Author name: oisinkelly

Donegal County Council are appealing to the public to exercise caution during the current spell of good weather. The Fire Service have already responded to dozens of call outs during the past few weeks and many areas continue to be susceptible to wild fires due to the ongoing dry spell. The council is urging all […]

Firefighters are currently battling to contain a house fire just outside Letterkenny. Three fire appliances from Letterkennny and Stranorlar are at the scene of the fire in Corkey, Manorcunningham. It’s understood the fire started at the bungalow earlier this afternoon. It’s believed there are no injuries, but the fire has caused significant damage.

Newstalk presenter Pat Kenny has said he won’t say sorry despite a county council motion condemning him. During an interview with Sinn Fein finance spokesman Pearse Doherty last month Deputy Doherty said there was little employment in the north west, even during the Celtic Tiger. Mr Kenny responded, however, that there was full employment at

A crane at the centre of an airspace violation claim in Strabane is being taken down today. A new DARD direct office is currently being built on the site of old Social Security Office on Urney Road, which will create 40 new jobs. The company behind the construction have been ordered to attend a hearing

Gardai say a motorist was detected doing 117 kilometres an hour in an 80 km/h zone in Donegal during the EU wide Speed Enforcement Marathon which ended at 6 o’clock this morning. It happened on the R237 between Newtowncunningham and the border at Killea, and was the fastest speed recorded on an 80 kilometre an

Over four thousand extra jobs have been created by Local Enterprise Office supported companies in the past 12 months. The Jobs Minister Richard Bruton has published the annual results for L-E-O’s for 2014. In total, over 7,300 new jobs were created – taking into account losses, there was a net increase of 4,012. In Donegal,

Calls have been made on Donegal County Council to conclude its investigation into the presence of Mica in it’s housing stock. It’s estimated that over 2000 homes in north Donegal could be affected by the defective blocks. They cause cracking in external and internal walls and can lead to extensive structural problems. Cllr Albert Doherty

A meeting aimed at saving Colaiste Chineal Eoghain will take place at the Exchange in Buncrana tonight. The meeting, organmised by parents and supporters of the school follows confirmation from the CEO of the Donegal ETB this week that Inishowen’s only irish language secondary school is to be closed on a phased basis as a

A Co. Donegal man who admitted sex act on a bus travelling from Dublin to Derry has been jailed at Derry Crown Court. 39-year-old Patrick Gavin Porter of Grange, Inch Island, pleaded guilty to committing an act outraging public decency on June 22, last year. The court heard that a female passenger, who got on the bus

Fine Gael Deputy Dinny Mc Ginley is stressing that there is no question of PPS numbers being handed to Irish Water. Can’t Pay Won’t Pay have accused the government of deception after it emerged that persons applying for the Water Conservation Grant will have to state their PPS numbers. Particular concern has been expressed at

A formal announcement is expected shortly on a service agreement which will see Donegal patients with severe heart conditions treated at the new Cardiac Unit at Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry. MInister Varadkar confirmed the deal during a visit to the unit yesterday on the fringes of a North South Ministerial Council meeting with his Stormont

A Midlands North West MEP is claiming that mismanagement by successive Government departments has led to a situation where hill farmers do not know whether or not their land qualifies for payments under the new Basic Payment Scheme. Marian Harkin says farmers are facing a Catch 22 at the moment – If they apply for

A Sligo based senator says the mortgage-to-rent scheme is in need of a radical overhaul after receiving figures that show just two cases have been completed in the North West since the scheme’s launch in 2012, neither of them in Donegal. Nationwide, the figure is 88. Senator Marc Mac Sharry says in theory, the mortgage-to-rent

Cant Pay Wont Pay have said that the government has misled people regarding the handing over of PPS numbers to Irish Water. It’s aftter it was revealed that a private company will take PPS numbers and banking details from Irish Water customers unable to apply for the €100 water conservation grant online. Workers at a

Members of Donegal County Council are calling for a commitment from the Government regarding the Bonagee Link in Letterkenny. The Bonagee Link is seen as crucial in aleviating traffic delays in and out of Letterkenny. Three years ago the National Roads Authority bought ‘Martin’s Great Gas’ Filling Station and a house, which are seen as

Donegal Junior Minister, Joe McHugh has defended the Health Minister for not visiting Co Donegal yesterday while he was in Derry. Leo Varadkar attended a North South Ministerial Meeting at Altnagelvin Hospital yesterday, during which he viewed progress at the new Radiotherapy Unit. However, Minister Varadkar didn’t have time to come across the border to

A suspicious object at the centre of a security alert in Strabane, Co Tyrone, was a viable explosive device. It’s understood the item was discovered by a man walking with his two daughters in the Ballyheather Road yesterday evening. Police and the Army bomb squad attended the scene and the road was closed overnight. The

    The Chief Executive of the Education and Training Board in Donegal has confirmed that Colaiste Chineal Eoghan, the Irish Language secondary school in Buncrana is to be closed on a phased basis. Speaking on today’s Shaun Doherty Show, Sean Purcell said enrolment numbers have been significantly below predicted levels for a number of

  The members of the Letterkenny Municipal District have committed themselves to supporting the Lough Swilly Ferry, which will shortly be going to tender. The service didn’t run last year after the previous operator said the subvention available from Donegal County Council was not enough to make the service commercially viable. Mayor Cllr Michael Mc

The Minister for Health will visit Derry today to view progress on the North West Radiotherapy Unit. The cross border unit at Altnagelvin Hospital, which is being part funded by the Irish government, will cater for 90 per cent of suitable cancer patients in the North West of the island. Minister Leo Varadkar will also

  There are road closures in effect on the Derry side of  Strabane as a result of a security alert which has been ongoing since last night. The closures affect parts of the Ballyheather Road and the Ballylaw Road in Artigarvan. Diversions are in place.

A Donegal County Cllr has claimed that the county could lose out on hosting the Irish Open because of coastal erosion. Currently the 14th hole of Ballyliffin Golf Club is only a metre away from being taken away by the sea. The club want to carry out work to stop the erosion, but this is

An 18-year-old Strabane man accused of trying to rape a girl aged 15 while on police bail for allegedly raping a 19-year-old woman has been remanded into custody. Ross Donahoe, of Altiskane, Strabane, was charged at Enniskillen Magistrates Court with raping the woman on March 22, and attempting to rape the girl two weeks later.

The prospect of a major gold find in Donegal has been raised once again following the announcement that a mining company has been granted five new prospecting licences covering 187 sq km on the Innisowen peninsula. Conemara Mining’s geologists believe there is a very good chance of making a high grade gold find in the

The Chief Executive of Donegal County Council says there is no question about the solvency of the organisation. Seamus Neely has issued a statment responding to the recent publication of a government overview of the work of the Local Government Auditors. It found that Donegal and Sligo had the two biggest deficits in the country.

Concerns have been raised following a creeper burglary at a house in the Gleneagles area of Derry. At approximately 5 am on Saturday morning, two men entered the house and when confronted by the occupant left. It is thought they took the keys of a blue Octavia Skoda and returned later and made off in

A Donegal County Councillor has called for an end to political parties being funded by public funding. The State currently provides €14.3m every year to four political parties: €4.9m to Fine Gael; €3.1m to Labour; €2.8m to Fianna Fail; and €1.8m to Sinn Fein, and €1.67 to independents. Cllr Dessie Shiels raised his concerns at

Calls have been made for Donegal County Council meetings to be webcast. A number of councils in Ireland already broadcast their meetings online, while proceedings in the Dail and Seanad are broadcast on a daily basis. Cllr Michael Cholm Mac Giolla Eaispaig says the council should look at how much it would cost. And he