Author name: oisinkelly

There’s been a 49% drop in the supply of land in Donegal. In its annual land survey, the Irish Farmers Journal is reporting average prices increased by 7.3% in the county, rising from €6,847 an acre in 2014 to €7,345 an acre last year. Just 976 acres were offered for sale in the Donegal in

A Donegal Deputy has stated that despite Fine Gaels firm stance on Irish Water, it is a ‘dead duck’ and must be abolished by the incoming Government. The 32nd Dail will meet for the first time later today but there is little chance of a government being formed for another couple of weeks. Yesteray Fine

Letterkenny University Hospital has again apologised for the long delays in its Emergency Department. The latest INMO figures revealed yesterday that there were 35 people waiting to be admitted to hospitals in the North West – 12 in Letterkenny University Hospital and 23 in Sligo Regional Hospital. LUH says the main reasons for the high

  Letterkenny Institute of Technology has seen a significant increase in third level applications for the coming year. Nationally, over 76 thousand students have applied for third level college places, an increase of two percent. The number of students wanting to study architecture, construction, business, law and nursing has increased. President of the Letterkenny Institute

Water charges will NOT be scrapped, and Irish Water isn’t going to be abolished. That’s according to Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney, who says his comments on the charge last week were misconstrued. The Minister says Fine Gael won’t compromise on it’s core principles during negotiations to form a government. Simon Coveney says Irish Water is

The Government’s special rapporteur on children, says cyberbullying should be a criminal offence. Geoffrey Shannon says schools should have a mandatory internet code of behaviour, as well as a series of sanctions in place for those in breach of it, up to a criminal offence. In Donegal, the sudden deaths of Erin and Shannon Gallagher

Councillors in the Glenties Municipal District say they will no longer accept, what has been described as, discrimination against the area. This week’s district meeting discussed spending in the area for the year with figures showing large differences in funding levels across Donegal’s 5 districts. In one example, the Glenties area gets 15 thousand Euro

Foyle MLA Raymond McCartney has called on the Public Prosecution Service to review a decision not to prosecute a British soldier who shot dead 15-year-old Daniel Hegarty in the Creggan area of Derry in 1972. Mr Mc Cartney also wants the PPS to meet with the Hegarty family to hear their concerns about this decision.

Donegal County Council has sought funding from the Department of Agriculture Food and Marine for the construction of a sea wall at Maheraroarty in Gortahork. There have been on-going issues with sand deposition and erosion in the area which consequently have had a negative impact on the tourism and fishing industry. It’s believed if the

The old fire station in Letterkenny may soon be a thing of the past with the site it sits on being turned into a car park. The fire station on the High Road shut over a decade ago and despite interest from a number of community and voluntary groups, it was put to no further

    A Donegal County Councillor is calling for an urgent flood risk evaluation on the Lennon Basin expressing fear of a major flooding event in the near future. Earlier this year, the River Lennon broke it’s banks flooding homes in the Ramelton area while a facility for people with intellectual disabilities had to be

  Over half a million euro in funding has been allocated to Donegal County Council for the protection and preservation of Mount Errigal in West Donegal.  The money was allocated by the Northern Peripheral Fund and will go towards assigning a research and design team that will carry out the work required. Local Councillor Micheal Cholm

There’s been a rise of almost 33 percent in the number of patients waiting for hospital beds across the country today, according to the INMO. There were 12 patients awaiting admission at Letterkenny University Hospital this morning, eight on trollies in the Emergency Department and four on chairs or trollies on the wards. Yesterday, the

The Glenties Municipal District meeting has heard calls on senior council staff to attend a future meeting to discuss future staffing plans for the area. Cllr Seamus O’Domhnaill says staff in the council’s Dungloe office are under severe pressure as there aren’t enough of them to deal with queries from the public. He says previous

One of Derry’s most iconic shops has closed its doors today, with over 50 staff told their jobs are gone with immediate effect. Austins on the Diamond in Derry opened in the 19th century, and was often described as Ireland’s Oldest Department Store. However, it’s understood the company has now gone into liquidation, and will

Businesses in the Strabane area are being urged to support a plan to have the area developed as a “Business Improvement District”, with claims that it would bring real and lasting benefits for the town. Derry and Strabane District Council says the plan is the result of months of consultation between council and the business

An Udaras na Gaeltachta board member in Donegal says today’s announcement that Randox Health will sponsor the Grand National from next year is a very important one for Dungloe. Randox has confirmed a five-year deal starting from April 2017. Randox, which has a base in Dungloe, says more than 5% of the world’s population receives

Donegal Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher says he’s glad he sought the Fianna Fail nomination for the position of Ceann Comhairle, despite the fact that he lost last evening’s vote. Following a secret ballot, Mr Gallagher was defeated by Kildare South TD Seán Ó Fearghaíl, who will now stand in Thursday’s election for Dáil chairperson

A Derry Assembly candidate says a report published by a Stormont committee this week backs up everything said by rail campaigners about the unacceptable handling of contracts relating to upgrade of the Coleraine-Derry line. The report concerns the delays and doubling of the cost of the upgrade. Eamon Mc Cann says Regional Development Minister Michelle

Police at Strand Road are appealing for information about a city centre assault. Shortly before 3am on Sunday, an ambulance crew attended a man with a head injury at Shipquay Street. According to witnesses, the victim was attacked by two men. One is believed to be in his 40s, 5ft 9ins to 6ft tall and

  Newly elected Fianna Fail Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher has failed  to secure nomination for the Ceann Comhairle position from his party.  He was defeated by Kildare South TD Seán Ó Fearghaíl,  who will stand in Thursday’s vote for Dáil chairman. The Cope has been widely tipped as favorite for the post in recent days

  Police at Strand Road are appealing for information about an incident in which a group of men caused damage to a car. On Friday, March 4, two men were in a black Vauxhall Astra at Foyle Road when their route was blocked by another car, a dark Volkswagen Passat. Two men got out of

  Gardai in Letterkenny are launching ten Neighbourhood Watch Schemes in the town to strengthen Community & Garda interaction in the fight against crime. The launch is taking place in the Station House Hotel tonight at 7.30 where information will be provided on how to protect your home against instances such as ‘creeper burglaries’ and

There were separate attacks on a Road Gritter and Community Wardens in the Top of the Hill area over the weekend. Councillor Christopher Jackson says there is anger in the area as a result of the attacks on what are essential services. He says the worry is that there may be repercussions………..