Meeting to discuss closure of Castleblayney Mart to take place tonight

A meeting is scheduled to take place tonight (Monday, July 9) to discuss the closure of Castleblayney Mart in Co. Monaghan.

Farmers affected by the closure of the mart and its parent company, Edward Paul Nugent Ltd, have been encouraged to attend the meeting, which will get underway at 8:30pm tonight in the Glencarn Hotel, Castleblayney.

The meeting is being organised by the Monaghan branch of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) and its chairperson Frank Brady.

AgriLand understands that a representative from McCormack & Co Solicitors will be present at the meeting.

It is hoped that tonight’s meeting can bring some clarity to the concerns raised by farmers affected by the closure of the mart at previous meetings.

Reports emerged in March that the mart had run into difficulties and sales scheduled to take place towards the end of that month were cancelled.

It was confirmed in April that a liquidator had been appointed to the company which operated the mart.

Farmers owed as much as €200,000

At a meeting which took place in April, it was claimed that farmers who sold livestock in Castleblayney Mart were owed as much as €200,000.

Between 80 and 100 people attended meeting, with most of those present owed money by the mart for livestock. It is understood that amounts owed varied from around €300 to as high as €8,500.

It was also reported that in excess of €300,000 was owed to people who placed deposits on property – some of which included farmland – with the auctioneering company.

As well as this, it emerged that the auctioneering licence held by Edward Paul Nugent Ltd – the company which operated the mart – had expired in February 2017.