Articles in the General News Category

COLM SHALVEY – COMMENTARY There was plenty of drama in last weekend’s club football championship action, with two games decided by penalty shoot-outs on Saturday. The first of those came in the JFC, where Rockcorry pipped neighbours Aghabog. That didn’t come without controversy, however, as one of the Rockcorry penalty takers hadn’t featured in the game but was apparently given the goahead by officials in Drumhowan. It went right down to the wire in Inniskeen, where it took ‘sudden death’ in the shoot-out for Donaghmoyne to see off fellow south-Monaghan side ...

KEVIN OG CARNEY reports Monaghan ladies saved their best wine ‘till last to leave Westmeath punch drunk in Dunleer last weekend and heading for the intermediate ranks. More importantly for the Farney ladies, Monaghan secured their SFC status for 2020. A great end to a disappointing league campaign which saw them relegated from the top flight. Reacting to their 3-18 to 1-10 victory over the Leinster girls, Monaghan captain Cora Courtney agreed that there was no cloud to be seen on the silver lining that 2019…

As we wrap up The Monaghan 10 & 5 miler for another year we would like to express our gratitude to the running community for turning out in such great numbers to our event!!! We had representatives from so many running clubs cross our finish line and we are honoured that you chose our event. We are delighted also with the positive feedback you have given us!! While there is always room for improvement we were relieved that on the whole, everything went to plan and everyone seemed to have ...

Michael Fisher Residents in Magheracloone say the discovery of a new crown hole on land owned by Gyproc has increased their anxiety about the safety of the surrounding land. The mining company announced on Monday that the crown hole was discovered on Friday and was confirmed after further study of aerial pictures. It says this crown hole, the third separate hole on lands in the area, is not close to any homes, public infrastructure or roads. However Geraldine Ward, Vice Chair of the Drumgossatt and Knocknacran Residents’ Association, said the ...

Michael Fisher Intensive talks to try to reach a settlement between beef farmers and meat producers over factory prices are set to resume within the next week. The discussions set up by the Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed TD under an independent Chair Michael Dowling began on Monday and lasted for twelve hours until the early hours of Tuesday morning. They were held at the Backweston laboratory complex of the Department for Agriculture at Celbridge in Co. Kildare. In a statement Minister Creed noted the progress made overnight, thanked participants, ...

Peter Hughes The organisers have issued an invitation to the entire community of North Monaghan and beyond to attend the ceremony taking place in Belgium Park, Monaghan Town this Saturday August 17 at 3 pm at which a memorial to those buried in the nearby Mousewood Graveyard will be unveiled. The unveiling, by the noted historian and genealogist Theo McMahon, will be preceded by an interdenominational service. The ceremony marks the culmination of months of preparatory work by the Mousewood Memorial Cross- Community Project Group. Their motivation was to commemorate ...

Michael Fisher The deteriorating condition of the Market House building in Castleblayney has led to a request by contractors for more time to put in place more structural supports to keep the walls of the now roofless structure in place. Monaghan County Council said the contractors, working under the guidance of an independent structural engineer and conservation architect, had asked for an extension of time to complete additional structural supports to the walls of the Market House. The Council statement revealed that the delays in completing this phase of the ...

There seems to be a praiseworthy intensification of activities across Co Monaghan aimed at celebrating the increasing diversity of our population and breaking down barriers of mutual distrust and misunderstanding that can impede the process of integration and sometimes provoke community disharmony. The Irish network for migrant women, AkiDwA, recently held a gathering in Monaghan Town umbrellaed by the theme “Embrace Our Diversity”. This Saturday, the county capital is again the host for an interesting social inclusion initiative – a Summer Solidarity Dinner involving the people of the St Patrick’s Accommodation ...

John McGuirk I am childless, but my taxes pay for schools. I am not sick, thank God, but my taxes pay for hospitals. Ireland is not likely to be invaded any time soon, but my taxes pay for an army. We pay the government for things that we do not use ourselves, but benefit everyone, all the time, because the country is a better place for everyone if it has schools and hospitals. Also, without the state paying for them, there would be many fewer schools, and hospitals. The market ...

Michael Fisher Prpojects undertaken by Monaghan County Council have been shortlisted for national recognition in seven categories in the Chambers Ireland Excellence in Local Government Awards 2019. Now in its sixteenth year, the awards feature a total of 22 local authorities throughout Ireland shortlisted in sixteen different categories, including a new addition, ‘Age Friendly Initiative’. This showcases the efforts by local authorities to make Ireland a great place in which to grow old. Monaghan County Council’s “Age Friendly Guide to Communication” is one of seven projects vying for the top ...