Tributes paid to retiring director

The positive impact of more women taking senior executive and elected member roles on Monaghan County Council was remarked upon by Director of Services Patricia Monahan at the May meeting of the local authority, her last before retirement.

Tributes were paid to Ms Monahan’s diligence during her 12-year term of service with the Council and her contribution to a number of significant projects and initiatives, and she was the recipient of a floral presentation at the meeting’s conclusion.

On behalf of the elected members, Cathaoirleach P.J. O’Hanlon (FF) thanked Ms Monahan for the hard and diligent work she has performed since joining the County Council. He also recalled the contribution she had made to the development of the Monaghan Education Campus at Knockaconny during her time as Head of Finance with the former County Monaghan Vocational Education Committee.

Paying tribute to Ms Monahan’s involvement with the Samaritans and the role she played in establishing the service’s Monaghan office, the Cathaoirleach said she is part of a community that helps people when they are in need.

Chief Executive Robert Burns said Ms Monahan joined the Council’s Finance Section in 2014 after a career in the private sector and with what was now the Education and Training Board. In 2017, she became a member of the senior executive team and two years later became Director of Transport and Community and Rural Development Services before going on to play a very significant role as interim Chief Executive from 2022-2023.

Mr Burns recalled that in the months leading up to his taking the permanent Chief Executive role in 2023, Ms Monahan kept in close contact with him and made his transition to the post easier. She then served as Director of Climate Action, Environment and Water Services, and he wanted to thank her in particular for the hard work she did in relation to the Council’s Climate Action Plan.

She also did distinguished work as Director in recent times of the Monaghan Municipal District.

The Chief Executive said Patricia also played key roles in developing the local authority’s Tourism Strategy and modernising its procurement processes.

She was very diligent and meticulous with great attention to detail, someone who was loyal and driven. He wished her the best of luck in her retirement.

Cllr Aidan Campbell (FG) described Ms Monahan as most approachable and praised her work ethic.

Cllr Pat Treanor (SF) highlighted her real professionalism.

Cllr Seamus Coyle (FF) thanked Ms Monahan for her courtesy and accessibility.

Expressing appreciation for the good wishes and kind words, Ms. Monahan described it as her privilege to serve the citizens of Monaghan through the County Council. The public sector is very different from the private sector, she remarked, but she had a productive, fulfilling, sometimes challenging and mostly very rewarding time in her local authority roles.

“I had the support of some fantastic people and great teams across the Council’s divisions,” she stated, thanking the Chief Executive and her senior management colleagues who were great to work with and paying tribute to their support services personnel. Thanking the councillors, she thought they had a very productive and for the most part cordial relationship and she and her teams had been able to support the elected members in their work for constituents.

Ms Monahan said she is very glad to see young women joining the Council. She had been the first woman to become a Director of Services in Monaghan County Council’s then-120-year history.

“Women are 50% of the population and we need to be represented at all levels of staff and here in the chamber,” she stated.

The director concluded by wishing the staff and elected members every success in the important work they will continue to do for the county.