Articles in the General News Category

COLM SHALVEY COMMENTARY The club football championship season got underway with a full round of fixtures in the Universal Graphics JFC last weekend. Drumhowan got the competition up and running on Friday with a five-point win over Rockcorry. Firsthalf goals from Patrick Quinn, Aidan Duffy and Kevin Mooney saw Drumhowan race into a big lead and although Rock competed better in the second half, they couldn’t bridge the gap. Two of the games over the weekend made a mockery of the league standings, starting with Scotstown’s win over Aghabog at Gavan ...

‘Blayney bullet keeps hitting the target KEVIN OG CARNEY Seasoned biker Joseph Loughlin (PICTURED) continues to climb the ladder of success! Last week, the Castleblaney rider once again got people in national racing circles sitting up and taking notice as he stormed to second position in two of the closest races in the history of the Ulster Grand Prix. On board the Team ILR / Mark Coverdale Paton, the ‘Blayney bullet led over the line at the end of the first lap held last Thursday as he vied with Paul Jordan, Lee ...

FILTRATION DEVICE FAILED AT ONE WELL SOME SUPERMARKET BRAND BOTTLES REMOVED AS ‘PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE’ Michael Fisher The Celtic Pure bottled water company in south Monaghan has moved swiftly to reassure customers and consumers after several batches of its product provided to chain stores had to be recalled last week on a recommendation from the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. The FSAI carried out an investigation after tests found that the level of arsenic in the water had exceeded legally acceptable levels. A statement from the Corcreagh based company said a mechanical failure ...

Callagh Duffy gives the thumbs up after winning the Children’s Therapeutic Riding Class at Castleblayney’s Annual Agricultural Show on Monday last. Callagh is pictured on her horse “Fudge with Robbie Carragher. The event, which was officially opened by Rev Brian Darcy, is regarded as one of the top farm shows in Ireland and attracted a record entry and a huge attendance. Full report and show pictures on pages 19- 23.

Still No Clues Why Tribute to Loughgall Gunmen Was Removed Michael Fisher There’s still an empty space where a memorial to two prominent IRA members once stood at Drumfurrer on the main road between Monaghan and Clogher, close to the border with Co. Tyrone. The mystery remains surrounding its complete removal overnight last week. Such an operation would have required a digger or bulldozer, and possibly a truck to take away all the material, so it was planned in advance and was not a spontaneous action. Trees that had been planted ...

DAMAGE TO BRAGAN PICNIC AREA REPORTED TO GARDAÍ Michael Fisher Vandals who smashed up a picnic area near the penal cross at Sliabh Beagh last weekend have been strongly condemned by local Councillors. Cllr Cathy Bennett issued pictures of the damage which appear to show how a car was deliberately driven into a wooden fence and information signs. The picnic area and signage were upgraded earlier this year by Ballybay Clones Municipal District as part of a master plan for the development of Sliabh Beagh. Since the local elections in May, ...

Sinn Féin MEP, Matt Carthy, has called on Minister Creed and Meat Industry Ireland to engage urgently with farm organisations to resolve the critical situation that beef farmers are in. Carthy made his remarks as nationwide protests by the Beef Plan Movement intensify, bringing many processing factories to a halt. Over 20 demonstrations have taken place. Matt Carthy, who has visited protesting farmers in Ballyjamesduff, Co. Cavan; Ballyhaunis, Co. Mayo and Clones, Co. Monaghan, said: “The fact that farmers, during the busy Summer period, have gathered in such large numbers ...

At a time when producers in Ireland’s embattled beef sector are having to resort to increasingly militant action to highlight the seriousness of the challenges confronting them, when the nation’s prized competitiveness and high quality standards in food production are in danger of being compromised by the EU’s controversial Mercosur trade deal, when farmers find themselves increasingly in the climate change firing line, and when every aspect of farming must cope with the uncertainty of Brexit, the arrival of the agricultural show season is both a relief from the routine ...

By PATSY McARDLE THE Irish Road Hauliers’ Association which represents a number of haulage firms in Co. Monaghan and the neighbouring counties of Louth and Cavan, has expressed strong reservations this week over a proposed ‘no-deal Brexit’ which could lead to shipping difficulties, especially at Dover port. The president of the Association, Ms. Verona Murphy said that whilst planning is clearly required to deal with Dover post-Brexit, she has reservations over the UK Government’s plan to grant civilian traffic officers new powers in the event of a no-deal Brexit to ...

Almost half of premises in Monaghan still without high-speed broadband in 2019 The roll out of high-speed broadband to over 15,000 premises in Monaghan has moved one step closer, as the Government announced that work to finalise the contract for the National Broadband Plan (NBP) is well progressed (report here). This is welcome news for the many homes and business premises in County Monaghan which are adversely affected by lack of broadband and many of which have been lobbying their local representatives for years to get the same services as their ...