The government advice against all non-essential foreign travel has been extended until July 20th. A potential 'green list' of countries people can travel to safely is due to be published in two weeks' time. However, that list will be reviewed every two weeks…

A status yellow rainfall warning has been issued for three counties along the west coast. Heavy rain is expected in counties Galway, Mayo and Clare tomorrow morning and afternoon leading to excess surface water. Met Éireann says the warning will be in…

The winner of last week's midweek Lotto jackpot of over €2.8 million has made contact with the National Lottery. The winning ticket was sold in Martin Murphy's Newsagents in Ballinrobe, amd is worth 2 million, 824 thousand, 437 euro. This evening, a National…

Two new playgrounds in Co Mayo were officially opened at the weekend by FG Deputy Michael Ring. Deputy Ring performed the official opening of both the new playground in Achill Sound and the Aughagower Community Playground. Funding of €50,000 was provided for…

The Taoiseach is warning the full reopening of pubs could be delayed. Micheál Martin is hitting out at the scenes over the weekend, where hundreds of people gathered to drink in some locations. Pubs are due to fully reopen on July 20th. But speaking on Red FM…

Over 4,000 jobs in Mayo could be at risk in the drinks sector, as many pubs expect business to be halved for the rest of this year. A new report shows the even if Mayo's 373 pubs all reopen, with half of their normal capacity by the end of the year, which is…

Gardai say no-one was injured in a collision on the N5 at Bohola earlier this afternoon. A truck and car were involved in a collision at about 1.30 near Bohola Post Office. Emergency services attended the scene, and Gardai say the road was cleared shortly…

Funeral arrangements have been confirmed for Delia Collins of Islandeady, Castlebar who passed away over the weekend -and was one of Ireland's oldest residents. Delia, who lived with her daughter Mary and family in the townland of Leitir, Islandeady…

Gardaí and emergency services are at the scene of a collision on the N5 at present. The incident occurred at around 1:30pm along the Bohola part of the road near the post office. Traffic is heavy going both ways on approach to the scene. Midwest News…

Mayo has been the best-represented county at Cabinet, excluding Dublin and Cork, since independence, an analysis by a Fianna Fáil Senator has concluded. Malcolm Byrne examined the line-up of every Cabinet since 1922 and the constituencies represented by the…

One of Europe's oldest horse fairs has become the latest victim of Covid-19 with the cancellation of the Ballinasloe festival. Organisers decided to cancel this year's event, which is traditionally held in October, because of the uncertainty surrounding…

There is no progress on the long promised extension to the Emergency Department at Mayo University Hospital, according to Mayo Sinn Fein deputy Rose Conway Walsh. The deputy says this situation was confirmed by the new Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly in…

Cafe Nova on Ellison Street in Castlebar has announced that it will not be reopening. A statement on the café’s facebook page reads: "It saddens us to inform you Cafe Nova is closing its doors permanently. Current economic conditions have forced us to make…

Works are to go to tender for additional accommodation at Ballintubber NS, outside Castlebar. The works will consist of a single-storey extension to the front and side of the existing building, internal alterations to create a new internal corridor, together…

The Sligo Lifeboat undertook two call outs over the weekend. The first incident took place at around 5:20pm Saturday evening when a number of swimmers got into difficult close to the outdoor swimming pool in Rosses Point. The Swimmers eventually made their…

Gardaí are appealing to all dog owners to ensure their dogs are kept under control as Gardaí have received nearly 50 reports of livestock being attacked since March 2020. In one incident in Leitrim a dog attacked seven sheep on a farm. The owner was…

Gardaí are continuing their appeal for information about a missing toddler and her father from Co. Roscommon. 23 month old Jasmine Arshad was reported missing at half 5 on Friday evening and is in the company of her 38 year-old father, Arshad Shiraz. Both…

82 percent of Credit Union loans in Connaught have been given a payment holiday. The national rate is just under two-thirds, according to a survey of branch managers. 72 percent of credit union members are now using its online services. The study also…

Gardai in Ballyhaunis are investigating the theft of a caravan from the area over the weekend.A white, 18ft, Single Axel, Compass, Omega, 544, caravan was stolen from the Classaroe, Kiltybo area of Ballyhaunis sometime between 8pm on Friday last (July 3rd)…

Up to one in four skin cancer deaths in Ireland are among those who work outdoors. The HSE's warning farmers and builders to make sure they take steps to protect themselves from the sun's UV radiation. It's expected the 11,000 cases of skin cancer here every…

The community of Islandeady, outside Castlebar, is in mourning following the death of Delia Collins (nee McDermott) one of Ireland’s oldest residents. Delia, who lived with her daughter, Mary and family in the townland of Leitir, Islandeady, celebrated her…

Cocaine and Benzodiazepines were found when gardaí executed four search warrants in homes in Swinford and Kilkelly over the weekend. The Mayo Divisional Drugs Taskforce was joined by the Garda National Dog Unit on Saturday as they carried out searches of…

There have been no new deaths reported to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre today. The total number of COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland is 1,741. There is a further 18 confirmed cases of COVID-19 which brings the total of 25,527 confirmed cases of…

The new Cathaoirleach of the Ballina Municipal District is calling for verge cutting to commence on all roads. Independent Councillor Seamus Weir says there is great growth at the moment which has resulted in secondary roads almost closed in. Cllr. Weir says…

The new junior agriculture minister has said culling the national herd cannot be ruled out if Ireland doesn’t meet carbon emission targets. The Green Party had sought for a commitment to cull the national herd in five years time if farming emission reduction…

The new Minister of State for Drugs Policy Frank Feighan said public officials and people in RTE are "snorting cocaine all over the place". The Fine Gael TD made the claim on a local radio debate during the general election campaign in the course of a…

The Archbishop of Tuam has welcomed the reopening of Churches across the region the first time in 19 weeks. New guidance from Cabinet allows for religious services with attendance of more than 50 people in larger churches. These churches can separate their…

A status yellow wind warning is now in effect for all of Connacht and the northern half of the country. Westerly winds will reach mean wind speeds of 50 to 60km/h, with gusts of 80 to 100km/h associated with any thundery downpours. The warning will remain in…

A toddler has gone missing in County Roscommon. 23 month old Jasmine Arshad was reported missing at half 5 yesterday evening and is in the company of her 38 year-old father, Arshad Shiraz. Both Jasmine and Arshad went missing from their home in…

One more person with Covid-19 has died in the Republic and there are 11 new confirmed cases. The National Public Health Emergency Team's latest figures show the death toll has reached 1, 741. The total number of people infected with coronavirus since the…

Breaffy National School, Castlebar held a graduation ceremony with a difference earlier this week for their 6th class students, who will be moving onto secondary school in September. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, many schools have been forced to re-think…

The Bishop of Elphin says up to 100 extra people will now be able to attend mass, after new rules were introduced for places of worship. Gatherings of over 50 are once again permitted so long as social distancing measures are taken. One of those involves…

A Westport man has been elected as District Governor of Lions Clubs International in Ireland. Des Ryan succeeds Bernard Black of Antrim Coast Lions Club and will lead 2,150 Lions who are members of 103 Clubs in District 133 of the word-wide organisation. Born…

A Roscommon politician is undertaking a novel fundraising initiative this morning. Strokestown-based Fianna Fail Senator Eugene Murphy is attempting to walk 10 kilometres BACKWARDS across Sliabh Bawn mountain, in aid of two local charities. Senator Murphy…

Two people with Covid-19 died in the country yesterday and there were nine new confirmed cases of the virus. It brings the death toll from the coronavirus to 1,740 while 25,498 people have contracted the virus. County by county breakdowns were provided by…

Met Eireann's warning of windy weather tonight across the country. It has issued an advisory to be in place from 9pm until 8pm tomorrow night. The forecaster says there will be strong and gusty winds at times

The Covid-19 death toll in the Republic has been overestimated by around 500, according to research by HIQA. The health watchdog looked at the number of postings on RIP.ie between March and June, comparing it with previous years. It found there were 1,200…

A planning application to expand the current Ballina Primary Care Centre is to be lodged with Mayo County Council. The HSE/Community Healthcare West confirmed this evening that John Halligan Architects are in the process of lodging a planning application on…

The Garda Commissioner Drew Harris will be among those attending a ceremony in Co Roscommon next Tuesday, to remember two Gardai who were killed while on duty 40 years ago. Detective Garda John Morley and Garda Henry Byrne - both from Knock and stationed in…

The Orthopaedic and Physiotherapy teams at Mayo University Hospital (MUH) developed virtual clinics to assess patients with fractures who could be managed remotely during the Covid 19 restriction. The special clinics minimised hospital visits for hundreds of…

A Mayo publican is backing cross-industry calls for the temporary reduction in the hospitality VAT rate and its extension to apply to alcohol sales, until the end of the year. Alan Gielty of Gielty’s Clew Bay Bar and Restaurant in Achill has added his voice…

Tomorrow, Satyrday, the 53rd Castlebar International Walking Festival will hold a virtual walk for participants around the world. The international event that attracts hundreds of walkers annually from around the world was cancelled for 2020 last March at the…

Parents representatives have told the Oireachtas Special Committee on Covid-19 that a majority of parents want their children to return to school fully at the beginning of the new school year. CEO of the National Parents Council Primary Aine Lynch told the…

The N84 has reopened to traffic both ways following a single vehicle collision at Tooreen this morning The incident occurred near the Ave Maria Nursing Home at approximately 9:30am. Gardaí and Fire services attended the scene and the road was reduced to one…

The Lodge at Ashford has been awarded the title of Hotel of The Year by judges of the Irish Hotel Awards. The Lodge at Ashford Castle was announced as the winner in the 4-Star Hotel category for its excellence in hospitality and service. The country house,…

Emergency Services are at the scene of a single vehicle collision on the N83 in Tooreen. The incident occurred near the Ave Maria Nursing Home at approximately 9:30am this morning. Gardaí and Fire services are at the scene and the road is down to one lane of…

The Acting Chief Medical Officer says social distancing guidelines for schools could be further relaxed over time. Government guidance published this week shows children up to third class won't have to social distance. Those from 3rd to 6th class will be…

Searches are continuing in Ballinrobe for the winner of Wednesday night's Lotto draw - worth over €2.8 million. The lucky ticket was purchased at Martin Murphy Newsagents on Main Street in the town - and this is the third Lotto jackpot win for the shop, as…

Commercial shellfish harvesting has ceased in certain bays along the west and southwest coasts, after high levels of toxins were found during routine monitoring. As a result, the public are being urged to only consume shellfish from reputable dealers. The…

Almost a fifth of new coronavirus cases in the last week have been related to travel. The National Public Health Emergency Team has again raised concerns about the increasing trend. A further 5 people with Covid 19 have died in the Republic, and there are 15…

Five men have been released without charge in connection with an investigation into how illegal horsemeat made its way into the food chain. The men, aged between 35 and 55, were arrested on Tuesday and were questioned in Carrick-on-Shannon, Longford and…

The Tanaiste says he's confident a full reopening of schools in September is possible. Teaching Unions are concerned that fully reopening schools may be made difficult by social distancing requirements. New guidance from the Department of Education suggests…

Keem Bay in Achill is the nation's favourite seaside resort. That's according to a new national survey on Irish staycations. The online survey was carried out over 5 days last week, and shows that Co Kerry is the country's number one staycation destination…

Mayo TD Rose Conway-Walsh has been appointed Sinn Fein's spokesperson for Higher Education, Innovation & Science. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald has announced her front bench this afternoon, with first-time TDs featuring on the list. Claire Kerrane, the…

Celebrations are underway in Ballinrobe after a local newsagents sold the winning ticket in last night's Lotto draw - worth over €2.8 million. Midwest News can reveal that the lucky ticket was purchased at Martin Murphy Newsagents on Main Street in the town.…

Mayo FG Deputy Michael Ring has admitted that he's very disappointed not to have been appointed either a senior or junior Minister in the new Government. The Government has confirmed the full list of Ministers of State, with eight from Fianna Fail, seven Fine…

The death has taken place of Canon Peter Waldron a native of Ballyhaunis and former parish priest of Keelogues. Canon Waldron was due to celebrate his 81st birthday next week. He was Ordained in 1963 and served in the parishes of Leenane, Clifden, kilcoona,…

It's been confirmed last night's Lotto jackpot winning ticket was sold in Ballinrobe in Mayo. The top prize was worth more than 2.8 million euro. The winning ticket holder has yet to come forward so people are being asked to check their tickets. The numbers…

Fianna Fail Deputy Anne Rabbitte says while she would have loved to have been given a senior ministerial position she is delighted with the chance she is getting now. The Galway East TD has taken a Junior Ministry in the Department of Children with…

Former president, Ballina native, Mary Robinson is leading a panel to investigate the leader of the African Development Bank (AfDB), accused by whistleblowers of corruption. Akinwumi Adesina, became the first Nigerian to lead the AfDB in 2015 - but a report…

Funding is to be sought from Transport Infrastructure Ireland to widen a section of the N84 road between Kilmaine and Shrule. Local FG Councillor Patsy O'Brien says a number of collisions have occurred on this dangerous stretch of road, which needs to be…

Sligo-Leitrim TD Frank Feighan has been appointed as a Junior Minister at the Department of Health (Public Health, Well Being and National Drugs Strategy). 17 Junior Ministers will start their first day in their new jobs at Government Departments today. The…

Charlestown based Sinn Fein Councillor Gerry Murray has been elected as Cathaoirleach of the Claremorris-Swinford Municipal District. He was elected to the position at yesterday’s meeting and takes over from Fine Gael’s Tom Connolly. The new…

There won't be a 'one size fits all' solution for social distancing in schools according to the INTO. The union has also raised concerns about funding for extra staff should they be needed when schools re-open. It has been reacting to guidelines issued by the…

The new Junior Ministers will get to work this morning after being appointed yesterday evening, causing some political unrest. There are seven from Fianna Fail, seven from Fine Gael and three from the Green Party. There are no additional Junior Ministers in…

A further three people with Covid 19 have died in the Republic, and there are six new confirmed cases. The death toll now stands at 1,738 and the total number of cases is 25,477. The National Public Health Emergency Team says 31 new coronavirus cases linked…

Fianna Fáil's Jim O'Callaghan has turned down the offer of a junior ministry. He has said he thinks his efforts would be better spent on the backbenches. The TDs who are hopeful of a call have been waiting nervously by the phone all day, not told when exactly…

Ballaghaderreen Men’s Shed has won Roscommon County Council’s Pride of Place award in the Health and Wellbeing section. Founded three years ago, the organisation allows men in the town to bring their skills together in a social environment for the benefit of…

Nearly 400 litres of home-made alcohol was seized in Irish prisons last year. Mountjoy prison in Dublin was the worst offender. According to freedom of information figures, 395.5 litres of homemade alcohol - or hooch - were seized in Ireland's 12 prisons in…

A Castlebar travel agent is calling for clarification from Government in relation to travel restrictions during Covid-19. It comes as Ireland West Airport Knock has reopened today, after a 3-month closure due to the pandemic. However, while Ryanair has…

Gardai are appealing to all dog owners to ensure their dogs are kept under control as almost 50 incidents of dog attacks on livestock have been reported over the past 3 months. Since March, seven incidents of dogs worrying livestock were reported to Gardaí in…

111 pregnancies were terminated in Co Mayo last year. A new report from the Department of Health shows that a total of 6,666 terminations were carried out nationally in 2019. The largest number - 2,493 - were carried out in Dublin, while Leitrim had the…

Water supply in Charlestown and the surrounding areas may be impacted today, due to a power failure that occurred overnight. Irish Water says crews are currently checking for airlocks throughout the scheme, and a full water supply should be restored to all…

While many Covid-19 restrictions have now been eased since Monday, Clare Island off the Mayo coast is asking visitors not to travel to the island until later this month. The Government has permitted travel to offshore islands by non-residents since Monday,…

Engineers have been inspecting the damage caused by landslides in Co.Leitrim. Over 10 farms have been impacted by tonnes of mud near Drumkeeran, and two homes have been evacuated. Heavy rain has caused floods of liquid peat to spread out across acres of land…

After an unprecedented 3-month closure, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Ireland West Airport Knock is reopening this morning. People are still being advised against non-essential travel, and will have to quarantine for 14 days after arriving back in Ireland but…

It's expected the government will appoint junior ministers following a cabinet meeting today. There's 17 roles to fill with an extra focus on the appointments following criticism of the geographical spread of the cabinet ministers. Fianna Fail and Fine Gael…

One more person has died of Covid-19, bringing the death toll in the Republic of Ireland to 1,736. 11 additional cases have been confirmed. The total number of confirmed cases is now 25,473. Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan says today marks 6 months…

An Iraqi national, living in Sligo, says he and his family have been subject to racial abuse, after up to 14 family members tested positive for coronavirus. The case relates to the cluster in the north-west referred to yesterday evening by the chief medical…

Two homes have been evacuated and over 10 farms have been impacted by landslides in Co Leitrim. Thousands of tonnes of peat have been flowing across acres of land near Drumkeeran since Sunday following heavy rain. Acres of farmland are covered by the peat and…

About 500 houses in the Tibohine and Ballaghadereen areas are without water, due to a burst water main on the North Roscommon Water Supply. The burst occurred on the Old Dublin Road in Ballaghadereen, and Irish Water says about 500 houses are impacted in…

One man was taken to hospital following a single-vehicle collision on the outskirts of Castlerea last night. The collision occurred at about 11.30pm, when a van collided with the railway bridge on the N60, on the Ballinlough side of Castlerea. Emergency…

Five men have been arrested today for participation in a criminal organisation. The five men, aged between 35 and 55, are being detained at Roscommon, Longford and Carrick-on-Shannon Garda stations, under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act. The arrests…

It's bad enough that there is no Cabinet Minister appointed for the Western seaboard, but it's even worse news that the Department of Rural & Community Development is being subsumed into another Department. That's according to Westport-based Independent…

Erris-based Councillor Séan Carey is the new Cathaoirleach of the West Mayo Municipal District. The Fianna Fail councillor was elected unopposed at today's AGM of the Municipal District.

In comments in today’s Irish Independent the Tanaiste Leo Varadkar is quoted as saying: “Any minister whose main focus is their own constituency is actually neglecting most of the country so ministers must have a national remit and that’s the way I would…

A letter is to be forwarded to the Taoiseach Míchéal Martin from members of Mayo County Council insisting that the new Taoiseach ensures that Mayo and the west is adequately represented in his appointments of new Ministers of State tomorrow. There were angry…

The Chief Medical Officer is appealing to people with foreign holidays planned, to cancel them. The National Public Health Emergency Team is noticing a "worrying trend" of Covid-19 cases increasing, and new clusters emerging. One of the clusters was located…

Mayo Fianna Fáil Senator Lisa Chambers is the new Deputy Leader of the Seanad and Fianna Fáil Group Leader in the Upper House. The Seanad met yesterday afternoon in Dublin’s Convention Centre in its first meeting following the Seanad general election. Senator…

The Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan says a 'worrying trend' of new clusters of Covid-19 is developing in Ireland. No new deaths linked to the virus have been reported to public health doctors today. But 24 people have tested positive in the Republic -…

The price of an average three-bedroom semi-detached house in Co Mayo fell by 4% over the past year, to €153,500 - according to a new national survey by Real Estate Alliance. Prices in Castlebar fell by over 4% over the past year to an average of €153,500,…

Six people were rescued from a cruise boat which suffered engine failure near Ballinasloe in Co Galway yesterday evening. The Ballinasloe Civil Defence boat crew was tasked by the Irish Coast Guard at about 4pm yesterday. A rescue boat with three crew on…

Mayo County Councillors are requesting that two Junior Ministerial positions come to the county - when the list is announced later this week. Councillors are demanding that both Michael Ring of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail Senator Lisa Chambers be appointed…

Claremorris-based Councillor Richard Finn is the new Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council. The Independent Councillor takes over the chain of office from Westport-based FF Councillor Brendan Mulroy. Councillor Finn defeated the FG candidate John O'Hara by 16…

Mayo Fianna Fail TD Dara Calleary admits he was very disappointed not to be appointed a senior Minister in the new Coalition Government. There's been widespread dismay across at the region that no senior Ministers have been appointed in Connacht. Deputy…

LISTEN BACK: Dara Calleary TD speaking to Tommy Marren about his "incredibly difficult" conversation with Micheál Martin on Saturday.

The Taoiseach has responded to the criticism regarding his allocation of senior ministries and the surprise exclusion of Mayo’s Dara Calleary. The Fianna Fail leader insists that the deputy leader and Government chief whip will have a central role in the…

The Comhairle Ceantair of Fianna Fáil in Mayo held an emergency Zoom meeting yesterday evening as members struggle to come to terms with the exclusion of Deputy Dara Calleary from new Taoiseach’s list of senior ministers. There is fury among the members of…

Many of the remaining businesses closed due to Covid-19 are reopening today as part of Phase 3 of easing lockdown restrictions. Cafes, restaurants, pubs serving food, hairdressers and gyms are among those that can resume. After 15 weeks from today pubs that…

A status orange rainfall alert remains in place across three counties in the north west today. The warning came into place for Donegal, Leitrim, and Sligo at 11am yesterday. Met Eireann says further heavy persistent rainfall may lead to river flooding and…

Fianna Fáil deputy leader Dara Calleary objected to being appointed Government Chief Whip during a tense meeting with newly elected Taoiseach Micheál Martin on Saturday, according to today’s Irish Independent. The Mayo deputy will be on Tommy Marren’s show…

One person with COVID-19 has died in the country today. It brings the death toll in the Republic of Ireland to 1,735 COVID-19. 3 new cases of COVID-19 have also been confirmed, bringing the total number of cases to 25,439. Validation of data has resulted in…

A Mayo Fine Gael TD has voiced his frustration with the increased level of broadband and telephone outages in the region. Alan Dillon says he has spoke to many business owners that have been impacted by lengthy outages over the past while. Deputy Dillon has…

Sligo Gardaí uncovered over €60,000 worth of drugs after conducting a number of search warrants across the region yesterday. As a result of these searches an estimated €60,000 worth of Cannabis was seized, along with ecstasy tablets valued at €500 and a large…

The Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council has hit out at the absence of senior ministerial positions for the county. Fianna Fail councillor Brendan Mulroy made the remarks on a social media post, where he said the only positive from yesterday was the…

A status orange rain warning has been issued for Sligo, Donegal and Leitrim. Met Eireann is predicting persistent heavy rain with up to 60 millimetres possible by midday tomorrow. A status yellow rain alert is also in operation in Mayo until 12 noon tomorrow.…

The farming lobby is broadly optimistic about what the next government can do for the sector. The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association has welcomed the appointment of Barry Cowen as Agriculture Minister. It says he's known as a man who understands and…

Status yellow wind and rain warnings have been issued for the west and northwest. Donegal, Sligo, Mayo and Leitrim will have heavy rain with expected until 9am tomorrow. The wind alert is in operation for the same four counties as well as Galway with gusts of…

Galway County Councillor, Aisling Dolan, has been appointed as a Senator under the newly formed government with Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party. She is one of the eleven Taoiseach nominations for the Upper House of the Oireachtas, nine of which are…

Micheál Martin has been accused of abandoning parts of the country, by failing to appoint a more regionally balanced cabinet of Ministers. The members of the Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Green Party coalition received their seals of office last night. The ink…

The new cabinet of Ministers has been appointed. Mayo TD and Fianna Fáil Deputy Leader Dara Calleary has been appointed as Chief Whip in the new coalition government. The appointment will see the Ballina based TD, assume a super-junior minister role. He will…

A further six people with Covid-19 have died in the country today and there are 23 new confirmed cases of the disease. Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, said: “High levels of compliance to public health advice to date has enabled…

Despite the Covid 19 pandemic a number of planned Failte Ireland backed projects are going ahead. This was confirmed to the Crossmolina based Fianna Fail councillor Michael Loftus at this week’s Mayo County Council’s Special Policy Committee on Tourism and…

Funding has opened for the Community Enhancement Scheme. Minister Michael Ring says last year 132 projects were supported under this programme. Minister Ring has allocated €64,000 to Mayo County Council under the scheme and is advising community groups to get…

Micheál Martin has been elected as Taoiseach by the Dáil. In a moment that ends civil war politics in Ireland Fine Gael and Green Party TDs voted with Fianna Fáil to elect a new government. 93 TDs in total voted for Martin. Independent TDs Peter Fitzpartick,…

A status yellow rainfall alert came into effect from 9am affecting Donegal, Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo. Heavy rain and strong winds are forecast while there is also a risk of flooding in places. The warning is in place until 9 o'clock on Monday morning. Jean…

Driving tests for some vehicles are set to resume from Monday at 14 centres around the country. Initially only truck, bus and motorcycle tests will take place but car tests are due to resume later in Phase 3 of the country's reopening. The remaining 38…

The Dáil is currently meeting as we await Micheál Martin being nominated as Taoiseach. The members of Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party voted yesterday to back an historic coalition government which will take power today. The Fianna Fáil leader will…

Vodafone has been awarded the contract to provide broadband services to connection points across the country. The first of around 300 Broadband Connection Points are to become available in the weeks ahead. They will give users free onsite high-speed internet…

A new dedicated Cardiac Care Unit (CCU) has opened in Mayo University Hospital as cardiology outpatient appointments and clinics gradually resume in the hospital. The unit, which was developed as part of the hospitals COVID-19 planning, has resulted in an…

For the sixth day in a row there was no increase in Covid-19 cases across Connaught Counties. A further 3 people with Covid-19 died in the country yesterday, while 11 new cases have been confirmed, bringing the total to 25,414. The Chief Medical Officer is…

The Green Party has voted to go into government with Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil. It clears the way for the Fianna Fáil / Fine Gael / Greens government to be formed, after the other two parties also backed the deal earlier on Friday. Fianna Fáil leader Micheál…

A further three people with Covid-19 have died in the Republic of Ireland. Eleven new cases have been confirmed also. It brings the death toll in this country to 1,730, while there have been 25,414 confirmed cases.

Fianna Fáil Senator Eugene Murphy has said the potential loss of 120 jobs at the US manufacturing company APTAR in Ballinasloe, County Galway would be a ‘devastating blow’ for the region. The plastics technology company has been based in the IDA business park…

Emergency services have attended the scene of a two car collision on the N17 near Claremorris this afternoon. Three occupants in one vehicle and the driver of the other car have all been taken to hospital as a precaution. The incident occurred by the flyover…

Fine Gael members have approved going into government with Fianna Fáil and the Green Party. Overall it was 80 per cent in favour with 20 per cent voting against the programme for government. The first of three votes is in and it's overwhelmingly in favour of…

A result from Fine Gael's vote on the programme for government is expected in the next hour. Counting is continuing to decide whether or not Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Greens will enter government together. While a carve up of which party will get which…

A 48-hour status yellow rainfall warning has been issued for four counties in the north-west. The alert, for Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal, will come into effect tomorrow morning at 9 o'clock. Heavy rain and blustery conditions are expected to last until…

A file has been sent to the DPP after man charged with the murder of Detective Garda Colm Horkan was ‘unfit’ to appear before court in Castlerea this morning. Stephen Silver, with an address at Aughaward, Foxford, Co Mayo has been remanded in custody for a…

Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the Greens will announce the results of ballots later on this evening on whether or not they will go into Government together. The Dail is planning to meet tomorrow with the hope of electing a Taoiseach. Votes are being from the…

Minister Ring has announced €505,000 cash injection for 10 Mayo community groups supporting the Covid 19 response. They include community and voluntary organisations, charities and Social Enterprises in Mayo supported through COVID-19 Stability Fund. The Fund…

Met Eireann has issued a status yellow thunderstorm warning for the northwest. The alert is for Mayo, Sligo, Donegal and Leitrim, and Northern Ireland and runs until 10am. The forecaster is predicting localised heavy downpours.

We'll find out by this evening whether or not there will be a new government. Votes will be counted from the members of Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party on whether or not they support the programme for government. It's 139 days since the general…

Phase Two of the Lios Na Circe Development in Castlebar will go to tender in September for 22 new housing units. The development is based at Milebush and local Fine Gael Councillor Cyril Burke says it’s a very welcome development. The news was confirmed by…

A 43-year-old man charged with the murder of Detective Garda Colm Horkan will appear in Castlerea District Court again this morning. The Charlestown Garda was shot dead on Wednesday the 17th of June while on duty in Castlerea. Stephen Silver, with an address…

For the 5th day in a row there was no increase yesterday in the number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Mayo and it was the same across the region, with no additional cases of Covid-19 recorded in Connacht over the past 24 hours. Nationally, one person…

The third meeting of the Beef Taskforce took place yesterdayby video conference. The Beef Taskforce members had previously been provided with a written update on the work of the Taskforce in May. The Beef Taskforce was established by the Minister for…

One person diagnosed with Covid-19 has died in the Republic. Officials at the Department of Health say 11 further cases have also been confirmed. The pandemic death toll here how stands at 1,727 -- with 25,405 people known to have contracted the disease.

Government Ministers are to sign off on plans to move to phase three of the easing of Coronavirus restrictions. The cabinet is holding what will likely be its final meeting in Dublin Castle this evening. The last major decision taken by the Ministers of this…

A yellow thunderstorm warning is now in place nationwide until 9am tomorrow morning. Severe downpours, hail showers and spot flooding are expected. It's as a result of the high temperatures felt across the country today.

As restaurants and gastro pubs prepare to re-open; Achill Oysters, a successful oyster producer, is urging restaurants to include local oysters and seafood on their menus to help offset the economic impact of COVID-19. Achill Oysters produce premium Irish…

Mayo based Minister Michael Ring believes both Fine Gael & Fianna Fail will pass tomorrow's programme for Government but is not so sure which way the Green Party will vote. The leaders of Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party are going to meet later to…

Gardai in Mayo are advising the general public to be vigilant for a new online scam in circulation. An email is being sent purporting to be from a parish priest in Mayo requesting to order a Google Play Card and looking for money to be sent on to help out a…

Temperatures could reach 28 and possibly 30 degrees in some places today. However thunderstorms are expected this evening. Met Eireann have issued a yellow thunder weather warning which comes into place from 4pm until 9am tomorrow morning. Mount Dillon in Co…

€215,000 has been approved by Údarás na Gaeltachta for businesses in Gaeltacht areas of Mayo, Galway and Meath in recent weeks, to support them during the Covid-19 crisis. Udarás says supports of €215,000 were approved for 86 businesses. 30 applications were…

The Transport Minister has confirmed facemasks are set to become compulsory on public transport and it will be an offence to not comply. Minister Shane Ross will bring the recommendation to Cabinet today. Capacity on buses and trains will be increased to 50…

Gardai in Ballina are appealing for information, following a house fire last night. The alarm was raised at about 10.30 pm, and emergency services attended the scene of the blaze at a vacant house in the Carra area of Bonniconlon. Extensive damage was caused…

At their meeting later today, public health officials will consider whether to increase the limit on the number of people attending Mass and religious services. It follows criticism from the Catholic Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin, who claims larger…

The number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Mayo remains unchanged for the 4th day in a row, at 572. There are currently no confirmed or suspected cases being treated at Mayo University Hospital, according to the latest data from the HSE. Across the region,…

Irish Rail gave a commitment at yesterday's Castlebar Municipal District meeting that they will seek planning permission for a new bridge, instead of the current notorious level crossing at Kilnageer. Three members of Irish Rail attended yesterday's meeting,…

Face coverings look set to be made mandatory on public transport as capacity increases to 50 per cent. The cabinet is expected to sign off on the plans at a meeting this evening. It's also expected to approve moving to phase three of easing restrictions from…

Met Eireann is advising that severe thunderstorms can be expected throughout the country later today. A yellow weather warning has been issued for the 26 counties, and a similar alert's in place in the North. The warnings will start from 4 o'clock this…

A further six people with Covid 19 have died here. Five new cases have also been confirmed. It brings the death toll to 1726, while the number of confirmed cases are 25,396. 92 percent of all coronavirus cases up to June 21st are estimated to have recovered.

748 tests for Covid-19 were carried out at Mayo University Hospital between 25th May and 14th June. The figures were given by the HSE at yesterday's online meeting of the Regional Health Forum in response to queries from Castlebar Councillor Michael Kilcoyne.…

Fianna Fail Councillor Blackie Gavin has been appointed the new Cathaoirleach of the Castlebar Municipal District. He takes over the chain of office from Independent Councillor Michael Kilcoyne. Martin McLoughlin is the new Leas Cathaoirleach.

Singer Mary Coughlan has been presented with a lifetime achievement award by the Mayor of Galway in recognition of her impact on the cultural life of the city. The musician was selected by Mayor Mike Cubbard, due to her "personal resolve... in carving out a…

Independent Councillor Seamus Weir has been elected as the new Cathaoirleach of the Ballina Municipal District. The Knockmore based councillor accepted the chain of office this afternoon from outgoing Cathaoirleach Michael Loftus. The new Leas-Cathaoirleach…

If small businesses in the hospitality and tourism sector in Mayo are to survive the Covid 19 pandemic, then the VAT rate nationally this year needs to be reduced to 0 percent. That was the call of Westport based Fine Gael councillor Peter Flynn at this…

A minute's silence was held in the Dáil this morning in memory of Detective Garda Colm Horkan who died following a shooting incident in Castlerea last week. The Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan led the tributes and told the Dáil there has been a national…

A well-known café in Castlebar will not be reopening following the Covid-19 pandemic. The Galway Roast on Market Square has confirmed that, due to social distancing and other restrictions, the business is not viable in the current environment and will not be…

Rates for Mayo businesses negatively impacted by the Covid 19 pandemic should be foregone for the rest of this year. That was the call of the Cathaoirleach of Ballina Municipal District Michael Loftus at yesterday’s Mayo Council’s Special Policy Committee on…

Some hospitals have cut 10 per cent of their beds to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Roscommon-Galway Independent TD Denis Naughten claims that's the case at Portiuncla Hospital in Ballinasloe. The Regional Independent TDs have secured a Dail debate on the…

Family visits will resume in prisons next month after being suspended since March, due to Covid-19. From July 20th, prisoners at Castlerea Prison and other prisons across the country will be allowed one 15-minute visit from one person every two weeks. And…

A further 3 people have died from Covid 19 in the Republic of Ireland over the past 24 hours. It brings the death toll to 1720. A further 10 cases were also confirmed yesterday evening, bringing the total number to 25,391. In this region, the number of cases…

A leading medical professor claims lifting restrictions on air travel could cause a second wave of Covid-19 cases. The Aviation Recovery Taskforce believes the government should end the 14-day quarantine and lift border restrictions from next week. The…

A further 3 people have died from Covid 19 in the Republic of Ireland. It brings the death toll to 1720. A further 10 confirmed cases have also been confirmed this evening, bringing the total number to 25,391.

Gardai in Craughwell, Co Galway are appealing for information on four pups stolen recently. The 4 Foxhound pups, who are only four weeks old, were taken sometime betweem 7pm Sunday evening and 9am yesterday morning from Craughwell. The pups are…

Passenger flights are to resume at both Ireland West Airport Knock and Shannon Airport from next Wed 1st July. Ryanair will operate services from both airports to a number of destinations. At Ireland West Airport, a range of new measures have been introduced…

One of county Mayo’s most beautiful mountain walks / trails – the Bangor Trail in north Mayo is underutilised, a secret unknown to most walking enthusiasts within and outside the county. That’s the view of Westport based Fine Gael Councillor Peter Flynn,…

The Government has been advised to lift the 14 day quarantine for people arriving into Ireland by next Wednesday. The Aviation Recovery Taskforce was set up two weeks ago to make recommendations on how to help the Irish aviation sector to recover. It says…

The new Cathaoirleach of Roscommon County Council is Independent Councillor Laurence Fallon. Based in Knockroghery, Councillor Fallon represents the Athlone Municipal District. He was elected Cathaoirleach at yesterday's AGM of Roscommon County Council, and…

The number of people with confirmed cases of Covid 19, who have died at Mayo University Hospital and other HSE facilities across county Mayo since the start of the pandemic are figures sought for many weeks now by the Cathaoirleach of Castlebar Municipal…

One in seven TDs have hired family members to work with them in the Dáil. In total jobs 23 representatives have given jobs to family members according to the Irish Independent, including Mayo Fine Gael TD Michael Ring. The Minister for Rural and Community…

Charlestown native Detective Garda Colm Horkan is one of four Gardaí who all graduated together and have since died in the line of duty. Charlestown native Detective Garda Colm Horkan is one of four Gardaí who all graduated together and have since died in the…

The sod was turned yesterday for the development of the Old Irish Goat Sanctuary and Visitor Centre in the village of Mulranny. Minister Michael Ring’s dept allocated over €137,000 for the development of the centre through the Town and Village Renewal Scheme…

Parents are being urged to take steps to reduce the risk of their children contracting Covid-19 during play dates.Concerns are being raised by public health officials, after one third of new cases in the past two weeks involved people under the age of 35,…

A new study by NUIG has discovered that half of wet-wipe brands labelled “flushable” are found to contain harmful plastic microfibres that end up in Irish waters. The research states that such wipes and sanitary towels are a far greater threat to the…

The Galway City Ring Road will proceed under the coalition’s Programme for Government. That’s according to An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who says there is a specific commitment to the Galway Transport Strategy in the document. The Fine Gael leader says €1bn…

The Wild Atlantic Words literary festival has this evening announced that Sally Rooney will be taking part in this year’s festival in her home town of Castlebar. The critically acclaimed author of Conversations With Friends and Normal People is the first high…

Minister of State for the Gaeltacht and the Islands, Sean Kyne says the Aran islands may open at a slower pace than the rest of the country He says the islands off the coast of Galway could reopen on a phased basis , rather than on Monday, as permitted under…

Today June 22, marks the 35th anniversary of the disappearance of 33 year old Barbara Walsh (nee Lydon), who went missing from her home in Rusheenamanagh, Carna Co Galway on June 22, 1985 at approximately 4am. A Garda investigation into the disappearance of…

An Erris-based TD is calling on the HSE to recommence admitting patients to Belmullet District Hospital without delay. Mayo Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh has made the call after it emerged that the north Mayo hospital was no longer admitting patients. The Sinn…

In a few days time, the 53rd Castlebar International Four Days’ Walks should have been taking place. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic it, like so many other events was cancelled for 2020. The organising committee say they are looking forward to welcoming…

Mayo is the county nationally that had the most call-outs to deal with swarms of wasps so far this year. Pest control provider Rentokil is warning the general public to be vigilant of the dangers posed by wasps during the summer period. The company believes…

On Monday next barbers and hairdressers can re-open to customers under the third phase of the lifting of the national Covid 19 restrictions. John Kelly located on Castle Street in Castlebar is a fourth generation barber and his extensive barber and men’s…

Repairs to a burst water main may affect supply to Church Street, Louisburgh and the surrounding areas today. Irish Water confirmed the supply interference across their social media channels this morning. Crews are working on repairing the water main and it…

The Minister for Rural and Community Development, has launched the third call for proposals under the Government’s Rural Regeneration and Development Fund as part of Project Ireland 2040. The Fund is part of the Department of Rural and Community Development’s…

The Funeral took place in Charlestown of Detective Garda Colm Horkan yesterday afternoon. An emotive State funeral Mass took place at St Jame’s Church as family and friends, members of An Garda Síochána, Charlestown GAA and the wider community paid their…

Campaigning by the leaders of Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Greens on the programme for government continued over the weekend amid internal division within the parties. Fianna Fáil's Eamon Ó Cuív says going into government with Fine Gael will be the "demise"…

Belmullet has the highest number of confirmed Covid-19 cases across Connaught. That’s according to newly released figures from the Central Statistics Office measured as of the 12th of June, which also shows that Mayo has the seventh highest death toll…

There are no new deaths from Covid-19 in the country today, meaning the death toll remains at 1,715. There are 6 new confirmed cases of the virus bringing the total to 25,379. Validation of data at the HPSC has resulted in the denotification of 1 case.

35 HSE Community Service workers across the Sligo-Leitrim area completed over two ‘virtual tours’ of the Irish coastline for local charities. Throughout the month of May frontline staff in the Sligo area stayed within their 2km radius and cumulatively walked…

Mayo has the highest number of fatalities from Covid-19 in the province of Connaught. That’s according to newly released figures from the Central Statistics Office measured as of the 12th of June which also shows the county has the seventh highest death toll…

The State funeral Mass has taken place in Charlestown of Detective Garda Colm Horkan. An emotive State funeral Mass took place at St Jame’s Chruch as family and friends, members of An Garda Síochána, Charlestown GAA and the wider community paid their final…

A group of young Green party members have said they can't support the Programme for Government because it risks a return to austerity. The signatories - Tate Donnelly, Julie O'Donoghue, Sean McCabe and Mayo's Saoirse McHugh - are all from rural…

2 more people with COVID-19 died in the country yesterday bringing the death toll to 1,715. There were also 22 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total to 25,374. There were no new cases across the province to report and 10 cases were also…

Motorists are being advised of traffic restrictions in Charlestown due to the funeral of Detective Garda Colm Horkan. A traffic management system is in place throughout the town until three o’clock this afternoon. Parking restrictions and diversions will be…

Final preparations are taking place in Charlestown, for the State funeral of Detective Garda Colm Horkan. Mass is due to get underway at midday. The remains of Detective Garda Colm Horkan are to be brought from his family home to St James' Church in…

2 more people with COVID-19 have died in the country bringing the death toll to 1,715. There are also 22 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total to 25,374. Dr. Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, said; “Of the 22 confirmed…

Fine Gael TD Alan Dillon has endorsed his party’s programme for government with Fianna Fail and the Green’s. The Mayo man believes there is a lot in the document for rural Ireland like an emphasis on working from home, the REPS 2 scheme for farmers and…

Tomorrow Down Syndrome Ireland is inviting the nation to join them for Ireland’s biggest street dance in order to help raise vital funds to enable DSI to provide online courses for their members as a result of the Covid-19 crisis. The COVID-19 crisis has…

All sporting events will be allowed to resume from the end of the month but with limited numbers of spectators. Small weddings and other social and cultural gatherings of less than 50 people indoors will also be allowed from June 29th. Barbers, hairdressers,…

Weather warnings have been issued for some coastal counties today, including Mayo and Galway. A yellow wind alert will began at 9am in both counties, together with Clare, Cork and Kerry and remains in effect until 8pm this evening. Gusts of up to 100…

The death occurred yesterday (Fri) of a former Parish Priest of Kiltimagh Fr Paddy Kilcoyne. Fr Kilcoyne passed away after a short illness. He had been serving as a curate in the Parish of Foxford, up to a few months ago. He was one of the founders of…

Midwest Radio will broadcast the State funeral Mass of the murdered Detective Garda Colm Horkan. Garda Horkan’s remains will lie in repose at the Family Funeral Home in Horkans Charlestown this afternoon. Removal from the family home will take place tomorrow…

A 43-year-old man has been charged in connection to the murder of Detective Garda Colm Horkan. Stephen Silver of Aughaward, Foxford, Co. Mayo appeared before a special sitting of Castlerea District Court last night. A large Garda presence accompanied Stephen…

The funeral arrangements have been announced this evening for Detective Garda Colm Horkan who was murdered in Castlerea on Wednesday night last. His remains will lie in repose at the Family Funeral Home in Horkans Charlestown on Saturday afternoon. Removal…

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been informed that 2 people with COVID-19 have died. There have now been a total of 1,714 COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland. 13 confirmed cases of COVID-19 were detected over the past 24 hours. There is now…

Father Dermot Meehan, Diocesan Administrator, Diocese of Achonry has this evening issued a statement on the death of Detective Garda Colm Horkan: Death always brings pain, leaves a major void in the lives of loved ones and raises questions. When death is…

Weather warnings have been issued for some coastal counties tomorrow, including Mayo and Galway. A yellow wind alert will begin at 9am in both counties, together with Clare, Cork and Kerry. Gusts of up to 100 kilometres are expected. And a rainfall warning…

The remains of Detective Garda Colm Horkan will be brought to his family home in Charlestown this evening. People will get a chance to pay their respects as they're brought through Ballaghaderreen, where he worked in the past. Preparations for a state funeral…

The 29th of this month is the date for the resumption of Church services, but the administrator of Westport says that date may be too soon. Fr Charlie McDonnell, says parishes are working at a phenomenal rate at present in an effort to ensure that churches…

The ‘big picture’ of the Programme for Government is a job stimulus package to restart the economy in July, followed by an economic plan to bring the country out of the Covid-19 financial fallout. That’s according to the Fianna Fail leader and prospective…

Ireland West Airport has confirmed a 30% reduction in staff levels as a direct result of Covid-19. The Managing Director of the Knock based Airport Joe Gilmore told Midwest Radio today that it’s an extremely difficult time for all concerned with so many new…

The government will consider new advice today on whether hairdressers and barbers should be allowed to re-open sooner than planned. They're not due to open until July 20th, but that could be brought forward to June 29th as the lifting of lockdown measures is…

Another four people with Covid-19 died in the Republic yesterday, and there were 16 new confirmed cases. The death toll now stands at 1,714, and the total number of cases is 25,355. Almost a third of the people diagnosed with the virus are healthcare workers.…

A man continues to be questioned at Castlerea Garda Station in connection with the murder of Garda Detective Colm Horkan. Hundreds of mourners attended a vigil in Castlerea last night paying their respects to the Charlestown native. Books of condolence are…

Retired Garda Sergeant John Hynes who led the 'House of Horrors' child abuse case in Roscommon has paid an emotional tribute to his "right hand man" Detective Garda Colm Horkan. Mr Hynes says that Detective Horkan "would leave no stone unturned to get justice…

Another four people with Covid 19 have died in the Republic, and there are 16 new confirmed cases. The death toll now stands at 1,714 and the total number of cases is 25,355.

An infectious diseases specialist says schools and creches should reopen as a matter of urgency. The National Public Health Emergency Team met again this morning to discuss the road map of lifting Covid-19 restrictions. Hairdressers and barbers reopening were…

A plan to help the west and border regions to compete economically with Dublin has been announced. The Northern and Western Regional Assembly proposal is aiming for a 50 percent increase in the population of Galway over the next 20 years. It also plans for…

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has described the murder of Detective Garda Colm Horkan as a random act. The 49 year old was on patrol in Castlerea, Co. Roscommon when he stopped a man who was creating a disturbance shortly before midnight. A physical…

HSE Health Promotion and Improvement has funded the Men’s Health Forum in Ireland (MHFI) to coordinate International Men’s Health Week (MHW) 2020 in Ireland. This runs from Monday June 15th until Sunday June 21st, Father’s Day. This year the theme is:…

A murder investigation is underway after a Detective Garda was shot dead last night in Castlerea, Co Roscommon. He's been officially named as Detective Garda Colm Horkan - a native of Charlestown in Co Mayo. Detective Horkan was shot at a number of times with…

A man has been arrested following a recent burglary at Islandeady Church, outside Castlebar. On the 1st June, the church was broken into and damage was caused to the door of the sacristy. A man in his 50's was arrested yesterday in connection with the…

As businesses reopen their doors with the easing of Covid-19 restrictions, Mayo County Council has introduced a new scheme to assist food businesses to get back on track. Cafés, bars, hotels and restaurants can apply to the council for a licence to put tables…

People will be allowed one hour and 45 minutes in pubs once they reopen from June 29th. It's part of the finalised guidelines for the sector published last night by Failte Ireland. There will be two hours between each booking - with 15 minutes set aside for…

A Garda who was shot and seriously injured in Castlerea last night has died from his injuries. The shooting incident took place on Main St in the town shortly before midnight. It's understood an ambulance crew that were in the area treated the detective, but…

A Garda who was shot and seriously injured in Castlerea last night has died from his injuries. The shooting incident took place in the town shortly before midnight. It's understood an ambulance crew that were in the area treated the detective, but he has…

Three more people with Covid 19 have died here. Eight new cases have also been announced. The death toll from the virus is now 1710 while there's a total of 25,341 confirmed cases. 

51,000 euro worth of drugs have been seized at Shannon Airport. One kilogram of vacuum packed blocks of Kratom with an estimated value of 40,600 euro was found, which was destined for an address in Co Mayo. While 10,400 euro worth of Kratom, which had a Co…

Irish Water and Roscommon County Council are advising customers in Ballaghaderreen Town and surrounding areas that their water supply has been impacted as a result of a burst to a water main. Approximately 800 properties are affected by this unplanned outage.…

Independent councillor James Charity has been elected as the new Cathaoirleach of Galway County council. Councillor Charity was elected as Chair following the County Council’s AGM yesterday evening. The new Cathaoirleach was proposed by Fine Gael councillor…

Gardai in Ballina are investigating after €10,000 worth of machinery was stolen from a Mayo County Council yard in the town overnight. Machinery – including a rock breaker and a generator – with an estimated combined value of €10,000 was stolen from the yard…

A free, anonymous and inclusive text service to provide support for people going through a mental health or emotional crisis has been launched by the government today. Minister for Rural and Community Development Michael Ring says “‘50808’ is a first of its…

A new date has been set for the Episcopal Ordination of Fr Paul Dempsey as Bishop of Achonry. The ordination was originally scheduled for mid-April, but was postponed due to Covid-19 restrictions. Fr Dempsey will be ordained Bishop of Achonry on Sunday 30th…

Additional funding for the cleaning of primary schools will be provided by the dept ahead of the re-opening of schools in September. That was confirmed yesterday by the General Secretary of the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) John Boyle. Many…

There are a number of "do’s and don’ts" about wearing face masks/covering during the Covid 19 pandemic, and among the do’s is to wash your face covering daily at a 60 degrees machine wash with detergent. That’s according to Dr Ciara Kelly, Public Health…

There's a jobs boost for Galway City this morning, as Triggerfish - Africa's most successful animation company - has announced it's to establish an animation studio in Galway. The project is expected to create 60 new jobs over the next 3 years. Triggerfish is…

The ‘no visiting’ restrictions remain in place at University Hospital Galway and Merlin Park Hospital in Galway. Hospital Management are again asking the public not to visit the hospitals other than end of life situations and other exceptional circumstances…

The campaign to secure a safer level crossing at Kinageer, outside Castlebar is continuing, and Irish Rail has agreed to send a delegation to next Wednesday’s Castlebar Municipal District meeting in response to a request from councillors to do so. At the May…

130 children were treated in hospitals across the West & northwest last year for drug and alcohol-related illnesses. Figures released under Freedom of Information show 81 girls and 49 boys were treated at hospitals in the Saolta Group for conditions related…

Elective surgery has re-commenced at Mayo University Hospital, following the coronavirus emergency. Much of the hospital's elective and non-emergency procedures were deferred during the crisis to ensure there was necessary space in the hospital to treat…

The recent trend of a low number of Covid-19 cases is continuing - with just three deaths and 14 new cases confirmed in the Republic yesterday. There were no new cases in Mayo, where the number of confirmed cases remains at 572. One additional case in Sligo…

Food-service businesses will only have to stick to 1-metre social-distancing rules when they reopen at the end of the month, if customers limit their time to 90 minutes. The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has issued new guidance for outlets that serve…

3 more people have died from Covid 19 in the Republic of Ireland. 14 cases of the virus have also been confirmed. The death toll from the virus is now 1709 while the number of confirmed cases stands at 25,334. Almost half of all cases have been reported in…

Galway West TD Eamon O'Cuiv has confirmed he will not support the Programme for Government. The Fianna Fail deputy believes there are a number of failings in the programme published yesterday, and also has significant concerns about Fianna Fail entering…

Gardai in Ballina are advising business owners and traders to be on alert for counterfeit 20 euro notes. A number of the dud notes were tendered in shops in Ballina earlier today, and Gardai are advising those involved in retail to be on alert for the…

A Mayo man, who posed as a 17-year old girl on Facebook and encouraged teenage boys to send him naked photographs of themselves, has been jailed for 18 months. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that during Garda interviews, 29 -year old Mark Keogh of…

Achill native Saoirse McHugh, who unsuccessfully ran for the Green Party in Mayo in last February’s General and Seanad elections, and Fianna Fáil’s Galway West TD Éamon Ó Cuív have today both said they would not be voting in favour of the government formation…

Mayo Fine Gael councillors are very clear – they do not support this document on government formation. They believe that what they term the “patchwork government” that would emerge from it, is not what the electorate want. That’s the view of the Fine Gael…

There’s welcome news for the community of Straide - with the completion of a new road at what has been an accident black spot in the area. The new road has been built to accommodate residents of Knockshanbally and Knocknakillew to prevent them having to…

No covid-19 patients were reported to have died in the Republic yesterday for the first day since March, while 18 further cases were confirmed here. There was one additional confirmed case in Mayo, bring the number of cases in the county to 572. There was no…

Clifden Beach in Galway is one of the four poorest quality bathing sites in Ireland. A new report by the European Environmental Agency has found that Ireland continues to have one of the worst records in Europe for bathing water quality. Merrion Strand,…

Sinn Féin TD for Roscommon/Galway Claire Kerrane has again called on the Minister for Transport Shane Ross to publish plans for the return of driving tests. Deputy Kerrane TOLD Midwest News today that she received figures from the Road Safety Authority with…

Today is the 70th anniversary of a plane crash that occurred on Achill Island on 16th June 1950. The plane was a converted Handley Page Halifax Bomber operated by the RAF and was on a routine meteorological survey. RG843 departed Aldergrove airport in Belfast…

No new deaths have been reported this evening due to Covid 19. 18 new cases of the virus have been confirmed. The number of deaths due to the virus remains at 1706, while the number of confirmed cases is 25,321.

Verdicts of murder were returned this afternoon at inquests into the deaths of two elderly Mayo brothers, who were bludgeoned to death at their home in Castlebar almost seven years ago. After delivering his verdicts, the Coroner for Mayo Patrick O’Connor said…

The Minister for Justice has praised the work of prison staff and prisoners in combating the threat of coronavirus. While launching the 2019 annual report of the Irish Prison Service, Minister Charlie Flanagan praised the efforts of prison staff, management,…

The Fianna Fail deputy leader, Mayo TD Dara Calleary, says the draft Programme for Government agreed earlier today addresses many of the concerns of party members who are reluctant to do a deal with Fine Gael and the Green Party. The leaders of Fine Gael,…

Drugs worth in the region of €1.2 million euro have been seized in the Mayo Garda Division, since the Divisional Drugs Taskforce was expanded six months ago. In addition to the drugs, over €12,500 in cash was seized and about €30,000 in counterfeit currency…

Two of the largest credit unions in Co Galway are planning to merge. St Jarlath's Credit Union, which has 8 branches across north Galway with 50,000 members, is to merge with St Anthony's & Claddagh Credit Union, which has two branches in Galway city and one…

Water supplies in areas of Kiltimagh have been impacted by a lightning strike at the local water treatment plant. The lightning strike last night during a thunder storm caused low pressure on the water supply scheme, which was followed by a watermain burst…

A deal has been reached to form the next government. The leaders of Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Greens have signed off on a programme for government in the last hour. The almost 140 page document covers all aspects of how the next government will function.…

A status yellow thunder warning is now in effect across much of the country - including counties Galway, Roscommon, Sligo and Leitrim. Met Eireann is forecasting scattered thunderstorms through this afternoon and evening, with heavy downpours of rain, and a…

Shopping centres have re-opened their doors this morning after being shut for three months because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Nursing homes are also opening to visitors today for the first time since March. Meanwhile, efforts are under way to find out what…

Large quanties of drugs and cash were seized by gardai in Ballina and Foxford over the weekend. On Friday night, the Divisional Drugs Task Force assisted by local gardai in Ballina searched two men in their early 20s in the town centre who were acting…

A man has been arrested and charged following a stabbing incident at Ballybane, Galway yesterday afternoon. At approximately 4 o’clock, Gardaí were called to the scene and discovered a man in his 40’s with an apparent stab wound. The man was taken to…

Efforts are under way to find out what protection antibodies may have against new infection of Covid-19. The HSE's starting a new study today of people in Sligo and Dublin to get an overall national estimate of infection in the population. New figures show…

There's going to be more stormy weather again today. Met Eireann has issue a weather advisory to last from 6am to 11 o'clock tonight. Western counties were worst hit by the thunderstorms yesterday, which saw thousands of people experience electricity outages.…

Gardaí are investigating a fatal road traffic collision involving a truck and a car that occurred on Saturday morning on the N5 at Belleek, in the Turlough area of Castlebar. The driver of the car, a man in his 70s died in hospital yesterday. He has been…

Fire crews remain at the scene this morning of a fire that broke out at Western Proteins in Ballyhaunis last night. The Ballyhaunis unit were alerted to the incident at 22:49 last night and, given the close proximity to the fire station were in attendance at…

Gardaí are investigating a fatal road traffic collision involving a truck and a car that occurred yesterday morning on the N5 at Belleek, Castlebar, County Mayo. The driver of the car, a man in his 70s, was taken by ambulance to Mayo University Hospital in a…

A further one person has died with Covid 19 in the Republic bringing the death toll since the outbreak began to 1,706. The Health Protection Surveillance Centre says there are 8 new confirmed cases of virus, to give an total of 25,303. Of those for whom…

Upgrading works on a link road between Tuam and south Mayo are expected to get underway in July. That's according to Tuam Fianna Fail Councillor Donagh Killilea, who confirmed that tenders on the R332 road scheme are due back this week. The road works will…

50 houses will be built on Golf Course Road in Westport by 2022. That's according to the Cathaoirleach of the West Mayo Municipal District Christy Hyland. The Independent Councillor confirmed to Midwest News that the project is going to part eight planning in…

The ESB's urging people to charge mobile phones and check torch batteries in case of power cuts this evening. Lightning strikes knocked out supply to thousands of homes last night, and more storms are forecast today. Status Yellow Thunder alerts have been…

A spike in coronavirus cases shouldn't be taken as a sign the outbreak's bouncing back, according to the Chief Medical Officer. 22 of the 46 Covid-19 cases reported yesterday were delayed from earlier in the week. The Department of Health says they were held…

People will be able to visit loved ones in nursing homes for the first time in months from tomorrow. The facilities closed to visitors in mid-March following the outbreak of Covid-19. Only facilties that have been Covid free for 28 days are open from…

There's a call on the Government to give schools a financial package so they can re-open safely in September. Labour TD Aodhan O'Riordan says they'll need a huge amount of resources so they can be clean and hygienic. He claims the Education Minister has not…

A 26-year-old woman was rescued while climbing the cone section of Croagh Patrick yesterday. The Mayo Mountain Rescue team were tasked by Gardaí at half past one in the afternoon to assist a casualty who had sustained a head injury after a fall while on the…

The N5 reopened to traffic outside Castlebar at approximately 6pm yesterday evening following a serious collision between a lorry and a car. Gardaí and emergency services attended the scene of the incident, which occurred at around 10am in the morning on…

There have been another 46 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Ireland. However, officials say that number does not represent a single daily increase, and the cases were instead spread out over a number of days. Figures released by the Department of Health this…

Gardaí in Sligo town arrested a man brandishing an axe last night. Gardaí attended within minutes after receiving the call and arrested the male. He was conveyed to Ballymote Garda Station and later charged with having possession of an offensive weapon. He…

It will not be financially viable for a lot of pubs to reopen while Covid-19 restrictions remain in place. That’s the view of the Mayo Chairman of the Vintners Federation of Ireland Alan Gielty of Gielty’s Bar and Restaurant Dooagh, Achill. The publican says…

The number of people waiting for some form of public healthcare has passed 800,000. Figures from the National Treatment Purchase Fund show over 11,800 patients were added in May. The National Patients Association says the issue of overcrowding isn't a new…

The country's largest teachers union says it would be "unacceptable" if any solution to reopen schools deviated from public health advice. A new report shows the current two-metre rule means primary school students only attending class one day a week, and…

A further 3 people with Covid-19 died in the Republic yesterday, bringing the death toll here to 1,705. 13 new cases of the virus were also confirmed, meaning there have now been 25,250 cases recorded since the outbreak began over 3 months ago. Roscommon is…

The N5 is closed to traffic outside Castlebar following a serious collision between a lorry and a car. Gardaí and emergency services are at the scene of the incident, which occurred at around 10am near Windsor. Midwest News understands that there was one…

A further 3 people with Covid-19 have died here, bringing the death toll in this country to 1,705. Latest Department of Health figures show 13 new cases of the virus have also been confirmed, meaning there have now been 25,250 cases recorded since the…

Primary school students may only return to school one day a week if the 2 metre social distancing rules are kept in place. It would also mean students in secondary could only attend school twice a week. If it was reduced to one metre primary school students…

The Minister for Rural and Community Development says the Government’s allocation of €50 million for beef farmers will be a huge boost to Mayo beef farmers and to rural communities in the county. Minister Michael Ring was speaking in relation to today’s…

A proposed extension for St Oliver Plunkett NS at Creggs Road in Ballina has gone to tender. The new extension will consist of a single storey extension consisting of three classrooms, as well as alterations to the front entrance of the school and a link…

Brogan’s EUROSPAR Belmullet and Kennedy’s EUROSPAR Swinford were due to receive both a Customer First EUROSPAR award and a Top of the Tree accolade at a gala celebration evening in March. Unfortunately, due to the health crisis, that was not possible and…

Irish Water, working in partnership with Mayo County Council is working to restore the water supply to Corclough West, Belmullet following a watermain burst. Approximately 65 homes in Corclough West, Gladree, Tarmoncarra and surrounding areas including houses…

Anti-slavery campaigner Aidan McQuade is leading the charge for the removal of a statue commemorating John Mitchel in Newry and also believes that GAA clubs around the country should consider renaming their clubs after what he terms “the pro-slavery…

Communities across the region are mourning the loss of retired Galway priest Canon Kevin Early, who has passed away at the age of 79. The Ballymoe native was a teacher and served as principal of Summerhill College in County Sligo for a number of years and…

A Galway West Fianna Fail TD says it's 'make up your mind time' when it comes to government formation. Significant progress has been made in talks between Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and the Green Party. Some key sticking points have been ironed out and optimism…

The Government is set to announce a financial aid package for the beef sector. Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed will bring details of a support scheme to Cabinet, which could pump millions of euro into the sector. Last year farmers took to the streets…

People are being urged to do all they can to avoid contracting Covid-19, yet, 92 per cent of cases recover in full. Public health officials are concerned about complacency setting in with the virus, as the vast majority of the over 25,000 cases in this…