Author name: oisinkelly

  It’s emerged the National Broadband Plan could be delayed for another two years, sparking concern in rural areas of Donegal. The Department of Communications this week confirmed that procurement is to be delayed until 2017 causing concern that it could now be 2022 before the plan is fully realised. Donegal Deputy Thomas Pringle says […]

It has been confirmed that it takes 19 weeks on average for processing times for applications for the Carer’s Allowance. Donegal Deputy Pearse Doherty obtained the information following numerous reports of people in Donegal facing lengthy delays and subsequently going months without being paid despite carrying out their caring duties. Deputy Doherty is to raise

Gairmscoil Mhic Diarmada on Arranmore Island has been reclassified as a ‘Post-Primary Aonad’ meaning it has a ‘Gaelic stream’ where some children are taught their classes through the medium of Irish. The school was reclassified following concerns from parents that under the scheme some students in Dungloe were not entitled to the scheme despite the

Senator Brian O’Domhnaill has been returned to the Seanad as a member of the agricultural panel. He was deemed elected on the 17th count last evening, exceeding the quota. Former Donegal County Council Chairman John Campbell contested the Labour Panel, but was eliminated last evening on the fifth count. There was also Donegal interest in

  Senator Brian O’Domhnaill has been returned to the Seanad. On the 17th count  Senator O’Domhnaill surpassing the 93,667 quota with 104,889 votes  deeming him elected this evening. Senator O’Domhnaill said in a social media post this evening  he is ‘truly honoured to have been re-elected to Seanad Eireann’

    Two Donegal men and a Lurgan man appeared at Lisburn Magistrates Court today after being charged in connection with a major drug seizure in Lurgan on Friday night last. All three have been remanded in custody. Seamus Boyce (36) from Glenwood Park in Letterkenny, and Desmond Enfield (32), from Ramelton were charged in connection

  The twin sister of Ireland’s longest-missing person is calling for a Commission of Investigation into her murder. Mary Boyle disappeared in Donegal in 1977, and is presumed dead, but nobody has ever been charged in connection with her case. Her sister Anne Doherty believes she was raped and murdered. She’s critical of the Garda

The Mental Health Service in Donegal is pledging to listen more after a three and a half year study into the suicides or untimely deaths of 34 people under the care of the service. The research, which took place between October 2011 and May 2015 forms the basis of a report which is being launched

The Fennelly Commission has ruled out widening its probe to include allegations that gardaí conducted electronic surveillance on Frank McBrearty Jnr and his legal team. Lawyers for Mr McBrearty, who received a €1.5m settlement from the State after being wrongly considered a murder suspect, made the allegations in a letter to the commission. The Irish

The sister of Mary Boyle, who was last seen near her grandparents’ home at Cashelard, Ballyshannon in 1977 will today meet with Fianna Fail leader Michael Martin and a number of other politicians. Late last year, Anne Doherty went to gardai and named a man she believes was responsible for her sisters’ murder. She also

The shooting dead of a man at an inner city pub in Dublin yesterday has been linked to the Kinahan-Hutch gang feud. The victim, has been named locally as 35-year-old Michael Barr, a native of Tyrone, who was killed after two men opened fire in the Summerhill pub at around 9:30 last night. The Irish

Donegal County Council is seeking to secure land for social housing, and is reaching out to inviting landowners with sites to sell to make contact. The council is focussing its attention on securing land in Ballybofey, Buncrana, Clonmany, Donegal Town, Falcarragh / Gortahork, Glenties, Ramelton and Stranorlar. Advertisements are appearing in the press and online

A disqualified driver allegedly told police he does not care if he is a danger behind the wheel of a car, a court has heard. Derry Magistrates Court was told William Keenan also said he does not care if he kills someone as a result of his driving. Keenan, of Blue Cedars, Ballybofey, Co.Donegal, is

  Three diggers and a flatbed truck have been stolen from Co Tyrone. The machinery was taken at around 2am this morning from the Omagh Road in Dromore. The PSNI are appealing for anyone who may have seen the lorry or diggers being moved in the early hours of this morning to get in touch.

  A judge told a motorist who drove at over 150 kilometres per hour to escape Gardai and then rammed a PSNI car on the other side of the border in Northern Ireland that he was giving him “half a chance” to escape further terms in jail. Judge Kevin Kilrane was dealing with several dangerous

  The Chief Executive of Letterkenny Chamber says Donegal would be one of the worst affected areas in the event of a British withdrawal from the EU. In a piece in today’s Donegal News, the chambers in Letterkenny and Derry say the implications for the border region would be far reaching, and a withdrawal from

  The Health and Safety Executive in the North has launched an investigation following the death of a farmer in County Tyrone. It’s believed the man died from injuries he sustained after being attacked by a bull in the Augnacloy area on Saturday. Following consultation with both the vet and family members, police shot the

The INTO says a quarter of Irish promary pupils are in supersize classes. At present, the Department of Education provides a teacher for every 27 pupils, however, the Irish National Teachers Organisation says more than 130 thousand children are in classes of 30 or more, representing almost 24% of the total. In Donegal, the figure

The dramatic story of the birth of Irish radio during the 1916 Rising will be re-enacted on air by 37 radio stations across the state this evening at 5.30, one hundred years to the original date and exact time of the first broadcast, which announced the declaration of the Irish Republic. In a joint initiative

Three men are due in court in Lisburn this morning following a major operation in which police seized herbal cannabis worth an estimated £300,000 in County Armagh at the weekendyesterday. A investigation between the PSNI and Gardaí led to the discovery of the drug in vehicles on Derrymacash Road in Lurgan. We understand as part of a

Gardai are to consider whether having an unarmed force is realistic in a time of increasingly violent crime following the submission of a motion from the Donegal branch to the Annual Conference of the Garda Representative Association. Pay is expected to dominate the GRA conference, which takes place this week in Killarney. With more than

It has been confirmed that plans for a new political party will be discussed following a major fall out in the SDLP in West Tyrone. Recent weeks saw three councillors Patsy Kelly, Joanne Donnelly and Josephine Deehan all leave the SDLP party over internal issues and they now will contest next month’s assembly election in

  Police are becoming increasingly concerned for the welfare of missing Limavady woman Rosemary Gregg and her daughter Orlaith. 48 year old Rosemary and her 6 year old daughter Orlaith have not been seen since they left their home in Limavady on Friday 22 April. Rosemary is described as being 5’9” tall, of medium build,

  A man has been taken to hospital following a fire at a Chinese takeaway in Derry. The fire at the property on Carlisle Road was first reported to the emergency services at around 10 am this morning. Four fire engines and up to 30 fire fighters attended the scene and the blaze was brought