Author name: oisinkelly

    Letterkenny Univeristy Hospital is facing pressure once again today with 19 people awaiting admission to the Emergency Department.  As a result the hospital has implemented its Full Capacity Protocol and it is apologising to patients and their families for these delays. The Full Capacity Protocol has been implemented and all efforts continue to be

  The inquest into Sgt Mick Galvin death has heard today that he was found slumped in a chair in the detective’s room at Ballyshannon Garda station. He shot himself with a Garda-issue Sig pistol and he had left a suicide note in his own office in the same station, Coroner Dr Denis McAuley was

Another €341,000 has been approved for works at Donegal Airport. Transport Minister Shane Ross confirmed the funding this morning as part of a €2.7 million package for four regional airports ; Donegal, Ireland West Airport Knock, Kerry and Waterford. The money will go towards safety and security works, such as CCTV monitoring equipment, repairs to

The first school has opened this week on the new shared education campus in Omagh. Yesterday, Education Minister Peter Weir visited the new Arvalee School and Resource Centre, which caters for young people from aged three to 19, who have moderate and severe learning difficulties. Arvalee has become the first school to locate at the

An Inishowen councillor says a recent positive HIQA assessment of Carndonagh Hospital is down to the commitment of the management and staff, and it’s now time for the HSE to match their efforts. Cllr Martin Mc Dermott says with investment, Carndonagh and other community hospitals can help ease the pressure on Letterkenny University Hospital, but

Midlands North West MEP Marian Harkin has accused two EU Commissioners of playing politics by dangling a €13 billion bauble in front of Irish taxpayers. In a speech in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, the independent representative criticised Danish Commissioner Verstager and French Commissioner Muscovici for their suggestions that the €13 billion ‘Apple tax’ could

More than 60-thousand students will get their Junior Cert results this morning, 2,260 of them in Donegal. It’s the last year of the exam in its current form as the Government introduces controversial reforms. Education Minister Richard Bruton says it’s a milestone moment for many students and congratulated those getting their results.   It’s the

A Donegal County Councillor is calling on the authority to undertake a comprehensive review of parking in Letterkenny. A number of local businesses people claim there is insufficient parking in the upper Main Street area, and a lack of enforcement in the lower Main Street area. There have also been numerous reports of motorists wrongly

The Oireachtas Agriculture Committee has backed calls for Agriculture Minister Michael Creed to intervene in the crisis for grain growers. The IFA says this year’s harvest has turned into a salvage operation for many farmers, with Donegal among the worst hit areas due to heavy rain. The committee will now write to the Minister, insisting

A judge has said there’s been “substantial progress” in probation and social reports on a deaf man who admitted harassing a doctor and his family. Judge Paul Kelly was asked at Dungloe District Court to further adjourn the case. 65-year-old John McGrotty has admitted harassing and stalking Dara and Eimear McEniff and their family at

  City of Derry Airport today confirmed that Ryanair will no longer operate a service to London or Faro from April 2017 and will also be scaling back their Liverpool service. Last week City of Derry Airport published an In-Year 2016 Business Plan setting out the primary near term objectives for the Airport. This plan

    A Scottish nurse – who nearly died after contracting Ebola in west Africa – is at a misconduct hearing that could see her struck off. Pauline Cafferkey who has family roots in Rannyhual near Kincasslagh was infected while working in Sierra Leone in 2014. She’s accused of allowing a lower temperature to be

  Actor Gerard McSorley was given the Probation Act today when he paid €40 to the Bank of Ireland for damaging two flower pots. His solicitor Jacqui Sharkey told Dungloe District Court they were plastic flower pots and she wasn’t sure of the value but Mr McSorley had €40 compensation for the Bank of Ireland.

A West Tyrone MLA says an urgent programme of housing new builds is needed across Northern Ireland, and especially in Strabane and Omagh. Speaking as the Assembly returned from recess, Daniel McCrossan said West Tyrone has been left behind, with fewer social housing new builds than any other constituency in the North since 2011. Mr

There were 189 planning permissions granted in Donegal between April and June this year, 33 more than over the same period last year, a rise of 21%. Of the permissions granted in the second quarter, 55 were for new dwellings, 80 for extensions and 45 for other purposes, including retail and commercial.

Senior management in the HSE are being urged to show clear leadership and do the right thing for patients. The Executive’s Winter Initiative will see 55 extra acute beds at five hospitals across the country which are suffering severe overcrowding. Letterkenny University Hospital is not included. The Irish Association for Emergency Medicine says given 1600

A major cancer research project based in Letterkenny is set to be confirmed in the coming months. Speaking at a function in Donegal last night, the Head of Research with the Irish Cancer Society Dr Robert O’Connor said a number of people in the county are participating in clinical trials at the moment, and a

A Donegal Deputy is calling on the Health Minister to provide additional ambulances to the county, in a bid to reduce the costs incurred by Letterkenny University Hospital. Figures from the HSE have revealed that last year the hospital spent €1.3m on private ambulance services – up from €707,000 in 2014. Donegal Deputy Charlie McConalogue

Gardaí have renewed an appeal for information about a collision in Lifford two weeks ago today after one of the drivers involved passed away at the weekend. The crash happened outside Lifford on ther Letterkenny Road at 3.15 on the afternoon of Tuesday August 30th. The 72 year old male driver and sole occupant of

People are being urged to give up all drinks except water – to raise vital funds for the RNLI. The lifesaving charity is launching its H2-ONLY challange today which runs for 10 days. Shane Smyth is a volunteer with Bundoran RNLI…………..

  Nigel Farage says he doesn’t believe a hard border – between the north and south – is likely. The Taoiseach says he’ll do everything possible to prevent a hard border with the north. The Former Ukip leader, who campaigned for Britain to leave the EU, says the relationship – between Ireland and the UK

  Derry Magistrate’s Court heard today that local footballer Niall Grace remains in a ‘critical but stable’ condition in the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast after an assault at the weekend. Mr. Grace who plays for Institute FC is in an induced coma and being treated for swelling on the brain after the incident in

Donegal County Council has initiated a four year plan to combat invasive plants on public roads, which will see contractors appointed in the coming weeks. A pilot project took place in the county last year looking at different treatment options for the eradication of invasive plants such as Japanese and Himalayan Knotweed. Brendan O’Donnell is

Grain growers in Donegal could be facing difficult days ahead, according to the IFA. National Grain Committee Chairman Liam Dunne says the harvest has turned into a salvage operation for many growers with later sown and later maturing crops, particularly on the heavier soils in peripheral areas due to heavy and incessant rain. In some

The Psychiatric Nurses Association says the Donegal Mental Health Service is in breach of a national agreement after telling 11 graduating nurses from Letterkenny Institute of Technology that there are no jobs available. The PNA says the recent resolution to an industrial dispute included clear commitments that all nurses graduating this year across the country

The CEO of the Alcohol Forum says figures showing that Letterkenny had the highest number of alcohol related emergency admissions of any acute hospital in the state over the past five years are not a surprise. There were 1,063 recorded admissions in Letterkenny between 2011 and 2015, compared to 953 at the Mater in Dublin,

A 22 year-old man is due before  Derry Magistrates Court today on a charge of GBH with intent. The man was arrested shortly after a serious assault which ocurred shortly before 1am yesterday morning in Waterloo Street area of the city. The victim was rushed to hospital with serious injuries

Young men in Donegal are being urged to think about the impact of their actions on themselves and others during nights out. The ‘Use Your Brian, Not your Fists’ Public Awareness Campaign is launched nationally today by An Garda Siochana seeking to reduce the number of reported assaults. The campaign is intended to perrsuade young

A Derry councillor is calling on Stormont Infrastructure Minister Chris Hazzard to prioritise the upgrade of the Buncrana Road in Derry in the new Programme for Government. This follows the traffic lights at the Buncrana Road and Racecourse Road junction stopping yesterday for the second time in 4 days causing traffic disruptions throughout the area.