Ocean FM News Reports

Health chiefs are working to open 10 more short stay beds at Ballyshannon Community Hospital by December 18th. The 20-bed facility, which opened earlier this year, has only 10 beds in use so far due to staffing issues. The move is aimed at easing pressure on Sligo University Hospital, which continues to face overcrowding. Speaking to Ocean FM News Councillor Marie Casserly, who raised the issue at...

ATU Sligo will contest Tuesday's Higher Education men's 'A' Premier Division final in intervarsities soccer when they take on UCD of the League of Ireland's First Division at Athlone Town Stadium. Kick-off on Tuesday is at 5:30pm. The ATU team includes a number of Sligo Rovers first-team squad members. Ocean FM Sport's Austin O'Callaghan spoke with one of them, Conor Reynolds, and team manager Dar...

Junior Minister Frank Feighan spoke with protesters this morning and had pledged to do what’s in his gift to ensure the projects are fast tracked:

The well-known television personality and architect Hugh Wallace has died at the age of 68. He was known for his role as a judge on the RTE programme Home of the Year. His husband, Martin Corbett, wrote on Wallace's Instagram account that he passed away suddenly last night. Wallace's company, Douglas Wallace Architects, are behind Tannery development on Cairns Hill in Sligo. Garden designer and te...

A Fermanagh MLA says the local region is in shock following the death of two men in a road traffic collision over the weekend. The men died following a crash involving a car and a Bus Éireann bus in Enniskillen. The men, who were travelling in the car, died following the incident on the Derrylin Road shortly after 7 o'clock on Friday evening. The Bus Éireann Expressway coach was en route from Dubl...

A motion was brought forward to todays sitting of Sligo County Council on the issue of schools across Sligo being underfunded by the Cathaoirleach of the Sligo Drumcliff MD Cllr Marie Casserly who says it’s now at a stage where it’s totally unacceptable:

Postive steps are being taken on lifeguard recruitment for the 2026 bathing season in Sligo. Several Sligo beaches were said to be left without lifeguard cover during busy periods over the summer, raising serious public safety concerns. Now it's been confirmed that a subsidised Beach Lifeguard Course will be running in County Sligo which reduces the usual 400 550 euro cost to 300. Speaking to Ocea...

Tributes are being paid to former Donegal County Manager and Aodh Ruadh, Ballyshannon GAA personality Michael McLoone, who has died. The late Mr McLoone served as Donegal County Manager for a sixteen year perioed between from 1994 until 2010. During that time he oversaw a number of initiatives, including new Public Services Centres in Co. Donegal He was also CEO of Beaumont Hospital in Dublin and...

A demonstration is taking place outside the Sligo County Council offices over a delay in providing a new Gaelscoil for Sligo Town. Staff and pupils there are said to be teaching and learning in a substandard environment. A new school building was promised some time back with little to no progress made on the project. Teacher at the Gaelscoil Lynn Kilcoyne has been speaking to Ocean FM News:

A protest has taken place outside the offices of Sligo County Council over delays in various school projects in County Sligo. There’s frustration locally over a long awaited extension for Grange post primary school for Sligo Town. The school was promised an extension around 12 twelve years ago and so far progress is said to be slow. The project has went to the next stage last Friday but there’s co...

There've been warm tributes in the GAA world for Donegal's Mickey McLoone who has passed away this weekend after an illness. Martin McHugh, Peter Campbell and Tom Daly paid this tribute at Fr Tierney Park in Ballyshannon on Sunday, before the throw-in for the Donegal under-21 'A' football final.

€8,000 raised in aid of Multiple Sclerosis therapy

Dairy farmers advised to be efficient with recent drop in milk prices

Concerns raised surrounding lack of financial support for families

Funding announced for local biodiversity projects

Cllr. Marie Casserly has welcomed confirmation from the Department of Education on the next steps for the Additional School Accommodation project at Grange Post Primary School. Following recent discussions, clarity has been provided on progressing the project, with the MSL ETB set to submit a planning application soon. Pending a small site investigation, the application is expected to reach Sligo...

Deputy Padraig MacLochlainn has raised concerns over overfishing in the Dáil, warning Ireland may face cuts to its fishing quotas. He argued that much of the overfishing is carried out by fishers from other states, particularly Norway and Iceland. During questions to the Minister for Agriculture, MacLochlainn said Ireland must confront this “injustice.” Minister Martin Heydon says he is working to...

A total of 9,036 patients were left on trolleys nationally in November, according to new figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation. Sligo University Hospital recorded 740 patients, making it one of the most overcrowded hospitals in the country. Local representatives say bed shortages, stalled community care capacity and delays in diagnostics continue to drive pressure across the Nort...

A local TD has expressed his confidence that the creation of a new sewerage system for Ballygawley will be hugely advantageous in efforts to build more houses in the local area. It's understood that the new system will cost somewhere in the region of 5- 6 million euro with the Local Authority having to contribute 15% of the cost. Deputy Eamon Scanlon says the lack of such in a system has severely...

There are renewed calls for urgent, targeted supports for families falling into food poverty. The Dáil has heard that the price of some essential groceries has risen by 55 per cent in just three years. The Society of St Vincent de Paul says it is preparing for its busiest year yet as more families struggle with food, heating and energy costs. Speaking to Ocean FM News, Rosa Glacken from SVP says a...

Minister Dara Calleary TD has announced €763,000 in CLÁR funding for Donegal, supporting 11 vital community projects. This funding will enhance facilities like spectator stands, community halls, and walking tracks, benefiting rural areas with population decline. Speaking to Ocean Fm News TD Pat the Cope Gallagher welcomed the investment, highlighting its importance to local volunteers and organiza...

A number of projects are set to benefit in Sligo under the latest round of Clar funding which has just been announced. A playground Project in Ballintogher has been allocated 100,000 euro, while the men's shed group in Cliffoney and local soccer team Cliffoney Celtic have benefited to the sums of 54,000 and 64,000 euro. The North Sligo Athletic Club is awarded being awarded funding under the schem...

A Sligo Leitrim Deputy says casting doubt over the future of major infrastructure projects in the North West is nothing more than scaremongering by opposition politicians.   It was confirmed this week that projects such as the N17 from Knock to Collooney, the Eastern Garavogue Bridge and the Carrick on Shannon by-pass will reaching construction by 2030.   The N15 from Sligo to the county...

The Seanad has heard concerns over the delay in the major building project for Gaelscoil Chnoc Na Ré in Sligo.     Despite years of planning and clear site approval, the project remains stuck at Stage 1, breaching deadlines and causing frustration for the school.     The Department of Education has failed to provide an updated timeline.   Senator Nessa Cosgrove tod the upp...

Listen back to some of the highlights from the 2025 Ocean FM Sports awards - including our interview with special guests Ray Houghton and John Aldridge.