Articles in the Headline Category

Mining company criticised for lack of contact with Magheracloone residents Peter Hughes Mining company Gyproc were criticised at Monday’s meeting of Monaghan Co Council in Castleblayney for what was perceived as their lack of contact and interaction with the people of Magheracloone in the aftermath of the major subsidence incident there in September, and following the discovery on December 19 last of a fresh crown hole in the area. The actions taken by Monaghan Co Council to deal with the December 19 incident, including the closure for a second time of ...

ISSUE HIGHLIGHTED BY PUBLIC PROTEST AT ST DAVNET’S ON FRIDAY • Michael McDonnell CAMPAIGNERS for the restoration of disability respite services at a centre in Cootehill — which caters for families in a wide Monaghan and Cavan catchment area — mounted a three-hour protest at the gates to St Davnet’s between 10am and 1pm last Friday morning. The Northern Standard was told this week by Jennie Farrelly, one of the protest’s organisers and spokesperson for the Parents Action Group for Respite Services (Cavan-Monaghan), that everyone involved was delighted that up on ...

Government makes contingency plans in event of ‘no deal’ scenario Michael Fisher The government is meeting today (Thursday) to prioritise legislation in the increasingly likely event of a ‘no deal’ Brexit. This full Cabinet meeting was announced just before Christmas when details of a contingency action plan were published in preparation for a ‘no deal’ scenario. The Sinn Féin Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said the prospect of a British ‘crash-out’ from the EU was looming closer and warned of the consequences for the business, tourism and agriculture sectors in particular. With ...

By Veronica Corr Another sinkhole was discovered close to the L4900 Drumgossatt Road, Magheracloone by Gyproc on December 19th, which necessitated the closure of the road by Monaghan County Council the next day. Gyproc claims that the latest subsidence incident has nothing to do with the initial collapse of an unused part of Drumgossatt mine in September. Cathaoirleach of Carrickmacross/Castleblayney Municipal District Colm Carthy broke the news of this latest sinkhole on social media one day after we went to press. The Sinn Féin representative later issued a statement on ...

Peter Hughes Footage from motorists’ dashcams could provide important information in the investigation of the theft by a criminal gang of the ATM machine from the Ballybay Bank of Ireland branch in the early hours of Sunday morning last, the Gardaí have stated. Speaking to the Northern Standard on Tuesday, Superintendent Fergus Treanor of Carrickmacross Garda Station appealed to motorists who may have been travelling in the area of Ballybay around the time of the incident, which is believed to have taken place around 3 am, and had their dashcams ...

• €9.5 million funding secured for “shared space” facility to house new Museum and Library Peter Hughes The recent series of positive funding announcements for Monaghan Town and its environs continued on Friday last when it was learned that the Monaghan Peace Campus project had been successful in securing funding of €9.5 million under the EU’s PEACE IV programme. The new facility will be constructed on lands at the Plantation Road in the town which were formerly occupied by the local authority machinery yard. The three-storey building will provide a new ...

Michael Fisher As the Brexit debate reached a crucial stage in the United Kingdom, former British Prime Minister Sir John Major was in Ireland this week to remember his collaboration 25 years ago with the late Albert Reynolds in the Downing Street declaration that paved the way for the peace process. He criticised what he said was the “breathtaking ignorance” unionist leaders and Eurosceptics had shown over the Irish border during the Brexit debate. Sir John called for calm but warned that the imposition of a hard border was a ...

By Veronica Corr The Northern Standard was afforded the opportunity to conduct a brief interview with Bishop-Elect Larry Duffy, after the announcement of his promotion in St. Joseph’s Church, Carrickmacross on Saturday morning last. Famed for his modesty, he was his approachable self. When asked how he felt on the morning, just after the announcement was made, after accepting congratulations, Monsignor Duffy said: “I’m feeling calm, relieved and grateful to be this far on.” He explained that the Papal Nuncio had given him as much time as he needed to ...

Michael Fisher “It’s a landmark day for our county and Monaghan is on a roll at the moment” is how Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation Heather Humphreys described the announcement on Monday of a €5 million biotechnology research centre in Monaghan that could completely transform the local economy. It will employ 250 highly trained biotech specialists. According to one of the leading members of the Bioconnect company, Peter Corcoran of Monaghan Biosciences, the centre would have the potential to create a further 1,000 jobs in the agrifood industry locally, ...

PATSY McARDLE Civic and community leaders in Castleblayney expressed shock and grief yesterday (Wednesday) over a tragic incident in the town prior to midnight on Tuesday in which a 40-year-old father-of-two was killed when his parked car was struck by a speeding vehicle which was being pursued at the time by Gardaí. A Garda who had attempted to question the driver of the speeding car, before it was driven off at high speed, was dragged for about 500 metres and was later taken to hospital for facial, head and leg ...