Articles in the Monaghan Category

Lands located to the north east of Dublin Street in Monaghan Town could be utilised to create “a new impetus for commercial activity in the town over the next ten years”, according to a draft Local Area Action Plan, or LAAP, presented to the December meeting of Monaghan Town Council by Monaghan Co Council planners Adrian Hughes and Toirleach Gourley. Under the plan a new street – developed on the at present unutilised land behind Dublin Street – would link Old Cross Square with The Diamond and provide the ...

Well-known Monaghan Townsman Francie Coogan has once again illuminated the Christmas period for the people of Belgian Square and the surrounding area with his spectacular outdoor display of yuletide lights and decorations. Francie is pictured by our photographer Rory Geary standing proudly amid his brilliant seasonal pyrotechnics.

The site of the stalled mixed use development project in the centre of Monaghan Town is to be filled in and restored to use as a car-parking area, Sinn Féin TD for Cavan/Monaghan Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin confirmed to The Northern Standard yesterday following meetings which his party colleague, Monaghan Co and Town Councillor Sean Conlon, and himself have held with project developers P Clarke & Sons Limited. Deputy Ó Caoláin said he had received correspondence from the Clarke Group confirming that work will take place over the coming months ...

It’s not just the A-Team’s Hannibal Smith who loves it when a plan comes together.  Co Monaghan Vocational Education Committee’s own A-Team of administrators and stakeholders for the new €20 million multi-purpose education complex going into development at Knockaconny were pretty pleased with themselves also when, on Friday, no less a personage than the Tánaiste and Minister for Education Mary Coughlan was on hand to officiate at the formal unveiling of the detailed plans for the new development during an impressively orchestrated presentation in Monaghan’s Hillgrove Hotel.  And Minister Coughlan’s personal pleasure ...

Johnny Gibson and Dwayne McMahon from the band “Fixed Penalty”, who were responsible for the construction of the eight-foot snowman in The Diamond in Monaghan Town last weekend. The dedicated artists stayed up until 4.30 am on Saturday morning so they could get sufficient building material for their creation, who proved to be a major attraction and talking point in the town throughout the day, with many people stopping to get pictured with, or admire, the handiwork. © Rory Geary/The Northern Standard

A crowd estimated in excess of 7,000 thronged the central thoroughfares of Monaghan Town last Sunday evening to enjoy the formal switch-on of the county capital’s Christmas lighting – and send out a powerful message of confidence in the commercial health of the town to banish the building shadows of economic gloom. Santa Claus’s arrival delighted the hordes of expectant children who encircled the Church Square stage – but the venerable gentleman was arguably upstaged by the charismatic presence of X-Factor performer Jamie Archer, whose personal magnetism and powerhouse ...

Have you ever asked yourself in exasperation:  “Where have all the good men gone?!”  Well, if you’re more of a social butterfly than shrinking violet, why not consider taking part in Monaghan Town FC’s version of Take Me Out, as seen on TV!  Twenty to thirty girls who are free, single and ready to mingle are sought to take part in this event, that plans to put the fun back into fundraising.  So, if you’re available on Tuesday, December 28th, why not throw your name into the hat?  After all, ...

Senior planning officials who attended Monday night’s meeting of Monaghan Town Council heard a strong appeal from Fine Gael councillor Tommy Hagan for favourable consideration to be extended to proposed developments at the Monaghan Business Park on the outskirts of the town. Colr Hagan referred to the renewed planning application from the major retail concern Aldi in respect of the location, and to proposals that were being advanced to establish a leisure facility complex in the area. Monaghan Co Council’s Senior Planner Adrian Hughes and Senior Executive Planner Toirleach Gourley were present ...

Anger and frustration among Monaghan-based construction firms that the contracts for major public works in the county were consistently awarded to contractors from outside the county, very often to those based in Northern Ireland, was aired when Monaghan Town Council met on Monday night. Both Monaghan Town Manager David Fallon and Town Engineer Gareth McMahon emphasised in the course of the debate that local authorities were bound by strict procurement rules in the awarding of tenders and were compelled to accept the lowest tender submitted in all but exceptional circumstances.  They ...