Donegal Town News and Blog

Motorist caught speeding at 197 km/h walks free (from Ocean FM)
A 19 year old walked free from Donegal District Court this week having been apprehended travelling at 197 kilometres per hour (almost 120mph).

Paul McAteer of Lismonaghan, Letterkenny faced one charge of dangerous driving.

The charge was struck out at Donegal Town District Court on Wednesday last.

He was stopped by Gardai on March 12th last.

But according to the Judge, the dangerous driving charge wasn’t the right one. He said the case was more of a speed factor.

 Lucky man, at the very least he could have gotten his licence taken away for a few years.

McAteer claimed he was ‘late for his dinner’ and also said that he was so drunk he didn’t know what speed he was actually doing. He claimed that it was his first time driving that type of car, as he had just stolen it, and didn’t think it went that fast. He vowed never to get caught by the law again.

What’s happening in Donegal these days? It reads like something out of Inner City Dublin. Does anyone know the culprits involved?

The stories below are all from Ocean FM. Be warned, they make for harrowing reading:

Substantial cannabis seizure in Donegal Town
Meanwhile, Gardai in Donegal Town arrested a man in his 20’s on Saturday night last having seized cannabis with a street value of approximately €2,000 from a house in Drumrooke estate.

Cannabis resin along with a number of plants were seized from the house. A file will be prepared for the DPP.

Three men were also arrested at Main Street in Donegal Town after a BMW was vandalised on Saturday night. Local Gardai are also appealing for information relating to the vandalism of a car at Brookfield Manor on the old Laghey road on Saturday night.

They do not believe both incidents are connected.

Man stable after Donegal baseball bat attack
Up to three men were involved in last night’s attack in Donegal Town which has left a 19 year old man in hospital.

The three men broke down the door of the man’s house at St Mary’s Park and beat him with a baseball bat about the head. The man’s mother was in the house at the time and witnessed the incident which took place between 1 and 2 o’clock this morning.

The man was removed to Letterkenny General Hospital where he is this evening in a stable condition.

Drink driving arrests continue in Donegal Town
Gardai in Donegal Town arrested a total of four people for suspected drink driving on Sunday last.

The latest arrests come following six similar arrests the previous weekend as part of a daytime crackdown on motorists who may be over the legal alcohol limit the morning after.

Three people were arrested between the hours of 5am and 1pm on Sunday last while one further arrest was made, again in the Donegal Town area, between 4 and 10pm the same day.

Local Gardai are using new powers bestowed on them under recent legislation to randomly test motorists for alcohol in their system.

One further arrest for suspected drink driving was made in Donegal Town on Sunday afternoon at 2.30pm but this was not as a result of the Garda checkpoints.