2022 Year in Review: Looking back on all the main stories in May
May 3rd 2022
In our first issue of the month we reported that Ravensdale man Ryan Doherty had raised over €10,000 for Dundalk Dog Rescue as part of his Bloody Paws to Everest climbing fundraiser.
The courageous adventurer made it to the Everest base camp on April 24th after a ten-day strenuous trek enduring harsh conditions with some team members suffering illness.
Ryan tackled Island Peak mountain in the Himalayas, which stands at 6189 metres, getting to within 200 metres of the summit before the brave attempt had to be called off due to hazardous weather.
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Also in that week’s edition we reported on the visit to the town of Sopranos star Joseph R. Gannascoli, who played the cult character Vito Spatafore in the HBO series.
While in the town he hosted a table quiz at Clan Na Gael's club rooms to raise funds for Dundalk Darkness into Light and held "An Evening with Joseph R. Gannascoli" on in McAlester's Bar on Bridge Street, where the Brooklyn-born actor discussed all things Sopranos, followed by an audience Q&A.
Early May also saw the official opening of a brand new gym at DkIT Sport.
General Manager Kelly Connor told the Dundalk Democrat that extensive work took place at the Inner Relief Road facility, making it currently one of the best gyms in Ireland.
“This gym is for absolutely everybody in Dundalk, when you walk in you can see that. It's people of all ages working out,” she said.
May 10th 2022
In May thousands gathered across the North East to meet the dawn in the Darkness into Light walk in aid of Pieta House, the centre for the prevention of suicide and self-harm.
It was the first “in person” event in Dundalk since 2019, and this year saw many new venues including Ardee, Dunleer, Cooley, Tallanstown and Stabannon host their own Darkness into Light walk.
We also reported on local music duo Sephira, made up of two sisters Ruth and Joyce O’Leary from Carrickmacross who performed at the historic Katie Taylor vs Amanda Serrano weigh in at Madison Square Garden.
“We went into Kashmir by Led Zeppelin, then Drowsy Maggie the trad tune because we knew that that would be the moment where the whole of the Madison Square Garden audience would just erupt.
“The whole place just went wild,” Ruth told the paper.
May 17th 2022
The “shocking” state of disability services for children in Louth was the main story on the front of the Democrat as Deputy Ó Murchú told the Dail that 659 children are on waiting lists for primary care, occupational therapy or paediatric assessment.
“Some 382 of those children have been on the list for more than a year. The average waiting time is three years,” the Dundalk TD said.
There has been in increase of illegal money lending which is causing 'misery' for local families, the May Dundalk Joint Policing Committee was told.
Cllr Kevin Meenan told the meeting that it was a common occurrence for the illegal lenders to wait outside post offices for people to collect their dole or children’s allowance and hand the money over immediately as a repayment.
May 24th 2022
The Democrat exclusively revealed how Louth County Council spent €9,657.01 on sending a four person delegation to New York for St Patrick’s Day this year.
The figures showed that €3,434 was spent on four return tickets to New York while €2,919.79 was claimed back in travel and subsistence expenses by the four delegates.
€1,057.78 was also spent at a Smith and Wollensky steakhouse on Third Avenue, hosting a dinner with the Louth Society.
Crowds lined the Glenmore Park area of Muirhevnamor on a warm May evening to welcome home boxing World Champion Amy Broadhurst.
Arriving in style via an open-top car, the fighter was greeted with applause and chants of ole, ole, ole as she rounded the corner, led by a garda escort.
She told the crowd:
“I just want to say thank you very much for all the support from everybody, you’ve been incredible with sponsorship and edging me on when things got tough.”
May 31st 2022
Dundalk woman Lisa Smith, was found guilty of membership of the Islamic State terror group in May.
The court rejected Smith's claims that she had gone to the Islamic State simply out of a sense of religious obligation and for the innocent purpose of living under Sharia law and raising a family in a Muslim state.
Local Fine Gael Senator John McGahon was acquitted by a jury of seriously assaulting a man outside a local bar and nightclub almost four years ago.
The 31 year old senator had pleaded not guilty at Dundalk Circuit Court to a charge of assaulting Breen White causing him harm on Park Street, Dundalk in June 2018.