Author name: oisinkelly

Two Strabane men have been arrested in connection with dissident republican activity. The men, aged 53 and 34, were arrested in the town this morning by detectives from Serious Crime Branch investigating a series of offences committed at the wake and subsequent funeral of Peggy O’Hara in Derry last July. They’re being questioned at Musgrave […]

A viable explosive device has been found during a security alert in County Derry. It was found this morning in the Ard Na Smoll area of Dungiven following the discovery of a suspicious object. It’s the latest in a series of incidents in the vicinity of Dugiven over the past number of weeks. A number

An RTE Investigates programme on organised prostitution in Ireland has asked if the governments’ proposed new law which criminalises ‘paying for sex’ will do anything to change the situation. The programme broadcast last night revealed that more than 100 women in prostitution rings are controlled by organised criminals. The programme focussed on a number of

Donegal Labour representative Seamus Rodgers will Chair a meeting of the National Committee for Retired Members’ of SIPTU today with calls for investement in community nursing homes and care for older people high on the agenda. Other issues to be discussed at the meeting at Liberty Hall in Dublin will be housing, pensions, health and

A Donegal councillor says the imposition of charges on businesses who develop parking spaces in town centres could become a disincentive to growth. Cllr Martin Mc Dermott is seeking a review of the process which can see businesses charged over €10,000 for just three parking spaces. He’s received the support of all councillors after telling

A woman charged with stabbing her partner in the arm claimed she meant to stab him in the chest but he woke up. 20 year-old Samantha Barton of 20, Bond Street in Derry appeared at the local Magistrate’s Court charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm on the man and possessing an offensive weapon on November

There are calls for the Department of the Marine to monitor much more closely so called ‘Super Trawlers’ fishing in Irish Waters. Donegal fishermen reacted angrely to news that super trawlers where fishing off the Donegal coast in waters locals are banned from fishing. MEP Luke Flannagan is calling for a number of measures to

There has been strong criticism of the Western health Trust for refusing public representatives access to an consultation meeting in Gortin where the future of frontline services for the local area was discussed. The Western Health and Social Care Trust is proposing to close the facility which hosts 14 senior citizens each Monday. SDLP West

Councillor Gerry McMonagle has branded claims from a fellow Donegal Councillor that expenses for elected members have increased year-on-year as ‘false’ and ‘grossly untrue’. Last week Cllr Dessie Shiels said expenses for elected representatives were expected to increase by €114,400 as part of the Council’s Budget for 2016. But Cllr Gerry McMonagle says this has

A Derry councillor is calling on Transport NI to carry out a full assessment of the risk and impact iof flooding form Derry’s roads infrastructure. Clle Colly Kelly was speaking after heabvy rain onn Saturday led to flooding on the road from the junction with Foyle Road to Killea. He says it’s a regular occurrence,

Irish Water has scrapped controversial plans to decommission Lough Anna as a public water source, with local Councillor Marie Therese Gallagher praising the local community for its successful campaign to retain the lake. Cllr Gallagher made her comments this morning at a briefing session held at Donegal County Council offices in Lifford, where it was

The Chairman of the County Donegal Executive of the IFA says he will be vigorously pushing the Donegal resolutions at IFA National Council meetings in the coming days. Michael Chance says there was a clear message from the emergency meeting which took place at the weekend that openess and transparency must be to the forefront

Enterprise Minister Bruton will today launch the Regional Jobs Plan for the North West and North East, with the aim of creating 28,000 new jobs in the region. There are over 150 elements to the plan, which covers the area from Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Monaghan, Cavan and Louth. The targets include an increase of at

  Jobs Minister Richard Bruton officially opened the Letterkenny campus of the North West Science Park at Letterkenny Institute of Technology. LYIT President Paul Hannigan says since opening its doors during the early summer, the park has been a major success……….

A Donegal Deputy says the campaign to have more gardai allocated to the county will be stepped up, despite weekend figures showing that Donegal has third lowest burglary rate in the country. Wexford was the county with the most burglaries, 256 per 100,000 people. By contrast, the three lowest counties are Monaghan with 31 burglaries

IFA members in Donegal have declared no confidence in the association’s National Executive, and have called on the board to resign. However, a motion that no confidence be declared in the County Executive was rejected. Last night’s emergency meeting in Letterkenny was called to discuss the fall out from the pay and pensions scandal which

Police in County Derry are investigating after five people were injured in a crash involving a van and two cars yesterday afternoon. It happened shortly before 4 o’clock on the Foreglen Road, near Dungiven. All the injured were taken to Altnagelvin Hospital. One woman whose conmdition after the crash was described as serious is now

      There have been a number of power outages in Donegal as a result of Storm Clodagh, with North Fanad the worst affected area at present. ESB Networks say they are working to restore power to over 140 homes in the area, while there are still around 45 properties without power in the

Met Eireann is upgrading its weather alerts for parts of the country tomorrow to status Orange. A status yellow wind warning for Ireland is already in place. Met Eireann’s warning of winds of up to 55 kilometres an hour and gusts of up to 100 kilometres an hour. There’s also a status yellow rainfall warning

Calls have been made to market the Donegal Gaeltacht as a unique tourist attraction and it’s thought the move would counteract emigration and unemployment in the West Donegal area. Councillor Micheál Cholm Mac Giolla Easbuig believes there is a need to promote, dance, poetry and music in the Gaeltacht area. However, he says in order

Detectives in Derry are appealing for information following an altercation between two men in the Old Fort area early yesterday morning. Both men received injuries that required hospital treatment. As a result, two men aged 34 and 48 were arrested on suspicion of GBH with intent and remain in custody assisting police with their enquiries.

There are reports of traffic delays on the Letterkenny Road in Derry as a result of flooding from the junction with Foyle Road to Killea. Traffic is moving very slowly and motorists are being urged to take care. Cllr Colly Kelly says he’s been in contact with Transport NI in a bid to get the

Sinn Fein is holding demonstrations around the country today to highlight what they’re calling the trolley crisis in hospital Emergency Departments. Activists will be campaigning in Letterkenny, Ballybofey and Inishowen from 12 noon today. Yesterday, the Health Minister Leo Varadkar signed a directive requiring hospitals to take steps if a patient is left on a

New research shows that over half of all IFA members intend to cancel their membership. The poll by farming website Agriland was carried out in the wake of the organisation’s wage scandal. There’s been major controversy since details emerged last week of former General Secretary Pat Smith’s salary and 2 million euro severance package. The

  Donegal has the third lowest burglary rate in the country, according to figures analysed in today’s Irish Independent. The report finds Wexford is the county with the most burglaries by head of population. There’s 256 burglaries per 100-thousand people in Wexford – with Dublin, Kildare, Louth, Wicklow and Laois having the next highest rates.