Category: Old Donegal

ESB Networks are reporting no power outages in Donegal this morning in the wake of Storm Barra.

There were over 20,000 homes and businesses without power in the county at various points over the past two days, but all have had their power restored.

Nationally, there are still 13,000 outages being dealt with.

A number of boil water notices are also in place in parts of the west due to treatment issues caused by the storm, including one in Glenties – Ardada affecting over 3,000 people.

A Donegal Senator is further encouraging people in the county to participate in the all-island rail review.

The review will look at improving sustainable connectivity between the major cities, enhancing regional accessibility and supporting balanced regional development.

It’s thought that the review should focus on two key areas – the Dublin-Belfast rail corridor and connectivity in the North West.

A public consultation launched at the end of November is on-going and speaking in the Seanad, Senator Niall Blaney says its imperative local people have their say to get if off the ground:

https://www.highlandradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/blaneyrail1pm.mp3

More credit unions may be in a position to offer current accounts, if the interest is there.

That’s according to Donegal Deputy Thomas Pringle who says with bank branches closing down in towns and villages across Donegal and elsewhere the move could fill that gap.

Deputy Pringle says he himself has been exploring the option with this local credit union but was told that the facility needs a certain number of accounts to make it viable.

He says the option is there for communities across the county and is encouraging people who would like the service to make it known to their local branch:

https://www.highlandradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/pringle1pm.mp3

All Donegal routes are to be gritted from 9pm this evening.

Donegal gritting route index as follows:

06: Inishowen West
04: Inishowen South
01: National Primary North
02: National Primary Central
03: National Primary South
07: Milford South
08: Milford North
09: Cill Ulta East
10: Cill Ulta West
11: Na Rosa
12: Binswilly
13: Stranorlar North
14: Stranorlar East
15: Stranorlar West
16: Donegal West
17: Donegal North
18: Donegal South
19: Donegal National Secondary
05: Inishowen East
BT: Buncrana Town
LT: Letterkenny Town

Listen back to the main evening news, sport and obituaries for Wednesday 8th December:

https://www.highlandradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/obits6pm.mp3

A further 4,152 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed this evening. 

543 COVID-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 118 are in ICU.

There has been a total of 5,788 deaths related to COVID-19 notified in Ireland.

Spraoi agus Spórt has been awarded €20,000 in funding to address educational disadvantage in Inishowen.

The money has been allocated by Donegal Education & Training Board through SOLAS as part of the Irish government’s Mitigating Against Educational Disadvantage Fund (MAEDF).

The Mitigating Against Educational Disadvantage Fund aims to address educational disadvantage experienced by vulnerable people and groups in Irish society.

It has a particular focus on supporting the engagement and re-engagement of learners in the community through Further Education & Training (FET) – in particular those disadvantaged through poverty, disability, learning difficulties, rural isolation, cultural and language barriers, unemployment and those with limited or no access to technology.

Spraoi agus Spórt has several rooms available as Study Hubs, a large training room and a Community Builder staff member on site from 8.30am-6pm, Monday-Friday to support adult learners who wish to avail of their resources. For further information please contact Kathleen McDaid on 085 860 1834 or Paul McCay, Technical Lead at the Digital Creative Studio on 074 937 3303.

New listenership figures have cemented Highland Radio position as Donegal’s most listened to radio station.

The latest JNLR figures show that 79% of the population choose Highland Radio on a weekly basis with 53% of the adult population tuning in everyday.

The station’s market reach, a key indicator for advertisers, remains the highest in the country at 58%.

This means that when people tune in, they listen for longer.

A TD says his offices in Donegal are inundated with calls in relation to the Pandemic Unemployment Payment.

It’s understood that the concerns locally centre on a lack of clarity around revamps to existing schemes.

The issue was raised in the Dail this afternoon by Donegal Deputy Thomas Pringle.

Deputy Pringle urged the Taoiseach to provide clarity on PUP and restore payments to proper levels and do that this side of Christmas:

https://www.highlandradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/pringle3pm.mp3

Responding, Michael Martin says we don’t what the future holds when it comes to the pandemic and the Government is trying to balance that:

https://www.highlandradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/martinPUP3pm.mp3

1,933 new coronavirus cases have been recorded in the North in the last 24 hours.

There have been five additional covid related deaths.

There are 329 patients with the disease in hospital in Northern Ireland, with 38 in ICU.