Following an historic night in Paris, locals in Grange have been giving reaction to Mona McSharry's medal winning performance to Ocean FM News this evening.

Following her bronze medal success in Monday's 100m breaststroke, Mona McSharry's attention has turned quickly to her next event. The Grange native goes in heat one of the 200m breaststroke heats at 10am on Wednesday morning. McSharry did enjoy a brief embrace with her family and support group following Monday's final at the La Défense Arena before…

Celebrations are continuing in Grange, Ballyshannon and Paris as Mona McSharry's dreams of becoming an Olympic medalist have become a reality. Following an enthralling 100m breaststroke race at Paris' La Défense Arena, she just pipped Italy's Benedetta Pinato to the podium in a time of 1.05.59. It had been a very different feeling after an 8th plac…

There is no doubt that Mona McSharry’s return to Sligo will be marked in some way. That’s according to mayor of Sligo’s borough district, Cllr Tom MacSharry when asked about a potential homecoming for the Olympian. Ms McSharry won a bronze medal last night in the 100m breaststroke, which was Ireland’ first in the pool in 28 years. Cllr MacSharry sa…

Mona McSharry's Olympic success was not built overnight. That's the view of local councillor Donal Gilroy, who has been paying tribute to coaches and volunteers who have helped her get to where she is today. McSharry took bronze in the final of the 100m breaststroke at the Paris Olympics last night, and became Sligo's first ever Olympic medal winne…

People in the north west who are certified as medically unfit to drive for a year or more will now be able to apply for a free travel pass. It is the first time a pass has been available to those not in receipt of a pension or qualifying social welfare payment. The scheme, announced as part of Budget 2024, allows eligible people to access free trav…

The Prison Officers Association has condemned an arson attack on a prison officer’s home. The attack occurred last night and has been described as “sinister in nature” and could have led to the loss of life. It is believed to have been a targeted incident, with the government now being called upon to provide immediate intervention. Gabriel Keaveny,…

The supercar event Cannonball will be coming to Leitrim this year. The show will be taking a pit-stop on Sunday, September 8th at 1pm at Lough Rynn Castle. Cannonball is the largest organised road trip in Europe featuring 200 supercars, and attracts over 200,000 spectators with family free events, while raising money for Irish charities. Alan Banno…

Despite fears over safety issues at Clarke’s Bridge junction on the N17, there are no immediate plans for the development of a roundabout at the location. Sligo County Council contacted Transport Infrastructure Ireland regarding the situation, but the TII said it does not meet the criteria for a high collision location. Ballymote-Tubbercurry Fine G…

Mayo Fine Gael TD Michael Ring has announced that he will not contest the next general election. Deputy Ring was first elected to the Dáil in 1994 as part of a by-election and would go on to retain his seat for the next 30 years. A former Minister for Rural and Community Development, Deputy Ring is the 15th sitting TD from the Fine Gael party who w…

Warnings have been issued over the use of E-scooters in both rural and urban areas throughout county Sligo. Sligo-Strandhill Councillor Arthur Gibbons has expressed concern after three teenagers have lost their lives on e-scooters in recent weeks while several others have been left with serious injuries. The Sinn Féin Councillor is calling for Gard…

Donegal County Council has offered to close off a car park at the Bank of Ireland on Sundays to provide space for bikers in Donegal town. This was a solution suggested today at the meeting of Biker representatives and Donegal County Council. Bikers have traditionally stopped on the Diamond on Sundays and are regarded as big contributors to the loca…

Listen back to the 2024 ZuCar LGFA All-Ireland minor football final between Sligo and Tyrone, at Brewster Park in Enniskillen. Match commentary from Ray Lannon and Nikki Brennan.

Locals in Ballincarrow have sought for a redevelopment of a junction to be scrapped. There have been long-running issues in relation to speed travelling through the village, which is where residents see the priority of roads funding should be. With major developments such as a bypass being at least ten years away, safety measures have been called f…

It has been revealed that Ireland now has the second-highest excise tax rate on drinks and hospitality in Europe. A recent survey carried out by the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland shows that Ireland is second only to Finland when it comes to paying excise duty on drinks. It was found that Ireland pays 3,458 euro in excise duty per 100 litres of a…

Questions remain over inadequate neurology cover at Letterkenny University Hospital. Earlier this year, the Neurological Alliance of Ireland launched a support campaign targeting elected representatives on the matter. It's estimated that the waiting time for a first-time appointment to see the neurologist at the facility is around 18 months. As a r…

A Sligo Cllr has criticised the County Council over their refusal to prioritise safety improvements on a local road. Following two fatalities on the R290 between Kilross and Castle Dargan at Dunamurray, Cllr Thomas Walsh requested an application for funding to upgrade the road. The council's response was that due to the complexity and size of the p…

Calls have been made locally for the underfunding of the pharmacy sector to be addressed. In its pre-budget submission, the Irish Pharmacy Union say pharmacists are being paid less than they were twenty years ago. IPU President and Donegal-based Tom Murray says the sector is seriously close to becoming unviable based on a variety of issues such as …

A new Government scheme aimed at young fishermen has been described as both reckless and irresponsible. The Young Fisher Scheme provides grant aid of up to 40% for people under age 40 to buy their first fishing vessel. However, costs will still amount to around 290,000 euro to get a boat ready to go to sea, which paired with issues surrounding quot…

Ocean FM Sport pays a visit to Mona McSharry's home village of Grange in north Sligo, ahead of Monday evening's Olympic 100m breaststroke final in Paris.

The Irish flag is to be raised at the City Hall in Sligo today in honour of the county's four Olympians. Boxer Dean Clancy, swimmer Mona McSharry, and athletes Chris O'Donnell and Lauren Cadden are all part of the biggest team Ireland have ever sent to the Olympic games. McSharry competes in the final of the 100m breastroke this evening, while ther…

Sligo's Mercedes Taaffe-Cooper developed a big reputation as a champion kickboxer - and coach to several elite boxers. Now living in Australia, she works as a psychologist and has developed the 'Counterpunch' programme, which combines the sport of boxing with psychology to help teenagers develop their own lifeskills, particularly those who may need…

Sligo LGFA minor gaelic footballers reflect on Saturday's historic 1-13 to 0-7 All-Ireland 'B' final success against Tyrone which secured a first-ever All-Ireland title for the county. Reaction here from players and management, beginning with Sligo's midfield maestro, Cara King.

Hundreds gathered at St. Anne’s Church in Sligo on Saturday afternoon for the funeral mass of Very Reverand Fr. Dominic Gillooly. Fr. Gillooly, originally from Mount Cashel in county Roscommon passed away on Monday at Sligo University Hospital. Fr. Gillooly served the local community for 41 years. He retired in 2015 but remained on at St. Anne’s se…

It's emerged that over thirty chicks of endangered bird species are to be released into the wild in the north west after a successful breeding initiative. Among those, is the curlew, who's population in Ireland has declined by 98% over the past 30 years. Co-funded by the Department of Agriculture and NPWS, the project, entitled 'Breeding Waders Eur…

The Sligo Chair of the IFA has reviewed the importance of Farm Safety Week as it concludes today. The initiative is run by the Irish Farmers Association with the intention of raising awareness around safety issues on farms. The agriculture sector amounts up to 50% of workplace fatalities, due to the various hazards faced in the line of work. Michae…

The lack of high-powered charging points for electric vehicles in the North West has been criticised by a local Cllr. A new rollout will see 131 charging stations across the motorway network, excluding Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal. Sligo-Drumcliffe Independent Cllr Marie Casserly highlighted that a number of issues are discouraging locals from buying…

The local Fine Gael contest for the next General Election is starting to heat up. Nominations for the party's selection convention are set to open shortly and a number of hopefuls have already expressed their intentions to seek nomination. The party's selection convention in Sligo/Leitrim is set to take place on September 1st. Sitting Fine Gael TD …

There's a planned change to the road network in south Donegal. The proposed development involves installing a roundabout on the N15 at the Laghey junction. The project has been in the pipeline for some time with design and other works already completed. Donegal County Council is hosting an information evening to inform and provide details Tuesday 3…

Calls have been made in Leitrim to determine the amount of local land ownership, and the impact it has on the local economy. Concerns have been raised over the amount of money that leaves the county, due to land being owned externally and used for non-agricultural means, such as forestry. Independent Manorhamilton Cllr Eddie Mitchell highlighted th…

Only one drinking water private drinking water supply in the North West has failed to meet E. coli standards. Today's EPA report shows 22 of these schemes failed the standard for E. coli, putting the health of around 4,600 consumers at risk. The scheme affected in this region is on Tory Island in Donegal, with none impacted across Sligo or Leitrim.…

Calls have been made for more government supports to prevent the collapse of live local events. It comes as the highly-anticipated Sligo Air Show was to take place this weekend, but had to cancel due to the costs of the operation. Another high-profile cancellation in the North West region was the Wild Roots Festival, with more happening across the …

Ireland has 133 athletes competing at the Paris Games over the next fortnight – its biggest ever Olympic team. Eight of them are local: Four from Sligo and four from Donegal. We give you the lowdown on the local hopes across the Olympic sports of Athletics, badmintion, boxing and swimming.

Donegal County Council has announced a Speed Limit Public Consultation over the reduction of speed on some local roads. The process will be carried out for 30 days, starting on August 1st, with the aim of addressing the rise in road deaths when compared to last year. Certain rural roads are being considered to be lowered from 80 to 60km, with town …

The government have bottled the new funding plan for RTÉ. That's according to Sinn Fein Manorhamilton Cllr Padraig Fallon, on the newly announced €725 million funding package announced yesterday by the government. The funding will be comprised of the TV licence fee and exchequer revenue over a three year period. Cllr Fallon says there is a sense of…

The former IFA national vice chairperson, Seán Tempany has been described as an “encyclopaedia of knowledge” following his passing. A native of Templeboy, Mr Tempany passed away on Tuesday in the care of the Sligo University Hospital surrounded by his loving family. Mr Tempany held a number of roles in the IFA, both locally and nationally and serve…

Despite the HSE recruitment embargo being lifted, not all vacancies will be guaranteed to be filled in the North West region. It was revealed at the most recent Regional Health Forum West meeting that staffing levels will be addressed in terms of priority. Any persons who had a job offer prior to the embargo, will find the contract honoured, but ot…

There's major concern over the future of housing developments along the N56 in Donegal. The route spans from Donegal Town, right around the south west coast and back into Letterkenny. This week, it emerged that the Government is seeking to prevent further development along the road from the County Development Plan. Local Independent Cllr Michael Mc…

A cautious welcome has been given to the 'Access to Cash' bill. The Department of Finance says legislative intervention was needed to stop more ATMs being removed from communities as banks move away from cash post-pandemic. The 'Access to Cash' bill enshrines the use of cash in law and will allow the Central Bank to intervene where rural areas do n…

Cabinet has given approval for the Donegal TEN-T Priority Route Improvement Project to move to the planning stage. The project looks to address critical transport deficiencies along three targeted sections- the Ballybofey-Stranorlar bypass, Letterkenny to Manorcunningham and Manorcunnuingham to Lifford, linking the A5 in Strabane. Donegal TD and Mi…

For the second year in a row, Sligo contest the All-Ireland ZuCar minor 'B' football championship final when they take on Tyrone this Saturday (July 27th) in Brewster Park, Enniskillen. Ocean FM Sport's Dónal Ryan spoke with some of the Sligo players ahead of the match, including team captain Ciara Walsh, Jade Gabbidon, Rachel McGoldrick, Jasmine D…

A number of colourful umbrellas have popped up over Water Lane in Sligo. They're part of wider Summer Street decoration initiative by Sligo BID. It's planned to roll out more decorations in and around the town in the coming weeks. The umbrella concept has already been a huge success in the likes of Camden Market in London and in the Cathedral Quart…

Criminal barristers continue to strike in Sligo and nationwide today as their legal fees dispute rumbles on. The protests centre on calls for the government to implement an independent mechanism to determine legal fees, which the government had previously committed to. Sligo County Prosecutor, Leo Mulrooney attended the protest and highlighted how …

There have been calls locally to ease the drain of recently qualified doctors and nurses to other countries. Debts incurred during their studies has forced many graduates to seek employment opportunities abroad. Councillor Justin Warnock feels that with an increase in numbers on waiting lists, Ireland cannot afford to lose its talent. The Fianna Fá…

A Donegal Sinn Fein TD has defended the timing of the party's launch of a policy document, which outlines their plan for international protection. Sinn Fein is calling for more asylum seeker accommodation centres to be located in middle-class areas across the country. They want criteria such as the availability of GPs and school places, proximity t…

It's been claimed that recycling habits among Sligo people have changed which could be resulting in a big increase in the use of bottle banks. While there's been a big uptake in the Deposit Return Scheme, it's also thought that consumers locally are now buying more bottles, owing to the extra charge on cans. A number of bottle banks in and around S…

It's claimed that the Emergency Department in Sligo University Hospital is in a deplorable state. It's emerged that at the beginning of this week, one patient waited to be seen for over 20 hours while several others waited throughout the night. Independent Cllr Michael Clarke says he's deeply concerned over the huge pressure the hospital seems to b…

Barristers are returning to strike action for a third time this month later on today. The industrial action follows disputes between barristers and the Government as the council of the bar of Ireland are seeking a binding, independent and time-limited mechanism to set legal aid fees, paid to criminal barristers by the DPP. Barristers in Sligo will …

It has been revealed that drugs are being brought into Irish prisons through the use of drones. A recent drug overdose resulting in a prisoner fatality has brought the situation to national attention. There has been long-standing issues surrounding overcrowding in Irish prions, with the availability of drugs only further heightening tensions among …

Sinn Fein's new plans on immigration policy has been questioned by a former Manorhamilton local election candidate. The party says that audits should be carried out before international protection applicants are placed in communities, to assess the level of services available. It had previously been argued that many rural areas did not have the hea…