Review of the Year: March
Image 1 of 5
The Chairman of Cavan County Council, John Paul Feeley speaking a the memorial ceremony on Thursday evening.Image 2 of 5
Paul Heaton put in a fabulous show in Townhall Cavan.Image 3 of 5
This poster says it all. Pictured outside the Cavan Couthouse on Friday evening at the event to mark the 365 days of the war in Ukraine.Image 4 of 5
An aerial shot of Kingscourt in the snow in March.Image 5 of 5
This young member of the Cavan Rugby Club Under 7s was showing his fighting Irish spirit in the Cavan Town St Patrick’s Day parade during what was an exceptional weekend for Irish rugby. Photo by LORRAINE TEEVANHeaton wows Townhall
FORMER Beautiful South frontman and songwriter Paul Heaton thrilled the capacity crowd at the Townhall Cavan in January. The Celt was amongst the 400 strong audience to witness a memorable night where Heaton played hit after hit after hit and still had more for an encore.
Permanent memorial to be erected for
orphanage victims
THE streets of Cavan fell silent for the 80th anniversary of the Cavan Orphanage Fire.
The commemorative event sought to remember and celebrate those who passed away in the blaze. Main Street was closed off, with crowds gathering on Market Square before leading a procession down the street to the Convent of the Poor Clare nuns, the scene where the tragic incident occurred in 1943.
The procession was led by children who carried 36 candles, one for each lost soul. The name of each victim was called during a ceremony in the courtyard before the children placed their candle on a table.
Over €712K in payments and expenses to councillors
CAVAN County Council paid out a total of €712,627.09 in members’ payments and expenses in 2022. It represented an increase of almost a quarter on the 2021 figure of €577,373.71.
It should be noted, however, that a councillor’s basic Representational Allowance rose from €21,600.21 in 2021 to €26,296.37 in 2022. They also receive an annual allowance and Municipal District allowance.
Cavan Ladies in strike threat
THE Cavan ladies senior football team were considering not playing their final National League fixture because of a dispute over expenses and gear.
Captain Neasa Byrd and teammates Aishling Sheridan and Lauren McVeety claimed the Ladies’ board had not fulfilled an agreement signed on January 15, and that Dublin-based players were being left out of pocket to the point where some could not afford to attend training.
Centenarian receives birthday wishes from 107-year-old sister
The smiling Kathleen Rahil celebrated her 100th Birthday last March in the Sheelin Nursing Home, and received fond birthday wishes from her 107-year-old sister, Bridget Tierney, and 97-year-old brother, James Reilly, who is also a resident in Sheelin.
Highlighting gender imbalance in local politics
A ROLE reversal took place in the Cavan Council Chamber to celebrate International Women’s Day.
The mock meeting, which would usually see 14 males and just four females debate a range of issues, was flipped for one day only as members of the ICA took the seats in place of some male councillors.
Cusack weathers
the storm
MET Éireann was accused of “scaremongering” when its head of forecasting attended the March meeting of Cavan County Council to discuss its issuing of “too many” weather warnings.
Evelyn Cusack attended a meeting of the local authority to respond to a letter of complaint that issued from the December meeting of the council.
Ms Cusack agreed that some people are frustrated by what they see as the issuing of too many warnings.
She explained, however, that warnings are designed to assist the citizens and stakeholders and are based on a European colour standard, so as not to appear as “the boy who cried wolf”.
NUMBER OF THE MONTH
25
The number of years since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, which ultimately brought power sharing to the North, set out a path to a united Ireland and ended decades of conflict.
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
“Private accommodation can be as much as €1,400 if there even is any at all. I can’t afford it. When the day of my eviction comes, I have nowhere to go. I don’t know what to do.”
- Lisa (20s), working single mother
GOOD MONTH
• THE Boomtown Rats were revealed as headliners for the Cavan Calling festival.
• Marilyn O’Connor raised over €17K for IMNDA through her Valentine’s Ball fundraiser.
• Áine Smith was co-opted onto Cavan County Council in the Fianna Fáil seat vacated by her late father Sean.
• Paddy Lynch, who had been reduced to cameos off the bench scored 0-10 against Offaly in Tullamore.
BAD MONTH
• Magazines The Moth & The Caterpillar, run by Rebecca O’Connor and Will Govan, hit the shelves for the last time.
• Kevin McGahern finally bowed out of Dancing with the Stars after a fabulous run.
• In light of the end to the eviction ban, we ran stories of people fearing they may not have a roof over their heads.
• A report found the Interconnector project can only proceed via pylons over ground.
READ MORE