A 29-year-old man has admitted causing a fatal crash in County Monaghan last December in which three people died, including a Donegal born teacher.

Kevin Mc Ardle of Carrickmacross pleaded guilty to a charge of dangerous driving causing death, and was remanded in custody for sentencing.

39 year old teacher Róisín Connolly, nee Langan, was on her way back to her Dublin home with her husband when the crash occurred on the Carrickmacross bypass . They had been visiting Roisin’s family home in Fanad.

She was critically injured in the crash, and died a number of hours later at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda,Co Louth.

She was five months pregnant and efforts to save her baby, Catherine, were unsuccessful. They were both buried together in Fanad on New Year’s Eve.

The other two who died were friends Glen Curtis and Paul Carroll, both 27 and from County Meath.

In court today, Kevin McArdle of Longfield, Carrickmacross in Co Monaghan, pleaded guilty to a charge of dangerous driving causing death, with further charges of drunk driving and driving without insurance adjourned.

He will be sentenced in October.

Derry City bounced back to winning ways on Monday night by thumping Galway United 6-0 at the Brandywell in the League of Ireland Premier Division. Following last Thursday’s defeat to Dundalk Stephen Kenny’s side made sure of the full points with a convincing performance in front of the Derry home support.  The star of the show was inform striker Eamon Zayed who scored four goals for the Candystrip’s. Patrick Mc Eleney and James Mc Clean had Derry two in front on 24 minutes before the Zayed goal machine took over. With leaders Shamrock Rovers and second place Sligo Rovers also winning Derry remain three points of top spot

Finn Harps suffered defeat once again on Monday night in the League Of Ireland First Division going down to Monaghan United by a goal to nil. The games only goal was scored just before half time by Sean Brennan from a free kick. The victory moves Monaghan into joint second with Cork City, two points behind leaders Shelbourne. The defeat was Harps ninth of the season and their sixth which ended in a one nil loss. The Donegal side  remain joint bottom of the First Division ahead of  Wexford and Salthill on goal difference.

The full extent of the damage caused by gorse fires which raged across the county last month has been revealed.

Donegal County Council has told of the huge cost, financially, through lost property and destroyed forestry, that was incurred.

Between the 30th of April and May 5th of this year the fire service received at total of 425 call-outs with a minimum of 169 fire related incidents responded too.

Tackling the fires cost the council an estimated 400,000 euro, it is to look for assistance from Central Government in meeting those costs.

One residential property was destroyed in the fires while Coilte losses are estimated at 550 Hectares.

No figure is available on how much private forestry was lost, but the areas of Dungloe, Portnoo and Glenties were worst effected.

It’s thought at least 7,700 hectares of bog, upland and mountain grazing ground was destroyed or damaged.

A number of areas have been identified that could be improved in responding to future fires. These include improving liaison protocols with the Army – during the fires political intervention was required before the army was tasked to the scene.

Bringing in help from other counties will also be discussed as will exploring ways how volunteers might provide assistance in a systematic and safe manner.

The Environment Minister says water metering is not about taxation but about environmental conservation.

Minister Phil Hogan says consultants have been appointed to see how the scheme will operate in Ireland and will report back in October. A conference on water metering is taking place in Dublin today.

The roll-out of water meters will begin across the country next year but not everyone agrees with the move.

Deputy Thomas Pringle says there’s no need to appoint consultants, as recent experience in Donegal clearly shows the prime effect of water metering is to make money for the metering contractors.

He rejects Minister Hogan’s claim that this is about conservation…………….

Gardai are now treating an incident at a house in Loughanure, west Donegal as most likely a burglary.

Initial reports suggested the house was discovered broken in to with a large quantity of blood present inside.

However a garda source suggests that only a small amount of blood was discovered and it is most likely belongs to who ever broke in to the house.

The house on the Annagry road is understood to be owned by a man from Northern Ireland.

The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service has again called for more action to be taken against those who assault paramedics, in the wake of such an attack in Derry.

Police had to be called by a crew in the Northland Street area of Derry on Sunday night, after a patient they were taking to Altnagelvin Hospital became violent.

The man threw a number of punches at the paramedics trying to treat him, a 44-year-old was arrested on suspicion of assault.

Ambulance Service personnel were subjected to 76 physical assaults and 159 verbal assaults between April 2010 and March 2011 in Northern Ireland.

John McPolland, spokesperson for The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service said tougher sentences need to be handed out to anyone who attacks a member of the ambulance service:

Donegal North East Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn has called on the Minister for Health, James Reilly, to intervene in the debacle over the extension to Letterkenny General Hospital.

He said todays news of outpatient clinics being cancelled and patients on trolleys as totally unacceptable.

He also called on the HSE to wrap up the legal wrangling over the completion of the Hospital extension and ensure that those sub-contractors owed money due to the collapse of McNamara builders are fully compensated.

On Friday, Letterkenny General Hospital Manager, Shaun Murphy, said it could be next year before the extension finally opens. It had been hoped that it would open in February this year.

Deputy McLaughlin told Highland Radio News this morning, that legal wranglings shouldn’t be allowed to stop the new extension at Letterkenny General from opening:

There is speculation that President Mary Mc Aleese may attend this year’s July 12th celebrations in Rossnowlagh.

An unnamed member of the Orange Order is quoted in today’s Donegal People’s Press as saying President Mc Aleese would be attending the Rossnowlagh event, which this year takes place on Saturday July 9th.

He says reaction to the impending visit among members of the Orange Order has been extremely positive.

The Rossnowlagh parade is the biggest 12th of July event outside Northern Ireland, and traditionally, has been a good natured family event with minimal security and no history of trouble.

The search for a County Donegal man who has been missing since escaping from PSNI custody continues today.

22-year-old David Colhoun from Lifford was arrested in Strabane on 22 May for minor offences.

A search involving police on both sides of the border and Foyle Search and Rescue has concentrated on the River Mourne near Lifford Bridge.

David Colhoun’s family have said they believe he has drowned in the river.

Mr Colhoun is described as being 5ft 10in tall, of slim build with fair spiky hair and when last seen he was wearing a navy hooded top with yellow lettering on the front and dark tracksuit bottoms.

The PSNI have refused to give any details on how David Colhoun escaped from custody.

The Police Ombudsman is monitoring the case and has been in contact with the Colhoun family.