Ocean FM News Reports

The annual Apple Day returns this afternoon to the Rossinver Organic Centre. The event has been going from strength to strength each year, and takes place in the Organic Centre today from 12pm to 4pm. The activities include craft workshops with people showcasing their skills in basket weaving, wood turning and stone carving. The Leitrim Hawthorn Project will also show a special film, researching t...

Enhancement works are to take place on an area locally known as Mud Lane in Sligo. It has been described as a busy route with many using it as a shortcut into town from a heavily populated area. There have been calls for many years for improvement works on the lane and it's understood that funding has now been sought through the Active Travel Scheme. Local Sinn Fein Councillor Arthur Gibbons says...

The response from the ESB regarding a nine-hour power outage some months ago has been labelled unsuitable by Leitrim County Council. The matter was discussed at the last meeting of Manorhamilton Municipal District. The council felt that the answer given regarding the lengthy power cut didn't deal with the matter at hand correctly, as many people were displaced at the time. It's understood that the...

There's currently no funding in place to tackle safety issues at the new cemetery in Ballymote. Calls have been made for improvement works there following complaints from a number of elderly people who have been visiting the graveyard and are said to be finding it difficult to use a pathway during wet weather. While the path has been deemed dangerous and in need of resurfacing, a funding applicati...

A new dedicated drugs unit that will serve the entire county of Donegal is expected to be up and running by the end of October. The decision was announced at today's meeting of the Joint Policing Committee by Chief Superindendent Aidan Glacken. So far in 2023, 3.6 million euro of drugs and cash have been seized in Donegal. Speaking to Ocean FM News, Councillor Barry Sweeny, vice chair of the Joint...

Daniel O'Donnell has been forced to issue a statement over a con artist who posed as him in the wake of his mother-in-law's death.   Marion Roche, Majella O' Donnell's mother, passed away on Monday and the singer took to social media to pay tribute to the late Mrs. Roche.   However, Daniel has since sent out a warning to his followers over a scam in the form of a fake page. Those behind...

The next sitting of the Ballymote Tubbercurry Municipal District is take place at Ireland West Airport Knock. The plan is to sit down with airport management and discuss the facility's performance and hopes for the future. The airport has gone from strength to strength with August of this year was the busiest month in its 38-year history. A record 102,000 passengers passed through the airport in K...

A Garda presence is to be deployed to Dunkineely after what's been described as a traumatic incident in the village this week.   It's been claimed that a number of children had a near miss from a speeding truck on Wednesday.   It's understood that the vehicle hit a kerb in the village, narrowly missing a number of children and their parents who were using a pedestrian crossing.   Wh...

There are further calls on the Justice Minister to throw her weight behind proposals for a new Garda Station in Sligo.   The campaign for the construction of a new Garda station to be built on the outskirts of the town is gaining momentum once more following confirmation that Sligo/Leitrim is to be a standalone division.   While the project was first mooted some years back, refurbishment...

A new 6 part TV series filmed in Ballyshannon will go to air on RTÉ next week. “Obituary” written by Ray Lawlor premieres Tuesday on RTÉ One on at 10.15 pm. The series is described as a dark comedy crime drama, and features a local newspaper journalist that is being paid per obituary she writes. The series is produced by Galway based Magamedia, and was filmed largely in Ballyshannon. Paddy Hayes i...

The Chairperson of the Forsa Sligo Health and Local Government branch says he hopeful a resolution can found at the WRC next week in resolving the row between the Union and the local government management agency over worker’s demands for a job evaluation scheme.     Today's industrial action at local authority offices has been called off.   The action, would have resulted in a 24 ho...

Today's industrial action at local authority offices across the North West has been called off.   The action, which would also have taken place across the country would have resulted in a 24 hour email ban since midnight.   The action has been deferred by the Fórsa trade union, due to talks at the WRC.   Both sides will meet at the Workplace Relations Commission on Monday to try to...

The Government has come under fire over what's been described as a lack of funding given to childcare services in the North West and elsewhere.   Many providers plan to close their doors next week for three days as part of strike action while a protest is also due to be held outside Leinster House between 26 September and 28 September. The funding issue combined with an ongoing staffing crisi...

Young Sligo musicians will gather at Sligo Abbey tomorrow for a unique event to mark Culture Night. "Live at the Abbey" takes places between 4.30 and 6pm on Friday, and is organised by Music Generation Sligo. The concert will feature members of Music Generation Sligo, as well as Sligo Youth Voices, Music Generation Sligo’s Harp ensemble and young solo performers. The Ceoil na nÓg trad orchestra wi...

The Minister for Further and Higher Education has accused management at two apartment complexes in Sligo of 'grubby behaviour' over a decision not to house students for this coming academic year.   Earlier this month, hopes were dashed following revelations that purpose-built student accommodation providers at Benbulben Court and Milligan Court would not be providing accommodation to students...

There's said to be frustration in the Doorly Park area over a decision to move the local bus stop.   While the bus stop has only been moved a few yards, it's claimed that residents are unhappy, with some damage caused to vehicles.   It's also believed that there was no public consultation with regards to the decision making.   Local People Before Profit Cllr Gino O'Boyle says furthe...

The Sligo IFA chairman has described as 'disgraceful' the recent comments from the Irish President encouraging people to change their diets to help save the environment.       Michael O’ Dowd is the latest farming official to criticise the Michael D Higgins over remarks he made at the National Ploughing Championships.   The President said that there's 'no doubt' people will hav...

It's emerged that a patient has been on the waiting list for exactly one year for insulin pump services for type one diabetes at Sligo University Hospital.   The woman's mental health is said to have deteriorated as a result with further claims the waiting list generally at Sligo has not been tackled sufficiently.   The letter from the patient was read out on the floor of the Dail by Ind...

A Donegal Sinn Fein TD has accused Fine Gael and Fianna Fail of being out of touch with ordinary people.   The comments were made as the party called for the introduction of a mortgage interest relief.   Last evening and on the first day back in session following the summer recess, the Sinn Fein motion was discussed along with wider problems relating to the housing crisis.   The mot...

The Donegal based President of the GRA says striking a balance between members needs and service needs will need to be established in talks later. The Garda Representative Association is due to meet with the Garda Commissioner today.   Currently, Drew Harris intends on reverting to the pre-COVID roster in November, which will see some members taken off of temporary units and a fifth unit bein...

There's further disappointment in Castlebaldwin over further delays to an upgrade of the wastewater treatment plant.   There are ongoing concerns that the current plant is no longer suitable to meet the needs of the village.   The issue was first flagged a number of years ago.   Local Fine Gael Cllr Gerard Mullaney says while it is some time away, it does feature high on the priorit...

A Sligo Leitrim TD is warning that Politicians will have to review their security arrangements after yesterday's events outside of Leinster House.   Deputy Frank Feighan was one of number of TD's caught up in yesterday's violent scenes.   11 people who were arrested are due to appear in court charged with public order offences.   Earlier in the day, two men appeared in court in rela...

Many smaller to medium size nursing homes in the Sligo and Leitrim are 'hanging on by a thread'.   That's according to Independent TD Marian Harkin who has been highlighting the plight of private and voluntary facilities who currently receive 600 hundred euro less per resident per week than their HSE counterparts.   There's ongoing concern that many nursing homes locally and elsewhere wi...

The Labour Party candidate that will select next year’s local elections in north Leitrim says greater party representation and more women are needed on Leitrim County Council.   The Labour Party has confirmed that Bernie Linnane, has been selected to run for the local election in the Manorhamilton Municipal District.   The local area representative lives in Dromahair, and has been involv...

A Donegal TD has expressed his frustration over the absence of both the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste from today's upcoming Dail proceedings.   TDs return to Leinster House this afternoon following a ten week recess however Leo Varadkar and Michael Martin are currently overseas and won't be present for a number of key debates on the likes of the cost of living, housing and the upcoming Budget. &...