Army bomb disposal experts have carried out a controlled explosion on a van in Derry, with nothing found.

The van was parked outside the courthouse at Bishop Street in the city, the alert began at 4.30 this morning, with a number of people evacuated from their homes. They have since returned.

The road between Bishop Street Without and the Diamond was closed for a time, it has since re-opened.

This was the second alert in as many days. A controlled explosion was carried out last evening on a suspicious object found on the top deck of Craigavon Bridge. Again, nothing was found.

Letterkenny Councillor Gerry Mc Monagle has repeated calls for extra road safety measures on the road from Blacks Bridge to Killylastin.

Cllr Mc Monagle was speaking after being contacted by residents in the Chestnut Grove area after a car went off the road last night at around 8 o’clock. There were no injuries.

The car went off the road and into a field at a particurly notorious bend, and Cllr Mc Monagle says work must be carried out.

Finn Harps manager James Gallagher unveils his latest signing Kevin McHugh

Ask any Finn Harps supporter which player they would liked to have seen in advance of the 2010 season join the club and the vast majority will say ‘Kevin McHugh.’  The man who scored 122 goals during his time at the club between 1998 and 2005 was a player whose presence at Finn Park has been missed more than most.  Many Harps fans hoped and dreamed that one day their idol would once again represent them on the pitch.

Shortly after 4.00pm on Friday afternoon that dream of McHugh pulling on a Harps shirt once more became a reality, when the man who has spent the last four years away from the club came home.  Although talked about as a possibility since the turn of the year, it was only when McHugh entered the Balor Theatre in Ballybofey for the media conference that the large contingent of Harps supporters present finally believed the rumours.  And, what initially was rumoured to be a loan move from Irish League leaders Linfield, has turned out in fact to be a permanent move back to Harps.

Finn Harps Chairman, Joey O’Leary, this evening confirmed that McHugh has agreed a two-year deal with Harps and says that it is a sign that both the player and the club are committed to one another going forward.

Kevin Mc Hugh talks with Chris Mc Nulty
 

A Donegal woman has called for so called ‘headshops’ to be banned claiming that products sold legally in such shops contributed to her brother’s death.

Kathleen today described how her brother changed into an angry, selfish and self absorbed person after he gave up drink and started buying legal high’s from a head shop.

A post mortem has been carried out to determine the cause of 39 year-old Bartley Doran’s death this but his family are convinced that he would still be alive if he hadn’t started taking legal highs.

His sister Kathleen earlier spoke on  the  ‘Shaun Doherty Show’  and you can hear an extensive section of the conversation below:
 

Hardline republicans in Derry are planning to send letters to shops and businesses in the city urging them not to serve members of the PSNI.

The 32 County Sovereignty Movement has told the ‘Derry Journal’ it has drawn up a list of businesses and a number of schools in the city who deal with the police and will be contacting them shortly.

According to today’s ‘journal’ the group says letters will be sent to the selected premises highlighting what they describe as the “unacceptable behaviour” of the PSNI.

A spokesperson for the group said if their request for businesses to shun members of the PSNI is ignored, they will stage pickets and “name and shame” shops.

The spokesperson insists that the letter “is not a threat” and will be circulated to shops in the coming weeks.

The spokesperson also said they have been contacted by workers who had concerns about serving police officers.

Foyle MP Mark Durkan has described the group’s action  is an appalling step.

He says it is the 32 County Sovereignty Movement threatening people once again and a return to the old, futile, sterile Provo-speak of the past.

Buncrana District Council has pledged to support a new organisation aimed at preventing suicide in any way it can. BCCS, Buncrana Community Combatting Suicide made a presentation to members at their meeting this week.

At the core of the presentation was an emotional talk from Janice Doherty, whose daughter Rachel took her own life 15 months ago at the age of 17.

She spoke of how difficult it is to carry on day to day life, and the importance of strong supports locally.

Denise Gallinagh-Wood is a member of the group’s steering committee – She says promoting positive mental health is a key objective.

Donegal South West Deputy Dinny Mc Ginley has been told that money is to be invested in improving walkways and the restaurant at Glenveagh National Park this year.

He was also told by Environment Minister John Gormley that Future investment will be considered in the context of a Management Plan for the park, with a draft going out to public consultation this year according to the environment minister.

The numbers visiting the park have been increasing, with over 117,000 visiting Glenveagh last year, 15,000 up on the 2006 figure.

Deputy Mc Ginley says as well as supporting tourism, Glenveagh remains an important employer.

Buncrana Town Council has been told that legal action will be taken against people who have failed to pay parking fines in the town.

There were 713 outstanding parking fines in Buncrana at the end of 2008, 500 of them relating to cars from Northern Ireland. The council was told that shortly, it will be possible to pursue those fines through a joint arrangement between the Department of Transport here and the DVLA in Belfast.

Discussions to allow the sharing of information between the respective offices at Shannon, and Coleraine have intensified since the introduction of barrier free tolling on the M50, and Buncrana councillors were told the council can piggy back on that arrangement once it has been agreed.

Town Engineer Donal Walker told the council that defaulters will be brought before the courts within a matter of weeks.

A judge who wanted to “send out a strong message” jailed a young man for one year yesterday for dangerous driving causing the deaths of a mother and daughter in Donegal in 2008.

21 year old Sean Goldrick of Dunlewey pleaded guilty at Letterkenny Circuit Court to causing the deaths of 45 year old Martina McLernon and her 15-year-old daughter, Louise, from Toome in County
Antrim.

The court heard that on May, 24, 2008 the mother and daughter were out walking at Meenacuing, Gweedore, near An Chúirt hotel at around 8.30pm when they were struck by Goldrick’s car which had gone out of control.

Evidence was given that Goldrick, who was 19 at the time, was speeding home during a 30 minute work-break when he lost control, hit an oncoming car and ploughed into the McLernons killing them instantly.

He jailed Goldrick for two years on each charge of dangerous driving and suspended the final 12 months of the sentence. He also disqualified him from driving for seven years, and refused leave to appeal.

The sentences are to run concurrently, which means in effect, Goldrick will only serve one year in jail.

Buncrana Town Council has been told that a solution is available to ease the problems that have plagued the Lough Swilly Lifeboat in recent years. A deputation from the RNLI told members this week that with an investment of up to 70,000 euro a year, shared by the town and county councils, and the RNLI, an annual plough dredging programme could be implemented, carried out by the Derry dredger.

However, members were told one problem is the insistence of the Department of the Environment that an annual licence be secured, despite the fact that no licencing requirements are in place in most other EU countries.

Buncrana councillors have pledged whatever support they can, and County Manager Michael Mc Loone is taking the propopals to the County Council, and to Environment Minister John Gormley.

Lough Swilly Lifeboat spokesperson John Mc Carter says he’s very encouraged by the reception they received in the Buncrana council chamber.