:: News In Brief

Sinn Féin councillor bows out 18.07.08
SINN Féin Councillor Tony McDaid has announced he is to retire from Donegal County Council. Lifford-based Cllr McDaid cited increased work commitments in his professional life as the reason for his decision. The party has identified the outgoing councillor's replacement who will be co-opted to the Council following a selection convention.

Hey Jude...it's BeatlesFest 16.07.08
IT'S festival time again in Moville this weekend as the second BeatlesFest hits the Foyleside town. A great line up of Beatles tribute acts is on the cards in the local bars from Friday until Sunday including Niall O'Shea and Celine Burke who regularly delight fans on Dublin circuit. Other acts include Gareth McLaughlin from Campsie; Buick 6, a Moville band with Paddy, Sean and Tim while Benny Doherty, who was lead singer with the now disbanded Stratospheric, will also take to the stage. Beatles fans in particular and music fans in general can enjoy a wide range of live acts over the three nights of the festival while there will also be added fun with a 1960s fancy dress in the Waterfront from 10pm on Friday, July 18 and a Beatles table quiz in Rawdon's on Saturday from 7pm to 9pm.

Families get keys to new homes 15.07.08
TWENTY-seven happy families will get the keys this week to their new homes in Moville from Donegal County Council. Ard na Guala Duibhe is situated at Gulladuff on the main Moville to Malin Road. The lovely development includes a mix of two-bed apartments, three bed semi-detached houses and a smaller number of four bed semi-detached homes.

Derry flights cancelled and charters moved 14.07.08
BA/LOGANAIR has advised that its services to Glasgow and Dublin have been cancelled on Wednesday and Thursday due to strike action at City of Derry Airport. BA/Loganair will contact its passengers directly regarding rebooking.
Meanwhile, Falcon/JWT/First Choice holiday charter service to and from Reus on Wednesday, July 16, will operate via Belfast International Airport. Departing passengers will be transferred by coach from City of Derry Airport and it is expected that final times for check-in and transfer times will be confirmed later today. Passengers arriving from Reus at Belfast International on Wednesday will be transferred by coach to City of Derry Airport. Falcon/JWT/First Choice is currently contacting all of the affected passengers. Ryanair will provide a travel update as soon as possible and passengers are advised to keep in contact with the customer information line at 028 7130 5039 or website www.cityofderryairport.com .

Rory's remains to be flown home 08.07.08
RORY McMenamin who was tragically killed in an accident in Australia will be buried in his hometown of Newtowncunningham on Sunday. The 25 year old died in Brisbane, where he was working at a tyre fitting centre.
He was changing a tyre on a truck when the vehicle collapsed on top of him. He died later in hospital from his injuries. The young Celtic supporter was a qualified accountant and had been taking a year out. He had been in Australia since last Christmas. The popular young man's death has left Newtown shocked and devastated.
For funeral arrangements, click here.

Seagate to invest £120m 04.07.08
SEAGATE Technology which employs a number of people including engineers from Inishowen has announced a £120m investment at its Derry plant.
The Mayor of the city, Councillor Gerard Diver welcomed the cash injection for the Springtown site saying it was a "strong endorsement" of the company's high quality product and staff. "Seagate is one of our major employers and the news that the company intends to spend £120 million of its own money on new equipment, IT, research and development infrastructure at Springtown, is a good news story for our local economy in what are very challenging times from a global perspective," said Cllr Diver.

Two men injured in head-on crash 03.07.08
Two men were seriously injured yesterday in a head-on crash between a van and a car at Ballymagan outside Buncrana. The collision happened shortly before 11am. Both drivers, said to be in their 40s and 60s, were brought to Letterkenny General Hospital with serious injuries.

ICRfm hones its Verbal Arts 03.07.08
Inishowen Community Radio is continuing its cross-border relationship as broadcast partner with the Verbal Arts Centre in Derry. Today it will broadcast ‘Magnetic North’ on its afternoon talk show ‘Talktime’. The show will feature John Brown, editor of the ‘Magnetic North’ book, as well as commentary and readings from poets in the anthology, including Moyra Donaldson, Frank Sewell and Ruth Carr. The documentary can be heard on ICRfm on 105fm and 107.6fm or online at www.icrfm.ie . For more information, please contact Claire McDermott, radio co-ordinator at the Verbal Arts Centre on 048 7126 6946 or at email claire.mcdermott@verbalartscentre.co.uk

Coast Guard go before joint committee 02.07.08
A delegation from Malin Head will appear before to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport today in a bid to save the local Coast Guard station.
Along with friends and colleagues from Valentia, the Save Our Stations group will challenge the proposal by the Department of Transport and Coast Guard management to close the stations.
Coast Guard management is accused of protecting their own jobs against being moved out of Dublin. They are also accused of giving factually inaccurate proposals about the two coastal marine radio stations.
This has been rebutted by Coast Guard management who claim the equipment at the Donegal and Kerry stations is outdated.
Coast Guard management has rejected this, claiming the equipment at both stations is out-dated and that they are acting in the best interests of marine safety.

Donegal has lowest income 30.06.08
People in Donegal had the lowest disposable income at just 82% of the national average, a new survey has shown. The survey from the Central Statistis Office (CSO) also shows that the border region has the lowest employment rate at under 60%. Meanwhile, Dubliners enjoy the most disposable income in the country at 13% above the national average for households of €20,164.

PARC fears Dempsey U-turn 30.06.08
Culdaff-based road safety campaigner Susan Gray fears the Department of Transport may be stalling on the introduction of compulsory breath-testing of those involved road traffic collisions. Ms. Gray became anxious after learning that a Bill to reduce the amount of alcohol permitted in a motorist's blood would be introduced by the end of the year. But she now wonders where this leaves Transport Minister Noel Dempsey's promise to her on mandatory breath testing. She is looking for answers before the Dáil breaks for the summer in around a week's time. (Inishowen Independent)

'Scrap Back-to-Education limits' 30.06.08
Donegal Senator Pearse Doherty has called on the Government to end the requirement for people from low and middle income backgrounds to be unemployed for a period of six months before they can avail of the Back to Education Allowance. Senator Doherty said workers losing their jobs need to be reskilled and retrained in order to take positions in new and emerging industries.

Special education chief visits Buncrana 30.06.08
PAT Curtin, chief executive of the National Council for Special Education and his staff will visit Inishowen today. During this visit he will meet with parent representatives from the peninsula in Buncrana and this will be followed by a meeting with post primary principals, board of management chairs and special education co-ordinators. Senator Cecilia Keaveney said clarification about the role of the Council in delivering resources and supports to our special needs students would be sought from Mr. Curtin during the visit.

Man rescued in Lough Swilly 27.06.08
A LOUGH Swilly Lifeboat crew yesterday rescued a man who drifted out to sea in a lilo in strong winds. The man who is understood to be in his 30s had entered the water at Rathmullan on the inflatable shortly after 3pm. The RNLI were tasked when a member of the public raised the alarm. The man was treated at Buncrana pier by ambulance personnel and did not require hospitalisation.

Opportunity for Inishowen taxi drivers 27.06.08
THE Text One Group based in Carndonagh are launching Inishowen’s only 24 hour, 365 days a year taxi operation. The company will operate from its head office in Carndonagh and is now offering all Inishowen taxi and hackney drivers the chance to join its radio circuit. Text One Group is the company that developed the global award winning product www.textataxi.com . Text One Taxis.com will be using the textataxi.com system and all bookings for a taxi will take preference if booked by this method. Any local owner-drivers or drivers looking to get involved in the industry can simply contact them via their website or contact Carndonagh 074 9329279. The website is www.textonetaxis.com .

Drive ban loop-hole closed 27.06.08
MOTORISTS disqualified in Inishowen will no longer be allowed to drive in the North and vice versa. An historic deal to keep disqualified drivers off the roads on the entire island of Ireland as well as Britain was signed yesterday by the three respective transport ministers. It is the first agreement of its kind in Europe and means driving bans will be mutually-recognised in both parts of Ireland and in Britain from next spring. The ministers also discussed the issue of mutually-applicable penalty points although it's understood a deal on this matter won't be ratified for some time.

Donegal patients wait longer for surgery 26.06.08
LETTERKENNY General Hospital is among five hospitals with the longest surgery waiting list in the country.
A new report from the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) shows that more than 16,000 adults and children are waiting more than three months for surgery in Ireland. The NTPF has also identified five hospitals it says account for over half of the 2,155 patients waiting longer than a year for surgery. They are Letterkenny General, Sligo General, the Midland Regional in Tullamore, Cork University and Tallaght hospital in Dublin. The average waiting time for the most common surgical procedures is now two to five months. The NTPF plans to organise 23,500 operations and outpatient clinics for 13,500 patients this year.

Mayor condemns Derry murder 24.06.08
THE Mayor of Derry Councillor Gerard Diver has condemned the murder of a local man in the city earlier today. He described the shooting as a "shocking and despicable act". The victim who was local and in his early 20s was shot dead in the Bligh’s Lane area of Creggan. Cllr Diver hit out at those responsible, saying they did not have the support of the local community to carry out this shooting. He also appealed to the public and anyone who had any information to co-operate fully with the police in the investigation. Meanwhile, he also extended his sympathy to the family and friends of the victim.

Crossan is top female in Flanders 24.06.08
INISHOWEN Athletics Club ultra distance runner Helena Crossan has had yet another triumph in her impressive running career.
She was the leading female finisher in the Night of Flanders International 100km (62.2 miles) road race in Belgium last Friday. Her winning time was seven hours and 53 minutes a position that placed her sixth overall in the race. She was the only Irish athlete to compete in the event. The 100km race started at 8pm local time and continued through the night. The Carndonagh-based athlete was invited to take part in the race following her 10th place finish in the World 100km Championships in Holland last year. For more local athletics notes, click here .

Nun who helped Donegal immigrants visits county 24.06.08
A nun who helped hundreds of undocumented Donegal immigrants from in Boston is visiting the county soon and would like to meet up with those who have since returned home. Sister Veronica Dobson founded the Irish Pastoral Center in Dorchester, Boston, 20 years ago with Fr Daniel Finn. It was established in 1988 by the Archdiocese of Boston as a non-profit organisation to minister to illegal Irish immigrants who settled in the Greater Boston area. Thousands of people from Donegal, Derry and Tyrone passed through its doors and were helped with jobs, accommodation, spiritual and material needs when they first arrived in their new environment. A native of Co Offaly, Sister Veronica is a member of the Order of Saint Brigid of Ireland and is now based in Austin, Texas. She will visit the county in mid-July. For more information on her Donegal visit, please call 087 9825001.

McHugh welcomes fishermen retraining 23.06.08
Fine Gael T.D., Deputy Joe McHugh welcomed the announcement that the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries has agreed to investigate his proposal to allow redundant fishermen retrain for the merchant navy.
"The fishing industry has been on the brink of decimation over the past decade and highly trained fishermen are finding themselves reliant on social welfare," he said. "The decommissioning scheme, initiated by the Government, compensated the owners of boats yet the crews were left redundant with no financial package. The Government now has an opportunity to address this failure by encouraging these people to train for positions in the merchant navy."

Young Fianna Fáil to meet again 19.06.08
YOUNG people interested in joining Fianna Fáil in Inishowen will have another chance to find out about the youth wing of the party next week.
Carol Faulkner from Quigley's Point and Kevin Kelly from Clonmany hope to start up an Inishowen branch of Ógra Fianna Fáil. They will hold a second information meeting to assess the level of interest from young people and give a general outline of what Ógra is about. The first meeting took place in Moville on Monday with the second scheduled for the Inishowen Gateway Hotel, Buncrana, on Monday, June 23 at 8.30pm. If you would like to find out more, please email inishowenogra@gmail.com or call Carol on 087 6172947 or Kevin on 086 8047115.

Inishowen to get extra councillor 19.06.08
INISHOWEN is to get an additional councillor under the recent redrawing of the electoral boundaries. Manorcunningham joins the peninsula in the latest Boundary Commission shake-up of the county. It will mean that there will be seven councillors instead of six sitting on the Inishowen Electoral Area Committee of Donegal County Council. The Glenties and Donegal electoral areas will each lose one seat with both seats going to the Stranorlar electoral area while Letterkenny and Milford will be merged and allocated seven seats each.

'Collusion' in Carn teen's murder 19.06.08
DETECTIVES have found evidence of security force collusion in the murder of an Inishowen teenager 35 years ago. Sixteen-year old Henry Cunningham from Carndonagh was killed in August 1973 when UVF gunmen ambushed the van he was travelling in.
The collusion details have emerged following a fresh investigation by the Historical Enquiries Team. The HET report said detectives uncovered evidence of collusion in the theft of a murder weapon from a UDR base.
The Carn teenager was travelling home from construction work in Belfast on the M2 when UVF gunmen opened fire on the van from a motorway bridge. His older brother Herbert, the driver, was injured and another brother, Robert, was unhurt. No one was ever prosecuted and the Cunningham family believe the case wasn't properly investigated. They are to continue lobbying for justice for their slain brother.

Tragic teen mum and baby named 17.06.08
A 16 year old mother and her three-month old daughter who died in a two-vehicle collision near Letterkenny have been named as Kerry Ann Meehan and Naoise Meehan, Manorview, Letterkenny. Kerry Ann was originally from Derry. They died when the car they were travelling in was involved in a collision with a jeep towing a trailer full of sheep. The male drivers of the car and jeep were seriously injured and taken to Letterkenny General Hospital. The driver of the car, also believed to be in his teens, is understood to be in a critical condition. The accident happened around 8.45am at Tullygay about a mile and a half outside Letterkenny on the Glenties Road. Garda forensic teams are still investigating the cause.

Rally accident victim named 16.06.08
The teenage spectator who was killed after being struck by a rally car on Saturday has been named as Richard O'Donnell, known locally as 'Richard McGrath', of Jefferson Court, Strabane, Co Tyrone. The Topaz Donegal International Rally was cancelled as a mark of respect following the tragic accident at Ballyarr near Ramelton. It's understood the teen was crossing the road when he was hit by one of the competing cars. The Donegal Motor Club said initial investigations indicate there was no driver error involved. Gardai want to speak to any witnesses who have not yet been interviewed. They can be contacted on 074 91 22222.

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