A new outdoor patient and visitor garden space has been built at the side of Monaghan General Hospital thanks to the generosity of the local Lions Club. The space contains a number of tables and chairs and sun shades so that family members and patients can sit and relax whilst enjoying the view over Monaghan town, looking towards the Cathedral. At an informal event on Tuesday evening, the outgoing President of Monaghan Lions Club, Michael Fisher, outlined the history of this latest addition to the hospital campus.
He told the gathering: “The County Hospital has played an important role in serving the county for over eighty years and continues to do so. It was set up by a local health committee for the people of Monaghan and officially opened in 1938. I have a personal interest in its foundation as my grandfather John F. Smyth (a Fianna Fáil Councillor in 1937 and a solicitor from Castleblayney) had just been appointed County Registrar. He chaired the Health Board and was instrumental in acquiring Hope Castle for temporary use as the county hospital while the new building was being completed.
Some people at the time thought that Castleblayney would make a good site for a permanent hospital, but despite his links with ’Blayney my grandfather was apparently of the opinion that as it…
