Articles in the General News Category

Forestry authority Coillte have launched an initiative to encourage more winter visitors to Monaghan Town’s Rossmore Forest Park and the Billy Fox Memorial Park at Bawn. Coillte point to a recent survey emphasising the importance of forests to for physical and mental health and wellbeing. They have also highlighted the positive role that forests and the cultivation of trees are making to combatting climate change. A total of 81% of the Irish public believe Ireland needs to grow more trees to help combat climate change, according to a recent Red ...

The importance of shopping local to bolster the economy and safeguard employment was emphasised by the Cathaoirleach of the Monaghan Municipal District, Sinn Féin councillor Cathy Bennett this week. Councillor Bennett called on shoppers to exercise a local preference during the Christmas holiday season at Monday’s Municipal District meeting when she paid tribute to the efforts that had been made to generate seasonal atmosphere and festive cheer in the county’s capital town. The MD Cathaoirleach reflected on the success of the recent switch-on of the town’s Christmas lighting display and ...

Cavan Monaghan Sinn Féin TD Matt Carthy has said that there are genuine concerns on the government’s management of migration and that political representatives must listen to those concerns. He said that migration had to be dealt with in a compassionate and fair manner but that there are capacity issues that the Government don’t seem to see. Deputy Carthy was speaking to a Dáil debate on migration last week. He said that the process for considering applications for international protection is taking too long. He also said that those who ...

A number of landowners in Co Monaghan have taken their defiant message against the undergrounding of the north-south interconnector onto the roads. Gene Kerr from Lough Egish with the assistance of neighbouring landowners constructed a mobile hoarding and display which has begun touring the proposed route of the EirGrid power line proposal. “The display unit has been seen on the roads between Lemgare and Corduff with the message being widely applauded and supported by the viewing public,” said a spokesperson for the Co Monaghan Anti-Pylon Committee this week. “The message ...

Sinn Féin TD for Cavan/Monaghan Matt Carthy has welcomed news that work on the design stage of the major road improvement scheme on the N2 from Clontibret to the Border will recommence following formal confirmation of EU funding support. Deputy Carthy said that the N2 road schemes were pivotal for the economic development of Co Monaghan and the Border region and he described as “discrimination” the actions of government which had withheld funding for the schemes over the past two years. Speaking to the Northern Standard this week, Deputy Carthy ...

A new programme which will allow ambulances to bring suitable patients to the Minor Injury Unit at Monaghan Hospital for treatment came into effect on Monday last. The programme is an extension of one introduced recently at Roscommon University Hospital and allows patients to be brought to the unit in Monaghan under strict criteria. Its introduction has been welcomed by Fianna Fáil Senator for Cavan/Monaghan Robbie Gallagher, who recently raised the possibility of it applying in Monaghan with Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly TD. Senator Gallagher told the Northern Standard ...

Monaghan Co Council at its Annual Budget Meeting on Friday last adopted an income and expenditure plan of €90 million for 2024. The drafting of the Budget was described as “very difficult” by Chief Executive Robert Burns, who said it had been “framed in the context of the continuing uncertainty of global events, leading to challenging economic circumstances and associated financial risk”. The Budget contains a 3% increase over 2023 on the ARV or Annual Rate on Valuation that is levied on the business and commercial sphere of the county, ...

Public parks, greenways, cycleways, play areas and poorly lit streets have all been identified as places in Co Monaghan where woman and young girls feel unsafe. The issue of women’s safety was the theme of a major conference organised by the Monaghan Public Participation Network in Monaghan Town’s Hillgrove Hotel on Thursday morning last (see report inside). Survey findings from the conference fed into the annual public meeting of Co Monaghan’s Joint Policing Committee at the same venue on Thursday afternoon and led to calls for a major planning rethink ...

By Veronica Corr The Northern Standard met with Garda Chief Superintendent Alan Mc- Govern of Louth Monaghan Cavan Division recently to find out about the strengthened Cavan Monaghan Drugs Unit that is being formed within the constituency. Recruitment towards the unit is at an advanced stage. The dedicated unit will be made of Gardaí of various ranks, who wish to specialise in the area of drug detection. Chief Superintendent McGovern was delighted by the large amount of applications received after the intention to form the unit was announced. “We have ...

MAITIU MONAGHANCOMMENTARY It’s very easy to forget the whole “love of the club” or “this means more” narrative in the middle of the inter county season. 2023 started with controversy when Shane Walsh’s Kilmacud team controversially beat Glen in the All-Ireland Club Final. In the weeks that followed, there was talk of replay’s and sending the cup up the road to Derry in a taxi. When the inter county season began, we got swept away with the drama of it all. It’s just over five months since Monaghan’s All Ireland semi-final ...