VILLAGE BEST TOURIST SPOT
SEPTEMBER 2008
CARLINGFORD picks up a prize in a Europe-wide competition for the best tourist destinations.
The European Destination of Excellence awards ceremony takes place in Bordeaux at the European Annual Tourism Forum.
Carlingford is chosen because the judges find it has unrivalled natural appeal due to the beauty of Carlingford Lough with its sweeping backdrop of Sliabh Foy.
Its rich culture of myths and folk tales also draws their attention.
The awards promote venues where commercial success goes hand-in-hand with social, cultural and environmental sustainability.
They are launched in 2006 to draw attention to the value, diversity and shared characteristics of European tourist destinations.
‘ Tourism is an increasingly important sector for our economy with lots of new jobs being created in particular in small and medium-sixed enterprises,’ says European Commission vice-president, Gunter Verheugen. BUSINESSMAN Phil Monahan sells his interest in a number of shopping centres, including Dundalk, for £25 million.
Monarch Properties Ltd., the company headed by Mr. Monahan, announces it has sold eleven retail and industrial properties to a British group jointly-owned by Cornhill Insurance.
The retail premises include Drogheda Town Centre, the award-winning Nutgrove Centre and others in Athlone and Navan.
No value is put on the Dundalk Shopping Centre in terms of the deal. It is the first centre built by Mr. Monahan 14 years ago. HISTORY is made as Martina Maloney takes up office as county manager for Louth. She is the first woman to hold the post.
She succeeds John Quinlivan who retired in April after 15 years in the job.
‘I was informed of the sale by Mr. Monahan only this week,’ says Dessie Dunne, chairman of DSC traders, but he is given no other details.
Management of the centre, it is understood, will remain in the hands of Monarch Properties.
New ownership is expected to mean little change in the operation of Dundalk SC, although traders are pressing for a refurbishment in advance of the next rent review in 1990.
The sale of the properties will not affect Monarch’s other developments in Ireland – a new shopping centre in Portlaoise, a joint-development of a leisure and retail centre on the Malahide Road in Dublin and the long-awaited Tallaght Town Centre.
Prior to her new appointment Ms Maloney is Director of Services, Community & Enterprise, Galway Corporation.
She also works in Clare, Limerick, Donegal and Dublin, and serves as Assistant Town Clerk and Acting City Manager in Galway.
Ms Maloney is given a warm welcome at her first meeting of Louth county council.
She says she is looking forward to working with the county council and she thanks Michael Curran for his work since the retirement of Mr Quinlivan.
The manager adds she is under no illusion that she has a hard act to follow, but she is confident that with a very able staff and a sense of humour, there is every chance they can work together for the betterment of the county.