A Strabane man appeared before Dublin’s Special Criminal Court charged with murdering a man in Donegal two years ago.

36-year-old Martin Kelly of Barrack Street, Strabane, was charged with the murder of  27-year-old Andrew Burns at Doneyloop, Castlefin on February 12th, 2008.

Mr Burns was found with gunshot wounds outside a church, by teenagers attending a nearby youth club.

Martin Kelly was charged before the three-judge non-jury court in March of this year with the unlawful possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, in connection with the same incident.

He appeared before the Special Criminal Court today, dressed in a white shirt and dark grey trousers.

Letterkenny Detective Garda Adrian Ahern, gave the court, details of arrest, charge and caution. The court heard that when the charge of murder was put to the accused, Mr Kelly replied “no comment”.

The chief investigating officer in the case, Superintendent Kevin English also gave evidence during the brief hearing.

He said the inquiry into Mr Burns’ murder was “complex” with “territorial” issues.

Superintendent English said the investigation had a strong “cross-border dimension” and involved the “extensive analysis” of phone records and over 600 vehicle checks and 300 witness statements.

Mr Kelly was remanded in custody to appear before the court again on July the 20th.

Full details of the way Garda Robbie McCallion received injuries while checking a stolen car report and from which he later died were related for the first time at Letterkenny Circuit Court today.

They were spelled out during sentencing of Cathal Dunleavy, 21, who was on temporary release at the time from prison.

He was jailed today for three years for stealing the car, a 1994 Toyota Corolla, when Gda McCallion was investigating its theft on March 26, 2009.

Sgt Martin Finnan said Gda McCallion drove a patrol car with two other gardai, Joanne Doherty and Shane Lavelle, to Tara Court, Letterkenny, in response to a neighbour’s phone call at 4.33 a.m. that she saw two men interfering with a car outside a nearby house.

Sgt Finnan said all gardai were out of their vehicle, after speaking to Dunleavy, and were trying to escape for their own safety when another car, driven by the other youth, veered towards their patrol car.

Sgt Finnan told Judge John O’Hagan that the other car, a 1998 Peugeot, struck the front of the patrol car, mounted a footpath and side-swiped a garden wall.

Sg Finnan said it became airborne and the under carriage could clearly be seen by Garda Doherty. During these moments Garda McCallion was struck by the Peugeot and he ended up going over the garden wall. He ended up in the garden. He died in hospital on April 7^th, 2009, from injuries that he received.

Sgt Finnan said the 19-year-old Peugeot driver last week admitted driving  dangerously and causing the death of 29-year-old Gda McCallion at Tara Court Letterkenny, on March 26 last year, but denied manslaughter and he was in custody awaiting trial.

Cathal Dunleavy, of Meentagh, Glenvar, Kerrykeel, was in court today for sentence after admitting stealing a 1994 car, a Toyota Corolla On March 26 last year without the consent of the owner Sonia O’Brien at Tara Court.

The court heard it was to be towed by the Peugeot from the theft scene. When gardai, who had already spoken to Dunleavy, were out of the patrol car the other youth drove towards it and injured Gda McCallion.

Dunleavy was on temporary release from prison and should have returned on the afternoon of March 26 last year. He was already banned from driving for 15 years.

Judge John O’Hagan said he accepted Dunleavy’s “genuine remorse” but added that he went along with the other man on a “systematic, cool, calculated” car theft. And what happened was right before his very eyes but he denied ever having been at the scene.

Judge O’Hagan said the only charge against Dunleavy was the theft of a car not involved in the other incidents on the same occasion and it would be wrong for him to “take revenge” on matters which would be dealt with another day.

The maximum penalty he could impose on Dunleavy was five years and a €10,000 fine for the car theft. He was giving him three years for pleading guilty.

It’s been confirmed that he new Donegal County Manager will be Seamus Neely, the current Director of Environmental Services.

Previously, he served as a Director of Services on Cavan County Council, with responsibility at various stages for planning, transportation and corporate services. In the 1990s, he spent a period as Assistent Town Clerk in Letterkenny, as well as holding other positions in Donegal.

He has also served a term as Chairperson of the Local Government Directors Association.

Mr Neely takes up the position in a week’s time, after Michael Mc Loone leaves his position on the 7th of July. Mr Neely will serve as temporary manager from July 8th, and will then be ratified in the position by the council at it’s July meeting.

Sinn Fein Cllr Cora Harvey is the new Mayor of Donegal, with party colleague Cllr Padraig Mac Lochlainn elected as her Deputy. She becomes the first Sinn Fein member to take the chair in Donegal since 1923.

She defeated Cllr Ciaran Brogan by 18 votes to 11, with Independent Cllr Seamus O’Domhnail supporting Cllr Brogan, and the other independents supporting Cllr Harvey. Cllr Brogan was proposed by Cllr Dessie Larkin, who challenged Sinn Fein and Labour to fulfill the contract they signed last year. He stressed the budget was not part of the agreement.

A large number of supporters gathered in the chamber for the AGM, including Strabane Council Chair Michaela Boyle and West Tyrone MP Pat Doherty.

Cllr Harvey says she wants her term to see an end to the infighting, and a new focus on moving Donegal forward. While she is less than two years on the council after her cooption in 2008, she says her election last year gave her a strong mandate, and she’s ready for the challenge……

As outgoing Mayor Brendan Byrne vacated the chair, a number of Fianna Fail members spoke of the way he was treated during the year, particularly in the wake of December’s controversial budget meeting.

However, speaking to Highland Radio News after he steped down, Cllr Byrne rejected suggestions that his term was defined by the budget meeting. He said for him, the highlight of his year was last Monday’s civic commemoration for the late Garda Robert Mc Callion, and much was achieved during the past twelve months.

He says he sought political office, but his family didn’t, and his one regret is that things were said a times which hurt his wife and daughter. Apart from that, Cllr Byrne says, he proudly stands over over his term……..

Full report from meeting

Donegal County Council is in discussions with the Department of Defence with regards to taking over the disused barracks at Rockhill.

This week, the army confirmed it has postponed a planned auction to give the council more time to work out how to take over the property and preserve its heritage and potential for the county.

Clle Dessie Larkin, who has advocated the takeover of the facility since it closed last year has welcomed the move. He says vandalism is now becoming an issue, and that cannot be allowed happen.

Meanwhile, the council is also in discussion with the army regarding the former barracks in Lifford, and has been given first option on taking it over, either through full purchase, lease purchase or through a leasing agreement.

However, at present, the facility is zoned solely for military use, so the council must amend the Lifford Area Plan before anything else can be done.

Cllr Gerry Crawford says it’s vital the building be maintained as a resource for the community, but he still wants something there to commemorate the military history of Lifford.

Cllr Cora Harvey will today become the first Sinn Fein Mayor of Donegal since 1923, with her party colleague Cllr Padraig Mac Lochlainn expected to be confirmed as her deputy.

This is part of a new agreement between the non-Fianna Fail members, which will see the chair going to Labour, Fine Gael and the Independent bloc over the following three years.

That represents confirmation that the previous agreement is dead.

This time last year, Fine Gael were effectively frozen out when  Fianna Fail reached what was termed a technical arrangement with Labour, Sinn Fein and a number of Independents.

However, that was seriously compromised at December’s budget meeting, when Mayor Brendan Byrne allowing the budget to be adopted while only Fianna Councillors were present in the chamber. The other party representitives were meeting in another room at the time, and had to be informed by journalists that the budget had been passed.

At the time, Fianna Fail’s whip Cllr Ciaran Brogan told Highland Radio News that the budget fell outside the ambit of the agreement, and the manner in which it was passed would not affect the five year deal. However, that’s not proved to be the case, with Labour, Sinn Fein and the Independents forming a new agreement with Fine Gael, leaving Fianna Fail out in the cold, claiming their trust has been breached.

In that context, Sinn Fein Cllr Cora Harvey will today become only the second woman ever to hold the title Mayor of Donegal.

Police in the UK say they are in contact with both the PSNI and gardai about sex offender William John Paden who has breached the terms of his release licence, and may be in Ireland.

Paden went missing from Lancashire late last week, with police saying they believe he may have travelled to Northern Ireland.

On Saturday, it a businessman in Dungloe reported to gardai that he had spotted Paden in the town that evening. Neither gardai nor the UK police will comment on the reported sighting, but the Lancashire Detective Superintendent who is heading the investigation says all reported sightings are being investigated.

Speaking on the Shaun Doherty Show, DS Ian Critchely said communication is imporving between police forces across Europe to ensure that tracking and catching such people becomes easier…….

William John Paden

FAI Senior Cup 3rd Round Replay
Bray Wanderers 3 v 2 Derry City

Ten man Bray came from behind to progress into round four of the cup after a 3-2 win over Derry City. Darren Cassidy put City ahead but Jake Kelly levelled for Wanderers from a penalty just before half-time. Shane O’Neill put Bray in front on 53minutes before his teamamte Dane Massey was red-carded ten minutes later. Derry drew level after 75 minutes thanks to a Pat McEleney goal but O’Neill scored again two minutes later to send Bray into the next round against UCD.

An IMPACT union spokesperson has described comments made by Mayor Brenden Byrne on public work services as naive and ill-judged.

Councilor Byrne said that clarification from the government was being sought, to see if the council could proceed with the ‘Whole System of Work’ in Donegal.

The project was created in the county and sets out new ways of working within the public services which it’s claimed improves and streamlines operations.

However IMPACT’s Richie Curuther’s says the new system could only be introduced in the context of a national debate:

The Donegal County Manager has written to Environment Minister John Gormley seeking clarification on the nature of a review into certain alleged planning irregularities in Donegal during the period from 1998 to 2001.

Information was sought from the council last September on foot of allegations forwarded to the Minister by former Senior Planner Gerry Convie.

Mr Mc Loone, who attended his final full council meeting before retiring, said he has contacted the Minister, pointing out that the allegations were in large, the same ones contained in a series of newspaper reports published in 2002 which led to legal proceedings and findings in favour of Mr Mc Loone and the County Secretary.

The manager has not published details of the cases being reviewed, but says anyone with concerns can contact the council, and they will be told if anything in the cases relates to them.