Articles in the General News Category

Minister for Rural and Community Development, local TD Heather Humphreys, has said the investment of almost €10.8 million for the Castleblayney Market Square Regeneration Project will finally ensure its delivery. Minister Humphreys said: “This is a hugely significant investment for Castleblayney – seeing a project through to fruition that has been talked about and worked on for many years. “I am glad to have worked very closely with Councillor Aidan Campbell on this project – and it really will be a gamechanger for Castleblayney. “This is all part of an ...

PETER HUGHES With fanfare and a panoramic reflection on the past and future of the country’s journey towards meaningful reconciliation between its cultural and religious traditions, the new Peace Campus in Monaghan Town opened its doors last Friday. The €27.1 million structure that has risen four storeys to dominate the skyline on the town’s Plantation Road next to Monaghan Garda Station welcomed more than 200 guests to celebrate the realisation of a vision first conceived in 2016. The facility will house the new Monaghan Branch Library and Monaghan Co Museum. ...

PETER HUGHES The local Ulster Canal Stores has been selected as the preferred bidder for the delivery of food and refreshment services at the new Marina which is reaching the concluding stages of development in Clones. This was revealed by Waterways Ireland Northern Regional Manager Garret McGrath when he addressed Tuesday’s meeting of Monaghan Co Council on the works to complete phase two of the Ulster Canal regeneration project and the plans that are in train to deliver its third and concluding phase. Mr McGrath said that a contract had ...

PETER HUGHES Plans by telecommuniations company Eir to erect masts in central locations close to residences in the villages of Scotstown and Scotshouse in Co Monaghan have met with concerted community opposition. Campaigns to have work on the masts halted have been initiated in both villages and won the backing of the members of Monaghan Co Council at their May monthly meeting on Tuesday afternoon. A motion of urgent business calling on Eir to remove the masts was put forward by Sinn Féin’s Cathy Bennett and seconded by her party ...

“We Are All Human” is the theme of a new resource pack of materials prepared by the students of Largy College in Clones which was launched at Clones Courthouse yesterday, Wednesday lunchtime, at the conclusion of the final meeting of the Co Monaghan Joint Policing Committee. The project has seen the evolution of an antiracism toolkit developed by the current team of Young Social Innovators at the Clones secondlevel school as an extension of the award-winning RACE or Right Attitude Creates Equality initiative undertaken by their predecessors a number of ...

PETER HUGHES Monaghan Co Council is continuing a programme of targeted road repairs across the county designed to address the deterioration of rural transport routes. The so-called “pothole blitz” was welcomed warmly on Tuesday by the elected members of Monaghan Co Council, the majority of whom are currently on the local election campaign trail and feeling the heat from constituents about the condition of the roads in many areas. One candidate, outgoing Independent Co Council member Paudge Connolly, told the Northern Standard this week that poor roads were “the hot ...

A closed meeting of landowners impacted by the proposed North South Interconnector was held on Tuesday May 7 at Aughnamullen Sports Centre to discuss the recent encounters of landowners with EirGrid Agricultural Liaison Officers. Co Monaghan Anti Pylon Committee Chairperson Donal McDaid claimed at the meeting that if EirGrid “put a spade in the ground” they would be in breach of planning legislation. Mr McDaid referred to the passing by the members of Monaghan Co Council at their monthly meeting earlier on Tuesday of a motion requesting the Council executive ...

Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys TD has challenged Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill MLA to “show some interest” in the major cross-Border project currently underway to regenerate the Ulster Canal into a flagship tourism and recreation amenity. Speaking in Clones on Friday as she viewed water flowing in the canal at the location of the marina being developed in the town, Minister Humphreys made the point that all of the funding which had been committed to the project so far had been pledged by the Government ...

By Veronica Corr The 50th anniversary of Senator Billy Fox’s death was marked on Sunday last with wreathlayings in Senator Billy Fox Memorial Park and at his grave in the grounds of Christ Church, Aughnamullen, where there was an Ecumenical Service and a plaque unveiled. Conditions were fine for the outdoor leg of proceedings where An Taoiseach Simon Harris was the keynote speaker. Senator Billy Fox was the only member of the Oireachtas to have been murdered during The Troubles and he was only 35 years old at the time ...

€250,000 in funding under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme to carry out public realm works to enhance the streetscape and surrounds of the historic Market House building in Ballybay was announced this week. Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys TD confirmed the allocation on Monday. The 1848 building is to be the subject of a major regeneration initiative which will see it brought back into use as a community hub and home for the town’s library. The project has already received €410,000 in Rural Regeneration and Development ...