END OF THE LINE FOR BOSE

06/06/2015 by borderroamer

Former Bose Plant, Carrickmacross Photo: © Michael Fisher

NO SOUND AT BOSE AS PLANT FINALLY SHUTS DOWN

Michael Fisher Northern Standard Thursday June 4th Carrickmacross News p.35

They came in small groups to collect their redundancy payments. Over the course of several hours last Friday, 140 workers left the Bose plant in Carrickmacross, having clocked out on Thursday for the last time. The car park gates are locked and over the next week, preparations will be made by a Dublin company to auction the plant and machinery inside the building. Viewing begins next Thursday and the public auction will be on Friday 12th June, the final chapter in a 37-year history of production at the site.

Gates Locked at Former Bose Plant, Carrickmacross Photo: © Michael Fisher

As they left the plant, the workers again pointed out that this had been a profitable operation for Bose, manufacturing high quality sound systems, and their Irish base in Europe had never been affected by industrial disputes. They said they had always shown their loyalty to the company and had generally been treated well by their employer, until the founder of the company Dr Amar Bose had died two years ago.

Empty Car Park at Former Bose Plant, Carrickmacross Photo: © Michael Fisher

Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Heather Humphreys T.D. said she had been in contact with Jobs Minister Richard Bruton on a regular basis, most recently this week regarding the search for an alternative investor for the Bose facility. She said she had been informed that the Industrial Development Authority (responsible for attracting foreign direct investment to Ireland) was continuing to seek an alternative use for the Bose building and was highlighting the strengths of the border region as a location for inward investment.

Former Bose Plant, Carrickmacross Photo: © Michael Fisher

Minister Humphreys told the Northern Standard: “As the existing factory is not owned by Bose, the IDA is in discussions with the relevant parties on how the facility could be made available for a new investor. In response to the Bose announcement Minister Bruton established an interagency group to co-ordinate the response from the state in terms of awareness of entitlements and opportunities for the affected staff of the company and to pursue a replacement investor. This group is chaired by Enterprise Ireland and includes representatives from IDA Ireland, the Local Enterprise Office, the Education and Training Boards from Cavan/Monaghan and Louth/Meath, and the Department of Social Protection. I have been assured that the Department of Social Protection has been very active in terms of meeting the staff in relation to that Department’s services, and the Educational Training Board are pursuing relevant courses and training.”

Former Bose Plant, Carrickmacross Photo: © Michael Fisher

Minister Humphreys said the Bose announcement in January had been a huge blow to the area, and a terrible shock for staff. Her focus now was on helping to secure an alternative investor for the facility if possible. This process could take some time, but she remained hopeful that Carrickmacross could attract another employer into the town. She added: “As well as continuing to seek a new investor for the facility, it is important that all possible training and up-skilling opportunities are made available to the Bose workers. Job opportunities in Cavan and Monaghan have improved considerably in the last year or so; the number of people on the Live Register across the two counties has dropped by an average of 25% and in total 14,300 additional people are back at work in the border area since the launch of the Action Plan for Jobs in 2012. I will continue to work with Minister Bruton to seek alternative employment options for all workers affected by the Bose closure.”

Former Bose Plant, Carrickmacross Photo: © Michael Fisher

As the BOSE plant closed its doors for the last time on Friday, Carrickmacross-based Sinn Féin MEP Matt Carthy said the closure of the plant was devastating for the local economy and community who had been let down by the government. The MEP said:

“Today is a sad day for the staff, their families and the wider community of Carrickmacross as we witness the closure of long- standing employer BOSE and the loss of 140 full time jobs in the area. I wish to extend my solidarity, and that of my party colleagues, to the workers and their families on what I am sure must be a difficult day for them personally.”

Empty Car Park at Former Bose Plant, Carrickmacross Photo: © Michael Fisher

“I believe that the closure today is indicative of the lack of an effective regional jobs plan by this government.  Since the closure announcement in January I have been in correspondence with Minister Richard Bruton and with the IDA. I held a meeting with IDA Chief Executive Martin Shanahan in his office where I urged that all possible opportunities to identify an alternative employer for the BOSE site to explored. I regret to say that I do not believe that the government or its agencies have done enough to ensure that either the plant remained open or that alternative employment could be secured for the premises.”

Matt Carthy said people in Carrickmacross and South Monaghan felt very let down by the government agencies who had not delivered for the area and he was hugely disappointed on their behalf. He concluded:

“We must redouble our efforts to minimise the impact of this closure on our community and local economy and I am calling on local government representatives to put pressure on their colleagues to ensure that Carrickmacross is not left behind. I have again written to Minister Richard Bruton requesting real action on this front and I will continue to work with my party colleagues, including Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin TD, on this matter.”

Gates Locked at Former Bose Plant, Carrickmacross Photo: © Michael Fisher

Monaghan County Councillor Colm Carthy is a former Bose employee. The Sinn Féin representative said the closure of the Bose plant was the end of an era. Not only was it a huge blow for the town, it was a huge blow to the whole of South Monaghan and beyond. Councillor Carthy told the Northern Standard:

“The staff of this facility are a family and they are devastated to have lost their jobs. We need to push now for a replacement company to come in to the facility as soon as possible. We have already seen the lack of respect local councillors have been shown by central government in their dealings with all the relevant bodies who are working on getting replacement jobs into the area. This cannot be allowed to continue. We, as a council, will continue to push the government to do all in their power, not only to utilise the facility that is already in place but, more importantly, to utilise the talented workforce that has been left behind.”

GAMING CLUB FOR CARRICKMACROSS

05/06/2015 by borderroamer

Ground floor unit to be turned into a private members’ gaming club in Carrickmacross Photo: © Michael Fisher

GAMING CLUB GETS GO-AHEAD IN CARRICKMACROSS

Permission has been granted by Monaghan County Council, with a number of conditions attached, for the operation of a private members’ gaming club off the Main Street in Carrickmacross. When the initial application was made in January to the planning department on behalf of Carrick Gold Mine Ltd, it was strongly criticised by all six Councillors in the Carrickmacross-Castleblayney Municipal District. Councillors have since written to the Minister for Justice asking her to close a loophole in the gaming legislation that permits such private clubs and to bring in regulations that would restrict such establishments.

Ground floor unit to be turned into a private members’ gaming club in Carrickmacross Photo: © Michael Fisher

A number of local residents and businesses sent in objections to the Council in February on the basis that the town had never adopted by-laws allowing gaming. However it was discovered that there is a loophole in the legislation that permits private members’ clubs to organise card games such as poker.

The planners rejected the first application as incomplete and invalid. A new application was received by Monaghan County Council on April 13th. This time only one local resident made a representation (for which there is a charge of €20). The submission stated that Carrickmacross had never implemented the gaming by-laws.

In this person’s view, the town did not need any more gambling establishments as there was already an abundance on the Main Street. The objector also raised a question over the suitability of the entrance to accommodate a fire engine or emergency services vehicle.

Ground floor unit to be turned into a private members’ gaming club in Carrickmacross Photo: © Michael Fisher

According to the plan submitted with the application, there would be a total of 24 video machines in the club with three poker tables. A cashier would be based in one corner of the room where there would be a tea or coffee making facility.

Carrick Gold Mine Ltd sought full planning permission for a change of use from an existing vacant ground floor commercial unit to a private members gaming club with external signage, and including all other associated site works. The premises is situated beside the car park at the rear of Carrickmacross Shopping Centre at Drummond Etra, Main Street.

The proposed Private Members Gaming Club would provide card games like Baccarat and other games like Texas Holdem etc “for groups of dedicated card players”. It would be the Club’s intention to have weekly Poker tournaments, some of which would be for local sports teams and associations, according to the application. The club’s facilities would be open to members only, who must be over eighteen.

Original site notice (January): Ground floor unit to be turned into a private members’ gaming club in Carrickmacross Photo: © Michael Fisher

In a letter to the planning authority, consultants for the applicants outlined that the proposed opening hours would be from 10am to midnight, seven days a week. They said there would be no noise nuisance or other amplified sound from the club. The operators did not favour loud noises as this could affect the enjoyment of the card players. There would be no difference to the current ambient sound from the nearby street.

The applicants said that internal and external CCTV cameras would be installed to discourage anti-social behaviour in the area of the club. A downward facing light would illuminate the front of the building. There would be a single sign to the front of the building.

The conditions imposed by the planners require the applicants to pay a sum of €5825 towards car parking facilities beside the building and €199.50 towards community facilities. Other conditions relate to water and sewerage connections and to sound levels. Permission has been granted for the premises to open seven days a week between 10am and 1am the next day, an hour longer than the operating time submitted by the applicant.

The full details of the planning approval are as follows:

P15/107 – Carrick Gold Mine, Rear of Shopping Centre, Drummond Etra, Carrickmacross.

Prior to commencement of development the developer shall pay to Monaghan County Council a sum of €199.50 in accordance with the General Development Contribution Scheme 2013-2019 made under Section 48 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended), towards expenditure incurred or proposed to be incurred by the Council in the provision of community, recreation and amenity public infrastructure and facilities, which will facilitate the proposed development. The Development Contribution Scheme shall be updated by the Planning Authority on an annual basis, in accordance with the Wholesale Price Index for Building and Construction (Materials and Wages). The sum attached to this condition shall be revised from the date of the grant of planning permission to the value pertaining at the time of payment in accordance with the annual update and the amount of contribution attached therein.
Prior to commencement of development the developer shall pay to Monaghan County Council a sum of €5825.00 in accordance with the General Development Contribution Scheme 2013-2019 made under Section 48 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended), towards expenditure incurred or proposed to be incurred by the Council in the provision of car parking facilities which will facilitate the proposed development. The Development Contribution Scheme shall be updated by the Planning Authority on an annual basis, in accordance with the Wholesale Price Index for Building and Construction (Materials and Wages). The sum attached to this condition shall be revised from the date of the grant of planning permission to the value pertaining at the time of payment in accordance with the annual update and the amount of contribution attached therein.
a. Domestic effluent from toilets and wash hand basins to be discharged to the public foul sewer via existing public foul sewer collection system serving this premises in an approved manner to water services specification. b. The foul sewer connections from any new facilities shall be connected to the existing foul sewer collection system , serving this premises. All new manhole and connections to existing manholes to be constructed watertight with benching to direct discharge into flow path of existing sewer pipeline , all to the approval of the water services representative. c. Storm run off only, to be connected to existing storm sewer collection system serving this development and discharged to existing watercourse/storm sewer in an approved manner. d. You shall be required to pay for water usage by this premises as per approved rates as may be determined by Irish Water , and to any future revisions of said water rates. Applicant shall grant Irish Water and their agents with right of access , at all times, to all water pipelines , valves and meters. e. You shall be required to pay for discharge of effluent by this premises to the public sewer as per approved rates as may be determined by Irish Water , and to any future revisions of said rates. Applicant shall grant Irish Water and their agents with right of access , at all times , to trunk public foul sewers which traverse this site and all associated manholes and sewer pipelines.
Prior to commencement of development, applicant to contact Irish Water regarding the provision of water services necessary to enable the proposed development and to confirm acceptability of the proposed development with regard to source/network infrastructure.
The hours of operation of the business hereby permitted shall be from 10.00am to 01.00am daily (Monday to Sunday). The business shall be operated so as not to cause a noise nuisance in the vicinity.
No additional advertising signs, flags, symbols, emblems, logos or other advertising devices other than signs indicated on lodged plans, to be erected externally on the building or anywhere on the site without prior grant of permission from the Planning Authority.
The noise level from within the boundaries of the development not to exceed 55dB(A) equivalent continuous level (leq) at any point along the boundaries of the development between 8.00am – 8.00pm, at all other times, the noise level not to exceed 45Db(A) equivalent continuous level (leq). Where noise is impulsive in nature or has clearly audible tone components, the levels to be reduced by 5dB(A).
Lighting shall be provided to the elevation of the building in accordance with the details submitted on the 13/04/15.
Subject to the above the proposed development to be carried out in strict conformity with the plans and specifications submitted to the planning authority on 13/04/15.

THE REASONS FOR THE IMPOSITION OF THE ABOVE CONDITIONS ARE:

It is considered appropriate that the developer should contribute towards the expenditure incurred or proposed to be incurred by the Council in the provision of community, recreation and amenity infrastructure and facilities, which will facilitate the proposed development.
It is considered appropriate that the developer should contribute towards the expenditure incurred or proposed to be incurred by the Council in the provision of community, recreation and amenity infrastructure and facilities, which will facilitate the proposed development.
To ensure a satisfactory standard of development.
In the interest of sanitary services and orderly development.
In order to prevent unauthorised development.
In the interest of visual amenity.
In the interest of amenity and orderly development.
In the interest of a satisfactory standard of development.
In order to prevent unauthorised development.

BOSE LOSS TO CARRICKMACROSS

30/05/2015 by borderroamer

Bose Factory Carrickmacross Photo: © Michael Fisher

BOSE CLOSURE; THE EFFECTS ON CARRICKMACROSS

Michael Fisher Northern Standard Thursday 28th May p.7

Businesses in Carrickmacross are expecting to feel the impact of the Bose closure over the summer. Some of them have been speaking to the Northern Standard about the effect of the job losses.

CATHAL O’GORMAN Market Square Shopping Centre

The loss of Bose will be a big blow to Carrick. The company employed many people since they left school. The weekly wages total of up to approximately €120,000 would now be lost to the town and surrounding area.

GARETH MARRON Butcher

This will take a lot out of the town and will have ongoing consequences. My uncle provided a courier service for Bose but has now retired. I have a van that was also used for courier work and it is now lying idle for most of the week. I hope a new business can be found for the Bose site in the next few weeks.

JIM HAND Carrickmacross Chamber of Commerce

The Bose workers were great ambassadors for the town. They were a credit to the company with their loyalty, which was highly prized but not often valued enough. They were a highly skilled workforce with excellent industrial relations and no disputes. Both the IDA and Enterprise Ireland are actively looking for a replacement. People need to be patient and hope that something will turn up. The Local Enterprise Office in Monaghan is there to help anyone with a business idea. The Chamber will be supportive and will help in any way it can for any alternative use of the site. A “start your own business” programme is beginning shortly and the C-Tek premises will shortly be on stream in Carrick

BOSE FACTORY CLOSURE

29/05/2015 by borderroamer

Six of the redundant workers at the Bose factory Carrickmacross Photo: © Michael Fisher

LAST DAY AT BOSE FACTORY

140 Jobs Go as Production Ends after 37 Years

Michael Fisher Northern Standard Thursday 28th May p.7

It’s the end of the line for production at the Bose factory. It brought great expectations to Carrickmacross when it opened in 1978. The plant provided final assembly for select home theatre systems and radios for the European market, as well as some remanufacturing for the region. It was chosen by the US company because of the local expertise in furniture making. Bose developed wooden cabinets for their high-fidelity speakers and these were sourced in County Monaghan.

Today at 4.30pm the machines will be silent and 140 workers will clock off for the last time. People like Pat McNally, who was there on Day 1 and spent his working life there.

THE WORKERS

Pat McNally

They were good employers to work for, Pat McNally told me. You worked hard and you certainly earned your money. The US-based company and helped local people and they would miss Bose. The closure decision was announced without warning in January and was originally to take effect at the beginning of April. But following intervention by union representatives along with government Ministers, the closure was postponed for several weeks to allow time for talks on redundancy terms. Pat McNally said it would take a few weeks for the effects to hit home. It meant that 140 wages were no longer going into the local economy. It would also have a knock-on effect on suppliers and the likes of couriers who had benefited from contracts with Bose.

Five of his six family worked here: four daughters and one son, and his wife spent fifteen years in a job there. He felt there was a great family atmosphere in the factory, where he worked in the receiving goods section. As it was a ‘closed shop’ in those days, he joined the union just before he started (then the ITGWU, now SIPTU) and has been a member ever since. He says it has been a pleasure working in the place, with everyone looking after everyone else. Pat has been one of the main fundraisers for charity helping to raise IR£75,000 for the Childrens Hospital in Crumlin and then taking part in activities to help the Friends of Carrick Cancer. The Bose factory with the help of very supportive management raised over €1.2 million so far for this charity, a great achievement.

Aidan McMahon from Inniskeen was among nine married couples working for Bose. His wife Sandra who is in quality control was there for 25 years and he was there for 16 years. The couple are in their 40s and have three children to support, two young boys aged three and five, and a fourteen year-old daughter.

Aidan told me Sandra had been successful in obtaining alternative employment in Dundalk, one of only 20 former Bose employees to have found a new job. He also told me that any hope of obtaining assistance for retraining from the EU globalisation fund, as had been suggested by at least one MEP, had now faded as it applied only to companied with over 500 workers. The SIPTU representative Jim McVeigh visited the plant on Monday to reveal the bad news. There was further disappointment for workers when they discovered that if they were successful in obtaining places on higher education courses, their social welfare stamps would be used up, although they had originally been informed that this would not be the case. This arose from a measure in the last budget.

Aidan McGarrell from Magheracloone is 31 and was a Bose employee for eleven years. A married man, he has four children between the ages of three and ten. A very young family to provide for and a mortgage to pay. He was a lead machinist at the plant and joined the US-based company after spending some time working on cars. He described Bose as very good employers and said everyone enjoyed working for them. He thought he had a job almost for life when he started work at the plant.

Jennifer Cassidy from Corcuillog in Carrickmacross joined the factory after leaving the St Louis Convent in the town. She was with Bose for 27 years, working initially on the factory floor and then in the training department. She has three children, a 14 year-old boy who attends a local school, a daughter aged 22 and another son aged 25. Over the years Bose has provided employment for her brothers and sisters, cousins and other relatives. She was annoyed at the way the announcement was handled in January and since then there had been a lot of broken promises about a possible replacement industry.

Mai McCarthy from Carrickmacross was a line operator at Bose for over 12 years. Previously she had worked at Lissadell towels outside the town (now Wrights). She finds it hard to believe that this is her last day. She always felt Bose was a great company to work for and she had enjoyed going in to her daily work. She has three children, a daughter and two sons, all in their 20s and living in Australia because there were no jobs for them in Ireland. She might have to consider emigration herself, if things do not work out.

Fánchea Keenan comes from Lisdoonan. She started on the production line in Bose 25 years ago in October 1989 and was a cell leader. She is married with two grown-up children. A daughter Emma who had cystic fibrosis died in 2011. She says there was always a massive pride in working for Bose. When her daughter was ill she says the company had been very accommodating and the workers had helped to raise money for a CF charity. Fánchea said the founder of the company Dr Amar Bose had been very loyal to the workers in Carrick and had great respect for them. The team had produced very high quality goods. When they signed on for the firm they never envisaged they would have to look for work elsewhere.

Fánchea told me the Irish plant was being closed even though it was always a profitable operation. The very committed workforce had reached all their targets and even to the end had carried out everything asked of them, she said. But greed had got the better of the US-based management as the company wanted to make more profits. She said the Carrickmacross team had pulled out all the stops whether working overtime when asked to do so or during holiday times. Their orders were always delivered on time. But the management had not taken into account the loyalty of the workforce when it decided to shift production to the Far East.

All the workers expressed their annoyance that although they had been promised several things by politicians from various parties after the closure announcement, including the Arts Minister Heather Humphreys T.D. But they said they had not heard anything since the meeting with public representatives in the Nuremore Hotel in January. At the time Minister Humphreys said she had immediately contacted the office of her Cabinet colleague Richard Bruton and the IDA. But she warned it would be wrong to raise any false hopes for the workers in halting the closure, as the company seemed to have embarked on a cost-saving exercise.

Tomorrow (Friday 29th May), one by one, the workers will enter the premises for the last time to receive their redundancy payments. The plant and machinery inside the factory will be sold off by McKay Auctioneers in a fortnight’s time, leaving the building an empty shell.

Six of the redundant workers at the Bose factory Carrickmacross Photo: © Michael Fisher

CLOCKING OUT AT BOSE

28/05/2015 by borderroamer

How I reported the closure of the Bose factory in January in The Northern Standard Photo: © Michael Fisher

Clocking Out at Bose Michael Fisher Northern Standard Thursday 28th May p.1
Workers at the Bose factory in Carrickmacross are clocking out for the last time today (Thursday), bringing to an end a proud history of 37 years of manufacturing high quality sound systems. The multinational company unexpectedly announced in January they would be closing the plant in April, with a loss of 140 jobs. Following representations to the management at their headquarters in the USA, the timeline was extended until the end of May.

Bose Factory Carrickmacross Photo: © Michael Fisher

Despite attempts by the IDA and Enterprise Ireland to find a suitable replacement, no new investor has so far been found. The plant and machinery at the factory are due to be auctioned in a fortnight’s time and the building will be left as an empty shell. The site is in private ownership, having been purchased by a consortium of business people fourteen years ago. See story p.7.

Bose Factory Carrickmacross Photo: © Michael Fisher

KIM WARD: HEAVEN TO HELL

25/05/2015 by borderroamer

Kim Ward, Carrickmacross
Photo: © Michael Fisher

Running from Heaven to Hell & Back Northern Standard Carrickmacross News Thursday 21st May

Kim Ward

I’m 18 and I’ve lived in Carrickmacross all my life. My family are all from Carrickmacross, Donaghmoyne or the surrounding areas. I’ve always been drawn to working with children. I lost a close family friend  Lee when I was very young and recently lost his brother Ryan after a very brave battle against a rare disease. My beautiful godchild who is five also has Spina Bifida. All of which has helped fuel my need to help childrens’ charities.

I completed a fundraiser as part of my 18th birthday celebrations for the Children’s University Hospital , Temple Street in Dublin, raising €3,000 and collecting over 70 toys for the children across the wards, because Ryan attended Temple Street and my godchild Ellen is still an outpatient.

I’m in the middle of completing my end of year exams for Nursing Studies in Cavan Institute and hope to study Children’s Nursing in Britain this September, depending on results. I then hope to specialise in oncology nursing.

My inspiration for my career path first came when I saw Aoibheann’s Pink Tie on Secret Millionaire. It was set up in 2010 by Jimmy Norman and Mick Rochford after the passing of Jimmy’s beautiful daughter Aoibheann at the age of seven. In the words of Jimmy, ‘Aoibheann fought a very courageous battle against cancer’.

I watched a video not so long ago which interviews children who have cancer. They were all asked what they wanted to be when they grew up. Something one of the children said never stops playing in my mind: ‘I don’t know what I wanna be when I grow up, but I just wanna grow up’.

This is when I set out to complete both a mentally and physically enduring fundraiser for St John’s Ward in Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin in Dublin and Aoibheann’s Pink Tie. Next month I’m completing the 10km Women’s Mini Marathon, a 10,000ft Skydive and the 12km Hell & Back, all in under three weeks. Every week four parents in Ireland are told ‘your child has cancer’. That’s four families whose lives are put on hold while they begin to fight for their child’s life!

St John’s Ward in Crumlin is the national medical care centre for every child with cancer across Ireland. They provide the medical expertise and exceptional care needed for children faced with this cruel disease. The continuous funding has allowed for single isolation rooms for every patient. It has also meant that every patient has an en-suite and another bed for a parent or family member to stay for what can be days, weeks and even months.

Aoibheann’s Pink Tie is there for any kind of practical support for children and their families with cancer. Jimmy Norman wants the charity to allow parents to ‘breathe and go look after their children’. They provide Chemo Ducks for the children which is a cuddly toy with a ‘freddie’, pyjamas and a bandana similar to them which gives children the chance to understand their treatment in a child-friendly way.

They are also credited for providing children with Hickman Dry suits. A child can have a Hickman line (‘freddie’) in for years meaning they are not allowed to have baths or go swimming. These suits provides the children with the opportunity to do both. Costing €300 each for these specialised suits, Aoibheann’s Pink Tie supplies them to any child on St John’s Ward. Financial support is also provided by APT helping families pay for items such as mortgage bills, accommodation fees, and car park fees. Their support is endless!

Through this I’ve not only wanted to complete these events, I wanted to go out there and see what St Johns Ward and Aoibheann’s Pink Tie has meant for the children and their families who are going through these battles. I contacted Susan Brown from Castleblayney whose beautiful two year-old son Ceejay was diagnosed with leukaemia in September. She explained to me her appreciation towards both charities saying: ‘When a child is fighting cancer they need to know they have a team fighting with them and for them. With St John’s ward and Aoibheann’s Pink Tie we know Ceejay has an army fighting for him every step of the way’.

These three events will put me through my paces but it doesn’t even compare to a day in the life of a child with cancer. Thank you to all who have supported so far including Vanity Nightclub who have covered all registration fees and to Sparkle Beauty Clinic for their continued support.

All donations welcome. Find the event on facebook or simply donate online at www.idonate.ie by typing in ‘Running from Heaven to Hell & Back’. Sponsorship cards are also available and we’re on the lookout for anyone who’d like to join our team for the Mini Marathon or Hell & Back. Contact me at kimwardcmx@gmail.com.

Because children can’t fight cancer alone!

CARHAIX STUDENT SAYS ‘ADIEU’

24/05/2015 by borderroamer

CARHAIX STUDENT BIDS ADIEU

Michael Fisher

Sandrine Le Cocguen says ‘adieu’ to Carrickmacross this weekend after spending six weeks working in the town and trying to improve her knowledge of English. The 24 year-old is a student from Carhaix in Brittany, twinned with Carrickmacross. She came to Ireland at Easter and the twinning committee along with the Chamber of Commerce found her temporary employment and accommodation.

She is a second year engineering student at Nancy University in France and will begin her final year in September. She is interested in sustainable development and the environment and worked with other engineers on a project called “the garage of the future”.

During her short stay in County Monaghan, Sandrine worked with Emma Gollogly at Golo.ie and in Jim Hand’s shoe shop. She also gained some work experience in the office of an architect and at O’Gorman’s SuperValu supermarket, where she will finish tomorrow. She also helped the French teacher at Inver College on a number of occasions as students prepared for their oral examination. As we prepared to do this interview, one of the students came up to her and thanked her for her assistance.

Sandrine became friendly with Alicia Ehrecke, a German exchange student at Inver College. She accompanied Alicia to Dublin when she received a Hot Press award for a short story she had written. Both were given accommodation by Carmel Watts in Church Grove.

During her time in Carrickmacross, her boyfriend came over from France and they went on a tour to the North, staying in Belfast near Queen’s University, a building she admired. They visited the Titanic Centre and also made a trip to the Giant’s Causeway. They were impressed with the beautiful surroundings on the North Antrim coastline. Sandrine told me she had really enjoyed her time here and would recommend such a stay to others. The next phase of her trip to Ireland will be spent in Abbeyleix, County Laois, where she will work in a coffee shop until the end of July, in exchange for board and lodgings. She found the position through a free volunteer work exchange website, helpx.net.

Sandrine is the second member of her family to come to Carrickmacross with the help of the twinning committee led by Sean Egan. Her younger sister Céline who plays the harp visited with a group from Carhaix school of music last year. She stayed for four days with the Farrelly family in Magheracloone at the time of the Féile Patrick Byrne. So both are helping to strengthen the common Celtic bonds between South Monaghan and Brittany.

LAURA CROSSAN FUNDRAISER CORDUFF

23/05/2015 by borderroamer

Laura Crossan

CHARITY EVENT

This Saturday 23rd May in Corduff /Raferagh Community Centre there will be another fundraising event in aid of Laura Crossan, starting at 4pm. There will be a tractor run at 5pm, played out by the Corduff Pipe Band. Childrens’ disco and fun events including face painting and rodeo bull  5.30pm to 7.30pm. Armageddon will play in the marquee from 6pm to 8pm. Head shave, waxing and dye at 8pm, to include Laura’s father Jonathan, brother Dylan, uncles Donal, Declan, Noel, Gregory, Joseph, Nial and granda Joe. Laura’s cousins and many others will be there in support.

Entertainment in the Mountain Dew by Yesteryear. It promises to be a fun-filled evening for all and hopefully Laura can join in the evening fun.

The Crossan family would like to thank everyone for their prayers, cards and good wishes. The kindness shown to us through this whole nightmare really helps us each day and week, Laura’s father said.

LAURA CROSSAN GETS HER MEDICAL CARD

Michael Fisher Northern Standard Thursday 21st May

Laura Crossan from Carrickmacross is battling against a rare form of cancer. The 9 year-old is a pupil at Bunscoil Lughaidh Naofa, and was diagnosed in January as having Ewing’s sarcoma, in which cancer cells are found in the bone or in soft tissue. Only two or three children in Ireland are found to have the condition every year.

Her father Jonathan contacted the RTÉ Radio Joe Duffy show recently and explained how he had been unable to get a medical card for Laura. He highlighted what parents in his position were put through at what could be the lowest time in their lives. The following day the HSE provided a card for his daughter and for the rest of the family.

Mr Crossan told the Northern Standard it was truly a shame that a 9 year-old child with cancer had to wait five months in order to receive a medical card. He also said he greatly appreciated the support the local community had shown in attending various fundraising events.

Laura is the second child of Jonathan and Sinead Crossan. She has an older brother Dylan and two younger sisters, Codie and Georgia. Laura’s condition was discovered after her parents became worried about a mark on her leg they thought had been caused by a bee sting before Christmas. Since then she has been in the care of the medical team at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin in Dublin.

Mr Crossan explained how their lives were changed for ever on January 23rd. “On a cold Friday evening at 4.30pm we were told our lovely Laura had Ewing’s sarcoma a rare form of cancer in her leg. The little lump on the bottom of her leg looked like a swelling from a sting and was not giving her any trouble. To say the least, it has turned our lives upside down and now cancer is in our lives. Our gorgeous wee woman now has a battle on her hands”.

“Laura is out of school for the year and battling chemo, which she receives every 21 days in Crumlin She gets four different chemotherapy treatments each day for three days and it is really hard on the wee woman. It changes her completely for the time she is on it”, he explained.

Mr Crossan said the only people Laura will let stay with her are himself, his wife, her grandmother Teesie and her uncle Declan. She has just finished her fifth chemo session and like all previous ones is now back in Cavan hospital getting new blood platelets and fighting an internal infection.

He says the staff in Cavan general hospital have taken to Laura and she really loves them. “Myself and Sinead would like to thank them from the bottom of our hearts for the care and love they have shown our wee woman”, he said. “Family life has certainly changed for us all: Dylan aged 14 is at the High School in Carrick; 6 year-old Codie is in Bunscoil Lughaidh Naiofa and the youngest, Georgia (4) is in playschool. They are all in a new routine, being passed from pillar to post while Dad and Mum look after Laura in hospital”.

Laura has nine more chemotherapy sessions ahead of her so will spend most of the year in Crumlin and Cavan hospitals.

PLASTICS DESIGN SUCCESS FOR RÓISíN

15/05/2015 by borderroamer

Róisín Keyes from Carrickmacross, a student at DIT

FORMER ST LOUIS PUPIL ACHIEVES NATIONAL SUCCESS

Michael Fisher Northern Standard Carrickmacross News Thursday 15th May

Róisín Keyes from Lisanisk in Carrickmacross is one of seven finalists from Ireland and Britain to reach the finals of a major competition to promote new inventions made with plastic and to find bright young designers of the future. Students were asked to identify a traditional metal product and replace it with the next generation of product using polymers.  Róisín impressed the judges with her plastic extension keys for musical wind instruments, such as saxophones or concert flutes.

The competition is an annual award sponsored by multinational polymer company, Bayer MaterialScience, which has an office in Dublin. It aims to find the university student with the most creative new invention made with plastics. It is contested by students from universities throughout Ireland and Britain. Róisin was the only Irish student to get to the final out of 118 entrants.

She is a former pupil of St Louis Secondary School, Carrickmacross and is currently in the third year of a four-year B.Sc. course in Products Design at the Dublin Institute of Technology. The finalists go forward to judging by a panel of industry experts on Friday week, May 22nd at the British Plastics Federation in London. The winner will be announced on July 3rd, and will earn a placement with Bayer MaterialScience, in Leverkusen, Germany, one of the world’s largest producers of polymers and high-performance plastics.

In addition to a cash prize of £1,000 the winner will also have a work placement at PriestmanGoode, the leading global design and brand experience agency specialising in aviation, transport and product design.

All three top winners and four highly commended will receive cash prizes and either training courses or placements with other award sponsors: Innovate Product Design, a leading UK invention development company; PDD, London, worldwide provider of integrated design and innovation skills; G&A Moulding Technology, an independent company offering the injection moulding industry support, training and advisory services; Brightworks, an award-winning product design and development consultancy, and HellermannTyton,a global manufacturer and innovator of products for electrical and communication networks.

In addition, all finalists will be offered mentoring support with the goal of helping them take their design ideas closer to commercial realisation, and a year’s free membership of IOM3.

The prestigious Design Innovation in Plastics competition was established in 1985, during which it has provided opportunities for design students to make a name for themselves with products which have genuine use and potential commercial value. It promotes innovative design, raises awareness of high-tech plastics and enables universities to raise their profiles as institutes of excellence in this field. Róisín will have an anxious few weeks to wait to find out how she does in her presentation on May 22nd. We wish her every success.

CHRISTINA RELAXES AT HOME

14/05/2015 by borderroamer

Michael Fisher interviewing Christina McMahon at her home in Carrickmacross Photo: Pat Byrne

CHAMPION CHRISTINA RELAXES AT HOME

Michael Fisher Northern Standard Thursday 14th May: with photos by Pat Byrne

“You are absolutely inspirational”, the Saturday Night Show host Brendan O’Connor told Christina McMahon from Carrickmacross as she finished her live interview on RTE1 in front of a studio audience at Donnybrook that included her coach and husband Frick and her parents. Christina is now resting after her tough ten rounds fight in Zambia to win the interim WBC bantamweight world title. The belt, the only one of its kind in Ireland at the moment, was with her as she explained to her interviewer how she had taken up boxing on a professional basis when she turned 35, having won a world title for kick-boxing. Now aged 40, she had been up against a much younger opponent in Lusaka, 22 year-old Catherine Phiri, who was strongly fancied to win by the home crowd.

Even before the fight, however, Christina and had come successfully through the psychological battle that saw the promoter favour Phiri and try to make things awkward for the Irish boxer. Christina spent an hour being interviewed on local radio and by the time she had finished, she had won the hearts and minds of many of the locals. It was yet another sign of her great determination. “I never gave up on my dream”, she told Brendan O’Connor and now, after a good rest, she will be prepared to go after the full title. The current WBC bantamweight title holder is Yazmin Rivas from Mexico, who won it last June.

Taking part in the RTE Saturday Night Show made her feel like a celebrity, she said. She had to get her hair done and also required special attention from make-up to ensure that the black eye she received in the fight did not show.

Now relaxing at home in Magheross, Christina says she does not need a national media focus after being under the radar for so long. She was delighted to receive a civic reception on her return to Carrickmacross last week. It was a lovely surprise, she told me. She also thanked the organisers, the Carrickmacross Festival Committee, for ensuring it went so smoothly. She expressed her thanks for the three gifts that were presented to her on the night.

Monaghan County Council. Cathaoirleach Padraig McNally gave Christina a gift of an Irish Crystal bowl. The Cathaoirleach of Carrickmacross-Castlebleyney Municipal District Cllr Jackie Crowe presented her with a framed gift of Carrickmacross lace. The Festival Committee presented the boxer with a clock to mark the occasion.

Christina is a former pupil at St Louis Secondary School, where a welcome home banner had been displayed. She studied sport and leisure management at Inchicore College of Further Education in Dublin. She told me she was delighted that after her victory, some of her former college friends were able to renew contact with her. She also received a message from a family for whom she used to babysit.

On Sunday evening a crowd gathered at the Shirley Arms Hotel to watch a replay of the fight and to celebrate with Christina and her husband. Hopefully there will be one more big celebration still to come in the next twelve months or so.

Michael Fisher's News

Tag Archives: Carrickmacross

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CHRISTINA RELAXES AT HOME

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