A road has closed following the discovery of a Surface opening on lands in County Monaghan.
The opening is located on lands immediately adjacent to the LP4900 at Drumgossatt, Magheracloone.
Monaghan County Council received word from Gyproc/Saint-Gobain that they had been alerted to the development of a relatively small-sized surface opening on lands immediately adjacent to the LP4900 at Drumgossatt.
Its understood that the opening is 150mm in diameter. In a statement to Northern Sound Monaghan County Council said the primary concern is that this opening might be indicative of a more significant sub-surface subsidence. As a precautionary measure and in the interest of public safety, Monaghan County Council has implemented a road closure.
Diversions are now operating to the school and church and the road will remain closed until further notice, the council said The LP4900 shall remain closed, pending the outcome of further site investigation, including the analysis of data from the ground monitoring systems that Saint-Gobain has in place in the area.
In 2018 a sink hole opened up at the nearby Magheracloone Mitchells GAA club, causing other road closures as engineers examined the causes. A council spokesperson says it is very much hoped that Saint-Gobain and Monaghan County Council shall be better placed to provide further information on this issue in the coming hours.
Meanwhile in a statement to Northern Sound this afternoon from Gyproc they have confirmed that the hole found on farming lands is unrelated to mining activity and there is no evidence of mining related subsidence, "Following a site inspection on farming lands where a surface disturbance of the soil had been identified, there is no evidence of mining related subsidence, crown hole or sinkhole at the location. This inspection has confirmed that the soil disturbance is not related to any mine or mining activity. A full report is being sent to Monaghan County Council."
