Ocean FM News Reports

The Taste of Sligo Food Festival has announced its return for 2025 and its set to be bigger and better.

The event has now been extended to three days and will run from Friday 19th to Sunday 21st September.

Cookery demonstrations, al fresco dining, live music and kids' entertainment as well as dozens of artisan food stalls and food trucks will all feature over the course of the weekend.

Local Restaurateur Anthony Gray says the event ...

Temperatures are set to hit the high twenties in the North West tomorrow.

A yellow high temperature warning will take effect in the midlands and East at midday until 6am tomorrow.

That will be extended to Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal and the rest of the country tomorrow, while the Department of Agriculture has issued a red warning for extreme risk of gorse and forest fires until next Monday.

Kenneth Conlon from the Donegal Weather Channel...

It’s claimed that there’s a staffing crisis at Killybegs Community Hospital.

It comes following revelations that there’s a total of 13 beds closed at the facility.

This is said to be the direct result of staffing issues and that its problem that has been ongoing for some time.

There are fears that if the necessary staff are not recruited soon, it’ll have a big impact on both Sligo and Letterkenny Un...

A public meeting over the housing crisis is taking place in Sligo this weekend.

It's being organised by the Raise the Roof campaign Sligo and is getting underway in the Glasshouse Hotel, Sligo tomorrow night at 8.00.p.m.

The Raise the Roof campaign is a trade unions sponsored campaign which has the support of numerous political parties, students' unions and community groups who are demanding action on the housing crisis.

Speakers wil...

People are being warned to take extreme care as temperatures reach up to 29 degrees today.

14 counties come under a yellow warning for high temperatures from midday.

That will be extended to Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal and the rest of the country tomorrow, while the Department of Agriculture has issued a red warning for extreme risk of gorse and forest fires until next Monday.

Alan O'Reilly from Carlow Weather says it will become even hot...

There are further calls on Irish Rail to 'figure out' a return of the catering service on the Sligo to Dublin train.

The tea trolley has made a comeback on services in other parts of the country, after it was pulled during the pandemic but it has yet to be reinstated on the Sligo line.

In recent weeks, an independent cart appeared at the station at Dromad in Leitrim selling teas and coffees.

Speaking in the Seanad, Labour Senator N...

The Tánaiste has admitted that there seems to be a deficit in public transport in south Sligo.

It follows comments made in the Dail by Fianna Fail TD Eamon Scanlon, who believes that the local link should be integrated more with health services.

This is despite the NTA stating in recent weeks that there's no plans to provide a local link on the N17 as the route is funded by Bus Eireann and other commercial operators.

Responding, Si...

The Taoiseach believes that there has been significant investment in Letterkenny University Hospital over the years.

The comments come following yesterday's shocking report from the Irish Cancer Society, which shows that only 12% of cancer patients at the hospital start treatment within the recommended time frame.

Meanwhile a battle is ongoing in Donegal for the planned North West surgical hub to be situated in Letterkenny and not Sl...

There's further calls for speed cameras to be installed on the N15 and the N17 in County Sligo.

Currently there's cameras on the N17 in County Mayo and it's thought that introducing more in the North West would improve driver behaviour and road safety.

Independent Cllr Marie Casserly says there's been a large number of collisions on both of these primary routes in County Sligo.

She feels that the cameras would be beneficial in curbi...

Uisce Eireann is facing increasing pressure over a number of outstanding issues in Sligo.

The utility has yet to outline why it didn't send representatives to a key meeting on Storm Eowyn earlier this year.

Questions have also been asked over what protocols have been put in place to future proof to ensure the same level of destruction doesn't happen again.

Fianna Fáil Cllr Barry Gallagher isn't happy with the service that the compa...

It's thought that the ongoing North West surgical hub controversy presents an opportunity to establish two - one in Sligo and one in Letterkenny.

It comes the Taoiseach has denied that Sligo was earmarked for a hub as part of Government formation talks.

Michael Martin made the remarks during an exchange with Donegal Sinn Fein TD Padraig MacLochlainn.

Speaking to Ocean FM news, Deputy MacLochlainn says he's done the costings, and tw...

The Taoiseach has confirmed that the HSE is still studying a feasibility Study in relation to the location of a surgical hub in the North West.

Michael Martin stopped short of confirming that a surgical hub for Sligo was part of a Government formation deal.

In a Dáil exchange with Donegal TD Padraig Pádraig Mac Lochlainn, The Fianna Fáil Leader confirmed that Junior Minister Marian Harkin is strongly advocating for ...

Some business owners in Strandhill have warned against moving ahead with the controversial Strandhill Enhancement Project.

Earlier this week, Councillors voted for the project to proceed, paving the way for a series of changes designed to revitalise the coastal village, including a reduction of car parking at the seafront.

Despite council assurances that the changes will benefit tourism and the local environment in the lo...

People in the North West can’t keep up with the rising cost of groceries, the Dail has heard.

Irish grocery prices are the third highest in Europe, with most families now spending 3 thousand euro more a year to put food on the table.

Opposition parties are calling on the Government to make large supermarkets publish their yearly financial accounts.

Sinn Fein and Donegal TD Pearse Doherty, says people simply can’t keep paying the high ...

A Sligo Leitrim TD says efforts will be intensified over the coming weeks to ensure that a number of children with autism will be given access to a school place in west Sligo in the new academic year.

Presently, Owenbeg National School has space for only one child with three others looking to avail of such services.

Parents and school staff have requested the NCSE to re-open the second special class so that al...