A MAN who was with Paul Quinn prior to him being beaten to death in an outhouse in Oram Castleblayney on October 20 last year has been warned that he too may be murdered by the same gang that killed Mr Quinn. The late Mr Quinn along with Brendan Nugent, 21, were set upon by the gang on arriving at the sheds at Tullycoora. While Paul Quinn was beaten to death Brendan Nugent was also severely beaten and was taken to Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry.

Police officers in the north have called to the home of Mr Nugent, in Cullyhanna under cover of darkness and delivered the written warning that they had received from intelligence sources. The PSNI intelligence stated that Mr Nugent was to be killed and branded as an informer.

Gillian McVeigh

LOCAL music enthusiasts Adam Brennan and Daniel Mahony are doing their bit to promote music in Monaghan, by establishing their own music promotions company.

Venue Promotions hope to bring some of Ireland’s most promising acts to the farney county, in a bid to enhance the local music scene. Adam Brennan told the Monaghan Post: “We saw a need for music promotion in Monaghan and decided to take action. We want to bring some of Ireland’s best acts to the people of Monaghan, and also promote local bands who perform original material.

”We felt that it was unacceptable that in order for people to see unsigned bands they need to travel to Dublin, Kilkenny etc to see a band,” Adam said. “We hope to change. We aim to give local and national bands an opportunity to play to a music-loving Monaghan audience.”

The guys hope to have one gig per month in McKenna’s Bar in Monaghan Town. If this proves to be popular, they will add more dates. The first gig will take place Friday 15 February in McKenna’s Bar in Monaghan. Dublin band Saccade will headline the evening. The band who are best know from the TG4 programme Deis Rock, are sure to be popular with the Monaghan crowd. The back up acts will be Dundalk’s Open Door Policy and Greenlights. For more information log on to www.myspace.com/venuepromotions.

By Joe McCabe

OVER 9 million cigarettes seized by Customs Officers at Dublin Port in Tuesday and valued at €3.1m were destined for a fictitious address in Cloughvalley in Carrickmacross the Post can reveal. The cigarettes are thought to have been smuggled from the Middle East to a Belgian port before being shipped to Ireland.
The ‘Raquel’ brand cigarettes are described as of an “ Unusual nature” by the Customs and Excise team who found the cargo after a surveillance operation that had lasted months.

Raquel cigarettes are produced in England and in Greece in various types, They are usually king size packs of twenty. In recent years cigarettes smuggled into Ireland have originated in Eastern Europe.

Gillian McVeigh

DESPITE being officially opened by President Mary McAleese weeks ago Brookvale House , a special needs home in Monaghan Town remains locked up and unused due to a lack of HSE funding. This is despite a great number of service users wishing to avail of the facility.

Brookvale along with Millbrook House built two years ago, are fully adapted to suit the needs of residents. Brookvale is furnished and ready to be opened as soon as funding becomes available for the staff needed to be employed.

Chairman of the Monaghan branch of the Parents and Friends of the Intellectual Disability Association, Dan Rogan, stated this week that the house has been “lying vacant for some time now.”

Brendan Casey, HSE Care Group Manager for the Cavan and Monaghan Disability Services told the Monaghan Post, “Our plan is that the house will be open in the first quarter of 2008.”

He continued: “We have been working with local authorities and the housing association and we are in the process of identifying priority clients who are currently awaiting group home accommodation.”

The house was purchased by the Parents and Friends of the Intellectual Disability Association with the help of €80,000 which they fundraised. The house was then furnished with the help of funding received from the Department of the Environment and the HSE.

Dan Rogan added “These houses will facilitate mainly young people which intellectual disabilities to take the pressure of their parents who may find it difficult to cope.”

President McAleese was very impressed with the Brookvale House However, almost immediately after the President’s visit the house was locked up and has not been occupied ever since.

By Joe McCabe

THE Monaghan Post has learned that Tesco Ireland has renewed its interest in locating a new store in Carrickmacross and that negotiations are ongoing regarding a particular site in the town. It is also understood that a deal may be close to conclusion with a local landowner.

This follows the withdrawal of a planning application to Cavan County Council by Tesco before Christmas which had sought permission to provide a new supermarket on the Kells Road in neighbouring Kingscourt, Co Cavan thus putting that proposal in doubt.

Meanwhile, planning permission has also been obtained for a Tesco store in Bailieboro eight miles away after a planning objection was withdrawn there.

The original Kingscourt application had sought to erect a single level, self service store selling mainly food and some non-food goods with a gross floor area of 1,523.1m2 together with enclosed service yard.

This store was to have include an ATM, licensed sales area, circulation space, toilet facilities, bulk stores, staff areas, signage and associated car parking spaces.

The development was also to have included recycling facilities, cycle stands, pedestrian footpaths, lighting, boundary treatment, landscaping measures, new access arrangements and all site works.

Kingscourt County Councillor, Clifford Kelly, told the Post that he was very disappointed with the news. “Tesco would have been good for the town and brought other business to Kingscourt.

However, I am not convinced that they will not re-consider their decision.” Tesco had bought land from Kingscourt Community Enterprise Centre for its store and the proceeds of that sale were to be used for a number of projects which would have benefited the wider Kingscourt community.

It is understood that Tesco now plan to hold a public meeting in Kingscourt at which its reasons for the planning withdrawn may be explained.

MONAGHAN General Hospital was recently awarded second place out of 52 hospitals on a website for the quality of its food. “Rate My Hospital” is irishhealth.com’s unique online hospital ratings survey and according to the survey around 40% of the country’s hospitals are below par when it comes to the quality and service of food to patients. Monaghan Hospital scored 3.98 (80%). On www.ratemyhospital.ie patients and their relatives are asked to rate hospitals under various headings including parking, hygiene and food quality on a scale of one, which is ‘poor’, to five, which is ‘excellent’.

The hospital awarded the ‘Michelin Star’ for food is St Luke’s Cancer Hospital in Dublin, with a 4.5 out of 5, or a 90% rating. Cavan General Hospital came in thirty second place. Receiving the worst reviews was The Mid-Western Regional Maternity in Limerick which came in last place in the hospital food chain nationally. 20 out of 52 major hospitals, or almost 40% of the total, scored on average less than three out of five in terms of food quality and service.

Just under 10,000 health consumers have now rated hospitals as part on the ‘Rate My Hospital’ facility since its launch in late 2006, making it by far the largest ever study conducted into patient satisfaction with the Irish hospital system.

By Cliona Connolly
Cliona@monaghanpost.com

MONAGHAN County Council held a civic reception for two distinguished men who represented the county in sports this year, Director General of the GAA Pauric Duffy and GAA all-star Tommy Freeman.

Mayor of County Monaghan, Gary Carville said Tommy’s all star was “richly deserved”. “Tommy brings class, style and steely determination to his game. Add to that pride and passion. He is a team player and would be the first to say that his Award is a reflection of the marvellous progress Monaghan has made in recent years, especially in 2007.”

The Mayor said his recent appointment was a natural progression for Pauric Duffy. “We know you as a Gael, as a family man, as a teacher and principal, as a member of our community and we are proud that you, one of the sons of Monaghan, will now be at the helm of what is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, national organisation in our country.”

By Cliona Connolly
Cliona@monaghanpost.com

THE DANGERS of killer drugs such as Cocaine must be made clear to young people in a radical overhaul of the drug education programmes in schools according to Seymour Crawford, Fine Gael TD for Cavan/Monaghan.

“The message must be that drugs kill, that there is no quality control of drugs, that drug dealers care only about money, and that drugs are illegal. Cocaine use is rampant and is a leading killer,” the Deputy stated.

The TD believes the National Drugs Strategy has failed. “Cocaine is a growing problem and heroin is still widely in use. We need a National Forum on Drugs to co-ordinate the national strategy and tackle the ever-growing problem of drug use, drug dealing and drug warfare and alcohol consumption,” he said.

The tragic death of top model Katy French is not enough to shock teens into realising the dangers drugs pose according to the TD. “The lives and deaths of those who have died too young from James Dean to Kurt Cobain have always had a tinge of romance. Only when young people meet and hear the heartbreak of family members, when they meet a medic who can show how drugs devastate your body, or when they see a drug user’s pain, will the dangers of drugs be exposed,” Deputy Crawford explained.

The TD has also called for major investment in drug treatment programmes. “We need to demystify drugs, take off the glossy cover and expose the real medical and psychological ramifications of drug use. We need to reach a stage where snorting a line of cocaine is as socially unacceptable as stumbling drunk out of the pub, car-keys in hand. Those involved in drug dealing and trafficking must be dealt with in no uncertain terms by the courts,” concluded Deputy Crawford.

By Joe McCabe

A SOUTH Monaghan boy is a new World Champion Linesdancer after putting in a tremendious performance in front of thousands in Germany last weekend.

Dancing champ, 11-year-old Aaron Byrne, is the son of Peter and Bernie Byrne of Farraghy, Corduff and is a sixth class student at Scoil Phadraig, Corduff.

He told the Post: “I don’t know what to say. I’m speechless. It was a great experience. I’m delighted and I thank everybody for their support.”

Joanne O’Reilly, 20, also from Farraghy put in a great performance to finish a very credable 20th place in her category.

Aaron and Joanne were give a rousing homecoming at the Mountain Dew Club at Corduff/Raferagh, Community Centre on Monday night.

They were given a musical reception at the club by three Corduff pipers while Master of Ceremonies, Paddy Gollogly led the many people in attendance in congratulating the dancers.

On behalf of the Corduff/Raferagh community Association, President, Peadar Marron said that both dancers had done their community proud and he paid tribute the parents of both dancers whose efforts over many years had now been rewarded.

“A very big welcome home and well done. We are proud that your line dancing careers started off here in the Corduff/Raferagh centre under the guidance of Rosina Shekleton.”
Referring to Aaronin particular Peadar added: “To win a World
Championship is the highest anybody can go. “It was only a matter of time I’d say before Joanne will obtain a world title too.”

TRAGEDY struck the Glaslough area on Friday last when a local man died in a housefire.

Oliver McCourt, 58, died in the blaze at his bungalow home at Faulkland Bridge near Glaslough Village.

The alarm was raised by locals at approximately 11am and the emergency services called.

Fire officers and gardai from Monaghan attended the scene.

A gardai forensic team examined the scene and foul play is not suspected.

By Cliona Connolly
cliona@monaghanpost.com

MR GAY Ireland, Barry Meegan from Broomfield Co Monaghan, will fly the flag for the Irish gay community when he jets to Hollywood to represent Ireland in the International Mr Gay contest, January 17 to 21.

Last October, the Post ran a story on Barry’s win and unknowingly outed him to family members!

“In my opinion, some of my family knew deep down already [that I was gay], but the article drove the fact home by running the story with several photos and a big headline!”

But Barry was delighted with the positive reaction of family, neighbours and locals. “The neighbour’s reactions quite literally blew me away!

“I got to speak to a lot of family and friends over Christmas and they are very proud of me and genuinely delighted for me to have such a great opportunity. I got no negativity at all. Their kind words of support really meant so much.”

THE local hottie is proud to represent Monaghan. “I am very proud of who I am and where I come from. If people have a problem with it, well that is exactly that - their problem and quite frankly they need to deal with it!”

Barry hopes his life will inspire confidence in others “I firmly believe that we need to help everyone around us, especially in rural areas, to realise that being gay is not like what people were told in previous decades. “They shouldn’t fear being judged, ostracised or worse - beaten up for being who they are.”

Barry believes people’s attitudes have changed for the better in Ireland but still have a long way to go before gay people don’t fear coming out. “I don’t know if I could have come out as easily if I actually lived at home in Monaghan. I can only imagine how difficult it is for someone who does live in a small town or rural community.”