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.

Ballybay Tidy towns are indebted to Gerry Mc Elroy Sponsor of the new watering system designed and built to enable the supply of water for the planters and beds around the town. Many people have commented on how good the town is looking this year and we would like to thank Gerry McElroy for his sponsorship, Padraig Lennon for the design and build and participants of the Community Employment Scheme for their help in keeping the flowers alive in the drought conditions of the past few weeks.

James Flanagan take a bow. The young Loch Mor Avenue native has just made a 4 minute video which shows Ballybay in all it’s glory. James took the footage on his drone and then edited the material. The result is breath taking. On Monday evening last the video have been viewed over 6000 times and had been shared by over 40 people on their Facebook accounts. To watch this fantastic footage which really sells Ballybay just go to the Ballybay and its people Facebook page. James has done a brilliant job and his video deserves to be seen – well done James.

On Saturday July 28th, Ballybay Pearse Brothers will be holding a Coffee Morning in the Clubhouse starting at 11am. The theme for the morning will be "Memories".

The club would request that people from the town or maybe those who are home for the Blessing of the Graves that weekend come out and bring memorabilia relating to the clubs history. These may be photos, medals, jerseys, programmes etc. We all have items stuffed in a drawer, never seeing the light of day. Items can be brought to the clubhouse on Friday night. Any funds raised on the day will go to Alzheimer Society of Ireland.

Owen & Elaine Shevlin along with the Shevlin & O’ Neill families would like to sincerely thank all their extended family, friends, neighbours and the wider community for their support, prayers and well wishes during Owen’s illness. We would also like to thank the medical staff of both the Coastguard Services & hospitals. Thankfully Owen is now home and continuing his recovery.

Tullycorbet District is a new facebook page which hopes to collect and share memories. The idea of the page is to take people on a trip down memory lane — by sharing old photographs of events, social gatherings, special occasions, clubs, groups, competitions, landmarks etc. relating to Tullycorbet & its people, especially from the 1940s, '50s, '60s, '70s, '80s & '90s. If you have items/pictures/etc of interest then you can either post on the pages timeline, send the pictures/article through Facebook Messenger or Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. There are already some cracking pictures on the page – why not check it out.

There are still places available on the Kellogs Cul Camp which will take place in Peares Park, Ballybay from Monday 16th July until Friday 20th July. During the week children will get to experience both football and hurling/camogie. Further information is available from the camp supervisor Colin Malone at 087 7882859.

The Ballybay Border Counties team had a great win over Letterkenny during the week winning by 10 points to nil. The result leaves the local side in top spot 12 points ahead of the rest. The draw for the Ballybay Outdoor cup was made last Friday and the first round matches are as follows:

Latton v Ardaghey

Shercock Muckno

Clontibret v Ballybay White

Derryvalley v Ballybay Golf

Cootehill v Ballybay Maroon

All other teams will go into the second round.

Saturday 21st July will see us play the pairs in the Champion of Champions and now is the time to get your name on the time sheet in the Club Pavilion.

It is hoped to get most of the Town Tournament games played this week as there was not much happened on that section last week.

A silver ring with a black stone was found on the pavement between Meadowview and Ballybay Town. Further details are available at 042 9756945.

Blessing of the graves takes place on Sunday 29th July. In Tullycorbett it will be after 9-30am mass, in Ballintra it will be after 11am mass while in Ballybay it will be a 3pm.

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

Next Sunday (15th July) is Pioneer Sunday and a bus will be travelling to knock. If interested it will be leaving the Square at 7-30am

This summer we have created an exciting fun and interactive programme of activities for children in Ballybay Library. From turning used books into beautiful flowers, to learning about circuits and scribble bots, or relax whilst listening to Riverside farm storytelling, there is something for all children to enjoy. As always, the summer programme of events is FREE of charge, but booking is required as places are very limited. Contact Ballybay Library during opening hours at 0429741256 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . The first winner of the Summer Star reading challenge was Max Moffett form Ballybay Central School. Congratulations to Max.

Tales from the Riverside Farm Monday 16th July 11am-12pm Should you ever be in fear, call three times & I will hear’! Have you ever heard of a hedge sprite? No! Well then let me tell you all about them. Hedge sprites are nothing like those bossy fairies, who spend their days collecting old teeth and making a nuisance of themselves. Hedge Sprites spend their days mixing magical potions that make all the flowers smell wonderful. Come along to this fun and engaging storytelling session on farm safety. From slurry to safety signs to finding out about animal behaviour. For children aged 4+ The contents of this e-mail (including attachments) are private and confidential and may also be subject to legal privilege. It is intended only for the use of the addressee. If you are not the addressee, or the person responsible for delivering it to the addressee, you may not copy or deliver this e-mail or any attachments to anyone else or make any use of its contents; you should not read any part of this e-mail or any attachments. Unauthorised disclosure or communication or other use of the contents of this e-mail or any part thereof may be prohibited by law and may constitute a criminal offence.

Congratulations to Brendan Mc Cabe who won the Ballybay Blotto worth €8900. Brendan is pictured receiving his cheque from Paddy kerr, Laura Finlay and Killian Mc Aviney.
The contents of this e-mail (including attachments) are private and confidential and may also be subject to legal privilege. It is intended only for the use of the addressee. If you are not the addressee, or the person responsible for delivering it to the addressee, you may not copy or deliver this e-mail or any attachments to anyone else or make any use of its contents; you should not read any part of this e-mail or any attachments. Unauthorised disclosure or communication or other use of the contents of this e-mail or any part thereof may be prohibited by law and may constitute a criminal offence.

Youth Work Ireland are building a new youth service in Ballybay but in order to do so they need young people to engage with them. Information is included on the ywicm-include ballybay facebook page. Alternatively you can contact Paddy at 087 7187945 or Grainne at 087 335 3274.

At the recent Camphill Open Day members of the Malone family Ballybay and Doohamlet made a presentation of a cheque for €2260 to the Camphill Community. The monies was raised by their participation in the recent Dublin Mini Marathon.

It was a busy time in Loch Mor Avenue last weekend as 2 members of the same family celebrated milestone birthdays. It all kicked off on Friday 30th June when James Flanagan celebrated his 21st. The following day his grandmother and Loch Mor Avenue resident Bernie Duffy celebrated her 80th birthday with her family. Belated Birthday wishes to both.

The last three weeks of glorious weather has seen a marked increase in attendance at the outdoor green in the town park. The good weather has also ensured all competitions are up to date. The Town Tournament is gaining new members each week. Tonight Liam Smyth’s pub team will compete against the Post Office. Last week saw a Darren Smyth selection get a two point win over Gerry Mc Elroy’s team and Soda Barrell the holders defeated Paul Carragher’s.

On Saturday 30th June we had the singles competition to find a member to represent the club at the Champion of Champions on the first Saturday in September to be held in Dungannon. The winner on the day was Brendan Mc Gahey who is a long serving member of the club. In conclusion he was presented with the beautiful trophy by Gabriel Traynor who sponsored this competition.

The Border Counties team have 2 games this week, one in the Mc Gurk Shield away and one at home when we take on Letterkenny. Both teams will be stiff opposition but we will put out our best teams and hope that there will be a bit of luck on our side.

The champion of champions Pairs will take place on Saturday 21st July, so now is the time to put your name on the time sheet in the club pavilion.

On Saturday July 28th, Ballybay Pearse Brothers will be holding a Coffee Morning in the Clubhouse. The theme for the morning will be "Memories".

The club would request that people from the town or maybe those who are home for the Blessing of the Graves that weekend come out and bring memorabilia relating to the clubs history. These may be photos, medals, jerseys, programmes etc. We all have items stuffed in a drawer, never seeing the light of day. Please put this date in your diary and let the searching begin! Any funds raised on the day will go to Alzheimer Society of Ireland.

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

This summer we have created an exciting fun and interactive programme of activities for children in Ballybay Library. From turning used books into beautiful flowers, to learning about circuits and scribble bots, or relax whilst listening to Riverside farm storytelling, there is something for all children to enjoy. As always, the summer programme of events is FREE of charge, but booking is required as places are very limited. Contact Ballybay Library during opening hours at 0429741256 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Paper Circuits workshop Monday 9th July 2-5pm Children will learn how to create circuits. They learn this through Snap Circuits, copper based paper circuits and LED’s. For children 8-12 years.

The Ballybay Outdoor Bowling Club is holding top spot in the Border Counties league when after 5 games they have a score of 36 points, four ahead of Enniskillen who are on 32. Our next game will be this week when we are away to Fivemiletown.

The local league is progressing well with the Ballybay Green team still on top and are likely to qualify for the play off. That will be some weeks off as section one has a number of games to play yet.

As part of a sports inclusion programme our club has been asked to hold a 4 week bowls programme on our green starting on Tuesday 26th June from 11am to 1pm. This will cater for adults with special needs and so we will at least 6 of our members to help during the two hours. This will be the third year that we have hosted this programme so our members should know the format.

The time sheet for the champion of champions singles (30th June) is ow posted in the club pavilion and now is the time to get your name on the list. All the teams that play in the outdoor league can put their name forward to play in the outdoor cup which will be played in early August.

The first game in the Town Tournament has taken place between Pat O Brien’s and a Bingo selection. Pat’s team showed their class by winning with the last bowl. There will be more teams playing this week so all are welcome to come and enjoy the fun.

Summer Stars is an exciting reading-based programme which is available free of charge to all children. It will run during July & August in Ballybay Library, and children are invited to register at the library and be part of the adventure. All participants will be given a Summer Stars Reading Card to record and track their own progress. There will be rewards and incentives along the way and a grand finale at the end for all participants. There is a great online resource at www.librariesireland.ie/summer-stars which has lots of online games and activities as well as a range of animated ebooks. You will find a children’s books discussion board and interviews with well-known people about their favourite books. There are helpful tips for reading and recommended titles by age group. And remember it’s all FREE! And check out our summer programme of workshops for children by visiting the library today!

Calling all young people from Ballybay Saturday 23rd June from 6pm, Garage Theatre Monaghan Free Cultural Evening for young people aged 13 and over Cruinniú na nÓg is a national day of creativity for our young people. So what can young people expect on the evening? The evening will kick off from 6pm with outdoor performers and artists, music, indoor activities, and heaps of ice cream to keep cool. How about challenging your friends with some traditional fairground games or have a go in the games room! Or Perhaps karaoke or dancing is your thing! Then we will be led into the Spotlight of the grand theatre of the Garage by Extreme Rhythm, and our young people will take to the stage to entertain with an ensemble of music.

So it is certainly promising to be a very special evening for all young people to join in. From dramatic performers, world renowned percussionists, caricature artists to the main showcase of the evening – our own young people taking to the stage of the Garage Theatre, this is an event all young people should head to!

And Remember it is FREE to attend – to guarantee your ticket for the showcase contact the Garage Theatre on 047-39777

It is with deep regret that we must report that at the weekend someone decided to vandalise the new planter at the entrance of Loch Mor Avenue. At least one of the new plants was pulled out and thrown on the ground nearby, Speaking to the Ballybay News Tidy Towns Chairman Martin Gleeson was not one bit happy. “The tidy towns committee and many local volunteers have worked very hard to improve the look of the town. This included installing a new flower planter at the entrance to Loch Mor Avenue. Sometime on Sunday someone pulled some of the flowers out of the planter and threw them on the ground nearby. This happened in broad day light and someone is bound to have seen it. It is disgraceful that someone has done this and I would urge anyone who knows the culprit to either tell any of our committee or inform the local Garda”, said Martin. The Tidy Town committee has worked tirelessly in recent years to improve the look of the town and the town has been improving its score in the National competition. Pressure from the committee resulted in Monaghan County Council arranging for weeds in the street to be sprayed with weed killer this week. Anyone wishing to volunteer to help out with the regular litter picks, etc should contact Martin.

The recent appeal in aid of Syria raised €933-38c. The organisers would like to thank everyone who contributed to the collection.

Monaghan Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) is pleased to launch the new Community Enhancement Programme 2018. Funding in the amount of €132,571 has been made available for the county by the Department of Rural and Community Development which will be administered through the LCDC.Monaghan Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) is pleased to launch the new Community Enhancement Programme 2018. Funding in the amount of €132,571 has been made available for the county by the Department of Rural and Community Development which will be administered through the LCDC.

CEP Guidelines PDF >>

CEP Application Form PDF >>

The Ballybay pearse Borthers held a very successful Big Brekfast in their club house on Sunday last. On the day players served the breakfast for all who attended.

Monaghan Rose local girl Hannah Mooney from Carrickatee is holding a fundraiser in the Aughnamullen Social Centre on this Sat. 16th June. This is an opportunity for the community to come together and celebrate Hannah's success as well helping raise funds towards her journey to Tralee while at the same time supporting Ballybay Cancer Society. Music on the night is by Brendan Mc Court and admission is €10.

This year’s annual senior citizens outing takes place on Thursday 21st June. The trip will be to the Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre and will be followed by tea and scones in the Coachman’s Inn. The bus will leave Riverdale at 10am and the cost is €20 per person.

There was a full turn out of members for the Jimmy Gibson memorial shield which was played for on Saturday last in glorious sunshine. After a long and very competitive days bowling on the outdoor green it came down to the final between Philip Gibson and Daniel Mc Cormack with the latter going on to win for the first time. Jocky Gibson made the presentation and thanked all for attending and making the day a wonderful event which the 24 degrees temperature also played its part.

The Ballybay Green team is still at the top of the local league with a maximum 24 points. Well done to them as they are mostly new members this year. The town tournament is getting under way this week and its hoped to have games every Tuesday and Thursday. You can still enter a team by contacting Stephen Duffy (the one that has all the answers). The local club are now at the top of the Border Counties Bowling League but with our next three games away and on grass this may change.

The Franciscan pilgrimage to Knock takes place on Sunday 24th June. The bus will leave the Square at 8-15am. To book a seat on the bus contact Kathleen at 0872100546 or Teresa at 0876198410.

Summer Stars starts at the Library in Ballybay on Monday 2nd July. This is an exciting reading-based programme which is available free of charge to all the children in Ballybay and the surrounding areas. Children can pop into the library and register their interest free of charge and thereafter they will be given a card to track and record their progress as they attempt to read as many books as possible over the summer. 

Every child who takes a book out on a Monday and returns it before the week is out will be entered into a weekly prize draw. This is an 8 week challenge and further information is available in the library or at: www.librariesireland.ie/summer-stars

The Pearse Brothers club had two sad passing’s in recent times. Former player Eamon Keenan and former manager Michael Mc Keown both passed away in the last fortnight. The club send their condolences to the family and friends of both Eamon and Michael.

Wetland Running Club member Sinead Doherty was the winner of the Corduff Ladies GFC 5km road race on Sunday last. Congratulations Sinead.

Soccer

Well done to the Under 12 Outdoor Soccer Team who played a number of matches over the last few weeks and successfully collected County Monaghan Silver Medals. Team - Eoin Brady, Eanna Curran, Adam Dixon, Simon Du Plessis, Stephen Duffy, Jerome Lavelle, B (U12) Dara MC Elmeel, Nathan Mc Dermott, Andrew Mullen, Finian O Neill, Martin Quinn, Oisin Quinn, Eoin Sheridan, Caolan Treanor, Sean Ward and Aaron Wylie. The team is managed by Martin Sheridan and Peter Ward. Congratulations to you. Your hard work has paid off.

Athletics

County athletics finals take place on Saturday 16th June in Clones. We wish good luck to Mark Drury U10 100m, Eoin Seriadan U12 600m, Katie Glynn U14 800m and Aideen Drury U14 80m Hurdles who are all representing Tullycorbet.

Once again Ballybay and Tullycorbett hosted a very successful County Fleadh with large numbers of participants and spectators in the locality since last Thursday night and over the weekend. Tullycorbett Hall, Ballybay Communty College, the Ballybay Inn and Liam Smyths were just some of the venues which seen lots of action over the weekend. Local TD and Minister Heather Humphries launched the Fleadh and a new addition this year was a heritage trail on the Friday night. Well done to all the participants, volunteers and spectators.

On Saturday the 9th June we will see the start of the competitions when we hold the Gibson singles which start at 11am. There is just a few places left – to book ring Philip or Benny to get your name on the time sheet. The champion of champions will start on Saturday 30th June which will be the singles followed by the pairs on Saturday 21st July. The rinks (4’s) will take place on 4th August. All these games will start at 10-30am. We hope to have these wrapped up by 3-330pm.

The local league is going very well with Ballybay Green setting the pace so far. Tonight’s game will test them as they take on Clontibret at 7-30pm. The Border Counties League last week saw the local side get 2 points away to Letterkenny. That secures second place in the current standings. In the lead is Clogher Valley whom we play this week. Another 10 points will be helpful to keep us at the top.

Tullycorbet CCÉ will be hosting the County Fleadh in Monaghan again this year. Tullycorbet CCÉ have an excellent line-up of events planned launching Thursday 31st May in Tullycorbet Community Centre, with special guest Minister Heather Humphreys. Friday will see a Heritage Trail in Ballybay, followed by the Fleadh launch session. The competitions will be of main focus on Saturday, with sessions taking place throughout the day in various venues. There will also be a special Fleadh Mass which will take place on Sunday morning in St Patricks, followed by Set and Sean-Nos Dancing competitions in Tullycorbet Community Centre, a parade in Ballybay, youth session and open air music.

On Sunday 10th June Fr. Noel Conlon will be hosting his annual sponsored 7km walk/run in Inniskeen. This year’s proceeds will be donated to Merchant’s Quay Ireland and the Ballybay Cancer Society. Registration on the day will commence at 1pm at the Community Centre and the walk/run will start at 2pm. There will be light refreshments served afterwards. Sponsorship cards available from Fr. Noel at 042 9378678.

As expected the Ballybay Green Team had a good win over Derryvalley and are now in to spot with 18 points. Their next game is on Friday 1st June when they take on Clontibret – that will be a game worth seeing. Also on Friday evening we will have Ballybay White play St. Michaels, Cootehill – this could also prove to be a very interesting game.

This week will see the Ballybay selection travel to Letterkenny to play the game that was cancelled earlier in the month – a share of the points would be a good result at that venue.

The outdoor green hosted St. Pat’s indoor club on Monday last when 14 of their players turned up at 10-30am and bowled until 1pm in glorious sunshine On Saturday the 9th June the Gibson Trophy will be played for so now is the time to put your name on the timesheet in the club pavilion. Also on the notice board is the dates and times of the champion of champions competitions.

Local parishioners may want to note the following dates in their summer diaries. Blessing of the graves will take place on Sunday 29th July. In Tullycorbett it will be after 9-30am mass, in Ballintra after 11am mass and in Ballybay at 3pm. Another date worth noting is Sunday 19th August. On tis date the annual Mass at Carga Rock will be held. This will take place in lieu of the Sunday mass in Tullycorbett.

Everyone is welcome to the Faith Mission monthly Gospel meeting on Friday 1st June @ 8pm in Rockcorry Presbyterian Church Hall. Refreshments afterwards. Plan to come and bring a friend. Visiting Faith Mission speakers and workers are Robert Little and Scott McFarland.