‘A Life In Print’ documentary kicks off 2026 for Old Monaghan Society

It was a ‘This is Your Life’ moment for retired Northern Standard printer Brendan Murray on Monday, February 9, when the Old Monaghan Society screened his interview with Enda Galligan.

The video presentation, A Life in Print, was touching, funny and nostalgic, drawing a capacity crowd to St Joseph’s Pastoral Centre in Monaghan Town. The event carried particular poignancy following the closure of The Northern Standard, Monaghan’s newspaper of record for 186 years, on December 18, 2025.

Brendan was moved by the turnout, which included many former colleagues. Among them was Paudge McCarville, one of his former apprentices, who remarked: “Brendan taught me everything I know.”

Enda Galligan, secretary of the Old Monaghan Society, said he had long intended to interview Brendan, and the paper’s closure made capturing his memories feel urgent. Brendan told the Celt he was glad to have recorded his story with someone who shares his love of history.

Brendan entered printing by accident in 1958, beginning an apprenticeship that lasted until 1963.

Few knew that, prior to that, Brendan attempted to become a reporter. He was sent to cover a football match but never heard back about the job. Weeks later, Harold Swann hired him to begin his printing apprenticeship.

Paddy Turley, reporter and son of the then editor Joe, later asked him what had become of the match report. “It never saw the light of day … That’s as far as I got in journalism!” Brendan laughed.

In serving their time, apprentice printers, then known as “devils”, learned their trade from the ground up. Brendan developed the unusual ability to read backwards — a skill essential in traditional printworks. He retired in 2008 after spending most of his working life at the Standard, where his training was so solid he could work anywhere “and name his price”.

After completing his apprenticeship, Brendan first worked in the UK, including at Tempest Press and the odd night on Fleet Street “before Murdoch ruined it”. He later worked at the Leinster Leader before returning home to Monaghan. During this period, he also stepped away from printing, driving buses, taxis and his father’s lorry.

He eventually took up a position with the Standard, seeking steady work as he prepared to marry his late wife, Evelyn, with whom he enjoyed a long and happy marriage.

Brendan recalled that paste-up marked the beginning of the end for traditional print craft and noted how many once‑highly skilled trades have since disappeared. When this reporter joined the Standard in 2007, Brendan was a Paste-Up Artist.

Brendan’s interview also acknowledged key figures associated with The Northern Standard over the decades. He shared a humorous story about Patrick Kavanagh, the Inniskeen poet, whose handwritten submissions frequently ended up in the bin — a moment that drew laughter from the audience.

The Standard’s sister company, R&S Printers — founded by Rafferty and Smyth — was once renowned as one of the best print houses outside Dublin. Paddy (Patsy) Smyth purchased the Northern Standard in 1971 and later became sole owner of R&S. Brendan retired in 2008, closing a remarkable chapter in local print history.

Speaking after the screening, Enda Galligan said the documentary resonated strongly with those present. “We all grew up with the Standard. We thought it would be there forever. There’s a real sense of loss now.”

The Old Monaghan Society hosts monthly presentations on the second Monday of each month and maintains an archive at St Macartan’s College along with an active social media presence.

The society, founded in 1992 and reformed in 2012, will hold its AGM on Monday, February 23, at 8pm in St Joseph’s Pastoral Centre. Anyone with an interest in documenting and preserving the history of Monaghan Town is welcome to attend.

Brendan Murray ‘A Life In Print’ by Enda Galligan can be viewed on Enda’s YouTube channel and it is well worth a watch.