SERVICES
Background
Monaghan is the largest town in the County with a population of 7894 persons in April 2022 (CSO) with the County Hospital, County Court, Garda Headquarters, and main County Council Offices all located within the Town. The town is strategically located at the intersection of the N2 Dublin – Derry/Letterkenny route and N12/N54 routes which link Belfast to Galway and the Midlands.
The towns traditional role as the County Town has led to its position as the main business and administrative centre for this part of the County in particular, but also the wider hinterland. Several key industries are located in the town including Combilift Ltd, Irish Joinery Manufacturing (IJM), Kingspan Century Homes, Lakeland Dairies and Mallons Foods.
Monaghan is a historical town of notable architectural and civic character. Monaghan Town developed many of its characteristics during the Ulster Plantation. The central Market Square or Diamond, with the principal centres of administration, religious buildings and commerce were common in Mid-Ulster towns. The current streetscape of the centre of town, with long narrow streets (Glaslough Street, Park Street and Dublin Street) off the central Diamond and Church Square developed during this period.
The town and surrounding area developed throughout the 20th century, based upon the establishment of indigenous local industries such as food production, engineering and furniture making in the town and throughout the North Monaghan area. The expansion of construction and engineering-based industries over the last decade has contributed greatly to the local economy.
Monaghan Town today retains the Diamond and an enhanced open space at Church Square. Whilst the main arteries through the town remain busy, the completion of the town by-pass has diverted north/south bound traffic from the town centre. The landscaping and public realm improvements carried out in the town centre have enhanced its general appearance and added value to new and existing properties. Monaghan Town is a historic town of notable architectural and civic character. Ballybay is characterised by attractive and continuous building frontages with a pleasant mix of building heights, materials, and colours. The scale of buildings in the town are in the main, typical of eighteenth and nineteenth century Irish market towns; three-storey commercial/residential premises line the street on both sides, with single and two-storey returns behind.
There is a need for the Town to continue to develop as a service centre given its strategic location, to realise its potential for growth and improve the range and quality of retail and non-retail offerings, to deliver a more attractive shopping and visitor environment and thereby increase the number of people visiting Monaghan both for shopping and other purposes.
Progress
May 2024 – Monaghan County Council provided with funding for the development of an integrated regeneration plan for Monaghan Town and to develop an Options Paper for St Louis Convent lands, Monaghan through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Regional Programmes and co-ordinated and developed by the Northern and Western Regional Assembly, partnership with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
July 2024 – John McLaughlin Architects appointed to prepare the Monaghan Town Regeneration plan and Options Paper for St Louis Convent Lands, Monaghan.
August 2024 – John McLoughlin Architects initiate consultation on the Monaghan Town Regeneration Plan and Options Paper for St Louis Convent Lands. Initial consultation event in Monaghan Town Shopping Centre with on line survey to be complete. Click here to download the Survey (PDF) >>
November 2024 John McLaughlin architects prepare draft Monaghan Town Regeneration plan and options paper for St Louis Convent Lands, Monaghan.
Consultation Boards – August 2024
To view the Consultation Boards for this project please see the link below:
Monaghan Regeneration Consultation Boards
Reimagining Monaghan – Draft Regeneration Plan and Options paper – November 2024
Monaghan County Council, in partnership with John McLaughlin Architects and the Monaghan Town Team, have developed an ambitious heritage led regeneration plan for Monaghan town and St Louis Convent lands. The project is funded by the Heritage Council, and also through the first strand of the Town Centre First Heritage Revival Scheme (THRIVE).
A summary of the plans are incorporated in the attached presentation boards
Presentation Boards
Climate Resilience and Community
Full digital versions of the report/documents are available below, and printed copies can be viewed at our Dublin Street offices.
2406 241030 Draft TCF Report.pdf
2406 Appendix B_HTI Report.pdf
We would welcome your comments on the proposals and in helping us to develop the Town Centre First Plan for Monaghan. If you have any further comments or suggestions, you can
- make a submission on Monaghan County Council’s consultation portal https://consult.monaghancoco.ie/en/consultation/reimagining-monaghan-monaghan-regeneration-plan-and-st-louis-lands-options-2
- E mail your comments directly to dhurley@monaghancoco.ie
- Submit your comments to D Hurley, Planning Office, 1 Dublin Street, Monaghan
THRIVE is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the ERDF Northern & Western Regional Programme 2021-27.
Announcements
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