Author name: oisinkelly

Main Evening News, Sport and Obituaries Thursday August 9th:

A Co Donegal woman who lives in Indonesia says people in the tourist island of Lombok have been left with nothing after an earthquake earlier this week. The number of people killed in the quake has now risen to 319, while 270,000 people are homeless or displaced. Another powerful aftershock hit today measuring 6-point-2. Sophia

There’s been another report this afternoon of a beaked whale being washed up in Co Donegal. The whale has been sighted stranded at the Castles in Isle of Doagh. It follows up to 8 reports of the species being washed up across the country over the past week, including one discovered just this morning at

An increase to the lower VAT rate would be detrimental to the hospitality industry in Donegal. That’s according to Donegal County Councillor Micheal Naughton who is opposing Government proposals to increase VAT from 9% to 13.5% for businesses selling accommodation. Councillor Naughton says Donegal and the North West cannot be compared to Dublin which is

The Government is being urged to provide clarity as to when and if the short stay ward at Letterkenny University Hospital will reopen, as parts of its Sláintecare plan. The 10-year plan aims to re-shape the HSE to make it more accountable to the public while also aiming to reduce waiting list times, improve bed

A Donegal Deputy says every effort is being made at national level to have the story of Jason Hanlon heard and addressed. The 26 year old from Dungloe needs major surgery to ease the acute pain he’s experiencing from scoliosis but his operation which was due to take place in the coming weeks has been

As the campaign to resist post office closures in Donegal intensifies, it’s emerged that Fanad is set to lose two of its three remaining post offices. The imminent closures combined with previous ones means that Fanad will have lost a total of seven post offices in a single generation. The issue of post office closures

Gardaí should be out on our streets and not stuck behind desks – that’s according to Fianna Fail’s , Jack Chambers. The Dublin TD is calling for the civilianisation of the force after the publication yesterday of two reports from the Policing Authority that raised concerns over recruitment and high rates of crime along with

Concern has been raised following the discovery of bags containing household waste dumped in the Deele River in Convoy. Local Councillor Liam Doherty says he was alerted to the dumping of the four black bin bags by a passerby and upon recovering the bags, he says much of the rubbish was in fact recycleable. Councillor

The North West Greenway team is encouraging Strabane residents to get on their bikes on Wednesday August 15, to celebrate and promote active travel during Cycle to Work Day. The Strabane to Lifford section is one of three routes being developed as part of the North West Greenway Network, along with Derry to Buncrana and

Main Evening News, Sport and Obituaries Wednesday August 8th:

A Donegal Senator has hit out at a Government proposal for a grant for grandparents who care for their grandchildren. Members of the Independent Alliance are calling for the introduction of a self-assessed payment for grandparents who help out caring for their grandchildren while the child’s parents work. Senator Padraig MacLochlainn says childcare costs are

A Donegal architect says there needs to be a discussion in the Dail about how EU tendering regulations are interpreted and implemented. Tarla Mac Gabhann believes local firms are being blocked for tendering for major contracts because the government insists on bidders having multi-million turnover figures which severely limits the scope of small companies to

  Donegal Labour Party councillor, Martin Farren, has become the latest party councillor to call on Brendan Howlin to resign. A number of Labour party Cllr around the country have already come out publicly over the weekend calling for a change in party leadership. Cllr Farren says Deputy Howlin has failed to ignite the party

A Donegal County Councillor is calling on the Government to honour its commitment to prioritise the roll out of high speed broadband to all rural communities. Businesses and residents in some parts of Inishowen are said to be highly concerned over the slow progress of the roll out, with some forced to travel elsewhere to

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald has rejected recent comments by Peter Robinson about a potential referendum on Irish unity. The former DUP leader and First Minister said there could be chaos if a united Ireland was passed in a border poll by 50% of voters, plus one. However, Mrs. McDonald told last night’s leaders’

The Taoiseach has been announced as a guest speaker at the Letterkenny Chamber President’s Lunch next month. Leo Varadkar will address local businesses with Brexit expected to be high on the agenda as the uncertainty builds for Donegal as a border region. Letterkenny Chamber CEO Toni Forrestor says while Britain’s departure from the EU will

Farmers across the country are being hit by a second fodder crisis this year after the drought. It comes as new figures from DoneDeal.ie show bale prices have rocketed by almost 20 per cent year on year as the shortage intensifies. Silage has seen the most dramatic rise, with prices increasing by 31 per cent.

Main Evening News, Sport and Obituaries Tuesday August 7th:

A member of Donegal County Council’s Islands Committee says while the funding announced for Donegal’s islands at the weekend will not address all the issues on Aranmore, Tory and other Islands, it will make a significant impact. Earlier, Deputy Pat The Cope Gallagher hit out at the government, saying the €359,000 which has been allocated

The family of a Donegal man who was killed by loyalist paramilitaries are not to proceed with their efforts in securing a new inquest into his death. Henry Cunningham (16) from Carndonagh had been a passenger in a van bringing Protestant and Catholic workmen home from a Belfast building site on August 9th 1973. Three

There are fears that a well-established festival in Strabane may not go ahead this year due to a severe funding cut. The Diwali festival which is run by a number of local ethnic groups has been an annual event in the town for the past 12 years however this year funding has not been forthcoming

The Garda Representative Association is warning that the only certainty surrounding Brexit is that Donegal and border regions are woefully under resourced to cope with a hard Brexit. Garda Management in border regions have also spoken out in recent weeks over the possible impact a hard Brexit could have. Concern has been raised once again