Articles in the Headline Category

Errigal Contracts investment in training academy reaches €6.5 million The Managing Director of a Monaghan company that has invested €6.5 million in its own training academy has called on the Government to fast-track the implementation of its fiveyear apprenticeship strategy. Damien Treanor of Errigal Contracts said it was vital for the Government to incentivise more young people to choose work-based learning and practical skills training at what was a critical time for the construction sector, with skills shortages continuing to cause alarm. Errigal’s purpose-built training academy is based in Monaghan and ...

Businesses, primary producers and public asked to help shape focus of new innovation centre The Chief Executive of the BioConnect Innovation Centre to be established at Knockaconny in Monaghan this week called on local businesses, primary producers and members of the public to play a determining role in the projects that the €7 million research and innovation facility will help develop. In an interview with the Northern Standard, Dave Macauley said a unique opportunity was on hand for Monaghan people in the coming months to effectively set the BioConnect agenda and ...

Michael Fisher Representatives of the hospitality sector yesterday met government representatives to discuss Monday’s announcement by the Taoiseach Micheál Martin that the re-opening of restaurants for indoor dining and pubs that do not serve meals was being deferred (see separate report). The venues were due to open their doors to visitors next Monday. The Restaurants Association of Ireland says the delay of possibly two weeks to re-opening indoors and allowing only vaccinated customers to dine is flawed, unworkable, discriminatory and currently illegal. It says the whole summer is now lost ...

Illegal drugs to the value of €1,475,000 had been seized by the Gardaí in search operations in Co Monaghan over the past 12 months, Garda Chief Superintendent Aidan Glacken told last week’s meeting of the Co Monaghan Joint Policing Committee. Chief Superintendent Glacken said the figure compared to €83,000 for the previous 12-month period. During the past year Garda searches had detected eight illegal cannabis growhouses and cash to the value of €128,500 had also been seized. The Chief Superintendent added that in the 12- month period between June 2020 ...

As Co Monaghan celebrated a significant milestone in broadband connectivity in Drumhowan on Friday, the community’s famed acting twins John and Tommy McArdle delivered a timely reminder of the joys of reconnecting with the work of Inniskeen poet Patrick Kavanagh. The McArdles’ performance of an excerpt from their celebrated showcase of Kavanagh’s characters and colloquy conveyed the timeless quality of “the half-talk code of mysteries and the wink and elbow language of delight” and reminded the audience of the essential value of human communication as we enter a Covid-19- accelerated ...

A Ballybay woman was elected Lord Mayor of Dublin on Monday. Alison Gilliland from the town, a resident of Dublin since 1995 and a Labour Party councillor on the capital’s local authority, is only the 10th woman out of the 353 people to hold the position, which was instituted in 1665. Chairperson of Dublin City Council’s Strategic Policy Committee on Housing, Councillor Gilliland succeeds the Green Party’s Hazel Chu. A Labour Party member since 2009, she was elected to the City Council in 2014. A former primary school teacher, she ...

By Veronica Corr There was tremendous excitement at the new Holy Family School building in Cootehill on Thursday last, June 17th, when the Minister for Education, Norma Foley visited the facility at the request of Fianna Fáil Deputy Niamh Smyth. When asked if the visit to the school had been a highlight of her tenure in education, the former teacher said that it most certainly was and she even committed to returning for the official opening of the new school building. The school community was well represented at the informal ...

ENHANCED SUPPORT FOR VICTIMS KEY FOCUS OF INITIATIVE, JPC TOLD There were currently 137 active cases before the Cavan/Monaghan Divisional Protective Services Unit established by the Gardaí in July last year to investigate sexual crimes and serious domestic violence incidents, Tuesday’s meeting of Co Monaghan Joint Policing Committee was informed. In a presentation to the meeting, Garda Detective Sergeant Rose McGirl said that the Cavan/Monaghan DPSU was “very much a victim-centred unit” with a focus on creating the optimum environment for victims of sexual crime and domestic coercive control to disclose ...

Michael Fisher Monaghan and Ireland mourned the loss during the past week of one of its best known and admired citizens, the feminist and women’s rights campaigner, Mamo McDonald. Mamo, who was born in Co. Galway but spent most of her 91 years bringing up her family in Clones and then moved to Drumully, Smithborough, was widely respected as a former President of the Irish Countrywomen’s Association. She was honoured with a People of the Year award in 1999 for her services to Irish women and older people. Mrs McDonald ...

Our picture by Rory Geary shows the new Cathaoirleach of Monaghan Co Council, Castleblayney Fine Gael local public representative Aidan Campbell, accepting his chain of office from predecessor Colm Carthy of Sinn Féin following the Annual Meeting of the local authority in Monaghan’s Garage Theatre on Monday. Councillor Campbell in his acceptance speech remarked on the coincidence of the Annual Meeting with the Summer Solstice, “a day of hope” when they experienced the maximum of sunshine and the least of darkness. “Following the last 16 months of darkness and fear, ...