Monaghan County Council has granted the go-ahead for a sensory room to be provided at this year's St Patrick's Day parade in Carrickmacross. The confirmation was welcomed by Sinn Fein's Colm Carthy who initially brought the matter to the fore back in 2022. The sensory room will be located at the Market Square in Carrickmacross and will be open for approximately two hours.
According to Cllr Carthy, the sensory room is open to anyone who has a child who needs a break from the crowds and noise. The room is limited to four at a time and users need to be accompanied by a parent/guardian. Speaking to Northern Sound, Cllr Carthy hopes the sensory room will encourage families to attend the popular St Patrick's Day festival who might normally avoid such events.
"There's a lot of parents who have children with sensory issues that would think twice about bringing their families to certain events just in case it became uncomfortable or became overwhelming for them as a family unit in one instance but for their child also. Having something like this available to people either from Carrickmacross or those visiting the town for the event is a massive relief to them."
