News Review - January 2022

Four killed on local roads

Tributes were paid to a Ballyjamesduff school teacher killed in a crash on New Year’s Eve.

Four people died and 11 were injured in a number of serious collisions on the region’s roads over the Christmas period. Saoirse Corrigan (21) (pictured) and her partner Shane Gilchrist (24), were killed when the car she was driving was in collision with another on the N52 out side Kells. She was pronounced dead at the scene, while Shane was treated at the scene but died en-route to hospital. The driver of the second car, Julie Kehoe from Gorey, Co Wexford also died. Her three children who were travelling with her were injured.

Templeport native becomes archbishop

The Most Reverend Francis Duffy pledged to work with laypeople to address problems caused by a continuing decline in vocations. He made the promise as he was installed as Archbishop of Tuam in the Cathedral of the Assumption, Tuam. A native of Templeport, he succeeded Michael Neary who served as Archbishop for 27 years.

Belturbet's big idea

Plans for a lifesize replica of a woolly mammoth in  Belturbet were given the go-ahead by Cavan County Council.

The Belturbet Community Development Association applied for permission for the unusual project, which it hopes will form part of a reimagining of the town. Originally planned for a site on Turbet Island in the town, it has been approved for a new site at the former Railway Station.

Vigils in Ashling Murphy’s memory held across region

Walking the short distance from the bus station to Market Square, Jade Farrelly, organiser of Cavan Town’s candlelit vigil in memory of the late Ashling Murphy, “hesitated”. Growing up in Cavan Town, she’d never given a second thought to taking the “short-cut” through Townhall carpark. But on that Friday night, in light of the Tullamore school teacher’s brutal murder, to Jade the corners looked darker, the shade deeper, and the silence even more silent. “I’d never before questioned myself walking there, a two second journey, but just this week... this week...,” she trailed off shaking her head.

GP rang over 1,000 patients in bid to use up vaccines

GPs in Cavan, the mass vaccination clinic, and even the local hospital, were in a race against time to get vaccine stock used up before they passed their imminent expiry date. Anxious not to allow any vaccines go to waste, Dr Muredach Fergus of Belturbet Medical Practice said the team there had made “close to 1,000 phonecalls” over the previous week in the hope of finding willing candidates. “Probably more if I’m honest.”

Don’t rain on our parades!

Money to back St Patrick’s Day events would need to be voted through by county councillors if the thirst for street festivities was to be quenched. Festival organisers were eager to make the most of the extra bank holiday this year with planning well underway for the county’s first parades since 2019.

Tour promoter’s tribute to Meat Loaf

News that Marvin Lee Aday (74) AKA Meat Loaf had passed away, was greeted with great sadness by many. Amongst those to pay tribute was Cavanman Tommy Swarbrigg who brought the Bat Out of Hell singer to Ireland to tour backwater venues including the Carraig Springs in Crosskeys.

“He put on the most amazing shows. Every single night he left everything he had on stage. It didn’t matter if it was the National Concert Hall or the parish hall, he sang like it was his last night on tour.”

MONTH IN NUMBERS

1,094

The number of new Covid cases recorded in the week January 2-8

GOOD MONTH

• Mullagh was announced as the host town for the 2022 Operation Transformation

• Billis man Mark Lee was appointed CEO of British company Sysco

• Judge Raymond Finnegan was welcomed to Cavan District Court

• Patricia Walsh was revealed as the only councillor who attended all of her scheduled meetings in the two previous years.

BAD MONTH

• Poultry farmers staged a 24 hour protest outside Lidl demanding an extra 15c per chicken and 2c per egg

• With the Omicron variant rife, 10,051 people failed to show up for appointments at the Cavan Vaccination Centre between December 27, 2021 and January 9, 2022

• Cllr John Paul Feeley highlighted the plight of a council tenant who had to relieve himself in his garden with the help of his carers due to delays in fixing the property’s pipes.