Ocean FM News Reports

Just over €250,000 has been allocated for marine projects in Sligo today. The funding was announced by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, as it aims to develop and enhance local harbour and fishing facilities. Three locations that will have repairs carried out are Enniscrone Pier, Raghly Harbour and Mullaghmore Harbour. Sligo-Drumcliffe Fine Gael Cllr Thomas Walsh praised those wh...

The Government have been called to intervene over a vacant block of apartments in Ballisodare. The Old Mill Apartments have been vacant since 2009, and has been labelled as an “eyesore” in the area. It has been argued that the empty apartments are only worsening the ongoing housing crisis, as other dwellings in the region are increasing in cost due to demand. Local Sinn Fein Cllr Thomas Healy says...

More than 5,500 badgers have been culled across the North West under a government programme from 2014 to 2024, with a large portion of them testing negative for TB. According to a report from The Journal Investigates, over 80% of badgers culled through the scheme were found to be free from the disease following a post mortem. Over the last ten years, there were just over 2,000 badgers culled in Le...

People across the North West are being urged to donate blood as stocks are said to be extremely low. The Irish Blood Transfusion Service is seeking an additional 2,000 blood donations over the next 4 weeks to maintain the national blood supply. Some blood groups have fallen to under 3 days of stock and hospital demand has been consistently high, particularly since the Easter and May Bank holidays....

The lack of investment in health services locally has been raised on the floor of the Dáil. While a greenfield site has been identified as a potential location for surgical hub in Sligo, campaigners in Donegal continue to voice their hopes for one in the county. Patients throughout Donegal are currently forced to travel long distances to access care and undergo surgeries. 100% Redress Party TD, Ch...

Thousands of short term lettings in the north west will not be able to operate legally this weekend. Emergency legislation was approved this week to extend Rent Pressure Zones to the entire country. Short-term lets such as Airbnb are required to have planning permission in order to operate, depending on how long they are renting out for. Derek Keogh, Chair of the Irish Self-Catering Federation, sa...

People across the North West are being asked to listen to comments made by a senior local authority official over holiday homes. The director of services for housing and roads at Mayo County Council sent an email to members of his local authority committee last week, urging the community boycott of holiday home owners. Tom Gilligan says the properties are left empty for large parts of the year, an...

A long-serving Leitrim Postmistress says the future of many small post offices in the north west is far from certain.   The comments come as it emerged that Ireland's Post Office network needs €15-million euro per year for the next five years to secure essential community services.     A Grant Thornton report out today calculates the annual social and economic value of the network t...

There are calls for dental hygienist courses to be available from the ATU campus in Killybegs. There's said to be a massive demand for but not enough people trained and employed in the role. Fine Gael Senator Manus Boyle says the amount of courses need to be multiplied in the North West and elsewhere. Speaking in the Seanad, Senator Boyle more opportunities need to be made available for students l...

The Government and the HSE are being accused for a creating a 'disaster zone' within North West health service. The issue is said to centre on a lack of home care assistance available in Donegal, with further claims that recruitment in the county is being prevented. Speaking in the Dail, Sinn Fein TD Padraig MacLochlainn says that's leading to a wider crisis in Letterkenny University Hospital. He...

It's hoped that this week's verdict in a case over external insulation will ease fears in Sligo over the so-called wraparound scheme.   A Dublin couple were initially told that their external insulation is in breach of planning conditions and that they must remove it by June or face a fine or imprisonment.   They have since been granted permission to retain it.   Mayor of Sligo Boro...

There are calls for water safety and swimming lessons to be incorporated into primary education in Ireland.   It comes in the wake of two tragic incidents in the water in the North West in recent weeks.   Seven year old Alan Singh lost his life following an incident in the water near Lissadell Beach on Saturday, one week on from two teenage boys losing their lives in Buncrana County Done...

Showing unity with migrants is the main focus at today's National Integration Conference in Dublin.   The Immigrant Council will hold its 6th annual gathering to discuss how to improve integration efforts here.   Human rights experts from here and abroad will address the convention at a time when anti-immigrant sentiment is on the rise.   A number of areas throughout the Country inc...

Hairdressers, stylists, barbers and nail technicians across Donegal have taken training to recognise signs of domestic abuse. More than 50 representatives attended a training event run by multiple agencies yesterday. The HSE says salon or barber staff have often built up a trust with their customers. HSE Addiction Services Lead, Donna McGee explains how the idea came about:

A school in Manorhamilton has been granted planning permission to develop an extension. St Clare’s National School received the approval from Leitrim County Council, and can now turn their attention towards the works. The extension will include one SEN classroom, three SET rooms, an office, ancillary rooms, and increased car park capacity. Independent Manorhamilton Cllr James Gilmartin says it’s g...

There are calls for a number of bus stops in Sligo to be updated with improved infrastructure. A suitable location for a bus stop has been requested for Maugherow, along with a bus shelter and clear signage to be installed at the bus stop at Dunleavy’s shop. There is a push for spending on bus stops locally after it was revealed that last year, over €400,000 was left unspent from a €500,000 alloca...

The new EU-UK trade deal is seen as being devastating for Killybegs, despite it being described as a “landmark deal.” The two sides announced details of the agreement at the first summit of its kind in London since Brexit. The current post-Brexit UK fishing deal in place with the EU is to be extended until 2038, with concerns being raised over the impact this will have in the North West region. Do...

Despite the 2024-2025 school year beginning to wind down, pupils in Grange Post Primary School, in Sligo are still without essential toilet and welfare facilities.   Parents of pupils attending the school have also been left frustrated that an extension that has been promised by the Department of Education has not been delivered.   Local Councillor Marie Casserly says it’s not acceptable...

Leitrim fire service have been praised for their swift response to a major gorse fire yesterday. The blaze broke out just outside Rooskey village with fire firefighters spending several hours working on bringing the fire under control. Smoke was said to be visible for miles for a time yesterday evening. An extensive amount of land has been damaged as a result. Speaking to Ocean FM news, Fianna Fai...

Farmers from the across the counties of Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal will join others from the country today in a protest over planned changes to farm payments by the EU.   The European Commission is proposing to merge CAP into a single European fund.   Farming Groups fear that could mean the funding would no longer be ring fenced for agriculture and could be cut in the future.   Conc...

A Sligo Councillor has urged the general public to exercise common sense for the remaining days of the current warm spell of weather.   Councillor Joe Queenan, is warning those in Enniscrone to be mindful of the dangerous water currents in and requested the public not to bring disposable barbecues to the regions beaches.   The independent Councillor says disposable BBQ's can be a contrib...

Huge concerns have been raised over what the new EU-UK trade deal will mean for Killybegs and the wider Irish pelagic sector.   The two sides announced details of the agreement yesterday at the first summit of its kind in London since Brexit.   The current fishing deal in place, which has negatively impacted the fishing industry in Killybegs, has been extended 12 further years until 2038...

An increase in exports, strong domestic sales and a rise in landings to Irish ports helped the seafood industry to grow last year.     The Bord Iascaigh Mhara Business of Seafood report found the value of the industry rose to 1.24 billion euro in 2024, up 4 per cent on the year previous.     Retail seafood sales increased to 333 million euro while 93 in every 100 Irish househol...

There are calls for the Clarion Road in Sligo to be renamed. The road is currently named after a hotel franchise that has since rebranded and no longer operates in Sligo. Local Cllr Ann Higgins wants the public to suggest a suitable name that is more in keeping with the town’s heritage. Cllr Higgins says it’s time to make the significant piece of infrastructure mean something to the people of Slig...

New tertiary bachelors degrees will be available in Sligo for the 2025/2026 academic year. Entry for one of these courses is not based on points, and there are no tuition fees for the first one to two years. One of the degrees is in engineering, and another in Nursing, with both courses commencing at an ETB before transitioning to ATU Sligo. Maria Doherty, Programme Manager with the Atlantic &...