Latest news with #Donegal-based
Agriland
09-06-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Factory quotes: Move to pull beef price continues this week
This week's factory quotes for beef cattle has seen most processors reduce their beef price offers for the second consecutive week. The move has seen 20c/kg taken off the base price in the past two weeks. One factory agent told Agriland he expects base price for prime cattle to move back towards €7/kg over the coming weeks. The move to reduce prices since the June Bank Holiday weekend has come as a surprise, as overall beef kill numbers are expected to be tight. But UK and Northern Ireland beef prices are also in decline. According to the Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC), the average deadweight prices excluding premiums in Northern Ireland for the week ending May 31 was £6.69/kg for 'U-3' grade steers and £6.68/kg for 'U-3' grade heifers. Cows grading 'O+3' averaged £5.66/kg. Factory quotes: Heifers and steers This week, heifers are being quoted at €7.40/kg on the grid, while bullocks (steers) are being quoted at €7.30/kg on the grid in general. Some heifers and steers booked in since last week are managing to secure last week's prices, which are up to 10c/kg higher, but procurement bosses sound adamant the lower prices will set in across the trade. Breed bonuses of up to 30c/kg for Angus and 20-25c/kg for eligible Hereford cattle remain available. Cow price Cow price has fallen again this week also, with one Co. Donegal-based outlet having also dropped its 10c/kg carcass bonus for cows. Despite this, up to €7.30/kg is being tabled this week for 'U' grade cows, with €7.00-7.10/kg available for 'R' grade cows. 'O' and 'P' grade cows are being quoted at €6.70/kg and €6.60/kg respectively for fleshed cows with good carcass weights. There remains plenty of variation in cow price between outlets, with some factories stronger on price than others for cows of different carcass specifications. Bulls Looking at under-24-month bull price quotes, 'U' grade bulls are being quoted at €7.60-7.70/kg this week, with €7.50-7.60/kg being quoted for 'R' grade bulls. 'O' and 'P' grade bulls are being quoted at €7.40/kg and 7.30/kg respectively. Under-16-month bulls are being quoted at €7.30-€7.40/kg on the grid this week.
The Irish Sun
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
‘Gutted' say revellers as popular Irish summer festival with major artists ‘taking a break'
FANS have been left "gutted" as the popular seaside festival has announced it will not be returning this summer. 5 The festival has grown from a few hundred people to selling out to 5,000 right on the beach front Credit: 5 Festival-goers came from all over to enjoy the waves and music Credit: 5 Crowds enjoyed artists like Bastille, The Coronas and many more Credit: The festival that started in 2008 is "taking a break" this year. In a post on Facebook, organisers said: "Sorry for having been so quiet on here. "But we have some news. Sea Sessions is taking a break in 2025. The crew are working away on exciting plans and hope to be back to you with more information soon. READ MORE ON TRAVEL "Thanks for your support, the good wishes and all the messages." Many lovers of Sea Sessions flooded the comments with their disappointment at the recent news. One fan said: "Gutted, but hopefully bigger and better in 2026." Another echoed: "Lots of festivals taking a break & waiting for a turn around in trends. Most read in Beach "The bottom line is people don't have the same amount of disposable income with the high living costs in this country….. and it's only getting worse by the year. "I've seen the changes in trends in the bar & venue the last 4/5 years… scary…." Waterpark to have Wave Festival this summer Organiser Ray O'Donoghue has formally stepped down from his role with the Donegal-based Sea Sessions Surf and Music Festival. He has told the public that he is taking time to dedicate himself full-time to supporting and developing Dublin's night-time culture. He said: "Sea Sessions has been a huge part of that journey, and I've loved seeing it grow into one of the country's best-loved festivals. "But now, I feel the time is right to focus fully on my role with Dublin City Council. "I'm excited to play a part in reimagining how the city comes alive after dark - with safer, more inclusive, accessible, and vibrant options for everyone." Over the years, the popular surf and music event has hosted many famous artists. With last year's line-up including Cian Ducrot, Johnny Marr, Jazzy, Jake Bugg, Amble, Kingfishr, Jerry Fish and Lea Hart. In 2012, The Coronas, one of Ireland's biggest bands of recent years, saw a packed out Main Stage tent. Even the president was in attendance as he enjoyed the music among the huge crowds. Artists like Bastille, Tinie Tempah and even Dizzee Rascal have all taken to the Donegal stage over the last few years. Fans shouldn't be too worried as the 5 The festival is a blend of good music and surfing Credit: 5 Sea sessions is a famous music and surf festival in Bundoran, Donegal Credit:
RTÉ News
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Sea Sessions pauses as chief Ray O'Donoghue steps down
Ray O'Donoghue has formally stepped down from his role with the Donegal-based Sea Sessions Surf & Music Festival to dedicate himself full-time to supporting and developing Dublin's night-time culture. As he focuses full-time on his role as Dublin City Council's Night-Time Economy Advisor, the festival will take a break in 2025, with ongoing discussions about its potential return in a refreshed format in the future. Mr O'Donoghue, who joined Sea Sessions in 2010, played a central role in the event, which blended music, surf, sport, and beach culture in Bundoran. Reflecting on his decision, he said: "I've been promoting festivals and live events since 1999, from early gigs in Dublin to my first festival, Coastal Beats, on the west coast. "Sea Sessions has been a huge part of that journey, and I've loved seeing it grow into one of the country's best-loved festivals. But now, I feel the time is right to focus fully on my role with Dublin City Council. "Being Night-Time Economy Advisor is a big undertaking, and my experience running events has given me valuable insight. Dublin's night-time culture is evolving, and I'm excited to play a part in reimagining how the city comes alive after dark - with safer, more inclusive, accessible, and vibrant options for everyone." Sea Sessions has earned numerous accolades, including the IMRO Award for Best Festival, and regularly attracted up to 10,000 attendees per day. The festival has hosted acts such as Dermot Kennedy, Tinie Tempah, Primal Scream, Dizzee Rascal, Bastille, The Coronas, and Kodaline. The official statement from the organisers reads: "Sorry for being so quiet… Sea Sessions is taking a break in 2025. We hope to be back with more information soon." Mr O'Donoghue now leads Dublin City Council's efforts to develop a vibrant, safe, and inclusive night-time economy - driving pilot initiatives and long-term strategies that support cultural activity, improve access, and encourage new uses of public space and venues after 6pm.
RTÉ News
03-06-2025
- Health
- RTÉ News
Donegal doctors seek meeting over surgical hub decision
More than 170 doctors based in Donegal have sent a joint letter to the Minister for Health demanding an urgent meeting over the HSE's plans to overlook Letterkenny as the location for a planned surgical hub in the north west. Concerned consultants and senior doctors at Letterkenny University Hospital (LUH), as well as GPs across Donegal, sought the meeting with Jennifer Carroll MacNeill to address what they describe as a "critical threat to patient care and health equality in the north west". Regional HSE management has identified a site in Sligo as the sole preferred option for a new surgical hub in the region - a decision Donegal-based clinicians have called "flawed, unjustified, and deeply damaging". Dr Padraig McGuinness, who is a GP based on the Fanad Peninsula, said the decision to overlook LUH "ignores both population need and geographic logic". "Many of our patients would face round trips of five hours or more to access elective surgical care in Sligo. That's unacceptable and dangerous," Dr Mc Guinness said. The clinicians' letter, seen by RTÉ News, said they "are ready to present data showing that LUH is a more appropriate and equitable location". They said if LUH were chosen as the base, "no patient from Donegal, Sligo, or Leitrim would be more than 90 minutes from a surgical hub". The clinicians referenced the Department of Health's aims to ensure equitable access to elective care across the country by developing surgical hubs. They said: "To bypass LUH in this decision would be to disregard this equity objective and perpetuate health inequality on a profound scale". The clinicians letter said the National Cancer Registry Ireland report showed Donegal had the highest deprivation index and a higher incidence and a later presentation of all cancers, with a significantly poorer five-year survival. Consultant in Intensive Care and Anaesthetics at LUH Dr Louise Moran said: "Patients in Donegal already face some of the worst cancer survival rates in the country due to late presentation and access issues. "To bypass Letterkenny again is not only medically indefensible - it's a direct hit on patient safety and regional equality". The clinicians are seeking an urgent meeting with Minister MacNeill as well as an independent review of the HSE's rationale for selecting SUH over LUH and a moratorium on a final decision regarding the hub's location until "an evidence-based comparison is completed". A spokesperson for the minister told RTÉ News she has not received the business case from the HSE for the location of the surgical hub for the north west. The spokesperson said Minister Carroll MacNeill thanked the team at Letterkenny University Hospital for taking the time to speak with her during visit last month and she looks forward to engaging with them again in the coming weeks. What is the HSE surgical hubs strategy? Over the next two years, the HSE plans to open six surgical hubs nationwide to reduce patient waiting times. A surgical hub will consist of four theatres with capacity to deliver 10,000-day case procedures and 18,500 outpatient consultations annually. The first surgical hub officially opened in south Dublin under the governance of St James's Hospital in February. Within the next two years the HSE plans to open five further surgical hubs in north Dublin, Galway, Cork Waterford and Limerick. It is hoped hospitals will have greater capacity for patients who require emergency and complex care when day case procedures are treated in the surgical hubs. The Programme for Government contains a commitment to explore the provision of an additional surgical hub in the north west. In a statement, the HSE West and North West said it has prepared a business case supporting the implementation of a North West Surgical Hub. Within that business case a greenfield site owned by the HSE in Sligo has been identified as a potential development location for a hub. A feasibility and master planning study will also be undertaken if the business case is approved. Last month, consultants at Sligo University Hospital told RTÉ News the hospital's orthopaedic operating theatre was no longer fit for purpose and patient safety was being compromised following leakages which disrupted the provision surgery. After cutting the sod on a planned 42-bed unit at SUH, the Minister for Health said the issued simply had "to be resolved". At the time, HSE Regional Executive Officer Tony Canavan said they had "prepared a proposal to develop a surgical hub for the northwest, based in Sligo". Ambulatory Centre planned for Letterkenny A spokesperson for HSE West and North West said that LUH requires a stand-alone facility which provides a greater level of services. They said an Ambulatory (non-inpatient) Centre is planned for LUH that would include "all the additional surgical capacity being provided by the proposed surgical hubs being created elsewhere, such as theatres and treatment rooms for day surgery treatments". "the Ambulatory Centre would also provide additional functionality and capacity to meet the needs of County Donegal in the form of additional ambulatory cancer capacity as well as additional diagnostic facilities". The HSE said the hospital is currently working with HSE Capital & Estates to develop a business case for this development. They added LUH will be making every effort to secure funding and to progress it "in as expedient a manner as possible". Fear proposal 'being used to deflect' In their letter to the Minister for Health, Donegal-based clinicians said while any investment in LUH is welcome, they felt the ambulatory centre proposal "lacks the ring-fenced funding, defined scope, staffing allocations, and delivery timeline associated with the surgical hub model". They fear the ambulatory care centre proposal was "being used to deflect from the pressing need for LUH to be considered equitably in the current surgical hub decision". LUH Consultant General Surgeon Mr Michael Sugrue said they need real surgical infrastructure was required in Letterkenny - "not vague promises". Mr Sugrue said without adequate surgical resources they cannot attract or retain the consultants needed. "This decision risks the future of general surgery in Donegal and the long-term viability of LUH as a Model 3 hospital," he added. The clinicians' letter to the Minister for Health urged her to await the findings of Mr Michael Sugrue's forthcoming Letterkenny University Hospital Model 3 Clinical Care Report and Plan. They said the report would further support their position including statistics detailed funding disparities between LUH and other hospitals. Calls for equitable access to elective care The clinicians' letter said LUH has the "longest waiting times when compared to other model 3 hospitals". The clinicians previously wrote to the minister on 28 April regarding the future of surgical services at Letterkenny University Hospital. In the letter sent to Minister Carroll MacNeill yesterday, the clinicians said a delegation remains available to meet in Donegal or Dublin. They reiterated call for equitable access to elective care for all. Dr McGuinness said the matter "isn't just about a building or a budget line".
The Journal
29-05-2025
- The Journal
High Court rules suspension of Garda who allegedly had inappropriate relationship with woman is lawful
THE HIGH COURT has ruled that the suspension of a garda who allegedly had an inappropriate relationship with a woman who made a criminal complaint to him is lawful. Last March, Donegal-based Garda Keith Harrison brought a High Court challenge against his ongoing suspension. Harrison brought judicial review proceedings before the High Court seeking orders lifting and quashing his suspension. The suspension relates to allegations he had an inappropriate relationship with a woman who for a time was his partner. It is alleged that in 2019, Harrison took a formal statement from a woman who had made a criminal complaint of domestic abuse against her then partner. Harrison later entered into a relationship with this woman. While she is not pursuing any criminal complaint against Harrison, An Garda Síochána contend that the relationship was 'inappropriate and contrary to the professional duty of care owed by a member of An Garda Síochána to a person alleged to be a vulnerable victim of a crime'. An Garda Síochána also cited a 'power dynamic between a person making a complaint of domestic abuse and the Garda to whom that complaint is made'. The High Court noted that there is 'strong evidence of the applicant having entered into a sexual relationship with the complainant within weeks of the complaint of domestic abuse'. The woman, who can't be named to respect her privacy, didn't pursue a criminal prosecution against her then partner. Advertisement It was argued by Harrison that the fact that there was no criminal prosecution by the woman against her then partner means that she cannot properly be described as a 'vulnerable victim of a crime'. It was also argued that this 'at the very least reduces the seriousness of the alleged breach of discipline'. However, the High Court said there are many reasons why a criminal prosecution might not be pursued in the context of alleged domestic abuse and that 'it cannot automatically be inferred that the person making the complaint was not vulnerable'. Harrison previously stated that he entered into 'a fully consensual' relationship with the woman and noted that the two have a child together. Harrison was first suspended in March 2021 and his suspension has been extended in a series of three-monthly decisions since. The High Court today ruled that Harrison's continued suspension is lawful. Mr. Justice Garrett Simons said that given the 'seriousness of the breaches of discipline alleged, it was reasonable and rational for the Assistant Commissioner to extend this suspension on each of the three-monthly reviews'. The judge dismissed the application for judicial review. Harrison was one of several garda members to have appeared before the Disclosures Tribunal, which investigated claims by Garda whistleblowers. In 2017 and 2018, the tribunal chair Mr Justice Peter Charleton rejected allegations by Harrison and his then-partner. The allegations included that a woman, who is not the woman at the centre of the High Court legal action, was compelled by gardaí to make a statement against Harrison that led to a Tusla referral and that Harrison was the victim of a five-year intimidation campaign after arresting a fellow officer for drink driving in 2009. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
