Author name: oisinkelly

It’s emerged that 60 per cent of Gardai in Letterkenny won’t receive payments for allowances worked in November in time for Christmas. Concern had been raised in previous years over an out-dated processing system but the issue remains unresolved. The GRA Representative for Donegal is Brendan O’Connor. He says this has resulted in low moral […]

Donegal County Council has agreed to carry out safety measures at a notoriously dangerous junction in the Twin Towns. There had been concern over the junction at Stranorlar where the Millbrae joins with the N15 with the road flagged as a hazard for cars emerging and turning right towards Lifford. Work will include extending a

The Taoiseach says he doesn’t want to see a border between Letterkenny and Derry. His comments come as intensive talks are set to continue today with the British government attempting to find a formula that will break the Brexit deadlock on the border. A new text is being circulated today by the UK’s negotiating team.

A positive meeting has been held among community groups in Inishowen in relation to applying for LEADER funding ahead of the Irish Open next year. The funding is specifically aimed at revitalising rural towns and villages. The meeting which was organised by the Inishowen Development Partnership and Ballyliffen Golf Club and outlined how groups can

  A retired Donegal Garda sergeant has been jailed for two months, for launching what a district court judge described as a tirade of “vile and evil” abuse at a number of ex colleagues. 63-year-old Joseph Kiely of Old Golf Course, Road, Donegal Town repeatedly told two Garda Seargeants that they would die of cancer

Efforts to break the logjam in the Brexit talks are set to intensify today. British negotiators are working on a new form of words to deal with the border issue. The original wording was vetoed by the DUP which is propping up Theresa May’s minority British government. The Taoiseach Leo Varadkar says he is open

A Snow and Ice weather warning issued by Met Eireann comes into force later today. Donegal is among the counties in the north west that will be worst affected, with up to 3 centimetres of snow expected in places. Forecasters say we’re in for bitterly cold conditions until Sunday. Drivers are being urged to slow

Planned industrial action by staff employed by the National Ambulance Service in Letterkenny is to go ahead this weekend. Talks held yesterday between SIPTU and the Workplace Relations Commission failed to reach an agreement. The scheduled industrial action comes following management’s failure to implement a Rights Commissioner recommendation that was agreed on two years ago.

  Donegal Sports Partnership has announced the rollout of a Soccer for Peace Programme funded by the IFI. The programme aims to develop greater awareness around cultural differences, relationships, racism and sectarianism, support and integrate local communities to develop stronger and more resilient adolesents and promote positive mental health and good relations through sport. Donegal

Three men arrested yesterday in Strabane under the Terrorism Act have been released unconditionally. A 43 year was arrested by Detectives investigating ongoing dissident republican activity following searches of land in Back Row, along the riverside and the search of a property in the town. While two other men, aged 45 and 55 arrested during

Main Evening News, Sport and Obituaries Wednesday 6th December

Five people from County Donegal appear on the latest tax defaulters list to be published by Revenue. The list covers settlements agreed between July and September 2017, with €474,272 being paid in Donegal. The largest of those was €305,579, which was paid by Sean McDonagh of The Railway Tavern, Old Station, Fahan.     The

Donegal Deputy Charlie McConalogue has reiterated his call to the Government to reopen the short stay ward at Letterkenny University Hospital. Speaking in the Dail this afternoon, Deputy McConalgue told the Taoiseach an application for €1.8million to fund the reopening of the ward and employment of extra staff needs to be approved in a bid

Motorists are being warned to drive with extra care over the coming days with sleet and snow forecast. Met Eireann says temperatures will drop with a risk of sleet and strong winds from tomorrow and into Friday. More snow is forecast for Sunday and into Monday. Forecaster Gerard Fleming says the snow to come will

There were 29 people waiting on a bed at Letterkenny University Hospital this morning. According to the INMO 16 people were on trolleys in the hospital’s Emergencey Department with a further 13 on wards. University Hospital Galway was the most overcrowded today with 39 people awaiting admission. Nationally, 494 people were waiting on a bed

The British Prime Minister says she will ensure there is no hard border with the North. Teresa May is taking questions in the House of Commons after the collapse of an agreement on the border on Monday. The Prime Minister is under pressure after her coalition partners the DUP rejected the deal. She says Britain

There are calls for a new police station to be built in Strabane. MLA Daniel McCrossan says the current station does nothing but ostracise policing in the town and is a relic of the past. In a statement issued by Assistant Chief Constable Alan Todd, the PSNI say the robust facade is due to the

There’s another water main burst in the Bonemaine area of Bridgend, with supplies expected to be disrupted until this evening. Cllr Jack Murray, Cathairleach of the Inishowen Municipal District, says engineers are working on isolating and repairing the burst, but it will be some hours until it is done…………….

Enrolment for a major cancer research study is commencing at Letterkenny University Hospital, with 120 cancer survivors being recruited to take part in the programme. The research team is looking for people who are over 18, overweight and interested in improving their lives. 60 people will receive specialised support and advice from nurses, a physiotherapist,

Foyle Search and Rescue has confirmed that a number of lifebelts along the riverfront have been vandalised in recent weeks. It’s understood that some have been tampered with while in others have been removed entirely. Anyone with information is asked to contact police. Local Cllr. Kevin Campbell says it defies belief that some people could

There’s been a huge reaction to last night’s RTE’s Prime Time programme on the difficulties facing carers in Ireland. According to Census 2016, there has been a 35% increase in the number of cares who are over the age of 85. Figures also show that the hours that carers put in on a weekly basis

  New figures show that there were 27 people in Donegal recorded as homeless during the month of October. At present there are 5,298 homeless adults in Ireland, 1,762 outside Dublin. The latest Daft.ie report also shows an already established trend – higher rents and the lessening availability of rental accommodation across the whole country.

A new report has found that less Donegal cancer patients are travelling long distances for treatment.  The fifth annual report of the Saolta University Health Care Group Cancer Centre has been launched by the Health Minister Simon Harris. The cancer programme in Saolta is the largest in the country and has been running since 2006

Two separate weather warnings have been issued as Storm Caroline bears down on Ireland. Donegal, Galway, Mayo and Kerry are included in both of the warnings, while Leitrim, Sligo and Clare are included in the second warning. The first warning will be valid from now until 11pm tonight. Met Éireann says, southerly winds of up

Concerns have been raised over the absence of a roster at both Tory and Arranmore Island fire stations. This comes after a report commissioned earlier this year by the Donegal Fire Association highlighted a number of concerns in relation to facilities at the two offshore stations. There are now calls for a full complement of

  Government Chief Whip Minister Joe McHugh has emphasised the importance of protecting the Good Friday Agreement and the gains and benefits of the peace process, including the open border, as Brexit negotiations continue. Minister McHugh says communities in the border region want the protection of the movement of people and goods after the UK

The Government once again has been criticised for their lack of action on seasonal workers entitlements. A comitment was given last year that a review into the issues facing seasonal and part time workers in terms of their entitlements to social protection payments would be carried out. Meanwhile, Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty says it

Police are this evening dealing with an ongoing security alert in the Townsend Street area of Strabane. It is believed a suspect device was discovered at a property during searches in the area this afternoon with army technical officers currently at the scene. The incident follows the arrest of a 43 year old man in

Met Eireann have issued a status yellow wind warning for the west of the country on Thursday. Storm Caroline is due to hit Scotland and strong and blustery winds will be over Ireland also. Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, Clare and Kerry are all to be affected. Winds of up to 110 km/h are expected

The Garda Road Policing Unit in Donegal stopped a lorry which was found bearing ‘very badly worn tyres’. Gardai say prosecution is to follow and are reminding motorists to check tyres regularly.

A 43 year old man has been arrested in Strabane today in connection with ongoing investigations into suspected dissident republican activity. Detectives from the PSNI’s Terrorism Investigation Unit arrested the man following an operation in the town. Detective Inspector Orr said: “The investigation is currently ongoing. Searches were conducted of land in Back Row and

Donegal Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher has welcomed what he has described as a belated announcement in the Minor Works Grant Scheme. All 177 schools in Donegal are to receive a flat rate grant allowance of €5,500. Deputy Gallagher says while the announcement is welcome news for the schools he says, the grants were due to

Consultations have commenced to develop a scheme for the Buncrana Road widening project. However, Councillor Brian Tierney has given the announcement a cautious welcome. He says the widening of the Buncrana Road has been a priority for motorists and commuters from Donegal and Derry for years, while tailbacks and traffic congestion has been a daily

A Convoy man appeared at Omagh Magistrates Court this morning charged with the murder of his wife in April this year at Devenish Island Co Fermanagh. Stephen McKinney was also charged with possession of the drug Zopiclone. Objecting to bail a police witness said “people have expressed genuine fear of his actions should he be

There were 31 people waiting for a bed at Letterkenny University Hospital this morning according to the INMO. 18 people were on trolleys in its Emergency Department while a further 13 were on wards. Cork University Hospital was the most overcrowded today with 41 people waiting there. Nationally there were 542 people waiting for a

Significant progress is being made on preparations ahead of the Irish Open in Ballyliffen next year. It follows a meeting involving Donegal County Council, the Golf Club and the European tour in recent days where areas such as a traffic management plan and a schedule of works necessary to support the event were discussed in

  People in Donegal are being urged not to engage with scam telephone calls after further reports of bogus callers doing the rounds in the county. In the most recent instances, a man with an Asian accent claims to be from Microsoft telling the homeowner that their computer has multiple viruses and offers to assist

Drink driving stats for Donegal this year are up by 13% and are slightly above the national average. It comes as Gardai in Donegal launch a cross-border Christmas drink-driving campaign today. The initiative will see both the Gardai and the PSNI co-operating at unprecedented levels in relation to drink-driving operations. Head of Donegal Traffic Corps Inspector