Hundreds of acres of uplands in Co Donegal have been fenced by farmers in compliance with area aid requirements imposed by the Department of Agriculture.

That is according to campaign group Friends of the Irish Environment, which claims the fences block walking trails, and impede access to beaches, hills, lakes and rivers.

The group has written to Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney expressing “urgent and specific concern” at the fencing requirements.

According to the group, department officials have been advising farmers that under the Single Area Payments Scheme and the Rural Environmental Protection schemes 3 and 4, they must erect permanent fencing of their lands to qualify.

The group told Mr Coveney the fencing included lands habitually open to the public for “recreational purposes or as a means of access to seashore, mountain, lake shore, riverbank or other place of natural beauty or recreational utility”.

The group told The Irish Times such fencing also required planning permission. The group said a verbal check with Donegal County Council had revealed “no such planning applications have been received in the last five years”, despite the fact that hundreds of acres there had been fenced off.

Lecturers at the Magee campus of the University of Ulster and Queens University in Belfast are taking strike action today in protest against revised pension arrangements.

The dispute centres on attempts to increase pension contributions for staff, raise the retirement age and end the final salary element of the scheme.

Further protests are planned for Thursday at universities in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

A special service commemorating all Irish people who died to defend freedom in the First World War and elsewhere will take place in St Eunan’s Cathedral in Letterkenny tomorrow.

The celebrants will be Catholic Bishop Dr Philip Boyce, Church of Ireland Bishop Dr Ken Good, Presbyterian Moderator Dr Brian Brown and Methodist Moderator Rev Ian Henderson. The government will be represented by Junior Minister Dinny Mc Ginley.

The service, which gets underway this (Sun) afternoon at 3pm  is being coordinated by the Journey of Remembering Partnership.

Its Project Director is former Donegal NE TD Paddy Harte…..

A cross border investigation is continuing this morning following an incident in Strabane on St Patrick’s Night in which four men  were stabbed.

Three men remain in a serious, but non-life threatening condition in Altnagelvin Hospital following the incident outside Joes Bar in Abercorn Square.

It’s believed their attackers fled across the border into Donegal.

The men who are still in hospital are the bar owner, and two brothers in their twenties.

The 26-year-old had to recieved 200 stitches after being slashed from his shoulder down to his waist, while his 28-year-old man recieved wounds and inch deep.

The owner of the bar recieved a deep stab wound to his hand.

It’s understood the incident happened, after a group of up to twenty people were turned away from the bar, as it was already too packed.

The group then tried to force their way into the bar, and that’s when the fracas broke out.

Police on both sides of the border are trying to track down the group of men, who are believed to have crossed the border into Donegal shortly after the incident.

Police in Derry are appealing for information following an assault in the Foyle Road area last night.

At around 8pm, a 15 year old man was sitting close to a car wash when he was assaulted by a number of people.

He was kicked to the head and body a number of times before he ran off in the direction of Southway.

He sustained injuries to his face and bruising to his back and shoulders.

Police are appealing to anyone who witnessed this assault to come forward.

Donegal are the Vocational Schools Champions after overcoming Cork in a St Patrick’s Day Final Replay.

A 2nd half penalty from Patrick McBrearty helped the Tir Chonaill men to a 1-11 to 0-11 victory.

It is the 6th time Donegal have won the title.

Chris McNulty was at the game and filed this report:

Meanwhile Donegal are through to the semi finals of the Ulster U21Football Championship.

The team over came Antrim to set up a last four clash with Cavan who earned their place with victory over Fermanagh.

In the other side of the draw,  Down and Tyrone will replay next Wednesday for the right to play Monaghan who beat Derry to earn their semi final slot.

Destination Donegal is an occasional series of documentaries taking in the sounds of different parts of Donegal.

On Arranmore Island, Thomas Costello takes us on a journey through his community. From the German couple who’ve made the Island their retirement home to the manager of the legendary Crystal Swing.

There’s stories of going away and coming back, comedy and tragedy. The programme also includes  plenty of great tunes along the way from Fiddle to Malojean, Bagpipes to Guitar.

Episode 1 of Destination Donegal was first broadcast on St Patrick’s Day, 17 March on Highland Radio.

You can now listen back by clicking the links below:

Part One:  

Part Two: 

Part Three: 

The Federation of Irish Fishermen is calling for its members to be invited to give their opinions on enhanced environmental strategies rather than being hit with a populist blanket ban on discards.

Chairperson Sean O’Donoghue, also head of the Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation, was reacting to EU Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki’s recent blanket ban on discards.

This means, in simple terms, that fishermen who inadvertently catch species outside of their quota must land all the fish, with the unwanted fish cancelling out the allowable catch.

Sean O’Donoghue says this does not make sense and says the situation must be reviewed:

The Department of Education will receive final representations today from interest groups concerned about the future of small primary schools.

It has begun a review of all schools with fewer than 50 pupils to examine whether they represent value for money.

Today is the deadline for submissions.

The McCarthy report recommended amalgamating all of these schools with others to save an estimated €18m however the Irish National Teachers Organisations disputes this.

INTO Vice-president Jim Higgins says the move would hit rural areas hardist: