The submissions on the project and the Inspector’s report had been already considered at a board meeting held on April 24, but on May 15 the matter was put to rest with the final rejection of the project by the planning authority.

An Bord Pleanala referred to the Louth County Development in which set out clear policies protecting unspoilt natural environments of outstanding natural beauty. The plan prohibits development that would interfere with or adversely affect scenic routes, and protects identified views.

An Bord Pleanala said the plan was reasonable and as the site of the wind farms is at a “prominent hill location on the Cooley Peninsula in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty” the rejection of the plan was acceptable. They stated that “the proposed development would have a seriously detrimental impact on the visual amenity.”

It was decided that the turbines would have had a serious detrimental impact on the character of the landscape which they say is necessary to preserve.  It was rejected on four specific policies and because it was “contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.”

They did state that they were not ruling out windfarms in the area in general however.

The Protect Rockmarshal Mountain Group welcomed the decision saying that it “endorsed the fundamental objection which the Protect Rockmarshal Mountain Group raised in all of their submissions.”

Protect Rockmarshal Mountain groups formed in the autumn of 2010 as plans for the development on the mountain were being lodged. The membership increased and opposition to the windfarm grew.  More than 1200 locals and visitors signed petitions against the development and there were more than 116 individual submissions and objections made by people in the community.

The national tourist industry leader Failte Ireland lent their voices to the opposition and made a submission which mirrored many of the group’s observations. Hey too recommended that An Bord Pleanala uphold the decision of Louth County Council to refuse planning permission on the grounds that the proposed development would undermine the tourism and amenity potential of the area.

In a statement The Protect Rockmarshal Mountain Group thanked all those who have supported them in their endeavours: local TDs, Senators and Councillors; local residents and businesses; the group’s expert consultants; local media; those who made submissions and signed petitions; those who organised and took part in the Rockmarshal Mountain fundraising walk.

Gealectric said that they “noted the decision and have no further comment to make at this time.”

Sisters Shauna and Naomi O’Callaghan each had a walk over after their opponents pulled out at the last moment. However, the girls were very disappointed by the win without a bout as each had trained hard and wanted to prove that they are the best in Ireland at their weight in the ring.

The face-off between boxers from two Dundalk clubs was a highly anticipated affair. The bout between Clann Naoifa’s Rebecca Gorman and Nicole McCann, Dealgan BC was a highly fought contest from the very first bell of round one as they went head-to-head in the 54kg championship.

The opponents were described as “throwing punches at a fantastic rate that would put most boxers to shame.” It ended in the third round when Rebecca came out a 22/14 winner and All Ireland champion.

Later Evelyn Igharo went up against Galway Girl Ruadhan Naughton and ran out a 12/2 winner and a 48kg Irish Champion.

Her team mate Elisha O’Grady, a 50kg boxer was defeated in her contest against her Newry based rival. Elisha put in a huge effort but was just unable to make any head way against The St Pat’s boxer C Gibney.

The club celebrated the girls successes and are hopeful that they have Olympic Champions in the making.

Over 16,000 students from over 600 schools entered this year’s ‘Impostipuzzle’ Challenge.  The overall winning student, Fionnuala Kirby, and her class from Scoil Mhuire gan Smál had every reason to celebrate.

Principal, Madonna Lambert, and class teacher, Aoife Curran accepted a €1,000 cheque for the school.

The class were also treated to a tour of the Letters, Lives & Liberty exhibition at the An Post Museum in the GPO.

The online educational resource www.anpostschoolbag.ie is in its second year and has proved hugely successful in the classroom.

By linking An Post mails and retail businesses with aspects of the curriculum at primary and secondary school level, it’s proving an invaluable resource for Irish schoolgoers and teachers.

The Dealgan boxing club have a long history of producing some of the best talent to come out of Louth in previous years and this year was to be no exception.

Orla Garvey, 50kgs girl 3, was going for her second national title in a row and after a hard fought 14 to 9 win in her semi-final, she was to meet Shauna McCann of Neilstown in this year’s final. Orla is unbeaten in the last two years in all competitions and she showed what a dynamic boxer she is when her opponent was unable to get a second’s rest, she quickly stopped her within the first round.

Nicole Agnew, 46kgs girl 3, was aiming for her third national title to add to her impressive collection and in her semi-final bout she defeated her opponent on a score of 18 to 12. Nicole was up against Naomi O’Leary from Letterkenny in the final, who was narrowly defeated in last year’s final. Nicole produced three rounds of some of the most technical boxing to be seen in this year’s girl’s championships, with lightning speed footwork and sharp counter-punching she went on to claim her third title in successive years, winning on a score of 14 to 7.

Again this young girl is well on her way to representing Ireland in European and World competitions.

Amy Broadhurst, the current European Featherweight champion and youngest female boxer to ever win a European gold medal, was going for her seventh Irish title which shows why she is mentioned in the same breath as Katie Taylor.

Ciara Ginty, a four time Irish champion from Gaesala was to be Amys opponent in the final. Amy despite not producing her best boxing due to being ill in the week leading up to the fight still prevailed on a score of 16 to 12, a remarkable achievement considering the circumstances and Amy will now get the chance to defend her European title in Hungary at the end of June, alongside Katie Taylor.

Nicole McCann, 54kgs youth 2, is another of Delagan’s brightest talents and after only being in the club for a year, for her to make the final was an achievement in itself. Her opponent was Rebecca Gorman of Clann Naofa and from the first bell Nicole met her opponent head on and in a very close first round Nicole was trailing by a single point. In round two, despite Nicole throwing every single punch a boxer could throw, she found herself up against an opponent who returned every punch and by the end of the round she was still behind. In the final round Nicole left every bit of energy she had in the ring but despite such a great and brave effort she was to lose the contest on a score of 22 to 14.

74-year-old Owen, from Sandy Lane in Blackrock, died peacefully in St James Hospital in Dublin on Sunday morning.  According to his nephew Niall he was well known around the village and will be sorely missed by both friends and family.

“Owen was a very popular man around Blackrock and was a larger than life character about the place. Everyone in Blackrock would have a story to tell about Owenie and we’re all very sad to see him leave us”, said Niall.

“He was at home on Thursday evening when a fire broke out inside the house. The ambulances arrived on the scene quickly and brought him to Lourdes before he was transferred up to James’s but tragically he died on Sunday morning as a result of his injuries.”

Owney, beloved brother of Mary Corrigan, Margaret Brindley, Eamon, Anne Putz, Jim and the late Gerry will be buried this morning at 11am in St Oliver Plunketts Church in Blackrock.

His passing is deeply regretted by his brothers, sisters, sister-in-law, nephews, nieces, relatives and friends.

Mr Matthews indicated that he would intend to continue with the initiatives already underway and was in the process of drawing up a strategic plan for the next three years and beyond.  He invited members to discuss this or any other matters with him and invited those businesses that are not members of the Chamber to join.

“There has been Trojan work done. Paddy Malone has been exceptional and he’ll be a tough act to follow. He has put a lot of structures in place,” said Mr Matthews. But there is a crisis he said and the ambition is to tackle it head on.

“We want Dundalk to be a destination where you work, live play and stay and we want to send that image across the world. The further integration and collaboration between the various committees and local authorities will be the key.

“There are a lot of different organisations and groups and we will get them around the table together, get some ideas flowing. It is about uniting the forces. We have a brilliant town; it is about getting it working”, explained the new president.

Dundalk, he noted, was once a town where someone could leave school at a very young age and find lots of jobs available. Now however, new skills are needed to meet the demands of the emerging IT based industries and Mr Matthews aims to see the demand being met.

Mr Malone said that Mr Matthews should inspire confidence, having built Matthews Coaches from scratch, and being someone who everyone knows has done a superb job  with his own business.

Holly Dance is now the Chamber’s Vice President while Michael Farrell remains as treasurer. If Dundalk Chamber of Commerce is the voice of Business in the area, then it is getting louder.

Mr Farrell revealed that membership of the Chamber has gone up in the past year, despite the economic downturn.

With no half marathon this year numbers were down on previous years but there was still a healthy crowd of almost 500 runners who came out to support the event which has become one of the most popular events on the Irish running circuit.

Dunleer’s Darragh Greene raced to the 10k finishing in an impressive 33 mins and 26 seconds. Darragh had only decided to run the race at the very last minute but that decision proved to be a good one as he finished seven seconds clear of his nearest pursuer.

There was no surprise in the women’s event with the impressive Donna Evans winning the event for the fourth year in a row with a time of 38:07.

There was a buzz about the town prior to race time as entrants and spectators limbered up with some athletes taking things slightly more seriously than others.

In a changed route from previous years the competitors began their race at St Patrick’s Cathedral before heading out the Newry road and out by Dowdallshill eventually arriving back in town where they crossed the finishing line in Earl St.

Race organiser Bryan McCrystal declared himself delighted with the turnout and thanked everybody who had helped make the event such a great success.

“We had almost 500 runners taking part and we’d like to thank everybody who helped make the race such a success again this year” said Bryan.

“From the town council, the Gardaí, civil defence, all the marshalls and everybody who raised money for various charities we say a big thank you them all” he added.

“This year we are handing over a cheque to the North Louth Hospice which is a really worthwhile charity who do so much great work in the County.

“I’d also like to mention Raymond McCabe as well. The race was run in his wife Ann Marie’s honour after she sadly passed away just before Christmas. Raymond took part in the race and finished it even though he only took up running a few weeks ago.” explained Bryan.

A cheque will be handed over to the North Louth Hospice this week before the committee set their sights on organising next year’s event.

Kilkerley’s Gary O’Hanlon was in unstoppable form as he powered past all his rivals to win the men’s race by an impressive six minutes finishing with a time of 2:29 and 44 seconds. Gary, who has been in fine form, this year said he was happy to win the race and has set a target of beating his personal best by the end of the year.

“It was a pretty tactical race and because of that it was a fairly slow time. There was a runner in the field who had run 2:24 recently so I just followed him for the first half of the race. When he started to tire I knew the race was there for me and I didn’t really over extend myself for the remainder of the race.” explained Gary.

“I’m running Kildare marathon next and I’m hoping to beat my personal best of 2:26. I’m in good form at the minute and enjoying my running so hopefully I can get a decent time before the years out”, he added.

Meanwhile Garry Hoey put in a tremendous effort as part of the Irish Amputee relay team completing the marathon on crutches in an impressive 5 hours and 37 minutes.

Garry and his three teammates were aiming to break the world amputee record but missed out by just seven seconds as they saw their rival amputee team mates finish just ahead of them.

Garry who was nursing blisters on both hands from his efforts was delighted to have completed the gruelling Limerick run.

“We’re all delighted to have completed the marathon and hopefully in doing so we have raised awareness for the Irish Amputee soccer team. Our main aim for doing the marathon relay was to gain respect for our game and our players and to prove that we are proper athletes”, explained Garry.

“I started the first leg of the relay and my hands started to blister from holding the crutches after about five miles. The final mile and a half was very tough but I got through it and was happy with my time. I’d like to thank everybody who sponsored me and would like to let people know that they can still donate to the Irish amputee soccer team through our ‘my charity.ie’ page or by contacting me directly at 0876496711. “added Garry.

Finally 63-year-old Collette O’Hagan shows no signs of hanging up her running shoes as she completed an amazing 240^th marathon in Limerick. Collette whose first marathon was in Dublin back in 1990 holds the Irish record for most marathons completed and is already looking forward to taking part in her next one.

“Thankfully I was blessed with great stamina and the ability to recover really quickly so I am already looking forward to the next marathon. Derry and Cork are both coming up and I plan on running both of them”, explained Collette.

“I enjoyed the run in Limerick and I was very comfortable the whole way around. I didn’t really push myself as I have a busy running schedule coming up and I was happy to finish in five hours.

“I enjoy running just as much now as when I first competed and I have no intention of finishing up any time soon. While I’m still fit and healthy I’ll always be running” laughed Collette.

Sarah, a first year business studies student in DKIT, will represent Louth in the Regional Rose of Tralee Finals in Portlaoise on the June Bank Holiday weekend where she will hope to qualify for the main event in Tralee in August.

At 18 years old, Sarah was the youngest girl in the competition and managed to pip 13 other Roses to the post last Saturday night as she followed in the footsteps of last year’s winner Patricia Marmion.

Sarah wowed the judges with her bubbly personality and entertained the packed Fairways audience with a recital of Percy French’s classic poem ‘Ach, I don’t know’.

According to Sarah it had always been a dream of hers to take part in the famous old competition.

“I used to always watch it when I was younger down in my granny’s house and I remember dressing up pretending that I was one of the contestants.

“Brendan Galvin who organises the Louth Rose contacted me a couple of months ago and asked me to enter the competition so I thought why not and decided to give it a go.” explained Sarah.

“When they called out my name on Sunday evening to say I had won I was absolutely shocked. The 13 other girls were all so lovely and they all jumped on top of me congratulating me. It was crazy”, laughed Sarah.

Sarah who has a keen interest in speech and drama as well as playing GAA football with St Brides in her spare time will now travel to Portlaoise where she will be up against 29 Irish girls with just seven making it through to the contest proper in Tralee.

Although she faces a tough challenge to make it through Sarah is looking forward to Portlaoise and insists she will enjoy the weekend regardless of the result.

“I’m just going to go down there and enjoy myself. Last year’s Louth Rose, Patricia Marmion has spoken to me and she has been a great help so far. She told me just to be myself and relax and enjoy the whole experience.

“All the girls who were in the final with me for the Louth Rose are coming down to support me and I’d like to thank them all for being so supportive and friendly.

“I’d also like to thank my Mam Aideen, my little brother Cian and all my extended family and friends. Hopefully I can do a good job down in Portlaoise and make it all the way to Tralee. It would be a dream come true for me”, concluded the newly crowned Louth Rose.

Sarah will now try and enjoy her first couple of weeks as Louth Rose before focusing all her attention on the regional finals in Portlaoise.

Ten years since their lives changed forever and the start of the foundations amazing work throughout the community. Today Casa Bridget houses 16 residents who are all looked after in a safe and loving environment a million miles away from where they started out. One of these residents is called Simona.

Simona who has Downs Syndrome lived with her sick mother in destitute circumstances on the edge of Nicoresti close to where Casa Bridget is located.  Due to her mother’s illness Simona wasn’t receiving the care she needed and was forced to live in horrific conditions in a filthy room with flies and dirt everywhere.

Simona was on the verge of being sent to an institution where she would be locked away for the rest of her life in conditions that weren’t much better than her own home. That’s when Crosscause stepped in. According to Conor Hughes, founder of Crosscause, one of the charities volunteers had highlighted Simona’s plight and ensured that Simona would be looked after by the charity.

“Pauline Walsh who was one of the driving forces of Crosscause ran the project over there until she came back to Ireland a couple of years ago.

She had seen the awful conditions Simona was forced to live in and he really wanted to help her out. She started a regime where we went down to the house every day to give her a shower, new clothes and a meal.” explains Conor.

“Then Simona started to come down to Casa Bridget a couple of days a week to mix with other people and little by little she got used to the place and wanted to stay. As her mother’s illness became progressively worse she was very happy to see Simona brought into care.

“That was about three years ago and she has been living with us permanently for the last six months.” adds Conor.

Today Simona is a completely different child to the one which Conor and Ciaran first came across. She has started to verbalise and her social skills have improved immensely. Conor says that she is ‘an intelligent wee lassie and is one of the real success stories for Crosscause.”

“Simona is probably the manifestation of what we do at Casa Bridget. We have gradually brought her on and she has become a permanent resident and loves it here. It has been great to see the complete change in her personality and to see her happily playing with other kids” concluded Conor.

Simona is just one of the hundreds of people whose lives have been improved immeasurable thanks to the work of Crosscause.