Ocean FM News Reports

Several families who lost loved ones in the Creeslough explosion say they want to meet with the Justice Minister Helen McEntee. A lawyer representing the next of kin of seven of the ten victims of the October 2022 blast in the Co Donegal village have written to Minister Helen McEntee asking for an independent investigation to be established. Four men, three women and three children, ranging in age...

There are fears that the future of the film industry in the North West is under threat unless major Government supports are established.   As it stands the industry provides a major boost to the local economy, with the filming of one series in Donegal resulting in the employment of 140 crew, 11 trainees, 54 cast, 133 extras, and generated 3,900 accommodation nights.   The Western AV Foru...

A Sligo Cllr will be raising the issue of staffing and waiting lists in relation to paediatric speech and language therapy services at the Regional Health Forum West Meeting today. Despite the HSE recruitment embargo being lifted, there are still major staffing vacancies within the SLT service. This has resulted in serious knock on effects, causing the waiting list for children needing treatment a...

There's disappointment in Ballinacarrow after revelations that upcoming roadworks are not to include long awaited traffic calming measures.   The work is set to only address a few minor issues, despite members of the community voicing their concerns through a public consultation.   Its expected that that the traffic calming measures may not take place until next year, with a funding appl...

Surprise has been expressed over the lack of demand for specific incident housing in Donegal. SI housing was in high demand in the past, where the council would buy land off an owner and build a house on it, taking ownership of the house in the process. Currently, planning has only been submitted for one SI house to be built in the county. The issue has been raised by Independent Councillor, Jimmy...

The N17 is set to be listed as a key topic of discussion at every Ballymote - Tubbercurry MD meeting from here on in.   The idea has been brought forward by Fianna Fáil Cllr Paul Taylor, who feels that countless motions on the notorious route have been moved by Cllrs over the years, with little to no progress being made.   Cllr Taylor believes it should make a difference going forward:

An investigation is continuing after an Irish Rail staff member was attacked on the Sligo - Connolly service.   The alleged assault happened in Connolly train station just before the train left for Sligo on Saturday night last.   The victim, who is understood to be from Sligo originally, suffered a number of minor injuries.   A man in his 30s was arrested and has since been charged....

There’s fears that a tragedy at Enniscrone Pier is imminent over a high level of underage drinking. A large number of young people have been congregating at the pier in recent weeks, some it’s claimed, with bags of alcohol. The empty bottles are then said to be thrown into the sea while some youths are also jumping in themselves, notably intoxicated. Local Cllr Joe Queenan says that at the moment,...

The leader of the Labour Party, Ivana Bacik, was in Sligo last evening where she unveiled the inaugural Tommy Higgins Community Recognition Award. Deputy Bacik visited Treacy Avenue, the home of the former Sligo Labour Party Councilllor. He served as  councillor on both Sligo Corporation and Sligo County Council, was Mayor three times and was also a Freeman of Sligo. The annual awar...

Cllr Nessa Cosgrove has been ratified by the Labour Party to stand as their General Election candidate in the Sligo-Leitrim constituency. Her selection was confirmed at the party convention in the SIPTU offices in Sligo last night. Cllr Cosgrove was elected to Sligo County Council in June's local elections, and also stood in the 2020 General Election. She had previously confirmed her intention to...

The Fuel Allowance is to be paid to over 400,000 households across the country from this week. The payment is made at the weekly rate of €33, or if preferred, by way of two payments of €462 each. A single person over 70 can have means of €512 per week to qualify, while a couple can have means of €1,024 per week. Speaking to Ocean FM News, Independent Sligo Leitrim TD, Marian Harkin, says a lot mor...

An Enniscrone farmer has made his feelings clear after a helicopter was landed in his field without permission last week. The chopper landed in Johnny Kilcullen's field in Enniscrone, after hoping to get footage of the sinking of the MV Shingle ship at Killala Bay last week. The helicopter landed in the field while livestock were there, which prompted the frustrated farmer to park his tractor in f...

It’s children in Donegal and the rest of the county who are paying the price for the government’s failures. That’s according to Sinn Fein TD Pearse Doherty, over the news that the National Children’s Hospital opening is to be delayed until 2026. It comes as expenditure on the hospital stands at €2.2 billion, making it the most expensive children’s hospital in the world. Deputy Doherty says there n...

Farmers must be properly paid through the EU into the future, according to the Agriculture Minister.   The current Common Agricultural Policy runs until 2027, with calls for the scheme to be reformed.   The European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, has promised a ‘vision for agriculture’ within the first 100 days of her new term.   Agriculture Minister and Donegal TD Char...

Concerns have been raised over the current condition of the cemetery in Killargue. Areas of the cemetery, particularly the old church building, have recently fallen into disrepair. There are a number of graves located close to, and within the walls of, the church building, and it's thought that the current condition is now a safety hazard. Leitrim County Council have been encouraged to liaise with...

Ireland's first seated surfboard has been officially launched in Rossnowlagh Beach.   The board is designed to enhance accessibility and inclusivity in water sports, allowing individuals of all abilities to experience the joy of surfing.   The project has been launched by charity Liquid Therapy, in collaboration with Donegal Sports Partnership and with funding from Sport Ireland via Dorm...

There's concern that not enough land will be zoned for much needed housing in Sligo.   Sligos County Development Plan is set to be finalised this day week, with Cllrs set to vote on a number of submissions.   The plan will effectively map out development for the County for the next few years.   Fine Gael Cllr Thomas Walsh believes as much land as possible needs to be zoned a in bid...

Aoife Johnston's family is "profoundly disappointed" by the report which found her death was "almost certainly avoidable". The 16 year old died from meningitis in 2022, after she was left waiting for more than 13 hours at University Hopsital Limerick. The HSE boss has said it wouldn't be lawful or appropriate to reveal the names of the six people currently facing a disciplinary process. But her fa...

Leitrim is the only one out of 32 counties to be excluded entirely from an electric vehicle charging scheme. 227 sports clubs across Ireland are eligible to apply for €15m in funding to install new EV Chargers on their grounds for members and visitors. The unsuccessful Leitrim clubs failed to meet the criteria set out by the Department of Transport to be able to avail of the funding. Sinn Fein Sli...

A Donegal Cllr has welcomed the news that 70 new driver testers are going to be hired by the RSA, bringing the total number of permanent testers to 200. It was previously highlighted within the county that some learner drivers were waiting up to eight to sit their test in the south Donegal area. The new testers are expected to be in place by March 2025, with the RSA hoping to be able to meet deman...

The semi-final line-up for the 2024 Donegal senior club football championship has thrown up a couple of surprises. Paddy McGill and guests digest the weekend's four quarter-finals and talking points.

A Sligo-Leitrim non-profit organisation is pushing a new initiative to educate and encourage the public to avail of grants and schemes. Retrofit Ready is a community led group raising awareness for Home Retrofit scale up within a local area. They will be hosting an event in the Clayton Hotel on the 27th September, for people interested in retrofitting their home. Eve Hughes, of Retrofit Ready, say...

Increased rental costs and lack of emergency accommodation in north Leitrim have been described as “a crisis”. Earlier this month, it emerged that the average rent in the county is over 1,100 euro. Local Independent Councillor Eddie Mitchell says many families have been left with no choice but to relocate to other parts of the county including Ballinamore and Carrick-on-Shannon. Councillor Mitchel...

There's calls for urgent measures to be put in place at a troublesome junction in north Leitrim. This follows a number of near misses by those exiting the Rossinver Graveyard on the R281. With 132 people killed on Irish roads so far this year, it's feared Leitrim will contribute to this ever-increasing statistic. Local Fianna Fáil Councillor Justin Warnock fears it's only a matter of time before s...

Following discussions with Bus Eireann, one of the St Attracta’s school buses will now make a stop in Coolaney village. The move hopes to give families living in the area help in relation to school runs, with the additional goal of reducing traffic. The stop at McCann’s Cross will continue to be a pick-up and drop-off point for children, while the bus on the L55 route will stop at Coolaney Garda S...