Fine Gael TD Olwyn Enright has announced she will not be contesting the next general election.

The Laois Offaly deputy – who was first elected to the Dail in 2002 – says she has taken the decision because her personal circumstances have changed.

The 36 year old was one of the Fine Gael frontbenchers behind the failed leadership heave against Enda Kenny in June.

However she’s rejecting it had anything to do with her decision.

Deputy Enright is married to Donegal Deputy Joe McHugh.

A Decision by Bus Eireann to withdraw it service the Killybegs and Kilcar areas has been described as a devastating blow.

The company confirmed that the 5 day service would be cut and now operate on Thursdays, Fridays and Sunday’s at 21.20.

Bus Eireann says there is now a daily service from Donegal town to Dungloe at 5.30pm which it believes is a more attractive time for customers travelling to west Donegal.

Local Councillor Thomas Pringle says many people will be adversely affected by the move:

Noamh Conaill booked their place in the Donegal Senior Championship Final after a dramatic finish against Glenswilly on Sunday. The Glenties men hit 2-2  in the final three minutes to see off a stunned Glenswilly side at the O’Donnell Park in Letterkenny. The Glen lead by  five points with ten minutes to go thanks to goals from Colin Kelly and Michael Murphy. Noamh Conaill rallied to the end and pulled off two late goals from the Thompson brothers Anthony and Leon to book a visit to Ballybofey on County Final day. Who they will play is not yet known as Four Masters and Killybegs must meet again after Saturday’s semi final ended in a ten points apiece draw. That replay will take place this Sunday.

Donegal Senior Championship Semi Finals.
Noamh Conaill 2-13 v 2-8 Glenswilly
Four Masters 0-10 v 0-10 Killybegs

A 32-year-old man has been charged with breaking into the home of the Bishop of Derry, Dr Seamus Hegarty.

He is due to appear before a magistrates’ court today.

The charge is subject to review by the Public Prosecution Service.

The burglary took place early on Friday morning at the property on the Buncrana Road in Derry.

Dr Hegarty was home at the time and disturbed the intruder.

Aer Arann would have gone to the wall last week with the almost immediate loss of over 300 jobs had it not been thrown a €1m lifeline by its biggest creditor.

The Sunday Independent reports that Allied Irish Banks — which is owed €3.9m by the troubled regional carrier — extended the €1m in fresh funding to allow for the appointment, by the High Court, of an interim examiner.

Had this money not been forthcoming, the examinership would not have been allowed to proceed, as sufficient working capital for the airline’s day-to-day expenses would not have been available.

Following the announcement of a examiner being appointed the airline’s customers were assured that it was business as usual for its service out of Donegal Aiport

Fai Senior Cup 4th Round
Finn Harps 0 v 1 Sligo Rovers

At the end of a difficult week, Harps make their exit from the FAI Cup against high flying Sligo Rovers. The visitors just about deserved the win but to their credit, Harps made a real fight of it in the second half and in the end the Premiership side were fortunate to advance. Harps captain Packie Mailey was penalised for hauling down Matthew Blinkhorn inside the area and from the resulting penalty, Sligo defender, Alan Keane sent Gavin Cullen the wrong way. So it’s Sligo who advance – last year’s beaten cup finalists look a good bet to go all the way again this year. For Harps – they must now face into the closing nine league games of the season knowing that the best they can hope for is a few decent results and a mid-table finish in Division One.

Finn Harps Manager James Gallagher
 

Sligo Manager Paul Cook
 

Donegal Deputy Joe McHugh has secured a meeting with HSE management during which he will ask them to outline clearly what cutbacks are to be expected to services in Donegal.

The meeting comes after users of the HSE day care service at Ramelton Community Hospital were told on Tuesday that they were not to attend for the remainder of the week.

It still has to be clarified if the cuts are long or short term.

Deputy McHugh says the HSE needs to tell people the situation:

A man who appeared in court in relation to injuries sustained to Senator Brian O’Domhnaill in a weekend incident in west Donegal says he is to make a counter complaint to gardai against the Senator.

In a statement released through his solicitor Jim Sharkey, a resident of New York, dismissed accusations that he was responsible for the injuries sustained by Mr O’Domhnaill.

Senator O’Domhnaill received eight stitches to a head wound after an incident involving two other men as he made his way home from a disco.

This week  42-year-old Jim Sharkey of Bayside, New York, appeared in Court charged with assault causing harm to Mr O Domhnaill and criminal damage to a Ford Transit bus belonging to Neil Gallagher on Sunday at Meenacuing.
He denies the charges.

In a statement through his solicitor Mr Sharkey said he feels that his impeccable character and reuputation had been tarnished.

He said a melee did take place as has been alleged but that he did not injure Senator O’Domhnaill stating he ‘had a major part to play’ in the nights events.

Mr Sharkey said that he and a friend had accepted a lift home from Senator O’Domhnaill and subsequently found themselves in an extremely threatening and intimidating situation.

He say he will strongly contest the charges and that a statement of complaint will be made against Senator O’Domhnaill.

Derry’s first ever gay pride parade is to take place on Saturday.

The parade will follow the route of the 1968 civil rights march from Duke Street Railway station to Guildhall Square.

SDLP MP for Foyle Mark Durkan urged people to attend today’s march and confront homophobia in the city.

He says the community can show it’s solidarity with those who suffer this awful prejudice – both the latent homophobia of prejudiced remarks and the blatant homophobia of violent attacks.

But not everyone is so welcoming of today’s parade – Reverend Jonathan Campbell from Newbuildings Independent Methodist Church said the planned parade would be an “obscenity”.

He has called on parents to keep their children away from the “dark cloud” hanging over Derry today.

However David McCartney of gay rights organisation the Rainbow Project disagreed he has asked Reverend Campbell, with a genuine spirit, to come and talk to people about their lives and listen to people’s experiences.

Counselling services in Donegal, which where set up after the Inishowen tragedy, are to contact youth groups to offer services to those bereaved in the Kerry car crashes this week.

They are to to contact their counterparts in Kerry to use their experiences in coping with the horrific Inishowen crash, which claimed eight lives.

Breda Friel, spokesperson for BCCS says she will help the Kerry organisations involved in working with young people, as much as possible: