Articles in the This Week’s Newspaper Category

PETER HUGHES A major new initiative to restore vigour to the Monaghan furniture industry, involving significant marketing and training developments and the strengthening of a new national representative organisation for the sector, was formally launched by Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Cavan/Monaghan Fine Gael TD Heather Humphreys, in the Hillgrove Hotel last Friday afternoon. The “Whither the Furniture Industry?” action plan is the product of the development phase of the Wood FootPrint Project undertaken over the past two-and-a-half years with support from the EU’s URBACT programme. It ...

PETER HUGHES The utilisation of spare accommodation and land at the site of St Davnet’s Hospital for a retirement village development to provide much needed local accommodation for the elderly was advocated at the May meeting of the Monaghan Municipal District by Seamus Treanor. Whether there was sufficient capacity available at the Health Service Executive property to facilitate the proposal became a point of issue between Colr Treanor and Fine Gael’s David Maxwell during the resultant discussion. The Independent councillor’s original motion read: “That Municipal District write to the Health Minister, ...

Michael Fisher The forklift company Comiblift which is one of County Monaghan’s most successful businesses has applied for planning permission to build a new premises on a 100-acre site on the outskirts of Monaghan town. It’s part of a €40 million expansion announced by the company in February. The firm has promised to create 200 jobs over the next five years.  The proposed development which is close to Monaghan fire station on the by-pass at Tullyhirm and Annahagh mainly consists of a 41 thousand square metre industrial unit and production facility, and ...

PETER HUGHES Monaghan Co Council needs to appoint a specific official to the task of accessing funding from European sources, the Cathaoirleach of the Monaghan Municipal District has advocated. Sinn Féin Co Councillor Sean Conlon moved a motion at the MD’s May meeting calling for an EU Officer post to be established in Co Monaghan in order to maximise the potential yield from a potential €100 billion that local authorities can apply for from Europe between now and 2020. It was suggested during the debate on the proposal that ...

With the beginning of the Leaving Certificate this week, pharmacists are noticing a surge in visits by parents worried about the impact exam stress is having on their children. Exam stress can manifest as stomach upsets, diarrhoea, cold sores and tension headaches and certain conditions such as asthma, sinusitis and allergic reactions can also be aggravated by stress.  Pharmacists have issued some simple tips to help students manage minor ailments associated with exam stress to help them get through exam time.  Bernard Duggan, a pharmacist and Honorary Treasurer of the IPU, ...

The outcome of the development phase of the Wood FootPrint Project initiated in Monaghan over two years ago to examine the causes of decline in the furniture production sector and chart avenues for its revival was presented at a launch function on Friday last. The report, “Whither the Furniture Industry?” takes a question posed some time ago in this editorial section of our newspaper and answers it with a comprehensive Local Action Plan based on a series of key implementation measures addressing organisation, training, design, manufacture and marketing. ...

FOLLOWING its outstanding success last year, the County Fleadh returned to Monaghan town last weekend, where a wealth of traditional talent was celebrated. The organisers were lucky to have the facilities of Monaghan Education Campus at their disposal, a venue which meant that they weren’t at the mercy of the elements, bearing in mind the Irish summers which have been endured in recent years. The festival began on Thursday with a well-attended bilingual quiz in Gaelscoil Ultain. Friday’s launch by the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Heather ...

A feature on Monaghan exhibitors and visitors at Bloom in the Park 2015 at the Phoenix Park in Dublin. Michael Fisher Monaghan made quite an impression at this year’s Bloom Festival at the Phoenix Park in Dublin. Designer Declan McKenna from Amackalin in Carrickroe received a silver award for his contemporary expression garden in the medium sized garden category. He said it was based on what inspired him as a young up-and-coming garden designer and his expression of a modern space. It was the first time he had entered the Bord ...

Monaghan Tidy Towns and the Irish Wildlife Trust organised a nature trek around the town environs last Saturday and would like to thank the adults and children who came along to take part. The trek was another in a series of outings organised this year to help promote the idea of Monaghan as a “Biodiversity Town” where nature is understood and appreciated. Ecologist Billy Flynn of Flynn Furney Ecologists led the way on a trek that led through St Davnets grounds, Peters Lake and the Ulster Canal Park. Trees, bird ...

Intel recently celebrated the success of its 2014 Matching Grant initiative, rewarding 133 community organisations and schools from across Ireland with €461,076.  Monaghan based Magheracloone CLG were part of the 2014 Matching Grant Scheme and thus will receive funding in the amount of over €7,000.  The Intel Involved Matching Grant Program aims to encourage Intel employees to engage in outreach and volunteerism to make our communities a better place by supporting employees’ giving their time and talent to qualified non–profits organisations and schools. After a minimum of 20 hours has been accrued ...