Brigadier General Gerry Hegarty is in Donegal today visiting the country’s most northerly Irish Reserve Defence Force base – in Carndonagh.
The R. D. F’s main function is to serve as back up to the defence forces and would have been called in to action during the recent cold spell
The Brigadier is visited Carndonagh to brief soldiers on a number of issues – he says it was important to hear what they had to say too:
Cockhill Celtic were the big winners on Monday night in the first round of the EA Sports Cup. The Ulster Senior League side beat League of Ireland Premier Division outfit Galway United 3-1 at Terryland Park in Galway. Joseph Yoffe put the home side in front on 38 minutes. Cockhill were level just 60 seconds later with a William O’Connor finish. Not content with an equaliser the Inishowen lads pushed forward and went in at half time 2-1 in front thanks to a header from Paul Mc Kinney. Cockhill started the second half as they finished the first looking dangerous on the break. A second McKinney header five minutes into the half wrapped up the game and a brilliant 3-1 win.
Derry City also progressed into round 2 with a 4-2 win away to Salthill Devon. Derry twice came from behind to force extra time. James Mc Clean and Emmett Friars scored the goals for the Candystrips in the 90 minutes. In extra time Derry pulled away with goals from Ryan Mc Bride and Gareth Mc Gylnn.
Finn Harps are still looking for their first win of the season. The Donegal club fell to an opening round defeat at the hands of fellow first division side Mervue United. This game also needed extra time with Mervue scoring the games only goal from the penalty spot in the 97th minute.
Dissident republican grouping Óglaigh na hÉireann have claimed responsibility for an attempted bomb attack in Derry.
110lb of home-made explosives were planted in a beer keg and left in a car opposite Bishop Street Courthouse in Derry on Sunday evening.
Óglaigh na hÉireann have told journalist Brian Rowan that the attack was an attempt to kill police officers.
Police in Derry said the courthouse device could have “killed or seriously” injured passers-by had it detonated, as well as causing considerable damage to nearby property.
It was made safe after a number of controlled explosions were carried out on Sunday evening.
The incident caused major disruption, with a number of residents evacuated from the area, including elderly people living in sheltered housing at Alexander House, very close to the courthouse.
Justice Minister David Ford condemned the attacks, saying he is “thankful” no-one was hurt.
The Department of the Transport is in touch with the EU Commission about the immediate future of the Donegal to Dublin air service, after it emerged there will be a delay in the introduction of a new Public Service Obligation.
Management at Donegal Airport are due to meet with Department of Transport officials on Monday next.
Donegal South West Deputy Pearse Doherty has already been speaking to department officials, he says efforts to find an interim solution are underway……
Joe Coll
Gortahork’s star goal keeper Joe Coll was part of the Republic of Ireland team which were within five minutes of claiming a place in the U17 Uefa Championships, only for a late Denmark goal to destroy the dream. Ireland did what they needed by beating Latvia 4-1 on Monday. Those three points would have been sufficient had the other game between the Danes and Greece finish in a draw. By the time Ireland’s game had ended, there were four minutes left in the other fixture. A minute into added time Denmark grabbed the winner to go through. Manchester United keeper Coll put in some superb performances throughout the qualifiers but the Irish will be gutted having come so close.
Ciaran Clarke
Ciaran Clark and James Mc Carthy have been included in the Ireland team to face Uruguay in Tuesday night’s friendly in Dublin. Aston Villa defender Clarke was born in England but his father was raised in Milford while his mother hails from Co. Leitrim. James McCarthy who came on late as a sub in last weekend’s win over Macedonia qualifies as his grandfather comes from Gweedore. Lifford’s Shay Given and Kilybegs Seamus Coleman are not involved due to injuries. McCarthy will start as a deep lying striker while Clarke earns his second cap at left back.
Ciaran Clark is looking to put in a good showing on Tuesday.
The Happy Matchmaker dating agency has been acquitted of introducing a woman client to men she said groped, assaulted and battered her.
Annmarie McBrearty, 35, of Oldtown, Letterkenny, told Donegal District Court how she was introduced to four men without finding romance.
Judge Kevin Kilrane dismissed Ms McBrearty’s claim for €6,348.99 for negligence, breach of duty and fraudulent misrepresentation.
Annmarie McBrearty said she paid €600 for 12 introductions but it became clear after four introductions that the “prospective suitors” had not been vetted or screened in any way.
As a result she was “groped, assaulted and battered without lawful excuse.”
She claimed one man wanted to move in with her for the weekend on only their second date. Another, the fourth, kissed her on the mouth and put his tongue down her throat to her disgust.
Happy Matchmaker owner Mary Mitchell, of Ballintra, denied negligence and explained to the court her vetting procedures.
The judge made no order on costs, saying he found both sides in the dispute “absolutely honest”.
Judge Kilrane said man number one was shy and nothing happened when they met to explore the possibilities of extending the relationship.
Man number two was “more unmannerly” and he saw no prospect of a relationship when he said he would see what else the agency had to offer.
No. three was “desperate for a partner” and wanted action straightaway. The plaintiff considered that inappropriate. It didn’t work out.
No. four may have been offered a peck on the cheek. There was a misunderstanding when he kissed her on the mouth but there was no suggestion the man was anything but over-enthusiastic.
The judge said none of the evidence related to sexual predators and none of the men in the case fitted into that category.
Figures released from Donegal County Council show that of the total amount of commercial rates due to the council last year, almost a third went unpaid.
Just over 16 million euro was collected by the council in 2010, however arrears carried forward to this year total close on 9 million euro.
The figures show that 6 million euro in arrears was carried over from 2009, rate demands issued for last year total just over 22 million euro.
Of the total, 2.5 million euro has been written off as unrecoverable, in most cases this was because properties, all though obliged to be charges rates, were either vacant or unoccupied.
8.9 million euro in commercial rates due in 2010 were carried over to this year.
Head of Finance with the council, Garry Martin said that the council understand the financial constraints on business and the impact that has on their ability to pay in a timely fashion.
He says the council is working proactively and positively with businesses stating many customers have entered in to payment plans in order to manage their liabilities over an extended period.
A Letterkenny student had her drink spiked with Ketamine at the weekend, according to a report in today’s Donegal People’s Press.
The 20 year says she was told by an Emergency Department doctor that based on the description of her symptoms, her drink had almost certainly been spiked with the drug, which is used as a horse tranquiliser.
According to the paper, the 20 year old student went to the Emergency Department at Letterkenny General Hospital on Sunday last after suffering severe symptoms on Saturday night. She said she had four vodkas at home before going out, but did not drink alcohol while in the club, limiting herself to Red Bull.
However, while at the club, she collapsed in the toilets. She told the paper that while her mind was clear, her body felt as if it were paralysed. She said her friends thought she was very drunk. They called a taxi driver she knew, and he brought her home.
She says she was told by a doctor at the hospital that her blood tests were clear, as the drug would have cleared her system, but he told her that her drink had almost certainly been spiked with ketamine. He said he had seen a similar case about a month ago.
Donegal Deputy Padraig MacLochlainn says his is standing by his claims that a company working on Census 2011 has links to interrogators working at Abu Ghraib.
After a Europe-wide tender process – the CSO hired CACI-UK to work on specialised parts of the census.
According to Deputy MacLouchlainn, in 2004 three employees of CACI-International – who worked as interrogators at Abu Ghraib prison were named in a US military report into prisoner abuse in Iraq.
According to CACI UK – the allegation referred to was never substantiated – and subsequent investigations by both CACI International and the US government could not confirm it.
However, Deputy MacLouchlainn, Sinn Fein’s Foreign Affairs spokesperson in the Dail, stands by his claim and says the company’s services should not be employed:
