REVIEW OF THE YEAR - JUNE
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Niamh Bradley McBreen from the Eriú Group entertained the crowds at the County Fleadh in Belturbet over the June Bank Holiday weekend. Niamh performed the brush dance on the Diamond to the delight of the audience.Image 2 of 6
An Tánaiste, Micheál Martin, chats to some students at St Clare’s National School in Ballyjamesduff during a visit to officially open a new €3M extension at the school.Image 3 of 6
Retained firefighters from stations around County Cavan demonstrate outside the Courthouse ahead of the AGM of Cavan County Council.Image 4 of 6
Bowler Angela Cleary, Killeshandra, and kayaker Eoghan Comerford, Ballinagh, display their medals following the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Berlin.Image 5 of 6
A Virginia-based company won the Northeast Regional Award at the 23rd annual National Enterprise Awards. Nuálach Automation, which was established by Evan Roarke and Kealan O’Connell in 2021. Here they are presented with their award by John Magee, chairperson of the National Local Enterprise Office Network.Image 6 of 6
Colaiste Dun an Rí teacher, artist Emma Carter, was announced as an exhibitor at the Borders International Art Fair in Venice.Firefighters take action
Firefighters in Cavan began a series of rolling, one-day work stoppages as they intensified their protest for better pay and conditions. The move affected half the county’s 10 stations at any one time.
Retained firefighters also demonstrated outside the Cavan County Courthouse ahead of the council’s June monthly meeting of elected members.
The first phase of industrial action began earlier in the month with a work-to-rule, escalating to rolling stoppages from June 13 with threats of an all-out strike by June 20 if the dispute over pay and conditions wasn’t resolved.
Cian Donohoe, the SIPTU union rep for Cavan Town, told the Celt, that the picket line was the “last place” they wanted to be. He claimed that some firefighters were earning as little as “99 cent per hour” with the average number of call outs per year in Cavan between 150- 200.
Mother suing Gemma O’Doherty
A Kingscourt woman lodged High Court proceedings against anti-vax campaigner Gemma O’Doherty for emotional distress after an image of her late son, who died from suicide, was used in an anti-vaccine publication.
Edel Campbell felt that Ms O’Doherty is trying to “sensationalise the unfortunate death of Diego Gilsenan” with “unfounded conspiracies” after the photo of the teenager appeared in freesheet newspaper The Irish Light last year.
Previously, Ms Campbell spoke to The Anglo-Celt about the pain she and her family have felt after the image of her late son appeared in the anti-vax publication.
Her son Diego Gilsenan (18) was one of 42 people to feature in the magazine ‘The Irish Light’ claiming that they died suddenly and their deaths were related to the COVID-19 vaccine and the effects of lockdown.
The editor of the publication is journalist Gemma O’Doherty. The Irish Light was also contacted for comment but did not respond.
The next phase of the N55 realignment scheme was set to finish on time and within budget.
Killydoon bypass to be delivered on time and on budget
The €30M Killydoon bypass is a new 3.7km section of road from Corduff to south of Killydoon. Clare Civil Engineering Ltd are undertaking the works.
The project is set to be finished by December 2024, according to Finian Coleman, executive engineer, Road Design, Cavan County Council.
“It takes 5,000 motorists a day, it’s a lot of traffic that uses the route. It’s not just of local importance but it’s regionally significant.
“It’s the last rural part of N55 that required improvement between the Longford county boundary and Cavan Town,” he said, promising improved road safety also.
Familicide review an ‘important first step’
The family of the late Clodagh Hawe and her three young boys welcomed the publication of an independent study examining international best practice in the conduct of domestic homicide reviews in Ireland.
The near 500-page report was published in June by the Department of Justice.
The surviving family of Clodagh and her three sons - Liam (13), Niall (11), Ryan (6) - made submissions in the context of the terrible murder/suicide that occurred at their home near Ballyjamesduff in August 2016 at the hands of dad and former Castlerahan vice-principal Alan Hawe.
Clodagh’s family are eager to see the country’s laws on succession urgently amended, and a time limit placed on cases involving probate. It’s understood Mr Hawe transferred money from the joint account he shared with Clodagh into his own account before killing his family and then himself.
As it stands, under current law, Mr Hawe’s family stand to inherit the money and the family’s estate. Clodagh’s surviving family said they have incurred substantial legal costs, over €100,000, in challenging the law in the courts.
€8.8M in social housing projects
Three new social housing developments, with a combined investment of €8.8M and comprising 41 units between them, were officially opened.
Three local development companies oversaw the development of 20 units (€4.3m) at Black Ridge in Ballyconnell (Peadar, Andrew and Paul Fay); 15 units (€3.3m) at Flemings Place, Ballinagh (Jimmy, Leigh and Kevin Jackson, Sandar), and six (€1.2m) units at Eanach Lao, Butlersbridge (Crosserlough Construction Ltd).
On top of that JJ McCauley Construction Ltd from Kill also signed an €800,000 contract to deliver three self-contained apartments at the former Duckin’ Stool pub in Belturbet.
Community CCTV
The Celt reported that community-based CCTV systems could be up and running in towns such as Ballyjamesduff, Belturbet and Ballyconnell by September of 2023, following the lead of Ballinagh.
The update was provided to the members attending the June Joint Policing Committee at Cavan Courthouse.
The initiative, for which grants of up to €40,000 were available from the Department of Justice, had been tied up in legislative and data protection red tape ever since it was first proposed nationally back in 2018.
As the year ended, it’s understood the schemes were still being advanced.