Author name: oisinkelly

The Health Information and Quality Authority says it issued immediate high risk letters to 7 public acute hospitals over poor hygiene practices. In it’s latest survey, HIQA found these hospitals had problems with environment and facilities management, hand hygiene, communicable disease control and unclean patient equipment. Letterkenny General Hospital was not among the hospitals where […]

Plans for a Community Text Alert scheme in Malin are reaching an advanced stage, with a public meeting tomorrow night in the Malin Hotel to guage support for the initiative and provide the community with information on how it works./ Gardai say there’s been a big increase in the number of such schemes in the

A 29-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of drugs offences following a police search in the Waterside area of Derry. Chief Inspector Tony Callaghan said that what are believed to be the remnants of a cannabis factory were fund during a search at Prehen Park last evening. A small quantity of suspected cannabis and

Enterprise Week, Donegal gets underway next Monday, with the Local Enterprise Office in the county urging existing and potential businesses to become involved. There are talks, seminars and workshops taking place at various locations throughout the week, culminating in the Enterprise Awards presentation on Friday March 27th. Ursula Donnelly is the Assistant CEO of the

Up to 500 thousand people take anxiety pills in Ireland. The Irish Examiner says almost 2.3 million prescriptions were written for anxiety and depression drugs in 2012. 330 thousand of those were public patients, at a cost of 40 million euro to the state. The figures published in today’s Irish Examiner are based on analysis

  Donegal Fire Service has urged caution after a number of fires involving multi-fuel stoves. The local fire service said it had noticed a rise in fires, some serious, involving the burners in domestic dwellings around the county. The stoves became hugely popular across Ireland during the recession as householders tried to reduce their reliance

A new report published to coincide with a major Seafood Show in the US suggests that salmon farming has a bright future. The International Salmon Farmers’ Association has published the document, which is titled “Salmon Farming – Sustaining Communities and Feeding the World”. It says there will be significant opportunities ahead, particularly for coastal communities

Armed Gardai and Detectives were involved in a number of raids in Letterkenny today. Searches were carried out at a number of premises in the Ballymacool and Long Lane areas this morning. The raids were in response to what has been termed “on-going investigations into criminality in Letterkenny.” No arrests were made, but some property

Skygazers have been treated to another spectacular display of the Northern Lights over the skies of Co Donegal. Increased solar activity meant that people further North had the chance of catching the colourful phenomenon in the early hours of this morning. The Northern Lights can be seen more clearly in areas absent from light pollution,

Donegal County Council have confirmed that the names and addresses of council housing tenants will be handed over to Irish Water. Council tenants will receive letters today informing them, while the details will then be given to Irish Water at the beginning of next week. County Manager, Seamus Neely says he is satisfied that the

Two men aged 28 and 30 have been charged following a major drug seizure in Derry on Monday. The men are due at Derry Magistrates Court today, charged with with possession of a Class B drug with intent to supply, and fraudulently importing a Class B drug They are due to appear at Londonderry Magistrates

A deal’s been reached to form the most significant electoral pact between the two Unionist parties in Northern Ireland in three decades. The Democratic Unionist and Ulster Unionist parties have agreed to put forward agreed candidates in four marginal seats, instead of splitting the vote. The Ulster Unionist Party will have the support of the

A Donegal TD is urging the government to facilitate the passage of a Fianna Fail bill calling for the establishment of a cross-border, multi-agency taskforce to tackle illegal fuel. Deputy Charlie Mc Conalogue says the bill, which has been moved by former minister Brendan Smith, has the potential to seriously curtail fuel smuggling north and

A week after a fire destroyed the Mandarin Palace restaurant on Derry’s Queen’s Quay, its owner has said he and his family are totally devastated, and numb with shock. Stan Lee initially opened the Mandarin palace on Strand Road in 1989, and it later moved to Queen’s Quay. In a statement, he says the messages

Thousands of people have been participating in St Patrick’s Day parades and events across the North West, with the good weather swelling the crowds. The main Donegal parade was in Letterkenny, with Errigal College taking the overall prize. The full results are as follows – Best Band – Letterkenny Senior Accordion Band Best Sport Entry

A Strabane Councillor is claiming that police refused to go to the home of an elderly couple who had been burgled in Sion Mills on Sunday night. Cllr Patsy Kelly says the couple had gone to church shortly before 6pm, and when they returned, they found their house had been broken into and a quantity

Detectives from the PSNI’s Organised Crime Branch have arrested two men and seized approximately £240,000 worth of suspected drugs in Derry. Yesterday evening, the men, aged 30 and 28, were detained on suspicion of possession of a class B controlled drug with intent to supply after the substance, believed to be cannabis, was found in

Astronomy Ireland have confirmed that they have received reports of a meteor sighting over the Northwest last night. A number of people say they saw the meteor over Co Donegal. One man in Bridgend saw it, and he believes it may have landed in Lough Foyle. Chris, from Bridgend described what he saw on todays

Up to 100 staff at one of the country’s largest windfarm service providers are to stage a 72-hour work stoppage at locations throughout Ireland in a dispute over pay and conditions. The workers’ union, the Technical, Engineering and Electrical Union, says the strike will begin next Friday unless the company enters talks. The union is

A drink driving case against a Donegal Senator has been adjourned again at Letterkenny District Court. Senator Brian O’Domhnaill was not present in court this morning but was represented, in Irish, by his solicitor. The charges against 37-year-old Senator O’Domhnaill of Killult, Falcarragh, include being ‘drunk in charge’ of a vehicle as well as hit-and-run,

Donegal Tourism and Donegal County Council have launched an initiative to make this the greenest county in Ireland for St Patrick’s Day. Several buildings in the county are being lit up green for the day, with members of the public being asked to photograph the buildings and post them on social media, using the hashtag

A number of young people were arrested by police in Derry after two nights of antisocial behaviour in the Galliagh area. Police came under attack from youths throwing stones, bricks, bottles and other objects in the Glencaw Park and Leafair Gardens area on Saturday night. The incidents are not being linked to the paramilitary attack

It’s reported that police in Derry have used a Taser to restrain a man at residential premises in the Spencer Road area of the city. BBC Radio Foyle is reporting that the incident happened in the early hours of this morning. A 30-year-old man has been arrested and is currently in police custody. The Police

Donegal County Council has confirmed that works on the Derg Line near Barnesmore Gap were authorised, and carried out with the knowledge of the local authority. Concern was expressed by residents at the weekend about the works, with fears that they might compromise the nearby historic railway bridge at Barnesmore Gap. Those fears were compounded

  Police in Derry say two men have been “badly beaten” in a paramilitary-style attack in the Galliagh area. The men were beaten with iron bars and baseball bats in a flat at Ederowen Park, sustaining injuries to their heads, arms and legs. Police have described the attack as “brutal” and “horrendous”. Local Cllr Sandra

Concerns have been raised following road works being carried out at Dearg Line near Barnsmore Gap. The road works appear to have commenced a couple of weeks ago, with the people responsible unidentified. The council has issued a statement confirming they are not involved and not aware of the people carrying out the work. There

A man reported missing to gardai almost a week ago has been located “safe and well”. An alert for Michael Kingston was issued last week – and a renewed appeal made on Friday. He was last seen at his address in Sandyford on Monday morning last. There had been reports that he had been spotted