Articles in the Clones News Category

By Cianna McNally Outrage has been expressed in Clones this week at the decision by the Courts Service to close the courthouse in the town. The news was announced on Tuesday and follows a determined battle by a group of campaigners that included public representatives and local solicitors to keep court services in Clones. In the past number of months, the group has fought for the courthouse’s survival through submissions to the Courts Service Board, which made its decision at a meeting on Monday. Speaking to the Northern ...

A Clones-based garda who was involved in highlighting the penalty points controversy has resigned from the force after stating that his position had become “untenable”. Garda John Wilson is quoted in this week’s Sunday Independent as feeling he had “no choice” but to stand down as a result of his having revealed details of penalty-point terminations that are now the subject of an official inquiry. A native of Co Cavan, Garda Wilson, aged 50, is a nephew of the late Tanaiste, John Wilson TD, and a brother of ...

Members of Clones Town Council, Monaghan Co Council and Fermanagh District Council joined with local community and sporting representatives on Tuesday to receive a comprehensive briefing on the progress towards realisation of the new Peace Link flagship sports and recreational facility for the Border area. In an initiative by Co Mayor Hugh McElvaney, details of the ongoing work and the future plans for the Clones Erne East Sports Partnership project, which has a current estimated cost of €8,269,178 and is scheduled for completion in April of next year, were ...

By Cianna McNally A Clones man living in Boston has spoken of his shock in the aftermath of Monday’s devastating explosions. Stephen McManus who hails from O’Neill Park and is son of Chrissy and Barney has lived in the city for just over six years. He did not take part in the marathon but friends of his American wife did and luckily escaped injury. Stephen was on his way downtown with his two-year-old son when news of the bombs reached him. “My reaction was one of shock that somebody would ...

A woman in the Clones area who found a flock of sheep abandoned on her land in recent weeks has contacted the Northern Standard to express her frustration at the lack of assistance she is receiving from the relevant authorities. An official in the Department of Agriculture accepted that it looked as if the authorities were washing their hands of the situation facing Miriam Sherry, of Munnilly, Clones — but said if the owner could not be traced, the animals may have to be removed at her expense. ...

A CLONES town councillor this week stated that the abolition of town councils will greatly reduce the number of women entering politics. Under proposals from the Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan, 80 town councils will be scrapped next year – along with a 40 percent reduction in the number of local councillors nationwide. Speaking at a meeting between local TDs and councillors on Monday evening Sinn Féin’s Marcella Leonard said that women often used town councils to get a taste of politics. “The amount of women on ...

Co Mayor Hugh McElvaney has advocated the holding of a local authority “summit” in the town of Clones, with a focus on economic conditions in the town and the implications for the local area of the pending changes in the structure of local government administration. Speaking at Monday’s meeting of Monaghan Co Council, Mayor McElvaney said he wished to host a meeting of the Council in the town of Clones before the end of his mayoral term. He suggested that the members could use the occasion to visit ...

A meat company that failed to keep a pallet of pork properly frozen was hit with substantial fines at Clones District Court last Friday — where the judge accused the firm of engaging in “economic sabotage”, and a veterinary inspector said it appeared those involved did not “give a toss”. Flynn’s Irish Meats Ltd, with an address at Mullitagorry, Smithboro, was summoned for alleged breaches of hygiene regulations in relation to frozen pork when its premises at the John Matthews Enterprise Centre, Largy, Clones was inspected in May of last year. The ...

By Cianna McNally Further to the report published in last week’s Northern Standard  the President of the Co Monaghan Bar Association has this week voiced his concern at the decision of the Courts Service to review Clones District Court as a suitable court venue. Speaking to the Northern Standard, local Clones solicitor Kevin Hickey, said while it appears that the Courts Service was wrong if it believed that closing court venues would save money. Mr Hickey, who has the support of other solicitors in the area said that Clones Courthouse ...