Category: Old Donegal

Coach Paddy Bond and Molly McNulty

Following a tremendous performance in the Swim Ireland Short Course Championships held just before Christmas last, 17- year-old Letterkenny student Molly Nulty has been invited to join Swim Ireland’s National Performance Transition Programme.

The targeted National Squad Programme is a key tactic in achieving the Performance objectives of Swim Ireland through to 2028.

The prestigious invitation to join the national squad is extended to a very select number of athletes based on their results in previous swimming competitions.
Molly is coached by Paddy Bond.

As well as national selection for Molly, previous Seals club member Cody Dunnion has also been selected for the programme.

Dunnion is now a member of Bangor Swimming Club and also impressed at the recent Short Course Championships at the Sport Ireland National Aquatic Centre.

Conviction rates for using a mobile phone while driving are as low as 14% in some parts of the country.

New data seen by the Irish Times shows between 2018 and 2020, 25% of people who were brought to court nationally were convicted.

When broken down by county, conviction rates were as low as 14% in Sligo, and as high as 36% in Wicklow.

Former Inspector in the Road Policing Division, Michael Harrison says there are many reasons that account for such low rates:

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The General Manager of Letterkenny University Hospital says the hospital has been under significant pressure since Christmas.

Almost 300 staff members are currently off work due to Covid-19.

Visiting at the hospital has been suspended as a result of the rising number of Covid cases in the community and staff shortages.

Sean Murphy says they are reassessing the situation at the hospital daily as well as prioritising care and redeploying staff.

He says the hospital was already under pressure which has been exacerbated by the pandemic:

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The Green Party leader says we may be close to the peak of the current wave of Covid-19.

The cabinet is meeting today to discuss the high case numbers – but isn’t planning to bring in more restrictions.

Minister Eamon Ryan says the current measures should be enough to deal with the Omicron strain:

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Letterkenny University Hospital remains the second most over crowded hospital in the country today.

39 people are waiting on a bed at the hospital according to the INMO’s Trolley Watch report, that’s up three from yesterday.

7 patients are on a trolley in the hospital’s Emergency Department while a further 32 are waiting on wards.

385 admitted patients are awaiting a bed at hospitals across the country today.

Covid is leading to “dramatic changes” in banking and the financial system.

That’s the view of Ireland’s EU Commissioner Mairead McGuinness who is responsible for Financial Services, Financial stability and Capital Markets.

She says early this year she’ll be looking at how these “rapid” changes are going to impact the financial system:

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One school in Donegal is already without 7 teachers before it reopens tomorrow due to the impact of Covid-19.

Absences in schools across the county and nationwide are expected to increase drastically by the end of the week.

The Education Minister admits the reopening of schools will ‘not be without challenge’ but has given the go ahead for them to reopen following a meeting between teaching unions and the Department of Education yesterday.

Further talks are to take place today to outline operational guidance.

Joanne Irwin, Assistant General Secretary of the TUI told the Nine til Noon Show that the majority of teachers are apprehensive about returning to work tomorrow:

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Meanwhile, John Haron, Principal of St Bernadette’s Special School, Letterkenny says they are dealing with an ever evolving situation:

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A Donegal councillor says he will be urging the authority to liaise with the HSE and others to assess how the Fire Service in the county can assist the Ambulance Service.

Yesterday, Deputy Padraig MacLochlainn said he’d been told by the National Ambulance Service that it would welcome back up from fire service personnel, particularly in cases of cardiac issues.

In November, Cllr Michael McClafferty asked the council to explore such an option, but officials pointed out that service is not resourced to provide medical back-up, and to do so could compromise its core functions.

Cllr McClafferty has confirmed he’ll be raising the issue again, saying the council, HSE and government should work together to address the issue of resources:

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A status yellow ice and temperature warning remains in place across the country this morning.

Met Eireann expect widespread frost and icy stretches to impact the country until 10am today.

Temperatures are expected to reach as low as minus 3 in many areas.

There’s been a slight drop in the number of infectious cases of Covid-19 at Letterkenny University Hospital.

Yesterday, the hospital was dealing with the highest number of patients with Covid in the country at 59.

However, latest figures show that has decreased to 56.

A total of 884 people with Covid-19 are receiving treatment in hospitals in the Republic of Ireland with 90 people in ICU.