Ocean FM News Reports

The public is being warned the yellow and orange weather warnings for Storm Ashley this weekend could change as it travels over the Atlantic. At the moment, Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal will be under a yellow warning while Mayo and Galway have been issued an orange alert. Met Eireann has issued warnings of coastal flooding, difficult driving conditions, damage to power lines and fallen trees as poss...

Calls for small businesses to receive financial support

Calls are being made for the Manorhamilton Municipal District to have their own designated space. Currently, MD meetings for the area are held in the HSE building in Manorhamilton, with councillors having to sign in and sign out every time they attend. The Manorhamilton Municipal District is currently the only one in the country without a designated space, following its establishment 10 years ago....

News that the Dublin flight from Donegal Airport is to be exempt from the Passenger Cap has been welcomed locally. It had previously been suggested that the flight would be scrapped in order to comply with the cap at Dublin Airport. However, that plan now will not get off the ground, following confirmation from Minister of State, James Lawless, that the service won't be affected as it is a Public...

People will soon be able to study pharmacy in Sligo.   ATU Sligo is set to provide new programmes with the overall objective to provide more than 150 additional pharmacy graduates per year.   It's expected that the new courses will be available for the next academic year.   Minister for Further and Higher Education Patrick O'Donovan believes that it can only be a positive addition t...

The long awaited one way traffic system in Collooney is set to be implemented next week.   This will be an initial trial period of six months and will be in place from Tuesday.   It's hoped that it will improve traffic flow and safety in the village.   This one way system will also allow for the return of the Local Link bus 981 to the village centre, it previously had to move off th...

Met Eireann has confirmed the first named storm of the season is approaching.   Storm Ashley will bear down on Sunday.   A yellow warning for very strong winds has been issued for Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal while an Orange alert has been issued for Mayo and Galway, with the likelihood of coastal flooding, large waves, difficult driving conditions and fallen trees.

The Children's Minister is facing further backlash over allocating hundreds of student beds in Sligo to international protection applicants.   There has been uproar in the town this week, following confirmation that over 400 refugees were to be housed in Benbulben Court.   While last month almost 180 moved into Milligan Court.   This decision has been taken at a time when the studen...

There's no question that people will continue to be able to heat their homes with turf from their own bogs, according to the Tánaiste.   It follows concern this week that cars and property could be searched by local authorities and potentially seize turf under new legislation.   Michael Martin was responding to queries from Sligo Leitrim Independent TD Marian Harkin in the Dail.   H...

We could experience the first named storm of this winter season this weekend.   Storm Ashley looks likely to edge close to Ireland on Sunday, with Met Eireann monitoring developments.   Ahead of that we're in for wet and very windy conditions nationwide.   Alan O'Reilly from Carlow Weather says there's an ongoing risk of flooding and severe damage in the days ahead.

We relive Melvin Gaels heroics in last Sunday’s Leitrim intermediate football final. Mickey Martin gives us a history lesson on Sheemore Gaels, the former county champions you may never have heard of. Could Declan Bonner’s Erne Gaels write some fresh history of their own in Fermanagh this weekend as they look to regain the New York Cup for the first time since 1981? Plus - Sligo Rovers manager Joh...

Donegal has the longest waiting lists for children with disabilities across the country. The issue was raised by Sinn Fein TD Padraig Maclochlainn in the Dail to Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman and Minister Anne Rabbitte. It is understood that the lack of services are causing children to be left behind, resulting in a negative impact among families. Deputy MacLochlainn says despite not gett...

Funding has been confirmed for Sligo Cancer Support Centre as part of Budget 2025. As part of the National Cancer Strategy, €41 million has been allocated nationwide. €5.5 million of the total amount will be invested in the Alliance of Community Cancer Support and Service, of which Sligo is a member. Sligo-Leitrim Independent TD Marian Harkin says there is an anxious wait to see what the exact fig...

A recent case of deer hunting in Sligo has come in for criticism from an IFA representative. There are concerns from farmers over the impact that deer can have in the area, such as the ruining of crops and spreading of diseases. Amid rises in the deer population, there have been calls for a culling of the animal, however recent killings of deer have been condemned. Sligo IFA Chair, Michael O’Dowd,...

People are being warned to avoid a derelict housing estate in Grange. It's understood that young people have been gathering in the unfinished houses in Granary Drive in Grange, with the houses said to be in a very dangerous condition. It's also been claimed that planning applications are to go forward in the coming weeks to see the houses built to completion in the future. But for the moment, loca...

Flights from Donegal to the Capital will not be impacted by plans to comply with the passenger cap in Dublin Airport.   There were fears earlier this week that the flight may be scrapped to comply with the cap, potentially leaving over 400 Donegal cancer patients who travel to Dublin for treatment in limbo. Giving reassurances in the Dail today, Minister of State at the Department of Transpor...

A Leitrim Cllr has accused Green Party Minister Eamon Ryan of betraying the environmental cause. This follows protests by the Love Leitrim Campaign in Dublin last week, in opposition of fracked gas imports. It is a major concern within the county that has been made possible since a policy was brought in that removed the ban on LNG terminals. Manorhamilton Independent Cllr Eddie Mitchell says parts...

It's estimated that it could be up to six months before people in County Sligo will be able to access the Defective Block Redress Scheme. Yesterday, Sligo was finally added to the scheme, following years of waiting, paving the way for hundreds of homeowners to repair or rebuild their homes. But Independent Sligo Leitrim TD Marc MacSharry says Sligo County Council must first establish a dedicated t...

There are calls for the Local Link service from Sligo to Ballyshannon to be extended.   Residents in the likes of Rathbraughan, Lisnalurg, and Teesan are currently unable access the 982 service.   Fianna Fail Cllr Edel McSharry believes that a slight rerouting would be a simple solution, and it will be of no extra cost or additional time.   Cllr McSharry has urgently requested TFI t...

A decision to house almost 600 international protection applicants in Sligo Town has been branded wrong and lacking common sense.   Over 400 refugees, mainly families, are due to arrive at Benbulben Court in the coming days.   It follows the arrival of almost 180 refugees to Milligan Court last month.   Both apartment complexes have been embroiled in controversy, as they traditional...

Over 52 million euro is to be allocated to north west farmers in advance payments under the Basic Income Support for Sustainability and Complementary Redistributive Income Support for Sustainability.   In figures published by the Department of Agriculture, over 7 thousand farmers in Donegal are to share €29 million.   Just over 3 thousand farmers in Leitrim are to receive over €10 and a...

There are hopes that the ice rink and Christmas markets coming to Sligo over the winter period will give a significant boost to the local economy.   There will be €20,000 provided to install the rink at Queen Maeve Square in November and it will remain in operation until early January.   With an additional €30,000 allocated towards six other towns and villages within the county to improv...

The Government's been told 'red tape and VAT is killing small business' in the North West and elsewhere. Over a thousand protestors converged on the Capital yesterday, warning thousands of jobs are on the line unless VAT's knocked back to 9 percent. Some pub owners claim the only Irish pubs we'll see in the future - will be in countries abroad. Local Hotelier and Fianna Fail Cllr Michael Naughton...

Donegal Sinn Féin TD Pearse Doherty has defended his party's decision not to reveal the real reason behind the resignation of Senator Niall Ó Donnghaile last year.     Senator O Donnghaile cited health reasons for his departure from the upper house, it’s now emerged he'd sent inappropriate texts to a 17-year-old.     It’s the second scandal to hit the party this week, after the...

There’s been further calls for increased garda numbers and measures to be put in place to deter ever-increasing criminality in the north west.     Figures published by the CSO show there were 13 reported motor thefts occurred in the Sligo-Leitrim Garda Division in the second quarter of this year.     21 thefts were reported in Donegal, one more incident compared the Quarter One...