Articles in the Headline Category

A novel and environmentally friendly possible use for the site of the stalled mixed-use development project in the heart of Monaghan Town – dubbed “the hole in the ground” locally – was ‘floated’ at Monday night’s meeting of Monaghan Town Council. Contained in correspondence before the members was a letter on behalf of the Killygoan Tidy Towns Committee which requested the Council to “earnestly consider” allowing the site to become a lake or water storage area. Advocating such a bio-diversity project in the location, the correspondence stated: “If ...

By Cianna McNally A Monaghan man who successfully secured a €60,000 investment on RTÉ TV show Dragons Den believes he got more than just the money he was looking for. Noel Lennon who hails from Latton appeared on the show which aired last Sunday night, 8th April. He pitched his Lennon Easy Anchor, a steel stake which secures items including trampolines, bouncing castles and goal posts to the ground. Once the Lennon Easy Anchor is hammered into the ground like any ordinary stake, a device is inserted into it which ...

By PATSY McARDLE CASTLEBLAYNEY is facing a huge economic blow with the loss of over seventy jobs at the Cargill Ireland Limited meat processing plant in the Mid-Monaghan town. Since 2002, Cargill Ireland Ltd., has leased the plant from Castleblayney Community Enterprise, which erected the premises in 1999 to help create jobs and boost the town’s then flagging economy. However, the English-based meat processing company has cited the loss of substantial markets, and orders, as their reasons for now ...

By Cianna McNally Staff of the video game retailer GAME in Monaghan Shopping Centre – one of 14 Irish stores which closed this week after the group was placed in administration – have been staging a sit-in since Monday, 26th March. The nine Monaghan staff received what Deputy Manager Neil Durnin described to the Northern Standard as a “very brief phonecall” on Monday afternoon and were informed by the retailer’s head office that the store, which has been in business in the shopping centre for eight years, was to be closed with immediate effect. ...

An eleventh-hour appeal went out from Tuesday night’s meeting of Monaghan Town Council to Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan to suspend the operation of the controversial €100 household charge until the public received full clarity on the revenue-generating measure. The Council adopted a proposal to this effect from Fianna Fáil councillor Robbie Gallagher, who said the introduction of the measure had been rushed and cited a series of problems with it including what he saw as the unfairness of the flat rate method chosen, and flaws in the ...

A survey conducted had shown that 50 out of 69 people employed at the site of the new Monaghan Education Campus development were from within a 40-mile radius of the campus, Chief Executive Martin O’Brien informed the members of Co Monaghan Vocational Education Committee on Monday. Committee member Owen Bannigan had referred to a recent discussion at Monaghan Town Council in relation to the level of local employment on the project and had requested information from the CEO in this regard. P J O’Hanlon also referred to the ...

By Veronica Corr “I don’t believe in miracles anymore.” These were the poignant words of Damian Ryczan, after he found out that his daughter Amelia, who suffers from Battens Disease, would not be able to receive a life-prolonging operation in the United States. The Polish family now living in Foxfield, Carrickmacross, were devasted by the news that the procedure their four year-old daughter was due to undergo, which involved the drilling of holes into her skull, was no longer an option. Amelia, her mother Tamara and a family friend, flew to America ...

BIRTHDAYS don’t come around every day, and that is especially true for Jack Drumm, who despite turning 12-years-old yesterday, February 29th, only celebrated his third birthday, as he was born on leap day in the millennium year! By happy coincidence, Ryan Tubridy visited Monaghan yesterday and broadcast his popular 2FM morning radio show from the Westenra Arms Hotel. Monaghan was the second stop on Tubridy’s Greet on the Street national tour. The popular broadcaster was very approachable and every bit as warm as his public persona portrays. His down to earth ...

By Laura Anderson Last weekend saw large crowds visit the Monaghan Business and Trade Fair held at the Four Seasons Hotel for the second year running. Over the Saturday and Sunday over 50 local exhibitors displayed their goods and services at the show, which was organised to help promote local business and to encourage the people of County Monaghan to shop local. Once again the show proved to be a great success as visitors enjoyed the free entertainment, Farmers Market and vintage motor display on Sunday organised by Kevin Boylan of Scotshouse. A vast ...

The Irish Valuation Office was unable to consider reducing the valuation of commercial and industrial properties for rates on the grounds of a downturn of business, the members of Monaghan Co Council were informed at their February meeting. Members received a presentation from Mr Coleman Forkan, Valuation Office Team Leader, who outlined to them the process by which the valuation for commercial rates was determined and detailed the revaluation programme that his office would be putting into place in future years across the country and which he stated would ...