COOTEHILL’S LIVESTOCK MART TO REOPEN IN SPRING OF NEXT YEAR

By Michael McDonnell
michael@northern-standard.ie

It is intended that the livestock mart in Cootehill will reopen at some time in February or March of next year, a development which will be welcomed by the local farming community and would also be a boost to the economy of the town in general.
The premises on Cootehill’s Station Road had for many years been a hive of activity, especially on Mondays and Wednesdays when the cattle and sheep marts were held respectively.
But the large galvanised shed had become something of an eyesore after trading at the mart ceased during the 2001 foot and mouth disease outbreak.
Mr Jimmy Brady, the owner of the premises, whose father Tom Brady founded it back in the 1960s, said works were ongoing to update and refurbish the entire premises, which he hoped to see up and running in the early spring of next year.
The mart in Cootehill had been the first of a series of marts established by the Brady family, including those at Cavan, Carnaross, Mohill and Dowra, which are still in operation.
New office and canteen facilities (the latter being in the old railway station building, which dates back to 1860) are being put in place, and Mr Brady predicted that the new mart would attract a lot of business and be a great boost for the town as well.
It had not yet been decided whether he would take charge of the operation himself or would lease the management of it out, Mr Brady confirmed.
Cootehill Chamber of Commerce president and local town councillor Don Smith told the Northern Standard that he believed the mart’s reopening would …