A civic reception is being held in Sligo for President Catherine Connolly. 

It’s getting underway in Council Chamber in Riverside this Thursday. 

Sligo will be the first County in Ireland to hold such an event for the President. 

Cathaoirleach of Sligo County Council Cllr Donal Gilroy says a number of important local issues will be highlighted to the President as part of the visit: 

A number of school secretaries and caretakers based in the North West will be watching with interest the outcome of a pensions dispute which will be heard by the Labour Court today.

Talks at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) aimed at resolving the row broke down in November.

2,600 school secretaries and caretakers, who are members of the Fórsa trade union in 2,000 schools are thought to be impacted.

The dispute centres round a Government commitment to negotiate pension entitlements that are comparable with teachers and Special Needs Assistants.

Forsa member and Manorhamilton based secretary Frank Considine says he is hopeful of positive outcome today

A Leitrim Councillor is calling for short-term letting rules to be amended.

The lets offered by companies such as Airbnb allow for tourists to travel and stay in the North West.

However some feel it is forcing people without homes to live in hotel rooms.

Sinn Fein Councillor Brendan Barry says these lets should be kept for families in need:

The Cathaoirleach of the Local Authority in Sligo says that consideration should be given to the construction of further business parks in Sligo.

Already this year there are calls for local councils to be given more powers to develop business parks in their areas with concern being expressed that many rural SMEs are falling through the cracks because they don't have room to grow.

Cllr Donal Gilroy says that with clarification now being established as regards the accurate commercial vacancy rate in Sligo there is the scope to develop more business parks in the County.

A North West MEP is calling on all Irish MEP’s to do everything in their power to reject the Mercosur deal.

 Irish MEPs are heading back to Brussels this week to address the controversial trade deal.

They plan to meet colleagues from other countries, including Italy and France, where MEPs are reported to be wavering.

The deal was provisionally approved by EU member states last week.

Midlands–North-West MRP Ciarán Mullooly says he will write to Irish colleagues asking them to represent Ireland’s interests.

Listen back to highlights of the 2026 All-Ireland junior club hurling final between Easkey (Sligo) and Kilbrittain (Cork) at Croke Park, on Saturday, January 10th, 2026.

Match commentary on Ocean FM Sport came from Liam Maloney & Paul Seavers.

People aged 65 in North West estimated to double by 2046

Mixed reaction to government's short-term let policy

Hospital overcrowding in the North West is at crisis point and worsened by the flu season.

This comes as nearly 470 patients were treated on trolleys or chairs at Sligo and Letterkenny hospitals this week.

The INMO is calling for increased bed capacity and fully staffed emergency, medical, and surgical departments.

Speaking to Ocean Fm News Cllr Marie Casserly and member of the Regional Health Forum says more step-down facilities, stronger primary care access, and better home support are urgently needed.

The parents of Leona Harper, who was one of ten people who died in the Creeslough explosion, are renewing their calls for a public inquiry.
The explosion at the Applegreen service station in County Donegal on October 7th 2022 killed 10 people and left eight in hospital.

Leona Harper was 14 at the time; she would have been celebrating her 18th birthday today.

Her father, Hugh Harper says he and his wife and other victims’ families are still searching for answers: