service for the North West. Foyle MLA Martina Anderson and Deputy Padraig Mac Lochlainn attended the meeting, which discussed the role of rail playing a major part in connectivity, sustainability and economic development for the Island. The meeting focused

318 more people have tested positive for Covid-19 in the Republic, and one more patient has died. 126 of today’s cases are in Dublin, with 45 in Cork, 28 in Limerick, 21 in Donegal and 18 in Kildare. The national fortnightly infection rate is down again, to 109 per hundred thousand today — with Donegal

The Government is reportedly considering allowing pubs to re-open next month, as long as they shut by 10 o’clock each night. That’s among a number of measures under consideration in attempts to stop private gatherings happening, according to the Sunday Times. The Cabinet will meet during the week to discuss what restrictions will follow from

Large retailers are planning for longer trading hours after level 5 to deal with increased demand. The restrictions are due to expire early next month, giving shoppers just over three weeks to prepare for Christmas. Today’s Independent reports that Tesco and Penneys are reviewing their opening hours in anticipation of extra shoppers. Retail Excellence spokesman

Open water swimmers are being urged to keep safe this weekend, as rescue crews have been under increased pressure this year. Water Safety Ireland’s shared a safety video that has reached over 800-thousand people already. Spokesman Roger Sweeney says there’s been a massive surge in the numbers of people taking up winter swimming outdoors. He

The Provost of Ulster University’s, Magee Campus has told an Oireachtas Committee that the long awaited opening of the medical school there next year will be a game changer for the entire North West region. Professor Malachy O’Neill told the Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement that as well as providing training

The European Union could have a central role to play in the event of a United Ireland, according to Sinn Fein. It has released a document on the economic benefits of a 32-county republic, in which it calls for an all-island Citizen’s Assembly to be established. The party claims the reunification of Germany shows strategic

A Donegal Deputy has told the Dail that the Meenbog development at the centre of last week’s peat slippage was part of a wider application that was submitted in 2015, and rejected. He claimed the project was then split into sections, with the Meenbog section getting permission from An Bord Pleanala, and residents told just

    A Donegal grandmother has hit out at the major delays children are facing for speech and language therapy in the county. “Breid”, whose grandson was due to be called in May, is still waiting on the much needed service despite being told he was second on the list. The three year old had

  Pubs will turn on their Christmas lights tonight in a protest about not being allowed to reopen. Trade groups say that publicans have only been able to trade for two weeks out of the last 37. It will happen at 5pm. Vintners’ Federation boss Donall O’Keeffe says they’re hoping the public will join their

  A Donegal County Councillor and local publican says many businesses in Donegal have lost hope in being able to reopen in December. Donegal went to Level 3 restrictions before the rest of the country and seemed to be working initially yet despite Level 5 being in place for over a month now, the rate

  Thousands of people in Inishowen are said to be impacted by issues at the NCT centre in Carndonagh. The centre, which serves the entire peninsula, is currently only facilitating part of the test with people having to travel to Letterkenny for the remainder. It’s understood that it’s stemming from a flooding issue at the

  The Chief Medical Officer is warning that we need to make up for the time lost over the last week, when the decline of Covid-19 stalled. Daily case numbers had been declining rapidly during the first three weeks of level 5 restrictions, but this stopped suddenly over the last seven days. It’s partially because

  Northern Ireland will go back into a circuit breaker lockdown next week – to stop hospitals being overwhelmed due to Covid-19. Hairdressers and cafes open today after five weeks of closures – however they will be forced to shutter again next week. It means the hospitality industry there will be closed for eight weeks.

The President of Letterkenny Institute of Technology has told an Oireachtas committee that while Brexit will have an impact on education in the region, there are huge opportunities for growth in the years ahead. The Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement was discussing the Cross-Border Further Education and Higher Education Cluster,

Donegal based Senator Eileen Flynn has been elected chair of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community. The committee has 14 members: nine Deputies and five Senators. Senator Flynn was the first member of the Traveller Community to be appointed to the Seanad, and has now become the first Traveller to