monaghan age friendly cocooning activity pack

Monaghan Age Friendly

Cocooning Activity Pack

Comhairle Contae MhuineacháinMonaghan County Council

Monaghan Age Friendly Book Cover:Layout 1 18/05/2020 11:30

Monaghan County CouncilCOVID-19 Community CallOur helpdesk will respond to the needs ofvulnerable members of our community

Call: 1 800 804 158 (freephone)

Email: [email protected]

Text: Text HELP followed by your name to 50555(free text)

Helpline is open from 8am to 8pm.

Please have your Eircode available if possible.

Comhairle Contae MhuineacháinMonaghan County Council

Monaghan Age Friendly Book Cover:Layout 1 18/05/2020 11:30

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A message from Chief Executive of MonaghanCounty Council

I hope you are well and coping with this challengingand difficult place we all find ourselves in due to theCovid 19 crisis.

Monaghan County Council and our colleagues in thepublic service and community voluntary sector havebeen working hard to keep the people of Monaghan safe and supportedduring this exceptional situation.

Government restrictions have impacted on how we all live our lives, we missour families our friends and our usual activities. We know these restrictionsare for our safety but it doesn't make it easy.

We have put together this feel good activity pack to help you through thesedifficult days, some fun activities to enjoy, songs, poems and stories to liftyour spirits. You will also find some good wishes from some well knownMonaghan faces and information on supports and services available to youin the county.

We will get back to better times soon in the meantime enjoy this feel goodpack and don't be afraid to reach out for support or even just a friendly chatif you need it.

The people and services in Monaghan are here to help.

Best wishes and take care

Eamonn O Sullivan CEO Monaghan County Council

Chairperson Monaghan Age Friendly Alliance

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Monaghan Age Friendly – Cocooning Activity Pack

A message from Professor Sam McConkeyProfessor Sam McConkey, Associate Professor and Head of theDepartment of International Health and Tropical Medicine at the RoyalCollege of Surgeons in Dublin.

Sam is a native of Killeevan, Monaghan.

‘The COVID-19 crisis has been profoundly unsettlingfor all of us in many ways. Some of us have lostloved ones. We have changed our traditions of beingwith our loved ones especially those who are sick orgrieving. We can’t visit burial houses and graveyardsor attend churches and funerals. We miss kissing ourloved one’s goodbye and listening to their wonderfullife stories. This is what I have found most difficult.The stories will have to be told again, when this is allover. We are all in this together, one group of people,and in my view, we should continue to look aftereach other well through and after this.

In my opinion, there are three ways to recovery: elimination of transmissionas Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand is leading towards, or aneffective vaccine or effective medication to cure and prevent SARS CoV 2infections. These could take time, so we now must find ways to live wellthrough the current situation.

Things will change as our scientific knowledge about the disease improves.Therefore, to continue the coordinated actions of hundreds of thousands ofpeople, we need to listen to our community and to our leaders. We candevelop fun ways to do things differently, like the use of Zoom, and Skypeand Face time, or WhatsApp and street exercise classes outside whilefollowing the public health guidelines.

During this outbreak, and for a while only, each one of us must row togetherin tandem to control spread of this virus like the O’Donovan brothers, thefamous rowers from Skibbereen


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I’m hoping and expecting that in time, in a cautious stepwise gradual way,our non-essential businesses, building sites, retailers and engineeringworkshops will open, while still maintaining physical distancing. And music,singing, sports, churches, meetings, schools, colleges, theatres and travelwill come again, bit-by-bit. At the same time, we will continue carefulmonitoring to determine if the infection and virus is spreading again, and thepotential re-imposing restrictions temporarily may have to be done.

There will be lots of new jobs created in information technology, warehousesand delivery services for online sales. Opportunities will present inmaintenance of essential services like water, refuse, waste, electricity, landand mobile phone networks and working with GPS systems, media, videotraining, in nursing homes, online education, change management, healthand safety, as well as health care. Some businesses will close, and sadlyjobs will be lost. So re-tooling, re-training, into flexible new employment willbe needed.

Fortunately, food, agriculture, financial and information technology services,computer hardware, software and pharmaceuticals, all which wemanufacture in Ireland, are likely to be in great demand. Running a businessthough the disrupted supply chains, the travel restrictions, cease of cash-flow and staff sickness is very challenging. As international travel slows, theymay be an opportunity to offer a staycation by the many beautiful rivers,canals or lakes in Monaghan.

Therefore, there is great hope of recovery to perhaps a better world withmore social equality and sustainable living.


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A message from Conor Mc ManusMonaghan GAA All Star

I hope you are all staying safe and well in thesedifficult times, I know it’s particularly hard whenyou are at home and can’t see your family,children or maybe grandchildren. Hopefully overthe coming weeks and months we can get backto some normality and maybe join together inClones and Croke Park again!

Keep safe, we will all meet again soon.

Conor.

A message from Tommy BoweFormer Ulster and Ireland Rugby Player

Hi,

Just a quick note from me to hope everyone iscoping ok in this difficult time.

Lockdown has been busier than ever for me witha 3 year old girl and a 8 week old boy. Jamie hasnot managed to meet either of his grandads yetbut can’t wait until this madness all finishes andwe can all get together for some fun times.

I think the most important thing now is to sacrificea few tough weeks/months now to have thosespecial times as soon as possible.

Hope everyone stays safe, fit and healthy, and we can all look forward togood times ahead.

Best regards,

Tommy

#BE ACTIVE WHILE ISOLATING / COCOONING


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Wordsearch

Fun with Floral Designs

County Monaghan

WATERPROOF TAPEINSPIRATION

SILKDAISIESVASES

BROOMGREENING PINS

HOT GLUESMOCK

GLUE GUNBUSHTABLESTEM

DRY FOAMFLOWERS

PLIERSTULIPS

GYPMOSS

WET FOAM

SMITHBOROUGH

CORRACRIIN

MONAGHAN

SCOTSTOWN

CLONES

TRUAGH

ROCKCORRY

TYHOLLAND

LOUGHEGISH

AGHABOG

BALLYBAY

NEWBLISS

MUCKNO

BRAGAN

EMYVALE

ROSSMORE

ORAM


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Wordsearch

Types of Dog

The Wizard of Oz

DALMATIAN

DACHSHUND

BEAGLE

PINSCHER

SHEPHERD

MASTIFF

SETTER

CHIHUAHUA

BULLDOG

COLLIE

HOUND

CORGI

TERRIER

BOXER

WIZARD

MONKEYS

MUNCHKINS

UNCLE HENRY

GLINDA

TOTO

SLIPPERS

GALE

DOROTHY

WICKED WITCH

WATER

GARLAND

NIKKO

JUDY

AUNT EM

MELTING

RUBY

TIN MAN


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Wordsearch

Herbs and Spices

On The Farm

THYMENUTMEG

BASILTURMERICTARRAGONBAY LEAF

CUMINPEPPER

OREGANOGINGER

STAR ANISEFENNEL

CINNAMONROSEMARY

DILLALLSPICE

SALTPAPRIKACLOVES

SAGE

SADDLE

MILK

ROCK

GRAIN

LADDER

FARMHOUSE

HORSE

LOFT

CHORES

MANURE

FARMER

TOOLS

TREES

FEED

BARN

CHICKENS

TRACTOR

FENCE

KIDS

GRASS


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Wordsearch

Health and Fitness

Agriculture

SKILLWELL BEING

BLOOD PRESSUREHEART RATE

SOCIALMENTAL

PHYSICALMUSCLESTAMINA

DEHYDRATIONHYDRATIONBALANCEDSEDENTARYSTRENGTH

POWERSEROTONINENDURANCEFLEXIBILITY

AGILITYDIET

CATTLE

EGGS

FARMER

FARM HOUSE

FIELD

FODDER

HARVEST

HAY

HENS

MACHINERY

SHEDS

SILIAGE

SPRING

STABLE

SUMMER

ROOSTER

TRACTOR

VEGETABLES

WINTER


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Wordsearch

In The Garden

Farm Crafts from Bygone Days

APPLEASPARAGUS

BEANSBEDS

BUCKETCABBAGECARROT

COMPOSTCORN

EGGPLANTFENCE

FLOWERGARDEN

GATEGREENHOUSE

HARVESTHERBS

JALAPENOLADYBUG

LEAFLETTUCEMANUREMULCHONION

OREGANO

PEARPEAS

PECANSPEPPERPOTATO

RHUBARBROOTS

ROSEMARYSAGESEEDSSHED

SHOVELSOIL

SPINACHSTEM

STRAWBERRYSUNFLOWER

THYMETOMATOTROWEL

VEGETABLEWEEDING

WHEELBARROWWORMS

BUTTER CHURN

CORN FIDDLE

CREAM JAR

HARVEST KNOTS

MEASURING CHAIN

MILK MEASURE

PLOUGH

SHARPENING STONE

ST BRIDGET CROSS

SYTHE

TURNIP PULPER

TURNIP SEEDER

WHEEL BARROW

WHIN POUNDER


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Nursery Rhyme Quiz

Have some fun remembering these nursery rhymes 1. Mary had a little lamb, were did it follow her too?

2. Why did old mother Hubbard go to the cupboard?

3. What are little boys made of?

4. What are little girls made of?

5. How many black birds were in the pie?

6. Mary Mary was quite contrary what did she grow in her garden?

7. Little Miss Muffet sat on her tuffet eating her curds and whey, what satdown beside her?

8. What did Georgie Porgie do to the girls to make them cry?

9. Who were the 3 men in the tub?

10. What was Wee Willie Winkie wearing when he ran through the town?

11. There was an old lady who swallowed a fly, what did she swallow nextto catch the fly?

12. Simple Simon met someone going to the fair, who?

13. Jack be nimble jumped over what?

14. Old king Cole was a merry old soul, what did he call for?

15. The owl and the pussy cat went to sea in what colour boat?

16. How many men did the grand old Duke of York have?

17. In the rhyme Hey diddle diddle, who jumped over the moon

18. Jack Sprat could eat no fat, what could Jacks wife not eat?

19. Miss Molly had a dolly that was?

20. There was an old woman who lived in a shoe, she didn’t know what todo why?

NO CHEATINGANSWERS ON NEXT PAGE


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Nursery Rhyme Quiz

Answers 1. Mary had a little lamb, were did it follow her too? (A) School

2. Why did old mother Hubbard go to the cupboard? (A) To get her poor dog a bone

3. What are little boys made of? (A) Frogs and snails and puppy dogs tails

4. What are little girls made of? (A) Sugar and spice and all things nice

5. How many black birds were in the pie? (A) 4 and 20

6. Mary Mary was quite contrary what did she grow in her garden? (A) Silver bells and cockleshells and pretty maids all in a row

7. Little Miss Muffet sat on her tuffet eating her curds and whey, what sat downbeside her? (A) A spider

8. What did Georgie Porgie do to the girls to make them cry? (A) Kissed the girls

9. Who were the 3 men in the tub? (A) The butcher, the baker, the candle stick maker

10. What was Wee Willie Winkie wearing when he ran through the town?(A) Night gown

11. There was an old lady who swallowed a fly, what did she swallow next tocatch the fly? (A) A spider

12. Simple Simon met someone going to the fair, who? (A) A pie man

13. Jack be nimble jumped over what? (A) A candle stick

14. Old king Cole was a merry old soul, what did he call for? (A) He called for his pipe and he called for his bowl and he called for hisfiddlers 3

15. The owl and the pussy cat went to sea in what colour boat? (A) A beautiful pea green boat

16. How many men did the grand old Duke of York have? (A) 10,000 men

17. In the rhyme Hey diddle diddle, who jumped over the moon (A) The cow

18. Jack Sprat could eat no fat, what could Jacks wife not eat? (A) No lean

19. Miss Molly had a dolly that was? (A) Sick, sick, sick

20. There was an old women who lived in a shoe, she didn’t know what to dowhy? (A) She had so many children


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Brain Teasers


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Brain Teasers


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Brain Teasers


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Picture Puzzler


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GAA fans – can you name each counties GAA colours?

DONEGAL

LEITRIM

SLIGO

MAYO

GALWAY

CLARE

LIMERICK

KERRYCORK

WATERFORD

TIPPERARY KILKENNY

WEXFORD

CARLOW

LAOIS WICKLOW

DUBLIN

KILDAREOFFALY

WESTMEATH

MEATH

LOUTH

MONAGHAN

LONGFORD

CAVAN

ROSCOMMON

DERRYANTRIM

DOWNARMAGH

TYRONE

FERMANAGH



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GAA county colours: answers


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Can you name the county from its nick-name?

The Banner county __________________________________

The Kingdom __________________________________

The Garden of Ireland __________________________________

The Wee county __________________________________

The Faithful county __________________________________

The Rebel county __________________________________

The Royal county __________________________________

The Marble county __________________________________

The Treaty county __________________________________

The Model county __________________________________

The Premier county __________________________________

The Dolmen county __________________________________

The Orchard county __________________________________



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County Nick-name Answers

The Banner county Clare

The Kingdom Kerry

The Garden of Ireland Wicklow

The Wee county Louth

The Faithful county Offaly

The Rebel county Cork

The Royal county Meath

The Marble county Kilkenny

The Treaty county Limerick

The Model county Wexford

The Premier county Tipperary

The Dolmen county Carlow

The Orchard county Armagh


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Complete the Proverb1. Give the cold ___________________________________________________

2. You can’t teach an old dog new ___________________________________

3. A chain is only as strong as its weakest ____________________________

4. A change is as good as a ________________________________________

5. You are what you ________________________________________________

6. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single __________________

7. Blood is thicker than _____________________________________________

8. Cleanliness is next to ____________________________________________

9. A penny for your ________________________________________________

10. A penny saved is a penny ________________________________________

11. Easy come, easy ________________________________________________

12. Laughter is the best _____________________________________________

13. Don't count your chickens before they _____________________________

14. Pleased as _____________________________________________________

15. A problem shared is a problem ____________________________________

16. Absence makes the heart grow ___________________________________

17. Go the whole nine _______________________________________________

18. Familiarity breeds _______________________________________________

19. If you want something done right, you have to do it __________________

20. Cold hands, warm _______________________________________________



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Complete the Proverb Answers1. Give the cold shoulder.

2. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

3. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

4. A change is as good as a holiday.

5. You are what you eat.

6. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

7. Blood is thicker than water.

8. Cleanliness is next to godliness.

9. A penny for your thoughts.

10. A penny saved is a penny earned.

11. Easy come, easy go.

12. Laughter is the best medicine.

13. Don't count your chickens before they hatch.

14. Pleased as punch.

15. A problem shared is a problem halved.

16. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

17. Go the whole nine yards.

18. Familiarity breeds contempt.

19. If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.

20. Cold hands, warm heart.


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Complete the Proverb1. Too many cooks spoil the ________________________________________

2. Where there’s smoke, there’s _____________________________________

3. There’s no place like _____________________________________________

4. All good things must come to an __________________________________

5. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it _________________

6. Two’s company, but three’s a _____________________________________

7. All is fair in love and _____________________________________________

8. Make hay while the sun __________________________________________

9. All’s well that ends ______________________________________________

10. The grass is always greener on the other side of the _________________

11. As bright as a ___________________________________________________

12. The benefit of the _______________________________________________

13. The best things in life are _________________________________________

14. Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do _______________________

15. As clean as a ___________________________________________________

16. The squeaky wheel gets the ______________________________________

17. Don’t throw the baby out with the _________________________________

18. It takes two to __________________________________________________

19. Necessity is the mother of ________________________________________

20. When the going gets tough, the tough get __________________________



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Complete the Proverb1. Too many cooks spoil the broth.

2. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

3. There’s no place like home.

4. All good things must come to an end.

5. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.

6. Two’s company, but three’s a crowd.

7. All is fair in love and war.

8. Make hay while the sun shines.

9. All’s well that ends well. 10. The grass is always greener on the other side of the hill. 11. As bright as a button.

12. The benefit of the doubt.

13. The best things in life are free.

14. Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.

15. As clean as a whistle.

16. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

17. Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.

18. It takes two to tango.

19. Necessity is the mother of invention.

20. When the going gets tough, the tough get going.


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Sing along even if you’re on your own

Whiskey in my TaeI was a bold teetotaller for three long years or more

The neighbours all respected me and the decent clothes I wore

My parents they were fond of me, 'till one unlucky day

When like a child, I was beguiled with whiskey in my Tae

I only took the smallest sup, when up the ructions rose

And seeing I was sat upon, I slaughtered friends and foes

The policemen, they surrounded me and took me in next day

The charge was read and duly ped, the whiskey in my tae

From Carrickmacross to Crossmaglen, as any man will vow

There are no rogues, but honest men for miles and miles around

"It isn't rogues or honest men," the justice then did say

"What we'll deal with now is the drunken row and the whiskey in the state"

"This man he was a sober man for three long years or more

The neighbours all respected him and the decent clothes he wore"

"His story is an ancient one," the justice then did say

"But you'll pay your bail or go to jail for the whiskey in your tae"

So all you bred tea-totallers, if sober you may be

Be careful of your company and mind what happened me

It wasn't the boys from Shercock or the lads from Ballybay

But the dealing men from Crossmaglen put the whiskey in my tae


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Gentle MotherBy the side of a clear crystal fountain

There stands a lonely church yard closely by

There's a tombstone decorated with prim-roses

In the memory of a loved one passed away

Shall I ne'er see a more gentle mother

In the fields where the wild flowers grow

Gathering flowers as they grow among the wild wood

And I cherished was no trouble on to you.

Some children take a liking to their parents

While some others fill their mothers hearts with pain

But some day they will be sorry for their blindness

When crying will not bring her back again

Shall I ne'er see a more gentle mother

In the fields where the wild flowers grow

I am sorry for the loss I can't recover

Neath yon willow lies my gentle mothers love

Neath yon willow lies my gentle mothers love

Big Tom


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In the Town of BallybayIn the town of Ballybay, there was a lassie dwellin,' I knew her very well and

her story's wortha-tellin.' Her father kept a still and he was a good distiller,

but when it came to drink, sure the devil wouldn't fill her. And she had a

wooden leg that was hollow down the middle, she used to tie a string and

she'd play it like a fiddle. She'd fiddle in the hall, she'd fiddle in the alleyway,

she didn't give a ----, she had to fiddle anyway.

With me ring a ding a dum, ring a ding a dadio, ring a ding a dum whackfall the dadio

And she said she couldn't dance unless she had her Wellies on, but when

she had 'em on she would dance as well as anyone. She wouldn't go to bed

unless she had her shimmie on, but when she had it on she would go as

quick as anyone.


She had lovers by the score, every Tom and Dick and Harry, she was courted

night and day, but still she wouldn't marry. And then she fell in love with

fellow with a stammer, when he tried to run away, she hit him with a hammer.

She had children up the stairs, she had children in the byre. And another ten

or twelve sittin' rottin' by the fire. She fed 'em on potatoes, and soup she

made with nettles, and lumps of hairy bacon that she boiled up in the kettle.


So she led a sheltered life, eating porridge and black puddin,' She terrorized

her man, until he died right sudden. And when the husband died, she was

feelin' very sorry.

So she rolled him in a bag and she threw him in the quarry


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Raglan RoadOn Raglan Road of an Autumn day, I saw her first andknew

that her dark hair would weave a snare that I may oneday rue.

I saw the danger and I passed along the enchanted way

and I said let grief be a falling leaf at the dawning of theday.

On Grafton Street in November, we tripped lightly alongthe ledge

of a deep ravine where can be seen the worth of passions pledged.

The Queen of Hearts still baking tarts and I not making hay,

Oh, I loved too much; by such and such is happiness thrown away.

I gave her the gifts of the mind I gave her the secret sign,

that's known to all the artists who have known true gods of sound and stone.

With word and tint I did not stint. I gave her poems to say

With her own dark hair and her own name there, like the clouds over fields ofMay.

On a quiet street where, old ghosts meet. I see her walking now away fromme so hurriedly

My reason must allow, for I have loved not as I should a creature made ofclay.

When the angel woos the clay, he'll lose his wings at the dawn of the day

Patrick Kavanagh


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The Story of Raglan RoadVoted Irelands favourite folk song in the

recent RTE show Raglan road is a much-

loved Monaghan song. Written by Inniskeen’s

Patrick Kavanagh the poem tells the story of

Kavanagh’s unrequited love for the beautiful

Kerry medical student Hilda Moriarty, whom

he met in 1944 when they both lived on

Raglan Road in Dublin 4. First published in

the Irish Press in 1946 as “Dark-haired Miriam

Ran Away”, the poem has gone on to be one

of the most favourite songs performed by

Luke Kelly of the Dubliners.

The story behind the creation of “Raglan Road” is said to have begun in the

Bailey Pub, Dublin in 1966. Luke Kelly takes a seat at the bar to enjoy his

freshly poured stout, a tap on the shoulder from Patrick Kavanagh

compliments his singing and asks if he could adapt one of his poems to a

song. Kelly replies, “I’ll give it a go” and the rest is history.

Sadly, he never got to hear the recorded version, the Dubliners recorded

“Raglan road” in 1971, four years after Kavanagh passed away.

Hilda Morarity married Donagh O’Malley a Limerick TD for Fianna Fail. She

died in in 1991, announcing her passing at a parliamentary party meeting,

then Taoiseach Charles Haughey recited Raglan road in her memory.

Hilda Moriarty


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An Irishman’s Diary about a mission to save the harvest

I’ll never forget the dawn of that great day. It was like the Normandylandings, as a never-before-seen force of seven tractors and trailers,driven by uncles and friends, departed our yard. I don’t remember us calling the Belmullet weatherstation the night before to get a forecast for theoperation. But apart from that, nothing had beenleft to chance. The summer I was 10, my father fellill and spent three months in hospital. There wasnever a good time then for a farmer to be sick, buthay-making season was the worst. So we had tothrow ourselves on the mercy of relatives andfriends that year.

Happily, the weather proved merciful too. The haywas cut, dried, and baled, in quick order. And itonly remained then for it to be drawn in. But thatwas the problem. There were two routes to thefields where the hay was. One was a long, windinglane – the official right-of-way that had come withthe 30-acre farm my father bought just before Iwas born.

Unfortunately, the residents of that lane included aman, long dead now, who had retrospectively objected to the purchase.Having hoped that, unsold, the farm might be acquired by the LandCommission and redistributed, he had ever since been on a revengemission. There were many guerrilla tactics in his campaign book. Butone of the most effective involved planting six-inch nails in the lane,under camouflage, in such a way as to pierce any tractor tyre thatcrossed them. He was so adept at this that my father quickly

Frank McNally

Carrickmacross nativeFrank McNally is anIrish Times journalistand chief writer of AnIrishman's Diary.

When we approachedFrank to ask him if hewould like to contributeto you feel good packhe could not have beenmore supportive. Hekindly sent us piecesfrom his Irishman’sDiary for you to enjoy.


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abandoned the right-of-way, in favour of the other route, which involveda diagonal crossing of the steep hill behind our house. The hill would benothing to today’s tractors, but it was dangerous then, especially if youhad a heavily laden trailer behind. Even so, my father became skilled atnegotiating this northwest passage safely, using low second gear andwith the added assistance of the Rosaries my mother was alwayssaying at the time. Somehow, he never overturned.

My mother’s confidence in the power of prayer did not, however, extendto third parties. There could be no question of us asking strangers torisk the hill. So an emergency summit was held, and a fateful decisiontaken. We would mount a mass assault on the lane. I’ll never forget thedawn of that great day. It was like the Normandy landings, as a never-before-seen force of seven tractors and trailers, driven by uncles andfriends, departed our yard. I don’t remember us calling the Belmulletweather station the night before to get a forecast for the operation. Butapart from that, nothing had been left to chance. The most poignantpart of the plan was that my father’s tractor, an old Fordson Dexter, wasto be sacrificed. My Uncle Jamesie would drive it up the lane ahead ofthe flotilla – thereby, it was hoped, flushing out all the nails. Being 10, I


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was too young to drive a tractor myself. Under the health and safetyregulations of the time, you had to be at least 11 before they’d let youdo that. Instead, as acting man of the house, I was posted on sentryduty outside the nail-layer’s den, lest he emerge during lulls in traffic tostrike again. I was of course petrified. Even with so many tractors, therewere long gaps between hay-loads when the loneliness of a darkcountry lane was unnerving. I had no idea what I’d do if the enemyappeared – was I supposed to fight him?

He was about 60 by that time. And God love him, he was probably evenmore petrified at the events unfolding. In any case, he didn’t stir.Looking back, I have only pity for him now. He was a product of histime and circumstances, when one man’s victory in land, howeversmall, was another’s defeat.

By a sad coincidence, many years later, when my father was dying, theyfound themselves in the same hospital, simultaneously. The nail-manwas in the marginally better condition of the two. So before he wasreleased, my mother sought him out and suggested he pay a final visitto his neighbour and make peace. Sure enough, he did. They were bothdead by autumn.

Anyway, all those years earlier, Operation Haymaker proved a hugesuccess. There was a cost, of course. By nightfall we were mourningthe poor Fordson, which lay grievously wounded, with four flat tyres. Ithad done its job well. Only one of our neighbours suffered a puncture.There were no other casualties.

The Fordson was succeeded a year or two later by a Massey Ferguson165. I don’t know what happened it after that. Perhaps its remains arestill mouldering somewhere, in a Tomb of the Unknown Tractor. One ofthese years, I must put up a commemorative plaque.

First published in Irish Times June 2014


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One bright, glorious Salthill day banishesMonaghan’s 30 years of hurt

Frank Mc Nally

I don’t know what Paris in 1968 felt like, or Berlin after the wall came down.But last Saturday night in Salthill must have been the Monaghan GAAequivalent. The air was heady, the possibilities limitless. A new generationhad risen to throw off the weight of the past. Anything could happen now.

It was partly the setting. If you’re from Monaghan, your world view is usuallylimited by drumlins. Or as Patrick Kavanagh put it in a formal complaint tothe county: “You flung a ditch on my vision”. In ditch form or otherwise, thehorizon is never far away there, so that even a trip to Kildare can be dizzying.

But in Salthill on Saturday, the combination of sea views and a place in thelast four of the All Ireland was mind-blowing. Liberated from the little hills,older Monaghan supporters strolled along the promenade in a happy daze.Younger ones bucked and leapt with excitement, like calves who’d spent thewinter months in a shed and had been let out into daylight for the first time.

Some of us were daring to gaze even further than a semi-final. There’s aplaque in Galway, down near the Spanish Arch, that speaks poetically of howin 1477, on a visit to these shores, one Christopher Columbus “found suresigns of land beyond the Atlantic”.


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Well in similar vein, the more optimistic Monaghan fans were now seeingsure signs of an All-Ireland final, somewhere out there.

The majority of pessimists, meanwhile, were enjoying the moment, as historyhas taught us. The fallow periods in Monaghan football can be long, Godknows. They have even been known to last entire broadcasting careers, as inthe case of the great Micheál O’Hehir.

O’Hehir made his debut as a radio commentator on another Monaghan-Galway match: the All-Ireland semi-final of 1938, won by Galway. It wasn’tunusual for Monaghan to be in a semi-final then: they had actually won one afew years earlier. But O’Hehir would be nearing retirement, 41 years later,when he next had the honour of welcoming us to the last four. In 1979, as ateenager, I was part of what seemed a vast army that marched on CrokePark, dreaming big, and oblivious to the massacre Kerry were about to inflict.

O’Hehir did justice to our numbers, at least. He described half of Monaghandescending on Dublin, “from Ballybay and Shantonagh and Kilkit”.“Wherever he got Kilkit,” my father laughed (and we’re still wondering).

Massacre and all, that was the start of a relative glory era. But by the time wemade the semis again, six years later, O’Hehir was gone, his famous voicesilenced by a stroke.

So he never got to call the epic last-minute free with which EamonMcEneaney earned a draw against Kerry, nor the replay, nor the 1988 semi-final against Cork, our last until this weekend, when Monaghan’s chancesseemed to be blown away in a first-half gale.

No-hope countiesWith that, another 30 years of darkness descended on the drumlins,although it was nothing like as complete as before. There was more than anage gap now between me and my father. He was of similar vintage toO’Hehir, so that 40 years of nothing had turned him into a pipe-smokingstoic who always expected us to lose, sooner or later, and he could beannoyingly cheerful when this happened.

My generation, by contrast, had learned to have expectations, for whichpeople like Sean McCague – manager for the 1980s triumphs – and PáraicDuffy were responsible. I remember McCague speaking of the responsibility


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he felt to establish “a winning tradition” in the county. And he did, sort of,because even at their lowest fortunes in the 1990s and beyond, Monaghanwere a team that on any given day, could punish the careless mighty

This and Barry McGuigan, whose world featherweight title coincided with the1985 successes, may have given rise to the cliché, now hated by manyMonaghan fans, of a county that punches “above its weight”.

But how else to describe the nine-point thumping of All-Ireland contendersDonegal in Ballybofey in 1995, or the welcome back to earth for championsArmagh in 2003, when a raw Monaghan team (including Vinny Corey, thenyoung, now ageless) knocked them out of Ulster in the first round.

I made the mistake before that game, in a column for this newspaper, oflamenting my fate in being from one of the GAA’s no-hope counties. The newbackdoor system was no use to us, I complained. It would need “a side door,French Windows, and cat-flap” to extend our summer into August.

Reading the subsequent flood of gleefully sarcastic emails from fellowsupporters, none of whom had had any doubts we would beat Armagh, Ilearned never to dismiss our chances again. As a Monaghan fan, you mustalways have hope. That’s the cruel thing. Sure enough, we lost the nextgame to Down.

The arrival of Séamus “Banty” McEnaney as manager soon afterwardselevated the hope to new levels. There was never a dull moment with Bantyin charge: you wouldn’t know what he’d do next, (“Darren Hughes? In Goal?You’re joking me!). But, in general, he relit a fire under Monaghan football,circa 2005, and it hasn’t gone out since.

His misfortune – a recurring one for managers of promising Monaghan teams– was to run into Kerry at the top of their game. It happened in 1930,Monaghan’s only appearance in a final, during Kerry’s first four-in-a-row.

They probably didn’t need any extra edge then, although circumstancesgave them one. Thanks to Eoin O’Duffy, Monaghan were seen as a FreeStaters’ team. Kerry were anti-Treaty. Thus the game was dubbed the “lastbattle of the Civil War”, with violence levels to match. This time the ’Staterslost.

The 1979 Monaghan ran in to another 4-in-a-row Kerry, while the one thatbeat us in ’85 managed only three All-Irelands on the trot. In 2007, they had


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to make do with a mere two-in-a-row, but in the process dealt us a gut-wrenching last-minute defeat.

So when, last month in Clones, Kerry pulled off a robbery to rival theNorthern Bank job, our depression had 90 years of history attached. It waslike the movie Friday the 13th, where they think they’ve finally finished off theserial killer and then a hand shoots up out of the lake, and sure enough it’sKieran Donaghy’s hand, breaking the ball down for a goal.

Pitch invasionHence the pitch invasion at the final whistle in Salthill. When visiting exoticvenues, Monaghan supporters always like to walk the field afterwardsanyway, as if they’re thinking of buying it. It might be just the novelty ofseeing flat land. But this was an emotion-fuelled cavalry charge. And after all,it may have been the first time we beat two teams simultaneously: Galwayand the one we hadn’t finished off in Clones.

That’s why, later, as we gazed out to sea, watching the Nina, Pinta, andSanta Maria (or the Aran Islands as they’re known locally) sail beyond thehorizon, we were thinking of our own new worlds.

And yet, even as we gazed, another old enemy was hoving into view. Drivingback east on Sunday, I felt a hitherto unsuspected sympathy for WinstonChurchill as the sea views subsided and the dreary steeples of Fermanaghand Tyrone – especially Tyrone – loomed again. If it’s not Kerry treading onour dreams, it’s usually them. But even if our All Ireland chances sail over theedge of the world this weekend, we’ll probably recover within a few months.Then we’ll live in hope once more.


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In Memory of My Mother Patrick Kavanagh

I do not think of you lying in the wet clay

Of a Monaghan graveyard; I see

You walking down a lane among the poplars

On your way to the station, or happily

Going to second Mass on a summer Sunday -

You meet me and you say:

'Don't forget to see about the cattle - '

Among your earthiest words the angels stray.

And I think of you walking along a headland

Of green oats in June,

So full of repose, so rich with life -

And I see us meeting at the end of a town

On a fair day by accident, after

The bargains are all made and we can walk

Together through the shops and stalls and markets

Free in the oriental streets of thought.

O you are not lying in the wet clay,

For it is a harvest evening now and we

Are piling up the ricks against the moonlight

And you smile up at us - eternally.


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In Memory of My Father Patrick Kavanagh

Every old man I see

Reminds me of my father

When he had fallen in love with death

One time when sheaves were gathered.

That man I saw in Gardner Street

Stumbled on the kerb was one,

He stared at me half-eyed,

I might have been his son.

And I remember the musician

Faltering over his fiddle

In Bayswater, London,

He too set me the riddle.

Every old man I see

In October-coloured weather

Seems to say to me:

"I was once your father."


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If Ever You Go to Dublin TownPatrick Kavanagh

If you ever go to Dublin town, in ahundred years or so

Inquire for me in Baggot street and what Iwas like to know

Oh he was the queer one, fol dol the dido. He was a queer one, and I tell you

My great-grandmother knew him well, heasked her to come and call

On him in his flat and she giggled at thethought of a young girl's lovely fall.

Oh he was dangerous, fol dol the di do.He was dangerous, and I tell you

On Pembroke Road look out for meghost, dishevelled with shoes untied,

Playing through the railings with littlechildren, whose children have long sincedied.

Oh he was a nice man, fol do the di do.He was a nice man, and I tell you.

Go into a pub and listen well if my voicestill echoes there,

Ask the men what their grandsiresthought and tell them to answer fair,

Oh he was eccentric, fol do the di do. Hewas eccentric and I tell you

He had the knack of making men feel assmall as they really were

Which meant as great as god had madethem but as males they disliked his air.

O he was a proud one, fol do the di do.He was a proud one and I tell you.

If ever you go to Dublin town in a hundredyears or so.

Sniff for my personality, is it Vanity'svapour now?

Oh he was a vain one, fol dol the di do.He was a vain one and I tell you

I saw his name with a hundred more in abook in the library,

It said he had never fully achieved hispotentiality.

Oh he was slothful, fol do the di do. Hewas slothful and I tell you

He knew that posterity had no use foranything but the soul,

The lines that speak the passionate heart,the spirit that lives alone.

Oh he was a lone one, fol do the di do. Ohhe was a lone one, and I tell you

Oh he was a lone one, fol do the di do.Yethe lived happily and I tell yo


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Estates of County MonaghanCan you match the names of the estates below with the images?

Clues: Castleshane, Hilton Park, Hope Castle, Rossmore Castle, Lough Fea, Castle Leslie.


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Have some fun on your family phone calls

If you were stranded on a desert island who would you like to be with you?

____________________________________________________________________

If you were invisible what would you do?

____________________________________________________________________

If you could travel to anywhere in the world tomorrow where would you go?

____________________________________________________________________

What is your favourite thing about me?

____________________________________________________________________

What is the nicest thing anyone ever said to you?

____________________________________________________________________

If you had a superpower what would it be?

____________________________________________________________________

If you were in the Taoiseach what rules would you make?

____________________________________________________________________

What makes you happy when you feel sad?

____________________________________________________________________

What was the first thing you thought about this morning?

____________________________________________________________________

If you could travel back in time, where would you go?

____________________________________________________________________

If you could talk to COVID 19 what would you say?

____________________________________________________________________


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Do you know a GAA fan who is cocooning?Would they like a phone call to have a chat about GAA?

Monaghan GAAplayers andmanagementHave offered their timeto make a phone callfor a bit of GAA banterto lift the spirits ofGAA fans around thecounty who arecurrently cocooningdue to COVID19 restrictions. It’s good to talk GAA!

Annie below was nominated by her family to get a call

To nominate a family member or neighbour who is cocooning

Contact Mary McEneaney, Assistant PRO, Monaghan GAA

on 876 887332 or [email protected]


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Shops delivering food during Covid 19

Area Shop name Contact number

Monaghan town Mc Nally’s Service Station (047) 30819

Monaghan town Flemings Supervalu (047) 81344

Emyvale Mc Mahon’s Spar (047) 87538

Emyvale Centra (047) 87383

Scotstown Mc Mahon’s Centre (047) 89569

Ballinode Mc Carville’s (047) 79239

Glaslough Ambledown Cottage (047) 88393

Castleblayney Cosy Café (042) 9740311

Castleblayney Watters Old Coach Inn (042) 9740993

Castleblayney Mc Mahon’s Supervalu (042) 9751574

Carrickmacross Supervalu (042) 9661387

Carrickmacross Supervalu (042) 9661623

Carrickmacross Matillda’s Bakery (042) 9661604

Carrickmacross Homebake Café (042) 9664644

Carrickmacross Cassidy’s service station (042) 9661527

Carrickmacross Londis Ardee road (042) 9664692

Carrickmacross Cloughvalley stores (042) 9661521 (087) 2427240

Carrickmacross Sean’s Deli (042) 9663271

Magheracloone Justin’s Filling station (042) 9667400

Shercock Sunnyside Filling station (042) 9669721

Ballybay Centra (042) 9748235

Ballybay Quinn’s (042) 9741210

Clones Creighton hotel (047) 51055

Castleblayney Gerry’s Prepared Vegetables (042) 9748888

Castleblayney Shorts Butchers (042) 740267


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Pharmacy contacts Monaghan

Monaghan area Telephone

Dolans Pharmacy 047 81741

Blacks Allcare 047 82258

Wards Chemist 047 82085

Ronaghans 047 81386

Boots 047 71635

Connollys (Flemings) 047 71690

Health First 047 82013

Scotstown Pharmacy 047 79889

Mc Sorleys Emyvale 047 87773

Carrick/Castleblayney Telephone

Mc Keevers Castleblayney 042 9749795

Corner Phamacy -Castleblayney 042 9740087

Coyles Pharmacy -Castleblayney 042 9740094

Connollys pharmacy Carrick 042 9661217

Mc Guires Pharmacy Carrick 042 9690690

RS Eakin Pharmacy Carrick 042 9661245

All Care Pharmacy Carrick 042 966 3421

Carrick Pharmacy 042 9692552

Clones/Ballybay Telephone

Hickeys Pharmacy Clones 047 51032

Mc Daids Pharmacy Clones 047 51094

Ballybay Pharmacy 042 9741033

Care Pharmacy Ballybay 042 9755111


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New Dog Walking Service

Monaghan Volunteer Centre are planning a dog walking service for olderpeople and others cocooning due to covid-19.

If you or someone you know has a dog that is missing out on walks due tocovid-19 please contact us. We will take details and come back to you if afree dog walker can be arranged.

Phone Sinéad Keenan at 087 0656793 or email [email protected]


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Good Morning Monaghan

A Service for People Living Alone in Co. Monaghan

Good Morning Monaghan, a service for people living alone, is a free phone call service operating 5 days a week.

It will check that all is well with you or a loved one.

Contact Caoimhe Rudden

Phone:087 7189396 or 042 9749500

E-mail: [email protected]

HI :D

04 : 23 Video CallMaria Ellie

04 : 23 Video CallThomas Mark

Monaghan Integrated Development

9 Drumillard Business Park, Castleblayney


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Interview your GrandparentsHave some fun with your grandkids

Our Grandparents have lived a life long before they were grandparents, nowthat we can’t visit them why not give them a call and interview them!

The family you grew up in

• Where were you born?

• Were you named after afamily member or does yourname have a specialmeaning?

• Did you have a nicknamewhen you were young?

• What was your house like asa child?

• How did your family spendtime together when you wereyoung?

• What was your favouritesubject or teacher in school?

• Who was your favouriteteacher?

• What do you remembermost about your Mother?

• What do you remembermost about your Father?

• What did you want to bewhen you grew up?

• Did you ever get in troubleas a child or teenager?

The family you made

• How did you meetGranny/Grandad?

• What was your marriageproposal like?

• Where was your wedding?

• Who was yourBridesmaid/best man?

• What was your first job?

• What could you tell me that Iwould be surprised to learnabout you?

• Tell me about the day myMam/Dad was born

• What is your favouritememory with your children?

• What is your favourite thingabout being a grandparent?

• What is the most importantlesson that you have learnedin life?

• What is your dream for yourchildren and grandchildren?

• What makes you happy?


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Paddy ColePaddy Cole our very first champion of the Monaghan AgeFriendly programme. Castleblayney native Paddy,launched the Monaghan Age Friendly programme in 2011.Paddy was more than happy to share a poem he haswritten hares a poem about the times that we live in,Strange times.

Strange times by Paddy Cole

Strange times that we live in. Advised not to go out.

Not for the papers or the black pint of stout.

So, we sit in the garden and think of what we miss.

A walk by the sea, our grandchildren’s kiss.

We miss meeting old friends, talk of times gone by.

When we’d solve the world’s problems,and tell the odd lie.

To jump in the car and head to the Bannor. Golf in Lahinch,and a swim in Liscannor.

To go to rehearsal, to learn a new tune. Now I stay athome,

and learn to cocoon.

Soon this will be over, and for that I can’t wait. We’ll bedressed up and ready, and first out the gate.

In the meantime, be patient, be positive, be brave.

And think of the rules, and the lives we can save.


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Mary O'Donnell Mary O'Donnell is an award-winning and best-sellingnovelist and poet. She was born in Monaghan waseducated at St. Louis Convent, Monaghan and later at St.Patrick's College, Maynooth. Mary’s has kindly submittedthis poem and best wishes to everyone cocooning inMonaghan

My Mother Remembers her Irish by Mary O'Donnell

Like Alice, she has fallen down the rabbit hole. In a room at the bottom,rejecting a bottle labelled DRINK ME, she reaches for the cracked urn oflanguage: SPEAK ME, it invites.

White hair in disarray, she unstops it. The contents fizz up and over the lip ofglaze as she recovers the sounds she forgot after schooling. Now, she hasbroken away from the language bunker, its torqued English, takes to speechat the midnight hour.

As if fighting the Jabberwocky, she uses old songs to push against a paralysisof chair-lifts, walking frames, they emerge on her tongue, ancient oratorio:síolta; beidh aonach amárach; cad dúirt tú, a chailín dil? Ba mhaith liom dulabhaile.

Such softness that rarely found its way in English, now honeys her tongue inthe magical flight of dotage. Time, released, enriches conversation. "Did youknow that this Republic was born 70 years ago today? Years after theMaglioccos in the town taught me Mussolini's anthem".

We speak of Easter music, the St. Matthew Passion, her ceol cráifeach. Shewonders if the sun will dance, Easter Sunday morning, on the hill above herhouse at Kilnadrain, where she wants to return sometime soon.

Mo thinteán féin, she adds.


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A message from Shane Martin

Shane Martin is a psychologist dedicated to

teaching the very best evidence-based psychology

to help people protect their mental health and

enhance the quality of their lives

(moodwatchers.com).

Shane is a native of Carrickmacross and below he shares some

positives from the current situation.

1. Families spending quality time together

2. Children playing with board games/jigsaws

3. More books being read

4. A greater appreciation of nurses and frontline staff

5. Less pollution in the air

6. People exercising more

7. A sense of gratitude for things we took for granted

8. Hearing birds sing, feeling the breeze

9. Less traffic on the roads

10. Communities coming together

We have to harness the positive even in the most challenging

situations. Mind yourself and your families. Keep a loving watchful

eye on the vulnerable.


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Monaghan Community Alerts

Are you receiving messages from MonaghanCommunity Alerts?It’s a great way of keeping in touch with what’s going on in your community,as well as getting important information from Monaghan County Council andcrime alerts from An Garda Síochána. And it’s FREE! You can get the serviceon your smartphone or you can sign up to receive the service by text.Whichever way you opt to receive the service, it is totally free. MonaghanCounty Council uses the service to send out urgent messages to the publicsuch as weather warnings, and it has been very useful for sending outemergency details during the Coved 19 epidemic.

If you would like any help getting signed up to get Monaghan CommunityAlerts you can ring Bernie Bradley, Age Friendly Programme Manager 087 6443332 or email [email protected]

Senior Alert scheme What is the Seniors Alert Scheme?

Older people get a free personal alarm and pendant. The alarm can be wornas a pendant or around the wrist like a watch. When pressed it connectswirelessly to be a base unit, usually attached to a phone. The base unitimmediately sends a call to a 24 hour monitoring centre.


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Who is eligible to apply for an alarm?

A person will be eligible if he or she is:

• Aged 65 years or older;

• Of limited means or resources;

• Living alone, living with another person who meets the eligibilitycriteria;

• Resides within the geographical area of the relevant registeredorganisation;

• Able to benefit from the equipment supplied;

• Prepared to maintain contact with the registered organisation.

Ardaghey Community Text Alert Group Monaghan Ardaghey Liam Linehan 042 9744939

Broomfield Housing Company Ltd Monaghan Castleblayney/CarrickmacrossTommy Duffy 042 9745916 (M) 087 2244059

Castleblayney Social Services Monaghan Castleblayney Jan McKenna 042 9740302

Clones Family Resource Centre, Clones town, Newbliss, Smithboro,Scotshouse, Drum Angela Graham 047 529 19

Clontibret Community Alert Monaghan Clontibret Brendan McNally 047 805 47

Corduff/Rafera Active Retirement Group MonaghanMaura Garvey 042 9669594

Doohamlet Community Alert area James Connolly 086 8503893

Drum Village Development Association Ltd Monaghan Drum Village Barbara Stewart 049 5555 994

Errigal Truagh Community Alert Emyvale Angela Kelly 047 870 49

Kilmore Drumsnat Community Alert Monaghan Corcaghan Threemilehouse andsurround areas Celine Neeson 087 9008426

Kilmore/Swanns Cross Community Alert Monaghan Rockcorry (Swanns Cross)Linda Moore 042 9742 234

Latton-Bawn Community Alert Latton, Bawn, Shantonagh, Ballybay Pauline McEntee 086 3389476

Mullaghmatt/Cortolin Monaghan town Michael Bravender 047 713 98

Rockcorry/Dartry Community Alert Gerry Coyle 042 9742928


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Teach na Daoine Family Resource CentreMonaghan town

Are you self-isolating or cocooning? Teach na daoine Emergency Assist Groupare here to help

Freephone 1800 804 158

Email [email protected]

• Providing support to our Elderly and Vulnerable in the local areas

• Activities packs for families

• Providing phone/online counselling, psychotherapy,

• Providing delivery service for people who are afraid or unable to leave thehouse

• Family Therapy & Adolescent Therapy

• Phone assistances with technology, emails etc.


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Belgian Square, Monaghan TownBelgian Square is the first urban housing scheme in Monaghan town and ahome to diverse communities down through the years.

The Military Barracks 1791- 1908Belgian Square, in Monaghan town, began as a military barracks. Thebarracks dated from 1791, consisted of a pair of two-storey blocks built ofrandom rubble with dressed architraves. A central archway in the front blockled to an inner court. The Monaghan Militia, or as they were usually called,the 5th Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers located at the military barracks wasdisbanded in 1908.

Conversion to Artisan Cottages In 1912, Monaghan Urban Council began to plan a scheme of artisans’houses to be financed under the Housing of the Working Classes (Ireland)Act, 1908. This Act, designed principally to rid Irish cities of slum dwellings,allowed urban councils to access loans at reasonable rates. The militarybarracks on the northern outskirts of Monaghan town was identified as asuitable site for the scheme

John Joseph Inglis of Dublin was appointed as the scheme’s architect in May1913. His fee was £200 plus first-class rail fares. At the council’s meeting inNovember 1913, it was decided that the barracks buildings would beretained and converted into eleven houses. Sixteen new three roomed

An aerial photo of Belgian Square inthe 1970s

Belgian Square, 2014



artisans’ houses arranged in blocks of four with gardens to the end would bebuilt in the parade ground in front of the barracks.

Belgian Refugees housed in the New Barracks Scheme- the first Urban Housing Scheme in Monaghan TownIn May 1914 building was underway, however, the First World War broke outthat summer. As German armies occupied Belgium from August 1914, therewere rumours of atrocities against the Belgian population. The Germanoccupation coincided with a widespread economic collapse in Belgium withfood and material shortages and widespread unemployment. A large numberof Belgian refugees began to arrive in England and approximately 3,000 ofthese refugees were sent to Ireland.

On 30 October 1914, fifteenBelgian refugees arrived atMonaghan on the 9.50 am trainfrom Belfast and were greeted by alarge crowd. The Belgian refugeeswere housed in the barracksscheme. They were allocated thefour houses of the rear barracksblock, together with one of the newhouses.

The new Belgian inhabitantsendeared themselves quickly to thecommunity and at the council’smeeting in January 1915, a motionwas passed that the barracksscheme be called ‘Belgium Square’after the new inhabitants. At ameeting in March 1915 it wasagreed to have the name ‘BelgiumSquare’ carved on the inscriptionstone above the archway of the

German troops marching throughBrussels in 1914

A photograph of some of the Belgianrefugees who arrived in Monaghan in1914

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front block, however, it reads ‘ Belgian Square, 1914’ and after many years ofdiscussion, the residents have settled on the name Belgian Square.

Belgian Square – A Diverse CommunityThe Belgian refugees returned home in 1919, however, in 1923 BelgianSquare was again used to accommodate refugees, this time twenty familiesevicted from Belfast during anti-Catholic hostilities. A family from theDemocratic of Congo have made Belgian Square their home as part of aUNHCR Resettlement Programme in 2009. They are rebuilding their livesafter ten years in a refugee camp in Tanzania living in very stressfulconditions.

The tradition of welcome in ‘The Square’ continues up to the present and thiswas evident at the centenary celebrations in 2014 when residents fromLithuanian, Congolese, Polish and Irish communities came together tocelebrate.

Ben Clerkin, May 2020

Belgian Square Inscription Stone,1914

Belgian Square Centenary Plaque,2014


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Easy ExercisesAs you get older it is really important to stay active, and this is even more so the case ifyou are staying at home and cocooning.

Being active can help your body to stay strong and supple, improve balance andcoordination aiding in falls prevention, cheers you up and boosts your energy.

Just 30 minutes activity a day could have a huge impact on your health.

Anyone can get active, at any stage in their lives and it’s never toolate. While you are confined to home, try to stay motivated to dosome daily exercise.

Monaghan Sports Partnership aims to connect with people tosupport them in managing their physical and mental health throughregular physical activity.

All older adults should aim to get at least 30 minutes of physicalactivity on at least 5 days of the week. These minutes can be accumulated over thecourse of each day and make sure to try and include some simple weight bearing andbalance exercises 2-3 times weekly (where permitted by GP or health professional)

HSE Easy Chair exercises – a booklet of home-based exercises that can be carried out bypeople with limited mobility – this booklet is available online or you can request a copyfrom the Sports Partnership office by contacting 042-9755126


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Other recommended resources:Check out Ray & Ó’Sé - on RTE1 every day at 2.20pm with fitness expertRay Lally and Daithi Ó Sé for some in-house exercises that can be done inthe home.

If you are online and can access internet basedprogrammes:

Check out –

Age and Opportunity Active is a nationalprogramme designed to get older adults more active.To participate in their weekly ‘movement minutes’ and chair-based exercisesession videos live on facebook (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at11am) or you can catch up on past sessions at www.ageandopportunity.ie

Siel Bleu Ireland provide life enhancing programmes for older adults andpatient groups. To tune into their range of ‘at home’ activities go to Siel Bleuon facebook or see saved videos on www.sielbleu.ie/home/at-home-guides/

Online fitness classes: every morning at 9.30am through zoom app - Fitness on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, Pilates on Wednesday andTai Chi on Friday.

These classes are for all ages and ability levels but are mostly focussed onstrength balance and cardiac fitness for over 50's.

Email Brendan Liliis Instructor at [email protected](for zoom link for every class)

For more info: Facebook: www.facebook.com/MonaghanU3A/


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‘Recording OurExperience’

Monaghan County Museum arecollecting stories and picturesreflecting the experience of thepeople of Monaghan during this

difficult time of Covid-19.

If you would liketo get involved,

please send yourstory and/or image(s) to:

[email protected] the subject line

‘Recording Our Experience’ All stories will be added to the museum

collection and form part of an exhibition inthe near future.

Please respect the government's current guidelines regarding Covid 19.



Monaghan Age Friendly Book Cover:Layout 1 18/05/2020 11:30 Page 3

If You would like any furtherinformation about our AgeFriendly work contact :Bernie BradleyAge Friendly ProgrammeManager087 [email protected]

Monaghan Age Friendly Book Cover:Layout 1 18/05/2020 11:30 Page 4

monaghan age friendly cocooning activity pack

Documents