:: News In Brief

Armed robbery near Bridgend 11.03.10
GARDAI in Inishowen have appealed for help following an armed robbery at a bureau de change. Four men carrying guns entered the premises at Whitehouse on the Buncrana Road, Derry, around 8pm on Wednesday. They ordered staff to hand over a substantial sum of cash. It is understood they then made their getaway across the border and a van was later found burned out at Mannerstown Cross in Bridgend. Inspector David Kelly said someone in the Bridgend area may have noticed suspicious activity either before or after the robbery. He appealed for them to contact officers in Buncrana on 93 20540.

Ditch the mobile while driving 09.03.10
A new road safety campaign will be launched today warning of the dangers of using a mobile phone while driving. The campaign is the latest from the Donegal Road Safety Working Group and will be launched by County Mayor Brendan Byrne at Letterkenny Garda Station at 10.30am.

4x4s for Inishowen fire stations 08.03.10
CARN and Moville fire stations are each to take delivery of a 4x4 vehicle as part of a similar allocation to eleven stations around the county. The new all-road vehicles worth a total of €348,600, have been granted to single appliance stations only. The nine others stations are Killybegs, Dungloe, Glenties, Gweedore, Falcarragh, Milford, Donegal Town, Stranorlar and a single engine station in Letterkenny. Most of the funding has been granted by the Environment Department with €48,600 coming from Donegal County Council. North West MEP Pat the Cope Gallagher welcomed the new vehicles and praised the county's fire personnel who, he said, "provide us with a service comparable to the best under the stewardship of the chief fire officer Bobby Mc Menamim".

68 leave dole queue 08.03.10
THE numbers signing on for unemployment assistance in Inishowen has fallen slightly. Latest figures show that the number fell from 5,005 in January to 4,937 last month. It is believed the drop of 68 can be attributed to the seasonal adjustment of the figures as well as people opting for emigration as a way out of the recession. The figure for Donegal, as a whole, has also fallen, marginally, from 21,473 in January to 21,255 last month.

€4.6m for Donegal house grants 08.03.10
DONEGAL County Council is to receive a capital allocation of €4.6m this year to facilitate grants for older people and disabled who need to adapt their homes to their needs. Senator Cecilia Keaveney welcomed the allocation. "It is a hugely needed and popular scheme and demand for assistance under the schemes is always high," she said. The grants cover 66% of costs in respect of renovations to the homes of disabled people and 80% for renovations to the dwellings of senior citizens.

Cllr re-elected to forum 08.03.10
INISHOWEN Sinn Féin councillor, Pádraig MacLochlainn was re-elected chairperson of his party's National Councillors' Forum (NCF) ahead of the party's weekend Ard Fhéis. The NCF represents almost 250 Sinn Féin councillors and the party's Udarás member. Cllr MacLochlainn, who addressed the Ard Fhéis said: "It is a great privilege to have been re-elected to this position and to once again lead our councillors representing communities in 31 of the 32 counties on the island. The National Councillors' Forum demonstrates the unique All Ireland strength of our party."

McLoone to retire 08.03.10
DONEGAL County Manager Michael McLoone has confirmed he is to retire. It is understood the local authority chief may retire in July. He will turn 65 years on July 8, 2010 and his retirement is mandatory at that age, under current Government guidelines.

Success for Tug O War sides 08.03.10
TWO Inishowen Tug O War clubs are celebrating after strong performances in the recent World Championships held near Milan in Northern Italy, writes Kevin Kelly. Both Clonmany and Cockhill brought home a haul of medals for their respective clubs. The success didn’t end there, with men from Clonmany, Cockhill and Carndonagh representing Ireland and walking away with two bronze medals for their efforts. Meanwhile, in the club competitions held on Thursday and Friday, Clonmany A and B pulled their way to glory in two highly competitive sections with both scooping silver medals. (Inishowen Independent)

Library celebrates Inishowen women 05.03.10
AN International Women's Day celebration will take place tomorrow in Buncrana Community Library. The event is being organised by the Second Chance Education Project and Inishowen Development Partnership's Immigrant Outreach Steering Group. It will take place on Saturday, March 6 from 11am to 12.30pm in the library at St Mary's Road, Buncrana. Guest speakers are Maria McConalogue,Teya Sepinuck and Dace Letina. Music is by Jennifer Kimball and Kate O’Callaghan. Light refreshments will be served and admission is free. For more details, call 9362218 or email Maria2ndchanceeducation@gmail.com .

See the woods for trees 05.03.10
MEMBERS of the public, scientists, environmentalists and anyone with an interest or an expertise in forestry is being asked to contribute to an EU-wide debate launched online this week, writes Jessie Magee.
The European Commission wants to gauge reaction to its new Green Paper that sets out options for an EU approach to protecting forestry. Environment Commissioner Janez Potocnik said Europe’s forests are a ‘precious resource’ that must be protected against climate change and biodiversity loss. Ireland remains one of the least forested countries in Europe, with just over 10% of land covered by woodland compared to 40% in the EU generally. To enter a forestry submissions click here .

€1,500 damage at football club 02.03.10
GARDAI are investigating an attempted burglary that has left a local football club with a repair bill of €1,500. The incident happened when roll-up metal doors on a garage belonging to Carrowmenagh Football Club were damaged sometime between midday and 2pm last Friday, February 26. Anyone with information is asked to contact Moville Garda Station on 93 82002.

Ahern warns of dissident threat 01.03.10
THE threat posed by dissident republicans is as dangerous as it was at any time during the 30 years of the Troubles in the North, Justice Minister Dermot Ahern has said. Mr Ahern said there had been 13 serious incidents since last September with an ongoing escalation in dissident activity. Mr Ahern was speaking on RTE radio yesterday after an explosive device was fired at a Co Armagh police station. His comments also come following last week's murder of Derry man Kieran Doherty and the recent car bomb in Newry.

€100K for local school 26.02.10
SCOIL Naomh Fionán, Whitecastle, Quigley's Point, has been granted approval for an all-in devolved grant of €100,000 to build a mainstream classroom. Senator Cecilia Keaveney welcomed the allocation. "Scoil Naomh Fionán have now been granted an additional classroom which, given the grown number of pupils attending the school will no doubt be welcomed by both students and teachers alike," she said.

Man knocked down in Moville 26.02.10
A Moville man had a lucky escape after being knocked down by a car in the town last week. The accident happened outside the Bank of Ireland on Moville’s Main Street around 3pm on February 16. It is understood the man, who lives a few miles outside the town, was crossing the road in the direction of the Market Square when he was struck by a car. Gardai sealed off the area before an ambulance arrived and took the victim to Letterkenny General Hospital. Gardai have appealed for witnesses to the accident.

Derry murder victim named 25.02.10
THERE has been widespread condemnation of the killing of a young father in Derry last night. The body of 31 year old Ciaran Doherty was found on the Braehead Road, near the Letterkenny Road close to the border. It appears he was shot twice in the head. Mr Doherty who lived in the city, had a two-year old daughter and was due to get married in three months' time. Derry Mayor, Cllr Paul Fleming said he was revulsed by the killing. "As Mayor of the city and district I wish to express my shock and revulsion at this brutal killing. No amount of words from myself will ease the pain and trauma this man's family will experience in the time ahead but I wish to offer my deepest condolences for their loss," said Cllr Fleming. The PSNI are keeping an open mind about the motive for the killing and will liaise with Gardaí as part of the murder probe.

Gardai probe pesky pooch 23.02.10
DOG owners have been urged to keep their pets under control after a woman had a lucky escape following a road accident in Muff on Friday. It is understood a dog ran out in front of the woman's car in the Ture area around 1.30pm, causing damage to the vehicle's bumper. The woman, who was travelling in the Moville direction, was not injured in the accident while the dog also dodged death. Gardai are investigating.

Woman killed in Donegal crash 22.02.10
GARDAI are investigating a single vehicle collision that claimed the life of a 28-year old woman in the early hours of yesterday. The accident happened at Main Street, Kilmacrennan, at 3.45am. The young woman was fatally injured after the car in which she was a front seat passenger, crashed into a wall. The male driver was taken to Letterkenny Hospital with non-serious injuries. No one else was hurt in the collision. The scene was preserved for a technical examination and diversions were in place locally for much yesterday. Anyone who may have witnessed the incident is asked to contact Milford Garda Station on 9153060.

Boy dies in bin lorry accident 17.02.10
A community in Letterkenny has been devastated by the tragic death of a three year old boy in a road accident with a bin lorry yesterday. Gardai are investigating the fatality at a housing estate in Ballymacool, Letterkenny, around 11.30am. The child, Patrick McDonagh, was fatally injured when the refuse lorry collided with him. The boy was taken to the local hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The driver of the lorry was treated for shock . The scene was sealed off yesterday for a Garda forensic examination.

Calling volunteers for Cooley 16.02.10
VOLUNTEERS are being sought to help with clearance work at the historic Cooley Graveyard in Moville. The committee set up to preserve the site, have started work on clearing the site with the help of FAS. If you are interested in this worthy project and want to lend a hand, please come along to the graveyard this Saturday, February 20, between 10am and 4pm. You can have a bit of craic while helping to preserve a local site of great cultural importance. Volunteers need only stay half an hour. Please wear suitable clothing including gloves and boots etc. All welcome. For more information, please call 086 1988706.

House ransacked in Malin 16.02.10
GARDAI are investigating a burglary at a holiday home in Malin. The house, at Drumaville, was broken into and ransacked sometime between February 5 and February 14. It is as yet unclear if anything was taken in the raid. Anyone with information is asked to contact Carndonagh Garda Station on 93 74109.

Kenny to visit Donegal 15.02.10
FINE Gael's embattled leader, Deputy Enda Kenny will be in Donegal tonight for the party’s selection convention for the South West bye-election. The convention will take place at 8pm in the Highlands Hotel, Glenties. Three candidates have been nominated, namely, Cllr Barry O'Neill from Ballyshannon, Cllr Martin Harley from Ballybofey and Ballyshannon Town Councillor, Cllr Brendan Travers. The convention will be chaired by Phil Hogan T.D.

Streep seeks Donegal roots 15.02.10
THE Strain name in Donegal has some distinguished Hollywood connections. Oscar-winner Meryl Streep's great-grandmother, Grace Strain, was born in Co Donegal in 1865. Now, the leading actress is planning to delve a bit more into her family tree with a possible visit to the county as part of her genealogical research. It's understood Streep first learned of her Donegal ancestry when filming 'Dancing at Lughnasa' here some years ago. The leading lady's great-grandmother is said to have hailed from the Creeslough area but the name can be found throughout the county including Inishowen.

Traffic chaos in Derry 15.02.10
Derry Mayor Paul Fleming has expressed his concern at the disruption caused to the city on Friday after a suspicious object resulted in the closure of Craigavon Bridge. The army carried out a controlled explosion after the object was found on the top deck of the bridge. Traffic was severely disrupted for most of the day. "I would call on those responsible to reflect on the cold reality that there is no support for these actions, there is no positive outcome to these actions and the time has long gone for these actions to stop completely," said Cllr Fleming.

Donegal gala dinner in Dublin 12.02.10
THE Donegal Association is reminding people about the upcoming gala dinner in Dublin to inaugurate this year's Person of the Year, the ever-popular Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh. The event will take place in the Burlington Hotel on Saturday, February 27, 2010, at 8pm. Tickets for the gala are €65 each and are available by e-mailing donegalassociation@eircom.net , or by contacting committee members Tony Dunlevy on 086 3280605 or Hugh Harkin on 087 2554966. The Association has also arranged a separate 'Donegal rate' for B&B with the hotel on the night.

Altnagelvin celebrates 50 years 12.02.10
ALTNAGELVIN Hospital in Derry is celebrating 50 years as the main acute hospital for the city and region. Derry Mayor, Cllr Paul Fleming praised the important role of the hospital in the everyday lives of people in the North West. "I wish the hospital continued success for the future and fully support the work that is being done to maximise the opportunities that exist to provide more hospital and primary care facilities for the people of the North West," he said.

New inheritance unit for farmers 12.02.10
A new service has been launched to help representatives of deceased farmers secure outstanding payments to his or her estate. The Inheritance Enquiry Unit has been established within the Single Payment Section of the Department of Agriculture in Portlaoise. Senator Cecilia Keaveney welcomed the new service and said it would be important for the families of deceased farmers. More information on the unit is available on www.agriculture.gov.ie .

Sad passing of Greencastle man 09.02.10
The community in Greencastle has been saddened by the sudden and tragic death of a popular local man. Frankie Duffy, who was in his 50s, died in the early hours of Friday at his home in Upper Drumaweir, Greencastle. There was a large attendance at his wake over the weekend and his funeral. The father-of-four was laid to rest yesterday following 11am requiem mass in St Mary's Church, Ballybrack. He is survived by his wife Eilish, children Elaine, Sarah, Gemma and David, his mother Sarah and siblings.

Award for Grianan Hotel 05.02.10
AN Grianán Hotel has been honoured at the Fáilte Ireland Optimus Awards. The Burt hotel received the Service Excellence Award in recognition of its ongoing commitment to business excellence. An Grianan Hotel co-owner Pearse Callaghan said he was delighted with the award. “I am over the moon. It is a great achievement for everyone at the hotel. I think if you continue to deliver the highest possible standards of service you can flourish in these difficult times,” he said. Pearse, who co-owns the Burt hotel with his brother, Sean, paid tribute to the staff at An Grianan.

Third of firms fear closure - survey 03.02.10
NEARLY a third of Irish businesses feel at risk of closure this year, a new survey reveals. It also shows that more than half the small businesses who responded, fear they will have to let staff go within the next six months. The online survey was carried out last month by the County and City Enterprise Boards (CEBS) including Donegal Enterprise Board. Nearly half of respondents felt credit availability was worse than six months ago; 54% felt conditions were the same while just 3% felt it had improved.

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