Louth Young Fine Gael to host table quiz in Dundalk next month

Louth Young Fine Gael will hold a fundraising table quiz in McCourt’s Bar on Park Street on Wednesday July 1^st.

Chairperson of the branch, Shay McArdle told Talk of the Town that funds raised from the event will help the branch tackle local issues such as illegal dumping, underage drinking and more.

A team of four costs €20 on the night and prizes will be made available for the first, second and third placed teams.

For further details email shay@issu.ie

McGahon commends Young Fine Gael for prioritising mental health

Cllr John McGahon (right) with President of Young Fine Gael Dale McDermott (left), at the launch of Young Fine Gael’s mental health policies

In welcoming the launch this week by Young Fine Gael of two policy documents on mental health, Fine Gael Councillor for Dundalk-Carlingford, John McGahon, has commended the organisation for bringing this issue to the fore.

In a statement, the Seatown man said: “Young Fine Gael’s new policies on mental health are relevant to everyone and will hopefully bring more awareness to the promotion of positive mental health.

“YFG’s new policies on mental health comprise a document for Government with 12 key recommendations on how we can improve mental health in Ireland, and an internal document containing a number of commitments to make the YFG organisation more mental health friendly.

“The statistics on suicide and self-harm sadly speak for themselves and the issue of positive mental health, while always relevant, is more important than ever. We must try and highlight this at every opportunity.

“YFG’s 12 key recommendations on mental health are being presented to Government to try to initiate legislative improvements in the area. They include; calling on the Press Council to develop guidelines for the media on the reporting of mental health and suicide, a counselling service available free of charge to students in schools, a specific compulsory curriculum on mental health to form part of the SPHE course at junior and senior levels, and dedicated curriculums on the issue of cyberbullying.

“If put into practise, YFG’s recommendations would go a long way towards normalising the conversation around mental health in Ireland.”

Louth Young Fine Gael launch Fair Fares campaign

Louth Young Fine Gael chairman Ciaran Callan at the launch of the Fair Fares campaign with local students at Clarke Station in Dundalk

As part of a nationwide campaign Louth Young Fine Gael is looking for the introduction of fairer prices for second level students aged between 16-18 on national transport networks both nationally and those that use public transport networks in County Louth.

Fair Fares is the first initiative of the current Young Fine Gael National Executive and the first awareness campaign to be launched by Louth Young Fine Gael.

Last Friday Chairman of LYFG Ciaran Callan, Vice Chairman Andreu D’Arcy, Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick TD, Cllr Martin Murnaghan and members of second level schools St Vincent’s, O Fiaich College and the Dundalk Grammar School demonstrated the Fair Fares campaign at the local bus and rail network stations in Dundalk.

The reception from speaking to members of the public was reported to be very good and it was well received by many second level students who spoke to members of LYFG at the launch.

Speaking on the issue LYFG Chairman Ciaran Callan stated that all schools in County Louth had received information in relation to the campaign and any school that wishes to speak to him on the matter could contact him.

He also mentioned that Oireachtas members and MEP Mairead McGuinness and MEP Jim Higgins have also been made aware of the issue and asked for their support in relation to this matter. He wanted to thank Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick for taking his time to speak to members of the public and aiding the campaign in Dundalk by attending the event. He also wanted to thank fellow LYFG and current local election candidate Martin Murnaghan for attending the event also.

Ciaran said: “The Fair Fares campaign will continue to be made aware of in County Louth and hopefully this will see in the future a wholesale change in the manner pricing structures are managed on national transport networks.”

Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick TD, Louth Young Fine Gael chairman Ciaran Callan and Cllr Martin Murnaghan with local students at the launch of the Fair Fares campaign at Dundalk Bus Station

Busy year ahead for Louth Young Fine Gael as local elections loom

Members of Louth Young Fine Gael with Taoiseach Enda Kenny and local TD Peter Fitzpatrick

Louth Young Fine Gael is putting the final touches to their election campaign for the candidates standing in the local and European elections next May. The branch, which was established in 2012, had a busy end to 2013 with the election of new chairman Ciarán Callan and attending the Young Fine Gael national conference that took place in Waterford. However 2014 brings a fresh new challenge as they prepare to aid candidates who begin their canvass campaigns ahead of the electoral vote, which takes place at the end of May.

The branch are hoping to be the visual youth presence and voice of Louth at these local campaigns and will be individually and as a group taking part in leaflet drops, canvass runs and social media campaigns for the local candidates. It is hoped that this type of campaign will ensure that Fine Gael has a youth voice in county Louth.

Louth Young Fine Gael is looking forward to aiding all candidates in their respective campaigns and they hope to ensure that Fine Gael and indeed Young Fine Gael, who have two members running in the next local elections in Cllr Martin Murnaghan and former LYFG Chairman John McGahon, will have a strong presence in the next Louth County Council.

Post election plans have already been put in place for the coming year as the branch hope to begin its social issue campaigns, local policy for the youth of Louth and local and national charity fundraising as part of its already very busy but exciting 2014.

If you are interested in joining the branch, Chairman Ciaran Callan invites all those interested to email louthyfg@gmail.com

McGahon to take up position in the House of Lords

A relative of a former Louth TD is set to take up a position in the House of Lords next week.

John McGahon, a prominent member of Young Fine Gael in the area, was born in the a political dynasty, with Brendan McGahon serving the county as a TD with Brendan’s brother Johnny and son Conor also having an involvement in local politics down through the years.

John has shown a keen appetite for politics in recent years, campaigning for Peter Fitzpatrick in the 2011 General Election, but it remains to be seen what direction his political career takes from here now that he is moving to the UK following the completion of a History and Politics degree in UCD.

Update: John has clarified that the position is for eight weeks and he will be back in Dundalk by the end of July. He described the move as an “excellent opportunity” and added he was looking forward to it.

John and Brendan McGahon

Source: John McGahon (Twitter)