Author name: oisinkelly

Contracts have been signed that will allow construction of a new courthouse in Letterkenny to begin. It is expected that work will start early in New Year and be completed by December 2017. It is part of a multi-million project to provide new court facilities across the country. Three new courts will be built in

There has been a fall in the number of sexual offences recorded in Donegal since last year. 86 incidents of rape or assault were recorded in Donegal in the year to the end of September of this year, a fall of 5 on the previous period. Nationally sexual offences increased by 14 percent. There were

It’s 38 days since Derry man John Concannon disappeared after apparently getting on the wrong bus at the Foyle Street Bus Station on November 10th. John, who is 71 and has dementia and hearing difficulties, was last seen on CCTV footage on the Leenamore Road, close to the Donegal border, where he got off the

A 35 year old man has been charged with a number of offences including criminal damage, handling stolen goods and another 10 offences including cultivating cannabis and possessing a class B controlled drug with intent to supply. He is due to appear at Derry Magistrates Court today. The charges follow a search at a house

A 50 year old man has died in a crash outside Ballygawley in Tyrone. Three others were injured in the two vehicle crash which happened on the Omagh Road shortly before 7 o’clock last night. The man who died was 50-year-old Kieran McSorley, from the Omagh area, a front seat passenger in one of the

The SDLP has selected West Tyrone representative Daniel McCrossan to replace Joe Byrne as West Tyrone MLA in the Assembly in the New Year. It emerged earlier this month that Mr Byrne was stepping down for health reasons. Mr Mc Crossan was the party’s unsuccessful candidate in West Tyrone for the last Westminister election, a

The twin sister of Mary Boyle has identified a new location in Donegal where she suspects Mary may have been buried and says the site has never been searched. Ann Doherty has written to the Garda Commissoner Noirin O’Sullivan requesting the area be sealed off as a matter of urgency and forensically examined by a

Arlene Foster’s been formally elected as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party. She’ll also become the first woman to lead Northern Ireland when she takes on the role of First Minister next month. Ms Foster, a 45 year old native of Rosslea in Fermanagh, replaces Peter Robinson who stepped down as DUP leader for health

Gardai in Donegal and the the PSNI in Derry are launching their annual cross-border drink-drive campaign later today. Gardai say that drink driving detections are up 6% in Donegal this year, while road deaths in the county have also increased significantly, despite national figures showing an overall decrease. Chief Inspector Micheal Harrison says they will

  The vast majority of senior Gardai say morale is either low or very low in the force. A survey by the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors reveals that 86 per cent of members say morale in their team or unit is worrying low. Around three quarters are dissatisfied with their workload due to

Councillor Frank McBrearty Junior today failed to gather enough support in his attempt to be appointed the new Chairperson of the Joint Policing Committee. He argued that with his experience to date, he and others feel that he was worthy of the position. But at a meeting in Lifford today Sinn Fein’s Gerry McMonagle was

Three men have been jailed for six years each for their part in the robbery of a sum of money from Manorcunningham Post Office in October of last year. The men, all from Derry, had earlier hijacked a Royal Mail van in the city before crossing the border into Donegal and carrying out the robbery.

Former British soldiers who face questioning over Bloody Sunday have won their case against being detained and transferred to Northern Ireland to be interviewed by members of the PSNI’s legacy investigation team. The High Court in London ruled in favour of the ex paratroopers, who can’t be named. The PSNI chief constable wants them brought

KFO Chief Executive Sean O’Donoghue says the issue of huge supertrawlers fishing off the Donegal coast was not raised during this week’s meeting of the EU fisheries council. Mr O’Donoghue acknowledges that there is concern, but says the meeting this week was discussing quota changes, and these vessels are bound by quotas like everyone else.

The HSE’s service plan for 2016, worth almost 13 billion euro, has been heavily criticised by some opposition politicians. The HSE’s admitted there’s a funding shortfall of around 100 million euro for next year. Fianna Fail says the plan will see reduced services, longer waiting lists and cuts to medical cards. Donegal Deputy Charlie McConalogue

A meeting of the Donegal Joint Policing Committee is taking place later today in the County House in Lifford to elect a new Chair and Vice Chair to the Committee. The Committee is made up of senior Garda Officers, the Donegal County Manager and other Council officials as well as elected Councillors for the area.

  Councillor Hugh McElvaney has been asked to resign from Monaghan County Council. Members of the local authority say Mr McElvaney has broken its code of conduct and needs to step down. Hugh McElvaney was one of three politicians featured in an RTE Investigates programme last week, along with Donegal Councillor John O’Donnell and Sligo

    The number of unfinished housing development or ghost estates in Donegal has decreased by almost 65% since 2010. The figures released today by Minister for Housing Paudie Coffey show the number of ghost estates in the county has fallen from 133 estates to 49 compared with this time 5 years ago. Nationally there

North West MEP Marian Harkin says blaming EU policies for flood damage is not constructive. Critics have said that the EU Habitats Directive prevented some dredging and draining of rivers, and thats’s contributed to some of the devastation seen in recent weeks. Ms Harkin says the European Commission does not want its legislation to get

  Detectives from Serious Crime Branch investigating the murder of Paul McCauley in Derry in 2006 have arrested a 25 year old man in the city. He has been taken to Strand Road police station for questioning. Detectives say today’s arrest brings the number of people who have been arrested since Paul died last June

  Donegal County Council have confirmed that a letter has been received by the Council’s Meetings Administrator from Councillor John O’Donnell. It’s believed this letter was received ahead of last Friday’s Special Meeting of Donegal County Council and was circulated to the elected members of Donegal County Council as requested by Cllr O’Donnell. The special

The High Court in Belfast has ruled that Northern Ireland’s strict abortion laws are incompatible with human rights legislation. The landmark ruling could pave the way for women in the North to access terminations in certain circumstances. It’s now up to the politicians at Stormont to change the law – but they aren’t legally obliged

The mutual recognition of driver disqualification between Ireland and the UK will be delayed until next year, because the new traffic bill has not yet passed. The issue was raised in the Dail this morning, with Deputy Tommy Broughan asking why legislation giviongh effect to a new agreement wasn’t put through the Dail as a

Ireland’s whitefish quota has increased by an average of ten per cent, with higher increases in certain species. Cod, sole and boarfish quotas have been reduced. The quota for prawns has increased by eight per cent. The deal was secured early this morning following two days of talks at the EU Fisheries Council in Brussels.

Donegal Deputy Padraig Mac Lochlainn says a long term pattern of under-resourcing at Letterkenny University Hospital has led to the situation where elective surgery is being scaled back to prevent a build up of trolleys in the Emergency Department. He says the fact that the situation has apparently been accepted by the higher echelons of management

Businesses in Donegal are being warned of a telephone scam which uses threats to family members to extort money. A number of business, particularly in East Donegal have already been targetted. The caller contacts a member of staff with a key role in the business with access the cash. They are told to follow specific