Author name: oisinkelly

Three weeks since he disappeared, there has been no confirmed sighting of missing Derry man John Concannon. Mr. Concannon, who suffers from dementia and has difficulty communicating, has been missing since November 10th. There have been a number of reported sightings of the 71 year-old but none have been confirmed. Mr Concannon is described as

A Donegal Councillor is meeting with the owners of the Abbey Village complex in Kilmacrennan to discuss the impact of recent flooding and long term strategies to avoid a repeat. Councillor Michael Mc Bride says on Sunday week last, the river Lennon had overflowed, with flood waters surronding many houses, as well as the block

Gardai in Buncrana are investigating an aggravated burglary at Mill Lane in the Tullyarvan area in the early hours of this morning. A mother and five children were in the house when it was entered by four masked men. One of the children was slightly injured, and the house sustained damage during the incident. It’s

Donegal Deputy Pearse Doherty says the government’s initiatives to help struggling homeowners have all been failures. He says the much anticipated mortgage to rent scheme was intended to help 3,500 families. However, he says, after three years, only 246 families have been able to avail of the scheme, just three of them in Donegal. In

Two Strabane men arrested yesterday as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged offences at the wake and funeral of Peggy O’Hara in Derry in July have been released without charge. The 53 year old man was freed pending a report to the Public Prosecution Service, the 34 year old has been released unconditionally. They

Garda killer Pearse McAuley will be sentenced today for stabbing his wife 13 times in front of their two young sons last Christmas Eve. The 50-year-old, a native of Strabane, has previously spent time in jail for his part in the 1996 killing of Garda Jerry McCabe in Limerick. Pauline Tully McAuley took to the

The first British airstrikes on Islamic State targets in Syria could take place before the end of the week if MPs in the UK give their backing in a vote today. Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn has warned the bombing raids would lead to civilian casualties – but has offered his party a free vote on

The Government has been criticised for a delay in ratifying the CRPD, the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities. The convention gives a committment that people with disabilities can enjoy their rights on an equal basis with all other citizens. Ireland signed the CRPD 8 years ago but has yet to ratify

Donegal Deputy Thomas Pringle has called for a Sub-Regional Action Plan for jobs for Donegal. Yesterday, Jobs Minister Richard Bruton was in Sligo where he launched the government’s Regional Jobs Plan for the North West and North East, with the aim of creating 28,000 new jobs in the region. Deputy Pringle says he welcomes some

Latest figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation show 21 people who were admitted to Letterkenny University Hospital, were without a bed this morning. Two of the patients are in the Emergency Department while 19 are on the wards. 2 people are without a bed at Sligo University Hospital.

There were 21 patients without beds at Letterkenny University Hospital this morning, two of them in A&E and 19 on the wards. The figures have been collated by the INMO, which is to begin a series of rolling Emergency Department strikes later this month to highlight what it says is a problem of overcrowding caused

A campaign has been launched in Strabane to improve traffic safety in the vicinity of St Mary’s Junior Primary School. West Tyrone MLA Michaela Boyle says that a tragedy was narrowly averted outside the school on Wednesday morning last when a mother and her two children were narowly missed by a motorist as they walked

A group of business people in Inishowen are calling for more investment in the peninsula, with a particular focus on the need to develop facilities at Malin Head. A meeting took place at Ballyliffen Golf Club last night, at which it was decided to communicate with all General Election candidates in Donegal. Jim Mullin was

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