JOE HERON is a little sceptical about his town of Monaghan being named as a priority area for development under the spatial strategy.

Over a thousand people have protested outside the Department of Health in Dublin this afternoon at the withdrawal of acute services from Monaghan General Hospital.

Excitement was mounting tonight in the tiny Irish village where Sir Paul McCartney will wed Heather Mills - despite complaints from some local businesses that they were being cut out of the couple’s spending spree.