The HSE has acknowledged that Donegal could lose out in a re-organisation of out of hours GP services, but is stressing that no decisions have been taken.

There are two centres fielding calls in the Western region, one in Galway, the other in Letterkenny. It’s understood the review recommends closing of one of them, and it’s feared the Letterkenny centre could be in the firing line.

The HSE says specific decisions will be taken in the coming months, which will impact on services including NowDoc in Donegal.

Cllr Jimmy Harte, a member of the HSE’s Regional Health Forum says the prospect of job losses is serious, and an added concern is the fact that people could end up answering calls from Donegal without knowing the geography of the county.

Donegal are just sixty minutes away from All Ireland U21 glory. After a successful Ulster campaign the county face off against Dublin on Saturday evening at Breffini Park in Cavan for the Tom Clarke Cup. The 2010 squad are looking to emulate the winning Donegal sides of 1982 and 1987 in making it a hat trick of U21 titles for the county. The provincial champions sealed their place in this year’s decider after overcoming the challenge of Tipperary in the semi final.

Manager Jim McGuinness is relishing the opportunity of All-Ireland glory and has nothing but praise for his players.
 

Michael Murphy has been another key player for Donegal this season with a tally of 1-14. The Glenswilly man  will become the first Captain since Anthony Molloy to lead a Donegal intercounty team out for an All Ireland Final. Michael says there is a good bond between the players.
 

Highland Radio will be broadcasting live from Breffini Park on Saturday. The build gets under way at 6pm with the game live from 7pm. Charlie Collins and All Ireland winner Martin Mc Hugh will be on commentary. Tom Comack will also looking forward to the game on Saturday  Sport. Follow all the action streaming live online on Saturday here on highlandradio.com.

The government is being urged to rethink its carbon taxes which come into effect tomorrow morning, the First of May.

Donegal North East TD Joe McHugh is particularly anxious that the tax on farm diesel be dropped.

He says the tax is being introduced at the beginning of the summer, when farm machinery is busiest, and while all sectors are facing extra charges, farmers have already suffered disproportionately as a result of the recession.

Deputy Mc Hugh says other countries have recognised the plight of farmers, and ireland should take their lead………

Senator Cecilia Keavney is calling on the IDA, Enterprise Ireland and other agencies to come to Inishowen and meet with local represenitives and the business community.

She says she wrote to the IDA asking for an update on what efforts are being made to promote Foreign Direct Investment in Inishowen, and was offered a briefing at IDA HQ from senior officials.

However, Senator Keavney says she wants the briefing in Donegal, with more agencies involved…….

A number of houses were evacuated as a result of a bomb scare in Derry’s Abercorn Place last night.

A controlled explosion was carried out on a suspicious object which was then removed for examination. The alert was declared a hoax shortly afterwards, and residents were allowed return to their homes shortly before 1 o’clock this morning.

It’s reported this morning that jobs could be lost at the NowDoc base in Letterkenny on foot of a HSE review of out of hours services.

There are two centres fielding calls in the Western region, one in Galway, the other in Letterkenny. This morning’s Donegal News reports that the review recommends the closure of one of them, and it’s feared the Letterkenny centre could be in the firing line.

A Donegal man has gone on trial at the Central Criminal Court accused of raping a woman who was too sick to resist after a party in the county.

The man pleaded not guilty to raping and sexually assaulting the thirty-year-old woman in a house in Donegal on May 20, 2007.

The woman gave evidence that she woke up to the accused having sex with her after she and a friend had been at a party with him earlier. She said she was ill, and could not move or speak as he raped her.

The woman told prosecuting counsel, Mr Alexander Owens SC, that she and a friend had gone out that night to a nightclub and met several people. She said she had around seven vodkas and they left at half two to go to a party.

She said everything was “a bit of a blur”, and when they arrived at the party, she felt ill and vomited in the kitchen while a man in a navy shirt was watching her.

She said she started to pass in and out of conciousness, and the next thing she remembers is waking up in a bed with the accused on top of her. She said she was totally powerless, but she recognised him as the man in the blue shirt.

The next morning, she got the “morning after pill” before making a complaint to gardai.

The trial continues before Mr Justice John Edwards and a jury of nine men and three women.

The Garda Commissioner will meet with the leadership of the Garda Representative Association later over the controversial speech distributed at its annual conference.

In it, outgoing President, Donegal based Garda Michael O’Boyce accused the Government of being corrupted by years of power.

The Justice Minister Dermot Ahern has now demanded an apology for the Irish people

Commissioner Fachtna Murphy will issue a stern warning later and has already said that gratutitous comments about corruption have no place within an Garda Siochana

A section of the N13 Letterkenny to Derry Road which was closed for much of Thursday has reopened.

Gardai closed the stretch after a fire at a garage close to Newtowncunningham on Wednesday night.

The fire has since been put out, but gas cylinders which had caught fire had to be kept cool by the fire service.

It’s emerged that a human skull found in Donegal this week was ancient, and has been dated to pre-Christian times, possibly the bronze era.

The skull was found along with its teeth in a lorry-load of sand delivered to Naomh Brid football ground between Laghey and Ballintra from a quarry in Gweedore. It was rushed to Dublin, where it was examined by an anthropologist in the State Pathologist’s office.

A coroner will now decide what happens although gardai said they did not expect an inquest to be held.

Gardai searched both the football field and the quarry to establish that there were no further remains.