Recently local farmer Patrick Gorman recently celebrated his 30th Birthday with a great night in Liam Smyth’s Bar. While great celebrations took place, donations were also collected and these have been donated to Cavan Monaghan Pallative Care. A big thank you to all who supported.

The AGM of Ballybay Pearse Brothers will take place on Saturday 1st December at 5pm in the clubhouse.

A cook ‘n’ taste event will be held in Drumhowan Community Centre on Sunday next 2nd December from 2pm until 5pm. There will be an opportunity for those in attendance to cook, share and taste recipes before Christmas.

A huge thank you to all who contribute in anyway by giving cakes, milk, cash donation, prizes for the raffle to make this event such an outstanding success. Special word of thanks to Pat O Brien for the use of his premises, Paul Duffy for his valuable support and Brendan Macklin for supplying the boiler and to all those who joined us on the day for the tea and the natter and bought tickets, also our helpers. A huge thank you to one and all.

A Senior Citizens Xmas Dinner will take place on Friday Dec 7th in Cuan Mhurie from 11am until 2pm. Along with a lovely four course meal Briege Clerkin will be doing Xmas flowering arrangements and there will also be music and dance and plus an xmas gift for everyone in the audience so why not come along and bring a friend and enjoy good food good craic and good company.

The local SVP Conference is concerned about locals who may need some extra help at this time of year. If you are in need of assistance you can contact the SVP in writing (SVP, C/O Confraternity Rooms, St. Patrick’s Street, Ballybay) before Friday 14th December. Contact can also be made at 1800677777. St. Vincent de Paul wishes to thank all those who contribute financially to collections throughout the year and are seeking continued support towards the annual pre- Christmas Church Gate Collections which will take place on the 8th and 9th December. Your support at the collections would be very much appreciated.

Invitation to Local Communities
Would your community like to work with Monaghan Sports Partnership in supporting a physical activity programme in your local area?

Does your community have the capacity to come together to provide a range of physical activity opportunities for everyone?

Would your community like run a programme which develops fitter, healthier, happier people?

If you think this is for your community in 2019, please contact Monaghan Sports Partnership to find out more.

Expression of Interest and additional information is available at;
www.monaghansports.ie or
by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone to: 042-9755126

Community Transformation Programme Information PDF >>

CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS - DECEMBER 7TH

(Communities must have the capacity to start 8-week activity programme in January 2019)
Please note the number of communities that can be supported is limited.

With just under five weeks to Christmas Ballybay Town Vouchers which are available throughout the town would make excellent Christmas presents. Ballybay Chambers of commerce would urge locals to shop locally in the run up to Christmas and to support the local shops.

The Christmas Lights turn on will take place on Friday 7th December. Santa will be in the Square afterwards with a free present for all children. More details next week.

A nice way to remember loved ones at Christmas is with a blessed candle. Fr. Mc Eneaney has blessed a number of candles which are available in local shops. They are €7 each or two for €10. Proceeds from the sale of the candles will go to the Christmas Lights.

Crossduff Parich Church will be holding their annual Carol Service on Sunday 2nd December at 3pm with music by Ballybay Country Gospel Group and guest preacher Rev. Colin Anderson (Castleblayney/Corvally Presbyterian group of Churches). Everyone is most welcome and there will be refreshments afterwards in the old stables.

Ballybay Special Needs annual coffee morning and cake sale takes place on Friday 23rd November from 10am till 2pm beside Pat O Brien’s Bar. There will also be a raffle on the day. Please support this worthy cause.

All welcome to 'Community Carol Service' in Rockcorry Presbyterian Church (kindly granted) on Sunday 2nd December 2018 at 7pm. Soloist: Lynda Lindsay and Christmas message by David Bennett, Faith Mission. Refreshments afterwards. Organised by the Andrew and Jenny McCullough of the Faith Mission. Come and bring family/friends.

The annual Community Carol Service takes place in Christchurch on Wednesday 19th December at 8pm. Practice for the service will take place every Wednesday at 8pm in the Confraternity rooms. All very welcome to attend.

On Wednesday Murnane’s shop was a hive of activity as members of the Ballybay Heritage Society/Ballybay Artists displayed their recent work. Several pieces were sold while others were photographed and no doubt will shortly appear all over the place.

Ballybay Community Creche are busy organising the crèches Christmas Fayre. It is on Saturday 1st December from 1-4pm in the creche grounds. Your support would be very much appreciated.

Ballybay Tidy Towns Committee have organised the first estate litter pick/tidy up for this Saturday (17th November) at 10am. If you are living in Loch Mor Avenue or if you want to help out, please meet at the Peace Bridge at 10 am.

Keep free Friday 30th November for a monster barn dance in aid of Ballybay Cancer Society. Tullycorbett Community Centre will be the venue with a 9pm start. Music on the night by Glor Tire winner Gary Fitzpatrick. Supper served.

The annual Camphill Advent Craft Sale takes place at the Camphill Community, Robbs Farm on Saturday 24th November. All the usual attractions will be there. It is also a great opportunity to purchase some nice Christmas gifts while helping a very good cause.

The Cavan Monaghan Sciene Festival is running from 10th to 24th November and a number of associated events will run in Bally bay and surrounding areas. All workshops are free however booking is essential. You can book at the local library or at http://www.cavanmonaghansciencefestival.ie/. Today (Thursday 15th November) will see a children’s workshop at the library entitled ‘Precious Corals and Jewels of the Ocean’. It is aimed at children aged 8-12 years. Tomorrow Friday 16th November Tanagh Outdoor Education centre will host an event entitled ‘Exploring Citizen Science along the Dromore River Corridor’. This event is aimed at persons over 18 years old and starts at 10am sharp however registration takes place at Tanagh from 9-45am. The morning event will show citizen science in action and Guest speakers from Met Eireann and the Biodiversity Data Centre will show the how and what citizen science records have been taken in Monaghan in recent years. The event will also showcase how everyone can get involved in recording nature with local citizen science projects. In the afternoon we will try it for ourselves on a boat trip down the Dromore or in the wetlands of Tanagh. This event involves outdoor activity so please wear raingear and suitable footwear. Not wheelchair friendly. The final event will be held in Ballybay Library on Thursday 22nd November between 4pm and 6pm and is entitled ‘Paint, Pendulums and Acrobats Workshop’. Children aged between 8 and 12 years will learn about force and motion through art. Make a magical gravity defying acrobat, participate in the Cup Racing Game and create a messy pendulum painting project!

A mass will be held for the deceased Sisters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Ballybay on Sunday next 18th November. The mass will be held in St. Patrick’s church at 3pm.

Last Sunday was the 100th year anniversary of the ending of world war 1. Below is an article from http://www.gaa.ie/ about Thomas Bradley a Ballybay footballer who fought in the great war. Thanks to Martin Mc Aviney for sharing the link on Ballybay and its People.

This Saturday 10th November Limerick legend Jimmy Buckley will take to the stage in Lisdoonan Community Centre as the main attraction for this year’s Senior Citizen Fundraising dance. The event organised annually by Gerry Mc Elroy raises monies for a number of Senior Citizen charities and is brilliantly supported by large numbers. The night before the big fundraising dance (Friday 9th November) Gerry will host his annual Senior Citizens party with a 7pm start. Music on the night will be supplied by Country Harmony and as with previous parties there will be some special guests stopping by to say hello to all who attend. Admission to the senior citizens party is free.
Saturday night’s spectacular kicks off at 8-30pm with DJ Stefan’s Country disco. Stefan is sure to warm you up and then from 10pm until 12midnight Dermot Mc Connell will provide support to Jimmy Buckley who will appear on stage at midnight and play until 2pm. Supper will be served on the night and all proceeds will go to support numerous local senior citizens groups. Admission to the night which sees over six hours of music is just €15. Tickets are available at Gerry’s Takeaway, various local outlets or you can also pay at the door on the night. Gerry would like to sincerely thank you all for your continued support and looks forward to seeing many old friends on the night.

Balybay Special Needs annual coffee morning and cake sale takes place on Friday 23rd November from 10am till 2pm beside Pat O Brien’s Bar. There will also be a raffle on the day. Please support this worthy cause.

We are having CPR Training with Castleblayney First Responders on November 13th at 7pm in Cuan Mhuire. It’s two years since our last training and our certificates are due for renewal... if you were with us then get in touch if you want to avail of the training. Cost is €20 and this will cover your certificate which is valid for two years. We need to have numbers by November 5th... everybody is welcome to take part and training includes how to use a defibrillator, which is a life-saving device.

Welcome to Faith Mission Gospel Rally on Thursday 15th November 2018 at 8pm in Rockcorry Presbyterian Church hall (kindly granted). Speaker Andrew McCullough Faith Mission. Refreshments afterwards.

Congratulations to Jayne Drury who has been selected to represent Ulster at the Ladies Gaelic Inter-Provincials Schools competition in Kinnegad in January. Jayne who attends school in Castleblayney plays her club football with St. Brigid’s. She came through a series of trials before making the final thirty players. This is the second year in a row that Jayne has won a schools All Star.

On Saturday week 10th November Limerick legend Jimmy Buckley will take to the stage in Lisdoonan Community Centre as the main attraction for this year’s Senior Citizen Fundraising dance. The event organised annually by Gerry Mc Elroy raises monies for a number of Senior Citizen charities and is brilliantly supported by large numbers. The night before the big fundraising dance(Friday 9th November) Gerry will host his annual Senior Citizens party with a 7pm start. Music on the night will be supplied by Country Harmony and as with previous parties there will be some special guests stopping by to say hello to all who attend. Admission to the senior citizens party is free.

Saturday night’s spectacular kicks off at 8-30pm with DJ Stefan’s Country disco. Stefan is sure to warm you up and then from 10pm until 12midnight Dermot Mc Connell will provide support to Jimmy Buckley who will appear on stage at midnight and play until 2pm. Supper will be served on the night and all proceeds will go to support numerous local senior citizens groups. Admission to the night which sees over six hours of music is just €15. Tickets are available at Gerry’s Takeaway, various local outlets or you can also pay at the door on the night. Gerry would like to sincerely thank you all for your continued support and looks forward to seeing many old friends on the night.

The organisers of the recent church gate collection in aid of the Chernobyl Children would like to thank everyone who either contributed or helped on the day. The amount raised was €865.

The annual Parish Dance which raises money each year for the parish Lourdes Fund was a major success. The organisers would like to thank everyone who supported the dance in anyway. The amount raised was a fantastic €6,129-50c.

A massive thank you is due to all who contributed old spectacles and glasses to Sally Mc Aviney. Sally has been in touch to say that her appeal resulted in 83 pairs of glasses being donated. 25 of these have gone to Specsavers and the remainder to the Lions Club in Monaghan. John Smith who hails from Ballybay and who is President of the Lions Club has assured the Ballybay news that the glasses will be put to good use by Sightsavers clinics run by the Lions Club International in India, Africa and Europe.

We are having CPR Training with Castleblayney First Responders on November 13th at 7pm in Cuan Mhuire. It’s two years since our last training and our certificates are due for renewal... if you were with us then get in touch if you want to avail of the training. Cost is €20 and this will cover your certificate which is valid for two years. We need to have numbers by November 5th... everybody is welcome to take part and training includes how to use a defibrillator, which is a life-saving device.

Monaghan Integrated Development is planning to run an Introduction to Renewable Energy Technologies Training Programme. The training is aimed at community groups and enterprises who have an interest in developing their understanding of different types of renewable energy technologies available. As part of the programme, participants will be given support to assess if these technologies would be economically and environmentally beneficial to their community facility or enterprise, and to develop a Renewable Energy Technology Plan that may be used to seek funding from LEADER or other funders. We are planning to run this training from a couple of different locations in Co. Monaghan (likely Monaghan Town and Castleblayney). The course will be delivered 1 session per week over 9 weeks.

Monaghan Public Participation Network (PPN) has organised training for its member groups on “Developing Grant Applications”. This programme of training will be delivered by Cramden TECH solutions who were awarded the contract.

Tuesday 30th October Clones Library, Clones at 6.30pm (Refreshments served on arrival for people coming from work)
Tuesday 6th November Carrickmacross Workhouse at 6.30pm (Refreshments served on arrival for people coming from work)

A meeting has been arranged to relaunch the scouts, cubs and beavers in Ballybay. This meeting which initially is for parents and guardians only will take place in Church Street Hall on Thursday 15th November at 8pm. Scouting is a brilliant way to encourage the physical, intellectual, character, emotional, social and spiritual development of young people so that they may achieve their full potential and, as responsible citizens, to improve society. It would be great to see parents of children aged between 6 and 15 at the meeting.

Ballybay Library reopened on Monday last after the Council carried out internal renovations. Opening hours will be as before. If you have any queries on this matter, please contact Library HQ at 047-74700 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Monaghan County Council apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

In order for the Tidy Town Committee to continue their great work they are holding a Quiz night in order to raise some funds. The quiz will be held in Meena and Tom Smiths Welcome Inn Bar on November 2nd starting at 8 pm. They are asking people to get a team of four people at €10.00 per person. Quiz nights are usually good fun with Stephen Duffy the Quiz master and they would ask you to support this event. The more funds they get the more they can do for the town.

Ballybay Special Needs annual coffee morning and cake sale takes place on Friday 23rd November from 10am till 2pm. there will also be a raffle on the day. Please support this worthy cause.

Harvest is the time when the leaves gradually change colour and we reap what we sow. This has been such a great year that we have much for which to be thankful. On Sunday 28th October Second Ballybay Presbyterian Church on the Clones Road in Ballybay are holding their harvest thanksgiving services. The morning service at 12 noon will be taken by our minister, Rev Dr. Gerry Clinton with special singing by the church choir along with the Sunday School children. The evening service will be taken by Rev Dr. Jean Mackarel who will preach from the Bible on the Harvest Theme: "The Fruits of Revelation". We will have harvest praises in congregational singing led by the Choir and Musicians of the CAVAN PCI Union of Churches. There will be harvest anthems by the Cavan Male Voice Quartet, and harvest solos by Michael Lawson (Voice of Ireland). The church will be decorated for the occasion with flowers, fruit, vegetable and many other emblems as we remember and give thanks for God’s generous goodness in once again providing a great harvest. All members of the community are welcome to join us for this celebration of harvest, and there will be a light supper served in the church hall after the evening service.

Tanagh Outdoor Education & Training Centre are running a Night Paddle on the Dromore river on the 26th October and Forest School sessions on the 30th October, 31st October & 1st November. Courses are subject to minimum numbers. Booking Essential. Contact Philomena for more information 049-5552988.

The Presidential Election and referendum on the publication and utterance of blasphemous matter takes place on Friday 26th October. Polling booths will open at 7am and remain open until 10pm. Voters are reminded to take evidence of identity with them.

The Monaghan Branch of MS would like to thank most sincerely all those who contributed to their recent church gate collection in the parish. The amount collected was €1,005.
The information contained in this message, and any files transmitted with it, is intended for the named recipient(s) only. It may contain privileged and/or confidential information and if you are not the intended recipient, you must not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately by e-mail and delete it from your system. E-mail transmission cannot be guaranteed to be secure and therefore Monaghan County Council does not accept legal responsibility for the contents of this message. Except where sent in the ordinary course of business, any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Monaghan County Council. Monaghan County Council operates anti-virus programs; however, we do not accept responsibility for any damage whatsoever that is caused by viruses being passed. Monaghan County Council monitors e-mail communications for operational, security and business reasons. Don fhaighteoir (nó do na faighteoirí) ainmnithe amháin an t-eolas atá sa teachtaireacht seo. D'fhéadfadh eolas rúnda nó faoi phribhléid a bheith istigh inti agus murach tusa an faighteoir beartaithe, níl cead agat an ríomhphost seo a scaipeadh, a dháileadh nó a chóipeáil. Má fuair tú an ríomhphost seo de bharr botúin, cuir in iúl don té a sheol é láithreach, le do thoil, trí ríomhphost a chur, agus scrios é ó do chóras. Ní féidir a dheimhniú go mbeidh seachadadh ríomhphoist slán agus mar sin de ní ghlacann Comhairle Contae Mhuineacháin le freagracht dhlíthiúil as ábhar na teachtaireachta seo. Ach gurb é gnáthchomhfhreagras gnó atá i gceist, is leis an údar amháin aon bharúil nó tuairim a chuirtear i láthair agus ní gá gurb ionann iad agus barúil nó tuairim Comhairle Contae Mhuineacháin. Tá ríomhchláir frithvíreas i bhfeidhm ag Comhairle Contae Mhuineacháin, ach ní ghlacaimid le freagracht as aon díobháil d'aon sórt a mbeidh seachadadh víris mar chúis léi. Déanann Comhairle Contae Mhuineacháin monatóireacht ar chumarsáid ríomhphoist ar chúíseanna oibriochtúla, slándála agus gnó..

Ballybay Pearse Brothers will have to wait at least another year to get their hands on the Mick Duffy Cup. On Sunday last Scotstown defeated Ballybay 1-13 to 0-13. Ballybay finished the game strongly and but for a brilliant save by Rory Beggan and a couple of goal chances that just went right of the post the result could very well have been different. Full match report on the sports pages.

Gerry’s Prepared Veg and Takeaway have secured Jimmy Buckley as the main attraction for this year’s Senior Citizen Fundraising dance. The Limerick native will play Lisdoonan Community Centre on Saturday 10th November just four weeks away. Speaking to the Ballybay News Gerry Mc Elroy said, “I am delighted to announce that we have secured one of the biggest singing attractions in the country for this year’s fundraiser. Jimmy Buckley is a superstar and he has promised me a night we will all remember”. The night before Jimmy takes to the stage Gerry has organised his annual Senior Citizens Christmas Party. On Friday 9th November Lisdoonan Community Centre will host the party with a 7pm start. Music on the night will be supplied by Country Harmony and as with previous parties there will be some special guests stopping by to say hello to all who attend. Admission to the senior citizens party is free.
Saturday night’s spectacular kicks off at 8-30pm with DJ Stefan’s Country disco. Stefan is sure to warm you up and then from 10pm until 12midnight Dermot Mc Connell will provide support to Jimmy Buckley who will appear on stage at midnight and play until 2pm. Supper will be served on the night and all proceeds will go to support numerous local senior citizens groups. Admission to the night which sees over six hours of music is just €15. Tickets are available at Gerry’s Takeaway, various local outlets or you can also pay at the door on the night. Gerry would like to sincerely thank you all for your continued support and looks forward to seeing many old friends on the night.

Christ Church Ballybay are holding their harvest thanksgiving service on Sunday the 14th of October at 3:30pm. Guest speaker Mr. Walter Pringle. The children from Ballybay Central NS will also be taking part. All are very welcome and refreshments severed afterwards.

Joanne’s big Charity Barn Dance in aid of the Ballybay Cancer Society planned for the 26th October has been postponed owing to the use of Tullycorbet Hall for the Presidential election. The good news is that a new date has been found. The barn dance will now take place in Tullycorbet Hall on Friday 30th November. Music on the night by Gerry Fitzpatrick.

The annual parish dance will take place on the 19th October in the Ballybay Pearse Bros Centre doors open at 9.30pm.
A wonderful nights entertainment is guaranteed with the fabulous Celtic Swing to keep us on our feet! A delicious supper will be served at 10.30pm. Tullycorbet C.C.E along with our ladies line dancing display will add to the enjoyment!
Bar facilities are available and of course a raffle with some great prizes! Tickets are on sale now priced at €10. We ask if you would please support our ticket sellers and thank you for your ongoing generosity! This as you know is a fantastic event bringing funds for a more than worthy cause.
We do hope to see you there!

You are welcome to Corlea Presbyterian Church Harvest Thanksgiving Service on Sunday 21st October 2018 at 4pm with Rev Dr Gerry Clinton. Plan to come and bring family/friends. (please note change of date to avoid clash with Corvalley Harvest on 14th October at 3.30pm with Rev Phil Houston).

English conversation classes will take place every Thursday evening in the Mens Shed from 7pm until 9pm. Everyone welcome.

Ballybay ICA is hosting an information evening on cancer awareness and the importance of examination and screening for women. Helen O Driscoll from the Irish Cancer Society will facilitate the evening which will take place in Cuan Mhuire on Tuesday 23rd October at 8pm. Admission is free and all women are welcome.

Monaghan County Council invites applications for future rounds of funding under the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS).

The LIS is a scheme to support the improvement of non-public rural roads which provide access to homes and farms, as well as amenities such as lakes and rivers.  Up to 90% of the funding is provided by the County Council, with the balance coming from local residents.

To qualify, the road must provide access to parcels of land, of which at least two are owned or occupied by different persons engaged in separate agricultural activities or must provide access for harvesting purposes (including turf) for two or more persons.  There must be a minimum of one occupied dwelling on the road.  These and other detailed terms and conditions and an application form are available on Monaghan County Council’s website www.monaghan.ie or by contacting:

LIS Scheme

Roads Section,

M-TEK II, Armagh Road, Monaghan Town.

Tel: 047 30575

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

New applicants will be placed on a waiting list and funded as resources allow.  Due to the popularity of the scheme, demand is expected to be heavy.  Funding will be subject to the current waiting list being cleared, and funding being made available to Monaghan Co. Council under the national scheme.  Accordingly, applicants should note that it may take some years before all applications made under this call are funded. 

The closing date for applications is Monday 31^st December 2018 at 5pm.  Thereafter, the scheme will remain closed until further notice – i.e. there will be no ‘rolling’ acceptance of applications after the closing date.

Click here to download the LIS Information for Applicants Word Doc >>

Click here to download the LIS Application Form Word Doc >>

All roads lead to Clones on Sunday for the county final between Ballybay and Scotstown. Throw in time is 3-30pm. Only a point separated the sides when they last met in the championship so another tight game is expected. Ballybay go into the game full of confidence having beaten Clontibret in the semi-final by seven points. The Division 1 minor final between Inniskeen and Carrickmacross will take place beforehand at 1-30pm. A coffee morning will be held in the Pearse Brothers Clubhouse on Sunday next 7th October. Refreshments will be available from between 10-30am and 11-30am.

People from Ballybay and surrounding areas are welcome to the Faith Mission monthly Gospel meeting in Rockcorry Presbyterian Church Hall, (kindly granted) on Friday 5th October at 8pm.  Refreshments afterwards.  Plan to come and bring a friend. Speaker Andrew McCullough Faith Mission.

This weekend there will be a collection outside the church at Ballybay, Ballintra and Tullycorbet for the very important charity of CCPI (Chernobyl Children Project International). Please give what you can for this great cause.  Thank you so much in advance.

Ballybay Tidy Towns committee are pleased to have increased its scoring again in this year’s SuperValu Tidy Towns Competition.  The adjudicator stated in the report that "It is clear that you have made real progress in only three years" The adjudicator also stated that " he/she passed through Ballybay many times but failed to stop partly because of traffic congestion but mainly because there did not seem to be much to attract the attention, but now that he/she was allocated to judge the work of the Tidy Towns Committee and its helpers, on closer inspection this attitude is seen to have been much mistaken.  It was a revelation to read of and to see the work being undertaken - some of it in fact taking on duties more appropriate to the Local Authority and to the business sector.

The Adjudicator was impressed with many of the buildings in town and commented on all the churches stating that they were all well looked after.  The Community College was very impressive and Community Creche was an attractive structure/surroundings and safety measures are well thought out.  The Town Park with all its new features was also mentioned.  He/she mentioned the involvement of the children from the schools in litter picking.   There were lots of good comments but also lots of room for improvement.  The adjudicator made many comments on how things could be improved on and this will be looked at by the committee going forward. Thanks is due to all who helped out during the year, and the committee would like to encourage people to volunteer and help us to make more improvements for next year’s competition.

The annual Lourdes Fundraising Dance will take place in the Ballybay Pearse Brothesrs Centre on Friday 19th October. Music on the night is from Celtic Swing with a special guest appearance by Tullycorbett CCE. Supper will be served at 10-30pm and admission is just €10.

Massive congratulations are due to Aaron Mulligan who has been selected at left half forward on the Electric Ireland minor team of the year. Aaron plays his football with Latton however his mother Olivia (nee Boyle) hails from Loch Mor Avenue in Ballybay. Aaron was central to Monaghan’s Minor campaign which seen them reach the All Ireland semi-final only to loose to eventual winners Kerry. Ronan Grimes from Killanny also made the team at right corner back.

Gerry’s Prepared Veg and Takeaway have secured Jimmy Buckley as the main attraction for this year’s Senior Citizen Fundraising dance. The Limerick native will play Lisdoonan Community Centre on Saturday 10th November. Speaking to the Ballybay News Gerry Mc Elroy said, “I am delighted to announce that we have secured one of the biggest singing attractions in the country for this year’s fundraiser. Jimmy Buckley is a superstar and he has promised me a night we will all remember”. The night before Jimmy takes to the stage Gerry has organised his annual Senior Citizens Christmas Party. On Friday 9th November Lisdoonan Community Centre will host the party with a 7pm start. Music on the night will be supplied by Country Harmony and as with previous parties there will be some special guests stopping by to say hello to all who attend. Admission to the senior citizens party is free.

Saturday night’s spectacular kicks off at 8-30pm with DJ Stefan’s Country disco. Stefan is sure to warm you up and then from 10pm until 12midnight Dermot Mc Connell will provide support to Jimmy Buckley who will appear on stage at midnight and play until 2pm. Supper will be served on the night and all proceeds will go to support numerous local senior citizens groups. Admission to the night which sees over six hours of music is just €15. Tickets are available at Gerry’s Takeaway, various local outlets or you can also pay at the door on the night. Gerry would like to sincerely thank you all for your continued support and looks forward to seeing many old friends on the night.

Congratulations to Finian O’ Neill from Tullycorbett who won the Ulster boys 44.5kg title on Sunday last in Belfast. The eleven-year old fights out of the Castleblayney Amateur Boxing Club.

On Monday last sometime between 3pm and 6pm working tools belonging to a tradesman working at the local civic offices (the library) were stolen. The tools were in a silver Renault Master van which was parked on the Main Street between the Library and Conlon’s Bar. It's understood that the goods stolen were of a high financial value but more importantly these are the tools of a person that makes a living to support a family and in many ways cannot be replaced. If anyone has any information please notify the local Gardai.

The annual Pink Ribbon Day will take place in Ballybay on Friday 5th October. Stalls located throughout the town will be selling ribbons, keyrings and badges. All the proceeds will go to Action Breast Cancer/Irish Cancer Society for their research into the elimination of cancer. This is a very worthwhile cause and your usual generosity would be very much appreciated.

The first ever Cultural Night in Ballybay was a great success on Friday 21st September. The event was part of a range of activities throughout the county supported by Monaghan County Council, Creative Ireland and the Dept. of Arts, Culture, Heritage. The Ballybay event began with the launch of ‘Retrospective’ photos from Co. Monaghan by Donal McEnroe. Over the last 45 years Donal has documented events, people and places in Co. Monaghan. It is a unique photographic archive of the county and people that has undergone significant social change in that time. This exhibition reflects a different time with a number of photos of Telephone Exchanges in Ballybay, Monaghan, Castleblayney and Rockcorry. However the 1970’s was also the era of the ‘Troubles’ and a number of photos feature the aftermath of the Monaghan and Castleblayney bombings. This exhibition was formally launched by Audrey Donnolly the postmistress in Ballybay Post Office the 5th generation of her family to hold that position. At the opening the photos provoked lots of memories of the ‘old days’ in the Post Office and some great stories from a different time. The exhibition is on display in Ballybay Credit Union and the Post Office.

‘The Road to Ballybay’ on Friday 21st in Ballybay Pearse Park highlighted the rich cultural heritage in Ballybay and also showcased the local talent. The evening featured the songs of Percy French with songs like ‘Come back Paddy Reilly to Ballyjamesduff’ and the ‘Mountains of Mourne’ aby Michael Mooney and Brian Carroll. Recitations ‘Ach I Dunno’ and ‘A Mother Story’ performed by Imelda Smyth and Brid Mc Cabe. William Clarke was a well-known Piper from Ballybay and Peter and Lily Ann Coyle played tunes from the repertoire of William Clarke. They are 2 wonderful young Pipers and their performance was much appreciated by the audience.A few well known ballads were sung by Michael Mooney and Grainne Smyth which proved very popular with the audience singing along with them.

Finally the ‘Carnival Years’ in Ballybay were recalled with songs by Brendan Macklin and Brian Carroll and a short sketch with Imelda Smyth, Brid McCabe, Kevin Quinn, Daniel McGregor and Feargal Smyth . The musical accompaniment was provided by Anne Cumiskey which was excellent. The finale was the full cast and audience singing the Tommy Makem song, ‘The Town of Ballybay’. The overall reaction to the night that this was a great night’s entertainment and it was free!!! The hope is to build on this and see more live performances by local talent in the future.

Ballybay Library will be closed temporarily from Tuesday 11th September 2018 until Monday 22nd October 2018 for necessary building works. It will reopen on Monday 22nd October 2018 with the usual opening hours.

You can return your items any Monday evening 5-8pm to the Mobile Van which will be parked at the library or to any library in County Monaghan. If you have any queries on this matter, please contact Library HQ at 047-74700 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Monaghan County Council apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

People from Ballybay and surrounding areas are invited to a trio of meetings in Corlea Presbyterian Church, (near Bawn) 7.30 to 8.30 each night with refreshments afterwards. The first meeting takes place tonight. The Guest speaker will be Billy Patterson a retired Irish Mission worker. There will also be music each night. On Thursday 27th September it will be provided by Ballybay Country Gospel Group. Rev. Dr. Jean Mackeral and guests will provide the music on Friday 28th September and on Saturday 29th local musicians will play.

Christ Church are holding their Harvest Thanksgiving service on Sunday the 14th of October at 3:30pm. Everybody welcome.

Joanne’s big Charity Barn Dance in aid of the Ballybay Cancer Society planned for the 26th October has been postponed owing to the use of Tullycorbet Hall for the Presidential election. The good news is that a new date has been found. The barn dance will now take place in Tullycorbet Hall on Friday 30th November. Music on the night by Gerry Fitzpatrick.

Ballybay Pearse Brothers have reached the county final thanks to a 1-15 to 1-8 win over Clontibret in Clones last Sunday. The final will be played at 3-30pm in Clones on Sunday 7th October with Scotstown the opposition. When these two met earlier in the championship Scotstown won 0-10 to 0-9. There is a full match report on the sports pages of the win over Clontibret.

Congratulations to Cootehill who won the Outdoor Bowling League. The team was Uel Gamble, Ann Mc Cullagh, Robert Hamilton, Helen Sharp, Robert Mc Conkey and Vickie Reilly. In the final they defeated Clontobret – Brendan Magennis, Sean Hughes, Geraldine Sherlock, Gerry Mc Kearney, Malachy Traynor and Malachy Mc Skane.

Ballybay native and former Northern Standard journalist Adrian Harte launched his new book -"Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More", last Friday night at the Gutter Bookshop in Templebar, Dublin. Adrian has followed the San Francisco for over thirty years and is responsible for their website. Pictured with Adrian at the book launch is drummer Mike "Puffy" Bordin.

Monaghan County Council is supporting national #Make Way Day 2018 on Wednesday September 26th to raise awareness of the obstacles and barriers people with a disability and mobility difficulties deal with on the streets of the county.

#Make Way Day aims to raise awareness of the obstacles and barriers people disabilities and mobility difficulties face in public areas. Obstacles such as badly parked cars, bicycles, sandwich boards and other promotional items are often caused by genuine lack of awareness. Other obstacles are also caused by inaccessible streetscapes and poorly placed street furniture and bins.

This annual week long programme aims to celebrate equality, inclusion and diversity in our county with a wide range of events, activities and celebrations.

Check out this year’s calendar of events and be sure to come along to some of the great activities that are taking place.

Monaghan Co. Council invites you to have your say and help us shape the Ballybay Public Realm and Economic Plan further so that it accurately reflects the needs of the town. Please click on the link below:

monaghan.ie/family-fun-day-and-consultation-event

Paraguayan folk harpist Eduard Klassen really enjoyed his first visit to Ballybay in November 2017 and has offered to visit us again. Originally from Paraguay in South America, but now living in Canada, Eduard has played his Paraguayan harp at thousands of concerts in over 30 countries. His concerts include a variety of Christian harp music from South America, North America and Europe interspersed with many personal stories of his life from boyhood in the wilderness of Paraguay to the present time. His concerts are always entertaining and inspiring as his natural sense of humour helps him to develop an excellent rapport with audiences wherever he goes.
All Eduard’s Irish concerts this year are fundraisers for an orphanage in Bogota, Colombia. He pays his own travel costs and performs free, but there will be an opportunity at his concerts to donate something to the orphanage. You can hear Eduard play and speak in Second Ballybay Presbyterian Church on Thursday 20th September at 8pm. Ballybay Country Gospel Group will also be taking part.

The final game in the outdoor cup was played on Tuesday the 4th September between Muckno and Ballybay Maroon. The winner was the Ballybay maroon side who had a mighty struggle to hold on in the final few ends as the Muckno side never gave up and there were only 3 shots separating the teams in the end. The presentation of prizes took place in the Bowling Pavilion and both teams were pleased with their trophies. In the absence of the Chairman Uel, Benny had to make the presentation and thanked all the teams for their participation at the outdoor bowling club during the year. It was great to see so many new members participating on our green. Next year will be a new challenge as we are installing a new underlay and changing the top surface so it will alter the speed of the green. This work will be carried out in the closed season by the company who installed the original green.
The meeting of the Ballybay indoor bowling club took place last week and it was decided to put two teams into the Monaghan Zone League. The club night will be on a Monday and the league games will be played on Tuesday’s. Our Chairperson Angela gave a comprehensive report on the new rules and changes in the league for the coming season.

On Sunday evening last Ballybay Pearse Brothers lost their championship match against Scotstown 0-10 to 0-9. The game was tight throughout however Ballybay did miss a penalty. There is a full match report on the sports pages. Despite the loss the lads have another bite at the cherry on Saturday evening next when they meet Truagh in Emyvale at 7-30pm. The winner of this game will progress to the semi-final. Your support for the team would be very much appreciated.

Over the last year or so we have reported that local man Adrian Harte was writing a book about his favourite band – San Francisco’s ‘Faith No More’. Well tomorrow evening Friday 14th Adrian will launch the book in Gutter Bookshop, Cow’s Lane, Temple Bar, Dublin. The evening gets underway at 6-30pm with a reading and Q&A session with Adrian who will also be signing copies of the new book. Drinks will be served and everyone is welcome.

Line dancing classes for beginners will commence on Monday 17th September. This class is for beginners and will run for 6 weeks. The Recreation Centre will be the venue and classes will run from 8-30pm until 9-30pm. Helen Curry will be the tutor.

Breakthrough Performance Ltd has opened a new state of the art gym facility at Pearse Park, Ballybay. The new venture is the brainchild of Ballybay and County player Dessie Ward. A graduate of DCU Dessie will be offering a wide range of classes, personal training and group sessions. Further information is available by contacting 086 3764114.

Joanne’s big Charity Barn Dance in aid of the Ballybay Cancer Society planned for the 26th October has been postponed owing to the use of Tullycorbet Hall for the Presidential election. The good news is that a new date has been found. The barn dance will now take place in Tullycorbet Hall on Friday 30th November. Music on the night by Gerry Fitzpatrick.

Congratulations to local lad Joe Sullivan who turns 50 tomorrow 14th September. Joe celebrated with family and friends at Round Towers GFHC in Lusk last weekend. While Joe might live in North County Dublin he keeps in touch with all that going on at home and is a regular visitor in Ballybay. Many happy returns Joe from all your admirers in Ballybay.

Ballybay Pearse Brothers are in action in Round 2A of the senior championship on Sunday next. They will meet Scotstown in Clontibret at 5-45pm. Your support for the lads would be very much appreciated.

Christ Church Aughnamullen are having their Harvest Thanksgiving Service on Sunday 9th September at 3pm. Everyone is welcome.

A fundraising tractor run is being held on Sunday 16th September in aid of Christ Church Aughnamullen. The event will start at Christ Church. Registration starts at 2pm. Cars, bikes, Honda 50’s and bicycles are all welcome.

The next blood donation session in Ballybay will be Tuesday 18th September. It will be held in the Sports Centre at the rear of the Community College from 4-30pm until 8pm. Old and new donors welcome. Further information is available at www.giveblood.ie

Pilates classes resume in September. They will be taking place in Ballybay Sports Hall on Mondays at 7pm and Cuan Mhuire on Thursday mornings at 10am. Everyone welcome.

Local musicians George and Ursula Mc Adam made an appearance on our screens last Saturday night. The brother and sister were part of the All Ireland winning Blackwater Ceili Band which appeared on RTE’s ‘Up for the Match’.

Line dancing classes for beginners will commence on Monday 17th September. This class is for beginners and will run for 6 weeks. The Recreation Centre will be the venue and classes will run from 8-30pm until 9-30pm. Helen Curry will be the tutor.

Breakthrough Performance Ltd has opened a new state of the art gym facility at Pearse Park, Ballybay. The new venture is the brainchild of Ballybay and County player Dessie Ward. A graduate of DCU Dessie will be offering a wide range of classes, personal training and group sessions. Further information is available by contacting 086 3764114.

The Mc Quaid school of dancing will resume Irish Dancing classes at Tullycorbet Hall tonight Thursday 6th September. Beginners will commence at 6pm and returning students at their usual times. The hall will also be the venue were Tullycorbet CCE will be offering music classes for a variety of instruments. Classes began yesterday Wednesday 5th September between 4pm and 7pm and will continue every Wednesday. Information on the music classes is available from Francis at 087 2395396.

The final of the Town Tournament took place on the all weather bowling green in the town park on Thursday last. The game was all square at 6 all going into the last end and it was a few superb bowls that saw the Soda Barrel shop retain their shield that they won for the first time last year. Darren Smyth’s team put up a great show which was skippered by Cora. The presentation of prizes and shield took place afterwards in the club pavilion.

On Saturday the 1st September saw the final of the champion of champions take place in Dungannon on their outdoor grass green. The Ballybay Rinks team had had three great games and finished runners up to the local Dungannon side.
The Ballybay team was crowned Cross Border league champions for 2018 and were also presented with the shield and prizes at Saturday’s presentation. This is their second time to win this league, the last time being in 2013.
A meeting of the Ballybay Indoor Bowling Club will take place tonight Thursday 6th September in the Ballybay Pavilion at 8-30pm. All members are expected to attend.

Joanne’s big Charity Barn Dance in aid of the Ballybay Cancer Society planned for the 26th October has been postponed owing to the use of Tullycorbet Hall for the Presidential election. The good news is that a new date has been found. The barn dance will now take place in Tullycorbet Hall on Friday 30th November. Music on the night by Gerry Fitzpatrick.

The recent fundraising event for Monaghan/Cavan palliative care and Beaumont cancer care, held in Liam's Smyth's Ballybay, proved to be a huge success and a wonderful night of fun and good will. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who contributed in any way, unfortunately to many to name individually.

To those who donated such varied items from sheep to toilet rolls, which were turned into cash via a draw and auction, generating substantial funds. To those items used for spot prizes and the many cash donations. To those who sponsored the BBQ and who helped with the cooking on the night. To all of you who came along on the night and gave so generously of your time and money and joined in the madness that is DJ $mythy !!! Thank you for your kind words of support and encouragement and please except our sincere gratitude and thanks and rest assured all money raised will go to where it was intended. The total funds raised will be published at a later date.

A Family Fun Day and Consultation on the Ballybay Public Realm and Economic Plan will be held at Ballybay Town Park on Saturday September 1st from 2-5 pm. Come and enjoy a great day out with friends and family and have your say on plans for the area. Remember, it’s our town and our future! Speaking about the day and the consultation local man Rory Mc Atavie said, “This promises to be a great day, rather than the normal public consultation the Council have decided to have a Family Fun day and also present the detailed and comprehensive plans which are at a draft stage regarding the future of our town. The presentation of ideas is quite impressive and should act as template for the next 5 to 10 years but it is vital that all the Community views the proposals and make their voice heard. This is a great opportunity for Ballybay as a community to plan for the future, the idea of viewing it as part of a family day is a great idea so why not bring the kids, enjoy the event and make your views regarding the towns future heard”.

If you are a job seeker on a social welfare payment, or a dependant, looking for support with employment, training and education you may engage with our service. Our office is open from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm Monday to Friday, in Birch Court, Ballybay. We offer Information and advice, career guidance, financial funding, information and advice on recruitment and on any government incentives. We have a jobs board displaying vacancies and other information you may require when seeking employment. If you are an Employer and wish to recruit new staff you can register with our service also. Our contact number is 042 9748090.

On Monday evening the local league semi finals were played at the outdoor pavilion. After a fantastic evening bowling Clontibret beat Ballybay Whites by just one shot and in the other semi Cootehill got the better of Ballybay Green. Clontibret will now play Cootehill in the final (date will be announced shortly). It is hoped that the final of the Jackie Rutledge Cup will take place on Monday next.
The games in the outdoor cup is making progress but was we are waiting on Latton and Ardaghey to get off the mark and hopefully they will play this week as will Muckno and Shercock.
The Town Tournament is making steady progress with Darren Smyth’s Newsagents having a comprehensive win over kevin Quinn’s Hardware store selection to reach the final. They will now play the winner of the postmen and the Soda Barrell.
The Border Counties team is still in top spot after last weeks games but the margin is getting small as there is only 3 points between Ballybay and Omagh whom we play this week away on Omagh’s grass green.

Well done to Joe Sullivan who organised an 80’s/90’s disco in the Ballybay Inn on Saturday night which raised €700 for the Ballybay Cancer Society. By all accounts it was a super evening -proof of this can be seen on the Ballybay and its People facebook page (thanks to John Rutledge and his trusted camera). Joe would like to thank everyone who attended, Pat and Paul in the Ballybay Inn and Ina Hagan for the hamper which was raffled on the night.

On Sunday 19th August the annual Mass at Carga Rock will be held. This will take place in lieu of the Sunday mass in Tullycorbett.

Paul Gallier, Community Sports Development Officer would like to bring more activities to Ballybay. He is running a Green Gym programme every Thursday morning for the month of August on the new exercise gym equipment recently installed in Ballybay Town Park. This exercise programme is for people over 16 years old and starts each morning at 11am. For further information or to reserve a place contact Paul at 042 9755126 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Ulster Fleadh proved very successful for the members of the Tullycorbet CCE as numerous members won medals and some of them will now go forward to Drogheda to represent Tullycorbet, Monaghan and Ulster at the All Ireland Fleadh. The successful participants were:

On Friday, 26th October, TG4 Glór Tíre 2018 Winner, Gary Fitzpatrick, will be onstage in Tullycorbet Community Centre for Joanne's big Charity Barn Dance in aid of Ballybay Cancer Society! The event may be a few months away but put the date in your diary and we will have more details as we approach the date.