Author name: oisinkelly

A stand-off between about 200 loyalists and republicans in the Ardoyne area of north Belfast ended last night when members of the Orange order dispersed shortly after reaching a PSNI barrier. There was a significant police presence in the surrounding area. Elsewhere, parades marking the Twelfth passed off virtually without incident. Among the main events

The Road Design Office in Donegal is reviewing the safety of the four lane approach road into Letterkenny, with a number of traffic surveys being analysed. Once all the data has been assessed, a report will be prepared and considered by councillors at a special Letterkenny Municipal District workshop. The matter was raised at last evening’s

The Justice Minister says the investigation into the disappearance of Mary Boyle in Co Donegal – almost 40 years ago – is ongoing. It follows reports that a “cold case” unit is reviewing evidence in the case. Mary went missing near Ballyshannon in March 1977, when she was six years old. Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald

The Old Boys School in Moville has been destroyed by fire. The alarm was raised at 4 o’clock in the early hours of the morning when flames were spotted through the rood. The Moville Fire Service were quickly on the scene backed by their neighbouring station Carndonagh and a platform from HQ It is understood

The Taoiseach has said he doesn’t want to see a European border that runs from Dundalk to Derry. However speaking at a press conference in Berlin he said he can’t say whether there will be a border until after Britain lays out their exit plans. Following a meeting between Angela Merkel and Enda Kenny the

The Council is to hold a workshop to ensure an agreed position on the Bonagee link road. It follows concerns from Councillors Liam Blaney and Ian McGarvey on the current planned location of the bridge. The development is seen as the single biggest solution to Letterkenny’s worsening traffic problem but is not on the current

A warrant for the arrest of Fr Ted actor Gerard McSorley was issued today. He is accused of damaging a bank’s flower-pots,  but gardai have two months in which to serve the warrant before the case is called again. Dungloe District Court was told McSorely is charged with damaging two flower pots at the Bank

A referendum on allowing Irish people living abroad to vote in presidential elections is being planned for early next year. Diaspora Minister Joe McHugh announced the news, saying it may expand to allow people abroad to vote in referenda and general elections. The right to vote in a presidential election may expire after a number

Letterkenny road issues are high on the agenda at this afternoon’s meeting of the Letterkenny Municipal District Councillor Michael McBride is calling for action to address the current layout of the junction at McDonald’s in the town while he and Councillor James Pat McDaid want progess on the Bonagee link. Currently, no work on The

Donegal County Council is inviting submissions from members of the public on whether or not the basic rate of Local Property Tax in Donegal should be changed in 2017. The council can either freeze the rate at this year’s level, or increase or decrease it by a maximum of 15%. The Council’s Finance Director Garry Martin

  The Donegal County Childcare Committee has claimed the HSE in Donegal is removing some Special Needs Assistants grants, which means children with disabilities may not be able to attend mainstream pre-school services in September. The committee is suggesting the HSE locally seems to have gone against a directive from the Department of Children and

Twelfth of July parades are due to be held across Northern Ireland today. First and Deputy First MInisters Arlene Foster and Martin McGuinness have called for any protests to be carried out in a peaceful way. Road closures and traffic delays can be expected this morning as feeder parades take place ahead of the main

A brand new online film starring actor Richard E Grant exploring Donegal and the Wild Atlantic Way has been unveiled. It’s the third in a series of short films created by Tourism Ireland and Smooth Radio to highlight the island of Ireland to holidaymakers in Great Britain this year. In the film, viewers see Richard

Police in Derry say both lanes travelling from the Waterside to the Cityside on the Foyle Bridge are closed due to a road traffic collision. Diversions are in place and motorists are advised to use alternative routes. No injuries have been reported.  

Ballybofey still has highest commercial vacancy rate in Ireland, according to Geodirectory. 31.3% of commercial premises in the town are empty, twice the Donegal average of 15%, which itself is above the national average of 13%. Buncrana had a vacancy rate of 15.5%, Bundoran 13.6%, Donegal Town 13.2% and Letterkenny 21.8%. Dara Keogh is Managing

A Derry councillor says the discovery of a viable explosive device in Galliagh on Saturday was deeply worrying, not only because the device had the capacity to kill and injury, but also because it kept other good news stories out of the headlines. Cllr Brian Tierney says the device was found in a building site

The Chair of Donegal County Council has welcomed news that just over a million euro has been approved by Housing MInister Simon Coveney to allow the council take over 40 housing developments. As part of the arrangement, the coubncil will raise almost €348,000 through bonds and other sources, in order to help finance this initiative.

Junior Gaeltacht Minister Sean Kyne has invited groups in The Rosses to begin the language planning process that could determine their future status. Groups have two months from today to submit expressions of interest, with the successful organisation working with Udaras na Gaeltachta to prepare a language plan. They will then have 7 years to

A new report published later today will suggest different ways that the Government could deal with the current funding crisis in third level education. One suggestion could see students given loans to cover fees of 5-thousand euro a year. The Education Minister Richard Bruton will launch the latest effort later to tackle the funding crisis

Donegal had the fourth highest number of drink driving fatalities in the country in 2013 accordint to figures published at the weekend by Gardai and the RSA. The preliminary figures from the National Drug Related Death INdex shows 32% of drivers who died in 2013 were drink driving. 7.6% of those deaths were in Donegal,

  Calls are growing for the location of a National Driver Licence Service office in Inishowen Senator Padraig Mac Lochlainn has been raising the issue with Transport Minister Shane Ross and the Road Safety Authority, who have told him that 95% of customers are within 50km of an office. The RSA also says options such

The Minister of State with responsibility for overseas aid has pledged 600-thousand euro in humanitarian funding for South Sudanese refugees in Uganda. Minister Joe McHugh made the announcement today as he visited Uganda’s border region with South Sudan in the wake of a renewal of hostilities. The announcement brings the total Irish Aid funding to

A woman is being treated at Sligo Regional Hospital after falling from a horse at a beach at Muckross Head near Kilcar yesterday afternoon. Killybegs Coast Guard were tasked to the area when the reports of the accident were received. The Sligo based Rescue 118 Coastguard helicopter was also tasked, and after the woman received

A man arrested by police following a house search in Derry has been released unconditonally. The 48 year old man was detained following the search of a house in the Creggan area on Friday night. Further searches took place on Saturday morning in the Creggan and Galliagh areas, during which a viable improvised explosive device