Articles in the General News Category

€15 million in funding to help rural towns and villages revitalise in the post-Covid-19 period was announced by Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys this week. The funding is for an updated and enhanced Town and Village Renewal Scheme, a funding stream that has already benefited Co Monaghan to a significant extent. Minister Humphreys said the new scheme was “designed to breathe new life into rural communities – making them more attractive places to live, work, socialise and raise a family.” The Cavan/Monaghan TD said the initiative was ...

Michael Fisher EirGrid’s Chief Executive Mark Foley appeared online before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Climate last week, six days after he had briefed Councillors in Monaghan on the North South interconnector. The main reason for his appearance was once again to outline the company’s public consultation on “Shaping our Electricity Future.” However when he had finished his prepared statement, the Committee Chair Green Party Deputy Brian Leddin from Limerick was quick to put the first question to Mr Foley concerning the North South interconnector, which he described as “a ...

Teach Na nDaoine Family Resource Centre wishes to express its thanks to Monaghan County Libraries for the hugely successful art packs deliver to Teach Na nDaoine recently these pack were distributed throughout Food Banks supported by Teach Na nDaoine and were a huge hit with families in need and we recently received a message for one of the food banks. (Just a quick note of thanks about the art packs recently supplied to our Food Bank from Monaghan County Libraries via Teach Na nDaoine. These kits were an absolutely huge ...

Eye Spy wildlife on Sliabh Beagh, results from a great collaboration between book lovers and nature lovers. The Library service of Monaghan County Council reached out to the CANN project, which works to protect the environment of Sliabh Beagh, to see if there was a way of helping enrich the lives of local citizens by making the limited lockdown walks more meaningful. The CANN project (Collaborative Action across the Natura Network), funded by the EU’s INTERREG VA Programme, through the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), wants to encourage more citizen ...

For the past sixteen years the cycling fraternity around North Monaghan had a cycle shop within easy reach based at Riverbank in the Emyvale Enterprise Centre. The businessman who set up ‘George’s Cyclo Sport’ was George McCarron from Portinaghy. George has been a keen cyclist and committee member with Emyvale Cycling Club and was very knowledgeable of his trade. He had a friendly welcome for every customer. He offered expert advice and did his best to supply the demands of each of his customers. He would share with them his ...

The Ulster Canal, once re-opened, will represent a permanent symbol of peace and reconciliation on our island, the Minister for Rural Development, Heather Humphreys TD, said yesterday as she announced that design work will begin on the second part of the flagship project to restore the derelict canal between Clones and Clonfad, on the border with Co. Fermanagh. The plan includes the development of a basin marina and tourist amenities in Clones near the Ulster Canal Stores. A total of €12.5 million is being provided by government, with €5.57 million ...

Michael Fisher “EirGrid has just declared war on the communities of Monaghan, Cavan and Meath!” This was the response from the County Monaghan Anti Pylon Group spokesperson Nigel Hillis on Tuesday after listening to the responses given by the EirGrid chief executive Mark Foley about the company’s plans to progress with the North South interconnector as an overhead line (as revealed by this reporter three weeks ago). Mr Hillis questioned some of the replies given by Mr Foley, particularly about an underground cable link being unsuitable for a ‘backbone’ project ...

The Covid-19 vaccination centre located at the Hillgrove Hotel in Monaghan Town became fully operational on Friday last. The Monaghan centre, and that located at the Hotel Kilmore in Cavan which also went “public facing” on Friday, were extremely busy over the first days after opening, the HSE reported. In Co. Monaghan the number of Covid-19 cases reported on Monday was 13. This brings the total since the start of the pandemic last year to just over 5000 (5006). The incidence rate per 100,000 population over fourteen days has been ...

TRAINING ALLOWED IN PODS Colm Shalvey reports Pitches all over the country were once again full of activity this week after a lengthy pause, as underage training finally resumed almost four months into 2021. As part of the gradual easing of Government guidelines finally easing, juvenile training was belatedly permitted to return via pods of 15 on Monday on a non-contact basis. There was a tangible sense of excitement and anticipation as scores of teams across Monaghan in different codes were among the many all over the country to get back to ...

COLM SHALVEY As part of the slow, phased restart of sporting activities, golf courses were given the green light to reopen on Monday. For the first time since closing their gates at the end of last year, this marked the occasion when all golf clubs across the island could reopen their fairways, with many courses having been closed for a total of 30 weeks since March 2020. Golf resumed in the six counties earlier this month but as the Irish Government’s latest easing of restrictions took effect, all 382 golf clubs ...