FIshermen could be putting themselves in danger because of the economic situation.

That’s according to North West MEP Pat the Cope Gallagher, who is calling on the European Commission to pay greater heed to the needs of fishermen living on Islands and in remote parts of the country.

He’s suggesting the EU create regional blocks which could avail of certain exceptions to general EU policies. He’s particularly anxious to have restrictions on smaller-sized fishing vessels eased off the Donegal and North West.

Mr Gallagher says at present, small scale fishing is banned in North West waters, but allowed elsewhere, and that’s forcing some skippers to take risks………

A senior Garda has said an investigation into the death of an undertaker will continue – five and half years after he was killed.

36 year old Shaun Duffy was found butchered to death at his home in Dungloe, Co Donegal in January, 2005.

He had been stabbed four times, beaten about the head and an arrow was stuck into his arm.

The inquest jury returned a unanimous verdict of unlawful killing, after which Garda Superintendent Michael Finan stressed this was not the end of the investigation into the murder.

Renewing an appeal for information, the superintendent said gardai continue to pursue a number of lines of enquiry.

More than 1,000 people have been interviewed since Shaun Duffy was found lying face down on a sofa at his home at Meenacross at 2.30pm on January 29th, 2005.

He was discovered by his brother Kevin at his home which is just 500 yards from the family home.

The house had been ransacked and there was blood all over the walls and the doors.

As well as working as an undertaker, the dead man worked as a nightclub bouncer and also traded in horses and ponies.

Deputy state pathologist Dr.Michael Curtis said he suspected Mr.Duffy died as a result of being stabbed in the neck, chest and abdomen and suffering blunt force trauma to the head.

A nine person jury this afternoon reached a unanimous verdict of death by unlawful killing, with Coroner John Cannon said he was prevented from saying everything he could say, as this is still a live investigation.

He concluded it is unimaginable that a person could have a will to do this to another human being. Shaun Duffy was a private person with secrets known only to himself, and did not deserve to die like this.

Gardai are investigating an attack on a young woman in the Ashlawn area of Letterkenny last night.

It is the second attack in the area in recent weeks, however gardai are not yet linking the two events.

In last night’s incident the woman was attacked from behind, but managed to struggle free and return to her accomodation. She sustained some bruising, but was not physically injured. However, gardai say the psychological ordeal she suffered was a serious one.

Gardai are reviewing CCTV in the area and are appealing for information.

Inspector Pat O’Donnell spoke about the attack on today’s Shaun Doherty Show………

The communications regulator ComReg has been called before an Oireachtas Committee to explain the poor quality of mobile phone reception in many areas of Donegal.

After securing the meeting, Donegal North East Deputy Joe McHugh said parts of the county are blighted with poor reception, and coverage quality has regressed in recent months.

He is calling on Comreg to explain the situation, and address the many questions that have been raised about the quality of service being provided by all operators, particularly in border areas……….

Gardai are launching a major crack down on dangerous and wreck-less driving with a strong focus on illegally modified vehicles.

Checkpoints will be mounted by gardai who will also be assisted by the Road Safety Authority engineers and the PSV inspector.

17 people have died on Donegal’s roads so far this year, the highest figure in the country.

Head of Traffic, Inspector Michael Harrison says the aim of the increased garda activity is to avoid another funeral as the result of a road traffic collision:
 

A Donegal County Councillor has said it may now be time to abandon the so called ‘ Whole System of Work ‘ and to reconsider the employment of consultants responsible for devising it.

The ‘Whole System of Work’ was championed by former county manager Michael McLoone and sets out a new way for the council to work which it is claimed would make it more efficient.

However to date millions of euro have been spent to consultants with the system yet to be fully implemented.

Councillor Ian McGarvey says that he is to raise the issue with the council next week as he has serious concerns about the’ Whole System of Work’:

This Sunday the Donegal Ladies play Waterford in the All Ireland Intermediate Final at Croke Park.

The county side are on the trophy trail again having already won the League and the Ulster championship in 2010. Sunday’s game however will be the greatest achievement of them all. Donegal’s only All Ireland victory was in 2003 at Junior level. Four of the current side was involved that year.

Highland’s Gaa Correspondent Tom Comack has been speaking to a number of the players ahead Sunday’s big final.

Midfielder Karen Guthrie
 

Donegal Captain Aoife Mc Donnell
 

Forward Eilish Ward
 

Has Shay played his last game for City? Thats the question the tabloids have been asking this morning following Manchester City’s defeat in the 3rd round of the Carling Cup to West Brom. The Donegal keeper took his place in goals last night for his first start of the 2010 campaign. City boss Roberto Mancini  shuffled his pack with one eye on Saturday’s game against Chelsea, and that included resting Joe Hart, who he plumped for as his first-choice goalkeeper at the start of the season.  Having been one up City conceeded two second half goals to exit the competition. Given has  been told he can leave Eastlands in the January transfer window but Mancini has told future buyers that he will not go for a cut price.

The mother of a Dungloe man who was stabbed to death at his home has admitted he had many enemies.

Shaun Duffy from Meenacross was found lying face down with stab wounds and an arrow sticking out of his arm in July, 2005.

Despite a huge Garda investigation during which more 1,000 people have been interviewed, nobody has ever been charged with his murder.

An inquest into Mr.Duffy’s death, which opened at Letterkenny Court yesterday (WED), heard how he had also received several blows to the head during the violent attack.

The dead man’s mother revealed how her son always locked the doors to his home at Meenacross, Dungloe.

“He did have a lot of enemies and lived in fear of what might happen to him,” said Mrs Kathleen Duffy.

Mr Duffy, was found by his brother Kevin at 2.30pm on July 29th after trying repeatedly to contact him on his mobile phone and landline.

Kevin Duffy said he found him lying face down on his sofa at his ransacked home.

There was blood all over the walls and doors and the furniture had been smashed up.

He said the last time he had seen Shaun, 36, was at about 2.30am at his home just 500 yards from the scene of the murder.

They had been celebrating Kevin’s birthday in a local bar and had returned to his home to eat pizzas.

He said the dead man had been in “good form” and had not been fighting with anyone on the night.

However Kevin Duffy said he knew straight away when he called to his brother’s home the following day that something was wrong.

“The inside door on the porch which my brother always used wasn’t locked. I knew straight away something was wrong because he always locked it.

“I found Shaun inside lying face-down on the sofa and there was a lot of blood. I noticed a large gash on his head and an arrow in his arm.

“He was cold and I felt for a pulse but couldn’t get one. I knew straight away he was dead,” said Kevin Duffy.

Shaun Duffy, who was 6’4”, was well-known in the area where he was also a nightclub bouncer and also traded in horses and ponies.

State pathologist Dr.Michael Curtis revealed a post-mortem on Mr Duffy revealed he had received four stab-wounds to the body and nine bangs to the head with a blunt object.

He also revealed how an arrow from a crossbow had gone through Mr.Duffy’s right forearm.

He said he considered that the stab-wounds to Mr.Duffy’s chest, neck and abdomen were the most likely cause of his death.

The inquest will resume again today

Two men who attacked a man in his own home before his wife were ordered to jail today.

Glenties District Court heard that Gerard Colhoun, 26, and John Paul Connaghan, 30, started beating and kicking James Boyle, at his home in Ardconnell, Ardara, on November 1st last year, after they had been drinking steadily for up to three days.

Judge Seamus Hughes was told the men knew each other. Colhoun had met Boyle in prison.

The two defendants were trespassing in Boyle’s home when a row started over a debt that Colhoun owed him.

Inspector Sylvie Henry said both defendants started beating Boyle in front of his wife. Colhoun threatened that he would get “more of the same” if he reported the assault to gardai.

Colhoun, a father of three, of Gort na greine, Letterkenny, and Connaghan, also a father of three, of St Therese’s Terrace, Dunkineely, admitted the assault.

Defence solicitor Frank Dorrian said the two men called at the house expecting a warm reception as they knew Boyle but they actually received a negative reception. The solicitor said Colhoun accepted that he “brought this down” on Connaghan.

The men were said to have previous convictions for motoring, drink and public order offences. Colhoun, who was presently serving a 14-month sentence, also had convictions for theft, burglary and arson.

Colhoun was sentenced to 10 months to be added consecutively to his 14 months. Connaghan was sentenced to eight months. He was granted bail pending an appeal.