By PATSY McARDLE
FUEL racketeers along the Mid-Monaghan Border with South Armagh caused some pre-Christmas traffic chaos when they dumped huge consignments of sludge from laundered diesel on a number of routes in South Monaghan, including the N2 Dublin-Derry Road near Carrickmacross prior to Christmas Eve.
Fire services from Carrickmacross and Castleblayney were called out to deal with the emergency posed by the dumping at a number of locations and prevent oil slicks developing which it was feared would pose serious hazards for traffic.
Gardai were forced …

By PATSY McARDLE
JUDGEMENT in a landmark Supreme Court Constitutional challenge taken by JES Holdings Limited, which represent the Shirley Estate in South Monaghan, against the State and a number of leading Carrickmacross businessmen, represented by Mr. Gus O’Gorman, of the town’s leading Market Square Super Valu Shopping Centre, was expected to be announced today (Wed) but maybe deferred until the new year.
Well known Carrickmacross lawyer, Mr. Martin Crilly—who has spearheaded the huge legal action on behalf of a major section of the Carrickmacross …

By Veronica Corr
Voluntary Caretaker Eddie Byrne was delighted to report to The Northern Standard that the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto on Castle Street, at the foot of Convent Hill adjoining the Ardee Road, has been restored to its former glory.
In fact, it has been enhanced, as in addition to the original Our Lady of Lourdes statue being replaced, a statue of St. Brigid kneeling before Her has been installed, complimented by a marble and gold plaque acknowledging the benevolence of townspeople and Carrickmacross Town Council.
Security at the grotto …

By Veronica Corr
The Mayor of Carrickmacross Town Council Noel Keelan has welcomed the news that the vacated construction site on the town’s Ardee Road, the only NAMA site in County Monaghan, has been sold.
The new Boston-based owners of the site are Eddie Byrne, originally from Killanny, and Tom McElroy, originally from Cork, trading under the name North East Construction Limited.
ERA Tobin Estate Agents, O’Neill St., Carrickmacross, were the vendors charged with selling commercial site.
John Tobin said that ERA Tobin, were appointed as estate agents representing the property at the beginning …

By PATSY McARDLE
A SOUTH Monaghan man, who is a member of a highly esteemed family near Carrickmacross, has received a top global engineering award for a range of mind-boggling and unique construction projects in the Middle East.
David Murray, who is son of well known Fine Gael county councillor Aidan Murray and Anne Murray of Rahans, has received the highest prestigious international engineering award on the world circuit for his outstanding performances.
Although now based in the Middle East, Mr. Murray has literally …

veronica corr
Carrickmacross Town Council passed a vote of congratulations to retired Garda duo Valerie and Anthony Campion at Monday’s meeting.
They also plan to make a presentation to the couple at a future meeting of Carrickmacross Town Council.
Fianna Fail Cllr. Padraig McNally, who was in attendance of their retirement function in the Nuremore Hotel last Thursday night, said that Valerie had been the first female Garda ever to be stationed in Carrickmacross 28 years ago.
Their former colleagues in Carrickmacross Garda Station were delighted that the retiring husband and wife got the …

A man from a Travellers background who was arrested for a public order breach in Carrickmacross last Sunday night and who had 118 previous convictions was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment at Monaghan District Court on Monday, in a case where the defendant’s tragic personal circumstances were also outlined.
John McDonagh (42) of St Margaret’s Halting Site, Finglas, and with a new address at 2 St Vincent’s Park, Navan admitted to the court that he was intoxicated in public and had failed to comply with garda directions at Drummond …

By PATSY McARDLE
FARMERS and other residents in the South Monaghan area have expressed strong condemnation over the dumping last week of diesel sludge—a product of illicit fuel laundering by racketeers—on the Crossmaglen Road outside Carrickmacross.
Last week, a Monaghan county council environment team was called to deal with a possible pollution threat posed by the illicit dumping.
The emergency clearance operation was necessary to prevent diesel sludge—the substance left after a fuel “doctoring” operation to remove colouring from tax-rebated fuel so that it …

By PATSY McARDLE
A 29-years-old Carrickmacross man who was the driver of a car which claimed three lives, and the life of an unborn infant, in a horrific crash in South Monaghan, was ordered to spend three years in prison by a judge at a sitting of the Circuit Criminal Court in Carrickmacross on Tuesday last.
Kevin McArdle of Longfield, Carrickmacross, appeared in custody and pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death in the wake of a three-vehicle …

A 33-years-old Co. Monaghan female shop assistant who stole in excess of €80,000 from her employer over a period of several weeks in 2009 and 2010 was ordered by a judge to undertake 240 hours community service, as an alternative to a two-year jail sentence at Monaghan Circuit Criminal Court on Tuesday.
Linda Creegan, of 4, The Grove, Corduff, Carrickmacross, and also with an address at Ardenew, Longwood, Co. Meath, pleaded guilty to five charges of stealing cash in excess of €80,192 from Terry Cassidy …