Articles in the General News Category

For obvious reasons, as Christians throughout Ireland and around the world, celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus this Easter, it will be different. This year the familiar cry, ‘He is risen, He is risen indeed, will not resonate across the aisles of congregations up and down the land. But, as the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, Rt Rev Dr William Henry, says in his Easter Message, we have hope and it is more than a simple aspiration.   Dr Henry writes, “the Bible speaks of hope as ...

The Church of Ireland Bishop of Clogher and Archbishop-Designate of Armagh, Right Revd John McDowell, will be leading a video broadcast of a Celebration of Holy Communion on Easter Sunday. The online service which will be available on the Clogher Diocese Facebook page and website from Sunday morning will come from Kiltermon Church, Fivemiletown. It will also be aired on Northern Sound 96.8 FM and Shannonside 104.1 FM at 9.00pm on Easter Sunday. Bishop McDowell will lead the service which will include recordings of several well-known Easter hymns and ...

Reflecting in his Pastoral Message for Easter 2020 on a Lent “like no other in our life experience”, the Catholic Bishop of Clogher Larry Duffy has called on the faithful of the diocese to find Christ “in all the circumstances of life’s journey”. The full text of the Pastoral Message is as follows: Our reception of ashes on Ash Wednesday was a response to a call to conversion. Before God we acknowledged that there were corners of our heart that needed healing, pockets of resistance to God’s grace in our ...

Vehicles used in the theft of ATMs from banks at Main Street in Dundalk in the early hours of last Saturday morning had been stolen in Co Monaghan a number of days previously, a court in Northern Ireland was told on Monday. Two men who came before Craigavon Magistrates Court on charges alleging involvement in the theft of the cash machines, believed to have contained in the region of €240,000, had applications for bail refused. Two men from Silverbridge, Co Armagh – Fergal Nolan, 24, of Bawns Road, and Michael ...

The following are the details of online celebrations of Holy Week from those churches across the Diocese of Clogher in which there is livestreaming, whether by webcam or Facebook Live, and from churches which have a local parish radio facility. The liturgies listed are those for the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, Commemoration of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday (and Stations of the Cross where those are also prayed), the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday evening and the Mass of the Lord’s Resurrection on Easter ...

Michael Fisher Almost deserted streets and Garda checkpoints. Only essential services such as pharmacies and supermakets remaining open. People staying at home and confining their daily exercise to the areas around them. One person commented that the scene on the main street of Carrickmacross was like a Christmas day. All of Co. Monaghan has been in what is virtually a lockdown, apart from the operation of important services, since midnight on Friday. People have been following guidelines announced by the Taoiseach to stay at home until Easter Sunday, 12th April, ...

News of the passing of Cootehill man Larry McCluskey has shocked and saddened many in Co Monaghan. Mr McCluskey was a former Chief Executive of Co Monaghan Vocational Education Committee before the VEC structure was superseded by that of the ETB or Education and Training Boards. During his time in the CEO role he played a pivotal part in expanding the reach of the VEC and improving the capital infrastructure of its schools and other premises. One of his projects was the establishment of the Garage Theatre in Monaghan Town ...

The Church of Ireland Bishop of Clogher and Archbishop- Elect of Armagh, Right Reverend John McDowell, has asked people at this uncertain time to look out for each other and to be calm and measured in responding to the latest coronavirus restrictions on both sides of the border. On Monday, he issued the following pastoral message, having previously announced restrictions on regular church services in the diocese: “I think it’s no exaggeration to say that we all got quite a shock when the Prime Minister announced the very wide-ranging restrictions ...

At the instigation of Minister for Local Government Eoghan Murphy TD, a Covid-19 Community Response Forum is being put place for each city and county in Ireland, to be coordinated by the local authority in each case. A dedicated community support helpline will be established in County Monaghan to assist at risk members of the public in accessing non-emergency and non-medical supports and advice during the current public health emergency. The confidential phoneline service is being established by the new COVID-19 Monaghan Community Response Forum, which includes over a dozen ...

Michael Fisher Public funerals have now been banned in the Catholic diocese of Clogher as part of efforts to halt the spread of coronavirus. Bishop Larry Duffy said on Saturday the move was necessary to protect the public and because many priests are elderly and considered vulnerable. The previous week, Bishop Noel Treanor of Down and Connor (a native of Co. Monaghan) ended funeral Masses in his diocese of Down and Connor, which includes Belfast and is the second largest diocese after Dublin. The diocese of Clogher has a Catholic ...