Author name: oisinkelly

There has been another stand-off between residents and Irish Water contractors in West Donegal today. Earlier this morning there was a stand-off in Burtonport, while there is a stand-off in Cotteen, Gweedore this afternoon. It’s understood there has been up to 20 people involved. Cllr Michael Cholm Mac Giolla Easbuig, says they’ve reached an agreement […]

A consultation process has been opened on how best to organise education in Gaeltacht Areas, with a new discussion document published this week. Junior Gaeltacht Minister Joe Mc Hugh says the proposals are intended to strengthen Irish-medium education in the Gaeltacht as part of the 20-Year Strategy for Irish. He says children raised through Irish

The Steering Committee of the Donegal Marathon have just announced that they will be adopting a bi-lingual approach to this year’s event, and into the future. Committee Chairman Dessie Larkin says this reflects the large Gaeltacht areas of the county, from where many of the participants will come. A new bi-lingual logo has been adopted,

A Donegal TD says initiatives to provide free GP care to people over 70 and under six may lead to a reduction in the overall quality of care if there are not enough doctors in the county to cope with the extra demand. Deputy Thomas Pringle says there’s been a steady decline in the number

Thousands of Donegal teachers are taking part in a lunchtime protest today in opposition to proposals for Junior Cycle Reform. Teachers maintain the changes will will undermine standards, equity and fairness. The protesta are being organised by second-level teacher unions the ASTI and the TUI. Neill Curran is the Donegal representative for the ASTI –

Donegal could be set to become a national centre of renewable energy after a US company confirmed this week it is establishing an Irish base at the Co-Lab at Letterkenny Institute of Technology. ORPC, the Ocean Renewable Power Company will work with the college and Donegal County Council, with the council’s CEO Seamus Neely saying

A Northwest MEP has slammed the Governments inaction on the Gweedore Sewerage scheme. The €13m Gweedore Sewerage Scheme was approved by the then Environment Minister, Phil Hogan, in November 2013. But although the scheme has been approved and millions of euro have been spent so far, not one pipe has been laid yet. MEP Matt

A Donegal Deputy has said that threats that water charges could be deducted from a person’s salary or their benefit payments is scaremongering. The cabinet will meet this evening to discuss plans to remove the threat of jail from people who refuse to pay water charges. The proposals from the Departments of Justice and Environment

Another Sinn Fein politician has received a death threat this afternoon. The parties Westminster candidate for East Derry Caoimhe Archibald has received a death threat from a group styling itself the Real UFF. The threat came in the post on a sympathy card to her home. The latest threat comes following attacks on cars belinging

The HSE has agreed to subsidise flight costs for children in the county with life limiting conditions in order to travel to Dublin for treatment. It follows intensive discussions between HSE personnel and the group ‘Our Children’s Voice’ to allow sick children to fly from Donegal Airport to avail of treatment at hospitals in the

The North’s Deputy First Minister says attacks on Sinn Fein representatives are futile, and will not deflect the party from its work, or from its support of the peace process. Martin Mc Guinness was speaking in Derry this morning following the latest incidents, which involved attacks on cars belinging to Cllrs Colly Kelly and Sandra

Irish Water contractors have removed water meters from outside two houses in West Donegal. It happened near Annagry, where a stand off developed early this morning. The meters were placed outside houses which belong to a private group water scheme which is not under Irish Water’s control. Cllr Michael Cholm Mac Giolla Easbuig, who lives

Two men have been arrested in Derry in connection with the latest in a series of attacks on the homes and properties of Sinn Fein representatives in the city. It follows attacks on cars belonging to two of the party’s councillors. Shortly before 1.50am, police received reports that a car parked in the Kildrum Gardens

The number of patients on trolleys in Irish hospitals is still increasing. Figures compiled by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation for last month are up 26 per-cent on last year and 73 per-cent since April 2006. Letterkenny General Hospital saw a fall last month, with a total of 299 people on trollies across the

A Donegal Councillor is calling for the fast tracking of proposed sea defences for Creeslough. Councillor John Sheamais Ó Fearraigh made the comments following recent discussions with An Bord Pleanála about the reinstatement of the area’s coastal defences which were destroyed last year. That caused the flooding of some 64 acres of nearby farmland in

Work is beginning today on the next phase of the new pedestrian and cycle bridge in Strabane, with the project now at assembly stage. The mast components for the bridge will arrive on site today. The council says welding work on the mast is expected to continue until the beginning of next month, with the

The Finance Minister says he has no objection to reducing the bankruptcy period – but not as part of planned solutions to mortgage arrears. The coalition’s to make changes to the insolvency arrangements in the coming weeks with new legislation from the Department of Justice. Labour backbencher Willie Penrose has proposed reducing the bankruptcy period

An anesthetist who was convicted last month of assaulting police after a Christmas night out has had her appeal against conviction and sentence adjourned at today’s sitting of Derry Crown Court. Dr Eireann Kerr, 32 from Marlborough Park South in Belfast, was convicted of committing the four offences inside Derry’s Strand Road Police Headquarters following

  Cancer levels in Donegal have been identified as “significantly low” over a 19 year period between 1994 and 2012. Figures published by the National Cancer Registry show an average annual reported rate of 580 cases a year, against an expected rate of 607 compared to the national average. A recent study by the National

A plan has been unveiled to transform a former High School in Castlederg into a new mixed use business park. St Eugene’s High School on the Killeter Road closed its doors for good during the summer of 2013. But the five acre site has since been purchased by a local businessman who plans to covert

38 new housing projects are to begin in Donegal with a total investment of € 5,800,000 as part of the first phase of the Government’s Social Housing Strategy. 8 Units are to be constructed in Ardara, 24 units in Drumrooske, Donegal Town and 8 units in Newtowncunningham. Nationally, 312 million euro is being spent building

It’s claimed the protracted negotiations between the telecom providers and COMREG have stalled the roll out of the service high speed broadband to customers in Donegal’s town centres. Deputy Charlie McConologue says the introduction of eFibre in Donegal has been completely mismanaged. He says a delay in COMREG approving changes to the service in town

A doctor found guilty of assaulting PSNI officers while under the influence of a date rape drug will today appeal her convictions. Dr Eireann Kerr’s bid to clear her name will be heard in Derry Courthouse. Dr Kerr was last month convicted of a series of offences committed after she attended a Christmas party with

Gardai are investigating after a burglary at post office in Glenswilly the early hours of this morning. McFadden’s shop and post office in Breenagh was broken into just after 3am. Garda forensics are currently at the scene and the area is cordoned off. It’s the third burglary at the post office in the past number

Irish footballers Seamus Coleman and James McClean are among those who have donated to former Derry City striker Mark Farren’s fundraising drive for cancer treatment. Farren’s family have made a public appeal for funds to allow the 33-year-old undergo medical treatment that will give him a chance of surviving serious illness. Former Derry City and

Two improvised explosive devices have been found close to an Army base in Derry. The improvised explosive devices were left in two duffle-type bags placed near the fence of the facility in a residential area in Rockport Park. The PSNI said an examination of CCTV footage indicated that the bombs “partially initiated” at about 11.35pm

There have been calls on road-users throughout Ireland to join the international community in support of the third UN Global Road Safety Week which begins today. #SaveKidsLives is the theme for the week as figures reveal that 47 children aged 14 and under have died on roads North and South in the past five years.