James Gallagher

Finn Harps begin the search for a new manager today following James Gallagher’s sacking on Friday night. The Donegal outfit remain in the bottom two of the league of Ireland First Division following last night’s 2-1 defeat at Finn Park to Longford Town. It’s been reported Gallagher was told he was no longer in charge after Friday’s loss. Harps have gone seven games without a win since the season started.

The Board of Finn Harps this morning confirmed that the club had parted company with Manager James Gallagher and Assistant Manager Anthony Gorman with immediate effect. The Chairman and Board of Directors also expressed their gratitude to both James and Anthony for their efforts and commitment during their times with the club. The Board will begin a recruitment process immediately to identify suitable candidates and appoint a new Manager.

Finn Harps Chairman Joey O Leary spoke with Oisin Kelly.
 

Finn Harps 1 Longford Town 2
Harps stay second from bottom in the Airticity First Division following the Good Friday defeat by Longford Town in Ballybofey. A much improved second half performance from the home side wasn’t enough to deny Longford the win. The visitors led 2-0 at the break thanks to goals from Jacques Morley (32) and Austin Skelly (42). Harps got themselves back into the contest when Marc Brolly powered home a header from Conor O’Grady’s corner on 47. However, despite their best efforts, the home side couldn’t find an equaliser and they remain second from bottom – still without a win this season.

Highland’s Finn Harps Correspondent Diarmaid Doherty spoke with the then Harps manager James Gallagher after the game.
 

Michael Murphy fit to play on Sunday

Donegal’s injury concerns, which included a question mark over captain Michael Murphy’s availability, have cleared up ahead of Sunday’s Football League Division 2 final against Laois. Murphy has been named at full forward in a side that is near to full strength, with manager Jim McGuinness also able to call on a quartet of defenders, all of whom had been considered major doubts for the Croke Park decider through injury. Paddy McGrath, Neil McGee, Karl Lacey and wing back Kevin Cassidy have all overcome knocks to line out at the back, while Murphy gets the nod to spearhead the attack, despite fears that he would miss the game with a dead leg he picked up in a Club game last weekend.

Donegal team to face Laois – Paul Durkan; Paddy McGrath, Neil McGee, Karl Lacey; Anthony Thompson, Frank McGlynn, Kevin Cassidy; Rory Kavanagh, Martin McElhinney; Michael Hegarty, Mark McHugh, Dermot Molloy; Ryan Bradley, Michael Murphy, Colm McFadden.

Highland’s Gaa Correspondent Tom Comack spoke to Manager Jim Mc Guinness and Forward Colm Mc Fadden ahead of Sunday’s final

Colm Mc Fadden 

Jim Mc Guinness 

A young woman has been rescued after getting into difficulty while swimming in Co Donegal on Thursday

The alarm was raised by a member of the public at around 4pm after they spotted the swimmer in the sea at Bundoran.

She was being helped by another person and was eventually brought ashore by the RNLI lifeboat.

The RNLI is appealing to people to take care while swimming during the warm weather this weekend.

Donegal Sheep farmers are being urged to keep a look out for suspicious activity on their lands after reports of sheep and lambs being stolen.

In excess of one thousand euro worth of animals have been taken from a farm in Inishowen with the IFA’s Donegal Chairman P.J McMonagle warning further thefts are likely.

He says gardai are very active on the issue, but farmer’s still need to be on the look-out:

The Government has promised to review the commercial vehicle tax rules following public outcry over their strict enforcement.

In a crack down on the legislation, many people who have the vehicle registered as commercial are being stopped by gardai inquiring if they are using it for private purposes.

The issue was raised in Dail last evening by Deputy Padraig MacLoughlain. He says it is inevitable, given the lack of public transport in rural areas, that commercial vehicles will be occasionally used for private purposes.

He demanded action be taken………

Responding, Junior Minister Fergus O’Dowd agreed that common sense must be applied. However, he said it is reasonable that Tax Offices and gardai demand to see documentation proving that the vehicle is being used for commercial purposes.

He told the Dail there is evidence that people have been paying commercial tax rates for what are effectively private vehicles, and that is not acceptable…………

A Buncrana man who had threatened to go on hunger strike outside Letterkenny General Hospital has deferred the action after being contacted by the HSE and promised urgent attention.

Martin Gill from Parkmore claims that he has been seriously ill for three years, but cannot get a diagnosis. He says numerous referral letters have been sent to the hospital by his GP, but they have apparently disappeared. He says his weight has dropped by almost three stone, and he is losing movement on his right hand side.

On one occasion, he says, a doctor at the hospital’s Emergency Department told him he needs physiotherapy, but he can’t get the physiotherapy, because he cannot get a referral from a consultant.

Mr Gill was to have begun a hunger strike at the hospital today, but says he has deferred it after he was contacted last night…………

Two men in their 20s have been arrested in connection with an arson attack in Derry in the early hours of this morning

Two cars were set on fire in the car park of the Clipper Quay complex just before 2 o’clock, with the fire service saying young children were amongst those who had to be evacuated.

Meanwhile, it’s been confirmed that a pipe bomb left in Derry’s Carnhill estate yesterday morning was left close to the home of a man who had been targetted by gunmen on Friday last.

Both incidents have been roundly condemned.

A Buncrana man is threatening to go on hunder strike outside Letterkenny General Hospital today, claiming that he has been seriously ill for three years, but cannot get a diagnosis.

Martin Gill from Parkmore has told the Derry Journal that this is the “last throw of the dice”, claiming he’s being passed around the medical profession like snuff at a wake.

Martin Gill says his weight has dropped by almost three stone, and he is losing movement on his right hand side. However, while he has a file of over 30 referral letters, he cannot get a diagnosis.

Mr Gill, who had a heart attack two years ago, says he is in a Catch 22 style situation where he cannot get the treatment he believes he needs because he is trapped in a beaurocratic nightmare . He says a doctor at the hospital’s Emergency Department told him he needs physiotherapy, but he can’t get the physiotherapy, because he cannot get a referral from a consultant.

Mr Gill, a former barber, told the Derry Journal that he has lost his employment as a result of his condition, and he now has a constant twitch on his right hand side. he says he is suicidal, and he will go on hunger strike outside the hospital until someone tells him what is wrong with him.

A group representing those who have lost loved ones in road traffic collisions is welcoming a new piece of legislation – which was passed in the Dáil last night.

The Road Traffic Bill, which will come into force in two weeks time, makes it compulsory for Gardaí to breathalyse drivers involved in any road collision where someone has been injured.

However, the PARC Road Safety Group have raised concerns with the Minister for Transport that there are some loopholes in this legislation, including a provision that a Garda can decide not to seek a breath test, if the officer feels that the driver may be in shock. There are also problems in cases where the driver is unconscious.

But the Transport Minister Leo Varadkar has given a commitment that he will publish a second road traffic bill by the end of this year which will tighten up this legislation.

PARC Chairperson Susan Gray is welcoming that commitment………….

The issue of the Greencastle Breakwater is being put back on the agenda of Donegal County Council with calls for renewed pressured to applied to Government to complete the project.

Millions of euro has been invested in the Greencastle breakwater however work ground to a halt when funding dried-up.

The concern is that in it’s current unfinished state it creates a hazard to local vesels navigating the harbour, with claims, in its current state, the breakwater could be washed away.

Councillor Jack Murray will raise the issue at the Council’s monthly meeting next week – he wants a council delegation to travel to Dublin and demand the breakwater be completed: