Pictured presenting the Green Flag to Kathleen Ryan, Principal of Bunscoil Lughaidh Naofa, Carrickmacross, are Teresa Fox, Green Schools Co-ordinator, and John Gormley, leader of the Green Party.
THE Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Mr. John Gormley, TD officially launched the joint Monaghan County Council and National Roads Authority exhibition on ‘Life and Death in Monaghan’ at the restored Carrickmacross Workhouse on Friday last, May 23.
The exhibition is based on the results of the advance archaeological excavations undertaken by the NRA on the N2 Carrickmacross to Aclint Realignment in Co. Monaghan in 2003. The relevant archaeological investigations were completed before road construction began, allowing adequate time and resources to be given to thoroughly recording and understanding the discoveries now on display in the Workhouse.
At the exhibition launch, Minister Gormley said,
“It is fascinating to think that, at the heart of the exhibition, there is evidence of a much earlier building, a Stone Age dwelling house that was in use over 3,500 years ago.”
The Minister added that
“while it is sometimes challenging to transform what some regard as dusty history into vibrant life I think that challenge has been well met in Carrickmacross. This exhibition allows people of all ages to gain a sense of what it was like to live in the far distant past, what people did, how they felt, what they ate and how they were buried.”
The NRA has worked closely with Monaghan Co. Museum since 2003 to put together the exhibition which combines reconstructions, colourful images and exciting texts and scale models. The bypass excavations uncovered three sites of great significance to Irish archaeology. A site at Monanny shows the arrival in Carrickmacross of the ‘first farmers’ nearly 6,000 years ago.
The exhibition also details the arrival of Christianity with a small family cemetery at Cloghvalley Upper, dating from circa 650 A.D. It tells a series of human stories through diseases, burial rites and stone lined graves.
Minister Gormley said that the Carrickmacross exhibition formed an impressive mosaic of the lifecycle of the Carrickmacross area across the ages. He added that the exhibition captures the shifting threads of everyday life and death in the county over six millennia. Complimenting the exhibition organisers he concluded by saying that the Carrickmacross exhibition is a fine example of how rich in local history and archaeology we are in this country.
THE future of Carrickmacross and indeed of Counties Monaghan and Cavan looks bright, according to local Green Party representatives who attended a special evening in the Carrick Court Hotel on Thursday last, organised by the Cavan/Monaghan Green Party.
“County Monaghan’s glorious entrepreneurial track record will mean the county’s future looks bright and green for the local economy and employment levels. It is good news for the planet and local people’s pockets,”
Carrickmacross Councillor Vincent P Martin told the Post.
The Green party believe it is this local entrepreneurial spirit which will ensure Monaghan emerges as a leading county in the development of Greener industries locally in the coming years.
Cllr Martin said he and his party colleagues were ‘overwhelmed’ at the turnout to the event by party members, friends of the party and local business representatives. Local issues from Carrickmacross Swimming Pool to the Carrick Rovers were discussed at the event which featured encouraging speeches from guest speakers Minister John Gormley and local entrepreneur Gerry McCaughey and a question and answer session.
Minister Gormley is said to have thoroughly enjoyed his visit to the county.
INVER College students held the popular talent show contest Inversearch on Thursday last 17 May.
All acts sang and danced their hearts out hoping to become Inversearch Winner 2008 but it was Nicholas Murray and Sarah Hand who topped the talent on the night.
The show raised much needed funds for the Baby Care Unit at Cavan General Hospital.
Special thanks was extended to all staff, students, helpers and sponsors who helped stage this years production.
Inver College would like to take this opportunity to thanks the audience and everyone who contributed to this worthy cause.
Kind sponsors were; Frazer’s Haardware, The Fiddlers Elbow, Molly’s Restaurant and Quinn’s Supermarket.
COUNCILLOR Padraig McNally, as Chairman of the Carrickmacross Sewerage Liaison Committee, called an urgent meeting this week to discuss a number of issues relating to the closure of the Magheraboy road, Carrickmacross.
The main item discussed was the danger of the road linking the Magheraboy road to the Drumcondrath road. This road, the Cllr McNally stated is totally inadequate to deal with two-way-traffic. As a result of today’s meeting, a decision has been taken to make this one way traffic only for the duration of the work.
In addition to this change, immediate hedge cutting will take place to improve the safety on the above road. All road users will have to use the Kingscourt road to access the Magherross area. The Contractor has also agreed to deploy a second crew on the Magheraboy road, in an effort to speed up the work needed.
Cllr Matt Carthy has said that common sense has prevailed as a one way system has been put in place for traffic diverted as a result of the closure of the road.
Cllr Carthy commended the council’s representatives on the sub-committee overseeing the works, Noel Keelan and Padraig McNally, who pursued the matter. Cllr Carthy also reiterated his call that all possible be done to ensure that the works at Magheross be completed as speedily as possible to facilitate all users but particularly the businesses on the road who are suffering as a result of the ongoing works.
Cllr McNally commended the Contractor for their co-operation in the above matter but said it was necessary to make and have changes in order to improve safety. The Garda Síochána is involved and has agreed to police the one way system initially.
Cllr McNally also reminded the committee that they must not loose sight of the fact that there are a number of businesses dependent on people being fit to access them in a safe manner.
A NON-national appeared in Carrickmacross District Court on charges relating to taking a vehicle without permission and using a false cheque.
Simeliunas Mangirdas (19) who has an address at 14 Foxfield, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan was accused of taking a vehicle from his employer without permission. The vehicle was later found crashed on 10 february 2008.
Solicitor for the defence Gerry Jones said that his client “admits that he didn’t have the consent of the owner.”
Garda Inspector Fintan McTiernan told the court how on 4 September 2007 Mangirdas paid for goods in O’Neill’s Off Licence totalling €553.32. The cheque that was used had been stolen from Mangirdas’ employer, Carton Bros Ltd. He was seen on CCTV footage to be using it to pay for the goods.
Mangirdas later returned the money to his employer.
Judge Sean McBride sentenced Mangirdas to three months imprisonment for car theft and disqualified him from holding a driving licence for three years.
Judge McBride also imposed a concurrent 3 month sentence for the theft of the cheque.
THE Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award for a first unpublished collection of poems in English is sponsored again this year by KPMG.
Now in its 38th year, previous winners include Eílean Ní Chuilleanain, Paul Durcan, Thomas McCarthy, Peter Sirr, Sinead Morrisey, Conor Callaghan, Celia de Freine and Joseph Woods. A selection of poems by previous award winners, from 1971 -2003, entitled Dancing with Kitty Stobling, published by Lilliput Press, Dublin, is available from the Patrick Kavanagh Centre, Inniskeen.
The winner of this year’s award will receive €2,500. There is also a second prize of €1,000 and a third prize of €500.
The Award will be judged by Moya Cannon and Theo Dorgan and will be presented on the evening of Friday 28 November 2008 at the opening of the Annual Patrick Kavanagh Weekend in Inniskeen. The closing date for entries is Friday 26 September 2008.
For rules and entry forms, phone 042 9378560 or email infoatpkc@eircom.net.
