Pillow Queens singer Palm Connolly has told how she lost her swimming costume in the sea while recording the band’s debut album in Donegal.

The hotly-tipped all-girl appeared on James Cordon’s Late Late Show in the US where the television presenter raved about the Irish group.

Cordon gushed about the band’s debut album ‘In Waiting’ saying “It was named as one of the best Irish albums of 2020, but I’m going to say it’s one of the best albums of 2020.”

But Gordon was left speechless when Palm revealed how she left little to the imagination when the band went for a dip in November in the icy waters off the coastal village of Dunfanaghy.

She said “To take the cobwebs off, we were quite close to the sea (the Atlantic) because we were recording in Co Donegal.

“And we just jumped in one morning. I think it was around November or close to December and it was very cold. Rachel our drummer got right in there, she’s very warm-blooded I think.

“It worked I think. The album sounds great. It got our juices flowing.

“I lost my swimming togs though. So if anyone in Dunfanaghy knows where that is then I’d love it back.”

Presenter James Cordon said he had a feeling that Palm’s swimming attire may be worth quite a bit of money in a few years time the way things are going for the band.

A GROUP of onlookers attempted to remove a Garda’s face mask as he was performing an arrest.

The men surrounded a patrol car as Gardaí were arresting the suspect in Kilmacrennan, Letterkenny District Court heard.

Keelin Shields was one of a group of approximately 30 people who were exiting Danny O’s public house in Kilmacrennan at 11.25pm on December 23, 2020.

Shields (21) of Woodlands, Tirloughan, Carrigart, was charged with being intoxicated in a public place and using threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour on the same night.

Sergeant Gerard Dalton said Gardaí instructed the group to make their way home.

Gardaí were in the patrol car when someone banged on the back of the car. Gardaí observed Shields proceeding to run in the middle of the road and when Gardaí apprehended him, he told them to ‘f*** off’.

After his arrest, a number of people surrounded the car and began recording the incident on mobile phones as Shields was being placed in the back.

“A number of persons tried to pull the face mask off Garda Burke,” Sergeant Dalton said.

Judge Paul Kelly enquired if there had been any suggestion of a breach of Covid-19 regulations.

“I have been reading the media reports about Letterkenny University Hospital being overwhelmed with Covid-19 case and we wonder how we got here,” Judge Kelly said

“There is nothing to substantiate any issue with Danny O’s,” Sergeant Dalton added.

Solicitor for Shields, Mr Frank Dorrian, said the incident was ‘more in the nature of a prank’.

“It was an occasion of much merriment,” Mr Dorrian said. “Someone, not he, slapped the boot of the patrol car and thought it was funny.

“Gardaí pointed at my client and he decided to add to the confusion and took off. Matters unfolded from there.

“He was arrested and taken away and others became involved due to their conditions. There was unease at the time of his arrest, but it wasn’t of his doing.”

Mr Dorrian said that the incident was ‘completely regretted’ by Shields, who has no previous convictions.

Judge Kelly said that if Shields made a €200 donation to Letterkenny Youth and Community Club he would not impose a conviction.

The healthcare body which runs Letterkenny University Hospital has responded to claims that frontline staff have not yet received the Covid vaccine when some admin staff have.

A staff member from the Intensive Care Unit contacted Donegal Daily to say that a number of staff were writing to Health Minister Stephen Donnelly over the issue.

They said that as well as staff in ICU, other staff in Accident and Emergency and Critical Care had yet to be offered the vaccine.

The staff member said that when they complained they were told that there was a shortage of the vaccine.

We put these claims to Saolta, the group which runs a number of hospitals across the country including Letterkenny University Hospital.

A statement from Saolta said the roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign began in Letterkenny University Hospital on Wednesday 06 January.

It said that by last Friday a total of 900 staff at the hospital have been vaccinated.

The statement continued “In the first instance, the vaccine is being offered to staff directly providing care to confirmed and suspect COVID-19 cases including ICU, the Emergency Department/RRU and the Red zone wards – Medical 2, 3 and 4. This includes support staff and clerical staff working in these areas also.

“To date (Friday 15 January) over 900 staff have been vaccinated. Vaccine clinics will be scheduled according to the availability of the vaccine and all staff in the hospital will be offered the vaccine.”

People continue to break Covid regulations and this is leading to a failure to bring transmission levels down, Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan has warned.

He spoke as the number of people being admitted to hospital rose again to another record high this morning.

The number of patients with a confirmed case of Covid-19 in hospital rose to 1,872 while those in intensive care units hit a new high of 186.

Some 111 patients with the virus are on a ventilator. The number of patients in hospital with a suspected case of Covid-19 fell to 136.

Dr Holohan pleaded once again with people to follow the guidelines strictly.

He warned “This virus has taken root in every single part of the country,” said Dr Holohan.

“A significant percentage of the population – in excess of one in 10 in some counties – is currently either a case or a close contact. This is a huge burden of infection.

“When you consider that a significant percentage of our daily cases will directly lead to hospitalisation and mortality, the urgency with which we need to act becomes clear.”

Dr Tony Holohan said reductions in infections are not happening fast enough with the virus having taken hold in every part of Ireland and he said levels of infection are still “far too high”.

A further 60 Covid-19 deaths were announced yesterday, along with 3,231 new cases.

An estimated 6,500 HSE staff are currently out sick with Covid-19.

A major leak on the trunk water mains between Buncrana and Letterkenny is threatening to leave hundreds of householders without water today.

Engineers from Irish Water have arrived at the scene a short time ago and are assessing the situation.

Local county councillor Paul Canning has appealed to the public in the area to conserve water if they can until the situation is rectified.

There is no indication as yet of who bad the leak is or how long it will take to fix it.

Updated: The location of the burst has been identified at Burnfoot and it is hoped the issue will be resolved in the coming hours.  

Donegal’s Road Safety Officer Brian O’Donnell reflects on a year that has seen another ten people lose their lives on the county’s roads.

Brian O’Donnell sounds like a frustrated man.

For much of last year, Donegal’s roads from Bundoran to Buncrana were quiet, dimmed by the silent pandemic of Covid.

The law of averages would have suggested that less traffic would have led to less accidents and ultimately road deaths and heartbroken families.

While the number of accidents may have dropped, the number of those who killed on our county’s roads increased from eight in 2019 to ten last year.

Donegal accounted for the third-highest number of deaths on Irish roads last year behind Cork with 24 deaths and Dublin with 20.

Reflecting on 2020, a frustrated Mr O’Donnell said the old issues of speeding, not wearing seat belts and drinking behind the wheel are still huge factors in road deaths.

“Speed is still an issue. If anything those out on the road are increasing their speeds because there is less traffic and they have more opportunity to increase their speed on an open road.

“Again the issue of not wearing seat-belts is huge. People are still going to scrapyards to get extra seat buckles so they can clip them into their holdings so the warning sound does not go off. Others are still sitting on their belts.

“And people are still drinking and then getting behind the wheel. The statistics show that too,” he said.

Mr O’Donnell said that drug driving is a huge issue and said he will almost be frightened to read the statistics for drug driving when they emerge.

“There has been an explosion in drug driving and this is an issue which we face throughout the day. People are being caught behind the wheel under the influence of drugs morning, noon and night,” he admitted.

Of the ten people killed in Donegal last year, two were pedestrians, three were passengers and the remaining five were the drivers of cars.

Mr O’Donnell said that with the arrival of lockdowns and people wanting some exercise, there was a new danger on our roads.

He noted that people are out walking in both towns and villages across the county but also on country roads.

He pleaded with these people to take extra care.

“It’s great to see so many people out walking and it’s a very difficult time for people in general but they have to be careful.

“Many are walking now who would not have been used to regular walking for exercise before and they need to wear high-viz vests and to make sure they are taking extra care with traffic.”

The Donegal Road Safety officer said that while the rate of road deaths across the country including Donegal had thankfully dropped in recent years had, one death is still too many.

In Donegal fifteen years ago the number of deaths was in the mid-twenties compared to the current rate of less than half of that.

He admitted that the current restrictions has meant the Donegal Road Safety Office have had to come up with new ways of getting their safety messages cross.

ED Consultant Gerry Lane at The Road Safe Road Show . Photo Clive Wasson

The annual schools road safety show at the Aura Leisure Centre in Letterkenny, which was a huge success and eye-opener for students, has had to be postponed for the meantime.

“It has been difficult, even meeting colleagues in an office to plan things has been difficult but our message hasn’t changed.

“We will continue to send out that message and examine ways of reducing accidents and road deaths in our county. It’s all we can do to prevent more families form being thorn apart because of a road death or serious injury,” he added.

Mr O’Donnell said the overall aim of the Road Safety Authority and the Government is to have zero deaths on our roads by 2050.

“That’s what we should be aiming for. If we simply reduced our speeds, always wore seat belts and did not drink or drive or be on drugs behind the wheel then the number of our current deaths would be drastically reduced.

“One death is too many and we have to realise every time we are getting into a car that we are taking control of a potentially lethal weapon.

“We need to respect cars, their power and the potential danger they offer every time we step into one,” he added.

A man who was stopped by Gardai at Burnfoot has been fined €200 after drugs were found in his car.

David McCrystal, aged 37, was stopped by Gardai on June 5th last year.

Gardai stopped the car after they had been alerted there was a suspicious car in the area.

McCrystal, a father-of-three of Carrickrea Gardens in Derry, had no previous convictions and was fully co-operative with Gardai.

His solicitor Patsy Gallagher said McCrystal was not the subject of the Gardai’s initial suspicion.

Judge Paul Kelly fined McCrytsal €200 and disqualified from driving for one year.

It may have been filmed in 2016 but a video tribute about what it means to be from Donegal is dropping into thousands of Timelines again this week.

And we thought we’d share it once again as we think it’s very special.

Narrated by Inishowen man Michael McLaughlin, with original words by Danny O’Donnell, there’s no better way to spend five minutes of your Covid lockdown than to watch ‘Atlantic Roar – A love letter to Donegal.’

Enjoy!

Don’t put away the de-icer just yet.

Met Eireann has warned of icy conditions from Wednesday with snow and flooding forecast for some places.

Temperatures are set to plunge to zero as the cold snap we experienced recently returns once more.

The national forecaster warned “Unsettled and turning colder with some wintry falls possible.”

Met Eireann say there will be some frost tonight too, where skies clear, and it will be rather cold, with lowest temperatures of 1 to 4C in light southwest breezes.

Early Monday there will be some brighter spells but it will be generally dull and overcast with scattered outbreaks of rain and drizzle, turning heavy in places later.

Tuesday will be very wet nationwide with heavy spells of rain, possibly turning wintry at times in the north.

Met Eireann say “spot flooding is likely” with low cloud and mist too.

It will be rather cold across the northern half of the country with highest temperatures ranging from 4 to 8C in light variable breezes.

However, it will be less cold across the southern half of Ireland with highest temperatures of 8 to 11C in moderate to fresh southwest breezes.

On Tuesday night, there will be scattered outbreaks of rain after dark with localised wintry falls.

Frost and ice will set in too, especially across the northern half of Ireland, with lowest temperatures of -2 to +5C in light to moderate north to northeast breezes.

On Wednesday, Met Eireann warn of outbreaks of rain, possibly turning to “sleet and snow” at times, in moderate northeast winds.

Almost 50 Gardai across Donegal are currently self-isolating because of Covid fears.

A total of 49 officers across the county are part of a group of at least 1,000 Gardai who fear Covid contacts or are showing symptoms.

It is understood that 19 officers in Donegal are currently out having tested positive for the virus.

The Garda Representative Association have reported that a poll of 20 of the 32 divisions show that 870 are self-isolating while a further 245 members have confirmed they have tested positive for the virus.

Gardai continue to manage checkpoints across the county to ensure people are complying with Covid regulations.

People are reminded not to roll down their windows if going for a test but to show documentation to officers through a closed window.

Mental health charity Pieta has noted the far-reaching impact of the pandemic after recording a 25% rise in calls to its helpline last month. 

Calls and texts to the charity’s helpline directly relating to suicide, self-harm and suicide bereavement rose by 25% in December 2020 vs. December 2019. Pieta is expecting the pandemic burden to continue into 2021.

Covid-19’s far-reaching impact is more than a physical threat; it has impacted everything from people’s financial stability to their social habits. The charity says that people are struggling with loneliness; a fact that is worsened with physical distance measures in place.

Ahead of ‘Blue Monday’ this week, Pieta has set out to help people identify the ‘signs of suicide’.

Typically speaking, January 18th is known as Blue Monday. Why? Because the mid-month date is associated with failed New Year’s resolutions, cold and damp weather with little sunlight, but this single day should not be marked as the cause or side effect of depression.

Depression and suicidal ideation runs much deeper and for many, any day could be considered ‘Blue Monday’ as mental health issues can happen anytime so it is important to not view this day lightly and instead, make sure you check in regularly on a loved one who may be struggling.

Most people who talk or think about suicide simply want to stop the pain they feel, so knowing what signs to listen and watch out for is crucial:

Signs to listen for:
Engaging in self-harm or risk-taking behaviour
Talking or writing about hurting themselves, dying or saying that they want to die
Talking about ways to die or having a suicide plan
Saying that they are ‘trapped’ or have no options in their life
Saying they have no purpose in their life, that they feel hopeless

Signs to watch out for:
Giving items away or saying goodbye to people
Becoming more inward looking and withdrawing from family and friends
Changes in sleep patterns – too much or too little sleep
Extreme emotions or dramatic changes in mood
Increasing use of drugs or alcohol.

Speaking about the ‘Know the Signs of Suicide’ campaign, Emma Dolan, Clinical Director at Pieta, said; “We are calling on the public to look beyond ‘Blue Monday’ and familiarise themselves with the life-saving steps to recognise suicidal ideation. Any day of the year can be a challenge for people living with mental health issues so please use this day to think about how you can break down the stigma and raise awareness of these preventative measures. In Pieta we have been humbled by the overwhelming generosity of the public with so much good work being done over the past year. Our services continued throughout the pandemic and the various lockdowns we hope that the public will support us in our continued efforts throughout 2021.”

Knowing the signs allows you to then follow three simple steps, A.P.R. (Ask – Persuade – Refer) – and just like CPR, it can save a life.

If someone opens up to you, don’t be afraid to Ask them directly if they are thinking of suicide or want to kill themselves. Talking to them openly and honestly is one of the best things you can do. Even just listening is one of the most powerful tools available. Once you have asked the question, calmly and gently Persuade them to seek help or to allow you to assist them in getting help. If you cannot persuade them, remember that Pieta’s 24/7 Crisis Helpline is open 24 hours day. As soon as you can, Refer or guide them to Pieta – if you can, make the call with them or travel with them to the appointment.

Pieta’s professional counsellors specialise in suicide prevention and tackling self-harm. The charity has centres all over Ireland and Pieta’s Freephone Crisis Helpline is open 24/7. All services are provided free of charge and no referral is needed.

For more information and help visit www.pieta.ie

Another 25 people have been confirmed dead in the North with Covid.

A total of 21 of those died within the past 24 hours, the Department of Health there has confirmed.

This is the second-highest daily death toll since the virus struck back in March last year bringing the overall death toll to 1,606.

There has also been another 822 cases bringing the number of cases who tested positive to 95,361.

The average seven-day infection rate per 100,000 for Northern Ireland is 365.7.

Another 13 people have died and there have been a further 2,944 cases of Covid across Ireland today.

Of these, a total of 112 new cases were in Co Donegal.

The number of deaths from Covid in Ireland has now risen to 2,608 people.

The total number of case of the virus now stands at 172,726.

Meanwhile, the Government have confirmed they are exploring whether the AstraZeneca vaccine can be brought to Ireland ahead of it securing approval from the European Medicines Agency.

Experts have warned of rolling lockdowns throughout 2021.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has said an advanced shipment of the vaccine would enable Covid-19 jabs to start as soon as it’s granted EU approval, possibly on January 29.

Independent TD for Donegal, Thomas Pringle, has called on the Government to  designate more third-country ports in Donegal and around the Irish coast to facilitate Irish fishermen who operate UK-registered vessels.

Deputy Pringle said: “There should be six or seven ports designated in Donegal alone, never mind the whole country.”

The third country port designation now in operation in Ireland means that for UK-registered vessels owned and operated by Irish fishermen, Killybegs and Castletownbere, Co. Cork, are the only ports they can land in.

Deputy Pringle said: “Ports such as Greencastle, Downings, Burtonport and many more are out of bounds for these vessels.”

He said the situation is not feasible for vessels that are Irish-owned and operated. He referred to a vessel in Burtonport worked by one man who now must travel to Killybegs to land. “This is dangerous, apart from anything else,” he said.

Other parts of the country are also affected. The deputy said two of the six vessels that land at the Galway Co-op in Rossaveal can only land frozen fish into Derry and land into Killybegs or Castletownbere otherwise. This will have a very negative impact on Rossaveal and the community, he said.

Deputy Pringle said: “The Department of Marine knew this was a problem and never geared up to deal with it. There are vessels in Greencastle, all along the north coast of Donegal, in Arranmore and Burtonport, and they’re all affected.

“The Government could have dealt with this while the Brexit negotiations were ongoing and had ports all ready to go, and we wouldn’t have this problem.

“This must be dealt with now,” he said.

Deputy Pringle said the Department must designate sufficient ports in Donegal and along the Irish coast.

“I have already gotten in contact with the Minister, urging him to act as quickly as possible. We must do it now, and do it right.”

“This can be dealt with very quickly and needs to be dealt with now in order for livelihoods to be protected,” Deputy Pringle said

The number of patients hospitalised with Covid-19 has jumped again at Letterkenny University Hospital.

There are now 113 people with the virus receiving care onsite.

The figure has increased by 34 since Sunday 10th January – when 11 extra beds were opened to treat an influx of coronavirus cases.

As of 8pm last night, LUH recorded five Covid-19 patients in critical care. There were no critical care beds remaining and eight general care beds available.

The hospital is also dealing with suspected cases of the virus among patients. A double test approach is being taken at LUH during the pandemic.

Donegal recorded another 112 new cases of Covid-19 on Saturday. With 2,207 cases in the past fortnight, the 14-day incidence rate in Donegal is now 1386.4 per 100,000. The national average is 1487.9 per 100,000.

One Donegal school certainly hasn’t wasted any time during the lockdown.

The staff of Errigal College in Letterkenny have seen an opportunity to devise an innovative initiative to support the students’ mental health and wellbeing.

Virtual Wellbeing Clubs are being established and will be held Monday to Thursday from 4.15pm – 5pm and will range from Music, Tea & Chat, Baking and Bingo, Virtual Yoga, Virtual Karaoke, Virtual Quiz and Virtual Book Club to name but a few and will utilise the passions, skills and talents of the dedicated teachers of Errigal College.

The initiative is about having fun, conversing and meeting up virtually with other students with a common interest outside of scheduled class time.

Errigal College’s intention is to educate the young men and women of Letterkenny holistically and this initiative will allow them an outlet in a relaxed and supportive manner.

Students will be offered the opportunity to experience different clubs each term so that they are afforded as many different experiences as possible. Once schools return to in-person learning again the clubs will continue.

Further details will be provided to parents/guardians and students in due course about the various clubs on offer and how to sign up.

Speaking of the initiative, Mrs. Mc Laughlin, Virtual Wellbeing Club coordinator, said that, “We know that this is a time of unexpected change which can involve a great deal of stress, loss, and disconnection. Through the Virtual Wellbeing Clubs we are actively creating opportunities and experiences that are designed to support our student’s well-being in these challenging times”.

Please also keep an eye on the school Facebook for more important updates about this exciting initiative: https://www.facebook.com/errigalcollegelk

Funding has been announced today for the improvement of seven outdoor recreation projects in Donegal.

The €135,200 funding has been welcomed as “a real boost for local communities, tourism and leisure in the county”, according to Donegal TD Joe McHugh.

Seven areas will be upgraded with better signage, information points and better paths for walkers and hikers. Deputy McHugh added the improvements will help to bring people to new areas and also encourage people to see what we have on our doorstep.

The successful projects being funded under Measure 1 are:

The enhancement of trails at Bealach na Gaeltachta (Gweedore area, The Rosses, Fintown and Glencolmcille, Lehardan Harbour Walk in Rathmullan, Trusk Lough Trail in Ballybofey,  Tip O’Neill Trails & Urris Loops in Drumfries, Mountain Top Walk in Letterkenny. Each trail will be provided with €20,000 for the works.

Funding of €17,988 has also been awarded to provide a car park at Ard na Mona Looped Walk at Lough Eske.

A further €17,211 will go towards enhancing access to the trail at Corrán Binne, Largatreaney Horn Head, Dunfanaghy.

This funding is being provided as part of the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme in partnership with Fáilte Ireland, who are co-funding the projects in partnership with the Department of Rural and Community Development.

“Teastaíonn uainn go bhfeicfidh go leor daoine an tairbhe a bhaineann le bheith ag dul amuigh faoin aeir, le cosáin níos fearr, le comharthaí agus poinntí eolas níos feiceálaí, chun cuairteoirí breise a mhealladh chuig ár gceantracha, agus a chinntiú go bhfuil a fhios ag daoine cad atá ar leac a dorais.”

“This last year has shown an increase in those using our walking trails, cycleways and parks, and more than ever the importance of outdoor amenities for our physical and mental wellbeing, and this investment will hopefully go some way to improving our existing facilities while developing some new amenities in areas also,” concluded McHugh.

The lost of people now in hospital across the country fighting Covid has topped 2,000 for the first time.

Of these, a total of more than 400 people are receiving “high grade” ventilation and respiratory support.

In a tweet, CEO of the HSE Paul Reid said the HSE’s national critical care surge plans have been activated and health care staff are “working really hard to remain in control.”

The Chief Medical Officer has described the situation in the country’s hospitals as “stark” and said people should not go into work this week if they can work from home.

Dr Tony Holohan said that the levels of infection are such “that your chances of transmitting or getting Covid-19 are very high, and we know that a proportion of those cases will lead to serious illness and mortality.”

He called on employers to facilitate employees to work remotely.

Yesterday, the Department of Health reported 13 additional deaths and another 2,944 cases due to Covid-19.

Three more Donegal ports have been designated as third-country ports under new measures announced by the Marine Minister.

Minister Charlie McConalogue has confirmed that Greencastle, Burtonport and Rathmullan will be opened to fishermen with UK registered vessels from 1st February.

Post-Brexit, fishermen with UK vessels could only land at Killybegs and Castletownbere in Cork with 24 hours notice. The issue has affected many Irish fishermen across the industry who bought their boats in Northern Ireland and had not changed to a southern licence.

Calls for more ‘third-country’ ports have been answered with new measures announced by Minister McConalogue today. The designation will come into effect on 1st February and will apply to vessels under 15 metres, landing non-quota species. Limits will remain in place on the timing of landings and 24 hour notice will still be required.

Met Eireann is forecasting a week of changeable and wintry weather for Ireland, with more snow on the way.

Temperatures are expected to drop this week to bring more cold and frosty weather.

The risk of snow will arrive on Wednesday, forecasters say.

Tonight however, could also carry the risk of flooding in Donegal. There will be rain in all areas this Monday. “Heaviest and most persistent over Donegal and the southern half of Ulster, where some local flooding is possible,” Met Eireann said.

Tuesday will also be wet, before conditions turn colder from Wednesday.

“Sunny spells and showers of rain, hail and sleet for the remainder of the week and next weekend, with temperatures a few degrees below normal and a widespread frost each night,” said Met Eireann.

We could be seeing lows of -3C again later in the week, with some showers having a wintry mix of hail and snow on high ground.