Articles in the General News Category

Home and Community Care Ireland (HCCI) – the national membership organisation for companies that provide home care services – has called on elected representatives in Cavan and Monaghan to support its COVID-19 home care action plan. The plan sets out six urgent recommendations for government and the HSE to ensure home care providers can continue to provide essential care services to vulnerable people in Cavan, Monaghan and across Ireland during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to HCCI, home care services will play a crucial role in the coming months in alleviating ...

The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) has said that new restrictions on nonessential services and outside gatherings announced on Tuesday last by the government clearly impact our rights but human rights law allows for such restrictions when proportionate to the need to protect life and health. The Executive Director of ICCL, Liam Herrick, said:”Before the outbreak of COVID-19, measures that curb our rights to this extent were almost unimaginable. But we agree with government that these measures are necessary to protect our rights to life and health. We would ...

With over 6,000 people signed up to the national volunteering database at www.i-vol.ie to offer their help during COVID-19, including 70 in Co. Monaghan, Monaghan Volunteer Centre has urged local organisations seeing an increased demand for their services to contact them for support in recruiting volunteers. Funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development, who are overseeing the community response to the needs of vulnerable people amidst COVID-19, Monaghan Volunteer Centre is refocusing its priorities and resources to help organisations and volunteers respond effectively. According to Sinéad Keenan Volunteer ...

Michael Fisher The public offices of Monaghan County Council remain open during the coronavirus emergency and staff are continuing to provide essential services. However, the County Museum and the Market House in Monaghan are closed. The library service is operating behind closed doors. It would like to inform regular users of branch libraries that a huge range of material is still available online. Readers require a library card to access material, but if you aren’t already a member, you can register online at: https://lgma.iii.com/selfreg Then contact the library service online ...

Sean Slowey The following are a few articles and references on the ’flu pandemic of 1918 which appeared in The Northern Standard at that time. James Sherry, Drumacoon, Newbliss was Relieving Officer for the Clones Board of Guardians and was also a newspaper journalist from about 1903 who submitted many reports to The Northern Standard. The Monaghan asylum with a population of 850 patients had 250 infected and over 25 died. Two nurses and a male attendant also died of influenzal pneumonia. I have added names of officials who were ...

‘THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM’ Michael Fisher After the country had experienced a St Patrick’s Day without any public celebratuions, the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar TD took the unusual step of making a Ministerial announcement on RTÉ and Virgin Media television on Tuesday evening about the measures that were being taken to deal with the spread of coronavirus. It was made under Section 112 of the Broadcasting Act, which allows broadcasting time for the government for announcements in the event of a major emergency. His address came after 69 new cases were ...

By Veronica Corr The Four Seasons Hotel, Monaghan came to the rescue of a couple who had their wedding cancelled in Rome because Italy is on lockdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Laura Farrell from Ballygawley, Co. Tyrone and Finian O’ Callaghan from Donoughmore, Co. Cork, now living in Liverpool, tied the knot in front of family and friends on Friday the 13th of March. Despite everything they have been through, they are still not superstitious and the groom went as far as to comment on how lucky they were. ...

Fr Nicholas Maanzo CC, celebrating Mass in an empty St. Josephs Church, Monaghan on Monday past. ©Rory Geary/The Northern Standard

By Veronica Corr Chief Superintendent John O’Reilly, of the Cavan Monaghan Division, who is based in Monaghan, spoke to The Northern Standard this week about the Garda response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He observed that Monaghan was ahead of the curve when it came to preparedness. “As and from 7am last Monday in Cavan Monaghan, we increased our operational strength by reducing five working units to four (less units more manpower), which assisted with maintaining a visible presence in our communities. “In addition, as and from next Monday we are ...

“…it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair…” Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, or his team of speech-writers and communications advisors, surely had the famous opening paragraph of Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities as a touchstone when framing the landmark address the country’s leader delivered to the nation on the evening of St Patrick’s Day in relation to the Covid- 19 public health emergency. There was more than an echo of Dickens’ “It was ...