Author name: oisinkelly

The head of a women’s aid group in Derry claims ‘kangaroo courts’ are still used to deal with domestic and sexual violence in some communities of Northern Ireland. Marie Browne was speaking after a 40 year old Louth man spoke out last night about his alleged rape by an IRA member in the 1990s, and

There were almost 5,000 people waiting more than a year for an outpatient appointment at Letterkenny General Hospital in the last year. The statistics released by the HSE show there has been a 411% increase in waiting list figures over the past year. In February there were 4,947 people waiting more than a year for

Almost €13 million in LEADER funding has been announced for Donegal. Minister of State, Joe McHugh said he welcomed the funding package for the LEADER element of the Rural Development Programme announced by the government. Once approval for the programme has been given by the European Commission, local action groups throughout Donegal will be invited

A convicted sex offender with over 90 pornographic child images escaped jail because a judge was impressed with his progress under the Probation Service. 44-year-old Neil McBride, was yesterday placed under continuing supervision for 12 months of the Probation Service and was placed on the sex offenders register for five years. He was also ordered

A member of the Yes Equality Donegal Campaign has said that they are disappointed that people have been upset by comments made by a priest on gay marriage. It’s being reported that a number of people walked out of a sermon in Annagry over the weekend. Father John Britto spoke in favour of a ‘No’ vote during the weekend

  Patrick Quinlivan Following confirmation that two Donegal athletes have been selected to represent Special Olympics Ireland at the world games in Los Angeles next July, a fundraising campaign has been launched to fund Team Ireland. Gymnast Patrick Quinlivan and golfer Oliver Doherty will be part of the 88 person squad travelling to LA in

The ICSA says the roundtable beef talks are not achieving their goals. The talks were initiated last year after protests outside a number of beef factories. The association says there’s been too much slippage on the commitments given already, and no guarantees are being received about quality assurance and price. Malcolm Thompson is the ICSA’s

The PSNI are appealing for information about a murder which happened in Benburb Co. Tyrone almost 41 years ago. 27 year old John Pat Cunningham was shot by members of a British Army Patrol on Saturday, June the 15th 1974. The case has been re-opened and a murder investigation has been started, following an assessment

Both the British and Irish Governments have expressed concern over the latest crisis in the Northern Ireland Assembly, after Sinn Féin suddenly withdrew its support for welfare reform. Moving to block the bill, Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness accused the DUP of reneging on commitments. DUP leader Peter Robinson said that was “dishonourable and ham-fisted”, saying

A Donegal County Cllr has spoken of the frightening experience endured by passengers as a Glasgow flight was forced to abort its landing in Derry yesterday. Cllr Micheal Cholm Mac Giolla Easpaig was on yesterday afternoons Glasgow to Derry flight. He said that the plane had been about to touch down but was forced to

A murder trial has been told there is “moderate support” to contend that the alleged gunman filmed on CCTV is the same man on trial for the killing. Kieran McLaughlin, from Elaghmore Park in Derry, denies murdering Barry McCrory, who was shot dead in the city in October 2013. A forensic imagery analyst gave evidence

A former school principal has appeared before a court charged with theft from a government department and the school’s board of management. The charges arise out of a two-year garda investigation into the thefts of funds allocated to a rural primary school in Co Cavan. The Irish Independent reports that 35 year old Finbarr Boyle

The Harry Blaney Bridge in Fanad has been closed for safety reasons. Donegal Co. Council has confirmed that it has been shut to traffic due to the high winds. Motorists using the route will now face a 30 mile detour. Meanwhile, a status orange weather warming is still in place across Donegal. Winds are expected to

A tractor which had been stolen from a Donegal County Council yard this morning has been recovered in Creeselough. The vehicle and equipment, worth over 20,000 euro, had been stolen in the early hours of this morning in Ballybofey. The gate of the yard at Glenmore outside Ballybofey was forced open, and the blue New

The Land League in Donegal is calling for repossession cases at Letterkenny Registrar’s Court to be adjourned for a month. Cases which were to have been heard today have been postponed until tomorrow, but Carena Mc Callig of the Land league says the notice given was inadequate and many people may be missing from the

Due to high winds the Foyle Bridge in Derry has been closed to high sided vehicles and a 30 MPH speed limit has been put in place for other vehicles using the bridge. The restrictions are being implemented as a Met Eireann Orange Status Weather Alert remains in place for Donegal and other North West

Police in Derry have completed a second search of a stretch of the Madam’s Bank Road after fears were raised last night of a bomb being placed in the vicinity. Chief Inspector Andy Lemon, the area’s Operations Manager, said based on a limited amount of information that an explosive device had been left in the

Department of Agriculture inspections are designating some marginal land as ineligible. Midland North West MEP Marian Harkin says this is being done in some areas without properly defined standards, and with no regard to the flexibility which is built into the EU legislation. She says as a result of destocking in the 1990s, many farmers

Galway based patient advocvate Neil Johnson has been appointed Chairperson of the Patient Council for Saolta University Health Care Group. The Vice Chair will be Jean Kelly, Saolta’s Group Director of Nursing and Midwifery. Saolta says the council will play an important role in ensuring that patients’ views are represented. Saolta says the aim of

Patrick McNally is Donegal’s richest person – with a fortune of over 405 million euro. That’s according to the Sunday Independent’s Rich List which is published this morning. Indian industrialist Pallonji Mistry is Ireland’s richest person – with a fortune of almost 15 billion euro. The Sunday Independent’s Business Editor Nick Webb explains Patrick McNally’s

  The HSE is being asked to publish figures relating to heart attack deaths in a number of small hospitals. According to the Sunday Business Post, the combined death rate at Roscommon County Hospital, Bantry General and South Infirmary Victoria in Cork, Ennis Hospital, St John’s in Limerick and St Michael’s in Dublin was 12.2