Articles in the General News Category

Michael Fisher The president of the Garda Superintendents Association (GSA) Noel Cunningham has expressed concern about radical new plans for An Garda Síochána which will see the Cavan Monaghan Division amalgamated with Louth. The new Division will be one of nineteen new autonomous areas of policing across the Republic, each run by a Chief Superintendent with more independence than ever before from Garda Headquarters. Under the restructuring proposed by the Garda Commissioner Drew Harris, the number of divisions will be reduced from 28 at present to 19. This has already ...

Following the disquiet and concern generated by last week’s bomb explosion at Wattle Bridge, it was timely and heartening to see and hear manifestations of peace-building and cross- community solidarity among the people of the Border community at an event in Ballyjamesduff on Sunday. The gathering of ex-Defence Forces members from the Republic and Northern Ireland for a military parade and formal ceremony at Cavan Co Museum had symbolic resonance as it celebrated the work they had come together to engage in for the advancement of mutual community understanding. The contribution ...

Drinks industry concern as rural sector shrinks The number of pubs in Co Monaghan has fallen by 23.1% since 2005, reflecting a national trend which has prompted the drinks industry to voice concern. Analysis of Revenue figures conducted by the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland has shown that there are now 1,535 fewer pubs in rural Ireland than there were 14 years ago, with 71 countryside “locals” shutting their doors in 2018 alone. Co Monaghan now has 28 fewer pubs than in 2005. A media release from the representative body said ...

Michael Fisher With just nine weeks to go before a possible no-deal Brexit that would take Northern Ireland out of the European Union, the Border Communities Against Brexit (BCAB) group has announced details of a major public meeting in Clones on the realities of the return of a hard border on the island of Ireland. BCAB spokesperson Paul Gibbons told The Northern Standard: “It is now clear that the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is on a reckless course to inflict a no-deal Brexit, resulting in the return of a ...

The UK should be allowed to leave the Brexit backstop whenever it wants – provided it allows the people of Northern Ireland a determining say on what its future relationship with Europe should be. This was argued in a recent article in the Irish Times newspaper co-authored by the Carrickmacross Senior Counsel and politician Vincent P Martin, a former Monaghan Co Councillor and now a Green Party member of Kildare Co Council. Councillor Martin, Foreign Affairs Spokesperson with the Green Party, and Clare Bailey MLA, leader of the Northern Ireland ...

Michael Fisher The semi-state company EirGrid that runs the electricity grid on both sides of the border has revealed how it spent over €143 million in procuring goods, works and professional services in the past two years. The relevant figures for the first and third quarters of 2016 show that the company spent over €29 million on procurement. NO DETAILED BREAKDOWN The details that appeared on the EirGrid website give total amounts for each quarter and break the figure down into six or seven different categories. Travel and expenses are revealed ...

SCOTSTOWN 5-13 DOOHAMLET 2-12 Colm Shalvey reports Scotstown began their ‘drive for five’ with a five-star firstround win over Doohamlet in Clontibret last Sunday. Scotstown, who started with ten of the team that won their fourth straight SFC title last October, made light of the absence of three county players. The suspended Shane Carey and the injured Kieran Hughes were absent for Scotstown, but they have been boosted by the recent return to action of Darren Hughes, who got another 20 minutes of game-time. It was another Monaghan player, Conor McCarthy, who made ...

INNISKEEN 1-17 CURRIN 2-11 Colm Shalvey reports Inniskeen made a winning start to the SFC when they held off a valiant challenge from Currin in searing heat at Aughnamullen last Sunday. Inniskeen looked set for a fairly comfortable win during the first half, with Seán Jones, Andrew Woods and the Meegans causing Currin headaches, but the SFL’s bottom team belied their league form with their second-half comeback that took this game down to the wire. Jack McCarron hit 1-8 to keep Currin in with a chance of a shock win, but Inniskeen, who ...

“Act of sheer madness” – Ó Caoláin Michael Fisher A dissident republican group is being blamed for a bomb that exploded on Monday morning near the border in Co. Fermanagh, close to the Clones to Cavan main road, while security forces from the North were searching the area. No-one was injured. The Taoiseach and other Ministers along with public representatives in Co. Monaghan condemned the attack. Sinn Féin Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin called it an “act of sheer madness”. “DESPICABLE AND COWARDLY” Cavan Monaghan Deputy and Minister for Business, Enterprise and ...

Peter Hughes After a silence that began to fall almost 175 years ago, the people of the Mousewood Graveyard were given voice again through music, poetry, prayer and commemoration in Belgium Park on Saturday. The unveiling of the Mousewood Graveyard Memorial – remembering the hundreds of unknown adults and children who rest in the nearby Kilnacloy burial ground – brought current and former residents of the local area and people from across the North Monaghan hinterland together for reflection. The graveyard was the final resting place for those who ended ...