By MICHAEL McDONNELL michael@northern-standard.ie IRISH Coastguard pilot Dara Fitzpatrick, who died tragically in the air-sea rescue helicopter crash off the Mayo coast early on Tuesday morning, had strong connections with Cootehill and Co Cavan, the Northern Standard can confirm. Many tributes have been paid to 45-year-old Captain Fitzpatrick, who was one of four crew members aboard the Dublin-based Sikorsky S-92 helicopter that went down shortly before 1am. Chief pilot Mark Duffy from Dundalk, Co Louth and winchmen Paul Ormsby and Ciarán Smith from north Co Dublin were still missing as we went ...

A 21-years-old woman who was arrested by gardai at Dublin Airport after her return from the United States, where she allegedly fled to avoid arrest for alleged dangerous driving, resulting in the death of a well known Ulster Gaelic footballer in 2012, is to face trial at the Circuit Criminal Court in Monaghan in May. But Judge Denis McLoughlin at a sitting of the District Court in Carrickmacross yesterday (Wed) adjourned the formal application for the remand, on bail, of Coleen McCann, with an address at Drumacon, ...

Postmasters are to hold a protest outside the GPO next Tuesday saying they will resist any Post Office closures driven by An Post. The Irish Postmasters’ Union (IPU) also demanded the immediate publication and implementation of the completed Post Office Network plan Chaired by Bobby Kerr. IPU General Secretary Ned O’Hara said Government must immediately intervene and stop An Post from stalling the €56m Network development plan. An Post’s Group Chief Executive, David McRedmond, has said that the …

Yesterday, Wednesday, will certainly go down as a memorable day for a young Monaghan couple who claimed €200,000 on an All Cash Spectacular Scratch Card in the National Lottery. The speechless young couple who bought the lucky All Cash Spectacular Game scratch card last Saturday afternoon in Braeside Stores, Clontibret, didn’t think to scratch the card until the following day when they were at a party surrounded by friends and family. “I was sitting on the couch when I remembered I had …

By Veronica Corr Following a two-year campaign by her parents Gráinne and David, Grace Cogan is to receive Vimizim drug to improve her quality of life. Grace was born with a condition called Morquio, which means that her body does not produce an enzyme naturally. That is why she needs Vimizim, to help break down the sugars in her body. She is to receive this medication through the HSE in Temple Street Children’s University Hospital. The nine-year-old lives at home with her parents and older siblings Hannah (16) and Killian (14) ...

By Cianna McNally Concern in relation to an unfinished housing estate in Tydavnet was raised at the March meeting of Monaghan Municipal District, which took place on Tuesday. Referring to the Cnoc na Greine estate in the village, which he had submitted a written question to the local authority about ahead of the meeting, Councillor Paudge Connolly said that he had been told that the estate was not classed as unfinished despite there being six houses not completed in it. “It is a blight on the ...

Members of the Castleblayney- Carrickmacross Municipal District were recently given a preview of the draft road safely audit which is being carried on the N2 Dublin/Derry route between Castleblayney and Carrickmacross. Some of the information coming from this draft audit suggests that driver behaviour on the stretch is a key contributor to some of the accidents, including fatalities. Speaking at last week’s council meeting, Cllr. Aidan Campbell proposed that when this audit is complete a presentation is given to the full council. ”The consultant showed some video ...

Winger injured against Wales after coming on as replacement Michael Fisher Ireland and Ulster winger Tommy Bowe is recovering after his latest injury problem. The Emyvale man sustained a left ankle fracture soon after coming on as a replacement in the Ireland against Wales Six Nations Championship game in Cardiff last Friday. He underwent surgery on Tuesday to stabilise the fracture and is expected to be sidelined for two or three months. Bowe had only just returned to full fitness after being out of action since October 2015 after suffering a serious knee ...

In 2016 Monaghan Sports Partnership launched the ‘Walk the Earth’ programme for primary schools in County Monaghan.   From October 2016 to January 2017, over 800 pupils in 11 primary schools have accumulatively walked a over 20,000 kilometres (halfway across the world!!!). We will be profiling the schools involved in our programme over the coming weeks; our sixth school is Scoil Mhuire, Rockcorry.  There are 79 pupils in Scoil Mhuire, spread across all classes from junior infants to sixth class taking part in our ….

A 50-YEAR-OLD Moldovan man who stole a number of jars of a particular type of honey from a Monaghan town supermarket — in what his lawyer called a “very peculiar case” — has been told to pay compensation and also to make a charitable donation in order to avoid a criminal conviction. Tudor Boboc, of 40 Monfort, Monaghan had been charged with stealing six jars of Manuka Honey, worth €124.94 in total from Fleming’s SuperValu, Church Square, Monaghan on four dates during May of last year. He pleaded guilty to taking ...