Two Donegal girls, Ciara Grant of Kilmacrennan Celtic and Tanya Kennedy of Finn Valley have been included in the Republic of Ireland Women’s U17 squad for next months FIFA World Cup.  Grant is one of the most senior members of the Irish squad and has also featured in the under 19 team in the UEFA Championship qualifiers. Ciara was crowned the FAI/eircom women’s U17 player of the year in 2008.

Defender Kennedy now in her second year with the U17 squad was nominated for the player of the year award in 2008.
The tournament in Trinidad and Tobago starts for the Irish on Monday 6th September against Brazil, with games to follow against Canada and Ghana.

Donegal’s Nora Stapleton played her part in Ireland’s first victory at the Women’s Rugby World Cup against the USA on Tuesday Night.  The Fahan girl who is better known for her Gaa connection plays her rugby with Old Belvedere and Leinster. Stapleton has played full games in the opening two fixtures.  Having lost out in the first match last weekend to the hosts England, the 22-12 win over the American’s was very much needed to keep any hopes alive of a semi final spot. Ireland’s third pool B game is this Saturday against Kazakhstan.

A young couple from West Donegal visited National Lottery Headquarters today and collected almost €692,000 from last Friday’s EuroMillions draw.

At first, Alan and Anne Louise Cowley thought they had won €5,000. Then, when they checked the website and saw there were two winners with a prize of €691,609, they assumed it would be shared. It was not until today that they realised how much they’d won.

The €6 Quick Pick ticket was purchased in Macmon Donegal Limited, in Acers, Burtonport,

The HSE is denying that an arguement over which company is responsible for repairs has prevented a faulty telephone line being repaired at the Primary Health Care Centre in Letterkenny.

A spokesperson is also plasying down the impact on members of the public, saying that in the vast majority of cases, appointments are made, not by phone but, by letter.

The phones have been out for over ten days during the past three weeks, with calls diverted to mobiles at key times.

The HSE is also stressing that the GP practice in the same building was not affected by the telephone problems, so nobody was left needing prescriptions because they could not make contact.

The Catholic Church has denied it engaged in a cover-up to protect a priest suspected of involvement in the 1972 Claudy bombing, in which 9 people were killed.

The North’s police ombudsman’s report into the atrocity – says the RUC conspired with the British government and the Catholic church – to transfer Fr James Chesney.

Fr Chesney, who’s alleged to have been the IRA’s Director of Operations in South Derry – was subsequently transferred to a parish in Donegal, where he died in 1980.

In a statement, Cardinal Sean Brady said the Church accepts the Ombudsman’s findings, but denied that it was involved in a cover up.

The statement makes no reference to the priest’s transfer, and Cardinal Brady says if there was evidence to connect Fr Chesney to the bombing, he should have been arrested and questioned….

There was some good news for the former workers at Keith Prowse call centre in Buncrana today when it was confirmed that social welfare payments for those effected are being processed.

One hundred jobs were lost earlier this month with the announcement that the centre was to close after its parent company went into liquidation.

There was concern that a hold up in workers receiving the p40′s would hold up the welfare payments however the company has issued letters to Social Welfare resolving the issue.

It has also been confirmed that outstanding wages owed to the workers have now been paid.

A report into the handling of the Claudy bombing in the north has found the police investigation into a Catholic priest suspected over the attack was stopped after senior officers conspired with the British Government and Church to protect him.

Father James Chesney was transferred to a parish in Co Donegal following secret talks between the then secretary of state William Whitelaw and the head of the Catholic Church in Ireland, Cardinal William Conway.

Nine people, including a young girl, were killed and 30 injured when three car bombs exploded in the quiet Co Derry village in July 1972.

No one has ever been charged.

Father Chesney, who died in 1980 aged 46, has long been suspected as the IRA man who masterminded the atrocity but today’s damning report by Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman Al Hutchinson has also revealed the part played by the RUC in the high-level cover-up.

Mr Hutchinson’s officers examined diaries belonging to Cardinal Conway which confirmed contact with him and Mr Whitelaw over the priest and correspondence between the RUC.

In December 1972 Mr Whitelaw met Cardinal Conway  – the cardinal said he knew the priest was a very bad man and would see what could be done – he mentioned “the possibility of transferring him to Donegal…”

Father Chesney was transferred across the Irish border in Co Donegal in late 1973 and never ministered again in Northern Ireland.

Mr Hutchinson says there was no evidence that the police had information that could have prevented the attack.

However, he said the RUC’s decision to ask the government to resolve the matter with the Church, and then accept the outcome, was wrong.

A charity, which provides support for sex workers, has said it has received an increase in calls from prostitutes in Donegal seeking help.

‘Ruhama’ says that while the perception may be that prostitution is an urban problem in recent years they are receiving calls from sex workers in more rural areas seeking support.

Nationally the charity helped almost 200 women last year — up from 161 in 2008

Spokesperson Geraldine Rolley says pimps are forcing women to move around the country for work:

There has been a significant increase in the amount of court judgements against companies in Donegal.

The figures relate to court actions taken against companies for the recovery of unpaid debt and cover the second quarter of 2010.

The value of court judgments in Donegal  for unpaid debt in the second quater of this year compared to the same period last year is up by 350%.

There were eleven cases with a total value of almost 692 thousand euro, this compares to 153 thousand euro for the same period in 2009.

Nationally the sector coming under the most pressure is construction, followed by what is described as business activity then hotels and restaurants followed by manufacturing.

Across the country there were 552 cases before the courts with 14.2 million euro of judgements equating to an average court judgement of 26 thousand euro per case.

It was confirmed on Monday Night that Jonathan Minnock has left Finn Harps and returned to the Ulster Senior League. The defender was told at the weekend along with Michael Funston, that they were no longer part of James Gallaghers plans. Minnock makes his return to intermediate football by signing for Swilly Rovers, taking up the role as player manager.