Ocean FM News Reports

Anger is said to be palpable in the Ballymote area of over a proposed link road for the town. The route, proposed within the Town Plan would run through the Castleburn and Earls Court Housing estates connecting to the Primary Care Health Centre. However it's thought if it were to proceed, it would have serious road safety implications for both estates which are fully occupied many with young famil...

The pandemic is said to have had a significant impact on house prices in County Leitrim.   A new report shows working from home has changed the rules of the housing market.   Latest figures from Daft.ie show prices nationally rose by 3.4 per cent last year, with an average asking price of just over 320-thousand euro.   Prices in Dublin went up by an average of 2 per cent, compared t...

537 people were rescued by the Coast Guard in the last 12 months. It responded to more than 2 and-a-half thousand incidents in 2024 - with RNLI lifeboats launched almost 700 times and helicopters conducting 134 air ambulance flights for island communities. The figures are similar to the previous year's. Divisional Controller at Malin Head Coast Guard, Paul Gill says they're looking forward to anot...

Members of the public are being advised to exercise caution before going for a swim between now and New Year. The Irish Coast Guard is warning it's important to remember, there are considerably more dangers in winter months with unpredictable weather conditions. Gerard O'Flynn, Coast Guard Operations Manager, says people should never swim on their own.

The HSE's Director of Public Health in the North West is urging local communities to do what they can to stop the spread of both flu and Covid.   Several wards at both Sligo and Letterkenny University Hospitals are impacted by outbreaks with people being asked not to visit if they have symptoms.   The HSE is seeing an increase in people with respiratory illnesses attending emergency depa...

The Irish Blood Transfusion Service is asking the public to give the gift of blood this Christmas.   High demand from hospitals and a lack of available supply has seen Ireland importing blood from the UK in recent years.   Director of Operations at the IBTS, Paul McKinney, says they are desperate for new donors:

There's been a 20 percent drop in the numbers on trolleys in the second half of this year compared to the same period last year.   Overall, there has been a 7-point-5 percent fall in trolley numbers this year compared to 2022.   Over 8,000 people waited for a bed at Sligo University Hospital this year, a slight reduction on the year previous.   Over the Christmas weekend, there were...

Sligo Rovers have signed midfielder Connor Malley from fellow League of Ireland side Dundalk.   Newcastle-born, Malley who’s 23 years old, joins on a one-year contract.   As well as Dundalk, Malley began his career at Middlesbrough before having spells at Carlisle United, Gateshead and Rochdale United.   He becomes the fifth new signing for Rovers boss John Russell, after the arriva...

Stormy weather has been battering parts of the country overnight, and another status yellow rainfall warning has been issued for Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal and North Mayo.   The latest warning is in place until 9pm tonight.   Met Eireann is warning that heavy rainfall leading to localised flooding.   Cathal Nolan of Ireland's Weather Channel says more flooding can be expected today.

Tributes have been paid to the late Donegal County Council Noreen McGarvey.   Cllr McGarvey passed away last night in the care of the Donegal Hospice surrounded by her loving family.   The late Fianna Fail Cllr was the Leas Cathaoirleach of the Glenties Municipal District having been first elected in 2019 and had also been secretary to former TD Pat the Cope Gallagher.   Cathaoirlea...

There's a huge aspiration to increase connectivity to and from Ireland West Airport.   That's according to Fianna Fail Senator Lisa Chambers following confirmation that the facility is set to receive almost €1.9M in funding for safety and security operations.   There's ongoing concern though over getting to and from the airport with repeated calls for the long awaited upgrade to the N17...

A Donegal family are counting the cost following an overnight sheep attack.   Four sheep were found dead in the Gortahork area yesterday after a dog attack on Monday night.   There are fears that other sheep may lose their lambs as a result of the incident.   A Garda investigation is continuing.   Cathaoirleach of the Glenties MD Cllr Michael McClafferty says the family who own...

Ryan Riera Danello has been remembered as kind and mannerly at his funeral mass this afternoon.   Mr. Riera Dannello of Stonepark, Ballymote was killed when the car he was driving collied with a van on the R296 on Wednesday morning.   He has been laid to rest at St. Columba’s Cemetery.   During his funeral mass at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Ballymote this afternoon,...

The Minister for Agriculture says emergency measures are in place for farmers that need to dispose of dead livestock Minister McConalogue says his department is continuing to intervene in a dispute between rendering plants and dead animal collectors. Recently the Seanad was told that “all knackeries in Ireland are effectively closed” as a result of the issue. It is claimed that the dispute is due...

The RISE Community Fund is now open to Leitrim businesses, community groups and social enterprises, with five monthly grants of €1,000 available to enhance their digital strategy and address the rural digital divide. Supported by National Broadband Ireland (NBI), the fund offers an immediate financial injection into your local community, boosting the digital ecosystem. Applications will close on D...

The proposed Sligo Greenway Project has moved to phase 2 option selection.   The purpose of Phase 1 was to develop and investigate in further detail the feasibility of the project   Public Consultation on the study area and constraints was undertaken in Q2 2023.   The purpose of Phase 2 is to examine options to determine a Preferred Option.   Cllr Marie Casserly has been outlin...

Calls have been made for any changes to the penalty point system to be scrutinised before being brought into force. Sligo Leitrim TD Martin Kenny feels that announcements made by Junior Minister Jack Chambers on the issue could lead to a large number of legal difficulties in the future. Among the changes suggested by Minister Chambers were harsher penalties for different days of the week, such as...

Reassurances have been given that traffic disruption will be limited with upcoming works between Donegal Town and Ballybofey.   The works on the McGroary's Brae Improvement Scheme on the N15 are set to begin in the New Year and are scheduled to last around nine months.   Temporary traffic lights will be in place on the stretch January 4th January until September with the road reduced to...

The current NCT operator has provided as poor a service in Sligo and Leitrim, than anywhere else in the Country. That's according to Leitrim Councillor Padraig Fallon. He made the comments as the operator is facing renewed pressure due to a backlog of waiting times. Claims have also been made regarding a false 14 day average national wait time for car tests, when some centres have a backlog of up...

Sligo and other hospitals across the country are attempting to discharge as many patients as possible by the end of this week - as they gear up for another spike in overcrowding after Christmas. Elective procedures have been cancelled at some hospitals in an effort to control the numbers arriving in January. Sligo has been ranked as one of the most overcrowded in the country this year according to...

The purse strings in Leitrim and Donegal seem to be a bit tighter than in other parts of the country.   People from the two counties had the lowest daily spending in 2023, according to the new study by AIB.   Those from Wicklow were the biggest spenders this year.   Spending overall this year went up by 8 per cent compared to 2022.   Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor with...

Ireland West Airport Knock looks set to have its busiest Christmas on record.     The upcoming festive period will see up to 40,000 passengers pass through the airport.     It's predicted there will be a 15% increase of footfall in Ireland West Airport compared with this time last year, with Friday, December 22nd, set to be the busiest day of the holidays.     Head of...

A Leitrim Councillor has sharply criticised the decision to send asylum seekers to the Abbey Manor Hotel despite Leitrim County Council having planning concerns over the facility.   Fianna Fail Councillor Mary Bohan was reacting to the decision which was relayed to the local concerned citizens group by a Community Engagement Team at a meeting yesterday evening.   Speaking to Ocean FM New...

It's been confirmed that no refugees will be housed at the Abbey Manor Hotel in Dromahair this side of Christmas.   The news was confirmed to members of the local community via email this afternoon.   It had been thought that the asylum seekers were due to arrive to the village this side of Christmas, following a meeting held last night between the local representative group and a commun...

A large crowd has gathered in Dromahair this lunchtime in the wake of confirmation that asylum seekers are set to arrive in the Abbey Manor Hotel  before Christmas.   The news was confirmed at a meeting between the local representative group and a community engagement team held last night.    Two members from the Leitrim For All Movement Bernie Linnane and Lynn Brooks have...