Town Centre First Co. Monaghan

‘Town Centre First- A Policy Approach for Irish Towns’ was produced by the Departments of Rural & Community Development and Housing Local Government & Heritage who continue to develop and support the Town Centre First programme: to provide proven pathways to address the issues and challenges facing towns throughout Ireland.

At county level, each Local Authority has appointed a Town Regeneration Officer (TRO) with the collective aims of building resilient and sustainable places, supporting community-led regeneration and town centre revitalisation under the Town Centre First Programme.

Town Centre First (TCF) is a collaborative initiative which focuses on developing plans to regenerate rural towns through good placemaking, addressing dereliction and vacancy in town centres. Short, medium and long-term priorities are identified through public and community consultation.

2026 Update

Following the completion of the Town Centre First Plans for Carrickmacross, Monaghan, and Ballybay, a number of projects and initiatives have been progressed to support the sustainable regeneration and enhancement of these town centres. This update provides an overview of the key actions undertaken to date and the progress achieved in delivering the objectives identified within the plans.

TCF Initiatives in County Monaghan

As part of the implementation of Objective L14 within the Monaghan Town Centre First Plan, a comprehensive Accessibility Audit of Monaghan Town was completed in 2026. The audit assesses the accessibility of the town centre and identifies opportunities to improve access, mobility, and inclusivity for all users. A copy of the audit report is available below.

Age Friendly Walkability Audit Report

For more information on the programme, please see the National Town Centre First website: https://towncentrefirst.ie/