Author name: oisinkelly

Derry City and Strabane District Council Peace IV Partnership Board are inviting communities and interested individuals to register for the launch event celebrating £6.1m worth of funding under the European Union’s PEACE IV Programme coming into the local area. The launch, a ‘Café Culture’ style half-day conference is taking place on Wednesday June 21st. The […]

There has been a welcome to news that Ulster Bank is to provide a mobile banking service for its Donegal customers. The move by Ulster Bank follows recent branch closures in Raphoe and Ardara. The bank says it recognises the need for face-to-face interaction with its customers in the rural areas affected. Stephen McCahill of

Gardai are investigating a spate of burglaries in east Donegal. Part of the investigation is that three males caught on CCTV at a house in Ballybofey may be responsible for robbing it and at least two other properties. Timothy Browne’s Mother’s house in Ballybofey was targeted yesterday (Thursday) between 6pm and 7pm as they pair

A former Donegal Garda Reserve says he fears for the level of reserves in the county if training and remuneration isn’t increased. Gerry Murphy resigned from the garda reserve today after 10 years – he says from a peak of up to 30 reserves, there are now only 6. Garda reserves work for the equivalent

  It’s emerged that Bank of Ireland branches in Bunbeg, Bundoran, Glenties and Moville are to go completely cashless, with restrictions being imposed on cash transactions at all other branches outside Letterkenny. Deputy Pearse Doherty says the changes have been confirmed to him by senior Bank of Ireland Personnel, and he’s calling on the Finance

Monsignor Alan Mc Guckian has been formally confirmed as Bishop of Raphoe. He will be ordained Bishop on August 6th. The announcement was jointly made in the Vatican, and at St Eunan’s Cathedral in Letterkenny, when outgoing Bishop Philip Boyce confirmed his departure and introduced his successor to the congregation……. In his first address as

A 64 year old Jesuit has been appointed Bishop of Raphoe. Father Alan McGuckian, a native of Cloughmills in County Antrim has been appointed by Pope Francis to succeed Bishop Philip Boyce. Fr Mc Guckian was ordained a priest in 1984. He taught at Clongowes Wood College in KIldare and spent 11 years as Director

A Donegal County Councillor says a popular pub in Bridgend which has been gutted in a fire was a great focal point in the village. Extensive damage has been caused to The 19th Hole in a blaze yesterday morning with fire crews from both sides of the border battling the fire for some time before

Donegal County Council has published proposals for safety works between the Polestar and Dry Arch Roundabouts in Letterkenny. The “N56 Four Lane Road Letterkenny Safety Improvement Scheme” includes proposals for the construction of a centre median, with turning lanes for the Bonagee Road and the Cullion Road. A walkway/boardwalk adjacent to the River Swilly, footpaths and cycle ways

An emergency meeting between Inishowen Gardai and local representatives has heard calls for more Garda patrols to be carried out on the peninsula. The meeting was arranged this week following the spate of break-ins in Carndonagh and wider area in recent months. Along with a more prominent Garda presence in the town and elsewhere, a

Voters in the UK have returned a hung Parliament following the general election. The Conservatives, although still the biggest party, cannot now win an overall majority. As things stand the Tories have lost 11 seats and Labour have gained 28. The predicted results mean Prime Minister Theresa May is facing calls to stand down –

  Letterkenny is said to be at a standstill this evening following a road traffic crash in the town. The crash happened shortly before 6pm in the Ballyraine area of the town. No injuries have been reported. There are significant tailbacks of traffic in Ballyraine and at all exits on the Polestar roundabout. Gardai are

Irish Water would like to remind consumers on the Fintown Public Water Supply and Meenmore – Meentinney group water scheme that the boil water notice imposed on the schemes on June 2 remains in place. A routine water sample detected cryptosporidium in the treated water coming from the Fintown Water Treatment Plant and as a

  The windfarm, located at Meenadreen just outside Donegal Town has the capacity to provide energy to approximately 50,000 homes. It consists of 38 turbines which will generate 95 megawatts of renewable and green electricity. Peter Baillie is Managing Director of Energia Renewables:

  There were 23 people waiting for a bed at Letterkenny University Hospital this morning according to the INMO. 14 of those people were on trolleys in its Emergency Department and a further 9 waiting on wards. Cork University Hospital was the most overcrowded today with 39 people waiting there. Nationally there were 384 people waiting

Fire services from both sides of the border tackled a fire at the 19th Hole bar at Bridgend in the early hours of this morning. No injuries have been reported, but the building was badly damaged. Joseph Mc Taggart is Chief Fire Officer in Donegal………….. Barry Mc Dowell, is Derry’s District Commander with the Northern

The Fisheries Local Action Group in Donegal has been allocated just over €468,000 under the latest round of funding announced by Minister Michael Creed. FLAG North comprises 31 groups in Donegal, who prepared and submitted funding applications. According to Junior Minister Joe Mc Hugh, the allocation is actually €159,000 more than the funding applied for

Confirmation that work is to begin on improvements to the water supplies in Letterkenny and Creeslough has been widely welcomed. However, there is opposition to the contract, with Inishowen Councillor Paul Canning saying the Eddie Fullerton Pollen Dam should not be used to supply Letterkenny while there are still serious deficiencies in the south of

The new Bunagee Marine Development at Culdaff will be officially opened tomorrow. This project saw the development of a safe haven including a breakwater and pontoons to accommodate up to 15 vessels at Bunagee Pier. The project was developed by Donegal County Council as part of a major cross border and transnational project known as

Irish Water is investing €19 million in improving the quality of water supplied to over 40,000 people served by the Letterkenny and Creeslough Water Supply Schemes. Working in partnership with Donegal County Council, Irish Water has awarded the contract to Glan Agua Ltd with construction due to commence this summer and expected to last for

It’s been confirmed that Bus Eireann routes 30 & 32 Dublin – Donegal/Letterkenny will see the construction of wheelchair accessible bus stops begin later this year. The National Transport Authority has also stated that work on the Lifford stop has already begun and due to be completed shortly. It’s part of NTA’s commitment to install

  Leo Varadkar’s plans for the national debt have been undermined by the national budget watchdog. The Fiscal Advisory Council says the current plans for lowering the national debt don’t go far enough – and need to be stepped up. But the warning comes just weeks after the new Fine Gael leader said he wanted

The Donegal Crime Prevention Officer has confirmed that a notorious conman who posed as a Garda operated in Donegal for a time. John ‘Buddy’ O’Brien of Abbeyfeale Co. Limerick has been jailed for 20 months for impersonating a member of the Gardai, theft and driving without insurance. It’s understood that O’Brien presented himself as a

A book of evidence is to be served on a 45-year-old man accused of forcing a girl in her early teens to strip off her clothes in a sex-card game.     Donegal District Court was told today(Tues) that gardai need another month to prepare the book for service on the defendant.      He is also

Speculation is mounting that a new Bishop of Raphoe will be announced this week by Pope Francis. Bishop Philip Boyce tendered his resignation in January 2015, when he reached the mandatory retirement age of 75, and this year during confirmation ceremonies, Bishop Boyce clearly indicated he expected it would be his final time carrying out

The Crime Prevention Officer in Donegal has urged people to ensure that they don’t compromise on home security over the summer period. In particular, windows should not be left open unattended and sheds and garages should not be left unlocked. Sergeant Paul Wallace also urged people to be careful about announcing holiday plans on social

A Coroner at the inquest into the death of a 27-year-old Derry man has said that he is dealing with ‘a tidal wave of deaths involving young people and drugs’. Coroner Patrick McGurgan was speaking at the inquest of Steven Coyle, a father-of-two from Duddy’s Court, in Derry who died last year on October 27

Businesses in the North West have until this Friday to submit expressions of interest to take part in a special trade mission leaving for Boston in November. The trip, which runs from November 14th to 17th, offers places for 12 local companies across a range of industries. It’s being led jointly by Donegal County Council

A Donegal Deputy says the Public Expenditure Minister should give Donegal County Council an input into the review of the Capital Plan. The plan, which was published in 2015, sets out a six year timeframe for an extimated €42 billion in infrastructural investment up to 2021. A reivew gets underway shortly, but Deputy Thomas Pringle

More than 120 thousand students will begin their state exams this morning. Nearly 57 thousand Leaving Cert students face English Paper 1 this morning – while it’s English and CSPE on the cards for the 62 thousand Junior Cert students. In Donegal, 2,207 students are registered to sit the Leaving Cert, with 114 sitting the