Wexford’s Luke Furlong is amateur open champion

Luke Furlong (Wexford), the 2026 Flogas Irish Boys’ Amateur Open Champion. (Pic; Inpho/Ryan Byrne).

By Caomh Breen Allen

Luke Furlong produced an incredible performance on the final day of the Flogas Irish Boys’ Amateur Open Championship, coming from behind to secure a playoff victory over John Moran (Portmarnock) at Malone Golf Club.

Furlong began the day four shots off the lead, rounds of 72 and 70 leaving the Wexford golfer at two-over-par as he teed it up on Sunday afternoon. The 16-year-old remained steady across his opening nine holes, a level-par 35 keeping him firmly in contention, but with ground to make up on the leaders.

John Moran (Portmarnock) and Barry McMenamin (Ballybofey and Stranorlar) were tied at the top on one-under-par thru their opening nine holes, but the momentum shifted early on the back nine.

With five holes to play, Furlong trailed Moran by four shots, but the turning point came at the 14th, where the Wexford golfer chipped in for his first birdie of the day to spark his charge. Another birdie would follow at the 16th and when Moran dropped a shot at the 17th, Furlong’s birdie on the same hole would draw him level at one-under-par.

Both players would par the 18th to force a playoff, returning to the same hole once again. Furlong found the centre of the fairway off the tee, while Moran was left to play from the rough on the left.

Furlong’s approach set up his birdie chance, while Moran faced a delicate chip from off the back of the green, which he played excellently to put the pressure back on his opponent.

The 16-year-old rose to the occasion, producing the putt of the day when it mattered. As his ball dropped, Furlong clenched his fist in celebration, cheered on by family and friends who had made the long journey north.

“Lost for words really. I didn’t think coming into that back nine that I would have had too much of a chance, but I just tried to stick in it and keep going,” said Furlong.

“Luckily, I chipped in on 14 to set me off a bit and then two birdies on the way in, and obviously the birdie in the playoff to beat John, who is an incredible player. It’s a very nice feeling.”

It was Furlong’s composure throughout the final round that proved decisive, with the Wexford golfer carding a bogey-free 67 before making his fourth and final birdie in the playoff to claim his second national title, following his All-Ireland Schools Senior Boys triumph in 2025.

“I decided if I could get back to under par and stay there, keep being a problem, keep causing trouble, I would be in with a shout. The last two days I played well. I scrambled at times and putting kept me in it so I knew if I hit more greens, more fairways that if I could putt the same as I have the last few days, I’d have a good chance.”

“It’s a good feeling. Bogey-free today. I hit fairways and greens quite well, gave myself chances, didn’t put myself in trouble. That was the goal heading into today, just keep it steady, keep being there, keep being a problem and see what happened at the end.”

Doubles for Goff and Hendrick

HARRY GOFF shared a family double today. (File Pic; WexfordLocal.com)

By Dan Walsh

Three point-to-point meetings today with doubles for Ferns handler Michael Goff and Tomhaggard rider Jack Hendrick while Jonathan Fogarty, in his 14th year as a handler at Cleariestown, saddled his 50th career winner.

Goff had an across the cards double beginning with Techno Lad coming home nine lengths to the good under Matthew Gahan in the maiden race for five-year-old geldings at Castletown-Geoghegan, Co. Westmeath.

Goff’s double was achieved at Doneraile, Co. Cork, in the first division of the maiden race for four-year-old geldings and a two lengths success with newcomer Hurricane Harry ridden by his son, Harry Goff. Both winners were in the Caitriona Goff colours.

Division two of the above race went to Darragh Berry, Tomhaggard, who saddled The Big Berk to a one a half lengths victory ridden by Joey Dunne.

There was also point-to-point action at Tullaherin, Co. Kilkenny today. Jamie Scallan and Sean Doyle combined to win the second division of the four-year-old mares race with newcomer Spinning A Dream ridden by Jamie Scallan. Twelve lengths the winning margin.

Eamonn Doyel saddled another newcomer, Garden Master, in the first division of the maiden race for four-year-old geldings and the result was a four lengths success with Bertie Finn riding.

Jonathon Fogarty saddled his 50th career winner in the maiden race for five-year-old geldings at the Kilkenny track with Tamara Jane winning by 13 lengths ridden by Taghmon rider Alex O’Keeffe.

Jack Hendrick rode a double. The Laundry Jet for Patrick Doyle, Tipperary, and Nelsons Port for Navan handler Amy Parsons.

Gorey school is Fyffes Fittest

Fitness and healthy eating should start at a young age.

That’s the message pupils at Gorey Central School heard as they hosted a workout session as part of the Fyffes Fittest School 2026 competition. 

Delivered by Irish fitness expert Sharon Flanagan, the visit saw the young pupils participate in an active age-appropriate workout designed to improve their general fitness during which advice on the importance of healthy eating was given.

Jesse Sludds is new country music star  

JESSE SLUDDS gave a winning performance on The Late Late Show last night. (Pic; Andreas Poveda/RTÉ Press Office)

By Dan Walsh

Wexford teenager Jesse Sludds has been crowned the inaugural Late Late Show Opening Act winner – the search for Ireland’s newest country music star.

The prize will see him opening for Shania Twain at Limerick’s Thomond Park in July and opening The Late Late Show Country Special in October.

The 19-year-old full-time musician from Enniscorthy, who covered Tracy Chapman’s Fast Car on the night, won the competition when the results of the public vote, the music industry jury vote, and the country music jury vote were combined.

When the result was announced, he told host Patrick Kielty; “Oh wow, I did not expect that at all. And to think that I wasn’t going to do it because I didn’t think I was country enough!

“I had seen it online at first and I was like, ‘Nah…’, and then I had so many people talking to me I was like, ‘Ah sure, go on then!’ But, eh, wow!”

In the studio on the night, The Late Late Show‘s panel, made up of singers Una Healy and Sandy Kelly, The Shires’ Ben Earle, and broadcaster and Something Happens frontman Tom Dunne had all hailed Sludds’s performance, describing him as “very special” (Healy), “an amazing voice” (Kelly), “a star” (Earle), and “sensational” (Dunne).

Enniscorthy Civic Awards Evening

DAVIDSTOWN-COURTNACUDDY GAA CLUB added another trophy to their precious 2025 collection at the Civic Awards Evening. Pictured (left to right); Elaine Doran, Dom Stafford, Tony Dempsey, Maureen Doyle, John O’Donoghue and Joe O’Donoghue. (Pic; WexfordLocal.com)

By Dan Walsh at Riverside Park Hotel, Enniscorthy

Enniscorthy District Manager Claire Lawless welcomed everyone to the Enniscorthy Municipal District Council to the special Civic Awards Evening held in Riverside Park Hotel, Enniscorthy, tonight (Thursday).

There was a special welcome for Minister James Browne TD, Johnny Mythen TD, Cllr Barbara-Anne Murphy, Cathaoirleach Enniscorthy Municipal District Council, Cllrs Aidan Browne, Jackser Owens, John O’Rourke and Trish Byrne. Apologies were accepted from Cllr Pat Kehoe.

“The Civic Awards Evening is where the Cathaoirleach and elected members of Enniscorthy Municipal District recognise and awards outstanding achievements of individuals and groups from around the district,” stated Ms. Lawless, who added; “Congratulations and well done to all.”

The winners were presented with their plaques and certificates by elected members who nominated them having brought their list of achievements before an adjudication panel. The winners were as follows;

CIVIC CERTIFICATE AWARDS

EMILY NOLAN who won two gold medals and one silver in the world Karate championships individual and JAKE NOLAN, winner of three gold medals at the Karate World Championships.

TOM BYRNE and JIMMY DUNNE who won the over 65 years Handball Championships representing Kilmyshal Handball Club.

TOMMY ARMSTRONG winner of over 60s B World Championship held in Ireland.

SEAN NOLAN Two world handball over 40’s title (France and Netherlands) and two runner-ups (UK and Spain.

LOUISE DOBBS Senior Irish dancing All-Ireland winner 2025.

MIA LARKIN WALSH and ANNE MARIE O’MAHONEY for representing Ireland at the Global Innovation in Sustainability Summit (GISS) in Qatar 2025.

DEAN MOLLOY, winner of the Fergal Quinn Award for Education.

ANNE MARIE O’MAHONEY (left) and MIA LARKIN WALSH represented Ireland at the Global Innovation in Sustainability Summit (GISS) in Qatar 2025. Pictured here with their nominator Cllr Trish Byrne and certificates at the Civic Awards Evening event. (Pic; WexfordLocal.com)

CIVIC PLAQUE AWARDS

SEAN ÓG Ó DUBGHAILL 30 years as treasurer of Enniscorthy Tidy Towns’ Committee amongst other contributions to the town and district over a long career as an elected public representative and beyond.

DAVIDSTOWN-COURTNACUDDY GAA CLUB 2025 Leinster Junior Club hurling championship winners.

WEXFORD FILM WORKSHOP Winner of 17 international film festival awards including Best Film.

REACHABILITY 50th anniversary.

TEMPLESHANNON COMMUNITY CHILDCARE CENTRE 50th anniversary.

FDYS 60th anniversary.

It was a most enjoyable occasion. District Manager Claire Lawless and her team, Lisa Moore and Barbara Nolan, managed the event successfully, with Liam Sharkey as excellent master of ceremonies.

 

Iarnród Éireann’s Health & Safety Awards

At Iarnród Éireann’s 2025 Health & Safety Awards (left to right); Director of Health and Safety Kay Doyle, Aidan O’Sullivan and Iarnród Éireann Chief Executive Mary Considine. (Pic; Iarnród Éireann).

By Dan Walsh

Iarnród Éireann celebrated the outstanding achievements of colleagues across the organisation at the 2025 Health & Safety Awards, held recently in Portlaoise.

Aidan O’Sullivan, a port operative for Iarnród Rosslare Europort, was amongst the winners highlighted at the event. Aidan was recognised as the “Shared Services Safety Individual of the Year”.

“Recognition in any form is very humbling, but when it comes from your colleagues and peers for promoting safety, it’s even more rewarding,” said O’Sullivan.

Also receiving a Health and Safety award in the category of Shared Services Safety Representative of the Year was Danny Ennis, Duty Supervisor at Rosslare Europort. Danny was nominated and selected as the Shared Services Safety Rep of 2025 for his active role in promoting safety and assisting with all safety-related tasks as part of his duties at the busy gateway to European trade. 

Kay Doyle, Director of Health and Safety for Iarnród Éireann said of the recognition; “I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to all persons nominated and recognised as part of the Iarnród Éireann Health and Safety Awards. Our first core value is Always Safe, and these individuals have gone beyond the standard to be safety leaders. “We as a railway are committed to ensuring a safe place of work for our staff and contractors whilst ensuring the safe transport of our customers, and the achievement of these individuals make that Safe Journey, Every Journey a reality.”

Councillors failed fuel protesters

WEXFORD COUNTY COUNCIL Headquarters at Carricklawn, Wexford. (File Pic; WexfordLocal.com)

By Dan Walsh at April meeting of Wexford County Council

A large number of fuel protesters from Rosslare district attended in the public gallery at last Monday’s Wexford County Council meeting held at County Hall, but two emergency motions supporting them failed to be put to a vote.

Cllr Jim Codd strongly criticised the government’s “heavy-handed” response to the protests, which he said; “have been driven by ordinary workers and families struggling with rising costs.”

However, it must be said that Cllr Codd expressed admiration for the Rosslare protesters who did so peacefully, were courteous to passing motorists and emergency vehicles at all times and called off the four day protest quietly and without resistence on Sunday.

Cllr AoifeRose O’Brien said the current government has mishandled the cost-of-living crisis and other issues like housing and healthcare. She said the people have spoken and they have no confidence in this government.

Cllr Oliver Walsh showed sympathy for the protesters but called the motions “populist” and criticised the Council for prioritising national over local issues.

Cllr Walsh voiced concern about protesters’ blockade tactics, especially self-appointed wardens preventing people from their daily activities.

Cllr Codd proposed a motion condemning the government’s actions, expressed frustration that the protest had been ignored by the government, who only wanted to engage with official groups like the IFA and Irish Road Hauliers Association, despite the protest being about broader concerns.

Cllr Aoife Rose O’Brien also introduced a motion to hold the government accountable, calling for a vote of no confidence in the coalition.

CLLR JIM CODD (File Pic; WexfordLocal.com)

Amendments were subsequently proposed to both motions, and proceedings were temporarily paused. It was clarified that, in the event of an emergency motion—which may be called on short notice—a majority of 18 votes is required for amendments to be considered acceptable.

Cathaoirleach Cllr Joe Sullivan restarted the meeting, leading to a roll-call amid some confusion in the chamber. County Secretary Michael Drea had a busy session quoting the rulebook. Some called for an ‘in-committee’ vote, but the Cathaoirleach was adamant and all names were recorded.

Cllr Codd’s motion failed – 17 (for), 13 (against) and one abstention. Cllr O’Brien’s motion failed by just one vote – 16 in favour and 15 against. Neither motion reached 18 votes, so they were not adopted.

History rules in film documentary

By Dan Walsh

The premiere of a documentary entitled ‘The Bantry Commons Case’ will be screened in conjunction with the Uí Cinnsealaigh Historical Society in the Riverside Park Hotel, Enniscorthy, tomorrow night (Wednesday) at 7.30pm.

John Cooney and Tony Asple founded Blackstairs Media Productions to produce documentaries, believing the Bantry Commons case required more than a five-minute video.

As a result, they chose to create an in-depth documentary on the topic. Filming began last summer with location shoots in the Blackstairs/White Mountain area, alongside research gathering. Fellow student in Maynooth, Nuala Dundon was integral to the research and joins them in the documentary.

The score was originally composed by Seána Redmond, with additional music and traditional arrangements contributed by Mary Kate and Paula Ní Mhurchú from Courtnacuddy, as well as Tony Asple, Martin Codd, and Joe White. The production also benefitted from the voluntary participation of local amateur actors.

Background to the Bantry Commons Case. The battle for commonage rights took place in the Bantry Commons, in the barony of Bantry, Co. Wexford. It ran from the Confederate Wars (1641–53) to 1844, when the local prominent landlord, Thomas Kavanagh, Borris House, Co. Carlow, lost his exclusive commonage rights to the people of the barony, after a court case taken by a tenant farmer, Mr Prendergast, of the adjoining parish of Ballindoney in the townland of Templeludigan.

The tenants were supported by Fr. Thomas Furlong of Killegney. Furlong was parish priest of Killegney from 1816 until his death in 1852. He was prominent in Daniel O’Connell’s Catholic Association in the fight for Catholic Emancipation, took an active role in the anti Tithe campaign in the 1830s and again O’Connell’s Repeal movement in the 1840s. Such were Furlong’s efforts in the Bantry Commons case he was given the title ‘The King of Bantry’ by the local inhabitants.

The little-known Bantry Commons legal cases, referred to locally as the White Mountain legal cases, of the 1840s are significant as they capture the complexities of the issue of tenant rights, the growing in confidence of the tenant voice and the question of landownership in pre-Famine Ireland. The backdrop to this story is the widespread agrarian unrest among tenants, their economic hardship and the legal system that both protected and oppressed them.

Better access to Ringwood Forest Trail

At the official opening of the Ringwood Forest Trail, near Enniscorthy town, were (L-R): Landowner Phonsey Keogh, Peter O’Connor (Wexford Walking Trails), Tom Bermingham (Wexford Local Development), Georgina Gaul (Wexford Local Development), Dervla Tierney (Wexford Local Development), Cllr John O’Rourke, Cllr Aidan Browne, Claire Lawless (Enniscorthy Municipal District Manager), Brian Kehoe (Wexford Local Development).

By Dan Walsh

The resurfacing of Ringwood Lane at St. John’s on the Kilcarbery road near Enniscorthy has been finished, enhancing access to the poplar Ringwood Forest Trail.

The project was administered by Georgina Gaul, Rural Recreation Officer at Wexford Local Development, and supported by Wexford County Council’s Enniscorthy Municipal District which provided €4,500 towards the cost, demonstrating a strong partnership approach and a real team effort at local level.

The works carried out at Ringwood Lane form part of a series of planned steps aimed at linking key pieces of outdoor recreational infrastructure, offering users greater opportunity, improved connectivity, and enhanced access across the wider area.

Outdoor recreation plays a vital role in supporting health and wellbeing, and projects such as this improved accessibility for everyone to enjoy time outdoors in a beautiful, unspoilt natural environment.

Crucially, the Ringwood project would not have been possible without the ongoing support of local landowners, Mary Keogh and Phonsey Keogh of St John’s, who kindly gave permission for their lane to be used as access to the trail.

Wexford Local Development collaborated with the Enniscorthy Community Alliance on a successful application to the Department of Rural & Community Development and the Gaeltacht for grant aid through the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS).

Josh Berry scores a double

By Dan Walsh

Three point-to-point fixtures nationally yesterday (Sunday), plenty of Wexford participation at all three venues, and Tomhaggard rider Josh Berry scored a double at Rathcannon, Co. Limerick, both wins for Wexford stables.

Berry got off the mark on Double Annie in the Laura Scallan colours and trained by Mark Scallan who came home 20 lengths clear in the maiden race for four-year-old mares.

JOSH BERRY double success.

Berry’s second success of the afternoon came in the maiden race for five-year-old geldings on Shane Roche’s newcomer Ballyteige. The winning distance was 12 lengths.

At the Tattersalls meeting champions Barry O’Neill and Colin Bowe shared success with newcomer Down Jones Road in division two of the maiden race for four-year-old geldings.

Adamstown handler Susan O’Gorman was also successful at the Meath venue saddling Annie Mulligan with Ferns rider James Murray up winning the maiden race for five-year-olds plus mares’ maiden race. One and a half lengths the verdict.

At Dromahane, Co. Cork, newcomer Mifa D’Airy won the four-year-old mares’ maiden race by 16 lengths for the Monbeg Partnership and handler Sean Doyle. Jamie Scallan riding his 101st career winner in the process.

The maiden race for four-year-old geldings concluded in a Wexford 1,2 – with only a head separating them! Newcomer Chanson Du Jury won for Jonathan Fogarty and the Cleariestown-based Gaynestown Stud partnership with Finian Maguire in the saddle, holding off Mick Goff’s All In Focus (Matt Gahan up) in the closest finish of the day.

Rob James also added a winner from the Kiltealy -based Gearoid O’Loughlin stables when C’est Le Capri took the maiden race for five-year-old geldings.  

Racing took place at Loughanmore, Co. Antrim, on Easter Monday where Barry Stone won the mares’ Winner of Two race on Colegram for the Blackhall Stables Partnership, Killurin, and handler Paul Martin Pierce.