President Connolly shares in Mullaghmatt jubilee celebrations

The ongoing celebrations by the people of Mullaghmatt in Monaghan Town of the 50th anniversary of the estate’s establishment reached a high point last Monday when President Catherine Connolly visited the community’s Teach na nDaoine Family Resource Centre at Oriel Way.

President Connolly, accompanied by husband Brian McEnery and senior Aide-de-Camp Colonel Tom McGrath, spent the majority of the visit in conversation with the providers of the FRC’s wide range of support services. Proceedings fell mostly into the category of informal community engagement with no public walkabout or presidential address.

On arrival the president chatted with a welcoming entourage including Teach na nDaoine co-ordinator Packie Kelly and staff, local children and some of the estate’s oldest residents, Garda Superintendent Pat O’Connell and local civic dignitaries. She paused to unveil a plaque commemorating the 50th anniversary in the FRC hallway before embarking on private meetings.

Her entry into the reception room was greeted by sustained applause from the guests, who included local residents and FRC service users, local TDs Cathy Bennett and Matt Carthy, Monaghan MD Cathaoirleach Cllr Alan Johnston and elected representatives and senior executive personnel of the MD and Monaghan County Council. The brief formal proceedings were compered by Leona Keenan of Monaghan County Council’s Community Development Section. She told President Connolly the people of Mullaghmatt are deeply honoured that she had joined them for the celebrations in the centre, which is the hub of community life.

In his civic welcome, the Cathaoirleach of Monaghan County Council, Cllr Aidan Campbell described Teach na nDaoine as a remarkable place and praised the commitment of co-ordinator Packie Kelly and his team who perform vital work for the area.

“Monaghan County Council works very closely with Teach na nDaoine and the community,” the Cathaoirleach stated. “Community spirit is something Monaghan prides itself on, and it is very strong in this resource centre.”

County Council Chief Executive Robert Burns said it was wonderful that President Connolly was visiting Mullaghmatt for its 50th birthday. When the estate was built in 1976, he recalled, it was one of the largest housing developments in the county and was developed to address severe housing and social needs after a shortage of local authority-provided family housing was identified.

“The role of local authorities in housing provision is very important,” the CE stated, adding that such housing “is not just about bricks and mortar but the people within the houses and the community supports around them.”

He charted the development of community organisation in the area from the establishment of a community house and management committee in 1978 to the realisation of Teach na nDaoine in 2005.

“Teach na nDaoine is providing much needed community supports for the nearby estates and the wider Monaghan Town community,” said Mr Burns.

Identifying local community activities, the CE noted how the shop has evolved from a commercial to a social enterprise, and the establishment of a hub to repurpose household furniture put the area ahead of the game in fostering the circular economy. He noted how the population of Mullaghmatt and the users of Teach na nDaoine have changed over the years, with the centre now availed of by the Lithuanian and African communities and residents of the St Patrick’s Accommodation Centre.

“But even though the estate has changed, its resilience and community spirit have always remained the same,” Mr Burns concluded, “and stands as a credit to all the residents who have travelled the 50-year journey of Mullaghmatt.”

President Connolly departed after receiving a presentation from local community activist and longtime Mullaghmatt resident Sheila Connolly.