Author name: oisinkelly

  The Clonmany Festival has been cancelled. The weeklong event had been entering its 53rd year and usually attracts thousands of people to the Inishowen village every August. However, following a committee meeting this week and new restrictions on social gatherings, it was decided to cancel the festival until 2021. In a statement, the Committee

  Gardai in Donegal have confirmed that ‘worrying trends’ are developing at checkpoints across the county. Drug and drink driving detections are up significantly on 2019 despite a decrease in traffic on the roads. However, road deaths in Donegal are down slightly when compared with the same period last year. Gardai have also been allocated

  Businesses who breach social distancing rules could be closed down under new plans being considered by the Government. Inspections will be carried out by the Health and Safety Authority. Guidelines on how businesses can implement social distancing are being finalised. CEO of the Restaurants Association Adrian Cummins says the regulations must be practical for

  A Donegal TD is calling on Revenue to defer today’s increase in the Carbon Tax. The move, which was announced in the budget last October, will see increased carbon tax on home-heating oil, gas, coal and briquettes. It’s expected that the cost of an average households annual gas bill will go up by around

  A Donegal TD has described the response to the crisis within the beef sector during the pandemic as insufficient on a number of levels. Beef farmers are said to be losing up to 250 euro a head in the current climate with the entire outlet for beef through restaurants, cafes and bars now closed.

  Ryanair’s planning to cut up to 3-thousand jobs because of the “unprecedented” coronavirus pandemic. The airline says it expects it to take at least two years to get passenger demand and pricing back to the levels seen last year. In a statement, the airline says it expects to operate less than 1 per cent

  The Justice Minister says efforts will be made to make sure people don’t cross the border over the long weekend. Minister Charlie Flanagan had a phone call last night with the North’s Justice Minister, Naomi Long on the need for co-operation between the gardaí and the PSNI. He said they both recognised the compliance

Tourism in Donegal and other rural areas is likely to take longer to recover from the coronavirus pandemic than in urban places. A report by EY Ireland says a larger amount of jobs are directly dependent on tourism in rural locations, such as 13 per cent in Donegal and 18 per cent in Kerry. Simon

    The Taoiseach will announce later whether any Covid-19 restrictions can be lifted from next Tuesday. The National Public Health Emergency Team meets this morning, and will issue advice to the government, which will then be discussed by Cabinet. The death toll from the virus has risen to 1,232, after a further 43 people

The Taoiseach has stated that cooperation between An Garda Siochana and the PSNI and not a change in the law is needed when it comes to concerns over a loophole in Covid-19 laws. A gap in the legislation means day-trippers from Northern Ireland do not have to abide by movement restrictions here. But speaking in

  The biggest agricultural show in Donegal is the latest casualty in cancellations. The Clonmany Agricultural Show, which is usually held at the beginning of August, attracts thousands of visitors from Ireland and the UK every year. The event had been entering its 53rd year but due to the social gathering restrictions has been cancelled

  Another 43 people with Covid-19 in the Republic have lost their lives. 1,232 have now died from the disease in this country since the outbreak began. 359 new cases have been identified in the past 24 hours, with the total now standing at 20,612. Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tony Holohan has details on the

  Around half of Irish people feel they will be more careful when spending money over the coming months due to the covid-19 crisis. A new Bank of Ireland survey shows around a quarter of people are worried about burning through their savings. Others are concerned about their salary being cut and struggling to afford

  The Taoiseach has confirmed a roadmap for the easing of Coronavirus restrictions will be announced tomorrow. He’s also set out the criteria the government will look at which includes the progress of the disease, the status of testing and contact tracing, and the impact on vulnerable groups. Any easing of restrictions to be announced

  Northern Ireland is likely to relax its restrictions on a phased basis from next week. A similar lockdown is in place in the six counties as in the Republic, with the rules set by the Stormont Assembly. The executive will meet on Monday to discuss reducing them on a gradual basis. But the North’s

  People who are in financial difficulty because of Covid-19 are set to get another three-month mortgage holiday. A break for borrowers was introduced in March and it’s due to expire at the end of June. But banks are set to extend the scheme, as the lockdown continues to leave thousands of people out of

Almost 40% of teachers in Donegal are currently experiencing slow or bad internet coverage. According to Studyclix.ie’s survey, teachers in the county also said that two in five pupils don’t have access to a device or internet for schoolwork. 78 per cent of teachers nationwide believe a lack of student engagement is a barrier to

  There are calls for full Donegal County Council monthly and municipal district meetings to be held online. However question marks remain over the legality of using social media platforms for such meetings with such proposals yet to be clarified on legal grounds. Cllr Michael McBride has written to both the Cathaoirleach of Donegal County

One of the groups behind a food bank service in Inishowen says the past number of days has highlighted the absolute need for the service. Spraoi agus Spórt in Carndonagh is uring people to donate to the newly established Inishowen Food Bank, saying it provides a vital lifeline for vulnerable individuals and families who are

Donegal County Council says a new European programme to link strategic walking trails with the towns and villages around them has the potential to make a major difference in South Inishowen. The “Trail Gazers” programme is being led by the council in Donegal, and also includes partners from Sligo, Wales, France, Spain, and Portugal. The

    There are calls for immediate action on the provision of enhanced broadband services in Northern Ireland. West Tyrone MP Orflaigh Begley says work is needed to ensure that workers and students can effectively work from home. Ms Begley says the Coronavirus pandemic has put a spotlight on regional disparities, particularly in terms of

Leo Varadkar will announce details of a phased exit plan in the next few days but is warning figures show we’re not ready yet for the easing of restrictions. It’s believed the over 70s could be allowed out to exercise in the early phases of reopening and pubs will only open in the later stages.

All third year students are to be awarded a certificate for the completion of the Junior Cycle by the Department of Education. Schools will be given autonomy to assess students, and they’ll receive a written school report on their achievements in each subject. Education Minister Joe McHugh says the decision gives students and their families

A research project is being launched to examine the historical context of the County Donegal home which Donegal County Council’s Culture Division is seeking people to carry out research on “The Laurels” in Glenties, which provided the inspiration for much of Brian Friel’s work. Friel was born in Omagh, and grew up in Derry, but

The Irish Hotels Federation claims the tourism industry is in danger of being ‘obliterated’ by the coronavirus crisis. It’s calling on the government to set out a clear plan for the full reopening of hotels. The Irish Times is reporting today that cafes, restaurants and retailers could reopen on a limited basis by mid-summer, with