Gardaí arrested a man in East Donegal today as part of a cross-border investigation into paramilitary-style attacks.

The man, aged in his mid-30s, was arrested this Monday morning and is being detained at Letterkenny Garda Station under Section 30 – Offences Against The State Act 1939.

The investigation relates to an incident that occurred in East Donegal in November 2019.

The PSNI’s Terrorism Investigation Unit was also involved in the arrest operation as they conducted a number of searches in the Strabane area.

A 32-year-old male was arrested by police under the Terrorism Act, he is currently being held in Musgrave Serious Crime Suite.

Investigations are continuing.

Finn Harps FC are keeping their hopes up that their new Stranorlar stadium will be given the go ahead soon, despite disappointing funding news earlier this month.

The €6.7million Finn Harps Stadium project was omitted from allocations under the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport’ Large Scale Infrastructure Fund, but recent shows of support have brought new hope to the campaign.

Donegal County Council today pledged to continue with its support and assistance to Finn Harps FC as they seek funding, following motions raised by Cllr Martin Harley, Cllr John O’Donnell and Cllr Gary Doherty.

A statement from Harps said they have been encouraged by the many commitments made in recent days and weeks.

If political representatives follow through on their commitments, the Club said it could start the first phase of construction early this year.

A spokesperson said: “In recent days we have received letters from both the FAI and Donegal County Council confirming their support and we are very encouraged by the motions passed at the Council’s January meeting stating their intention to assist in the delivery and completion of the Stadium project.

“We have also received a further communication from the Dept of Sport who stated that our application, along with cost benefit material has been sent to their Strategic Research and Analysis Division for further assessment, however they confirmed that to date they had not recommended Finn Harps for a grant.

“It is also encouraging that candidates and political parties standing in the Donegal Constituency for the General Election have written to the Club outlining their stated intention of ensuring that funding is allocated following the formation of the next Government. There is no doubt that if the political will is there and these commitments are followed through it would be possible to recommence work in late Spring or early Summer and have Harps playing in the new Stadium during the 2023 season.”

The Club issued a thank you to the football family throughout the country for their letters, emails and text messages backing the stadium project.

“The complex when completed including the additional pitches, will be for the people of Donegal and especially our youth who deserve playing facilities comparable to anywhere else in the Country. The Club is humbled by the swell of support within the County, fans and the wider community are angered by the possibility of Donegal being overlooked again when national funds are being distributed.”

The statement concluded on a positive note:

“The Club is hopeful that with cooperation and goodwill we can get this Stadium built. If the adjoining pitches are developed in tandem with construction work we would have a superb facility for the young people of Donegal which would allow all our men’s, ladies and underage teams to compete at the highest level in their respective national leagues.”

Educators are continually striving to help children learn as best they can, but as educational methods progress, sometimes the best way for a teacher to advance is to return to learning too.

That is what Ballybofey Principal Andrea Long did two years ago. With over 17 years of experience as a primary school teacher, Andrea had always wanted to go back to education and she decided to further develop her skills at LYIT.

Andrea studied a Master of Arts in Learning and Teaching, and within months she had moved from her teaching role at Scoil Mhuire Stranorlar to become a Teaching Principal at Scoil Naomh Iósaf in Illies, Buncrana.

The MALT degree at LYIT is a part-time postgraduate Level 9 course, taught in an accessible way that is based on the students’ own teaching practice. The course suits all educators in third level, further education, post-primary and primary sectors.

A major draw for Andrea was the variety of elements in the programme, particularly leadership as she thought about progressing her own career.

“The scope within the course was the main attraction. There was great variety within the modules of Academic Writing, Creativity, Assessment, Student-Centred Learning and Leadership and Management.

“This was exactly what I wanted; to learn and develop as a teacher within the whole area of teaching and learning but also to be able to study and learn the whole aspect of leadership.”

Andrea Long, Principal at Scoil Naomh Iósaf in Illies, Buncrana and Master of Arts in Learning and Teaching graduate of LYIT

The course suits teachers at any stage, Andrea said: “It would benefit any educator interested in learning new ideas for the classroom. It’s also a great opportunity to share, discuss and reflect on experiences with other teachers”.

“I gained new ideas and new methodologies that I can share with others and I reflected on my own practice on a daily basis.”

Andrea added: “The course opened my mind to the whole area of Primary School Leadership and it helped me to develop my knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes towards the role.”

The location of LYIT was another draw for Andrea, as she could attend monthly lectures and enjoy the face-to-face learning and networking while balancing her daily job as a teacher.

“I was delighted when I discovered that the MALT. Course offered places to Primary School teachers: A Masters on my doorstep with online and face-to-face correspondence,” she said.

“The course is well-structured. There is appropriate time given to focus on your learning between lectures and assignments. It is manageable alongside a full-time teaching job. The lecturers were helpful and approachable at all times and it was possible for people of all backgrounds who have busy lives.”

Andrea’s learning experience has been so good that she wants to study and learn even more in the future.

“I think it’s fantastic that we have the facility of the LYIT in our county. It gives us a great opportunity to be able to study part-time.”

After two years of studying, graduation day in October 2018 was a proud moment for Andrea.

“It was daunting at the time going back to college, but when I reflect, it was extremely enjoyable and beneficial to me in my daily work as a Teaching Principal,” she said.

Now Andrea leads a team of four teachers at Scoil Naomh Iósaf and enjoys putting her new methods and personal development into practice.

“As educators we continually strive to learn and do more for the children in our care. The MALT. Course is a great resource for Continued Professional Development and Reflective Practice. After all, it’s about the children and the impact that we have on their learning so that they can become holistic life-long learners.”

If you are interested in developing your teaching practice too this year, you can apply for the next intake of the Master of Arts in Learning & Teaching (MALT) programme commencing in February 2020. Learn more about this Master of Arts Learning & Teaching programme at lyit.ie

For queries and more information, contact Siobhan Cullen, Head of Department Law & Humanities, by email Siobhan.cullen@lyit.ie or tel 074 91 86204

Met Eireann has issued a new weather warning tonight as heavy snow showers accumulate in areas across the county.

Main routes and local roads have been affected by snow and motorists are being urged to slow down and take extra care.

A Status Yellow Snow/Ice warning is in place for all counties from 10pm tonight until midday Tuesday.

Forecasters warned: “Hazardous conditions in places overnight and Tuesday morning due to compacted snow and ice. Further snow showers also, heaviest in the southwest, west and north.”

Donegal County Council gritters have been out again on all main routes from 9pm.

The AA roadwatch is also reminding drivers that “it can take up to ten times longer to stop in ice or snow, so slow down and leave extra space to brake.”

There has been a huge reaction to our Big Debate which takes place this Thursday evening, January 30th at the LYIT.

All of the candidates across Donegal standing in Election 2020 have been invited and despite hectic schedules, most have already confirmed they will be taking part.

The debates will take place in front of a live audience at the Letterkenny campus starting at 7pm.

Because of the huge interest in tickets for the debate, we will simply be forced to pick the audience at random with those lucky enough to get tickets receiving confirmation tomorrow (Tuesday) by email.

But the good news is that even if you can’t be there then you can still see all the action as it unfolds live.

The debate will be broadcast live on both our Facebook and YouTube channels to our 94,000 followers – Donegal’s biggest online news website audience.

MC for the evening Charlie Collins won’t shy away from putting the tough questions to the candidates.

But we also want to hear from you to find out what you want to ask our future TDs about the issues which you want addressed.

You have already sent in dozens of questions and we still want to hear from you.

If you have a question you would like to be considered then please email it to donegaldailyelection2020@gmail.com

We would also ask anyone who wants an audience pass to also email us your request to donegaldailyelection2020@gmail.com before 4pm tomorrow (Tuesday.)

We will bring you more details including the times of the debates and how you can simply log onto the shows on your mobile, laptop or tablet on the night.

Up to 400 jobs are planned for Inishowen with the planned establishment of a new call centre.

The centre, proposed by business Pat ‘Big Hill’ Doherty, will be located at Ballymacarry in Buncrana on the site of the old Fruit of the Loom factory.

The Inishowen Independent reports that Mr Doherty has applied to Donegal County Council to convert the old building into a new call centre.

The old centre is around 20,000 sq feet and the centre is due to accommodate up to 400 jobs when fully up and running.

The application to the council is in the name of Patrick Doherty of Xanadu Developments Ltd.

The new jobs will be widely welcomed across Buncrana and Inishowen which was hit badly by the closure of Fruit of the Loom in the early 1990s.

The plan has been given a cautious welcome by Independent county councillor Nicholas Crossan who said it was “brilliant news” if it goes ahead.

SHEEPHAVEN divers took full benefit of a bit of nice winter weather at the weekend and got to dive on Saturday morning, followed by their regular Sunday morning snorkel. 

The dive in Mulroy Bay was to a depth of less than 20 metres on a mixture of sand, maerl and rocky outcrops. 

Water temperature was cool at slightly less than 7 degrees celsius, but horizontal visibility was good at around 10 metres, with some great Conger Eels present in the rocks. 

Dive times of over 30 minutes were recorded in a one stick dive thanks to Kieran McGlynn who took the helm of Dive Boat Brid. 

Sunday morning was the 103rd anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Laurentic off the entrance to Lough Swilly, having struck a mine during a snow storm. 

The story of the loss of the Laurentic and the subsequent recovery of its gold is well known and today she lies in nearly 40 metres of water and has been an iconic dive for recreational divers in recent years. 

For new Sheephaven divers the challenge of diving the Laurentic has become the epitome of the sport in Donegal waters, but the process begins with snorkelling on Sunday mornings in PortnaBlagh. 

Noel Brennan led out last Sunday, which had dawned bright and calm, with just a slight swell out to sea and ideal for all the club members present to enjoy being in the water at their own pace. 

All in all a great way to get the best out of January diving in Donegal. 

STEPHEN Harron added his name to the prestigious Con Sean Cup following a 6-2 win over three times winner John Con McGinley in Evelyns in the 2020 final.

Harron threw great darts all evening and was a deserving winner. This year’s tournament was held between Evelyn’s and Ostan Sliabh Liag for the first time in the 22 years history of the event and proved a great success with six boards in play for the first time, 58 players entered. 

Beaten in the semi-finals were holder John Menchia and Tom Kirby runner up Liam Gallagher while the highest checkout was by John Con McGinley which was a 154 against Owen Carr in the quarter final.

Thanks to the board sponsors Conor McShane, Francis McShane, Claire McShane, Joe Byrne, Top Nets and Sliabh Liag Boat Trips. 

Thanks to Evelyn’s and Hegarty’s for hosting the event for the first time. 

There was also a raffle on the day for the new playground where €505 was raised thanks to all who sold and bought tickets and thanks to the following who sponsored prizes Carrick Chinese, Carrick Meats, Byrnes Foodstores, The Workshop, Doherty’s XL, Evelyn’s Bar, Ostan Sliabh Liag, O’Donnell’s Bar, Kilcar House, Áislann Chill Chartha and Kelly’s Kitchen.

Final

Stephen Harron 6 John Con McGinley 2

Semi Finals

Stephen Harron 5 Liam Gallagher 2

John Con McGinley 5 John Menchia 4

Quarter Finals

Stephen Harron 4 Adrian Byrne 0 (120 c/o Stephen)

Liam Gallagher 4 Andrew Gillespie 0

John Con McGinley 4 Owen Carr 1 (154 c/o John)

John Menchia 4 James Byrne 0

Third Round

Stephen Harron 3 Colin Doherty 1

Adrian Byrne 3 Irwin Muirhead 0

Liam Gallagher 3 Declan Cunningham 1

Andrew Gillespie 3 Kenneth Kennedy 0

John Con McGinley 3 Hugh Doherty 0

Owen Carr 3 Francis McShane2

John Menchia 3 Ronan Kennedy 2

James Byrne 3 Gerry McBrearty 2

THE Donegal Motor Club and rally enthusiasts have hailed the Lagoon Donegal Mini Stages Rally 2020 a major success.

The event was run on Saturday in the Termon area and was based in the Lagoon Bar and Restaurant. 

Pictures by Jerome Keeney

A large entry of over 80 cars and crews enjoyed excellent racing conditions and they were watched by some of the biggest crowds ever seen at a Mini Stages event. The two special stages were run three times and proved to be very popular with the competitors.

Rathmullan crew Kevin Gallagher and co-driver Gerard Callaghan in their Darrian t90 GTR were the pace setters for the first loop with the fastest times on stage one and two, but they went out on stage three. 

The real excitement happened on the last two stages with an incredible battle between Letterkenny’s Damien Gallagher co-driver Mac Walsh and Tyrone’s Ryan Loughran co-driver Gareth Doherty both in Ford Escort Mk2s. Ryan Loughran eventually prevailed, winning the rally by a margin of four seconds.

Both these drivers have regularly finished in the top ten of the Joule Donegal International Rally and the spectacular pace and skill displayed in this rally will be remembered for a long time to come. Johnny Jordan co-driver Paddy McCrudden in a Toyota Starlet came in an excellent third position.

Large crowds cheered the winning teams at the Lagoon for the finishing ramp and later that evening for the prizegiving.

Clerk of the Course, Johnny Baird, praised the efforts of all marshals and officials and he particularly wished to thank the staff at the Lagoon Bar and Restaurant, An Garda Siochana, Donegal County Council, Craoibhin Community Enterprise Centre and all those living on the stages for their help and cooperation.

RAPHOE manager Richard Eaton wants his men to find more consistency as the season enters the business period.

Raphoe scored a 2-1 win over Queen’s on Saturday, but Eaton is demanding more from his troops.

Goals by Johnny Long and Tommy Orr gave Raphoe the win after they had fallen behind.

“It was very, very important the way the League is going,” Eaton told Donegal Daily/Donegal Sport Hub.

“The match was dead and we were like we were going through the motions. 

“We went out and beat Instonians a couple of weeks ago. If we can go out and beat Instonians, why can’t we perform to the same level against the weaker teams?”

Orr riffled in a memorable winner to give Raphoe the maximum points.

Eaton said: “He turned on a sixpence and gave the ‘keeper no time to think. It was in the onion bag before he had time to set.”

Listen to the full interview below …

FOUR DONEGAL boxers were honoured on Saturday night at the IABA’s annual awards dinner at the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel in Dublin.

European bronze medallists Leah Gallen (Raphoe ABC), Carleigh Irving (Illies Golden Gloves) and Thomas Ward (Ballyshannon) were honoured for their achievements while Matthew McCole (Dungloe/Illies) was named as the best senior boxer for 2019.

Gallen won bronze at the European Youth Championships in Sofia.

The five-time Irish champion – who gloves off in Friday’s Under-18 welterweight final – had wins over Annemarie Schierle and Gulcan Arga to claim her second European bronze medal last September.

Illies Golden Gloves’ Irving secured bronze at the European Schoolboy/Girls Championships in Georgia in August. Irving beat Ozkan Pinar in the 46kgs quarter-final to earn a place on the podium.

Ballyshannon’s Ward, who punches with the Carrickmore club in County Tyrone – also won a bronze in Georgia, losing out to Ethan Moore in a 68kgs semi-final after beating Yahor Prudnikau of Belarus.

Dungloe native McCole finally got his hands on an Irish title when he beat Martin in the Irish senior welterweight final.

Boxing for Illies Golden Gloves, McCole made amends after falling just shy of the line a few times. McCole was named as Best Senior Boxer for his endeavours.  

The Irish Heart Foundation and Donegal County Council have rowed in behind a Donegal consultant’s calls for an acute stroke unit at Letterkenny University Hospital.

As many as 12 lives could be saved or severe disabilities prevented if adequate facilities are provided for local stroke patients, according to leading Consultant Geriatrician Ken Mulpeter.

The Irish Heart Foundation has described the failure to open a stroke unit in LUH as “disgraceful” and urged election candidates to guarantee to open such a facility this year if in Government after the February 8th poll.

Meanwhile, the council agreed to write to the Minister for Health when the new government is formed in relation to the issue.

Cllr Albert Doherty raised the matter at the January council meeting on Monday, crticising the HSE recruitment embargo and calling for the establishment and immediate opening of an adequately funded and fully staffed Acute Stroke Unit.

Cllr Gerry McMonagle added that the Stroke Unit is one of the many difficulties at LUH at present. “A lot of it is down to the current embargo,” he said.

There were 64 vacant posts at Letterkenny University Hospital at the end of November, 36 of them in Nursing and Midwifery.

“It’s quite clear that Letterkenny University Hospital is not being supported and Donegal is getting a second rate health service,” Cllr McMonagle said.

Irish Heart Foundation head of advocacy, Chris Macey, wrote a letter to Donegal’s general election candidates yesterday saying it is unjustifiable that patients are still not benefiting from stroke service improvements that have cut deaths from the disease in the rest of the country by over 20% in the last 10 years.

“This is not care that is impossible to deliver on a large scale because of its cost, or complexity,” said Mr Macey. “Stroke units represent a basic standard of care internationally and the HSE’s own stroke programme has concluded that they more than pay for themselves by reducing requirement for expensive nursing home care and reducing length of stay in hospital.

“It is disgraceful that Letterkenny University Hospital is now the only acute hospital treating stroke in the country that doesn’t have a stroke unit. In other words patients in Donegal are the only ones nationally not to feel the impact of dramatic improvements in acute stroke care and have considerably less chance of surviving or recovering from a stroke than patients in the rest of the country.”

Another successful year of Christmas charity craic in Ardara has raised €30,000 in vital funds for local services.

The Poor Farmers Association (P.F.A) Charity Auction took place in Teague’s Bar on Saturday 28th December.

The lots are always a surprise, and last year was no different, with sheep, nets, turf and so much more up for sale.

This year the funds raised from the PFA auction will be distributed between the Downstrands counselling services and Pieta House.

€20,000 will go directly to the Downstrands counselling services, which relies heavily on public donations to provide a vital service to the Ardara Rosbeg, Portnoo and Glenties communities. 

The P.F.A. committee is delighted to be supporting their local counselling services and €10,000 will also go to Pieta House, which operates a north west centre and a national helpline.

The community of Ardara has earned great praise for their charity efforts every Christmas. To date, the famous PFA has raised an astonishing €336,000 for local causes.

Job Vacancies: One of Donegal’s most established and reputable Plumbing and Heating companies is looking to add new sales staff to their dynamic and innovative workforce.

Management at Donegal Plumbing and Bathroom Supplies LTD are keen to expand their team and are looking for experienced sales professionals to join their company.

The award-winning business is renowned for its competitive rates and excellent customer service skills.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

• Successful candidate needs to be reliable, hardworking and flexible.
• Previous experience in either trade preferred, but not essential in order to get the role.
• Good communication skills essential.
• Personable demeanour.
• Good sales techniques and skills.
• Remuneration package depends on experience.

If you’re interested then apply now by sending a CV to sales@donegalplumbing.ie

Independent candidate Peter Casey has said the Government should sell its AIB shares in order to fund Mica redress in Donegal.

Lambasting the Government for dithering on the delivery of the long-awaited Mica redress scheme, Mr Casey said selling shares in AIB would provide a perfect funding solution.

“Taxpayers in Donegal, including those whose homes are falling apart, helped fund the bailout of AIB. The bank is owned and controlled by the Government’s majority shareholding and those shares should be sold to fund the restoration, repair or rebuild of homes in Donegal.

“In 2017, the Government sold just under 29% of its 99% shareholding in AIB for €3.4bn. I’m calling on them to sell another tranche of shares to address this devastating crisis for so many Donegal families. They could sell enough to cover a full and fair redress scheme and still hold the controlling stake in AIB,” he said.

Mr Casey added that the €40 million promised by the Government falls “way short of the many hundreds of millions of euro needed to address the living nightmare of crumbling homes” in the county.

He said: “Homes are literally falling apart in Donegal and the Government has dragged its heels to the extent that lives are being put at risk. I have visited family homes in Inishowen that are on the brink of collapse due to crumbling blockwork and it is heartbreaking for them. It is causing incredible mental anguish and stress for people. One man, who lives in one of the worst affected homes I have seen, told me that he can literally hear his home creaking at night.

“This has to be the most immediate issue for any person hoping to be returned as a TD in Donegal – including our county’s own Government minister Joe McHugh.

“The problem affects thousands of homeowners, families and businesses whose walls are literally falling apart right across Donegal.

“Dozens of families in affected homes across the county will not have a house to call home at the end of this election campaign. That is the harsh reality facing these families while our Government dithers on delivery of the scheme,” Mr Casey said.

“February 8 will afford people the opportunity to stand up and be counted in the ballot box on this issue. The people of Donegal are tired of the same old rhetoric from this Government – promising funds and failing to deliver. Not one penny of the promised €40 million has been delivered and not one house has been fixed under the scheme,” he added.

5,000 homes are registered under the Mica redress scheme at present.

“A house, for the majority of people, is the single biggest investment they will make in their lifetime. Thousands are crumbling in the county and it is taking a toll on the health and well-being of many families. It is past time that the redress money needed is delivered to the people of Donegal, so that they can sleep safe in their beds at night,” Mr Casey added.

Mr Casey said he is committed to working hard to ensure that redress for those affected is rolled out as soon as possible.

Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty TD has said that any future Government must do all it can to support carers and those receiving home help support.

While campaigning in Gaoth Dobhair and Cloich Cheann Fhaola, Deputy Doherty said that immediate and urgent action was needed to make sure that those who had been approved for home care and support had access to a carer to provide that support.

“So many people in Donegal have brought this issue to my attention while I’ve been canvassing over the past number of days and it’s just not acceptable.

“People in need of home support and who have been approved for this support, have been left without it because of the ongoing embargo in the sector.

“It is also putting huge pressure on hospitals because of delayed discharges and it is forcing older people into nursing homes.

“We know that it costs €5,964 per week to care for someone in an acute hospital bed, while it costs just €160 per week with a home help support package.

“This situation is frustrating because I know that there are carers throughout Donegal and the rest of the country who are available and who are only too willing to offer and provide care to those in need.

“Fine Gael, supported by Fianna Fáil, have allowed this situation to happen, and in doing so, they are promoting the privatization of home help supports.

“They are forcing people into the private system and this is a huge expense for families.

“Sinn Féin in government would not let this happen,” he said.

Pearse Doherty is urging the HSE to look at this situation and to move urgently to ensure that those who have been approved for home help hours receive that support.

“In government, Sinn Féin is committed to providing 12 million extra home help hours.

“This is the type of investment that is needed so that our carers, and those they care for, know that we care about them.

“Our carers play such an important role in our communities and Sinn Féin in government would be there to support them every step of the way,” he said.

Sinn Féin has published a comprehensive policy document entitled “Empowering Carers” which sets out the practical ways we would support our carers.

This is available through the following link:

https://www.sinnfein.ie/contents/54096

Gardaí are investigating an incident in which a car was set on fire in the East Donegal village of Convoy last weekend.

The attack took place at around 3am in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The car was parked on Main Street at the time when the front window was smashed in and the vehicle was set alight.

Fire services rushed to the scene to tackle the blaze. No injuries were reported in the incident.

Gardaí have issued an appeal in the aftermath of the fire and are calling on members of the public to provide any helpful information. 

Motorists with dashcams or anyone who noticed anything suspicious on that night are being asked to contact Letterkenny Garda Station on 9167100 or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111

The Education Minister, Joe McHugh has pledged to continue to reduce the pupil teacher ratio in small schools and said the idea of scrapping homework for primary school students needs “analysis”.

Joe McHugh said the party will also abolish the charge for the School Transport Scheme and introduce a free school books scheme for all primary schools.

Speaking at the launch of Fine Gael’s education plans, Mr McHugh said there will be a 25% increase in school capitation funding.

Addressing the Green Party’s suggestion to scrap homework for primary school children, Mr McHugh admitted it was an issue that comes up all over the country.

“It’s an interesting conversation because there are questions around stress and around pressure.

“I think it’s a subject that needs analysis, but there’s also the major benefits of homework, whereby parents are able to monitor the progress.

“I just believe that there is value in homework and it’s also what type of homework.

“There’s this notion that homework is just a drudgery but homework from my own personal insight is that young people are doing research, it’s project work, they’re using different data and that’s at a primary school level.

“The debate has to start with the young people.

“It’s an area that will require the parents’ voice and students’ voice before any minister or leader of any party stands up and says ‘this should happen’ or ‘this should not happen’,” he said.

Over 2,600 homes and businesses are without power in Derrybeg, Gaoth Dobhair this Tuesday morning following a major outage.

The electrical fault occurred before 10.30am.

ESB crews are currently working to repair the problem.

It is estimated that supplies will be restored by 2pm.

The devastated father of the three McGinley children who were found dead in Dublin last week has issued a heartbreaking message to all parents.

Andrew McGinley from Donegal says “every breath is a struggle” following the tragic deaths of his children Conor, 9, Darragh, 7, and Carla, 3.

The bodies of the children were discovered in their home in Newcastle on Friday night. The children’s mother remains in Tallaght Hospital after being found in a disorientated condition on the same night.

Mr McGinley is being comforted by family and neighbours as garda investigations continue.

As he comes to terms with the enormous tragedy, he issued this public message:

“There are no words. There is only devastation, grief and anguish. Every breath is a struggle.

“Conor, Darragh and Carla are adored. They all had beautiful, bright futures ahead of them with family, friends and a community who love them.

“To all parents, cuddle your children whenever you get a chance, tell them how much you love them as often as you can, spend every spare minute with them reading, playing and enjoying their wonderfulness.

“The future has now become our enemy but we will battle it every day to keep the memory of Conor, Darragh and Carla alive.

“Andrew”