News and Sport and Events that matter across County Wexford.
By Dan Walsh
The Wexford Hunt point-to-point fixture scheduled for Ballinaboola, New Ross on Sunday has been called off and rescheduled.
Following an inspection today (Friday) the track was found to be unfit for racing and the fixture has been rescheduled for Saturday, February 7th.
The card had received 76 entries and they will stand. First race at 1pm.
UPDATES; Cllr Pat Kehoe informs us that the L-2006-1 at Clohamon/Slaney Meats is currently flooded and impassable to traffic until further notice.
A lecture entitled ‘Sinking of the Pomona’ by Paul Byrne, Co. Wexford Historian in Residence planned for Enniscorthy Castle tomorrow (Saturday) has been postponed due to the weather.
The River Slaney has burst its banks at Enniscorthy and the Riverside Park Hotel will be closed tomorrow (Saturday).
Cllr Ger Carthy tells us that the GAA pitch at Our Lady’s Island is completely under water tonight. The lake is overflowing.
Edermine is flooded now. Please avoid intil further notice.
By Dan Walsh in Enniscorthy, Friday 7pm
River levels continue to rise across Co. Wexford this evening and surface water is building on all routes across the county.
There is a very significant risk of flooding in Enniscorthy town again tonight and over the next 24 hours.
Wexford County Council is advising motorists to avoid Enniscorthy town overnight as traffic is currently at a standstill.
Wexford County Council teams are on site in Enniscorthy and around the county where there is an imminent risk of serious flooding and river gauges are constantly monitored.
The River Slaney has burst its banks at The Promenade and the quayside south of the Seamus Rafter Bridge is already closed to all traffic.
Please do not to bring children anywhere near flooded areas as the water is flowing rapidly and there may be underlying manholes that have become dislodged and other debris from lands and the river.
At this point, flood waters should be treated as contaminated.
Our Lady’s Island Lake is currently at risk of flooding onto the road so be careful in the vicinity.
There is a huge amount of water on the R730 between the Heritage Park and Ballymackess this evening while a large amount of flood waters is crossing the M11 Oylegate to Ferrycarrig stretch of road south of Kyle Cross.
Please take care on all roads, local and national, as water is accumulating in places – be especially mindful on dark or quieter roads where flooding may not be obvious.
The County Council emergency line is open 24 hours on 05391 96000 if you are impacted by flooding.
Life-threatening situations should be reported to the Emergency Services on 999 / 112 and the relevant agency will be informed.
By Dan Walsh
Parish communities in the Diocese of Ferns will host outdoor prayers for St. Brigid’s Day which occurs on Sunday, February 1st.
Brigid Clauson, a member of the Ferns Diocesan Pastoral Council, described the events as “an opportunity for everyone in a community to spend some time in nature and pray together. Some parishes can gather at their local holy well while other parishes may be inclined towards gathering at a place of scenic beauty. The day offers the opportunity to gather with reverence, prayer and faith in the surroundings of earth, sea and sky.”
Celebrations will be held in at least four locations across the Diocese of Ferns.
An afternoon walk will be held in Kilrush on Sunday, February 1st. At 2pm, people will gather at the Holy Well in Kiltilly. A 6km pilgrimage will take place before an ecumenical service is held at 4pm at Kilrush Catholic Church (Eircode Y21 YO32).
On Bank Holiday Monday, February 2nd, Our Lady’s Island will hold a celebration starting in the car park at 11am. From there, a walk will visit the site of the original parish holy well before concluding at the edge of Our Lady’s Island Lake. The prayer service will take place there. If the weather is poor, the service will be held in Our Lady’s Island Community Centre instead.
Members of Riverchapel Parish will celebrate St. Brigid on Sunday, February 1st. Everyone is welcome to meet in the public car park beside Courtown Playground. The group will gather from 12 noon and set off around 12.15pm on a short pilgrimage walk through Courtown Woods via the Chestnut Walk to Kilbride Cross. Weather permitting.
A short outdoor gathering will begin in the car park of St. Brigid’s Church Clologue (Eircode Y21X5W9) on Sunday, February 1st at 12pm.
A Mass will be celebrated at St. Brigid’s Well, Crossabeg on Sunday, February 1st at 12.30pm.
St. Michael’s Parish in Gorey will host a talk entitled St. Brigid – The Life Behind The Legend on Friday, January 30th at 7pm in the Pastoral Centre.
By Dan Walsh
The first WexTrad festival starts tonight (Thursday) in Wexford town and continues through until Bank Holiday Monday with Irish cultural events for St. Brigid’s Day weekend.
The opening event will revive a traditional Wexford Mummers Ball, featuring displays by mummers’ groups from around the county and dancing to a lively House Ceili Band.
The festival will include a programme of concerts, presentations, a free indoor multi-group stage and a late-night Festival Club. This will be a unique local cultural experience.
Additionally, over the weekend, associated events are being run by partner arts bodies, such as the National Opera House, Wexford Arts Centre and Eclectic Avenue.
Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann will run a series of Comhaltas-led events over the same weekend, to include instrument workshops with renowned national musicians, youth events, family events and a set dancing ceili with The Legacy Ceili Band.
Another exciting parallel event taking place over that weekend will be the Smithwick’s trad trail, which will be held in over 20 pubs and hotels in Wexford town from Friday to Monday. This will feature lively pub sessions of Irish traditional music, rousing ballad performances, and superb gigs by live bands.
Programme of events; Wexford Mummers Ball, Thursday January 29th, Talbot Hotel Slaney Suite 9pm.
Tulua in concert, Friday January 30th, Talbot Hotel Slaney Suite 9pm.
Ardan na Slaine – a FREE indoor gig rig-style event, Saturday January 31st, Talbot Hotel Slaney Suite 12 noon onwards. This unique event is generously supported by Wexford Credit Union.
3 on the Bund in concert, Sunday February 1st, Talbot Hotel Slaney Suite 9pm.
A Celebration of Wexford Piping concert, Monday February 2nd, Talbot Hotel Slaney Suite, 1pm. This is a rare event – a gathering of uilleann pipers from throughout the county.
The Tin Sandwich Band, Monday February 2nd, Talbot Hotel Slaney Suite 7pm.
Crown Live/Wextrad Joint Event (Tickets through Crown Live):
The Rising followed by Gerry’s Trisco, Crown Live, Saturday January 31st 11pm.
Electrad followed by Gerry’s Trisco, Crown Live, Sunday February 1st 11pm.
Wextrad Events (tickets available through Wexford Arts Centre):
Wextrad Events (tickets available through Wexford Arts Centre):
WexTrad Weekend is supported by Wexford County Council, as a Fleadh legacy project, and is additionally supported by Wexford Credit Union, Wexford Town Vintners, The Talbot Hotel and Crown Live.
Wextrad Events tickets are available through Wexford Arts Centre.
By Dan Walsh in Enniscorthy
Minister of State for the Office of Public Works (OPW) Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran visited Enniscorthy this afternoon where he met with politicians, engineers, residents and businesses affected by Tuesday’s flooding in the town acknowledged as the worse experienced in three decades.
Minister Moran met a delegation at the Presentation Centre including Minister James Browne, Johnny Mythen TD, Senator Cathal Byrne, Cllrs Barbara-Anne Murphy, Cathaoirleach of Enniscorthy Municipal District, Aidan Browne, John O’Rourke and Jackser Owens, Eddie Taaffe, Chief Executive of Wexford County Council, Eamonn Hore, Director of Services and Jim Casey, Engineer with OPW.
The Minister gave a press conference to local and national media at the Presentation Centre and visited damaged premises on Island Road, such as Tyreworld (Ronan Furlong), J&M Motors (John Leacy) and the home of Michael O’Neill.
It was also learned that tons of goods were destroyed at Dunnes Stores after the flood waters entered the premises. The shop itself wasn’t affected and business continued as usual.
Another Yellow warning for rain will come into effect in County Wexford on Friday morning at 9am, lasting until midnight.
On top of today’s yellow warning for rainfall, and with saturated lands and rivers, this creates a continued high risk for flooding for the Slaney, and particularly Enniscorthy town, right through the bank holiday weekend.
This is an ongoing response situation for Wexford County Council. Teams remain vigilant, monitoring the river gauges to assess potential impacts in the county, and for the recently flood-affected areas. “We remain ready to respond to the ongoing flooding situation as issues may occur,” said Wexford County Council in a statement.
Repair work is still ongoing around the county, to damaged roads, pipes, and manholes. There is a commitment to engage with business owners and residents in the immediate River Slaney catchment in Enniscorthy town.
According to Met Éireann, between 10 and 25mm of rain may fall in the next 24-36 hours. Many rivers, including the Slaney are currently very full, so combined with continued heavy rains and drenched soils, this may create further accumulations of both surface and river water.
There has been an accumulated rainfall of 79.6mm between January 22nd and 28th in the county.
By Dan Walsh in Enniscorthy
Traffic is travelling through Enniscorthy again tonight. Both bridges and the quays have been cleaned up and declared safe for normal traffic to resume following the worst floods in the town for three decades.
However, there is no immediate guarantee. A Status Yellow Rain warning for Wexford is now in place for Thursday and there is still some uncertainty around Friday’s weather in the county, but Council teams remain vigilant during this unsettled period and will continue to monitor river levels and respond as required to the ongoing weather situation.
The Status Yellow rain warning is for Carlow, Dublin, Kilkenny, Wexford, Wicklow, and Waterford and is valid from midnight Thursday to midnight Friday.
Met Éireann predict further heavy rain and showers falling on saturated ground, combined with high river levels, may cause localised flooding, river flooding and difficult travelling conditions.
The River Slaney levels receded quite rapidly this morning and crews spent all day returning the roads to full fitness in a smooth operation that was overseen by Wexford County Council engineers and aided by dry weather conditions.
Overnight the sheer force of the water caused the wall on the Wexford side of the river to collapse and disappear into the flood waters. A temporary wall has been erected for public safety.
Enniscorthy town and Bunclody are entering into the recovery period as flood waters subside, with council crews, home and business owners assessing damage and continuing to make repairs to affected areas.
Community Support Centres are opened in Enniscorthy and Bunclody to support impacted homeowners with access to charging, hot water and showers.
The locations are Rapparees Starlights GAA Club, Bellefield, Enniscorthy, St Aidan’s Hall, Irish Street, Bunclody, and Templeshannon Community & Childcare Centre.
The Department of Social Protection operated clinics to support impacted households through the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme (HAS) today in Enniscorthy and Bunclody.
By phone/email for impacted households: 0818 60 70 80 or HAS@DSP.IE
While the nation focus is on the welfare of Enniscorthy households and business premises the flooding is also extensive in other parts of the region.
Edermine bridge road is heavily flooded. This is a usual flooding spot and can be affected by heavy rain and tidal conditions.
The River Slaney caused unprecedented flooding on Ryland Road in Bunclody on the N80. A big clean up by the residents aided by the Council crews took place and the route into Carlow has reopened.
Severe flooding was observed in Clohamon and fields were extensively flooded at Scarawalsh in the vicinity of the old bridge. Both are on the River Slaney.
Hundreds of hectares of land are under water along the River Bann between Camolin, along by Ferns and down to Scarawalsh where the tributary joins the River Slaney.
RTÉ News is reporting that the Minister of State for the Office of Public Works (OPW) Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran will visit Enniscorthy tomorrow (Thursday). He has visited the town many times regards the flooding, makes a good photo shoot and nothing is progressed and, of course, An Taoiseach Micheál Martin was also in Enniscorthy last week.
By Dan Walsh
A Wexford councillor supports the Irish Farmers Association’s protest calling for An Bord Bia Chairman Larry Murrin to step down.
Chairman of Wexford County Council, Cllr Joe Sullivan told WexfordLocal.com; “I am acutely aware of the challenges facing the Irish Agricultural Sector across Beef, Dairy and Tillage. I am also aware that some of the best food in the World is produced in County Wexford.
“Bord Bia’s mission is ” to drive the commercial success of a world class Irish food drink and horticulture industry by providing market insights and partnering with the industry.
“Their core purpose is to bring Irelands high quality produce to the world while enabling the growth and sustainability of producers”.
Cllr Sullivan said; “I am satisfied that the Chairman of Bord Bia has not lived up to these principles and by having any connection with the importation of Brazilian Beef however tenuous. While it may only form 1% or less of whatever product it’s found its way into it is still too much.
“I would therefore call on the Bord Bia Chairman Mr Larry Murrin to step aside as I believe he has lost the confidence of the Irish Agricultural Community particularly the Beef Producers, stated Cllr Sullivan who added; “I would also like to say as Chairman of Bord Bia 100% commitment to Irish Produce is required not 99%.”
By Dan Walsh in Enniscorthy
Enniscorthy is on high alert tonight after the River Slaney burst its banks with both bridges closed to traffic and many business premises under water.
Schools will remain closed on Wednesday. Irish Rail services are suspended as Enniscorthy resembles a canal and bus services have been transferred. Please contact your transport company for more details!
The town succumbed to many days of rainfall and 30mm falling on Monday night alone and has flooded the quays, Templeshannon and Island Road. Otherwise, it is business as usual in the town with traffic restrictions in place.
Wexford County Council crews will remain on duty tonight ensuring safety measures are adhered to. The floods have been described as ‘severe’ and the worst seen in the town in about 30 years.
More bad news indicates that there is plenty more rain to fall and experts say that Enniscorthy could be under flooding for several days to come!
The alarm was raised shortly after 3am on Tuesday morning when both bridges were closed to traffic. Sandbags were distributed throughout the day as the speed of the water increased and the levels were much greater.
Assistance was provided to the residents of Island Road and all are safe tonight.
A family including a newly born baby were successfully rescued from their home on Templeshannon Quay.
Slaney Search and Rescue had a busy day and ferried people across Templeshannon which proved popular.
This afternoon a number of families were rescued from their homes at Riverview Court by Enniscorthy Fire Service and Civil Defence as the flood waters advanced and trapped them in their homes.
This evening crowds gathered in Abbey Square and Slaney Place to view the scene as wheelie bins, beer barrels, street furniture, tractor tyres and logs were swept away by the fast-flowing water.
While concerns were raised about the Seamus Rafter Bridge where “the water flows over the bridge” it was noted tonight that the old stone bridge is within inches of getting blocked!
There is also extensive flooding on the N80 at Ryland Road in Bunclody. The road is closed to traffic for the foreseeable future.
The only shred of good news emanating from today’s flooding events is that the weather has been calm and there are no reports of power cuts.
By Dan Walsh in Enniscorthy
The River Slaney in Enniscorthy has burst its banks with both bridges closed to traffic and many business premises under water this afternoon.
Wexford County Council and Slaney Search and Rescue volunteers were on alert from 3am as heavy rainfall caused the river to burst its banks.
Residents on Island Road have been assisted while people are being ferried through Templeshannon by boat courtesy of Slaney Search and Rescue volunteers.
Sandbags have been provided and a parked car has become completely submerged at Abbey Quay.
The operation has been working well with the immediate emphasis on safety. Many Council workers and engineers are observing the situation on the ground with the support of An Garda Siochana.
Roads into the town are closed. Schools have been closed. And BREAKING NEWS schools will be closed again tomorrow (Wednesday). Rail services have been suspended.
However, it must be said that Enniscorthy is open for business with the flooding only affecting riverside premises and services, although diversions may be necessary.
Flooding is also affecting other areas including Edermine, the Irish National Heritage Park, Bunclody, Clohamon, Blackwater, Castlebridge and the Ahare River at Castletown is completely impassable.
A Status Yellow rain warning is in effect for Carlow, Kilkenny, Louth, Wexford, Wicklow and Waterford until 11pm.
The entire country also remains under a Status Yellow wind warning until the same time as Storm Chandra passes over the country.
By Dan Walsh at Enniscorthy Municipal District Council meeting
At the January Enniscorthy Municipal District Council meeting, councillors were surprised by the roads budget and its distance coverage.
The meeting was informed that the roads budget for the district is €2.1 million and that covered a mere 13 kilometres last year!
In 2026, due to higher material costs, the unchanged budget covers just 12 kilometres!
Members informed the engineer about district roads needing repairs and new potholes appearing, but this was prior to heavy rains and Storm Chandra’s challenges.
Cllr Jackser Owens raised concerns about flooding on Island Road and urged for sandbags to be provided to properties along the River Slaney.
Since the meeting things have got worse in and around the town. A small pothole has emerged on the right-hand lane as we drive onto the William Barker bridge. It was noticed today and won’t heal itself.
There is a serious surface deterioration on Lymington Road (some call it Parnell Road) which leads onto Duffry Street (some call it Pig Market Hill) and joins with the top of Wafer Street where an unknown amount of money was spent on footpaths late last year.
A well-known blocked gully is located on Mill Park Road at the intersection with The Folly; it has been created by the mechanical sweeper and, during periods of heavy flow, can cause significant splashing onto pedestrians. It has been there for years now despite complaints from the locals.
WexfordLocal.com 