News and Sport and Events that matter across County Wexford.
By Dan Walsh
Iarnrod Éireann services between Gorey and Enniscorthy have been suspended until further notice due to reports of “a vulnerable person on the line.”
Iarnrod Éireann have confirmed the disruption to Dublin-Rosslare rail services.
The 5.30pm and 6.35pm Connolly to Rosslare services terminated at Gorey Station.
Earlier service had been halted at Arklow for about 45 minutes, but did proceed to Gorey Station.
Gardai are investigating the matter.
By Dan Walsh at Samaritans St Patrick’s Park
Wexford GAA has teamed up with Samaritans and the suicide prevention charity has secured the naming rights of the second county ground, which will be known as Samaritans St Patrick’s Park for the next three years.
The new name and signage at the Enniscorthy ground was officially revealed this week by Michael Martin, Cathaoirleach, Wexford GAA, Sarah O’Toole, Executive Director of Samaritans Ireland, and Jonathan Neville, volunteer and Regional Director for Samaritans Ireland.
Wexford county stars Eoin Porter and Kevin Foley and senior football manager John Hegarty also attended, and they were joined by Samaritans volunteers from Arklow and Waterford, as well as others representing Wexford GAA.
Micheál Martin said; “Samaritans is one of the leading mental health charities in Ireland, and Wexford GAA is delighted to offer them naming rights of our second county ground to Samaritans free of charge. We want to create awareness of their work and highlight the support they offer to people of all ages who need emotional support.
“St Patrick’s Park is the most used county ground in Wexford, with more than 300 matches there last year, and more than 30,000 people through the turnstiles, for inter-county games, club finals, schools games, and LGFA and camogie matches. It is also the training base for the county minor and U20 teams,” added Mr Martin.
Wexford native Sarah O’Toole said the charity was delighted to be chosen by Wexford GAA for the naming rights at St Patrick’s Park. Samaritans has been the mental health partner of the GAA for the last 10 years and this initiative cements that partnership even more, making sure we are there at grassroots,” she said.
Ms. O’Toole concluded; “It is amazing that now our name and number can be seen by anyone attending a game at Samaritans St Patrick’s Park over the next three years. “We want everyone to remember that no matter how big or small a problem may seem, our trained volunteers are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on freephone 116 123 or email joe@samaritans.ie”
HISTORY OF ST. PATRICK’S PARK; “In 1956, St Patrick’s Conference of the St Vincent de Paul Society took charge of the running of the Boys’ Club in Enniscorthy. One year later, St Patrick’s Boys’ Club invested in two fields at Pearse Road, one converted into GAA pitch known as St Patrick’s Park, forever referred to locally as the New Park or simply the Boys’ Park. “August 1957 brought the glad tidings for local Gaels of the commencement of development of a new playing pitch for the youth of the town on a nine-acre site involving two fields at Parnell Avenue, following its purchase earlier that year. The fields, bought for £1,500, are parochial property and the new park is under the supervision of the local St Vincent de Paul Society. “Development work entailed considerable expenditure and at the time the considerable sum of £600 had been contributed by the people of the town, with the hope that further moneys would be raised for the project.” SOURCE; ‘The Ghosts of Bygone Days’ (1998), by Sean Whelan.
By Dan Walsh at Presentation Arts Centre, Enniscorthy
Artists and community groups gathered in the Presentation Arts Centre, Enniscorthy, yesterday (Thursday) for awarding nine projects through the recent CPE Open Call officially launched by Cllr John O’Rourke for Creative Places, Enniscorthy.
Deryn O’Callaghan, CPE Co-Ordinator told WexfordLocal.com; “We are so excited to see the start of projects in Enniscorthy for Creative Places and we are looking forward to seeing how these projects will engage and inspire our community.”
Speaking directly to all the artists and community groups who put themselves forward and applied for these awards, Ms. O’Callaghan said; “All or most of these projects will be based in places and spaces not always thought of as places for creativity and art. A lot of the artists are linking in with community groups that haven’t linked in before for this sort of project. This is an opportunity here for these artists and groups to start working within their community and to listen to what the community want and bring these ideals to the project.”
Ms O’Callaghan mentioned a number of brilliant partnerships already established such as the Presentation Arts Centre, Wexford Arts Centre, Wexford County Council Arts Office, and Enniscorthy Municipal District with SETU, the socially engaged arts projects that started CPE projects in February out across in Templeshannon with many community groups.
Ms. O’Callaghan said CPE have started a project with Red Moon Creative Arts Theatre – Tempest over Templeshannon – in Templeshannon, of course, and she recalled last Saturday’s “spark of colour on Vinegar Hill” and acknowledged the artists and participants.
The attendance at yesterday’s launch included Elizabeth Whyte, Chief Executive Wexford Arts Centre, Liz Burns, County Arts Officer, Larry Dune and Conor Gibson at the Presentation Arts Centre, councillors and staff from Enniscorthy Municipal District Council.
By Dan Walsh
Cllr Bridín Murphy (Fine Gael) was elected Cathaoirleach of New Ross Municipal District Council on Wednesday and celebrated the occasion with the announcement that she is seeking a Fine Gael nomination to run as a candidate in the next General Election.
A married mother of two young children, the social worker from Clonroche was elected on her first attempt in 2019 focuses on community issues and advancing projects in the New Ross district.
The Leas-Cathaoirleach is John Dwyer (Independent) who has returned to take a seat for New Ross district on Wexford County Council. He ran for the Dáil on two occasions for two different parties -Eirigí and Sinn Féin – he lost his seat in 2014 and narrowly missed out on a seat in the 2019 local elections.
NEW ROSS Municipal District (6 seats); Pat Barden (Non-Party); John Dwyer (Non-Party); John Fleming (Fianna Fáil); Bridín Murphy (Fine Gael); Marty Murphy (Non-Party) and Michael Sheehan (Fianna Fáil).
Cllr Jim Codd (Aontú) was elected Cathaoirleach of Rosslare Municipal District at the Annual Meeting held on Wednesday. The Leas-Cathaoirleach is Cllr Ger Carthy (Independent).
A teacher at Bridgetown College, Cllr Codd was poll topper for the Rosslare district at the recent local elections where he stated; “It is an honour to represent the people of Rosslare district,” and he promised “to continue to address issues such as road maintenance, flooding and welfare.”
Elected as a first-time candidate in 2019, Codd was famous for his election slogan “Give Codd the Nod” and many times in the chamber called for remedial action on the treacherous potholes on roads in south Wexford that he claimed; “are the worst in Ireland.”
The Leas-Cathaoirleach position goes to Cllr Ger Carthy from Our Lady’s Island, who is one of the longest serving members of Wexford County Council following in the footsteps of his late father, Leo Carthy.
In 2015, Cllr Carthy became the first person from outside the town to be elected Mayor of Wexford and in 2020 served as Cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council.
ROSSLARE Municipal District; (5 seats); Ger Carthy (Non-Party); Jim Codd (Aontú); Lisa McDonald (Fianna Fáil); Aoife Rose O’Brien (Sinn Féin) and Frank Staples (Fine Gael).
By Dan Walsh
Multiple poll topper Cllr George Lawlor (Labour Party) has been elected Mayor of Wexford for the fifth time in his 20-year career. He was elected at the General Meeting held on Tuesday evening.
Mayor Lawlor was first elected to Wexford Borough Council in 2004 and served as Cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council, in 2022.
Speaking afterwards, Mayor Lawlor asserted his unwavering support for the SETU (South East Technical University) Campus and delivering investment and promotion of community facilities.
The position of Deputy Mayor has gone to Cllr Garry Laffan (Fianna Fáil) from Glynn, a member of the 1996 Wexford All-Ireland senior hurling winning team, and first elected to Wexford Borough Council in 2019.
WEXFORD Borough District (7 seats); Tom Forde (Sinn Féin); Leonard Kelly (Non-Party); Garry Laffan (Fianna Fáil); George Lawlor (The Labour Party); Raymond Shannon (Non-Party), Robbie Staples (Fine Gael) and Catherine Biddy Walsh (The Labour Party).
By Dan Walsh at Enniscorthy District Council Chamber
Cllr Aidan Browne (Fianna Fáil) who was first elected Cathaoirleach of Enniscorthy Municipal District Council in 2022 is the popular choice of fellow members and was presented with the chain of office by Cllr John O’Rourke (outgoing) at the General Meeting held in the Council Chamber at the Presentation Centre, Enniscorthy, this afternoon.
Cllr Browne was nominated for the chair by Cllr Barbara-Anne Murphy and seconded by Cllr Jackser Owens. There was no other nomination or dissenter, and Cllr Browne was duly elected and congratulated by all in the chamber.
Cllr Jackser Owens (Non-Party) is the new Leas-Cathaoirleach on the proposal of Cllr O’Rourke and seconded by Cllr Murphy. There were no other nomination and consequently Cllr Owens retains the position he was elected to in 2023.
Cllr Browne claimed the Council has been given a mandate to renew commitments and work for the benefit of all. “I want us to work together for the betterment of the town and district,” added Cllr Browne.
District Manager, Claire Lawless congratulated those who were re-elected, made special mention of Cllr Pat Kehoe, the new member to the chamber and said; “The officials are looking forward to working with you for the next five years.”
Director of Services, Carolyne Godkin, formally congratulated everyone and reiterated the positive desire; “looking forward to working with all of you going forward.”
Outgoing Cathaoirleach Cllr John O’Rourke said he enjoyed working with everyone over the past year, congratulated Cllr Kehoe as the new member and acknowledged the contribution of Kathleen Codd-Nolan, who was a public representative for 20 years and recently retired.
All members contributed to endorsing the sentiments of the meeting and a pleasant atmosphere prevailed. Newcomer Cllr Pat Kehoe in his maiden speech expressed his delight at being elected and promised to “do my best as a representative of the people.”
The Press were complimented for their coverage of Council events over the past five years, but there was a special ‘happy retirement’ message for popular Enniscorthy Guardian photographer, John Walsh, who has retired after long and dedicated service to the local media community.
ENNISCORTHY Municipal District (6 seats); Aidan Browne (Fianna Fáil); Cathal Byrne (Fine Gael): Pat Kehoe (Fine Gael); Barbara-Anne Murphy (Fianna Fáil); John O’Rourke (Non-Party) and Jackser Owens (Non-Party).
By Dan Walsh at Council Chamber, Gorey Civic Offices
Cllr Oliver Walsh (Fine Gael) is the new Cathaoirleach of Gorey Kilmuckridge Municipal District Council following a full attendance of 10 members at the Annual Meeting held in the Council Chamber, Gorey Civic Offices, today (Tuesday).
There was a strangely subdued and distinctive non-competitive atmosphere in the chamber as the positions of Cathaoirleach and Leas-Cathaoirleach dominated the agenda.
Cllr Walsh’s nomination was proposed by Cllr Anthony Donohoe and seconded by Cllr Donal Kenny. There was no other nomination and Cllr Walsh was duly elected and received the chain of office from outgoing Cathaoirleach Cllr Pip Breen. His wife, Elaine and their three daughters were guests of honour for a special Walsh family occasion.
Cllr Walsh said it was “a great honour to be elected”, he thanked his proposer and seconder, and said he was “looking forward to the year ahead.” He continued; “I hope it will be a good year working together as a group for the betterment of Gorey Kilmuckridge district.”
Cllr Donal Kenny (Fianna Fáil) was nominated for the Leas-Cathaoirleach position proposed by Cllr Breen and seconded by Cllr Donohoe. There was no other nomination and Cllr Kenny was duly elected.
The meeting welcomed members attending for the first time – Cllr Darragh McDonald, Cllr Paddy Kavanagh and Cllr Nicky Boland – and there was an acknowledgement for the good work done over the previous five years by members who didn’t return after the local elections – Diarmuid Devereux (retired), Andrew Bolger and Willie Kavanagh.
The meeting also welcomed the election of Cllr Pip Breen as Cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council which took place in County Hall, Wexford, last Friday.
Director of Services, Liz Hore said she was looking forward to working with each member and promised that there are many exciting projects ahead. She thanked the previous members and said the staff found them accommodating and said they are all looking forward to the next five years.
BIOGRAPHY; A native of Inch, Blackwater, Oliver Walsh is one of the longest serving members of Wexford County Council following in the footsteps of his late father, John Walsh, who served on Wexford County Council for almost four years until his untimely death in 1998.
Oliver was co-opted in 2001 when Ivan Yates TD had to vacate his seat. A past pupil of Blackwater National School and Kilmuckridge Vocational School, he is a member of the farming community.
He served as a councillor in the Enniscorthy area for more than 13 years, until changes were imposed by the boundary commission, and he was automatically transferred into the Gorey Kilmuckridge district.
In 2011, he was elected Cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council. Today, he declared; “It is a great honour to be elected as Cathaoirleach of Gorey Kilmuckridge Municipal District Council.” Applause filled the chamber.
GOREY Municipal District (6 seats); Nicky Boland (Non-Party); Anthony Donohoe (Fine Gael); Donal Kenny (Fianna Fáil); Darragh McDonald (Fine Gael); Fionntáin Ó Súilleabháin (Sinn Féin) and Joe Sullivan (Fianna Fáil). KILMUCKRIDGE Municipal District (4 seats); Pip Breen (Fianna Fáil); Mary Farrell (Non-Party); Paddy Kavanagh (Non-Party) and Oliver Walsh (Fine Gael).
By Dan Walsh
Courtown RNLI’s volunteer lifeboat crew were called out on Thursday by the Irish Coast Guard at 7.44pm following a sighting of a small craft adrift south of Ardamine, near Rooney Rock.
They arrived on scene approximately one kilometre north of Rooney Rock at close to 8pm and observed that the small dinghy was capsized and unmanned.
The conditions were favourable at the time with partial cloud and a slight wind. With assistance from radio contact with shore crew, the crew established the boat had inadvertently drifted out to sea with no one onboard. A decision was made to tow the vessel to the nearest safe port at Courtown.
Speaking following the call out, Mark Chambers, Courtown RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager said: ‘Thankfully no one was in danger in this instance, but we would always much rather launch and find that all is ok than not launch at all. We would like to thank the member of the public who raised the alarm when they thought someone was in difficulty, that is always the right thing to do.”
By Dan Walsh
New Ross Municipal District has launched a new book in New Ross Library. It is a Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) publication, edited by James Eogan MIAI FSA, Senior Archaeologist, Transport Infrastructure Ireland and titled ‘Places for the Living, Places for the Dead; archaeological discoveries on the N25 New Ross Bypass’,
The event was attended by over 70 enthusiastic members of the public and representatives from TII, Rubicon Heritage Services Ltd, The Heritage Council, Wexford County Council and New Ross Municipal District elected members.
Peter Walsh, Chief Executive, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, presented landowner Philip Becker with a signed copy of the book. One of the most significant finds of a Norman period farmstead was discovered on Mr Becker’s land.
Deputy Chief Executive, Eamonn Hore, who acted as master of ceremonies on the night, said; “What a wonderful night of knowledge and learning about or past, excellently presented in the lovely setting of New Ross Library. My thanks to all who contributed.”
The publication which is the latest addition the TII Heritage Series was published in December 2023, alongside detailed reports on the evidence excavated at eight key sites. The book provides an overview of the archaeology of this region and shows how the remains uncovered on the bypass route deepen our understanding of human activity in the lower Barrow Valley over almost nine millennia.
Chapters written by experts in their fields consider different topics and periods in greater detail, including, the paleoenvironmental background of the sites uncovered, the nature and range of evidence for the first farmers and early metal-using societies in the region, the impact of Anglo-Norman colonisation and the establishment of a feudal economy in the area.
The book, which is richly illustrated with eight specially commissioned artistic visualisations, and more than 140 photographs, plans, drawings, and maps, describes the discoveries and shows how this new evidence provides fresh perspectives on the communities who called this place home over the past 9,000 years.
Places for the Living, Places for the Dead is TII’s latest publication. Find out about the fascinating archaeological discoveries made along the route of the N25 New Ross Bypass, and how they contributed to deepening public understanding of human activity in this historic area over nine millennia.
The book can be purchased from Wordwell Books, an e-book is also available from digital platforms.
WexfordLocal.com 