By Patsy McArdle

MONAGHAN folk, and their friends from all over the Greater London area, and indeed from as far as St.. Albans and Northampton, packed St. Joseph’s Parish Centre in Luton for the annual Monaghan Association Beds and Herts’ Christmas Party on Saturday night which was a fun-filled social function organized in the traditional spirit of the festive season—and an abundance of the fare and Irish spirits associated with the occasion!.
There was a great renewal of ‘home county’ friendships and all the guests thoroughly enjoyed themselves as past times on the home sod were vividly recalled .
Many families from the northern end of the county were represented as well as those from Carrickmacross, Inniskeen, Blayney, and Ballybay, as well as Clones.
Members of The Magwood family from Scotstown traveled all the way from Northampton.
Smithboro man Vince Shuel, a well known photographer for Irish publications in the Greater London area, who was also recently named as “Person of the Year” was among the guests—and kept his camera clicking as our photographs show!