Rob James ‘winning in the rain’ at Ballycrystal

By Dan Walsh at Ballycrystal

Weather conditions were atrocious at the Ballinagore Harriers point-to-point fixture at Ballycrystal today, but it didn’t bother local rider Rob James who was thrilled with a treble while a few local handlers also triumphed in the wet and windy conditions that never relented during the six races.

ROB JAMES enjoying the wet and windy conditions at Ballycrystal today after he rode three winners at his local track.

James got his winning streak off to a perfect start on Little Miller in the Aidan Byrne colours handled locally by Robert Tector at Coolbawn, Rathnure in the maiden race for five-year-old mares by one and a half lengths holding off Matthew Flynn O’Connor’s Jewel of Windsor (Brian Lawless up).

Matthew Flynn O’Connor, on whose family land the races were run, and rider Brian Lawless had compensation for the first race runner-up position in the maiden race for five-year-old geldings when Melbourne Shamrock scored by one length.

Donnchadh Doyle’s Monbeg stables, just down the road from the Ballycrystal was in great form with a double success, both ridden by Rob James. Millie Supreme did the business by eight lengths in the maiden race for six year olds and upwards, and Patriotik was first home as only two finishers survived in the maiden race for five-year-old and upwards confined race. An easy 20 lengths were the verdict.

Denis Murphy from Ballyboy Stables, The Ballagh, was also on the winners’ list. He saddled Backinaction in the maiden race for geldings aged six years and older and with Jack Hendrick, Mayglass, in the saddle they shared a four lengths victory.

Toni Quail, who is associated with the Colin Bowe stables was given the leg up on Sam Curling’s De Nordener and enjoyed a six lengths success in the Winners of Two race. The Ladies Cup at the Punchestown festival in the Spring is a future target for De Nordener.

Only two races were run before today’s point-to-point at Carrigarostig, Co. Cork, was called off due to severe weather conditions and both prizes were collected by Wexford stables.

Bluey, handled by Billy Codd, Churchtown, Mayglass, and running in the colours of his daughter-in-law, Robyn Codd, was impressive when scoring by 11.5 lengths in the maiden race for five-year-old mares. A second career winner for rider Shane Cotter.

Timesareachanging scored by three quarters of a length in the maiden race for five-year-old geldings for the Milestone Bloodstock Ltd team, handled by Colin Bowe and ridden by Bertie Finn, Oulart, who has now lost his five-pound claim.

Barry O’Neill was involved in today’s early action at Ballycrystal ahead of packing his saddle and riding boots and dashing to Thurles racecourse where he enjoyed an eight lengths victory on Ferns Lock (8/15 fav.) for David Christie in the hunter chase.

Ballycrystal races on Sunday

By Dan Walsh

The Ballinagore Harriers point-to-point fixture takes place tomorrow (Sunday) at Ballycrystal, Kiltealy (Eircode; Y21 X6X6) with the first race off at 12.30pm.

There are 101 entries for the six races. No further inspections are planned.

The ‘going’ will be testing with wet conditions expected and maximum afternoon temperatures of 12 degrees Celsius forecast.

Ireland’s fittest school 2024

A reminder has been issued to Irish schools by three of Ireland’s best-known athletes – World Para Rowing champion, Katie O’Brien and Olympians, sprinters Phil Healy and David Gillick – advising teachers and pupils alike that the search to find ‘Ireland’s fittest school 2024’ has now gone live.

A reminder has been sent to Wexford schools by three of Ireland’s best-known athletes – World Para Rowing champion, Katie O’Brien and Olympians, sprinters Phil Healy and David Gillick – advising teachers and pupils alike that the search to find ‘Ireland’s fittest school 2024’ has now gone live.

Running until the end of March, the top four schools in Ireland, north and south, will progress to a live ‘grand final’ at which the prize package will include €8,000 worth of sports equipment.

Working with Fyffes, their aim is to find a school whose focus on fitness will replicate the success of previous ‘Ireland’s Fittest School’ winners. Schools can register at www.fyffesfitsquad.ie

LEO supported 328 jobs in 2023

Minister of State Neale Richmond, John Magee, LEO Chairman, Carol Gibbons from Enterprise Ireland, David Butler, MD of Quality Building Materials, Debbie Crowley, Funky Monkey, Sean Kehow, MD of Machinelab, Aoife, Seamus O’Reilly, Milestone Pavement Tech.

By Dan Walsh

Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, Neale Richmond TD, has announced the annual results for 2023 which showed that Local Enterprise Office (LEO) Wexford supported companies created 328 jobs in 2023 with a net job increase of 177.

The net jobs created by LEO Wexford supported clients in 2023 was 177, which considers companies that amalgamated, ceased trading and those that transferred on to Enterprise Ireland.

The new figures show that the LEO Wexford financially supported 235 small businesses in their portfolio across the county these companies in turn employ 1940 people.

Breege Cosgrave, Head of Enterprise and Economic Development said; “The results are a testament to the strength of Wexford’s small business community. When faced with adversity, they have adapted, pivoted, upskilled and did whatever it took to sustain and grow their businesses. Wexford is ranked second nationally in terms of net job creation and LEO Wexford have played a significant role in this achievement”.

Wexford County Council Cathaoirleach, Cllr. John Fleming said; “I am delighted to see Wexford LEO once again achieve outstanding job creation figures and is a leading light nationally. It is heartening to see that over 82% of net new jobs created were outside of Dublin and Wexford made a strong contribution to this figure”.

Tom Enright, Chief Executive, Wexford County Council said; “Wexford is punching well above its weight consistently delivering strong job creation figures for the last 4 years. It is the close working relationship between Local Authorities and Enterprise Ireland that ensures that SMEs get the most appropriate supports in areas of greatest need in a timely manner. The key sectors showing growth are; food, engineering, manufacturing with encouraging figures around Life Sciences and the Green Sector”.

Minister Neale Richmond, T.D., said; “I have been fortunate enough to visit many Local Enterprise Offices and I have seen first-hand the superb quality of their mentorship and supports, and the impact they have on the businesses and entrepreneurs they support.”

The total national figures for the Local Enterprise Offices across the country were announced with the LEOs now financially supporting 38,726 jobs across 7,167 companies. This is the most jobs the Local Enterprise Offices have supported nationally since their inception in 2014.

Report leaks as rapid thaw follows freezing weather

By Dan Walsh

Uisce Éireann is appealing to the public to report leaks and help reduce water loss. With the freezing temperatures of recent days set to be replaced by much milder conditions at the weekend, the rapid thaw is expected to lead to a further increase in leaks and bursts throughout the network.  

The public can help too by checking any property under their responsibility for burst pipes and leaks, and reporting leaks in public areas so that repairs can be prioritised. People are asked not to leave taps running and fix dripping or leaking taps.

Regional Operations Manager Jim Fitzgerald told WexfordLocal.com; “Water is a precious resource that must go through a complex and costly treatment process before it is safe to drink. Our crews are on the ground working to tackle leaks and we are asking the public for their support by preventing avoidable loss of water.”

There are several key things that the public can do to help protect water supplies, including:

  • Check your home, business premises and unoccupied premises for leaks and get them fixed.
  • Report any leaks you see in the public network to Uisce Éireann’s customer care centre or on water.ie, so that we can prioritise repairs and dispatch crews to carry out critical repairs.
  • Don’t leave taps running and fix any dripping taps inside or outside your property.
  • Be mindful of water use in your business and look for opportunities to make savings. This can save businesses money, not only in their water bills but also in their energy costs as heating, pumping water etc. all require additional electricity.
  • If you have a suspected leak on your external water supply pipe, consider applying for the First Fix Free Scheme. The scheme offers a free leak investigation and free repair for eligible domestic customers. 

Find out more at water.ie/businessconserve with advice for a range of industries including hospitality, manufacturing, agriculture and small businesses. 

Ballytegan says; “Council is not taking this seriously”

By Dan Walsh at Gorey Kilmuckridge Municipal District Council

A delegation from Ballytegan Tara Rocks Community Group were invited to address the members at last Tuesday’s monthly meeting of Gorey Kilmuckridge Municipal District Council held in the Council Chamber, Civic Centre, Gorey, but the session ended in disappointment with spokesperson, Jim O’Connor, summing up with the words “you are not taking this seriously?”

Following a welcome from the Cathaoirleach, Cllr Pip Breen, the guest community group distributed detailed copies of their aims and demands to the elected members and officials at the meeting and presented their main concerns.

Following on from a public meeting, attended by some of the councillors in the chamber a few weeks ago, the community group outlined a number of issues, including the main road leading to the Gorey-Arklow road, a proposed roundabout off the Coach Road, widening the road from Gorey to Greens Berry Farm and footpath/cycle lanes in the Rock area.

CLLR PIP BREEN, Cathaoirleach Gorey Kilmuckridge District Council

The group felt that making the development and road system right from the start in an area catering for an increased population in housing estates and 1,300 to 1,400 people “if left to developers will be an absolute sham.”

Cllr Anthony Donohoe said he was well aware of the call for a roundabout for a very long time and claimed that €8 million in planning fees and €45 million in total is collected by Wexford County Council in Gorey and he felt it was time that more of that finance was returned to Gorey and used for projects such as the Ballytegan Tara Rocks Community Groups were calling for.

Cllr Donal Kenny said he had attended the public meeting, and the people were very concerned about safety in the area. He mentioned the “money going out of Gorey” and talked about “very narrow” and “very dangerous” roads in the area and recalled difficulties of 14-ft combine harvesters using the roads.

Cllr Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin promised his “100 per cent backing” for the community demands and noted the need for “speed controls” in the area.

Cllr Joe Sulivan pointed out that this is the fifth year of Wexford County Council owning the St. Waleran’s site and he questioned; “What has Wexford County Council done for road infrastructure?”. He said the group “had come in here for a solution” and he suggested the roads section draw up a road plan. Cllr Sullivan said there are 300-400 people in Gleann an Gáirdín and there will be three times that number going forward. “Putting in a road infrastructure for what you (Ballytegan Group) are trying to achieve must be achieved first. You need a plan,” concluded Cllr Sullivan.

There was also support from Cllr Andrew Bolger, who asked for an update on funding as discussed at the November meeting. “Without funding we go nowhere,” he stated.

Cllr Diarmuid Devereux referred to “technical difficulties at the railway bridge” and said what is needed is “a major traffic management plan for Gorey.”

Cllr Willie Kavanagh thanked the group for coming to the meeting and outlining their concerns. “We done,” he concluded.

Cathaoirleach Cllr Pip Breen thanked the delegation and stated that “a commitment from County Hall to do a review on a major traffic plan” was imminent and assured the group that “you are being listened to. We will look for a solution.” He felt the population growth must be addressed.

In reply, Jim O’Connor, spokesperson for the group, expressed disappointment. “You are not taking this seriously?” he concluded.

2,500 trees for Enniscorthy Tech Park

CLLR JOHN FLEMING, Cathaoirleach Wexford County Council, leading the way at the plantation of 2,500 natives trees at Enniscorthy Technology Park.

By Dan Walsh

Enniscorthy Technology Park at Salville, south of the town, is now planted with 2,500 native trees as part of ‘The 100 Million Trees Project’.

Cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council, Cllr John Fleming welcomed the attendance and said: “It is great to see another site planted with native trees as part of the 100 Million Trees Project and thanked Richard and David Mulcahy for choosing County Wexford to launch their project.”

Cathaoirleach of Enniscorthy Municipal District, Cllr John O’Rourke thanked the many local volunteers for their commitment and dedication in keeping Enniscorthy beautiful and stated that this project will provide so many benefits to the local community and for biodiversity.

Richard Mulcahy said; “We are absolutely thrilled to meet our launch objective of planting 20,000 trees in year one, but by this April, we aim to have 200,000 to 250,000 new young native tree varieties planted in the ground at over 75 different sites around the country.”

Cllr John Fleming, Cathaoirleach Wexford County Council, Cllr John O’Rourke, Cathaoirleach Enniscorthy Municipal District and local Cllrs Aidan Browne and Cathal Byrne were all in attendance. Enniscorthy Tidy Towns and Sustainable Enniscorthy were represented by local volunteer Billy Murphy. Richard Mulchay and representatives from Forestry Services were also in attendance.

‘The 100 Million Trees Project’ was launched in late 2022 in Co. Wexford and is a national community-driven initiative developed by brothers, Richard and David Mulcahy. The project’s aim is to plant 100 million native Irish trees throughout the next decade to reverse the environmental damage caused by the reduction of forests worldwide. 

Man (30s) arrested at Rosslare

A man in his 30s has been arrested by Gardaí in connection with the discovery of 14 individuals concealed in a shipping container at Rosslare Europort on Monday, January 8th.

He was arrested yesterday afternoon, (Wednesday), at Rosslare for an alleged offence under the Criminal Justice (Smuggling of Persons) Act, 2021, and is currently detained at a Garda Station in the southeast of the country under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984.

The investigation is ongoing.

Fatal air crash at Duncormick

PETER TAWSE, Newbawn, Co. Wexford and JOHN FINNAN, Naas, Co. Kildare, both died in Duncormick air crash on October 6th 2019.

By Dan Walsh

Air Accident Investigation Unit has published details of a thorough investigation following an aircraft crash which occurred on the evening of Sunday, October 6th 2019 and claimed the lives of pilot John Finnan, 52, from Naas in Co Kildare and flying instructor Peter Tawse, 61, of Raheen, Newbawn, Co Wexford.

They had taken off on a two-seater Rollason Condor light aircraft from Taghmon Airfield that afternoon, before crashing in the Gibletstown area of Duncormick in south Wexford at about 5.40pm.

At approximately 4.10pm on 6th October 2019, the aircraft, a Rollason D.62B Condor, registration EI-BDX, departed ILAS Field (EIIF) near Taghmon, for a flight which was planned to last approximately one hour. There were two persons on board the aircraft: the pilot, who was seated in the left seat, and an instructor, who was seated in the right seat.

The airfield from which the aircraft was operating is located two Nautical Miles (NM) southwest of Taghmon, Co. Wexford. There is a single, grass runway, 600 metre (m) in length, designated Runway (RWY) 18/36.

The aircraft taxied to the northern end of the airfield and, at approximately 4.10pm was observed to take off to the south, before turning right and circling back around, while climbing. The aircraft crossed to the north of the airfield, turned right and continued to climb to at least 3,000 ft and proceeded in a south-easterly direction until it went out of sight. It was described as a ‘completely normal take-off – a completely normal climb’.

Witnesses reported that at approximately 4.40pm the aircraft, while operating over the Duncormick area, emitted a loud noise and broke up in the air. Local persons proceeded to the scene and the emergency services that had attended determined that both occupants had been fatally injured. Witnesses reported that the aircraft was destroyed and that there was no fire.

The wreckage from the aircraft was spread over a wide area spanning four agricultural fields. The largest section of wreckage comprised the instrument panel forward to the propeller; the entire right wing complete with main undercarriage leg and the inboard section of the left wing including the main undercarriage leg. This section of wreckage came to rest, inverted, in the boundary hedgerow of an agricultural field.