Author name: oisinkelly

Failte Ireland says Donegal is set to benefit substantially from a new half million euro Wild Atlantic Way advertising campaign which has just been launched in Britain. The advertising campaign aims to entice British tourists to Ireland and highlight the ease of access to the island from across the water. The four-week campaign will see

The percentage rise in Donegal house prices in 2016 was slightly above the national average, according to figures released this morning by daft.ie. Nationally, house prices rose by an average of 8%, rising to 10%, when Dublin is excluded. In Donegal, prices in the final three months of 2016 were 11% higher than a year

Gardai in Letterkenny are appealing for witnesses following a burglary at the old hideout in the town last evening. One male is currently being detained in connection with the burglary and subsequent fire. The investigation is ongoing and anyone with any information is asked to contact Letterkenny Garda Station on 074 91 67100 or the

Police in Strabane are appealing for witnesses following numerous reports of disturbances and assaults in the Newtownstewart area on New Years Eve. Police are also keen to speak with anyone in regards to an assault which occurred in the Diamond area of Castlederg, in the early hours of Tuesday last in which a male suffered

A local Councillor has described an attack on Letterkenny Town park as despicable, after human excrement was discovered on a children’s slide this morning. Councillor Gerry McMonagle visited the scene and says we need to think about the mindset of whoever carried out this act. The council has been contacted to carry out a full

New figures show 187 people have lost their lives on our roads this year – that’s 25 more than last year. The Road Safety Authority and Gardaí say there were 175 fatal crashes, compared to 155 in 2015. Vulnerable road users – such as pedestrians, motorcyclists and pedal cyclists – accounted for a third of

An investigation has been launched in Buncrana after a man is believed to have been assaulted with a sword in the Earlsfort area of the town. The incident occurred at approximately 2:20am on Tuesday last with the man being taken to Letterkenny University Hospital and treated for non life threatening injuries. Gardai have confirmed that

Stricter penalties for those who vandalise defibrillators could be on the cards, following a number of incidents around the country where the life-saving devices were damaged beyond use. In the most recent case earlier this week, a two-thousand euro defibrillator in Arklow town was pulled off a wall and smashed by a group of youths

Bird Flu has reached Ireland. The Department of Agriculture has confirmed the H5N8 strain of avian flu has been identified in a wild duck in County Wexford. There’s very little threat to humans, and poultry farmers are on high alert, with all commercial flocks ordered indoors to prevent the spread of the disease. Nigel Renehan

A Foyle MLA is calling for an end to the releasing of horses from an enclosure on the Springtown Road in Derry. Mark H. Durkan says not only is this causing upset and worry for the owners of the horses, it’s also causing stress and danger to the animals. He fears it’s only a matter

Derry’s Tower Museum is to close for the first two weeks of the new year to allow for extensive renovations in the reception area. Derry City and Strabane District Council is pledging to keep disruption to the city’s tourist trade to a minimum. The Museum, in Union Hall Place, charts the history of Derry through

A gunshot was fired during an incident at a quarry in the Stranorlar area this morning. In a statement, gardai confirmed this afternoon that they received reports of shots fired during an incident at a location near Stranorlar this morning. There was no one injured or reports of damage to property and enquiries are ongoing.

The Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council says the coming year will be an important one for the county, with graduate retention and tourism promotion among his main priorities. Job Creation and strengthening cross border links are also vital, according to Cllr Terence Slowey. Cllr Slowey says the relationship between him and Mayor Hilary Mc Clintock

The Small Firms Association is calling on the government to introduc e immediate measures to support firms in the border region which are being impacted by Brexit. In an end of year statement, Sue O’Neill, Chair of the Small Firms Association said 2016 has been a rollercoaster year for small businesses. It began with optimism

There were 23 patients awaiting admission at Letterkenny University Hospital this morning, eight of them on Emergency Department trolleys and 15 in overflow areas on the wards. That was the fourth highest figure recorded in the country today. Nationally, the INMO’sw Trolleywatch survey shows 368 people waiting for a bed in Irish hospitals today. Both

Around 10 billion euro would be needed to fix Ireland’s roads system, according to reports. A local authority performance review suggests 10,000 kilometres of road is essentially falling apart. The Irish Independent reports large sections of road is under severe structural distress and may need to be entirely rebuilt. The report says in Donegal, there is

Mourne River Search and Rescue is raising concerns after a string of incidents in which life-saving rings were removed in Strabane. This has been an ongoing issue in the area with the latest occasion resulting in a ring being found in a resident’s garden. On Tuesday last Mourne River Search and Rescue raised concern following

Gardai are investigating damage caused to a monument in Carrickfinn, Co Donegal Sometime between 2pm on Tuesday afternoon and 10:30am on Wednesday morning damage was caused to the monument at the Boat Strand. Gardai are appealing to the public for their assistance, anyone with any information is asked to contact Gardai in Bunbeg.

Donegal County Council has announced that a Safety Review of piers in the county is to be carried out in the coming year. A Marine Engineering Consultancy Company has been appointed by the council to carry out the review of 100 Piers and Harbours in Donegal. Work is due to commence early next year with

315 people across the country are awaiting a bed at hospitals today Figures from the INMO reveal that 236 people are on trolleys with a further 79 in overflow areas. At Letterkenny University Hospital, 11 people are waiting on beds, 3 on trolleys in the Emergency Department.

Calls have been made for an Irish Passport office to be established in Northern Ireland after it was revealed that 65,000 Irish passports were issued to people North of the border this year. West Tyrone Sinn Fein Councillor, Glenn Campbell has supported calls, asking that the issue be prioritised in 2017. The influx of people

It has been announced that Donegal man, John Boyle will run for president of the Irish National Teacher’s Organisation. Mr Boyle, the current vice-president of the INTO will launch his campaign this evening at his old school in Mullaghduff in support of the Community Hospital in Dungloe. During his time as vice-president he demanded that

Police in Strabane are appealing for information on two seperate incidents. One involving an assault resulting in serious injuries and the other when an unknown male was discovered in a property in the Newtownstewart area in the early hours of this morning. Police in Strabane are appealing for information regarding a male who was seriously

The Killybegs Coastguard has confirmed that a body was recovered on land on the outskirts of Killybegs. Searches were carried out by the coastguard and Donegal Mountian resuce near Lough Aderry, between Killybegs and Ardara, after a male was reported missing yesterday. The search was stood down in the early hours of this morning. No

People in Donegal are being encouraged to recycle their electrical waste and other goods over the festive period and into the New Year. There are a variety of recycling centres across the county with Donegal County Council detailing a full list of opening hours on their website. Concern has been raised that with new electrical

The winter vomiting bug is continuing to be a serious issue in Derry with Altnagelvin’s Trauma and Orthopaedics Care Ward remaining closed this week due to the outbreak. It’s understood that a number of other wards which were affected are now partially open. The Trust has confirmed that the norovirus continues to impact on admissions

Letterkenny’s Cathedral Quarter project is calling on local businesses and sponsors across Donegal to invest in the project. Over the past three years and since the project was first established, the Church lane area in the town has seen a huge revival with many once derelict buildings now the home of thriving businesses. The committee

  New figures have revealed that record numbers are visiting Sliabh Liag , with more than 187,000 people visiting the cliffs in south-west Donegal in 2016. Inclusion in the Wild Atlantic Way and a consequent increase in publicity has been cited as one of key contributors to the large numbers. Recent investment has also seen

  Over 230 people are on trolleys at hospitals across the country. According to the INMO – South Tipperary General Hospital is the most overcrowded with 26 people in need of a bed. Four people were waiting for a bed at Letterkenny University Hostpial this morning – all four on trolleys in the Emergency Department.

  The fire service in Dungloe has been praised after bringing a gorse fire under control last night near Kincasslagh . The alarm was raised by a local resident at approximately 9pm last night with the crew bringing the fire under control a short time later. No damage was caused to any homes. It’s believed

  Almost half of speeding motorists dodged a court appearance in the past two years because their summonses weren’t served. The Irish Independent reports that out of almost 67 thousand speeding cases listed between January 2015 and last October, around 31 thousand were struck out for non-delivery of a summons. In Donegal, there were 1,530

  Ireland issued 740 thousand passports this year – with record demand being attributed to Brexit. The Euro 2016 tournament in France also drove higher than usual demand – piling pressure on the passport office at the usual peak time of summer. Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan admitted that Brexit may have played a significant

  Fine Gael has been accused of failing farmers with a €36m reduction in the GLAS allocation for the coming new year. Donegal Deputy, Charlie McConalogue says he is appalled by the reduction after promises of a €250m allocation. The Fianna Fail Agriculture Spokesperson believes the underspend is on course to be close to €400m.

  The Government has been urged to act immediately on the National Boradband and Mobile Phone Signal Commission. The report contains 40 recommendations in order to solve the ongoing difficulties and problems with the lack of broadband and mobile phone signals right throughout the country. There has been on-going concern in Donegal over vast black-spots