Articles in the General News Category

• BORDER CAMPAIGNERS THREATEN TO PLAY US CARD TO STOP UK UNDERMINING NORTH PROTOCOL; SF TD SAYS PEACE PROCESS COULD BE AT RISK Brexit came back to the boil this week with concern general in Border communities, Irish Government ranks, the EU political hierarchy and the United States about strategies being pursued by the British Government as they continue to negotiate a post-Brexit trade deal with Europe that are perceived as having the potential to undermine the Northern Ireland Protocol that formed part of their departure agreement from the European Union ...

The 15% increase in the Local Property Tax levied in Co Monaghan during 2020 will be retained for 2021 following a vote at Monday’s meeting of Monaghan Co Council which saw the temperature of discussion rise close to boiling point at times. A lengthy debate on the annual decision with regard to the LPT saw political tensions surface between the Sinn Féin councillors opposed to the charge and the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael members whose combined weight, added to on this occasion by the local authority’s Independent benches, was ...

Monaghan Co Councillors Paudge Connolly and Cathy Bennett apologised at Monday’s meeting of the local authority for recent actions in breach of Covid-19 public health guidance and promised that they would cooperate fully with any future investigation by SIPO or the Standards In Public Office Commission. In statements made at the outset of Monday’s monthly Council meeting – again held in Monaghan Town’s Garage Theatre to facilitate social distancing and observance of other Covid-19 health and safety guidelines – both councillors were afforded time to make brief statements of apology, ...

Sixth Year student at Ballybay Community College Páidí Walsh was celebrating the exemplary distinction of receiving 9 H1 grades when the Leaving Certificate results for 2020 were circulated on Tuesday. Basking in the congratulations of his fellow students and the staff of the Ballybay ETB school, Páidí confessed that it had been a nervous wait to learn the outcome of his examination performance but said what he discovered when he logged on to the results portal on Tuesday morning was “just amazing”. Son of Ciara and Johnny Walsh, Páidí was ...

The Cycle Against Suicide organisation has called on Co Monaghan people to come together for the ‘Lighting of Lights’ at 8 pm this evening, Thursday September 10, World Suicide Prevention Day. Cycle Against Suicide said the initiative was “a symbol of empathy, hope and support for each other during these enduring times” and in recognition of the severe impact of Covid-19 on mental wellbeing across the country. It added: “Traditionally marked as a day to honour those who have lost their lives to suicide, this year’s event takes on even ...

Areas of Co Monaghan face significant challenge in relation to plastic waste but the potential exists for significant reductions in usage volumes to be made, a new study has found. Midlands-based start-up CUSP has identified hotspots in terms of single-use plastic packaging waste in a number of locations in the county but says that significant reductions in the amounts generated in the county each year are possible if the matter is assigned priority. “Monaghan households generate a combined 3,700 tonnes of single-use plastic packaging waste annually – that’s enough single-use ...

The North-South interconnector project was still “critically needed” to ensure security of electricity supply in both jurisdictions on the island, EirGrid Chief Executive Mark Foley said this week. Mr Foley made the comment in a media release from EirGrid and their counterpart grid operator in Northern Ireland, SONI, on their joint All-Island GCS or Generator Capacity Statement in which they make the case that electricity demand across the island of Ireland is “continuing to grow”. They said the report examined the likely balance between electricity demand and supply during the ...

– Government newspaper advertising during pandemic successfully keeps public informed on key developments and complex details New research has shown that newspapers play a highly effective role in delivering timely and complex Covid-19 public awareness messages to the public. Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020, the Irish government have been communicating Covid-19 public health and information messages via full-page advertisements in Ireland’s national and local newspapers. Independent research conducted by international research company, Research and Analysis of Media (RAM), has shown that these advertisements outperformed all other ...

Monaghan Senator Robbie Gallagher has commended the local GAA for its efforts in supporting the work of the HSE and public health during the pandemic, particularly through the provision of the testing centre for the county at Monaghan Entekra GAA Centre of Excellence which has been in use as a drivethrough facility since March. “The GAA showed great example and foresight by offering its grounds to the HSE as the community testing centre for Monaghan,” Senator Gallagher told the Northern Standard this week. “For the last six months, they have ...

Coláiste Oiriall congratulates the class of 2020 who received impressive Leaving Certificate calculated grades on Monday. Six of the cohort of 40 students got over 600 points including two students who got 625 points, and a further eight students got between 500 and 600 points. 35% of Coláiste Oiriall students got 500 points or more, 65% got 400 points or more while the average number of CAO points was 445 points. These figures are broadly in line with our performance every year. The students now await the first round CAO ...