There are calls locally to provide more training facilities for the Coolera/Strandhill GAA club. A motion is set to be presented to Sligo County Council by Cllr Fergal Nealon to help facilitate support for the club. As it stands, the current pitch in Ransboro has a huge demand upon due to a growing population in the sports team. Cllr Nealon says en…

The County Sligo Heritage Strategy up until 2030 has been launched today. The plan aims to recognise the heritage of all structures including those that are built, archaeological, cultural and natural. The strategy was compiled over a number of years and is the fourth such plan since the heritage forum was founded in 2001. Chair of the Heritage For…

Minister Kieran O'Donnell will visit Killybegs to meet those affected by last weekend's floods. This comes after the government's decision yesterday to include Killybegs in the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme. The floods caused extensive damage to a number of buildings and business premises in the area. Local Fine Gael Cllr Manus Boyle says somethin…

A site has been secured for an extension for Drumshanbo Vocational School. The new extension will see an additional 11 new rooms added to the layout of the school. The project has been in the pipeline for a while, but faced multiple delays as the school couldn't extend on it's current site. Speaking to Ocean FM News after a property was secured to …

The funeral of Seán Maye has heard of his skilled work as a landscape gardener. Mourners gathered in St John Evangelist Church in Tubbercurry this morning to pay respect to the 32-year-old, who is survived by his partner Niamh, daughter Ella, son Kyle and wider family and friends. The late Mr Maye a native of Tubbercurry died when the car he was dr…

It's emerged that a Midlands North West MEP was one of those who abstained from voting on the voting of a new college of commissioners in Strasbourg. There were concerns prior to Wednesday's vote due to lack of commitment and transparency over the proposed EU-Mercosur trade agreement. However, Ursula Von Der Leyen and her team of Commissioners secu…

Recent criticism of the lack of public toilets in Ballyshannon has been rejected locally. The issue of public toilets remaining closed has been a long-standing issue in the area, as funding is being sourced to open the facilities. Local Sinn Fein Cllr Michael McMahon highlighted that work is being done to solve the problem long-term. Cllr McMahon s…

Members of FÓRSA trade union working for the HSE, including at Sligo University Hospital have voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action. The ballot was returned with 93.6% in favour of industrial action. Local members as well those from INMO and SIPTU previously gathered outside Sligo University Hospital in protest over the HSE's 'Pay and…

Ahead of the Christmas period, parents and guardians across the north west are being urged not buy e-scooters, scramblers or quad bikes for children. New laws introduced earlier this year saw under 16s prohibited to use e-scooters under law. The RSA is reminding the public that the vehicles pose significant safety risks to children. Drumshanbo-base…

It's hoped that Irish Rail will explore the possibility of running an expanded timetable for trains between Carrick-on-Shannon and Sligo. Previously, routes sought included a daily commuter service arriving in Sligo before 8.45am and departing the station close to 10.30pm. Currently there is no train that arrives in Sligo in time for start of the w…

The latest opinion poll shows a three-horse race, heading into tomorrow's election. The latest Red C Poll for the Business Post shows Sinn Fein and Fine Gael are neck and neck on 20 percent - but Fianna Fail is narrowly ahead by one percentage point. The online poll of 1,004 adults was done between the 20th and 26th of November. Business Post polit…

Criticism has been levelled towards a number of Midlands-North West MEPs for not opposing Ursula Von der Leyen’s continuation as EU Commission President. Ms. Von Der Leyen and her team of Commissioners secured a comfortable majority in the vote in Strasbourg. Former Sinn Fein MEP and General Election candidate Chris MacManus condemned Fianna Fail’s…

Robbie Fitzpatrick has just been installed as Co Sligo Golf Club's new Captain for the 2025 season - and his wife Niamh is the new lady Captain. The husband-and-wife team spoke to Ocean FM Sport's Austin O'Callaghan at the recent launch of the Golf Ball for 2025, which will take place at the Radisson Hotel in February.…

The Government have today agreed to add Killybegs to the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme in the wake of Storm Bert. Floods ripped through the town last weekend, causing extensive damage to a number of buildings and business premises in the process. The decision was taken incorporeal today, as Cabinet members are currently out in their constituencies…

Frustration has been expressed after the contractor awarded tender for the construction of an extension for Sligo University Hospital has pulled out of the project. A large amount of work went into the application for the work to be carried out, with the 42-bed extension seen as a key development to the future of health care in the region. This mon…

Tributes have been paid to the young man who lost his life in a crash on the N17 on Monday evening, 32-year-old, Sean Maye, a native of Tubbercurry died when the car he was driving collided with a lorry at Corbally, just outside of Claremorris, shortly after 5pm. Gardai are continuing to appeal for witnesses to come forward. The late Mr Maye is sur…

Claims that the redevelopment of the N17 is on track as planned have been reiterated by a General Election candidate. Outgoing Fine Gael TD, Frank Feighan, says that if elected, he will also ensure that the matter remains a top priority for the next Government. Doubts were cast over the project following a General Election debate for Sligo/Leitrim …

There are fears that south Donegal would be severely impacted over a proposal for the return of Town Councils to bigger towns. A motion was passed by Donegal County Council earlier this week by Fianna Fail Cllr Fionán Bradley, who is calling town councils be created in towns with a population of over 5,000. But Independent Cllr Jimmy Brogan says wh…

Summerhill College in Sligo has been issued an approval to tender for a long-awaited extension. Some of the developments included are four mainstream classrooms, two science labs and two SEN bases. The approved infrastructure aims to keep up with a growing population while catering for those with additional needs. Fianna Fail General Election candi…

A leading Donegal farming official has called for robust measures to curb dog attacks on sheep. Recent incidents across the country has led to the deaths of over 25 sheep, and it is also issue faced by farmers in the north west. The IFA have highlighted dog ownership laws currently fall between two different departments which has led to gaps in ove…

There have been calls locally to ease the drain of recently qualified health professionals to other countries. Many doctors, nurses and other workers have been forced to seek employment opportunities abroad. General Election candidate in the Donegal constituency, Mary T. Sweeney says with an increased strain on the health sector, Ireland cannot aff…

Sligo County Council have been awarded over 3.6m euro through the Local Community Peace Action Plan. The funding will go towards a number of cross-border intiatives across the county of Sligo. Among the projects set to benefit from today's announcement are the Armada Cross Seasons Border project in North Sligo, and the development of the Brother Wa…

There's renewed concern over staffing levels at Collooney Day Care centre. Currently there's only a three day service available for service users locally. The HSE is being urged to fund and staff the facility to that it can operate five days a week. Independent General Election candidate and Cllr Marie Casserly believes that the demand is there and…

A new campaign has been launched to promote the night time economy in Sligo. The ‘Safe & Sound’ initiative by Sligo BID aims to reduce antisocial behaviour and encourage respect within the town. Sligo is one of nine pilot regions for the campaign, and it is hoped that it will provide a boost for local businesses. Edel Doran, Sligo BID’s Night Time …

The European Union is under further pressure to address the severe challenges facing the fishing fleet in Killybegs and elsewhere. Many local boats at Killybegs continue to be tied up while foreign vessels are allowed to fish freely. It's down to quota allocations sanctioned by Europe. MEP Ciaran Mullooly local fishermen are crippled by what is hap…

It looks like a new state-of-the-art Garda headquarters for Sligo has been kicked further down the road. It follows revelations that a business case for a new station will be made in the New Year. Reassurances were given previously that efforts were ongoing to move the project forward. A site in Caltragh has long been earmarked for the new build wi…

A major warning has been sounded over the future of festivals and events in County Sligo. It's after a decision was taken by Sligo County Council to allocate just €53,000 funding, shared among the entire local industry for the upcoming year. There had already been serious concern over many events being on the brink due to rising running costs. Fine…

There's further concern over the level of Garda personnel in the Sligo/Leitrim division. Figures published in the latest allocation from Templemore showed the north west, yet again received the lowest number of Gardaí. Of the 108 attested as members in late September, only 8 were stationed in the north west. General Election candidate, Fianna Fáil'…

Further reassurances have been given that Day Services will return to Ballyshannon Community Hospital. The HSE confirmed last week that some of the long-stay beds at the hospital have opened, with more to follow soon, including dementia care beds. There had been major fears that the day services would not be reinstated, after a recent statement fro…

Those participating in this afternoon’s Nurse Clinical Placement Coordinators protest at Sligo University Hospital have been outlining their reasons for doing so. A number of those affected gathered outside the hospital’s gates over the lack of pay increases to their current contracts. Despite a recommendation from the expert review body for additi…

Nurse Clinical Placement Coordinators staged a lunchtime protest outside the gates of Sligo University Hospital this afternoon. The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation is claiming that the Department of Health is obstructing the recommended pay increases for them. They say that the outgoing Minister for Health has ignored a 4,300 strong petition…

It's hoped that a designated Marine Minister can be appointed to fully tackle the fishing industry. It remains to be seen whether the European Commission will block Norwegian fishing vessels in Irish waters amid fears of overfishing, while local fisheries are stuck with limited quotas. This, coupled with a potential 18-million-euro loss from a prop…

There are calls for a cross border approach in tackling flooding issues in Pettigo. The River Termon, which flows between Fermanagh and Donegal, burst its banks over the weekend, resulting in the lower part of Pettigo being badly hit by flood water. Sinn Fein Cllr Michael McMahon says there needs to be an urgent meeting with the relevant bodies nor…

The community of Killybegs is said to be still reeling from the weekend devastation as the result of Storm Bert. It's estimated that twelve homes and ten businesses were severely damaged in the early hours of Saturday morning when flood water ripped through the Bridge Street area of the town. The office of outgoing Deputy and Independent General El…

There have been further calls for progress on the delivery of flood prevention in south Donegal. Flooding in a number of areas including Killybegs, Donegal Town and the Frosses areas caused severe damage to a number of homes and businesses following Storm Bert over the weekend. Clean-up operations are continuing throughout the area as homes and bus…

A Sligo Cllr has defended her decision for opposing a move to increase commercial rates in County Sligo. Cllrs voted in favour of increasing rates by 5% for 2025 at a Budget meeting on Friday. It was thought by most that the money generated would allow a number of projects happen right across the county for the upcoming year. But Fianna Fail Cllr a…

Emergency services and ESB crews in the North West have been praised for their swift response to a high volume of incidents over the course of the weekend. A large number of roads across Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal were impassable due to flooding, while thousands across the region were without power for a time. Sinn Fein Cllr Thomas Healy says the a…

Met Éireann has upgraded its weather warnings for counties Sligo and Leitrim as part of Storm Bert. Both counties along with Mayo are now under a status orange wind warning. That will be in place until 2am on Monday. Donegal remains under a status yellow wind warning until 8am on Monday morning. Met Eireann's Gerry Murphy says it’s not your typical…

There are hopes a “total solution” can be found to help those affected by Storm Bert in Killybegs. Overnight rain caused serious flood damage to homes and businesses on Saturday. Council staff along with local volunteers participated in a major clean-up operation which lasted several hours and is continuing. Local Fine Gael Councillor, Manus Boyle …

Serious safety concerns have been raised over the state of footpaths in Drumshanbo. The foothpath at Convent Avenue are said to have fallen in disrepair. Ahead of the Christmas period, there are fears locally that someone will be injured close to St. Patrick's Church. Local Fine Gael Councillor Enda McGloin is urging Leitrim County Council to step …

No injuries have reported following severe flooding in Killybegs. Brutal rain caused chaos in Donegal, especially in the south west of the county during Met Éireann's status yellow warning. A clean-up operation is underway as crews and residents begin to count the costs of the damage. General Election candidate, Independent Thomas Pringle's office …

A major clean-up operation is continuing following severe flooding in Killybegs. Hundreds of homes and businesses suffered severe damage when Storm Bert passed over the south west Donegal village in the early hours of Saturday morning. ESB crews are working to restore power to the over a thousand customers who are still affected by power outages. G…

Some knock-on delays could impact rail passengers on the Sligo to Dublin Connolly rail line. Passengers travelling on Irish Rail's 06:40 service from Sligo to Dublin Connolly were hit with significant delays on Saturday morning. Due to severe overnight flooding, the train was unable to depart the north Roscommon station's platform one. However, aft…

Homes and businesses in Killybegs are counting the costs following overnight wind and rain from Storm Bert. The Bridge Street area in particular was struck with crews carrying out works throughout the night to reduce the impact of the floods and assist locals. General Election candidate, Fianna Fáil's Pat "The Cope" Gallagher has been in contact wi…

Claims have been made at today's Sligo County Council Budget meeting that Strandhill is being unfairly discriminated against in terms of funding. Fine Gael councillor, Fergal Nealon, made the point that Strandhill got no money out of the one-off Christmas fund as it was spent in the town, where as other MDs were able to avail of the funding. Counci…

Sligo County Councillors are meeting this afternoon to finalise the budget for the upcoming year. It's expected that a decision will be taken to increase commercial rates by 5%. A similar move was made by Leitrim County Councillors in recent weeks, which caused some controversy among local businesses. Today will also outline what the Council in Sli…

There are claims that the Government may have been misled over planning regulations at Benbulben Court in Sligo. Hundreds of international protection applicants are now living in the complex, a move which heightened the ongoing student accommodation crisis in the town as the building traditionally catered to students. Now, management at Benbulben C…

The HSE West and North West region had the highest percentage of its population availing of a medical card in 2022, according to data released by the CSO. The region covers Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal, Roscommon, Mayo, and Galway. As of April 2022, the region had a population of almost 760,000, 34% of which had a medical card and 11% had a GP visit car…

Donegal County Council have been named as Local Authority of the Year. The Excellence in Local Government awards, hosted by Chambers Ireland, were held in the Crowne Plaza hotel in Dublin last night. Donegal also picked up two other awards in the Supporting Sustainable Communities and Health and Wellbeing categories.…

There are renewed calls for some local roads around County Sligo to be designated regional road status. The potential move would ultimately provide for more Government investment for upgrade works. It's thought that there are many routes across the County which are no longer able to cope with the amount of traffic travelling on them. This is said t…