'Mullingar the poorer due to passing of John McGrath'

News review of 2025

In March, we heard that the aftermath of Storm Éowyn had left Westmeath County Council with an estimated €600,000 repair bill, but it was hoped that national government would cover the costs.

The storm also raised concerns about hazardous roadside trees, and elected members pushed for a joint meeting of all interested parties to tackle the issue. The council agreed to notify landowners of any identified risks.

On the same front page, we learned of Westmeath’s agonising defeat against Meath in the national football league. Meath swooped for a late goal five minutes into added time to take the win, but Westmeath manager Dermot McCabe was adamant that the hooter signalling the end of play sounded as the Meath forward caught the ball, three seconds before the goal was scored.

There was no doubt about James Crombie (Inpho Photography) taking the coveted AIB Press Photographer of the Year trophy for the third time. Best known for his global sensation featuring a murmuration of starlings in 2022, the Westmeath photographer’s entry again featured wildlife, and it was his sensitively planned image for the Pieta Darkness Into Light campaign, which features on the award catalogue cover, that confirmed his skill and adaptability.

Figures published in March showed that more that €2.5m had been paid out to Westmeath applicants under the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant Scheme. In total, Westmeath County Council had received 230 applications since the scheme was launched in July 2022. To date, 50 grants had been paid out, we were told. Under the scheme, applicants can get up to €70,000 to turn a vacant or derelict house or building into permanent living accommodation.

As the world celebrated International Women’s Day and Women in Sport Week, Killucan motorsports official and mother of three, Richa Mergullhao Oxley, was selected to attend the prestigious FIA High-Performance Programme in Madrid. The programme is designed to develop top-tier stewards and race directors for Formula 1 and other FIA events around the world.

Richa grew up in Dubai, where she worked in motorsports admin. There she met her husband Joe Oxley, who was competing in motorcycle races in Dubai and Qatar. They moved to Ireland in 2020 and have three children – Cian, Cara and Cillian Gerard.

Clodagh Ramsey, a student at Wilson’s Hospital School, Multyfarnham, was crowned Junk Kouture World Designer of the Year in the Helix, Dublin. She was one of 60 finalists from Ireland, the UK, France, Italy, the USA and the UAE. Clodagh’s costume ‘Aquacultural’ was a 32kg organic waste design that championed sustainable food production and gender equality.

Another Westmeath woman making the headlines in March was Jennifer Fitzpatrick whose ground breaking research project earned her the PhD Researcher of the Year Irish Cancer Society award. Jennifer developed a programme to support young people who had cancer. The programme was described as a global first. The TUS student worked with families to develop the free, personalised 12-week activity programme which is based entirely in the young person’s home and is guided by their ability and interests.

The cost of renting in Westmeath was reported to be €300 a month higher for new tenants than for those in situ, figures released by the Residential Tenancies Board revealed. Those already in situ were paying an average of €966 in rent, a figure that had risen by 5.5 per cent in 12 months. However, those entering into a new lease could expect to pay €1,247, up 3.3 per cent on the previous year.

On the rise too was the cost of land – as the old saying goes ‘they aren’t making any more of it’. In March, it was reported that a overall average price for land in Leinster was €16,259, grazing land making between €13,300 and €20,000 per acre, while some headline sales saw land make up to €36,000 an acre. A report issued by IPAV predicted that prices would rise by five to 10 per cent in 2025.

Mullingar Library won the All-Ireland Library of the Year title in March, in recognition of the work the staff do and for its My Open Library Service and its Library of Sanctuary status. Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner, Paula O’Dornan, senior executive librarian with Westmeath Libraries, said she was “delighted to have recognition of the work that the staff in Mullingar Library have done over the past year, in particular developing increased services to the public”. She said the judges particularly picked out the All Star Book Club for adults with Down Syndrome, a staff project led by Colm Muldoon, branch librarian.

“It’s a book club for adults with Down Syndrome; we meet once a month for about an hour, and there are about 10 participants,” Colm explained. He said the idea for the project came from local members of Down Syndrome Ireland who approached the library and worked in partnership with them to get it going. It has gone from strength to strength, so much so that they were asked to speak about it nationally.

There were more than 100 entries and 20 breeders at the Alpaca National Show in Mullingar Equestrian Centre. In fact, the show has grown so much each year that the organisers are considering extending the venue, possibly to another two marquees at the equestrian centre for future shows.

The postman who “liked going in for a chat” delivered his last letter for the Ballynacargy community. Pat Beglan began working at the local post office in October 1980 and, over the years, he helped local people stay connected, thinking nothing of delivering groceries and medicine to elderly residents as he did his rounds.

The people of Ballynacargy and surrounding areas gathered in large numbers at a function in the parish hall to wish Pat well in his retirement.

The champion of enterprise, community and arts, John McGrath, Mullingar, died on Saturday March 29, aged 73. The Westmeath Examiner reported: “it is no exaggeration to say that Mullingar – and society – will be the poorer due to his passing.” While he was involved with many organisations, John will be best remembered for his involvement with the Friends of Mullingar Regional Hospital, Mullingar Arts Centre, and the project he considered his ‘baby’, Mullingar Employment Action Group.

Thousands flocked to Mullingar for the 2025 St Patrick’s Day parade. There were 63 floats and record numbers in attendance. Diversity was an aspect of this year’s parade and groups from the Indian and Ukrainian communities joined many sports clubs and other clubs, businesses, Mullingar Fire Service who led the parade with their trucks, ladders and engines, Mullingar Community First Responders, and lots of bands. The organisers “couldn’t be happier”, Seamus Dunne, PRO of the organising committee said.