Articles in the Castleblayney Category

LAST week saw the world premiere at the Iontas Theatre in Castleblayney of the new play, ‘The Common People’ by acclaimed playwright Declan Gorman. This play was funded by the Peace III initiative through Artswell, the Arts Company at Iontas. ‘The Common People’ set out to tell the stories and examine the experiences that all people in the Border region have in common, regardless of culture or creed and it was very warmly received at Iontas with sold out houses for 3 nights running. The play has ...

By PATSY McARDLE A meeting of the Castleblayney Town Council Joint Policing Committee heard in the Glencarn Hotel on Monday night last how progress has been made on the proposal to have a new CCTV system installed in the Mid-Monaghan town to help eliminate sporadic anti-social behaviour. The meeting was chaired by Cllr. Joe Brennan, Chairman of the Castleblayney Joint Policing Committee. Among those present were the Mayor of Co. Monaghan, Cllr Jackie Crowe; the Mayor of Castleblayney, Cllr. David Funcheon; Garda Sergeant Eric Boyle; Ms. Carmel Redmond, ...

A case in which a Swiss bank is seeking the recovery of a €31.8 million loan advanced to a Castleblayey businessman for the construction of a shopping complex in the town came before a sitting of the Commercial Court in Dublin this week. Zurich Bank has applied for a summary judgment against Jim McConnon of Main Street, Castleblayney. Mr Justice Peter Kelly said he would give Mr McConnon an opportunity to put on affidavit the basis for any defence that might be advanced to the bank’s claim ...

By PATSY McARDLE FINAL preparations are under way at the Iontas Arts Centre in Castleblayney for “The Common People”, an extravaganza in drama, and one of the centre’s biggest and most exciting projects to be staged at the Co. Monaghan venue to date. “The Common People” is a truly original play, depicting the reality of life locally, with a cast of some thirty-five local people, and focused on four generations of a Monaghan family. Deferred from its original pre-Christmas slot due to severe weather, “The Common People” ...

Young local girl Rebecca Sweeney from Castleblayney travelled to Milan, Italy on the 27th December to participate in the Line Dancing World Championship. This was the first time Rebecca had attended the World Championship. Rebecca is 10 years old and daughter of John and Rosaleen Sweeney. She attends the Memphis Belles Line Dancing Club in Carrickmacross. Rebecca participated in two categories, her line where she dance six dances and her Pro-Ams where she danced eight dances with a professional dancer. Rebecca took 1st place in both categories, crowning her World Champion in Youth ...

A 28-years-old Co. Armagh man was treated for shock on Sunday last after being subjected to a roadside terror ordeal by armed men on a road near Castleblayney. The man was returning from a premises in Co. Cavan to Newtownhamilton when he was flagged down and held up by armed men along the main Castleblayney-Newtownhamilton Road, near Oram, a short distance from the town . Gardai declined to confirm a report that one shot was discharged before the victim was forced out of ...

Co Monaghan Vocational Education Committee are to request a meeting with the Minister for Education Mary Coughlan on a planned visit by her to Monaghan in December to seek to advance the approval of a single campus for Castleblayney College. VEC parents’ representative Michael McGinn made an impassioned appeal for progress in relation to the project at Monday’s meeting of the Committee, when he voiced the frustration of people in the Mid-Monaghan area over the fact that efforts to advance the initiative appeared to have stalled. Castleblayney representative Sean McCooey proposed and ...

Townpeople in Castleblayney were shocked on Thursday morning last by the news that a fire had swept through the 18th century  historic Hope Castle building on the scenic Lough Muckno Estate,  adjacent to the town,  in the early hours of the morning, causing extensive interior damage. The alarm was raised by gardai on an early morning mobile patrol,  and  when they sped to the scene they found that a  huge fire was raging inside the building. Fire units from all the neighbouring towns were called, including Dundalk, where the Co. Louth-based  fire ...

THE HALLOWEEN Peace Festival had an exciting and colourful  climax in Castleblayney on Sunday night last as the mid- Monaghan skies were illuminated by a dazzling fireworks’ display in the town. The event, which was hosted by Monaghan County Council’s Community Relations’ Peace III was initiated as a move to  counter anti-social activity in the town over the Halloween period,   when in some previous years,  residents, especially elderly folk were disturbed by the throwing of eggs and other missiles at vehicles, doors, and windows, causing some  distress and annoyance. Ghouls and Ghosts ...

It will not be possible to extend the deadline for public submissions on the new Clontibret to the Border N2 road scheme any further than the current closing date of September 30, officials of Monaghan Co Council stated at their October meeting on Monday. However, both Director of Services for Roads David Fallon and Co Manager Declan Nelson gave an assurance that any significant new information that might come to hand and be supplied to the Council following that date would be factored into the analysis of the submissions to take ...