Ocean FM News Reports

Some families in Leitrim are said to be stressed over storm alerts. Those particularly who may be unwell and reliant on medical devices are said to be growing increasingly concerned with a rise in weather events and how they will cope should the power go out. It has led to calls on the Government to sanction funding to provide generators of other support measures to counteract a loss of electricit...

Meanwhile, another named storm could be on the horizon this weekend and its set to pack a punch in the North West. Windy conditions and more heavy rainfall are forecast for the region on Saturday and Sunday. It's said to be likely that Met Eireann will issue weather warnings later this week. Kenneth Conlon from the Donegal Weather Channel has the latest:

School secretaries and caretakers across Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal are set to strike. Talks are to take place at the Workplace Relations Commission aimed at resolving the dispute. It's in a row over pension entitlements. Members of the Forsa Trade Union are set to strike tomorrow in relation to the issue while smaller demonstrations locally could also take place in the coming days. Labour Sligo S...

There's said to be some improvement in Letterkenny University Hospitals delivery of chemotherapy. It comes as a new report suggests breast cancer patients are not receiving their chemotherapy treatments in the recommended time frame. The Journal Investigates found all 9 hospitals offering the treatment consistently missed the 8 week target set by the HSE. Experts warn delaying the treatment beyond...

The childcare crisis in the Northwest is deepening, with over 2,300 children unable to secure crèche places.   In Donegal, over 1,500 children remain on waiting lists as staff shortages limit capacity.   Sligo has around 450 children on waiting lists, while Leitrim has a further 350.   Francis Byrne from Early Childhood Ireland says it's time society matched parents respect for earl...

The Justice Minister has come in for criticism over the latest allocation of Gardai to the North West. While 21 extra Gardai are to be stationed in the region, just two are to be stationed in the Sligo/Leitrim Division. It has sparked serious concern once again over what's been described as an already stretched Garda workforce locally. Cllr Michael Clarke says that rural areas are being denied the...

It's been claimed that hotels in the North West are suffering at the hands of the current VAT rate. It comes as the Enterprise Minister has criticised hotels in Dublin for 'inflating' their prices for large events. Peter Burke says it's something that will be addressed in October's budget. Local Hotelier and Cathaoirleach of the Donegal MD Cllr Michael Naughton says hotels in Capital is not doing...

Strandhills performance in a national litter survey has been deemed as a major comeback. The area improved to clean status in the latest IBAL survey. The overall impression was said to be of a well presented and maintained environment Local Fine Gael Cllr Fergal Nealon says with the area ranked as littered back in 2022, the improvement is down to the tireless efforts of a number of community group...

The annual survey of coasts and inland waterways by business group Irish Business Against Litter shows the majority of areas attaining ‘clean’ status, among them Strandhill beach in Sligo, Bundoran Beach in Donegal and Killybegs Harbour also in Donegal.      33 beaches, harbours, rivers and their immediate environs were monitored by An Taisce on behalf of IBAL in June and July....

A major community effort is said to be at the root of Bundoran's success in the latest IBAL survey. The annual survey of coasts and inland waterways by the business shows the majority of areas attaining 'clean' status. For Bundoran, it stated that there was evidence of a beach clean with a mixture of adults and children. The red brick paving, signage, wooden seating areas and old style street lamp...

County Leitrim has seen the biggest jump in rent prices in the North West. The latest Daft.ie report shows that rents in Leitrim were 10.7% higher in quarter two of 2025 than a year previously. Sligo saw a rise of 8.3% while rents in Donegal increased by an average of 5.4% over the same period. Fianna Fail Manorhamilton Cllr Mary Bohan says a lot of people are opting to move to Leitrim for a bette...

It's hoped that concern among North West companies will be eased with new US tariffs supports. Two new funds are set to be made available for Irish companies while the number of Ireland's enterprise and tourism teams will be increased across the world, in an effort to boost economic interests abroad. It's part of a new Government action plan, hoping to combat the fallout of Donald Trump's tariffs....

The amount of discarded vapes found in the Garavogue River in Sligo has been described as scary. Last week, a major clean-up of the river was carried out by the Sligo Kayak Club, with vapes deemed the biggest offender. Shopping trolleys, bollards, mobile phones, bottles and glasses were also retrieved during the operation. The club started the clean-ups three years ago. Secretary with Sligo Kayak...

Rents have risen across the North West in the second quarter of the year.   The rents have increased from between 5.4% on Donegal to 10.7 % in Leitrim.  The increase in Sligo was recorded at 8.3%   The average monthly rent nationwide is now over 2 thousand euro, nearly triple what it was in 2011, according to the latest figures from Daft.ie .   Dublin rents are up 6.5 percent,...

A Leitrim Councillor says the regular updates from the office of Junior Minister Michael Healy Rae in relation to the work the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is doing for forestry owners is frustrating many people locally who were left without power and water after violent storms at the beginning of the year. Ballinamore more MD Councillor Garry Prior was commentating after felling...

It’s a big day for students across the northwest today as Leaving Cert results are released. Mental health charity Turn2Me is encouraging students to remember that exam results do not define their worth. The organisation has shared six key tips to help students and parents prepare, including talking about your feelings, limiting social media use, and prioritising self-care. Turn2Me CEO Fiona O’Mal...

With the warm spell set to continue this weekend, people in the North West are being urged to keep beauty spots clean. It emerged earlier this week that campers left all sorts of rubbish behind them on Coney Island, including tents, dirty nappies and BBQs. It's said to be latest in the string of similar incidents across the region this summer. Fine Gael Cllr Thomas Walsh says its unacceptable for...

A former Sligo Leitrim TD thinks it's unlikely that former Taoiseach Bertie will run for the Aras     So far Fianna Fáil have so far nominated no candidate to contest the election.   Reports today claim that the majority of Fianna Fail TDs and Senators would support Bertie Ahern to run for President.     The former Taoiseach resigned from the political party in 2012, follo...

Those working locally in the North West tourism sector will watching with great interest the talks between the Irish Hotels Federation and government Minister next week. The Hotels Federation will be looking to restore the 9 per cent VAT rate. It's to meet Ministers Paschal Donohoe and Jack Chambers to safeguard the hospitality sector. It wants the VAT rate reduced from 13.5 per cent to 9 per cent...

Extra Garda resources will be on the streets of Sligo later for Leaving Cert results night.   Thousands of young people across the North West are set to get their results this morning, with many planning to mark the occasion by socialising in local pubs and nightclubs.   Gardai are also warning that anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated.   Sergeant Terry McMahon of Sligo Garda...

Whereas the trade deal agreed between the EU and US is being broadly welcomed the morning, representatives from the drinks industry have expressed disappointment with the content of the agreement.   A joint statement yesterday puts a cap of 15 per cent tariffs on the pharma and semiconductor sectors.   It's after the agreement was made late last month.   However, the Drinks industry...

The 2025 Warriors Run, a 10-mile run from the cannon at Strandhill's beachfront to the top of Knocknarea mountain - and back - takes place this Saturday afternoon (Aug 23rd) at 2:30pm. Ocean FM Sport's Austin O'Callaghan chats with Warriors PRO Micki Murray.

New bins have arrived to Strandhill. The new solar powered big belly bins are able to take over five times more waste, with three of them now installed in the area. The old ones were said to be constantly full, with birds regularly making a mess by picking at the overloaded rubbish. Local Fine Gael Cllr Fergal Nealon says it's a much cleaner, efficient alternative and should result in a better upk...

A major boost for active travel is coming to south Donegal, with work on a new 5km route set to begin next month. The Bundoran to Ballyshannon project will create a safer, dedicated path for walkers and cyclists along the Finner Road. Designed for all ages and abilities, the scheme aims to make active travel a more accessible daily choice. Speaking to Ocean Fm News, Cllr Michael McMahon welcomed t...

Sligo's student accommodation crisis is said to be no better this year. Many students set to attend ATU Sligo in the coming weeks will be travelling from different Counties as the struggle to find somewhere to live continues. There is however said to be a big uptake locally in the Rent a Room Scheme, with applications still being processed. ATU Sligo Student's Union President, Emil Kindl says idea...