Ocean FM News Reports

Sligo County Council will write to the HSE to ask for the Primary Care Centre in Collooney to be upgraded. A number of primary care centres across Sligo, such as Drumcliffe and Grange, have seen significant work carried out in recent times, and are now operating at a higher standard with much better facilities. Currently, there are three GPs working out of the primary care centre in Collooney, ser...

Calls are being made to freeze rents across the private sector, following the publication of the latest Daft.ie report. The report highlighted increases in rent right across the region, with the average rent in Sligo up by over 10% to over 1200 euro a month, and rent in Leitrim increasing by 12% to just over 1000 a month on average. Sinn Féin TD Martin Kenny feels something urgent needs to be done...

A special Remembrance Service will take place this Wednesday, November 15th.   Sligo University Hospital is inviting is parents and their families who have experienced bereavement, through the death of a baby or child or who have experienced pregnancy loss to remember their loved ones to attend.   This year’s theme is “Love like starlight never dies”.   In its 27th year, t...

Listen back as the Screaming Orphans joined Seamie Mac on Ocean Drive.

There are fears that crime in the North West will not be dealt with in a timely fashion due to expected changes to the text alert scheme.   Concerns raised by members of the public are to be coordinated from Garda Call centre in Galway going forward.   However, local community groups were not consulted as part of the plans.   Donegal Fianna Fail Cllr Patrick McGowan believes that th...

A decision to leave the Donegal Dail constituency the way it is has been described as short-sighted. In August, the Electoral Commission recommended no change to the Donegal Dáil constituency in a new boundary report.     Ahead of the next General Election, Donegal remains a five-seater constituency, with parts of the county remaining in the four-seater Sligo-Roscommon constituency. But...

A petition has been launched in opposition to a proposed glamping development near Belleek.   The plans lodged include a number of pods and a communal building however the land is close to Keenaghan Abbey and Cemetery.   There's serious concern locally over how the proposal could potentially impact nearby the historic site and landscape.   The petition has already garnered nearly 30...

Local councils are being urged to carry out spot checks of peoples bins, and prosecute those who aren't properly separating their waste.   The Environmental Protection Agency says local authorities aren't doing enough to improve air or water quality, or make people properly segregate their household waste.   A lack of enforcement on fixing failed septic tanks is another issue.   Sen...

There's further concern over a lack of bus shelters at various points in County Sligo.   There had been calls to provide the infrastructure in the wake of an enhanced timetables and added routes.   While the shelters have been promised in a number of keys areas, there's said to be little progress to date.   Local Independent Cllr Marie Casserly says at a time when people are being e...

There is widespread disruption to travel and public transport services this morning as Storm Debi tracks across the country.   A yellow weather alert is in place for Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal.   A red wind warning was expanded to include Dublin, Kildare, Wicklow, Louth, Meath, Laois, Offaly and Westmeath and remains in place until 9 am.   Local Link services won't operating in coun...

A main road on the outskirts of Sligo is said to be 'crumbling away'.   One of the lanes along the N15 near Cartron is reportedly in a serious state of disrepair and despite hopes that it would be resurfaced as part planned works for this year's programme, there is still no timeline for the job.   It has led to concern for motorist who may unfamiliar with the area.   Local Fianna Fa...

Garda management has come under fire again over not having enough checkpoints in the North West.   It comes one motorist was caught speeding at 149 km per hour in a 110km zone in Sligo over the weekend - they were later found to be without tax for over a year and a half.   Meanwhile four motorists in Donegal were also detected driving under the influence of drink or drugs on Saturday nig...

There are hopes that serious safety issues will be tackled outside Kilross National School.   Traffic volume and speed on the stretch outside the school remain a cause for concern, particularly during peak times picking and dropping off pupils.   But local Sinn Fein Cllr Thomas Healy says plans are afoot for additional safety measures there.   He says this plan combined with improve...

Libraries across Ireland are to officially celebrate WB Yeats winning the Nobel Prize, 100 years ago.   On November 14th 1923, The Irish Times newspaper rang Yeats to tell him that he had become the first Irish person to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature.   To mark the centenary, all libraries will receive a special 'kit of parts', designed for young readers in a special initiative o...

Donegal experienced the highest increase in rent prices in the North West in the third quarter of this year.   That's according to the latest Daft.ie report which shows market rent prices in counties Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal have all seen a rise.   Rents rose in Donegal by over 20%, in Sligo by nearly 11% while in Leitrim there was an increase of almost 13%,   Nationwide prices ha...

Naomh Conaill’s last-gasp goal secured a place in the Ulster senior club football semi-finals after a 2-8 to 1-10 over Gowna of Cavan. Paddy McGill and guests try to work out how they did it.

Sligo’s Johnny Kenny chats with Austin O’Callaghan about winning his first League of Ireland Premier Division title with Shamrock Rovers, what his next steps career-wise are likely to be – and his current Euro under-21 qualifying campaign with Ireland.

A Status Yellow wind and rain warning will come into effect for Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal at midnight.   Storm Debi is expected to bring severe gusts and rainfall tonight and tomorrow.   Met Éireann say this will possibly lead to fallen trees and branches, localised flooding including wave overtopping and hazardous travelling conditions.   Alan O'Reilly from Carlow Weather says 202...

ATU's Sligo and St Angela's campuses will be hosting open days for the 2024/2025 academic year next weekend. The open days will take place on Friday November 17th and Saturday November 18th between 10am and 1pm. There will be chances to talk to current students about life in St Angela's, as well as information stands on subjects including Home Economics, Nutrition, Food and Business Management and...

The two sitting Fine Gael councillors have been selected as the party's candidates for the upcoming local elections in the Ballinamore Municipal District. Enda McGloin and Ita Reynolds-Flynn were selected by local party members at Friday night's convention and will be put forward on the Fine Gael ticket. The elections are due to be held in June of next year. Speaking to Ocean FM News, Councillor E...

The HSE's extended embargo on recruitment's been described as 'catastrophic' by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation. Unions have been meeting urgently following the news that the recruitment freeze is being extended to all categories of staff. General secretary of the INMO Phil Ni Sheaghdha says increasing bed-numbers is great, but not if there aren't enough staff to handle them.

New guidance urging parents not to buy smartphones for their primary school aged children has been introduced. The Cabinet has approved a memo outlining the proposal which was brought by education minister Norma Foley. South Sligo Fianna Fáil representative Keith Henry has welcomed the announcement by the minister. He says its important to educate students on the risks associated with smartphones...

There are concerns locally that parking charges may increase across the North West. It comes after Dublin City Council have annonuced they will be raising prices across the capital. That move means it could cost up to four euro an hour to park in certain areas of the city. Local Sinn Féin Councillor, Arthur Gibbons, says he would not support such a move if it was ever brought in in the North West.

With a number of high-profile concerts taking place in 2024, north west music fans are urged to extra vigilant about a scam involving the sale of tickets.   It involves fraudsters purporting to be individuals selling tickets for gigs such as Coldplay, Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift.   One north west resident has already lost 400 euro in a scam.   Sligo-Drumcliff Councillor Marie...

People are being warned that the section of road between Ballintogher and Ballygawley is treacherous due to a blocked culvert. It's resulting in high levels of water flowing out on the road. Efforts have been by Sligo County Council to address the issue but they have to wait for the water to subside before sufficient work can take place. It could be a number of days before it's resolved. Local Sin...