Derek Mulligan says the response from the school, where the caretaker who had abused him worked, makes him “sick to his stomach”.

Coláiste Cholmcille in Gweedore, where convicted paedophile Michael Ferry had worked, released a statement yesterday.

The school expressed their deepest sympathy to Derek Mulligan but disputed as “factually incorrect” many details of the case.

Derek says he doesn’t accept this apology – and neither do any of Ferry’s other victims:

It is understood the he HSE will confirm later that a multi-agency response, including support and counselling services for victims, will be announced in response to the conviction of Michael Ferry.

It follows representation made to the executive by Deputy Pearse Doherty, he says there may be more victims in the area and it is important that there are services in place to support all of those who have been affected by the actions of Michael Ferry both directly and indirectly.

Meanwhile Ireland’s leading youth organisation is investigating whether serial paedophile Michael Ferry worked as a youth leader at one of its clubs.

Foroige is understood to be examining files to see if the 55-year-old convicted sex abuser was a volunteer in the 1980s when the club was based in Derrybeg.

It is believed the Foroige youth club in Derrybeg collapsed in the late 1980s and subsequent attempts to set it up again foundered. The organisation could not say exactly when or why the club was shut down.

A Garda has revealed the terrifying moments before a car smashed into his patrol car and killed his colleague.

Garda Bernard McLaughlin revealed how a car being driven by Martin McDermott “came like a rocket” before it hit them head-on in Burt in December 2009.

24-year-old Garda Gary McLoughlin, died in hospital the following day as a result of his injuries.

Garda Bernard McLaughlin told Letterkenny Circuit Court how he and Garda McLoughlin had been alerted to a pursuit between an unmarked patrol car and a Vauxhall Astra car on the main Letterkenny to Derry road around 1.15am on December 13th.

Garda McLoughlin revealed he and his colleague were trained in operating the Garda ‘stinger’ but were told it was too dangerous to deploy it.

Instead they were told to simply get the registration number of the red Vauxhall car.

As they drove towards Letterkenny at Lisfannon near Burt, Garda McLaughlin said he noticed a car coming towards them ‘like a rocket.”

Garda McLaughlin said he remained conscious at all times during the crash.

He says he looked over at his collegue and he appeared to be slumped over and seemed lifeless. He called out his name, but there was no repsonse.

The crash happened when the car being driven by McDermott had been pursued by Garda detectives in an unmarked car for more than 30 kms reaching speeds of up to 170kph after it was seen coming out of The Grove Petrol station in Bridgend.

He travelled to Newtowncunningham and then back towards Derry before it crashed with Garda McLoughlin’s patrol car at Lisfannon.

The trial before a jury of 8 women and four men is expected to finish before Judge John O’Hagan today

A father who sexually abused his daughter has thanked her for being brave enough to come forward and to expose him.

The Donegal man admitted abusing his daughter on a number of occasions after he would get drunk in 2006 and 2007.

On one occasion he gave his wife money so she could go out with her friends and then he proceeded to abuse the girl.

The man, who cannot be named to protect his daughter’s identity, claimed his family had a very open view to sex and revealed they watched pornography together in the family home.

Letterkenny Circuit Court heard the horrific abuse only came to light when the young girl broke a curfew and failed to return home from a friend’s house.

When her mother got angry with her, she broke down and revealed all about the abuse.

The woman confronted her husband and he admitted it was true and that he had “tried it on” with his daughter.

The couple have since separated and the man is living in Sligo where he has attended 90 therapy sessions with the National Office for the Prevention of Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence – COSC.

He said he still cannot explain why he did such awful things to his daughter.

“I would like to thank XXXXX for having the strength to contact the Gardai. I can never fix the damage I have done to her,” he said.

In a statement, the girl said she suffers form panic attacks, has to take sleeping pills and is also being treated for depression.

She added that she never wants to see her father again.

Judge John O’Hagan said he had heard many cases of sexual abuse but the fact that this was a father and daughter made it very disturbing.

“The affects are forever. Isn’t it awful that a daughter never wants to see a father again. The sense of breach of trust is just awful to contemplate,” he said.

He sentenced the man to five years in prison and ordered him to be placed on the sex offenders register for the rest of his life.

Donegal County Councillor Jack Murray has welcomed a High Court Action which is hoped could save the future of students in the county.

Three students have issued a High Court challenge to the Governments decision to change the Maintenence Grant Scheme.

The legal action is attempting to quash the decision to change the qualifying criteria for the non-adjacent grant which means students that live within 45km from where they study will have grants cut by 65%

Cllr Murray says this will force many students to give up their education:

A 32 year old Lithuanian man who left his country to start a new life in Ireland after serving seven years in jail for manslaughter has been jailed for six years after Gardai found a cannabis factory at his home in Donegal.

Andrius Gruodis pleaded guilty under the Misuse of Drugs Act after Gardai were alerted to suspicious activity at his rented home in Ballybofey.

Detective Garda Niall Boyle told Letterkenny Circuit Court that Gardai visited 2 Beechwood Avenue in Ballybofey after a report about the house.

They found a number of empty pots and small balls of insulation at the back of the house, and became
aware that the ESB meter on the house had been by-passed.

Gardai got a warrant to search the house and as they were about to enter it, Gruodis admitted he has ecstasy tablets and cannabis at the house.

When they entered the house, Gardai found a sophisticated network of equipment used to grow cannabis.

The accused sister Androne, who lives in Trim in Co Meath, said she believed her brother was growing the drugs because he owed money to other men.

Judge John O’Hagan sentenced Gruodis to six years in prison on two separate charges of possession and intent to sell or supply of cannabis under the Misuse of Drugs Act with both sentences to run concurrently.

He also congratulated the Garda Drugs Squad who he said faced a major task with limited resources and who worked long and often very fruitless hours.

The Irish Language Colleges’ Representitive Body CONCOS has asked Colaiste Colmcille in Donegal to step aside from the group until all investigations into alleged sexual abuse are completed.

55 year old Michael Ferry from Carrick Boyle in Gweedore – was sentenced to 14 years in prison this week – for abusing four boys at the college over 15 years, with the court told he was employed there as a caretaker even after a previous abuse conviction in 2002.

However, the directors of the college dispute that, saying he carried out repairs but was never unaccompanied.

Fianna Fáil Justice Spokesperson has called for an urgent external investigation into child sexual abuse allegations in Gweedore.

Deputy Dara Calleary says every facet of this story must be thoroughly investigated as a matter of urgency.

He is calling on the Minister for Justice and the Garda Commissioner to appoint a Garda team from outside Co Donegal to carry out a full and swift investigation into all allegations of child abuse and sexual assault in the Gweedore area.

He also wants a full inquiry into how the then North Western Health Board handled Garda concerns relating to Michael Ferry in order to determine if appropriate action was taken.

The President of the Medical Council says it’s a matter of concern that the competence of doctors coming from the EU to work in Ireland is not assessed.

Under EU freedom of movement legislation, the Medical Council here is NOT allowed to assess the competence of doctors coming from within the EU.

It comes after a Fitness to Practise enquiry was told yesterday that a doctor from Romania could not take a patient’s pulse at Letterkenny General Hospital last year.

The doctor is no longer working at the hospital, and the Fitness to Practise committee is to send a report to the Medical council.

It’s President Professor Keiran Murphy says he cannot comment on the case – but he did express concerns over current legislation………..

A man has been stabbed in the face during a suspected sectarian attack in Derry.

He was walking in the Chapel Road area of the city around 2 o’clock this morning – when two men jumped out of a car and attacked him.

The 26-year-old victim was stabbed in the face and ribs.

He was taken to hospital for treatment – but his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

A PSNI spokeswoman said they’re treating the incident as sectarian – and have appealed for anybody with information to contact them.

Derry City Councillor, Lynn Fleming, said it seems that those repsonsible for the attack, were driving around a Nationalist area looking for someone to attack…