Hundreds of Tourism service providers from Donegal  will meet in Sligo on Monday for what Failte Ireland Northwest is describing as one of most important events ever hosted in the region.

The tourism roadshow comes off the back of a difficult January for the tourism industry in Donegal with some slight optimism of an upturn as the year progresses.

Head of Tourism Ireland Northwest, Paul McLoone, says they are key actions that those in the industry can take to best maximise their business:

Talks between Sinn Fein and the DUP have resumed this morning as the devolution deadline fast approaches

The parties have until this afternoon to strike a deal on the transfer of policing and justice powers.

The Taoiseach and Gordon Brown will publish their own proposals for a way forward unless a compromise is reached

Senator Pearse Doherty is in Belfast as part of Sinn Fein’s Negotiating team – he refused to be drawn on whether he thinks a deal will be made but says his party is prepared to make a deal.

Former chief constable Hugh Orde and former Policing Board chairman Desmond Rea head the list of distinguished figures to be honoured by the University of Ulster today

The two will receive honorary degrees at the university’s Magee Campus in Derry.

Both men will receive the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws while Degrees will be conferred on former Undertones singer Feargal Sharkey and Pat Hume, wife of John Hume.

Newly published figures show that almost half of children born in Donegal in the first half of last year were to unmarried parents.
The figures from the Central Statistics Office cover Janaury to June of 2009, in that period 1,156 children were born -  there were 10% more male babies born than female.

The statistics show that 568 babies were born to married parents, of the 519 that were not, 378 were born to parents living at the same address.

The majority of babies born outside of marriage were to women under 25, however those in the 30 to 40 category made up a considerable percentage.

A woman in Donegal , on average will have her first child at 28, and a subsequent child at 31.

A Donegal man has been convicted of anally raping a 15-year-old girl and having sex with the same teenager two years ago.

The 23-year-old accused, who can not be identified for legal reasons, had pleaded not (NOT) guilty at the Central Criminal Court to rape, anal rape and defilement of the girl on a date in February 2008.

A jury of seven men and five women returned a verdict of guilty on the charge of defilement following six hours of deliberation yesterday (Wednesday)..

The panel was sent home for the evening after considering the remaining charges for a further 90 minutes and returned the guilty verdict today (Thursday) after an another hour and a half of deliberations.

The members failed to reach a verdict on the rape charge. It was day eight of the trial.

Mr Justice George Birmingham thanked the jury for their care and attention during the trial and excused them from service for 12 years.

He remanded the accused in custody until a sentence date next March after he ordered a probation report and registered him as a sex offender..

A Derry man who admitted burgling a house in the city on Wednesday appeared in court today with visible injuries to his face which he alleged were caused by the householder who detained him.

Ciaran Carr (24) of Cornshell Fields in the city appeared at the local Magistrate’s Court with a black eye and other injuries to his face.

The court heard that on Wednesday morning at 7.45 a.m. he entered a house in the Lower Galliagh Road when the occupants were sleeping.

He stole a laptop, a purse containing bank cards and an earpiece. However, dogs barking alerted the occupants one of whom drove down the road and saw Carr carrying the laptop. He detained him until the police arrived.

During interview Carr admitted the offences and all the items were recovered.

The court was then told that Carr received a visit while in custody and afterwards he was searched and what is believed to be a Class A drug was found on him.

Defence solicitor Mr. Walter Hegarty asked a police officer was she aware of Carr’s injuries and that he had attended Altnagelvin Hospital on Wednesday afternoon for treatment for a fracture to his face.

The officer said she was aware and also that Carr had made allegations of assault against the householder who had detained him alleging that he had stood on his head while he was lying on the ground.

The court was also told that Carr had only recently been released from a 3 year and 6 month prison sentence in the Republic.

Carr was remanded in custody to appear again by videolink on February 4.

Councillor Terence Slowey has called on Donegal County Council to do more of its project consultancy in house after he was furnished with figures outlining the millions the council has paid out recently.

Between 2005 and 2009 the council has spent 42 million euro on consultancy fees for water, roads and other infrastructural projects.

Councillor Slowey says much of this work could be done in house within the council and would save more jobs from being lost:

The Dail has been told there are currently 468 gardai deployed in Donegal, with 181 of these assigned to the Letterkenny Garda District.

The figures are contained in the answer to a question posed by Deputy Dinny Mc Ginley, who has also met recently with the garda commissioner.

He’s calling for extra Gardai to be allocated to garda stations along the border, particularly the station in Lifford, which has been the subject of considerable concern in recent years.

Almost 100 new jobs are being created by Seagate in the North, 85 of them at the company’s Springtown base in Derry.

During a visit to the plant today, Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster announced two Research and Development investments, totalling almost £60 million.

Invest Northern Ireland has offered £12.7million towards the total cost of these latest investments, which are expected to increase R&D related jobs in Derry by 85, and create a further 10 research posts at Queen’s University, Belfast.

Speaking during her visit to the Derry plant, Arlene Foster said this investment could have gone elsewhere within the Seagate corporation, but for the strong case made by local management and the support offered by Invest NI.

She concluded that in making these investments in the North West, Seagate is once again demonstrating its confidence in our local workforce and suppliers and is helping send a very strong signal to other potential international investors that the region is a competitive and compelling location.

Colm Mc Fadden

Donegal and Tyrone will meet in this Saturday’s Dr. Mc Kenna Cup Final. In Enniskillen Wednesday night Donegal beat Down 1-13 to 1-12. Edward Kelly scored Donegal’s goal in the first half while Colm Mc Fadden was the top scorer for the holders with a total of five points. Tyrone had yet another comfortable win in the competition beating Fermanagh 1-20 to 1-8. Man of the Match Tommy Mc Guigan scored 1-6 and Stephen O Neill hit five points. Saturday’s Final will be played at Brewster Park in Enniskillen.