Speculation continues to mount today about who will run for Fianna Fail in Donegal North-East in the upcoming General Election.

It was reported earlier this week that moves had been made within the party to put Councillor Charlie McConalogue at the forefront of the running.

But Senator Cecillia Keaveney has denied this and she says she is determined to win back the seat she lost in the last General Election.

With a party convention expected to be called before Christmas, Senator Keaveney says she will be putting her name forward:

Meanwhile, Councillor Charlie McConalogue has said he has no idea where the reports that Fianna Fail headquarters were seeking to run him in the General Election came from.

He says he will be putting his name forward, but he will respect the decision that is made, whoever is chosen:

A man has been ordered to take the roof off his two storey luxury house and turn it into a wall plate dormer  – to prevent it from being demolished.

Joe Lynch had been given until this week to comply with a court order to bulldoze his €250,000 home after he built it a number of metres from the original planning map in 2003.

Despite getting retaining planning permission from Donegal County Council, An Bord Pleanala upheld a local objection to the house and in 2008 Joe was ordered to tumble the property at Carrickmore, St.Johnston.

A number of stays have been put on the demolition and in between Mr. Joe Lynch has carried out works in a bid to keep the roof over his head.

As well as planting more than €15,000 worth of trees and blocking up windows, he also spent more than €50,000 on planning appeals and engineer’s reports.

Donegal County Council, directed by An Bord Pleanala, told the truck driver and potato salesman that no more stays were being put on the house.

Last week father of two Mr.Lynch, admitted he was suicidal at the thought of being booted out of his home but said he would be “taken out in a box” rather than allowed it to be demolished.

However when Mr.Lynch appeared at Buncrana Circuit Court this week, he was told he could stay in his house until next April – providing he follow a number of conditions.

The main condition is that he lower the height of his house which will mean he will have to take off the roof and turn it into a dormer bungalow.

He has also been ordered to get a full Environmental Impact Study as well as a flood report and also plants more trees around his site.

Judge John O’Hagan was also unhappy that Mr.Lynch had gone to the press with his story and advised him he would be better off following the proper procedures.

When contacted Mr.Lynch said he would prefer not to speak about the case other than to confirm he had been granted another stay in his house until next April.

Counting is underway this morning in the Donegal South West by-election.

Sinn Féin Senator Pearse Doherty looks set to take the seat vacated 18 months by Pat the Cope Gallagher.

The total electorate of 62,229 for the by-election was divided among 136 polling stations. A number of offshore islands voted last Monday as a precaution in case of bad weather. The turnout on the islands is generally reflected in the rest of the constituency and on this occasion, 43 per cent of island voters cast their ballot.

But the turnout yesterday is understood to be much higher. It’s believed the turnout will be in the mid 50s.

There was no trend in voting, with a much higher turnout in the West of the constituency than there was in the East. Dunfanaghy had a turnout of just over 60%, while  Lifford had 46%.

The highest turnouts are reported in rural areas, while its reported that their was high turnouts in each of the candidates own areas in Gweedore, Ballyshannon/Bundoran, Falcarragh/Gortahork, KIllybegs and Raphoe.

Meanwhile, bookmakers Paddy Power are paying out on Sinn Fein candidate Pearse Doherty as the winner of the by-election.

If Senator Doherty takes the seat , then the governments slim majority will be reduced to just two.

It is expected the likely winner will be known from unofficial tallies by lunchtime today, with the final official result due in the late afternoon or evening.

Motorists are being advised to take extreme care on the roads this weekend as temperatures are set to fall as low as minus 5 at night with snow and icy conditions expected from this evening.

The wintry weather is forecast to hit this evening with snow showers expected in the north west.

Snow showers are expected to affect Donegal giving accumulations of 3 to 5 centimetres at times.

The accumulations will occur mainly at night time, with occasional thawing likely by day.

The Road Safety Authority has urged that drivers, cyclists and pedestrians should be extra vigilant.

Road Safety Officer with Donegal County Council, Eamon Browne has this safety message for drivers:

Voting is continuing in the Donegal South-West by-election, and the turnout is described as steady.

Polling stations opened at 7am and remain open until 10pm.

Over 62,000 people are entitled to vote to fill the Dáil seat vacated by Pat ‘The Cope’ Gallagher when he was elected to the European Parliament in 2009.

At the minute it’s estimated that there is a 35% to 45% turnout at this stage.

There was almost a 50% turnout in Dunfanaghy and Carrick.

People living on Donegal’s five off-shore islands cast their votes on Monday and it is estimated that the turnout was roughly 43%.

Meanwhile A 105 years old great-great grandmother braved the cold and frosty weather this afternoon to cast her vote in the Donegal South West by-election.

Bridget ‘Biddy’ Mc Gee of Annagry, West Donegal arrived at the local polling booth at Annagry National School just after lunchtime with her son Michael.

Biddy, who just celebrated her 105th birthday last month to become one of Ireland’s oldest citizens, said it’s important that everyone goes out to vote and express their opinion at election time.

Presiding officer Diane Byrne said it was great to see Biddy out voting on such a cold day.

Voting is underway to elect a new TD for the Donegal South West Constituency today.

The seat was vacated 18 months ago with the election of Pat the Cope Gallagher to the European Parliament.

62-thousand-229 people in the Donegal South West Constituency have the right to vote.

Some 136 polling stations are located around the constituency from Falcarragh to Dungloe (Dun-low), Glenties, Killybegs, Ballyshannon, Donegal Town and Lifford.

They’ll remain open until 10.00 tonight.

Voters are reminded to bring proof of identification with them when they wish to cast their vote.

They’ll be given one ballot paper listing the candidates and they vote in order of preference.

Voters on the islands have already cast their ballots and turnout there was around 43 per cent, and it normally reflects turnout in the constituency as a whole.

A judge and a solicitor clashed today(Wed) over a bail application by a man jailed for four months for road offences.

Defence solicitor Cathal Quinn said that a potential bailsperson was delayed on the way to Glenties District Court when Judge Seamus Hughes recalled that the previous day an unacceptable surety for the jailed man, Martin Ward, arrived in Buncrana court “with hands in pockets singing a tune”.

Mr Quinn said solicitors had no control over how people arrive in court and at that stage the judge said he was striking out the defence application for bail.

A row flared when Mr Quinn, saying he hadn’t an opportunity to make his submission, claimed “this is merely a device to keep my client in prison.”

The judge said he would have Mr Quinn removed from court and the solicitor responded: “I’ll save you the trouble. I’ll leave.”

The judge reminded him to consider his client’s application and the court was adjourned for five minutes.

Later the solicitor said: “We got off on the wrong foot. I respectfully ask you to treat it as water under the bridge.”

The judge said he had been trying to give a history of the case for the gardai who would have to check out the new bailsperson for approval. He said he recognised Ward, of Carraig Craobh, Crievesmith, Letterkenny, had a right to apply for bail when appealing his sentence. But the new bailsperson wasn’t in court on time.

The judge said: “This court does not sit for the consensus of the person who decides to come to court when it suits them.”

Ward was jailed the previous in Buncrana and banned from driving for three years for driving without insurance and other road offences.

Judge Hughes said gardai should have 24 hours to check the background of the surety instead of a few minutes notice as they were given today.

He suggested Mr Quinn could make a bail application for Ward again but he would have to wait until next Wednesday when he is again sitting in his district.

Meanwhile Ward stays in jail.

Letterkenny Town Council is writing to the Department of Communications asking that any liberalisation of postal services be carried out very carefully, and in a way that does not damage communities.

The issue was raised in an emergency motion by Cllr Tom Crossan, who said that a recent meeting called by the Communications Workers Union had outlined how services in other countries were severely affected by allowing private companies cherry pick lucrative markets while ignoring more marginalised areas.

Cllr Crossan says a particular fear in Donmegal is so called “Social Dumping”, whereby some areas might only receive deliveries twice a week

Millionaire entrepeneur Sir Gerry Robinson is on the right track after securing a license to sell alcohol at a train station on his massive country estate.

The former head of Granada Television now lives in Raphoe, Co Donegal with his wife Lady Heather Robinson.

But yesterday he was granted a rather unusual request after making an application under a 1902 law at Buncrana Circuit Court.

The popular couple, who open up their lavish Oakfield Park Estate to the public each year for charity, will be able to sell alcohol at the Difflin Lake Railway.

Under the 1902 Licensing (Ireland) Act a new licence can only be granted to existing premises where a licence has expired, or to a railway refreshment room.

The train lover has developed a four and a half kilometre narrow guage miniature railway around the 100 acre estate which is open to the public as a tourist attraction.

Each year he takes geat pleasure in driving the train around the estate for hundreds of lucky children.

At yesterday’s court, the couple’s barrister, Peter Nolan applied to Judge John O’Hagan for a licence for the railway refreshment room at the station.

Evidence was heard at the court that the Railway at Oakfield was defined as a railway in accordance with the Railway Act.

Lady Heather Robinson confirmed that the railway , complete with steam locomotive, even accepted paying passengers who had to purchase tickets.

She told the court there was currently a refreshment room and seating area in a fenced off area at the station.

“I can almost smell the steam,” commented Judge O’Hagan before granting the licence in what he described as an “absolutely unique application”.

“I don’t think there is a judge in the country who has heard an application for a railway refreshment room, probably since the foundation of the state,” he added.

The judge wished the couple well in their tourism enterprise.

An  apartment block which was to have been sold at auction in Ballybofey this evening was withdrawn after no bids emerged.

The Donegal apartments, at Navenny Place, Trusk Road comprise a 47 apartment package whuich must be bought as a going concern, with a guide price of €550,000. Bids for single apartments would not be accepted under the terms of the auction..

In this afternoon’s auction, the guide price was not met as there were no bids from the floor, apart from a bid of €5,000, which the auctioneer refused to accept. The property was subsequenty withdrawn. According to agents Sherry Fitzgerald Rainey, the property is now available for sale by private treaty.

The apartments are not finished, and will require significant work.