Meath GAA, Meath v Westmeath, NFL Div2

Meath manager Seamus McEnaney has made one change to his starting team ahead of next Sunday's NFL Div 2 clash with neighbours Westmeath at Mullingar, 2.30 with Skryne's Ciaran Lenehan replacing Blackhall Gaels' Donncha Tobin in the half-forward line.

Lenehan had started Meath's first game of the season against Wexford, but a disappointing performance saw him drop to the substitutes bench. However, the Skryne player featured in last week's win over Monaghan and did enough to earn a recall with Tobin dropping to the bench.

There was also good news for McEnaney with his captain Seamus Kenny shrugging off a calf injury to retain his place in the starting line-up.

Kenny was forced off in the second-half against Monagahn and was rated doubtful for the game against Westmeath. There is still no place in the starting team for Joe Sheridan, Kevin Reilly or Graham Geraghty although all three are expected to feature against Westmeath.

Westmeath, who will be without their Garrycastle contingent, will stick with the same 15 that lost by 1-6 to 0-12 to Louth in their NFL Div 2 opener.

Meath - David Gallagher (St Peter's Dunboyne); Mickey Burke (Longwood), Bryan Menton (Donaghmore/Ashbourne), Gary O'Brien (Navan O'Mahonys); Chris O Connor (Ballinabrackey),. Shane Mc Anarney (Clann na nGael), Cormac McGuinness (Navan O'Mahonys); Brian Meade (Rathkenny), Mark Ward (Navan O' Mahonys); Seamus Kenny (Simonstown Gaels), Graham Reilly (St Colmcille's), Ciaran Lenehan (Skryne); Paddy Gilsenan (Oldcastle), Stephen Bray (Navan O'Mahonys), Cian Ward (Wolfe Tones).

Westmeath - Gary Connaughton; Michael Curley, Kieran Gavin, Daniel McDermott; Ronan Foley, Michael Ennis, Kevin Maguire; Trevor English, Aidan Finnan; Kieran Martin, Alan Giles, Philip Sheridan; Paul Sharry, Denis Glennon, Callum McCormack.

Peadar Tobin TD, Sinn Fein, No to Thatcher's Poll Tax

Sinn Fein TD for Meath West, Peadar Tóibín, has declared that he will not be paying the new household charge, but will instead donate the money to the St Vincent De Paul Society (SVP).

As he prepares to hold a series of meetings across the constiuency in protest agains government cuts and additional taxes, he said there is a build-up of enormous pressure on struggling families.

"In solidarity with these people, I will refuse to pay the household charge. I will instead donate the amount to the St Vincent De Paul," he said this week.

He said he has thought "long and hard" before making the decision.

"The household charge is a grossly unfair tax. Henry Mountcharles will be charged as much as a person in a three-bedroom semi-detached who is up to their neck in negative equity," he added.

"This money will not be invested in our local authorities - it will instead be handed over to the promissory note-holders and the bondholders of Anglo Irish Bank."

Deputy Toibín said he wanted to be clear that he was not advising others not to pay it. "That decision is up to each individual. I have seen other campaigns advise mass non-payment in years gone by and when the campaigns come to an end, many struggling citizens are left behind to pay massive arrears.

"It is irresponsible for politicians to tell people not to pay and then leave citizens with big bills to pay. If people decide themselves not to pay, they must understand what will be the consequences of their decision." he said.

The Sinn Fein TD said the household charge, along with other cuts and charges, were just the start of the policy of the government to transfer money out of our communities into the hands of the ECB and private bondholders.

"Ireland is being transformed into a massive debt repayment agency where lower and middle income earners are being hit hardest. On top of this, the government is doing all they can to deny the Irish people a referendum of the upcoming EU austerity treaty. An alternative growth and stimulus strategy is available to the state if the Labour/Fine Gael government would just stand up to the Troika in interests of the Irish people," he said.

Deputy Tóibin is also organising a series of Community Against Cuts meetings, the first of which will be held in Collinstown Community Hall in Co Westmeath tomorrow (Thursday) followed by Bohermeen Community Centre next Wednesday, 1st February, and the Newgrange Hotel, Navan, on Thursday 2nd February. A meeting also will take place in Ballivor Community Centre on the 9th February.

He urged people who would be directly affected by the household charge, the septic tank charges, broadcast charges or water charges to attend.

He also is asking those affected by cuts to DEIS schools, small schools, guidance councillors, CE schemes, hospital and nursing homes and services, such as the Women's Refuge, and cuts to rural Garda stations, to attend.

"Irish people have been far too passive for far too long. Nearly half a million people are unemployed and 70,000 people emigrated last year. The future of this State is being sold off in its billions and its time we stopped giving out about it and made a stand," the TD added

Missing Person, Tony Mcloughlin, Navan Gardai, Gardai Navan

Dont Forget Your Meath Chronicle this Week

Daughter's emotional appeal for information on Navan father-of-two

Missing Navan resident Tony McLoughlin.

The distraught family of a missing Navan resident have issued a desperate appealing for information on his whereabouts.

Tony McLoughlin, a 57-year-old married man and father-of-two, was last seen on Monday 16th January at 1.15pm near Johnstown Shopping Centre.

His daughter, Lisa, said that his disappearance is "totally out of character" and that Tony, who works in catering in the Dublin area and lives at Athlumney Abbey, had been on antibiotics for a respiratory condition at the time he went missing and had been due to visit a specialist about it.

Mr McLoughlin had recently collapsed on holiday and had pneumonia and his daughter said the medication he was on made him groggy and sometimes disorientated.

"He got quite groggy and confused about (his daughter) Sophia's birthday, which was the day after he was last seen. I've never seen him confused like that before - he's a young man," said Lisa.

Mr McLoughlin is a keen dog-walker and would often walk the banks of the Boyne, at the Ramparts and near the IDA business park in Johnstown.

"Sophia's 30th was the day after. He would never let that go by without saying 'happy birthday', at least. It's just very, very out of character for someone so dependable and reliable.

"The last few days before (he was last seen), his breathing was very bad but he must have gotten a burst of adrenalin and gone for a walk," she added.

"He was frustrated at being cooped up and wanted to go outside. When there was no sign of him, we started to worry and mum got in the car and went one direction and my aunt got in hers and went in the other direction and we rang around.

"One of mum's friend's daughters saw him at 1.15pm at the shopping centre and they noticed each other but she said he was walking slowly and was hunched," recalled Lisa.

On Monday 23rd January, Gardaí set up checkpoints in the Johnstown area to ask motorists around Johnstown Shopping Centre about Tony's disappearance in the hope that they might be regularly in the area on a Monday lunchtime.

The story appeared on TV3's Breakfast Show that morning and gardaí received a few calls as a result - one of which suggested that the missing man had been seen on a bus going from Navan to Kells.

Unfortunately, the person who contacted gardaí proved to be mistaken as, when gardaí stopped the bus, they found a man only with similar features to Mr McLoughlin.

The missing man is described as 5'6" in height, of slim build with grey hair.

When last seen, he was wearing blue jeans, a blue shirt and a brown, waist-length jacket.

Leaflet appeals have been made in various locations - Navan, Dunboyne, Clonee, Tallaght, Dundalk and Drogheda - for any information relating to his disappearance.

"We're just trying to keep positive and keep hopeful," added Lisa.

So far, Meath River Rescue, Meath Civil Defence, the Boyne Fishermens Rescue and Recovery Service and local gardaí all have been involved in searches along the Boyne - from Old Kilcarn Bridge towards The Ramparts in Navan.

Tony McLoughlin's family have expressed their gratitude to all groups so far involved in the search.

Gardaí say they are concerned for Mr McLoughlin's safety and anyone with information is asked to contact Navan Garda Station on (046) 907 9930 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (046) 907 9930      end_of_the_skype_highlighting, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any garda station.

Missing Person, Monica Riordan, Navan Gardai, Gardai Navan

Missing Person Alert, Monica Riordan

 

Monica Riordan was last seen in Holles Street area on 20 December

 

Gardai have issued an appeal to trace a 39-year-old woman who has been missing since Tuesday, 20 December.

Monica Riordan, from Navan in Co Meath was last seen in the Holles Street area of Dublin at around 11am.


She is described as being of average height, thin build and with shoulder length blonde hair.


When last seen, Monica was wearing a long grey coat, dark jeans and grey or white trainers.


Anyone with information is asked to contact to contact Pearse St Garda Station 01-6669000 the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111.

Enda Kenny, World Economic Forum, Fianna Fail, Davos, Sinn Fein

Campaigners and opposition parties have criticised comments made by the Taoiseach at the World Economic Forum in Davos in Switzerland.

Enda Kenny told the forum that Irish people went mad borrowing in a system that spawned greed, and that this led to the crash of the Irish economy.

Fr Sean Healy of Social Justice Ireland said the Taoiseach's remarks were "amazing and extraordinarily lopsided."

He said Mr Kenny failed to recognise that the generous bank guarantee and subsequent socialising of the debt lie at the root of Ireland problems.


Fianna Fáil TD Niall Collins said there was a stark contrast between the Taoiseach's comments in Davos and his televised address to the nation last month, in which he told the public that the crisis was not their fault.
Sinn Féin's Pádraig Mac Lochlainn said Mr Kenny's comments were clichéd and showed an appalling lack of economic knowledge.