Author name: oisinkelly

MEPs in the European Parliament have this morning debated the forthcoming Brexit negotiations. The Parliament has set out its position on Brexit in a document which includes several references to Ireland. The resolution states that the Parliament is ‘especially concerned’ about the consequences of a UK withdrawal on Northern Ireland and its future relations with […]

Students and staff members of Letterkenny Insitute of Technology have undergone screening following an outbreak of TB at the campus. The Inish Times reported today that students and staff of LYIT were informed of the outbreak on March 22nd. Contacts have been identified with screenings already taken place and a second round of screening due

We understand The Kube on Thorn Road in Letterkenny has been withdrawn from auction, and will not be placed on the market again until all matters are resolved. The building was in the headlines recently when developer Brendan Gildea, who claims ownership, occupied it with the help of a group called Helping Hand. The building

A public meeting will be held at Raphoe mart on Friday night in protest of Ulster Bank’s closure of it’s Raphoe and Ardara branches. It was announced that the Raphoe branch is due to close in June while the branch in Ardara is expected to close in September. Donegal Deputy Thomas Pringle and local business

Letterkenny University Hospital is to participate in a National Patient Experience survey during May, designed to improve health services locally and across the country. The survey is being run by HIQA, the HSE and the Dept of Health, with patients over 18 who have spent at least one night in hospita during next month being

The Seanad has been told that children with diabetes in Donegal who need specialist treatment may now have to travel to Dublin, because a specialist in Sligo who looks after them is leaving her position and will not be replaced. Urging the Leader of the Seanad to raise the issue with Health Minister Simon Harris,

Air Corps and Irish Coastguard helicopters are today continuing the search off the North West coast for missing Rescue 116 crewmen Ciarán Smith and Paul Ormsby. Shoreline searches are also taking place later. The coast guard says under-water operations will resume tomorrow in the vicinity of Blackrock Lighthouse, close to where the heliciopter wreckage was

MEP Liadh Ni Riada is warning the current system to monitor ‘supertrawlers’ in Irish waters is grossly inadequate. The Ireland South MEP says these huge fishing vessels are not being properly monitored or regulated. And that they’re hoovering up vast quantities of fish without giving any added value to the Irish economy. Donegal fishermen share

It’s been confirmed that CCTV Cameras are to be installed at the Bernard Mc Glinchey Town Park in Letterkenny. The issue was raised by Cllr Gerry Mc Monagle on a number of occasions, most recently after human excrement was smeared on one of the childrens slides in the playground in January. He says that was

Members of the Oireachtas committee on water charges are due to meet again after a row between members yesterday. The wording of the group’s final report caused major rifts, and Fine Gael lost a series of votes on excessive water usage. The suspension of charges is in place until the end of this month, and

The Dáil’s heard claims that the Bus Eireann strike would have been solved long ago if it affected Dublin. That’s according to Fianna Fáil, which has raised concern that the strike is now in its 12th day with little sign of a deal. Enda Kenny has again defended the position of Shane Ross who is

Hospital Management says the Emergency Department at Letterkenny University Hospital remains extremely busy today with significant numbers of patients awaiting admission to the hospital. According to the INMO, 29 sick people were without a bed at the hospital this morning with reports that the situation has worsened this afternoon. The Full Capacity Protocol has been

Ulster Bank says the closure of its Donegal branches in Ardara and Raphoe will go ahead as planned. In a meeting with Donegal Deputies Pearse Doherty, Thomas Pringle and Pat the Cope Gallagher senior bank officials said the decision would not be reversed. They committed to keep ATMs in place while they own the buildings

Deputies Pat the Cope Gallagher and Pearse Doherty are meeting with the Gaeltacht Minster tomorrow after it emerged that funding has been withdrawn for Amharclann Gaoth Dobhair by his Department. The theatre opened in 1961 but closed down in 2007 before re-opening again last month after the government allocated almost half a million euro in

The Irish Blood Transfusion Service is appealing to people to donate blood before Easter, with clinics at two locations in Donegal this week. There are clinics at the Abbey Hotel in Donegal Town this evening from 6.30 to 9.30, and from 2.30 to 5pm and 7pm to 9.30pm tomorrow. On Thursday, the service moves to

One in every four calls made for ambulances in Inishowen has to come from outside the peninsula. Cllr Martin Mc Dermott says an analysis of almost 2,000 ambulance calls made in Inishowen shows 500 of them neccessitated the calling of an ambulnce from Letterkenny or another station. Cllr Mc Dermott says this shows the need

The sister of missing coastguard worker Ciarán Smith says she wakes up everyday hoping he’ll be found. Orla Smith has appealed to local sailors and fishermen in the Northwest to help find her brother’s body, and that of his fellow winchman Paul Ormsby. It’s three weeks to the day since the rescue helicopter he was

The Mica Action Group in Donegal has been told the clearance of the report of an expert panel into the effects of defective blocks in Donegal and Mayo has been prioritised by the Attorney General, and should be available within weeks. The report has been complete since February, but must be approved by the Attorney

The widower of murdered Irish honeymooner Michaela McAreavey has returned to the holiday island where she died to make a fresh appeal for help in catching her killer. John McAreavey had meetings with the Mauritian police, prosecutors and the Prime Minister yesterday – he’s due to hold a major press conference today. 27-year-old Michaela was

The Irish Wildlife Trust has raised concerns about illegal dumping at Glenveagh National Park. The trust says it has found substantial amount of builders rubble, as well as suspected asbestos. The trustr has also expressed concern at evidence of mechanical turf cutting. Donegal County Council is currently investigating the matter. Irish Wildlife Trust Campaign Officer

A local councillor is calling on the Government to take immediate action to ensure roaming charges are not re-introduced after Britain’s exit from the EU. Romaing charges are due to be abolished throughout the entire EU this June, however Councillor Gary Doherty has raised the issue that those travelling to the UK, or living in

  A call’s gone out to fishing boats all along the northwest coast to join the search for missing Rescue 116 crewmen Ciarán Smith and Paul Ormsby. The RNLI is helping to co-ordinate crews who volunteer for the operation. The search has broadened after no trace was found of the men off Blacksod in Mayo.

John F Loughrey Financial Services in Letterkenny was crowned the regional broker of the year at the prestigious Irish Brokers Association (IBA) Life, Pensions and Investment Awards in Dublin last week. The event, held in Croke Park last Thursday night, gives recognition to the life, pension and investment brokers who have proved their excellence, professionalism

Champion Rally driver, Ronnie Foreman is in Donegal today as part of a fundraising rally taking place throughout the country. The rally is in aid of Haven, an Irish NGO providing on-ground support in Haiti following hurricane Matthew which hit Haiti 6 months ago. Ronnie has travelled from Lisburn today, stopping in Belfast and Derry

It’s been reported that discussions on the redeployment of Garda Whistleblower Keith Harrison will begin this month, with his legal team and garda management set to engage in mediation, overseen by Kieran Mulvey, the former head of the Workplace Relations Commission Kieran Mulvey. Garda Harrison, whose claims of harassment will be considered by the upcoming

Donegal Senator Pádraig Mac Lochlainn has expressed his “real concerns” about the pressure on the Tusla, child and family service in the county. He says there has been considerable pressure on the duty or intake team over the last while and that the numbers of workers dealing with new cases across Donegal has reached as

Gardai are investigating the theft of a fire engine from Stranorlar Fire Station. The vehicle, worth 400,000 euro, was stolen overnight and later found dumped at near the border. The vehicle remains at the scene for a technical examination while gardai are also examining the scene at Stranorlar Fire Station. While the vehicle wasn’t extensively

The AA says a survey which identifies drivers in Donegal as being the second worst in the country should not be taken seriously, but should instead serve as a springboard for a discussion on road safety and driver behaviour across the country. The questionnaire, issued by the AA asked people which county they believed had

The Mayor of the Letterkenny Municipal District has hit out at those responsible for illegal dumping at New Mills in the town at the weekend. Councillor James Pat McDaid says those responsible for dumping a mattress, and other recent cases of fly tipping, have no respect for their county and should stop. He was speaking