Gardai are investigating a robbery of a so called head shop in Donegal Town.

The front door of the shop were smashed in an attack in the early of Sunday morning.

Those responsible stole ‘legal highs’ with an estimated value of 7,000 euro.

It is the second head shop in the country targetted over the weekend.

In Dublin the owner of Nirvana on Capel Street in Dublin’s north inner city claimed the burning down of the shop from which he sells legal highs was an act of Arson.

Buncrana Town Council has been told that the development of a Centre of Excellence for the arts in the town could be a major boost for the town, and would contribute significantly to the economy, as well as bringing tourists and enhancing Buncrana’s reputation nationally and internationally.

Artlink has received 570,000 euro from government, and a further 100,000 euro in loans to develop such a centre, possibly at the site of the old garda station on St Oran’s Road.

However, the catch is they need 144,000 euro in matching funding, and are asking the Town Council to provide it.

Artlink Director Elaine Forde says if the money isn’t forthcoming, a major opportunity could be lost.

Minister Mary Hanafin has signalled that By-Elections in Donegal and Dublin are unlikely to take place before the end of the year

Meanwhile, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny will be in Glenties this evening for the party’s Donegal South West selection convention. Two candidates are seeking the nomination, County Councillors Martin Harley from Stranorlar and Barry O’Neill from Ballyshannon.

Cllr Barry O’Neill is now into his second term on the county council, and having limped over the line to take the final seat in 2004, he topped the poll last year, a sign that his support is growing.

Cllr Martin Harley is a newcomer to the council, but as a native of Frosses, he will argue his profile in the constituency stretches far beyond the Twin Towns. He is also well placed in relation to the extension of the constituency to take in an area from Raphoe to Lifford, and on to St Johnston.

Fine Gael’s Local Government spokesperson Phil Hogan will chair the convention, but much of the focus will be on the party leader Enda Kenny, who’ll be anxious to stress he hasn’t suffered any long term damage as a result of the resignation last week of George Lee.

Michael Murphy

Donegal 3-11 Laois 0-05

Donegal share top spot with Down in Division Two of the National Football League after their second victory of the competition,  a comfortable fifteen point win over Laois in Ballyshannon. The goal scorers for Donegal were Conal Dunne, James Keeney and Young Player of the Year 2009 Michael Murphy. The Glenswilly man finished the game with 1-3 while Colm Mc Fadden scored four points.  Donegal’s next game will be in two weeks time away to Kildare.
Charlie Collins got reaction from Donegal Mentor Tony Boyle after the game.
 

In Division One Tyrone are still looking for their first win in the league. Mickey Harte’s side lost to Mayo 1-12 to 1-11 in Healy Park Omagh on Sunday.
At  Parnell Park on Saturday evening Derry went down to Dublin losing 1-11 to 0-7. The Derry men managed to score just one point in the second half.
Dublin, Cork and Mayo share top spot in Division One.

The Minister for Social and Family Affairs has said the bye-elections for  Donegal South West and Dublin South will not be held until at least the ‘back end’ of the year.

The bye-elections are required following the resignation of former Fine Gael TD George Lee and the election of Donegal South West TD Pat The Cope Gallagher to the European Parliament last year.

Pat the Cope Gallagher had indicated a May date for the Donegal SW bye-election however following the resignation form Fine Gael of George Lee speculation had turned to a date later in the year, Minister Hannifan’s comments would confirm that.

Counsel for Colm Murphy, who is accused of conspiracy in relation to the 1998 Omagh bomb which killed 29 people and injured more than 300 has applied for a direction that his client should be acquitted.

Michael O’Higgins SC, submitted to the Special Criminal Court in Dublin that his client should be acquitted because of the lack of evidence against him.

The application came on the 19th day of Murphy’s trial after the State case concluded. Murphy , a 57-year-old native of Co Armagh, with an address at Jordan’s Corner, Ravensdale, Co Louth, has pleaded not guilty to conspiring with another person to cause an explosion likely to endanger life or cause serious injury to property in the State or elsewhere between August 13th and 16th, 1998.

The trial will continue on Tuesday.

SDLP Northlands councillor Mark H Durkan has said a third incident in as many days in the city shows the complete disregard dissidents have for the people of Derry.

Mr Durkan labelled the latest -a controlled explosion on a suspicious van parked outside the courthouse at Bishop Street- as ‘sinister’.

Mr Durkan said a number of homes evacuated because of this latest mindless incident, with quite a large area cordoned off.

This also comes shortly after a suspicious device was found on the Craigavon Bridge on Friday and a warning sent to businesses and schools by the 32 County Sovereignty Movement.

Interent search giant Google has added new high resolution satellite images covering parts of Ireland.

Areas now covered include parts of east Cork, Kerry, Westmeath, Offaly, Longford, Meath, Monaghan, Donegal, Roscommon and Mayo.

Many provincial towns are now visible in high resolution for the first time, it is understood were taken recently.

Stranolar’s Gary Murray returned from injury on Saturday to take the senior mens Ulster Cross Country title in Belfast. Gary’s club St Malachey’s also won the team event.
Highland’s Patsy Mc Gonigle has the details.
 

Derry’s city centre manager has described a dissedent republican threat to picket shops and schools which work with the police as un-welcome, and not reflective of what the people of the city want.

The 32 County Sovereignty Movement said yesterday it would write to those with dealings with the PSNI warning that if they did not stop, they would be targetted by protestors.

City Centre Manager Jim Roddy says that not only are such threats morally wrong, they also put hard pressed businesses under further pressure.