Author name: oisinkelly

The Foreign Affairs Minister will travel to Belfast today for talks aimed at saving the power-sharing government in the North. Charlie Flanagan says every effort has to be made to stop the current executive from collapsing. He will meet with political leaders in a bid to patch up the rows between the DUP and Sinn […]

Concern has been raised over the extent to which Home Help services in Donegal are being contracted out to private care providers. The number of hours increased from over 4,519 hours in 2011 to over 81,465 in 2015, with funding paid out to private providers having gone up by over €1.8M between the same periods. The

Donegal Tourism providers have been outlining their tourism strategy for the coming year and will be returning to the Holiday World Shows this month to kick off an extensive schedule of marketing activities for 2017. It is hoped that the increase in recognition on a worldwide stage and numerous accolades awarded to the county in

  A Donegal County Councillor is calling for a discretionary budget of €20,000 to be divided among each Councillor for use on LIS roads and private lane ways. Cllr James Pat McDaid raised the issue that roads have been deteriorating rapidly since the abolishment of the LIS and a discretionary budget of €2,000 per Councillor

Donegal County Council is urging motorists to be aware of the imminent cold snap, with wintry showers expected tonight and over the coming days. There are resources, including detailed maps, gritting arrangements and forecasts on the council’s website.   Statement in full –   Met Eireann has issued a Status Yellow weather warning and is

The Local Enterprise Office in Donegal says promoting the county as a food destination will be a priority in 2017. This week, nine Donegal companies became the first in the county to receive Donegal Food Coast plaques, a new brand which shows they are either a Donegal-based producer or a business sourcing produce from Donegal producers.

A man involved in a vicious assault on a couple in a take-away has been sentenced to a 21-month suspended jail sentence. Judge Paul Kelly noted that the injured couple, in their 50s, received “appalling injuries” in a completely unjustified attack when minding their own business in a take-away on a night out. 30 year

  As wintry showers are forecast for the next few days, high winds are making their presence felt in Donegal this morning. The Harry Blaney Bridge is closed this morning due to strong wind and the ferry service to Arranmore is suspended until at least the afternoon.

A Donegal County Councillor is confident that CCTV will be installed in the Bernard McGlinchey Town Park in Letterkenny in the near future to curb anti -social behaviour in the area. This follows numerous incidents over the past 18 months but most recently last week when human excrement was discovered on a children’s slide. The

The Leas-Cheann Comhairle is calling on the Constituency Commission to re unite Donegal into one single Dail Constituency. Concerns have been raised by some locals in south Donegal about the negative impact the current format is having on communities. Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher has made a submission to the Commission urging them to restore

Met Éireann has issued two weather warnings as temperatures are set to plummet. The wintry conditions are expected to hit tonight and will last until the weekend – when it’s due to warm up slightly. However, forecaster Joan Blackburn says it won’t be too severe…………….

A West Donegal councillor says there must be consultation about a proposal to develop several Oyster Farms at Braade Strand near Carrickfinn, with a final decision expected shortly from the Department of Agricuilture and Marine. Cllr Micheal Cholm Mac Giolla Easbuig says he understands that when complete, all the projects together will amount to the

  The Transport Minister is urging motorists to take all necessary precautions to be winter ready. It comes as Met Eireann has issued two weather warnings for several areas as temperatures are set to drop back. A status yellow snow and ice warning is in place for Donegal, Connacht, Leinster, Cavan and Monaghan. The forecaster

  There have been fresh calls for the Bád Eddie shipwreck in Goath Dobhair to be removed due to safety concerns. The famous boat has deteriorated over the decades with warning signs now in place to advise people who are on the beach to stay away. Some locals are calling for a commemoration sculpture to

  There could be a potential strike at Letterkenny University Hospital. SIPTU has released its initial list of hospitals to be included in national strike ballot with Letterkenny University Hospital and Sligo Regional Hospital included. This comes as numbers awaiting admission at Letterkenny University Hospital are on the rise again. SIPTU members working as support

The Irish tourism industry is starting to level out amid Brexit fears. The numbers coming here have been steadily rising for the last few years, but new stats show the trend may not continue. Brexit is the most worrying issue for providers, according to Fáilte Ireland’s ‘Tourism Business Sentiment Index’, which has been released today.

Sinn Fein has again denied that Martin McGuinness’s resignation from Northern Ireland’s power sharing executive was due to illness. Mr McGuinness has cited the First Minister Arlene Foster’s handling of the Reneewable Heat Incentive scheme for his decision. Stormont Health Minister Michelle O’Neill says the resignation is purely about the political dispute with the DUP…………….

In the event of an election being called at Stormont, there will be 18 less MLAs, with the number of seats in the assembly falling from 108 to 90. The means one less MLA being elected from each of the constituencies. That could put particular pressure on smaller parties and on MLAs elected for the

The numbers awaiting admission at Letterkenny University Hospital have risen again, with the INMO reporting 20 patients without beds this morning, eight of them on Emergency Department trolleys. It follows a fall to six yesterday. Nationally, the figure has risen to 506, 365 of them on Emergency Department trolleys.

Tenders are being invited for significant work to be carried out at Malin Head to provide toilets and extra car parking spaces for visitors. Details of the work to be carried out in the townland of Ardmalin, Ballygorman, have been published on the Etenders website. The works will include, (i) Road widening, drainage improvements and

A new whiskey distillery in Donegal has been given the green light with the promise of up to 40 new jobs for the county. An Bord Pleanála has upheld Donegal County Council’s decision to grant full planning permission for Sliabh Liag Distillery. It will be the first distillery in Donegal for more than a century

A Donegal County Councillor has raised concern over pedestrian safety at either end of one of Letterkenny’s busiest roads. Cllr Jimmy Kavanagh is asking engineers to examine pedestrian crossing protocols at the roundabouts on either end of De Valera Road. He’ll be raising the issue at today’s Letterkenny Municipal District meeting………………  

The north’s political parties are preparing for a snap election. DUP leader Arlene Foster has slammed Martin McGuinness for sparking the crisis, by standing down as Deputy First Minister. Under power sharing rules it means Arlene Foster has also lost her post as First Minister. The resignation comes in the wake of the botched Renewable

As of 5pm – Martin McGuinness has resigned as the North’s deputy first minister – effectively collapsing the Stormont Executive. It follows the refusal of First Minister Arlene Foster to stand aside while an inquiry is held into the so-called “cash for ash” scandal. An election must be called in seven days – if Sinn Féin

  A bungalow near Gortahork has been extensively damaged in a house fire. Several units of the fire service from Falcarragh, Gweedore and Dungloe responded to the emergency call and tackled the blaze earlier this afternoon at the house in Derryconnor. Two ambulances from Dungloe were also dispatched to the scene however it’s understood that

  A man charged in connection with a fire in Letterkenny which caused over half a million in damage is to face additional charges. Paul McGinley appeared at this morning’s sitting of Letterkenny District Court by videolink. Mr. McGinley from Gortahork is charged in connection with an extensive fire at an underground car park at

  Martin McGuinness says he’s going to step down as the North’s Deputy First Minister. His resignation is to be effective as of 5pm this evening. Mr McGuinness says he has a binding obligation to uphold issues of equality and therefore it is with ‘deep regret and reluctance’ that he is resigning. Sinn Féin will

  Several units of the fire service are currently at the scene of a house fire at Derryconnor near Gortahork. Fire crews from Falcarragh, Gweedore and Dungloe responded to the emergency call. It is understood two ambulances from Dungloe were also dispatched to the scene. There is no further information at this stage.

  A Donegal Councillor says it’s important that event organisers in the Twin Towns consult with Gardai and the county council to ensure that parking arrangements are agreed and stewarded. Cllr Patrick Mc Gowan was speaking after a number of people last week complained that they had been ticketed in the Railway Road area of

Tomorrow is the closing date for submissions to the Constinuency Commission on the future of electoral boundaries with a campaign to reunite Donegal intensifying. Since last years General Election, voters south of Laghey have been in a constituency incorporating Sligo and parts of Leitrim, Donegal and Cavan. Valerie Mc Nulty of the Donegal Reunited initiative

Over 19-thousand new jobs were created by Enterprise Ireland supported businesses last year – with the agency saying it’s exceeded its three year target. Between 2014 and 2016 – close to 46-thousand jobs were created – with digital technology and construction the best performers. Almost two-thirds of the jobs created were outside Dublin. In the

The ongoing supply issue and uncertainty over sterling and Brexit will be the main drivers of a small rise in house prices in Donegal throughout 2017, estate agents have predicted. A survey carried out by the Real Estate Alliance Group has found that agents throughout the county expect prices to rise by 2.5% on average