Archive for October 2009

Sligo Rovers success in Setanta Cup

October 3, 2009 Irish News & Sport No comments
Sligo win 3-2

Sligo win 3-2

Cliftonville         2

Sligo Rovers       3

Dean Marshall handed Sligo Rovers a Setanta Cup victory this afternoon at Solitude, after a high scoring game. The North west side now have four points in the Group One table.

Liam Boyce netted early for Cliftonville after nine minutes, but Rob Turner equalised on 24 minutes. He struck again this side of half time, giving the bit o’ red the lead.  

Cliftonville were back on level terms by the 67th minute with a Jason Bannon effort, but victory came Sligo’s way fifteen minutes before the end when Marshall’s volleyed to the net.

Arranmore Island death under investigation

October 3, 2009 Donegal News & Sport No comments
Glenties Gardai investigating Aranmore death

Glenties Gardai investigating Aranmore death

Gardai in Glenties, County Donegal are investigating a serious assault that occured at a licensed premises on Arranmore Island off the Irish coast at 2.30 a.m. this morning 3rd October, 2009.
A 19 year old man was seriously assaulted and removed to Letterkenny General Hospital where he passed away at approximately 10.30 a.m.

A 39 year old man was arrested on Arranmore Island and is currently being detained at Glenties Garda Station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.

The scene has been preserved and the State Pathologists’ Office has been notified.

No Lisbon victory in Donegal remarkable – SF

October 3, 2009 Donegal News & Sport No comments

Senator Pearse Doherty

Senator Pearse Doherty

“Government must focus on the needs of this county’s people”

Welcoming the victory of the No campaign in Donegal, Sinn Féin representatives Senator Pearse Doherty and Cllr Pádraig Mac Lochlainn described the results in the constituencies of Donegal South West and North East as “remarkable” in the context of a 2 to 1 victory for the Yes side across the state. The two representatives thanked the people of Donegal for their “defiant stand” and acknowledged that many who voted yes, did so reluctantly in a climate of fear over the economy.

The two Donegal constituencies were the only of the 43 constituencies across the state to reject the Lisbon Treaty.

Senator Doherty and Cllr Pádraig Mac Lochlainn said:

“While our party are disappointed with the overall endorsement of the Lisbon Treaty across the state, we take great encouragement from the result in the two Donegal constituencies. This campaign was a David and Goliath contest. The entire weight of the political, business and media establishment was pitted against the people.

Sinn Fein Cllr Padraig MacLochlainn

Sinn Fein Cllr Padraig MacLochlainn

The Yes side spent unprecedented amounts of money in creating a climate of fear. They preyed on people’s concerns about their jobs and the future of the economy — problems which this government created”.

“The remarkable rejection of the Lisbon Treaty by the people of Donegal is a clear sign that even with a Donegal based Tánaiste and in an unprecedented climate of fear, they were determined to register their opposition to the direction the political establishment in Ireland and Europe are taking us. The Government needs to lesson to this loud message and focus on the needs of this county’s people”.

“We in Sinn Féin will continue to campaign for a more democratic, a more social and a more peaceful European Union, that works in the interests of all citizens.

“Government initiatives such as Nama and Bord Snip remain unjust and deeply unpopular and this government has no mandate to introduce them. They have lost the confidence of the people and they have to go”

Sligo/North Leitrim Referendum results

October 3, 2009 Leitrim News & Sport, Sligo News & Sport No comments

 

Sligo based MEP Marian Harkin said that she was delighted with the Sligo/North Leitrim vote as well as the national endorsement for Lisbon

Sligo based MEP Marian Harkin said that she was delighted with the Sligo/North Leitrim vote as well as the national endorsement for Lisbon

 

There was no disparity in the vote here in Sligo, when it mirrored the national trend by giving a comprehensive thumbs up to the Lisbon Treaty this time around.

The Yes vote was 64.45% compared to the No vote of 35.55% and it would seem that despite the anger of local people over the Sligo General Hospital row over breast care and cancer treatment, Sligo and North Leitrim people voted on the merits of the treaty rather than the government.

People in leitrim were also feeling aggrieved over the Boundarty Commission decision to chop their county in half, but today the Lisbon vote was carried.

Electorate      57,482

Total Poll      33,173 (57.7%)

Spoiled Votes      134 (.4%)

Total Valid Poll      33,039

Yes      21,295 (64.45%)

No      11,744 (35.55%)

Donegal North East Referendum Results

October 3, 2009 Donegal News & Sport, Irish News & Sport No comments
 

 

Electorate      58,520

Just 849 votes separated the yes and the no side in Donegal north east. But significantly, along with Donegal south west, they are the only two constitiencies in the referendum that rejected the treaty, second time around.

 

Niall Blaney TD said that he was disappointed with the Donegal North East result

Niall Blaney TD said that he was disappointed with the Donegal North East result

Total Poll      29,290

Spoilt Votes      129

Total valid Poll      29,161

Votes cast in favour of the Proposal (YES)      14,156

Votes cast against the Proposal (NO)    15,005

 

Donegal South West Referendum results

October 3, 2009 Donegal News & Sport, Irish News & Sport No comments

 

How Donegal voted yesterday

How Donegal voted yesterday

 

In the Donegal South West constituency, the No vote was carried by a mere 171 votes out of 31,544 cast. Nationally, there was a massive ‘Yes’ vote in favour of the Lisbon Referendum.

Electorate      61,674

Total Poll      31,544

Spoilt Votes      127

Total valid Poll      31,417

Votes cast in favour of the Proposal (YES)      15,623 (49.7%)

Votes cast against the Proposal      15,794 (50.3%)

 

Donegal goes against national trend

October 3, 2009 Donegal News & Sport, Irish News & Sport No comments
Donegal votes against Lisbon a second time

Donegal votes against Lisbon a second time

While the country gave a massive endorsement to the Lisbon Treaty second time around yesterday, it seems that Donegal wanted to send its own message to Europe – we don’t feel we’re part of the family.

There were clear indications from an early stage that Donegal North east was again going to vote no – it had the second highest no vote last time out in the country, but it was much tighter in Donegal south west thsi time around.

Part of the problem was the lack of a full tally at the Finn valley athletic Centre in Stranorlar, where initial tallies had indicated that Donegal south west might vote yes by less than one per cent.

In the end the ‘no’ side swung it with a surplus of just 171 votes. And there were 127 spoilt votes.   

But they did not care – it was a victory for the no side, even if a strong yes campaign had clawed back an extra 7,000 votes from Lisbon Treaty I in June of 2008.

The Audi A6 and the Irish Tanaiste

October 3, 2009 Donegal News & Sport, Irish News & Sport No comments
Tanaiste Mary Coughlan

Tanaiste Mary Coughlan

The Irish Deputy Prime Minister and Tanaiste Mary Coughlan must be waking up this morning in Donegal and wondering will she ever get a break from the FAS scandal – the state’s employment agency.

It now appears that the former Chief of FAS, Mr Rody Molloy, as well as organising a plump severance package for over a million euro, also left with a two year old Audi A6. The row about whether  he did or did not threaten legal action, if he was sacked, appears to have been solved.

He simply did not but went on to gain the maximum severance package, he could negotiate. 

The prolonged anger over this centres on the reasons why he was leaving in the first place – a culture of lavish expenses and trips within elements of FAS.

Under what part of the “deal” he got the Audi A6 – a fine car by the way -  no one seems to know with everyone wanting to wash their hands of it.

And with Donegal having some of the highest unemployments rates in the country, it may takle only the tiniest of hints that something else might be amiss, before there may be more resignations and even a general election.

Quoted this morning in the Irish Independent the Tanaiste said:

“I have no further comment to make except to say that the car was absolutely not part of any severance package agreed that was sanctioned by my Department and the Department of Finance. That is all I am saying on the matter.”

So how and where did Mr Molloy get the car from?

Devenney hangs up Donegal county boots

October 3, 2009 Irish News & Sport No comments
Donegal's Brendan Devenney is hanging up his inter county boots

Donegal's Brendan Devenney is hanging up his inter county boots

Ace Donegal and St. Eunan’s sharpshooter forward Brendan Devenney has indicated that he will retire from county county football with the approach of the 2009/2010 NFL.

He won a National Football league medal with Donegal in 2007, when the green and gold defeated Mayo in the final and he has consistently been on the score sheet over the past decade, but from time to time, his form blow hot and cold.  

 The St Eunan’s clubman will captain the Letterkenny side in this Sunday’s county final against Naomh Conaill of Glenties. He also represented Ireland in the International Rules series.

When the two teams met back in 2005, it was the Glenties team that held sway and the talk around the cathedral Town over recent weeks has been that they owe their south west donegal colleagues one.

Jim McGuinness and his charges may have something to say about that on Sunday afternoon at 3.30pm, but Eunan’s wil bne attempting the win their third senior title on the trot.

Before the game, the Four Masters, Donegal Town  team of 25 years ago, who won the senior champiopionship  title in 1984 – the centenary of the GAA – will be honoured.

Ardara take on Dungloe in the 2009 Donegal Senior Reserve Championship Final.