Ocean FM News Reports

A Sligo-Leitrim TD has said they are horrified by the news the Chronic Pain Unit in Sligo University Hospital is set to close this Friday. The service, which has been open since 2006 in Sligo will now close, and it’s thought that patients will now have to travel to Galway for treatment, despite services there now operating in a reduced capacity. Independent TD Marian Harkin highlighted how this wi...

The Taoiseach has led tributes in the Dail this afternoon to veteran broadcaster Tommie Gorman who passed away earlier today.   In a statement his family said he died “peacefully” surrounded by family as they paid tribute to “a cherished husband, father, brother, and friend”.   The Sligo native worked for RTÉ News and Current Affairs starting in 1980 and retired in 2021 after 41 years. &...

Over 120 people from the north west received treatment for cocaine related addiction issues in in 2023. Figures published by the Health Research Board show that there were 17 in Sligo, in Leitrim there were 10, while Donegal recorded 97, representing a 2.4 per cent rise in the north west. There were 307 overall cases of drug treatment for those in the three counties last year, They are some of the...

The passing of former RTE journalist and Sligo native Tommie Gorman has sent shockwaves through the RTE newsroom.   That's according to the current Northern Ireland Editor with RTE Vincent Kearney, who says former colleagues of the late Mr. Gorman are devastated following the news of his death.   Mr Gorman worked for RTÉ News from 1980 up to his retirement in April 2021 and was the forme...

Former RTE Journalist Tommie Gorman has been remembered as a gracious man who was genuinely interested in people.   He held a number of positions at the broadcaster including Northern Editor in a career that spanned 41 years.   He died today surrounded by his family and is survived by his wife Ceara, children Joe and Moya, sister Mary and brother Michael.   Speaking to Ocean FM news...

The local economy in Sligo and Enniscrone is set to lose out on tens of thousands of euro due to the impending Aer Lingus pilot strike. It’s after a large number of golfers who were due to participate in the Atlantic Coast Challenge have now cancelled. The three day event takes place on July 8th to 10th and is played over three links courses in Rosses Point, Enniscrone and Belmullet. Aer Lingus an...

A business case has been made by the HSE for the operation of a hydrotherapy pool for users in Sligo and Leitrim. The service aims to be in place for two days a week at Cregg House in Ballincar, and will require annual funding of just over €230,000. Sligo-Drumcliffe Cllr Thomas Walsh highlighted how people the lack of a hydrotherapy pool is negatively effecting people with a disability. Cllr Walsh...

A HSE audit has revealed that nearly half of ambulances observed at Sligo, Letterkenny and Mercy University Hospitals failed to meet turnaround targets.   Ambulances must aim to transfer a patient to the emergency department and be freed up again in 20 minutes.   The audit, which included a four hour observation of ambulance handover times at Sligo, found that this wasn't achieved in nea...

There's no reason why other EU Member states shouldn't support Ireland's recommendations on changes to the Common Fisheries Policy. That's according to Minister for Agriculture, Charlie McConalogue, who spoke on the matter at a meeting of the EU Fisheries Council in Luxembourg yesterday. Among the recommendations made by the Minister were increases to the Irish quotas, as well as fish caught in Ir...

The Chronic Pain Unit in Sligo University Hospital is set to close this Friday. It’s understood that there are currently around 1,500 patients on the waiting list for the service. The service, which has been open since 2006 in Sligo will now close, and it’s thought that patients will now have to travel to Galway for treatment, despite services there now operating in a reduced capacity. Two consult...

Sligo is starting to feel the impact of the impending strike by Aer Lingus pilots. The airline and the pilots union IALPA will attend separate meetings at the Labour Court today. Its the latest attempt to find agreement on a pay dispute which threatens the travel plans of thousands of Aer Lingus passengers. Strike action is currently planned, with a work to rule due to start tomorrow, and an eight...

A neurologist needs to be appointed to Letterkenny University Hospital on a permanent basis as soon as possible. That's according to the Neurological Alliance of Ireland, who have launched a support campaign targeting elected representatives on the matter today. Currently, the neurological service in LUH visits from Sligo every fortnight for two and a half days a week. It's also estimated that the...

The Sligo to Dublin Irish Rail intercity line will see fare increases of around 4 per cent from this morning. The National Transport Authority have determined the increase, with services also impacted in Galway and Westport. Barry Kenny, Corporate Communications Manager of Iarnród Éireann, highlighted how the price rises are part of a restructuring. Mr Kenny says the fees are still lower than they...

There are further calls locally for EU legislation to tackle online bullying.   The 'Bí Cineálta' or 'Be Kind', guidelines have been updated to help schools address issues with cyber, gender, sexist and racist bullying.   In Ireland, harassing someone online is now governed by The Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020 and is punishable by a prison sentence of u...

Donegal had the biggest rise in house prices in the North West in the second quarter of 2024.   According to the latest report from Daft.ie , prices in Donegal were 11% higher than a year previously.   This is followed by Sligo at almost 9% while in Leitrim, prices were almost 8% when compared with the same period last year.   On average, list prices in quarter two of 2024 were 6.7...

It's been claimed that thousands of voters in Donegal have effectively been shafted.   It's after the way in which appointments to various committees were delegated at Donegal County Councils AGM on Friday.   The AGM, chaired by newly elected Cathaoirleach Cllr Niamh Kennedy, was adjourned a number of times because several Independent Cllrs alleged that they were excluded from initial di...

The Mall Car Park in Sligo still requires a more thorough approach to cleaning, according to the latest IBAL litter survey.   The first survey of 2024 shows that Sligo town is again 'cleaner than European norms' in 8th spot in the ranking of 40 towns and cities.   There were no heavily littered sites in Sligo and eight out of the ten sites surveyed got the top litter grade.   The Ma...

The safety of members of An Garda Siochana in Sligo has been brought into question.   It follows an incident in Sligo Garda Station in recent days in which a man brandished a knife and threatened Gardai.   The man was disarmed and apprehended by Gardai with investigations ongoing.   But Local People before Profit Cllr Gino O'Boyle believes that this incident shines a worrying light...

Sligo manager Tony McEntee speaks to Colm McGee & Gavin Cawley after Sunday's Tailteann Cup semi-final loss to Down

Teelin and the wider south Donegal area has descended into shock and sadness following the death of a man in a drowning incident.   The man in his 40s drowned after difficulty in the Teelin Bay area while another man, in his 60s is receiving treatment for serious injuries at University Hospital Galway.   A local diving event was taking place in the area at the time.   Local Independ...

An appeal has been issued after a vital piece of life-saving equipment has gone missing in south Donegal.   The AED defibrillator, located in the Mall Park in Ballyshannon has been misplaced and left locals in a vulnerable position.   In 2021, the defibrillator was vandalised with its replacement costing in the region of €1,300.   Defibrillators are devices that apply an electric ch...

New funding has been announced for the addition of new classroom at Gaelscoil Chluainín in Manorhamilton Minister for Special Education, Hildegard Naughton revealed the investment for the national school. The development will facilitate the addition of a special class for children with special education needs alongside a sensory area and outdoor soft play area. The exact amount of the grant is not...

Outgoing Cathaoirleach and Fine Gael Cllr Gerard Mullaney has been reflecting on the last twelve months. He feels that until now, he underestimated the importance of the St. Patrick’s Day trip to the US:

Cllr Declan Bree has been elected Cathaoirleach of Sligo County Council.   The appointment comes as the new County Council met for the first time today.   Cllr Bree celebrated 50 years as a local representative following his poll topping success in the recent local elections.   Fianna Fail, after forming a pact with a number of Independent Cllrs, made the decision to recognise Cllr...

The town of Bundoran has descended into unspeakable sadness following the death of a man in a drowning incident. That's according to local Sinn Fein Cllr Michael McMahon who has been speaking after the body of a man was recovered at Tullan Strand yesterday. It's believed that the victim had been fishing off rocks at Roughey Cliffs when he fell. An investigation into his death is ongoing. Cllr McMa...