Author name: oisinkelly

Unionist councillors are to contest the name of the Derry City and Strabane district council name. The name was officially agreed at a meeting of the shadow super council earlier this year in October. The legal challenge, known as a call-in procedure, will allow solicitors to review the motion. DUP councillor Gary Middleton says the […]

The Public Expenditure Minister says the public will face higher water charge bills if the Seanad rejects the Governments revised bill. There are concerns within the coalition that Independent and opposition Senators could scupper the new package of lower charges for households – and lead to the old billing structure applying from January 1st. Minister

The SDLP in West Tyrone has selected Strabane representative Daniel Mc Crossan to contest next year’s British General Election. Mr Mc Crossan will challenge Sinn Fein’s Pat Doherty, saying that an abstentionist MP has stunted the growth of Omagh and Strabane and singularly failed to advance the interests of the North West. However, Mr Crossan

Officers from Revenue’s Customs Service, backed by gardai, have seized cigarettes, spirits, beer and vehicles following raids in Donegal, Mayo, Roscommon and Kildare. As well as cigarettes and alcohol, various documents were also seized, as was cash totalling almost €30,000. The retail value of the cigarettes, which included ‘Marlboro Red’, ‘West’, ‘L&M’ and ‘WZ Gold,’

Donegal South West Deputy Thomas Pringle says he believes an Independent led government is a distinct possibility, and would be a good thing for the country. On his prospects of retaining a Dail seat after the next General Election, when Donegal loses a Dail seat and becomes a single five seat constituency, Deputy Pringle says

A telephone counseling service has recorded a nationwide 22% increase in demand for its service but points out that less than one percent of all calls come from Donegal. Connect is a freephone telephone counseling and support service for adults who were sexual abused during their childhood. The service, which operates 20 hours a week,

A Strabane woman, who was caught up in a terrorist attack in Syndey today, has described the situation as terrifying. Hundreds of armed police have surrounded a cafe in Sydney – where a gunman is holding up to 30 people hostage. Five people have escaped from the Lindt café in the city’s financial district –

A Letterkenny family whose greyhounds were stolen in the early hours of Saturday morning have been reunited with their family pets. The McKeever family from Ballymacool were devastated to find that their three greyhounds had been taken from a shed close to their home after it was broken into on Friday night. Dad John McKeever

Irelands largest on shore windfarm could be constructed in Co Donegal. The 500 foot turbines will run along a 15km stretch from Barnesmore Gap to the Finn Vally area. If the plans for the windfarm development go ahead then it will be one of the biggest of its kind in Ireland. The 500 foot turbines

It’s been claimed a major investment into Tyrone is being blocked because there is not sufficient energy infrastructure west of the Bann. Dale Farm’s chief executive David Dobbin said his company planned a 40 million pounds investment in Cookstown, but could not do so. He told the BBC’s Inside Business programme that while planning had

The Federation of Irish Fishermen is calling on Minister Coveney to reverse the Commission’s proposed cuts in a number of key Irish stocks at the Fisheries Council in Brussels next week. Them group says the cuts are neither justified nor warranted and will if adopted next week will result in 500 to 600 full and

A 42 year-old man who assaulted a day care worker as he tried to take his baby from a supervised access session has been given a four month suspended sentence. Michael McIntyre of Maureen Avenue appeared before Derry Magistrates Court charged with common assault. The offence took place on September 15, 2014. The court heard that McIntyre

The latest report from the Environmental Protection Agency shows that 2 of the country’s six most polluted rivers in Ireland are in Donegal. The report also shows that there are 44 areas in Ireland that have no waste water treatment and are discharging raw sewage – 10 of those are in county Donegal. The details

A second day of strike action for teachers in the row over Junior Cycle reform has been announced for January 22nd. The ASTI and the TUI Executive Committee agreed on the date during a meeting this morning. They’ll also take an additional day of strike action on a date which has not yet been announced.

Talks aimed at stopping Northern Ireland’s power-sharing administration breaking down have ended without a deal. David Cameron says he’d put forward a financial package worth nearly 1-billion pounds – if an agreement could be reached on so-called ‘legacy’ issues. But politicians at Stormont described the offer as ‘derisory’. Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness says a

The government’s facing new questions about whether Irish Water might end up costing more money than it makes. TDs have claimed that the 100-euro grant for every home will cost the state 35 million euro more than expected. That’s because the government says 1.3 million homes are eligible for the grant – but the CSO

A Donegal Deputy has said he would be very fearful for the future for many farmers in the county if a resolution canot be reached over the new GLAS scheme application system. Just over a week ago over 2,000 hill and commonage farmers turned out to protest outside the Taoiseach’s office in Castlebar over the

Motorists are advised to drive with extreme care in and around Letterkenny and other parts of Donegal this morning as heavy snow showers hit the county. Met Eireann has issued a snow-ice warning which will remain in place until 10 o’clock this morning. There is also heavy snow affecting Strabane and parts of Co Derry.