Wexford Macra are holding Music Bingo next Friday, November 17th at 8.30pm in The Pike Inn Camolin. Books are €10 each and there are a wide variety of prizes up for grabs that will come in handy any day of the year. All are welcome to join this fun filled night!
The Music Bingo marks the start of fundraising for the Wexford Macra 75th Anniversary Dinner Dance, which is being held in the Ashdown Park Hotel, Gorey, on March 16th 2024. More details to follow.
Further information about Macra or about the Music Bingo night please contact the Chairperson, Ronan Finn on (089) 204 7972.
Eighty-eight entries have been received for next Sunday’s Wexford Foxhounds point-to-point at Knockmullen House, located one mile from New Ross town, and used as a popular Autumn fixture track since 2019.
The first race is off at 12.30pm. Going conditions are ‘soft’.
The organising committee would love to welcome a large attendance. The track is set over three fields, it has been described as a fair track and with a good uphill finish. There are two fences on the home straight, one at the top and two on the back straight.
The Wexford Campus of the South East Technological University (SETU) is “one step closer” with confirmation today (Thursday) that the Local Authority in Wexford “is now obligated to acquire the property and the owner is required to surrender same.”
Welcoming the announcement, Deputy Paul Kehoe told WexfordLocal.com; “This represents significant progress in the acquisition as Wexford County Council move to the final stages of the CPO (Compulsory Purchase Order) process with the “Notice to Treat” being served.
DEPUTY PAUL KEHOE TD
“This campus has been a long held vision for County Wexford and will ensure access to the highest levels of education for Wexford students on their doorstep – something that has not been available in the past,” said Deputy Kehoe, who added; “The long term impact of this on our county will be phenomenal affording greater access to education, higher educational attainment, attracting investment and employment opportunities and ensuring that people have the opportunity to stay in Wexford to live and work into the future.”
“I really believe this can be transformative for education in Wexford and look forward to seeing this development progress,” concluded Deputy Kehoe.
Wexford County Council are now working with SETU to develop a masterplan for the entire site, part of which will facilitate a new higher education campus for Wexford. This masterplan has gone to tender stage and a design team appointment will be made this month.
In parallel to this, SETU is engaging with the Higher Education Authority (HEA) to develop a Business Case for the development of the infrastructure on the proposed site under the Technological Sector Strategic Projects Fund (TSSPF).
IDA and Wexford County Council have confirmed today that they are partnering to secure an advanced planning permission for an ABS (Advanced Building Solution) in Enniscorthy.
Welcoming the announcement, Deputy Paul Kehoe said; “The partnership will see the design and planning for state-of-the-art facilities to be used for investment by multinational companies seeking to invest in the area. This development is a vote of confidence in the ability of Wexford to attract investment and sustain multinational operations, which will in turn bring massive benefit to the county, in terms of employment opportunities, further inward investment.
Deputy Kehoe added; “There have been several key developments in Wexford over the last number of years which have made this progress possible. Connectivity provided by the expansion of the M11, the establishment of the SETU and today’s news that the Wexford Campus is getting ever closer, the expansion of Rosslare Port to name a few.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was drafted by IDA and shared with Wexford County Council for review. IDA has been informed via email that the terms of this MOU are agreed and we are awaiting return of the signed document for execution.
Once this is complete a tender will be issued by Wexford County Council for the design team to be appointed and following this an announcement will be made by WCC with the support of IDA’s Regional Communications team.
In other Enniscorthy news, Simon Harris T.D., Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science is in the Riverside Park Hotel tonight where he will address the Enniscorthy and District Chamber luncheon.
Minister Harris is deputising for An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar T.D., who was originally Enniscorthy bound, but was unable to keep the date as he is in Paris today (Thursday) to attend the International Conference on Humanitarian Assistance for the Civilian Population in Gaza.
Former Irish rugby international, Donncha O’Callaghan has launched the 2024 Texaco Support for Sport funding initiative. For the fourth successive year, the scheme is now open to sports clubs across Ireland with a fund of €130,000 to be distributed to 26 clubs on a county-by-county basis, with successful applicants receiving €5,000 in each case.
By Dan Walsh
Applications from sports clubs in Co. Wexford and beyond are now invited under the fourth Texaco Support for Sport initiative in which a fund of €130,000 will be divided in €5,000 amounts and distributed to successful applicants in each of the twenty-six counties.
Over the past three years, a gross figure of €385,000 has been divided amongst 77 sports clubs across Ireland, of which €5,000 each went to three successful Co. Wexford clubs; Kilmore United FC (2021), Menapians Athletic Club (2022), and Aspire Gymnastics Academy, Kiltealy (2023).
Open to all sports clubs irrespective of sporting discipline, size, membership, age, cultural appeal or gender (including clubs that may have been unsuccessful in their application previously), the initiative is one that ‘recognises and supports the valuable contribution that sports clubs make to communities and throughout Irish society’.
Following lines similar to that which proved successful over the past three years, clubs wishing to apply should first register their interest on www.TexacoSupportforSport.com, followed, before closing date, by a completed application that should include details of their sporting activity, the importance of the club in their local community, the purpose for which the funding is sought, and the use to which the funds will be put.
Leading the process once again is Texaco Support for Sport ambassador, broadcaster and former Irish rugby international, Donncha O’Callaghan. Clubs that received funding to date span the spectrum of Irish sporting activity – archery, athletics, badminton, basketball, bowls, boxing, camogie, climbing, cricket, diving, Gaelic football, golf, gymnastics, handball, hockey, hurling, kayaking, rowing, rugby, soccer and tennis amongst them.
Closing date for applications is 31st January 2024 with adjudication taking place thereafter.
MICHAEL FORTUNE doesn’t miss a day in his latest publication, The Irish Dresser and Folklore Calendar 2024.
By Dan Walsh
Some years ago while working on The Dresser Project, folklorist Michael Fortune decided to publish his “folk furniture and relics of the past” into a calendar – it proved so popular that it has become an annual publication – and latest news is that The Irish Dresser and Folklore Calendar 2024 has gone on sale.
It is a day longer this time due to 2024 being a Leap Year; February 29th brings the total to 366 days and there is space for notes and countless colour pictures of dressers and their admirers.
“This year I have also included a series of QR codes on each page which will take you to interviews, tutorials, texts and posts relating to that month and also the dresser in question,” Michael Fortune told WexfordLocal.com
Pictured at today’s sod turning ceremony on Wexford’s Newtown Road were (left to right); Tom Byrne, Wexford County Council Active Travel Team; Aoife Fleming, Department of Transport; Eamonn Hore, Director of Service Wexford County Council; Vincent Gallagher, Wexford County Council Active Travel Team; Tom Enright, Chief Executive Wexford County Council; Alan O Shea, Wexford County Council Active Travel Team; Cllr. John Hegarty, Mayor of Wexford; Hugh Mc Carthy, National Transport Authority; Cllr. Maura Bell; Cllr. Garry Laffan; Claire Goodwin, Wexford County Council Walking and Cycling Officer. (Image credit: Rocket Science Media).
By Dan Walsh
Mayor of Wexford Borough District Cllr John Hegarty led the sod turning ceremony to mark the commencement of construction of Phase One of the Newtown Road Cycle Scheme today (Tuesday) and the first stage of the Wexford Pathfinder project. Construction on the Newtown Road scheme will commence immediately and is expected to take nine months to complete.
The works will involve 1.3 kilometres of new protected cycle track either side of the road and new or upgraded footpaths along certain sections with some road resurfacing. Phase One of the project will cost €3 million.
Funding has been allocated by the National Transport Authority. Alan O’ Shea, Senior Executive Engineer with Wexford County Council’s Active Travel Team outlined how Phase One of the Newtown Road scheme will be followed immediately by phases two and three which will see the works extend as far as Wygram closer to the town centre.
Mr O’Shea outlined how the scheme will also ensure connectivity to the future Beechlawns/Clonard cycle scheme, also part of the Wexford ‘Pathfinder’, with works proposed to improve cycling and walking infrastructure to enhance connectivity to residential areas, schools and places of work across town. In addition, plans are being currently finalised for the third section of the Pathfinder project at Roxborough with proposals for an upgrade of cycling and walking infrastructure from Drinagh to The Faythe being developed.
This phase of the cycle scheme will see works to Newtown Road to improve safety for cyclists and walkers by developing protected cycle tracks and upgrading footpaths. The measures will also aim to reduce traffic speeds at this location to further enhance the environment designed to encourage people, where possible, to leave the car behind for short local journeys and actively travel.
Speaking at the ceremony today, Mayor Cllr Hegarty said; “It is only the start of a number of projects for Wexford town designed to improve our infrastructure to encourage more active travel and contribute towards reducing our carbon emissions”.
Speaking of the Project, Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan said; “I am delighted that construction has now commenced on Newtown Road Cycle Scheme, the first step of the Wexford Pathfinder project. I was in Wexford a few months ago, and I spoke to the councillors and local groups about the difference this project can make to people who want to come in and out of Wexford town without the headache of congestion.”
Looking beautiful in this morning’s sunshine St. Joseph’s Terrace, Ballymurn, is officially “Best Estate in the County”.
By Dan Walsh
Wexford County Council Annual Residents Awards were distributed in County Hall last Thursday where St Joseph’s Terrace, Ballymurn was awarded the top prize as the ‘Best Estate in the County’.
The Wexford County Council Estates Competition which has not been held since 2019 was re-launched earlier this year. 39 Resident’s Associations and 27 individual entries were received all of an exceptionally high standard making for a difficult decision for the judges.
St Joseph’s Terrace, Ballymurn was awarded the Best Estate in the County. In presenting the award, Cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council, Cllr. John Fleming said; “Resident’s associations throughout the county as well as individual local authority tenants have been working hard to maintain and improve their communal spaces. The pride that is taken both individually and collectively was evident as the judges worked their way through the County. They saw beautiful planting schemes, well maintained green areas, communal orchards and composting and upcycling projects, some of which are on display here today.”
Awards for the best estate and best garden in each district were presented by the respective District Cathaoirleach.
This year a new award introduced for Best Biodiversity Initiative, and a Special Award for ingenuity in Upcycling. So impressive was the standard of entries that the judges awarded Special Achievement awards to acknowledge all the hard work being done in so many estates throughout the County.
The full list of awards include:
Best Estate in Co. Wexford; St Joseph’s Terrace, Ballymurn
Best Estate in each district; Gorey/Kilmuckridge; Ounavarra Park, Ballycanew; New Ross; Beechview, Newbawn; Enniscorthy; Cloney Park, Davidstown; Wexford; Mill Haven, Castlebridge and Rosslare; St Brendan’s Estate, Rosslare.
Best Garden in each district: Gorey/Kilmuckridge District; John Doyle, Orchard Way, Camolin, New Ross; Rosemary Rossiter, St Martins, Enniscorthy; Kathleen Fortune, Rosemary Heights, Ferns, Rosslare; Mary Tubritt, St James Drive, Tomhaggard.
Best Window Box Display; Siobhan O’Leary, Greenwood Avenue.
Best Biodiversity Initiative; Paul Lenniston, Garan Beithe, Coolcotts.
Special Award for Upcycling Initiative; Cois Abhainn Estate, Blackwater for re-purposing hub caps into Sunflowers
Special Achievement Award; Denis Redmond, for his garden at Abbeyview, Campile.
Special Achievement Award for improvement; Cum an Tobair Estate, Oylegate.
Special Achievement Award; Croghan View Estate, Coolgreany.
Wexford Women’s Coalition memberspictured ; (left to right); Cllr Mary Farrell, Cllr Maura Bell, Cllr Bridin Murphy, Mairead O’Shea of See Her Elected, Cllr Barbara-Anne Murphy and Cllr Kathleen Codd Nolan
By Dan Walsh
Wexford Women’s Coalition which brings together the female Wexford County Council members is committed to ensuring that female members are supported in the Local Government System and has joined forces with See Her Elected, the award-winning Government funded project which aims to encourage women from rural areas to engage in local politics.
Together they visit secondary schools in County Wexford in a bid to encourage more young women to see politics as a possible career path. The Schools’ Roadshow is part of a political education series which hopes to encourage diversity in county council chambers in rural areas.
The Wexford Women’s Coalition and See Her Elected will visit Coláiste Átha in Kilmuckridge, Loreto College, Wexford and Selskar College, Wexford this month (November 8th and 9th). Schools will benefit from a See Her Elected presentation while members of the Wexford Women’s Coalition will share their lived experiences of the day-to-day life of being a county councillor.
This brings the number of schools visited in 2023 to six with plans to continue the initiative in 2024.
Chairperson of the Wexford Women’s Coalition Cllr. Maura Bell said; “It is so important that our political and civic structures are representative of the communities that they support and work for.”
The Coalition Members are very aware that only 26% of councillors in Ireland are women and there is a major difficulty with an under representation of women in local politics in rural Ireland. For example, there are only six women out of 34 councillors on Wexford County Council. In almost one hundred years there have only been 15 women elected to Wexford County Council (since 1925).
Communications Manager with See Her Elected, Mairead O’ Shea said; “We want to see more diversity in our rural county council chambers. As it stands, there are very few women councillors and virtually no representation of minority communities. Our aim is to increase the numbers of women in local politics in rural counties where anything from 78% to 95% of the elected local authority councillors are men.”
“As part of our political education series, we do a presentation for students from senior classes to encourage them to critically engage with See Her Elected’s work and the outcomes from having Council Chambers that do not reflect what the communities they represent look like,” said Ms. O’Shea, who added; “See Her Elected’s aim is to engage with students to increase their awareness and understanding of gender inequality in politics as well as encouraging them to get their names on the Register of Electors. Many 5th and 6th year students will be able to vote in the next Local Elections in 2024 so they are the ideal age group to address and the feedback and positive engagement from students has been fantastic.”
See Her Elected is a joint initiative between Longford Women’s Link and 50/50 North West. The project is funded by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The Women’s Coalition hope to reach as many secondary schools as possible around the county amongst other initiatives to encourage women to enter politics and in doing so help bring about change.
Jonathan Fogarty from Gaynestown Stud, Cleariestown, had a successful weekend with four of his runners finishing either first or second; A first and two ‘seconds’ at Lisronagh, on Saturday, and another victory today (Sunday) at Damma House, Kilkenny.
Today’s Fogarty handled newcomer was QuantumBoy, ridden by Derek O’Connor, and a four lengths winner of the maiden race for four-year-olds.
SEAN DOYLE kicked off his 2023-24 season with a winner at Kilkenny today.
Sean Doyle, handler from Monbeg, Ballindaggin, who enjoyed best his ever season with 19 winners in the 2022-23 season, saddled his first success of the 2023-24 season in Kilkenny today when Roe And Coe, ridden by Jamie Scallan, Tomhaggard, came home two and a half lengths to the good in the maiden race for five year old geldings.
Next Sunday, November 12th, the local point-to-point action switches to Knockmullen House, New Ross for the Wexford Hunt fixture. First race at 12.30pm and entries close on Tuesday.
In other point-to-point news The Island Hunt will race over a new track at Peppard’s Castle, between Balygarrett and Kilmuckridge, on Saturday, April 13th. The venue is described as “a stiff left-handed track with a one mile circuit over two fields.”
WexfordLocal.com 