MARY FARRELL has been elected to Wexford County Council for the third time in Kilmuckridge LEA
By Dan Walsh
The first count for Kilmuckridge LEA was announced around 11am and first to be elected with a surplus of 222 is Independent candidate Mary Farrell a sitting councillor with over 10 years experience.
Pip Breen has been elected on the Second Count – Farrell’s surplus gave the outgoing Cathaoirleach of Gorey-Kilmuckridge Municipal District Council.
Oliver Walsh was elected on Count Four while Paddy Kavanagh (independent) knocked out sitting Cllr Willie Kavanagh, the publican from Oylegate.
FIRST COUNT Total Poll 7,572; Quota 1,498; 4 Seats; 6 Candidates FARRELL, Mary (Independent)1,720 ELECTED BREEN, Pip (Fianna Fáil) 1,461 WALSH, Oliver (Fine Gael) 1,371 KAVANAGH, Willie (Fianna Fáil) 1,101 KENNY, Declan (Sinn Féin),921 KAVANAGH, Paddy (Independent) 914 Mary Farrell has been deemed ELECTED and her surplus of 222 is now being distributed.
SECOND COUNT Distribution of Farrell’s surplus of 222 votes BREEN +64 1,525 ELECTED FARRELL 1,498 ELECTED WALSH +50 1,421 KAVANAGH W +15 1,116 KAVANAGH +59 973 KENNY +34 955
THIRD COUNT. Distribution of Breen’s surplus of 27. WALSH +10 1,431 KAVANAGH W +8 1,124 KAVANAGH P +6 KENNY +3 958
COUNT FOUR Elimination of Kenny and distribution of 958 votes. WALSH +116 1,547 ELECTED KAVANAGH Paddy +3811,360 KAVANAGH, Willie +100 1,224 Non-transferrable 361
Counting in the Local Elections has been suspended until Sunday morning. So no First Counts tonight. The Count will resume in the morning at 9am.
Counting began just after 8pm at St. Joseph’s Community Centre, Bishopswater, and 192 boxes containing votes cast for the 72 candidates in Friday’s Local Elections from six districts – Gorey, Enniscorthy, New Ross, Wexford, Kilmuckridge and Rosslare. 34 seats are available in the next Wexford County Council.
Busy morning here at the Wexford Count Centre with the first of the 192 polling boxes opening from 9am. It is going to be a long count, possibly after 7pm before the first official results are announced.
The tally teams have been busy as the boxes are opened.
With the count at roughly the halfway stage, it looks like the new council will show very little change in representation from the outgoing council, so it appears that the voices for change have gone the path of hidden hearing?
First boxes opened came from the Gorey district where 14 candidates are contesting six seats. Tallies indicate that sitting Cllr Donal Kenny will head the poll; Independent Nicky Boland is polling well, so too, Anthony Donohoe (Fine Gael) and Joe Sullivan (Fianna Fail).
It looks like Kilmuckridge will return the sitting quartet – Cllrs Pip Breen, Mary Farrell, who is tipped to top the poll, Oliver Walsh and Willie Kavanagh.
In Enniscorthy district Cathal Byrne (Fine Gael), seems to be the anticipated poll topper, Barbara-Anne Murphy and John O’Rourke are polling well.
Currently the New Ross boxes are being opened. Wexford and Rosslare still to go. A long way to go before results will come true. It could be 6pm before the count proper begins.
Two talented students from Selskar College, Wexford – Ellie Furlong and Aoife Davis – were among the inspirational prize-winners at the annual An Taisce Green Schools Water Awards and were crowned the Water Ambassador Regional winners at the Dublin ceremony.
Uisce Éireann’s Geoffrey Bourke, who presented the awards alongside An Taisce’s Cathy Baxer was in awe of the students’ creativity and imagination. “Those of us lucky enough to be in attendance could not help but be inspired by the children’s stories of how they worked together to protect the valuable water resource and how they inspired their communities to use less water. They are a great example to us all.”
Star studentsEllie Furlong and Aoife Davis of Selskar College, Weford pictured with Cathy Baxter of Green-Schools and Geoffrey Bourke of Uisce Eireann at the Green-Schools Water Awards
Cathy Baxter said; “It’s a privilege to be involved in these awards as they celebrate so much creativity and highlight the wide variety of ways, we can create awareness and take action. Huge credit and thanks to all the participating students, teachers and schools.”
The annual event marks the 11th year of Uisce Éireann’s sponsorship of An Taisce’s Green Schools programme which supports schools working to gain a Green Flag under the water theme. Throughout the current academic year, An Taisce has been engaging directly with 519 schools on the Water Flag, working with 142,820 students and 12,857 teachers across the country.
Polling stations across the Wexford Constituency will be open from 7am to 10pm today, Friday, June 7th, for the Local Elections to Wexford County Council and the European Parliament elections.
The canvassing has been completed at this time and now comes the rare opportunity for the registered voters to decide on their choice selections. You get one shot every five years at having your voice taken on board, so go for it! Please exercise the franchise and visit your local polling station on Friday.
A record number of candidates – 72 in total – have allowed their names on the ballot paper to contest 34 Wexford County Council seats across six Local Electoral Areas (LEA).
Wexford (7 seats), New Ross (6 seats) and Gorey (6 seats) have the highest number of candidates – 14 each – followed by Enniscorthy (6 seats) and Rosslare (5 seats) with 12 candidates each and Kilmuckridge (4 seats) have six candidates.
The state of the parties is as follows; Independent (24), Fianna Fáil (14), Sinn Féin (11), Fine Gael (10), The Labour Party (6), Green Party (2) and one each for Aontú, Ireland First, People Before Profit-Solidarity, The Irish People and The National Party.
There are 23 candidates contesting five seats in the European Parliament election involving 10 counties in Ireland South constituency.
As part of Wexford Art Centre’s 50th anniversary celebrations Four Rivers simultaneously celebrate the career of Wexford native Billy Roche – playwright, novelist, actor and singer – with public interviews, readings from the Arts Centre stage of the other Wexford Trilogy plays – Poor Beast in the Rain and Belfry – directed by Katie McCann, live music, a Wexford Trilogy Guided Tour through the streets of the town, and a panel discussion including Billy Roche and Conall Morrison, moderated by Tom Mooney. The two readings at Wexford Arts Centre will feature an all-Wexford cast, including Garrett Lombard and Barry Barnes.
Programme: A Handful of Stars at Wexford Arts Centre. Preview Thursday 6th June €28/26
Running Friday 7th – Saturday 8th June at 8pm €30/28 – Sunday 9th June at 3pm. Tuesday 11th to Saturday 15th June at 8pm. Sunday 16th June at 4pm.
Reading of Poor Beast in the Rain, Saturday 15th June at 12pm. Wexford Arts Centre featuring Eileen. Elishka Lane; Danger. Fintan Kelly; Joe, Jim Roche; Georgie, Jack Matthews; Stephen, Barry Barnes; and Molly, Heather Hadrill. Director: Katie McCann.
Reading of Belfry, Saturday, 15th June at 3pm. Wexford Arts Centre featuring Artie, Garrett Lombard; Dominic, Jack Matthews; Pat, Naoise Dunbar; Donal, Stephen Murphy; and Angela, Heather Hadrill.
Coffee and music with Billy Roche and Guests: Sunday 16th June from 12-1pm/€10. Wexford Arts Centre.
Billy Roche in conversation with Conall Morrison, moderated by Tom Mooney, Sunday June 16th at 2pm /€10. Wexford Arts Centre.
The Wexford Trilogy Walking Tour, conducted by historian Bernard Browne, immediately after Billy Roche in conversation. 3.15 p.m. Free. Meet outside Wexford Arts Centre.
At the launch of the SICAP programme; (left to right); Mr. Brian Kehoe, CEO Wexford Local Development, Ms. Dymphna O’Connor, Chief Officer Wexford LCDC, Cllr. Aidan Browne, Chairperson Wexford LCDC, Cllr. John Fleming, Cathaoirleach Wexford County Council, Mr. Eddie Taaffe, Chief Executive Wexford County Council, Ms. Clare Ryan, SICAP Manager Wexford Local Development, and Deputy Paul Kehoe TD. (Pic; Pat O’Connor/Wexford County Council)
By Dan Walsh
Wexford County Council and Wexford Local Development (LCDC) held an event hosted in Templeshannon Community Centre, Enniscorthy, to mark the official launch of the SICAP (Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme) 2024-2028 programme.
SICAP is a National Programme, and it is the governments primary social inclusion intervention, supporting disadvantaged communities and individuals including the unemployed, people living in deprived areas, people with disabilities, single parent families, people on low income, International Protection Applicants, Refugees, members of the Traveller and Roma communities and other disadvantaged groups.
Speaking at the launch, Cllr. Aidan Browne, Chair of Wexford LCDC said; “Wexford County Council and the LCDC are committed to supporting our partners in delivering on agreed objectives, and I look forward to the continued collaboration in delivering this key inclusion programme across Co. Wexford.”
“I’m delighted to see this level of resources being allocated to the county to ensure social inclusion continues to be delivered to a high standard to those areas, communities and individuals where the need is highest,” said Cllr. John Fleming, Chairman of Wexford County Council, who added; “Wexford continues to experience significant deprivation in specific areas and programmes such as SICAP ensure that every effort is made to reach those most in need of additional supports”.
Mr. Eddie Taaffe, Chief Executive, Wexford County Council added; “I would like to convey special thanks to all the staff and officials of Wexford County Council for their input into the management and oversight of the SICAP Programme over the past number of years, and to Wexford Local Development for their implementation of the programme, and I look forward to our continued efforts in the future.”
The CEO of Wexford Local Development, Brian Kehoe said; “We are working to reduce poverty and promote social inclusion at a local level, in practical ways; helping those in need to find work or to upskill, assisting many with accessing a tailored personal development course or gaining access to workplace skills or educational opportunities. SICAP helps to connect to those who are more marginalised, helping to point them towards a pathway of opportunities that might otherwise be missed or out of reach.”
Programmes Manager with Wexford Local Development, Clare Ryan, spoke of the vital importance of SICAP in addressing inequality and improving outcomes for the most disadvantaged groups and individuals in the county and SICAP is making a real difference to the lives of disadvantaged people and communities in Co. Wexford.
Martin Collins, Co-director of Pavee Point Roma and Traveller Centre, spoke about the impact of poverty and exclusion on the Traveller and Roma communities. He spoke about the ongoing racism experienced by the Traveller Community and the importance of raising awareness and addressing the devastating impact of racism and discrimination on people’s lives.
Sharon Murphy Pre-school home liaison officer with FAB shared her experience of poverty experienced by the children and families in the FAB area who access the community childcare facilities there. “We are working with many families who have experienced intergenerational unemployment, substance misuse and educational disadvantage,” she said, and added “Resources urgently need to be invested in early years services to support children and families who are experiencing multiple challenges. Many children accessing our services are hungry; food poverty is a very real issue”.
Seamus Whitney from Enniscorthy East Side Development group spoke about his experience of using community development approaches to address inequality in his community in Templeshannon and the importance of people coming together to have their voices heard and working together to be part of the solutions to some of the issues locally. “Over the past year a new youth group has been established in Templeshannon which has already won a national award, but both youth and community work rely on a huge commitment from both volunteers, as well as agencies and community workers,” concluded Mr Whitney.
Over the past five years the SICAP programme has provided individualised supports to over 5,000 individuals and worked consistently with over 200 community groups.
In a joint sea operation crew members from Rosslare Harbour and Kilmore Quay RNLI came to the aid of a lone sailor early on Tuesday morning after an 8.5 -metre yacht developed engine failure and got into difficulty one mile south-east of Carnsore Point.
Responding to a request from the Irish Coast Guard the all-weather lifeboat from Rosslare Harbour was launched under Coxswain Eamonn O’Rourke and with six crew members onboard at 7.20am.
Arriving on scene, the crew assessed the situation and with the vessel found to be without power and drifting, it was decided to establish a tow to bring the sailor to safety.
The yacht was then towed towards the nearest safe port at Kilmore Quay where the Kilmore Quay lifeboat crew took charge and towed the yacht to safety at 9.55am.
Speaking to WexfordLocal.com following the call out, Jamie Ryan, Rosslare Harbour RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager said; “We would like to commend the sailor for raising the alarm when they knew they were in difficulty, that is always the right thing to do and we wish them well. We also want to thank our colleagues from Kilmore Quay who completed the call out and brought the sailor safely to shore. This was a good example of an effective joint operation with our flanking lifeboat station.
“As we approach the summer months, we encourage anyone planning a trip or activity at sea to always go prepared. Check weather and tides before venturing out, carry the right equipment for a safe journey including a means of communication. Always wear a lifejacket or suitable flotation device for your activity. Should you get into difficulty or see someone else in trouble, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard.”
Labour Candidate for Rosslare Municipal District, Damien Corish, has backed a joint Local Elections document endorsed by the trade unions, SIPTU, Forsa and Connect to allow Local Authorities to resume household waste collection,
Wexford County Council exited from waste collection over 15 years ago along with other councils as the waste collection business was privatised. There are 20 operators nationally with four collecting domestic waste in Co. Wexford.
DAMIEN CORISH Rosslare District candidate in Friday’s Local Elections.
Mr Corish told WexfordLocal.com “that regardless of there being a market there is very little competition between operators. Customers are poorly served by an inefficient system where bin collecting trucks follow one another down narrow country lanes blocking traffic.”
Mr Corish also said “Ireland is an outlier when it comes to waste collection in that we have handed over waste collection to the private sector completely. Consequently 23% of households now have no domestic waste collection, Fly tipping is on the rise in rural areas. Cleaning up this mess is a cost that is picked up by the County Council. “Why shouldn’t councils be able to develop a revenue stream from collecting domestic household waste for further processing?” he asks.
“In order to allow councils return to municipality of the collection of waste the 1996 Waste Management Act needs to be amended,” said Mr Corish, who added; “If elected to Wexford County Council I will campaign for the council to resume domestic waste collection in Co. Wexford.
It was ‘Good News Tuesday’ on the rural funding front for Co. Wexford with €396,000 shared equally between two communities.
Funding to the tune of €198,000 has been approved to build 700 metres of roadside paths from Tara Vale to Kitts Lane as part of the Tara Hill to Ballymoney Trail Improvement Scheme.
This will complete the trail from Courtown to Tara Hill and it is envisaged that this trail will eventually go onto Castletown/Kilpatrick and meet with the Wicklow Way at Kilmichael in North Wexford.
Local Cllr Joe Sullivan has congratulated all involved and pledged to work to have this excellent facility completed within the next number of years. “This grant is from ORIS funding for trails greenways and other outdoor walking and cycling infrastructure. Thanks also to Eamon Hore and Rory O’Mahony from Wexford County Council for their work and drive to see this project completed, stated Cllr Sullivan, who added; “Locally the Development Committees at Ballymoney and Tara Hill worked tirelessly on this project and put in the hard yards and should now be congratulated on a job well done.”
CLLR JOE SULLIVAN is delighted at the funding news for Co. Wexford announced today.
Speaking to WexfordLocal.com this afternoon, Cllr Sullivan while delighted with today’s announcement stated that he is seeking similar ORIS funding for a number of other projects. He highlighted the provision of a footpath from Coolgreany village to Ballyfad Wood as a priority with an application pending for when the window for applications opens within the month of June.
There was also good news for the Blackstairs Mountain Trail with €198,000 approved to develop 13 kilometres walking trail along existing Coillte wood extending from Killanne, Rathnure, Templeudigan and to Ballywilliam providing car parks at each end of the linear trail.
And €1,077.15 has been approved for the enhancement of the Min Ryan Playground in Wexford town under the Capital Grant Scheme for Play and Recreation.
WexfordLocal.com 