News Review of the Year: September to December

SEPTEMBER

At their September meeting, Meath county councillors unanimously agreed to call on the Minister for Housing to remove the Section Five planning exemption provision for proposed IPAS centres which allows for the standard planning process to be bypassed.

Cllr Noel French who tabled the motion spoke of the anger, frustration, and worry and caused by these section five exemption applications which in many cases were for industrial buildings that were not suitable for human habitation. He said: “This process goes against proper planning rules and further erodes public confidence in the planning process. If the building of homes, business premises or any other community facility must run the gauntlet of planning process, then so should IPAS centres.”

News emerged that a massive 400 acre solar farm was being planned for the same locality where residents are already fighting plans for a proposed gas-fired peaking power plant near Kentstown. Just as residents were finalising their appeals against the granting of planning permission to Polarisgate Ltd for a 180MW peaking power plant, those living in the immediate vicinity of a planned solar farm received correspondence from Highfield Solar informing them that a planning application is due to be lodged with Meath County Council for the Curraghtown Solar Farm.

There was widespread shock and sadness following the death of 80-year-old cyclist Ned McLoughlin, Doolistown, Trim, in a hit and run collision in Boardsmill on the morning of 12th September. Heartfelt tributes were paid to the popular figure who was an accomplished athlete with Na Fianna Club in his younger days and later took up cycling when his running career was over.

Heartbroken mother Debbie Powderly called for signage and a safety audit at Lough Ramor, Virginia to try to prevent further fatalities after losing her son in a drowning accident at the lake. Jack Powderly McEntee (20) drowned after getting into difficulty at the lake on 20th February after he and a friend 'dared' each other to swim to an off shore floating platform.

OCTOBER

Over a month into the new school year, a group of Athboy parents expressed their anger and frustration at being unable to get their children to school.

A number of children with autism from Athboy, who are enrolled in the ASD class in Gilson National School in Oldcastle, were left stranded without school transport. Athboy mother Shannon Tenanty told how it broke her heart that her son who has autism could not go to school due to Bus Eireann being unable to source a bus to provide transport to the school.

There are no autism classes in Athboy and the nearest school they could find a place for MJ was Oldcastle- a 40 minute drive away. Four other families faced a similar situation.

A young Trim mother bravely spoke out about being left with life changing injuries following what was meant to be a routine medical procedure a year earlier. Sarah Costello (36), is now in constant pain, struggles to walk, has nerve damage to her hand, PTSD and ongoing breathing problems. Her injuries resulted from a procedure she underwent in Northern Ireland through the National Treatment Purchase Fund.

Within the first minute of surgery, Sarah's aorta was severed, leaving her in cardiac arrest, requiring 15 units of blood, and hours of life-saving emergency surgery from her chest to her stomach. A year later, she says she struggles to get the follow up care she needs and feels abandoned by the State.

The long awaited new road connecting the Navan-Kells Road with the Ratholdren Roads opened on 25th October with much fanfare. The Local Distributor Road 4 (LDR4) was expected to reduce traffic congestion throughout the town, particularly in north Navan but resulted in some major teething problems during its first weeks of operation as traffic backed up at the new junction that replaced the previous roundabout, particularly for traffic travelling into Navan on the R147 from the Kells direction.

The November meeting of Navan Municipal Council heard that business was down 33 per cent in the Blackwater Retail Park in the three weeks since the opening of the new LDR4 road and councillors spoke of 20 minute waits to get out of the business park.

The spectacular four-day Púca Festival kicked off on 30th October bringing over 50,000 visitors to Trim and Athboy.

Hailed as “a world-class celebration rooted in Ireland’s legacy as the birthplace of Halloween,” the Púca festival is a major boost to local businesses brining in almost €7 million to the local economy.

Festival-goers enjoyed four nights filled with music, fire, food, folklore, and immersive experiences, including the Lighting of the Samhain Fire at Tlachtga (Hill of Ward)and another highlight was undoubtedly the Púca procession through the streets of Trim.

NOVEMBER

The Department of Education confirmed it had sanctioned the amalgamation of St Mary's Primary School and St Michael's Boys Primary School in Trim from next September. The merger follows extensive consultation with both school communities and a request to the Department of Education to approve the move by the patron of the school, Bishop of Meath Tom Deenihan. The new mixed school will be called Scoil Naomh Pádraig.

The two schools are located on adjoining sites on Patrick Street in the town. At present St Mary's Primary school is mixed up to first class and girls only from second class up, with boys from St Mary's moving across to neighbouring St Michael's boys school in second class. This meant siblings from the same family could start off together in St Mary's but end up separate schools after first class and there has been a desire from parents for many years for the schools to be restructured to become co-educational.

Fintan Hogan of Hogan's Farm near Kells spoke exclusively to the Meath Chronicle about the recent outbreak of the deadly H5N1 avian flu at their farm describing it as a “devastating blow” but vowed they will still have turkeys for Christmas.

Fintan said in his 50 years in the turkey business he has never seen anything like it and it was “scarily virulent”. Within four days, it had ripped through a flock of 7,000 killing most of them, and because all healthy birds on the farm also had to be culled, they lost over 25,000 turkeys altogether.

However, as a large part of their business is processing turkeys for other producers, this will continue as usual so Fintan said they would still have turkeys for Christmas, just not ones reared on their farm.

A growing public outcry erupted over the weekend closure of St Declan’s Graveyard in Ashbourne, with over 500 people signing a petition calling for safe access.

The campaign highlighted the plight of elderly visitors, like 81-year-old Tommy Matthews, who were forced to park on the “dangerously busy N2 road” to visit loved ones' graves.

“It’s not just about convenience it’s about safety and human dignity. We cannot wait for someone to be seriously hurt before action is taken,” stated petition creator Michelle Matthews.

The petition called for reasonable opening hours (8pm in summer, 5pm in winter).

Meath County Council responded by making arrangements for Ashbourne Municipal District staff to open the vehicular gates each weekend, pending installation of an automated gate system at the cemetery.

Over five years after paying deposits, it emerged that families in Rathmolyon’s Ringfort estate risked losing everything as the developer moved to liquidate the company behind the project.

The move meant up to five families could be out of pocket by more than €250,000, with no homes to show for their investments.

Meathmatics Ltd, controlled by Joe Elias, held a creditors’ meeting on , but buyers remain uncertain about their future. The collapse has left 16 largely completed homes in legal limbo, prolonging their anxiety. Launched in 2020, 16 homes were sold for €275,000–€300,000. Although 15 contracts were signed, soaring costs and financial distress halted progress.

Only five of the original families remain involved; many had to walk away after years of uncertainty and financial loss.

DECEMBER

Meath County Council adopted its budget for 2026, which provides for expenditure of over €258 million on local public services, an increase of over €26m (or 11.5 per cent) on the 2025 package. It is the first time the council’s budget has exceeded €250m.

Since 2019, the annual budget has increased by 108 per cent, which the council says has brought new services, enhanced service levels and provided additional human and financial resources in critical and emerging areas.

In order to safeguard those public services, the council's 2026 Annual Budget includes a 10 per cent increase in commercial rates, the first such rate increase since 2008 when the council's budget was just €107m. Smaller ratepayers, businesses with commercial rates below €20,000, will be exempt.

At the last Meath County Council meeting of the year, it emerged that the Council will not be imposing any sanctions on former councillor Tommy Reilly following findings that he "recklessly" contravened the Code of Conduct for Councillors. Chief Executive Kieran Kehoe said there was no guidance in law as to any sanctions the council could impose even if Mr Reilly was still a member of the council.

A Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) found the former cathaoirleach to have "recklessly"contravened the code following an investigation by SIPO and a report on the investigations was before th December meeting of the council for consideration. The SIPO Commission published its findings on an investigation into the former Fianna Fáil councillor in August and said the breaches were of a "serious" rather than a minor matter.

Councillors in meath joined called for the development of the Leinster Orbital Route, a motorway which would link Drogheda, Navan, Trim and Kilcock/Enfield with Naas and Newbridge.

While proposals for the motorway were axed in 2021, there have been renewed calls to revisit the project in a bid to alleviate commuter woes and traffic congestion, particularly on the M50.

The search for missing Navan teenager Benjamin 'Benny' Spot (14) came to a heartbreaking conclusion after his body was recovered from the River Boyne 24 days after he was reported missing. Benny's heartbroken father Attila paid tribute to his son who he said had a very kind heart and was always willing to help people.

He spoke of how much a gathering of Benny's friends at the Ramparts in his memory meant to him and how proud he was to hear Benny's friends speak of how helpful he was to everyone. Attila also expressed his gratitude to Meath River Rescue for all their efforts during the 24-day search.

A former Cavan county councillor was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison after he spent over €172,000 of money stolen from a Meath charity on male escorts crystal meth and liquid ecstasy. Sean McKiernann (44) from Trinity Bungalow, Virginia Road, Bailieboro, Cavan, was in Trim Circuit Court charged with 58 counts of theft from the Navan Mental Health Housing Association on dates between March 2019 and April 2020.