Ocean FM News Reports

The Government has been accused of abandoning Sligo, Leitrim and the west of Ireland in the aftermath of Storm Eowyn. Hundreds of home homes and businesses across the region are now over two weeks without power. The ESB are continuing its restoration operation with thousands nationally still in the dark. Sligo Leitrim Sinn Fein TD Martin Kenny believes that if this crisis happened in the east of t...

It's feared that impending changes to speed limits will increase poor behaviour from drivers throughout the north west. From Friday, the speed limit on local roads will be reduced from 80km/h to 60 km/h. While further changes set to come into effect at a later date will see speed reduced on national secondary roads. Driving Instructor in south Donegal, Diane Harvey says the move it will not direct...

There are calls for urgent Capital Investment in Grange Post Primary School. As student numbers continue to grow, it's said that it's increasingly evident that the current school facilities are overcrowded, impacting the quality of education. Despite 62 additional students enrolling over the past three years, the school has not received any extra accommodation. Independent Cllr Marie Casserly says...

It's hoped that the newly appointed Minister for Health will visit Sligo University Hospital. Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill visited Mayo University Hospital in Castlebar on Tuesday to meet with staff and management. However, it's felt more problems exist at Sligo University Hospital where 852 patients were waiting for a bed in January, making it the fourth most overcrowded hospital nationally...

ATU Sligo are trying to secure a place in the All-Ireland Freshers A Championship football final. We're live to Ballinode for news of their semi-final against UCD. Abbey Vocational School Donegal will attempt to become the first ever Donegal school to win Ulser College’s A championship – better known as the MacRory Cup. We look ahead to Sunday's final against St Pat's Maghera with the competition'...

"North West has potential to be Silicon Valley of Ireland" - says Irish entrepreneur

The plight of those affected by Storm Éowyn right across the north west has been brought before the floor of the Dáil. Thousands of homes, businesses and farms in Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal still remain without power just shy of two weeks since the red warning event. Sligo-Leitrim TD Martin Kenny is just one of those who remains without power in his home. He feels that more should be done to help...

The average price of land in counties Donegal and Leitrim was among the lowest nationally according to a new report. The Irish Farmers Journal Agricultural Land Price Report shows that the lowest average land price last year was in county Leitrim at just over €6,400 per acre. Figures also show that the average price in Donegal was almost €8,000 per acre. While prices in Sligo were just over €9,000...

It’s estimated that there’s still over two thousand customers without power in County Leitrim - a fortnight on from the storm.   Even now, it could be several days before all outages are addressed as the ESB continue the huge restoration operation.   Speaking in the Dail this afternoon, Mayo Sinn Fein TD Rose Conway Walsh asked would a scheme be introduced to support businesses locally w...

The Education Minister has said that every effort will be made to help the Mercy College in Sligo get back to its full potential. Several classrooms were significantly damaged when roof was ripped off by the storm almost two weeks ago. Minister Helen McEntee paid a visit to the school in her first engagement since taking up the Education portfolio. Speaking to Ocean FM news at the Mercy College th...

A public meeting is to be held in Donegal Town on Thursday 13th February in relation to the relocation of the Donegal Education Centre. The centre has been based in the town for 27 years, but a decision has been made to relocate the premises to Letterkenny. The meeting begins at 8pm in the Abbey Hotel and aims to inform the public on the current situation and to protest the move. Local Independent...

"Lessons need to be learned" says local TD

Potential price increases for ESB customers has been called a “kick in the teeth” locally. The CEO of ESB networks has recently said that costs will increase due to the aftermath of Storm Eowyn. However, there are still a number of regions across the North West that are still without power, nearly two weeks since the storm. Ballymote-Tubbercurry Fine Gael Cllr Liam Brennan says its clear that the...

Minister commits to work with ESB following storm damage

The Education Minister is due to visit Mercy College in Sligo today after the school was extensively damaged by Storm Eowyn. Several classrooms were destroyed after the roof of the new wing was ripped off by the storm almost two weeks ago. Minister Helen McEntee will meet with staff who have been helping with a major clean-up operation. Speaking from the Mercy College ahead of the visit, Principal...

A Sligo Leitrim TD has told the Dáil the people in the North West that are still without power are angry and are losing patience.   Fine Gael Deputy Frank Feighan made the comments last night.   He claimed that in his 25 years in politics the last two weeks have been the most difficult he has ever witnessed people having to endure.   The Sligo based TD questioned why the army was no...

Iarnrod Eireann has installed a new warning detection system at the Ballymote level crossing. The crossing will be in operation from Monday 10th Feb, and will operate similar to a traffic light. At locations where this system has been installed reports of "near misses" between trains and level crossing users have significantly decreased. It reduces waiting time at user operated level crossings as...

It's hoped that more women will continue to put their names on the electoral ballot paper. That's after two candidates from the north west were some of the 20 successful female candidates who were elected to the Seanad over the weekend. Independent Eileen Flynn will enter her second term in the upper house while Labour's Nessa Cosgrove was successful in her first Seanad election. Mairead O'Shea of...

With the Dáil resuming this afternoon, it’s hoped that adequate supports will once and for all be given to the fishing industry.   While Noel Grealish has been appointed as a dedicated Minister for Fisheries, the programme for Government included plans to publish a comprehensive five-year Fisheries Sector Strategy.   This in turn will examine and improve processing capacity and economic...

Calls have been made for a scheme to be set up in Donegal to identify trees that pose a risk to power lines. This follows the devastating effects of storm Eowyn which left hundreds of thousands of homes without electricity across Ireland. With powerful storms expected to become more frequent, measures are being sought to prevent mass outages in the future. Sinn Fein Cllr Noel Jordan says lessons m...

There are further calls for the North West to be better prepared ahead of a future storm. It comes as hundreds of homes, farms and businesses across Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal are still without power almost two weeks on from Storm Eowyn. The Cabinet is discussing how to better prepare Ireland for future bad weather, following the fallout from the storm. The Taoiseach has admitted too today that im...

One-off rural housing has received backing in Leitrim following recent criticism of the development model. It has been claimed that Storm Eowyn proved that such planning is inherently unsustainable due to the mass outages across the North West region. However, the programme for government states that it will continue to support one-off rural housing. Former Manorhamilton Cllr Sean McDermott says o...

It’s emerged that so-called ‘zombie spiders’ have been discovered in a cave on the Fermanagh-Cavan border.   The discovery made by speleologist and cave explorer, Tim Fogg in recent days at The White Fathers cave.   The spiders get their name from the fact that they are killed by fungi which then go on to infect other spiders.   Speaking to Ocean FM, Tim Fogg says the species of fun...

SIPTU has commenced a ballot for strike action its members in the north west in a dispute over pay. The Government is being accused of failing to honour a pay agreement struck at the Workplace Relations Commission in October 2023. Among those, included a commitment to restore the pay link between the public sector and the community and voluntary sector. Mary Harte who works at Cheshire in Sligo sa...

Enterprise Minister Peter Burke says he understands the disruption Storm Eowyn has caused for many businesses across the North West. He says his department is closely monitoring the situation, and engaging with the National Emergency Coordination Group, and Local Enterprise Offices, to assess and address immediate challenges. Hundreds of homes, farms and businesses remain without power in the regi...