A group calling itself the “Monaghan Dingly Dangley Group have issued a statement claiming responsibility for an attack on a Crown and Unicorn effigy that is on the top floor of the Courthouse in the town which is currently being reconstructed and is due to open within weeks. Photographs show that the testicles of the Lion, on the structure which was built by the British in the 1700’s had been “Removed”. However later photos show that the workmen on the job had replaced the missing essentials.

The group claim that in recent weeks, while the builders had scaffolding in place on the outside of the Courthouse volunteers from the group claim that ‘ In a daring midnight raid operation 1 of the surreal A.S.U. have severed the last enduring connection with the British rule in Monaghan. A spokesperson for the group say’s “We hold the booty as war treasure, the British Lion is not so quite as well hung now, we hold the offending article as “war Booty and we might well put it up for sale on E.bay”

Former Sinn Fein Mayor of Monaghan Owen Smyth has who lived and ran a pub just opposite the offending Royal emblem and in his time on the Council had called for the removal of the Coat of Arms said in a statement “ For to long this historical bag (age) sic has overhung the town center of our County town offending the sensitive of our comely maidens”.

Former Counciller Smyth added “ Unlike some of our Councillors some has at last the “Cojones” if you will pardon my Spanish to remove the Cojones et al from the British Coat of arms above our Courthouse, I commend them, in heraldic terminology I think I would be fair to say that the British Lion is not so rampant in Monaghan now, in fact I might bid for it on E.bay”.