The government has cleared Finn Harps to draw down €125,000 in order to begin work on their proposed new stadium.
The draw down was cleared by Junior Minister Michael Ring this afternoon.
According to Junior MInister Dinny Mc Ginley, this two year project will inevitably create many employment opportunities in the Finn Valley area which are crucial to the area and to the entire county in the current economic climate
A former Fianna Fail candidate will be Labour’s countyv council replacement for Senator Jimmy Harte.
We understand Michael Mc Bride from Kilnacrennan, a former close ally of the Blaney organisation, was approached within the past week, and has agreed to take the position.
Mr M Bride, who got over 1,400 first preferences in the last local election will be coopted onto the council on Monday.
The search will resume this morning for missing 22-year-old David Colhoun from Lifford.
Mr.Colhoun escaped from PSNI custody in the early hours of Sunday morning.
He was last seen in the Bridge Street area of Strabane at 420am.
The search is now in it’s sixth day.
The PSNI have said that the search for missing 22-year-old David Colhoun from Lifford will be escalated today.
The search will get underway again at 9 o clock this morning.
Strabane District Commander, Andy Lemon said todays search will be weather permitting.
Meanwhile the PSNI have said that todays search will be more co-ordinated.
Community Representative from Strabane, Theresa Stewart, will be co-ordinating the search.
Meanwhile a large turnout of family and friends attended a riverside vigil last night
With the top three all suffering defeat on Thursday night the Premier Division now has seven sides separated by three points. Derry City who lost to Dundalk 1-0 at Oriel Park stay third on 25pts but have been joined on that total by St.Pats, Dundalk, Bohemians and Bray. Colin Hawkins was the home hero for Dundalk as his headed goal late in the first half proved to be the difference. Derry however will be disappointed they didn’t come away with something from the game. Gareth McGlynn missed a 15th-minute penalty, Ruaidhri Higgins hit the bar and Eamon Zayed missed a few chances to score. As the situation in the table tightens, Sligo are still a point ahead of Derry in second with Shamrock Rovers three points clear of the Candystrips leading the standings.
The Director of Letterkenny Institute of Technology says it’s vital that people maintain a sense of optimism in the current economic climate.
Paul Hannigan was speaking ahead of a job creation seminar in Letterkenny today, the second in a series of events promised by Mayor Cora Harvey when she took office last year.
Mr Hannigan says the college is developing ever closer ties with local business through the Co-Lab centre and other intiatives, and LYIT is striving to ensure that when development opportunities occur, Donegal has a highly trained and skilled workforce in place..
A popular tourist hotel in Dunfanaghy has been ordered to shut its bar.
The Carrig Rua Hotel was ordered to stop selling alcoholic drink at 5 o’clock last evening, with Donegal District Court told the hotel is fully booked for the coming days, as this is a Bank Holiday weekend in Northern Ireland.
Donegal Circuit Court heard the hotel hadn’t been licensed to sell drink for three years and there were eight prosecutions pending in the District Court.
None of those are against Caretaker Manager Anne Sweeney, an Independent candidate in the recent General Election.
The action to shut the bar down was brought by the State. The court was told that none of summonses for breaches were against caretaker manager Ann Sweeney, although she admitted she was serving alcohol since last July.
Judge Miriam Reynolds told Ms Sweeney, who runs her independent New Island political party from the hotel, that she was allowing guests to stay because they would have already travelled a long way to Donegal.
But the judge laid down directions that gardai must be allowed enter to check there is no drink being served although there is a seafood festival this weekend.
She gave Ms Sweeney until next Thursday to arrange alternative accommodation for guests staying beyond that date.
The court heard that in complicated separate legal proceedings there was a dispute between Stopside Ltd and Irish Nationwide Building society over who owns the title to the hotel.
Until that was resolved it could not have a licence.
Ms Sweeney accepted she was trading without a licence, but she understood that was possible while the other issues were resolved.
Judge Reynolds ordered that no alcohol be served, but she ordered that guests be permitted to stay in the hotel, and eat in a dining-room separate from the bar.
She said she didn’t want to send out a message to visitors to Donegal that “they have no place to stay.”
A newly refurbished National School in Commeen will be officially opened this afternoon.
The 1 and quarter million project went to tender in 2008.
Funds were helped raised locally for ancillary facilities.
As part of the development there is new classrooms, a GP’s sports hall and a suite of 35 computers.
MEP Pat the Cope Gallagher will open the school today:
Finn Harps won their first match of the 2011 First Division campaign on Thursday night in Ballybofey. At the 12th attempt this year the Donegal side beat Athlone Town 1-0 at Finn Park. The games only goal was scored by Kevin Mc Hugh on 20 minutes. Athlone right back Niall Scullion and goalkeeper Micahel Schlingermann got their lines of communication mixed upped from a Paddy McLaughlin’s cross. Scullion headed the ball to where he thought Schlingermann would be but the keeper came to meet the ball, Harps striker McHugh couldn’t believe his luck to score in an open net. Its Harps first win of the year as the side move onto 6pts. Harps are 9th in the table moving off the bottom on goal difference.
Finn Harps Manager Peter Hutton
The PSNI say they are escalating the search for missing Lifford man David Colhoun, with the Foyle Search and Rescue Team and Irish Search and Rescue helicopter being asked to assist.
The 22 year old escaped from PSNI custody in Strabane in the early hours of Sunday morning and hasn’t been seen since. His father Joseph says he’s lost all hope of finding his son alive, and is convinced his son’s body is in the river.
PSNI Chief Inspector Andy Lemon said the search will be extended.
Meanwhile, the PSNI are denying claims that they haven’t been helping in the search for David Colhoun.
Chief Inspector Lemon says they have been in constant contact with the Colhoun family, and have been taking David Colhoun’s disappearance very seriously:
Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Simon Coveney says he wants to speed up the process by which aquaculture licences can be applied for in Donegal and elsewhere.
Two weeks ago, Donegal North East TD Joe Mc Hugh told Highland Radio News that opportunities to create jobs in Donegal are being lost because of red tape.
When he raised it in the Dail last evening, Minister Coveney told him that the proposed timetable for assessing SAC’s for aquaculture is too restrictive and must be changed…..
