Donegal’s Ronan Mc Laughlin has been confirmed as part of Sean Kelly’s An Post Cycling Team for the coming season.  2011 will be Ronan’s fourth season with the Kelly outfit. The Muff rider is one of four Irish in the team which was officially launched on Tuesday. Along with Mc Laughlin, Mark Cassidy, Sam Bennett and Philip Lavery, the rest of the squad is made up of Belgium, Great Britain and Lithuanian riders.

Donegal County Council has formally signed the contract for the Letterkenny Sewerage Scheme.

The government last year gave approval for the awarding of the €25.8m contract to Response/Severn Trent Consortium for the Scheme.

The project includes a new Wastewater Treatment Plant, Sludge Treatment Plant, pumping stations, new stormwater treatment, some trunk mains and a new outfall

The project is also important in the context of Lough Swilly as water quality will be improved by eliminating the discharge of poorly treated effluent into the Lough.

Letterkenny Councillor Dessie Larkin says the scheme is expected to be concluded in two years:

A 46-year-old man will appear in court this morning charged with murder and attempted murder following an incident at a house at Derry.

The man will appear at Derry Magistrates Court charged with the murder of 49 year-old Paddy Harkin and the attempted murder of a Paul Mythen.

39 year-old Mr Mythen who has an address at Leck Cottages in Letterkenny,  remains in a critical condition in hospital.

Mr Harkin, who was originally from Creggan, was found dead at his flat on Bayview Terrace on Sunday.

Islanders off Donegal will go to the polls today, two days before mainlanders cast their votes.

The Islands off Donegal form part of the Donegal South-West constituency.

760 ballot papers have been carried to polling boxes in Arranmore, Tory, Inishbofin, Inishfree and Gola.

Ferries and small boats have carred 523 papers to two polling booths on Arranmore, 25 on Gola and nine to Inishfree.

An Air Corps helicopter will carry 136 to Tory and 67 to Inishboffin.

There was a massive swing against Fianna Fáil when the electorate on Arranmore went to the polls in the Donegal South-West by-election.

The islands had a turnout of just over 50% in the by-election.

There is expected to be a slightly larger turnout of voters for the General Election today.

Fianna Fail Donegal South West candidate Brian O’Domnhaill is denying that his party leader has intentionally avoided certain constituencies on the campaign trail.

With just 2 days until polling day the party leader has yet to visit Donegal.

Brian O’Domhnaill says he had asked Michael Martin to join him on the campaign trail in Donegal.

But he says the new Fianna Fail leader simply didnt have the time to visit the county:

It’s been confirmed that the Managing Director of Gallaghers Bakery has agreed to buy back the fresh bread section of the company, with production staying in Ardara.

In 2007, the bakery was sold to IAWS by the Gallagher family, with Declan Gallagher staying on as Managing Director. Last month, the company announced it was moving the frozen section of the business to Dublin, but was willing to sell the fresh bread section of the company.

Now, it’s been confirmed that has been agreed, with Mr Gallagher hoping to expand the fresh lines and employ up to 70 people, with more hopefully to follow.

Local businessman and Independent Election Candidate Stephen Mc Cahill says growing the business gradually is the best policy………….

Speaking to Highland Radio News this afternoon, Declan Gallagher said he hasn’t yet been in touch with Udaras na Gaeltachta, but is likely to make contact with a view to future expansion.

He’s hopeful that the numbers employed in Ardara can exceed 100 again in the not too distant future………..

Labour’s Education Spokesperson Ruari Quinn has moved to assure voters that the party will not  downgrade Letterkenny General Hospital.

Deputy Quinn was in Donegal today when a row broke out between his party’s Donegal North East candidate Cllr Jimmy Harte and Fianna Fail Cllr Charlie Mc Conalogue over Labour pledges to enhance services in Sligo.

Ruari Quinn is denying that there is a lack of coherence in the Labour message, and individual communities are being tols what they want to hear.

He says Labour is committed to supporting and maintaining services in Letterkenny, and is also to cmmitted to the developoment of a radiotherapy service in Altnagelvin…………

Up to seventy jobs may be saved at Gallagher’s Bakery in Ardara after its former owner bought back the Fresh Bread section of the business.

Dublin company IAWS acquired the Gallagher’s Bakery in 2007 from the Gallagher family, IAWS was subsequently bought by a Swiss company which last month  announced it was transferring operations to Dublin.

It was feared that up to 124 jobs could be lost as a result.

However after intense negotiations in recent weeks, Declan Gallagher has confirmed he has bought the fresh bread section of the company back.

He has expressed his hope that 70 jobs can now be saved as a result

The Gweebarra Conservation group has said a decision to allow the construction of a wind farm in Glenties will destroy Donegal’s cultural traditions.

An Bord Pleanala granted permission for the wind-farm despite 10 parties having expressed opposition or concerns about the development including the Irish Peatlands and Conservation Group.

Pj Malloy had initially applied for permission for the construction of a wind farm 7 kilometres Northeast of Glenties comprising 35 wind turbines, control building, compound, access and all associated site works. Previous directions from the County Council had reduced this to 19 turbines.

Despite objections the planning board has granted conditional planning permission for the project, which reduced the size of the windfarm to 13 turbines.

In a Statement the Gweebara Conservation Group says the decision signals the death of the Gaelic cultural traditions in this area.
They say people will be forced to move away to avoid the health dangers of living within 2-4km of the turbines.

The group claims Donegal County Council and An Bord Pleanala are going against best international practice by allowing industrial turbines and high voltage power lines to be located within 500m of people’s homes.

They add that the tourism industry will be destroyed as no-one will come to a county festooned with turbines on every hill.

The Prime Minister of New Zealand says the death toll from an earthquake in the city of Christchurch may rise.

65 people have so far been confirmed dead, but up to 200 are still trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings.

Because the quake struck at lunchtime, the streets and shops were crowded. Mary Dunne – who is originally from Letterkenny – is living in Christchurch.

Her home has been destroyed by the earthquake.

She was explaining what happened when her area was hit by another aftershock:

Patrick McGowen, from Ballybofey,has been recounted how he was involved in the rescue operation. He outlined his efforts to save the life of a man injured in the earthquake: