This is “The Garage Theatre” Monaghan which I pass on my way to work.

I always liked the idea of a Psychiatric Hospital being described as “The Garage” where if you are broken you go to get fixed. Monaghan writer Pat McCabe in his fantastic book “The Butcher Boy” tells us how the Francie’s mother has a breakdown and he says she has gone into the Garage to get it fixed! She had in fact been sent to St Davnet’s Psychiatric Hospital, Armagh Road, Monaghan and it is here that The Garage Theatre is located in a disused ward at the hospital. However after many years at St Davnet’s  The Garage will soon have an new home at the new County Monaghan Education Campus on the site of the former army camp on the Armagh Road.

On my way to work in Monaghan I pass near by to this building but I had no idea of it’s existence until I was told about it by my brother in law Paul. It’s just off the Coolkill Road between Caledon and Middletown. I had to ask for precise directions to it in the village of Tynan. The man I asked wanted to know if I was going to reopen it! I wish I had the money to restore what was a perfectly good railway system in this part of the world. The Coalisland station suffered the same fate as Tynan in the late 50’s being run down and closed by a very short sighted policy of the then Stormont regime.

Tynan was formerly served by mainline trains of the Great Northern Railway (Ireland) and was also the eastern terminus of the narrow gage Clogher Valley Railway (which opened in 1887 and closed in 1941). Tynan railway station on the Clogher Valley railway opened on 2 May 1887 and shut 1 January 1942. Tynan and Caledon railway station on the mainline opened on 25 May 1858 and shut on 1 October 1957.

I pass this memorial stone on my way to work in Monaghan. My attention is often drawn to the stone because of the new flowers that are regularly placed on it. It’s dedicated to the memory of a road accident victim Gary Brennan from the Cordevlish area of County Monaghan who was the driver of a Jeep which was in collision with a lorry on the Monaghan Road just outside Middletown. The accident took place at about 8.30am on Monday 10th August 2009 the day after he had celebrated his 25th birthday.

On my way to Monaghan I travel along the Coolkill road from Caledon to Middletown. This is the gate lodge of “Tynan Abbey” on the Coolkill road near to the village of Tynan Co Armagh. Tynan Abbey was a large neo-gothic-romantic country house built circa 1750 (later renovated circa 1815) and situated outside the village of Tynan. The original house on this site was called Fairview and was the home of the Manson family, it was acquired by the Stronges through the marriage of Dr. John Stronge and Elinor Manson.  The castle was surrounded by an extensive estate, once amounting to over 8,000 acres, including park-land and a lake. In 1923, part of the building was occupied by the newly formed Royal Ulster Constabulary rent-free for protection purposes.  During the Second World War, it was again occupied by Scottish, Belgian and American troops. The building was virtually destroyed and two members of the Stronge family killed during an attack by republicans in 1981. It was totally demolished in 1998.

On my way to work in Monaghan I pass Coolkill Mill which is a pre Famine Grist Mill built in 1844 by James Stronge of Tynan Abbey.

On my way to Monaghan I pass through the village of Caledon. This is the former Courthouse in Caledon. Set slightly back from the main street, the former Courthouse, Inn and Dispensary combine to form an important focal point on Main Street. All three were designed by William Murray and built in 1832 at a cost of £3,000 under the instruction of James Alexander the second Earl of Caledon. The former Courthouse how forms part of the Caledon Hotel.

On my way to work I pass a very small hamlet called The Dyan. This is the door to The Dyan Orange Hall home to first ever orange lodge in Ireland Dyan LOL No 1. The Orange Order was founded in Loughgall in County Armagh September 21, 1795 in the aftermath of this Battle of the Diamond. Why The Dyan became the first orange lodge is a matter of dispute, and apparently  remains a bone of contention amongst the men from the Diamond area of Loughgall in County Armagh. Like their predecessors, they feel that the first warrant should have gone to a local lodge as their men were more directly involved in the Battle of the Diamond. It is reported that they were so upset at not getting the No.1 warrant at the time of the Battle that they sulked and refused to take up any warrant. By the time they had thawed, they were issued with a warrant for Loyal Orange Lodge No. 118

This particular hall date back to 1878

On my way to Monaghan I pass through the small village of Eglish. This headstone is in Eglish graveyard and marks the final resting place of Cormac McAnallen. Cormac McAnallen was born on 11 February 1980 in Dungannon. He lived in the Brantry, a rural area in the district of Dungannon. He was part of the first ever Tyrone senior gaelic football team to win an All Ireland championship in 2003, also winning the Ulster Senior Football Championship twice and two National League titles. At underage level he won an All-Ireland Minor and two All-Ireland Under 21 Championships with Tyrone. He also won an All Star Award for his performances in the 2003 Championship. I was driving to work in Belfast when I heard about Cormac’s death on the radio. It was March 2004 and it was one of those announcements on the news that you were sure you misheard the first time and you try to tune into other news bulletins to have it confirmed. This young man had been one of our heroes who had achieved the ultimate in winning a first All Ireland for Tyrone so that his sudden and seemingly unexplainable death was all the more shocking.

I work in Monaghan Town and yesterday I had to make the journey via Dungannon. The journey took me though Eglish, Caledon, Middletown and on to Monaghan itself. I decided I would take pictures of several landmarks along the way. I started with this piece of public Art at Annaghshee (formerly The Ballygawley Road housing estate) Dungannon. This was placed at the entrance to the estate as part of a re imaging project for the area which culminated in the change of name for the area back in June 2009. The piece is 9ft high made of resin and steel and is the work of local artist John Darren Sutton. Born in Dungannon, Co Tyrone 1972. John Darren is a graduate of Stafford College, England. He has had 16 years experience in Scotland, England, Portugal and Ireland and sculpts in specialist cement as well as resin, aluminum and bronze. He has also completed works using brick, steel and wood. As I said this was the first landmark on my trip to Monaghan.

We were up for the Match in Croke Park on Sunday at The Junior All Ireland Final which featured a team from our area Derrytresk and a team from Galway called Clonbur. Unfortunately Derrytresk were beaten by the narrow margin of one point. My nephew Caolan played on the team and I was bitterly disappointed for him, his team mates and the whole Derrytresk community who had poured their life and soul into this campaign which saw them lift a county and provincial championship for the first time in the club’s 109 year history.

Like many people we have a set routine when we visit Croker. We park the car as near as we can to “The Maples” a small family run hotel which dates back to the early 1900’s. I can recommend the matchday lunch. Then it is only a ten minute stroll down Iona Road to upper Alphonsus Road onto the Lower Drumcondra Road past the famous gathering point at Quinn’s Bar, down Clonliffe Road arriving at Jones’ Road for the Hogan Stand or St Joseph’s Road for Hill 16 or The Cusack. I spotted this sign on a garden gate on Iona Road.  I’m guessing that the sign is from a Railway company The Great Northern and Western Railway. Sadly I also remember when shillings were legal tender.