Author name: oisinkelly

It’s been confirmed that local authority house building is to resume in Donegal, with confirmation today that the Department of the Environment has approved just over €1.1 million for eight council houses to be built in Ardara. The development, which was approved in principle earlier this year, will be constructed at River Bank, in an […]

A Status Yellow wind warning remains in place across the country. Storm Abigail made landfall yesterday affecting many parts, but no major disruption has been reported in the North West. The Harry Blaney Bridge in Fanad has been closed for a period as a precaution. Flights leaving Dublin airport were also disrupted and passengers are

A number of people forced to leave their homes in Drumsurn near Limavady due to a security alert, have returned to their houses. Security forces remain in the area as the alert enters into its third day. An initial telephone call was passed to police on Wednesday saying a device had been left at a

Donegal Deputy Pearse Doherty has called on the Government to reassure people a fishing trawler sailing off the Donegal coast is complying with regulations. The Margiris is nearly 140 metres long and has the capacity to catch over 9-thousand tonnes of fish. Concerns are on-going that while it catches an unknown amount of fish, local

Mairia Cahill is set to be elected to the Seanad today. The Belfast woman – who became known for revealing her sexual abuse at the hands of an IRA member – was nominated by the Labour Party to fill the seat vacated by Jimmy Harte, who continues to recover after a serious fall two years

  Police are appealing for information following a paramilitary-style assault in the Galliagh area of Derry. The incident is said to have happened shortly before 4am this morning. Police received a report that a man aged 24 had been assaulted by four others at Altcar Park. It is alleged that one of the men had

  A cross border search is underway to try to locate a missing Derry man. Mr John Concannon, who is 71, has not been seen since Tuesday evening. Volunteers from a Community Search and Rescue Team have today joined enquires to try to locate John Concannon who was last seen on Tuesday evening in Derry

Donegal County Council will be asked to appeal a revaluation of the rates bills for six national utility companies, which will see the rates intake into Donegal cut by almost €700,000 next year. The council was informed of the change last week, prompting Sinn Fein to launch a campaign to have the revaluation reversed. Cllr

The fisherman behind a petition to have super trawlers banned from off the Irish coast, says the sector is being failed by EU policies. The petition was sparked by the presence of the vessel, Margiris, off the coast of Donegal – it’s nearly 140 metres long and has the capacity to catch over 9-thousand tonnes

The HSE is being urged to take over the Aras Gweedore nursing home in West Donegal. The facility is run by the local community, but Deputy Thomas Pringle says anticipated future demand, coupled with the need to meet with HIQA requirements presents a challenge that the community cannot meet. He says there was a serious

  The police ombudsman in the North has found no evidence to support concerns that police did not intervene to stop a sectarian attack in Coleraine in which a man later died. Kevin McDaid died after he was attacked outside his home in May 2009. A number of people were also injured in the attack.

The former British soldier arrested this week by detectives investigating the events of Bloody Sunday has been released on bail. The 66-year-old former member of the Parachute Regiment was the first to be arrested as part of the legacy investigation. The BBC is reporting this morning that he was questioned over the deaths of William

The Saolta Hospital Group has conformed that a urology service is being reinstated this week in Letterkenny Hospital. An operating list is taking place tomorrow, and OPD clinics are restarting in the coming weeks, although an exact date has not yet been confirmed. The logistics of how the service will operate are now being discussed

A Donegal County Councillor has slammed Minister Alan Kelly over his response to serious concerns over toxic barrels off the Donegal coast. Councillor John Shéamais Ó Fearraigh requested an investigation be carried out as to who has been dumping the barrels and how harmful the contents are. Minister Kelly has since replied saying there will

A Donegal County Councillor has asked the Council to write to the Minister for Justice, calling for sufficient resources to the Gardai and Court Services in Donegal. There have been concerns that both services are not up to the standard they need to be to address crime in the county. Councillor Dessie Shiels raised the

Irish MEPs will this morning be allowed 15 minutes to question the President of the ECB about the Irish banking crisis. Mario Draghi will be in the European Parliament in Brussels this morning, where 3 Irish MEPs will be given 5 minutes each to question him on the ECB’s actions surrounding Ireland’s bailout programme. Mr

  NIFRS Statement – Fire at Waste Management Facility, Electra Road, Maydown Derry A Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service spokesperson said: “Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) is advising that the fire at Brickkiln Enviroparc, Electra Road, Maydown, Londonderry will likely burn for several more days. “Due to the intensity of the fire,

  Police in Derry are becoming increasingly concerned for the welfare 71 year old John Concannon. Mr Concannon was last seen yesterday evening in the city centre of Derry. He is described as being about 5’6″ tall, of medium build and with grey hair. He was wearing a black and grey beanie hat, a black

    The Garda Commissioner is currently speaking in front of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice. Noirín O’Sullivan answered a wide range of questions in relation to the force, on issues such as training, rural crime and the Provisional IRA. Donegal North East TD Padraig Mac Lochlainn, the Sinn Fein Justice Spokesperson, questioned the

A Donegal Fianna Fail Councillor is being urged to support a full boycott of water charges, after saying he would encourage people receiving a substandard service from Irish Water not to pay. Cllr James Pat Mc Daid, who is seeking a nomination from his party to contest the forthcoming general election, made the statement in

The Transport Minister has said the government does not have funds to invest in a new Derry to Dublin air link which is being launched early next year. The new route is being supported to the tune of just over quarter of a million euro by the British government, and the Irish government has been

Firefighters are currently tackling a large fire at the former Brickkiln site in Derry. A number of fire appliances are at the site on Electra Road in Maydown. The North’s Environment Minister Mark H Durkan lives nearby, and a short time ago, he spole on the Shaun Doherty Show……. Picture from Mark H Durkan’s Twitter

The Garda Commissioner is due to speak in front of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice later today. Noirín O’Sullivan is expected to answer a wide range of questions in relation to the force, on issues such as training, rural crime and the Provisional IRA. Donegal North East TD Padraig Mac Lochlainn, the Sinn Fein

Police investigating the bomb attack at the Waterfoot hotel in Derry last month have returned to the scene to gather additional information. A device was found at the hotel on October 9 in advance of a planned PSNI recruitment event. Detectives were in the area last night and spoke to passing motorists and pedestrians. Detective

Kate Nash A former British soldier remains in custody in Belfast this morning as part of the investigation into the Bloody Sunday shootings. The 66 year-old man was detained in County Antrim yesterday and taken to Belfast for questioning. The arrest is part of a legacy inquiry into the deaths of thirteen civilians who were

The Western Health Trust is hosting a series of public meetings in the coming months at which details on the progress on the new Radiotherapy Unit at Altnagelving Hospital. The meetings will take place in Letterkenny, Derry, Omagh, Ennishillem and Coleraine between now and Christmas. The new radiotherapy unit which is being built at Altnagelvin

The Communications Minister has been told by a Donegal Deputy that the roll out of the National Broadband Plan to the county is unacceptably slow. The issue was raise in the Dail by Fianna Fail Deputy Charlie McConalogue, who also accused the government of setting the bar too low in terms of minimum up and

Dungloe District Court has been told that guns and a crossbow with bolts were found during a drugs raid on the home of Jim Brady at Corkaheery, Annagry. The 51 year old admitted possession of €891 of drugs, mainly cannabis with a small amount of cocaine, on April 9, 2014. Also discovered during the search