Sunday success at three tracks

By Dan Walsh

Three point-to-point race meetings across the country today (Sunday) with Wexford success at all of them and a double for rider Rob James at Punchestown.

James teamed up with Colin Bowe for a four and a half lengths victory with newcomer Undeniable Alibi in the maiden race for four-year-olds and was also aboard the Gordon Elliott trained Happy Victory who did the business by three and a half lengths in the Farmers Hunt Race.

LUKE MURPHY had a family winner at Punchestown today.

First timer The Midwife was impressive at the Kildare venue for Miriam and John Murphy, owner and handler respectively, Corecannon House, Inch, near Gorey, and confidently ridden by their son, Luke Murphy. The winning margin was three lengths.

Ginger Jonny was a three lengths winner for Caitriona and Michael Goff, Clondaw, Ferns, in the five-year-old geldings maiden race at Kilfeacle, Co. Tipperary. The winning rider was Dan Nevin from Gowran, Co. Kilkenny.

Banks specialist Vital Island came out best in a photo-finish (a head and a short head separating the first three home) for owner/handler Richard O’Keeffe, Newtown, Taghmon, in the Banks Race at Knockanard, Fermoy, Co. Cork. Veteran rider Benny Walsh, Cleariestown, was in the saddle.

Vital Island is an 11 years old bay gelding who reserves his best for the ‘banks’ races. He won last year’s Ladies Cup at Punchestown and has won four times over the Lingstown banks where he goes next at the Kilinick Harriers fixture on March 12th.

There was also success for Jonathan Fogarty, Gaynestown, Cleariestown, with Denemethy, ridden by Eoin O’Brien, by four lengths in the maiden race for five-year-old geldings. This was the 10th winner of the handler’s career.

Next Sunday’s point-to-point races is The Island Hunt fixture at Ballycrystal, Kiltealy. First race is off at 2pm.

Fire on Rosslare-Fishguard ferry

STENA EUROPE (File Pic).

By Dan Walsh

Passengers had to wear life jackets and emergency services were scrambled when a fire broke out in the engine room on the Stena Europe ferry crossing from Rosslare Europort to Fishguard last night (Saturday).

The emergency services were alerted just before 21:25 GMT when the ferry was approximately two nautical miles off Fishguard Harbour.

The ferry crew were able to extinguish the blaze said HM Coastguard and all 88 passengers and 59 crew were unharmed and got off safely. The ship has been taken out of service during an investigation.

One passenger told BBC Wales there was an announcement to the crew, advising it was not a drill and they should take up positions.

“Smoke began to circulate and smoke was seen coming from the funnel.

“Life jackets were issued, and crew members assisted passengers with life jackets.

Coastguard rescue teams from Fishguard and Moylegrove, RNLI Lifeboats from St David’s, Newquay and Fishguard, a coastguard helicopter, Welsh Ambulance Service, an air ambulance, Dyfed-Powys Police and Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service were all called out.

Stena Line said the ferry has been “removed from service while we undertake a thorough investigation as to the cause of the incident” and thanked the emergency services “who deployed significant numbers of their resources as a precaution”.

“We are sorry for any distress and inconvenience this has caused to our passengers,” it added, and Stena Line said it had reached an agreement with Irish Ferries to allow passengers to transfer to its Pembroke sailing or transfer to an alternative Stena Line service at a different port.

Courtown bids farewell to Melanie

By Dan Walsh

The Executive Director of Seal Rescue Ireland (SRI), Melanie Croce, has parted the ways and moved on to her next adventure, a decision that is supported as a personal decision, but regretted by many who have been impressed by her impact on the environment of Courtown Harbour over the past six years.

MELANIE CROCHE leaves Seal Sanctuary Ireland at Courtown Harbour

“Although I’m excited for my next adventure, I’m sad to say goodbye to some of the most amazing, dedicated, and capable people I’ve ever met: SRI’s management team based in Courtown. It’s been an honour and privilege to work alongside literally hundreds of interns, volunteers and colleagues over the years at our small seal rescue centre, most of whom worked full-time on a voluntary basis, without whom none of this work would have been possible.

“A heartfelt thank you to our fantastic network of volunteers nationwide who have helped every seal reach our care.

“Thank you to the many supporters, sponsors, collaborators, members, donors and media outlets over the years who have helped SRI become leaders in Ireland’s environmental movement and spread our message across the globe”, concluded Melanie.

Courtown Community Council have paid tribute; “It’s not every day you get to work with people as inspirational as Melanie and Jeshua. They have a real passion for what they do and working with them over the past four years has truly been an honour. Courtown Community Council wouldn’t be where we are today without your wealth of knowledge, ongoing support and selfless dedication.”

From a personal viewpoint, I have worked with Melanie Croce in print, radio and television productions, and she was consistently refreshing and committed to her brief, always professional and sensitive with communications, and she threw her heart and soul into her profession. I will miss her and so will Courtown and its environment.

Serena Caulfield solo exhibition opens!

Artist SERENA CAULFIELD speaking at the launch of her solo exhibition Not Somewhere else but here at Wexford Arts Centre today.

By Dan Walsh at Wexford Arts Centre

The Chair of the Arts Council, Prof. Kevin Rafter was in Wexford Arts Centre today (Saturday) where he performed the official launch of Not somewhere else but here, a solo exhibition of new paintings by Wexford artist Serena Caulfield.

Prof. Rafter was full of praise for Ms. Caulfield’s latest work, congratulated on her outstanding talent and eye for quality paintings, he wished her well with the exhibition and advised that large numbers should come along to the Wexford Arts Centre to view her work. “They won’t be disappointed. This is an outstanding solo exhibition and I am privileged to be here to launch it,” he said.

Ms. Caulfield was thrilled to have the labours of two years work finally exude quality from the walls and she hoped people would enjoy it. However, she told WexfordLocal.com; “This is my best exhibition to date, but better has yet to come.”

There was a large gathering of friends and admirers at the launch where the master of ceremonies was the CEO of Wexford Arts Centre, Elizabeth Whyte, who emphasised “how privileged the Arts Centre is to host Serena Caulfield’s exhibition.”    

The exhibition will run in the lower and upper galleries at Wexford Arts Centre from Tuesday, February 14th to Thursday, March 23rd, inclusive.

Serena Caulfield was selected to take part in the MAKE/curate programme, a partnership initiative between Wexford Arts Centre and the Arts Department of Wexford County Council. 

The aim of the programme is to provide artists working regionally with an opportunity to work with national curators to critique their practice and introduce other areas of interest or specialists. 

Over the course of two years, Caulfield worked with Curators Marysia Wieckiewicz-Carroll and Cliodhna Shaffrey toward her solo exhibition. Distinct from the curatorial support, mentorship was also facilitated by artist Sinead Ni Mhaonaigh.

“Not somewhere else but here” is a line taken from Adrienne Rich’s poem “What Kind of Times are These”. The poem deals with uncertain and dangerous times but more importantly, its message is the responsibility to speak out against injustice and to listen when we hear others doing the same.

Ms. Caulfield felt that it was all too appropriate for our current climate, despite being written nearly thirty years ago. This repurposing of the established is one of the most inventive and engaging features of her work.

PROFILE; Serena Caulfield is a painter living and working in Wexford and is a recipient of the Arts Council of Ireland Visual Arts Bursary, an Artlinks Visual Arts Bursary, Platform 31, and an Arts Council Agility Award.

She has exhibited regionally and nationally. Recent group shows include the Zurich Painting Prize, 2021 at the National Gallery of Ireland and Crawford Art Gallery, Cork (2021); Generation 2022 – New Irish Painting, Butler Gallery, Kilkenny (2022); 140th Annual Royal Ulster Academy Exhibition, Belfast (2021), Crossings, King House, Boyle Arts Festival (2021), and MEET, Periphery Space, Gorey School of Art, (2021).

NOTE; Interviews from the launch with Prof. Kevin Rafter and Serena Caulfield will be broadcast on Mid Week Voices with Dan Walsh on South East Radio (95.6 and 96.4FM) on Wednesday, February 15th, at 8pm.

Three more for Barry O’Neill

By Dan Walsh

Champion point-to-point rider Barry O’Neill travelled to Co. Down this afternoon where he notched up a treble and recorded his 30th success of the season.

BARRY O’NEILL… three winners in Co. Down this afternoon.

Newcomer Jhentong Enki put up an impressive front running performance and finished six lengths ahead of the opposition in the maiden race for four-year-olds to get O’Neill off to a winning start with the support of the Milestone Bloodstock Ltd and champion handler Colin Bowe. The French-bred gelding is heading for the Tattersalls Cheltenham Sales later this month.

O’Neill made it a double in the Open Race on Bold Enough by two and a half lengths for Fermanagh handler David Christie and took the winning mount on Lar’s Lass for Kilsallaghan handler Tom Dreaper to complete a treble on the day in the Winner of Two race.

Rob James was in the winners’ enclosure following a nine lengths success with Check The Score, which he also trains at Tomona, Killanne, for the Matchmaker Syndicate in the maiden race for five-year-old geldings. Another on his way to the Tattersalls Cheltenham Sales shortly.

Court order follows cash seizure at Rosslare Europort

Today at Gorey District Court, Revenue officers were granted a three-month cash detention order by Judge John Cheatle. This followed the seizure of €9,250 on Tuesday at Rosslare Europort.

The cash was discovered because of routine profiling by Revenue officers, and with the assistance of detector dog Bailey, when an Irish-registered van was stopped and searched prior to a planned departure to Bilbao, Spain. A Polish man in his 40s has been questioned in relation to this seizure.

BAILEY the detector dog on duty at Rosslare Europort.

Separately, last Thursday, Revenue officers seized approximately 21,230 litres of beer at Rosslare Europort, as a result of routine profiling.

The smuggled beer of multiple brands has an estimated retail value of almost €85,000, representing a potential loss to the Exchequer of nearly €40,000. An additional quantity of a branded energy drink (more than 1,500 litres) was also found.

The beverages were discovered in an accompanied trailer that had arrived from Dunkirk, France and the driver of the load has been questioned. Investigations into both seizures are ongoing.

These seizures are part of Revenue’s ongoing work targeting smuggling and shadow economy activity. If businesses, or members of the public, have any information regarding such activities, they can contact Revenue in confidence on Confidential Phone Number 1800 295 295.

Bree Macra in national debating final

Bree Novice Debating Team (left to right); Sarah Byrne, Michael Roche, Macra President John Keane, Jordan Feeley, and Tyler Murphy.

Bree Macra na Feirme are certainly keeping old traditions alive in the club. On January 28th, the club turned out in force to support the Novice Debating team of Sarah Byrne, Michael Roche, Jordan Feeley, and Tyler Murphy in the Macra Na Feirme Novice Debating All-Ireland Final in Macroom, Co. Cork.

Having previously beaten a county Clare team in the semi-final, the four debaters faced Banteer Macra in proposing the motion that “Marriage is the End of a Good Time”. The audience enjoyed a lively, close debate, with both sides eliciting waves of laughter from the room.

After a long adjudication, the results were in – Banteer emerged victorious, with Bree taking home the runner’s-up plaques. Although all four Bree debaters are newcomers to the landscape of Macra debating, they benefited from an experienced backroom team of coaches James Byrne and PJ D’Arcy, as well as the support of the 2019 Bree Senior Debating All-Ireland winning team.

The team would like to thank all their supporters for making the long journey into the Rebel County.

New arrangements in five parishes

By Dan Walsh

The parochial system that has served the Diocese of Ferns so well for generations and instilled pride and sense of belonging into each and every one of us is sadly giving way to a clustering of parishes all over Ireland as a direct response to the sharp decrease in vocations and the diminishing number of priests available for ministry.

This began in the Diocese of Ferns last year with the ‘amalgamation’ of St Aidan’s Enniscorthy, St Senan’s Enniscorthy, and Marshalstown/Castledockrell, with three priests looking after the parishes between them, coming into effect on August 15th.

BISHOP GER NASH, BISHOP OF FERNS

Speaking at the time, Bishop Ger Nash said the diocese faced a challenge that “it is no longer possible to provide a priest for each parish of curacy.”

Bishop Nash also announced; “A new structure of ministry for the Diocese with priests working together as team to provide an opportunity for priests to focus on those areas of ministry which are life enhancing for them while at the same time providing an effective ministry to the people in the pastoral area when it is no longer possible to provide a priest for each parish or curacy.

It is currently announced that Monageer/Boolavogue will now be joining with Oulart/The Ballagh, Blackwater, Kilmuckridge/Monamolin, and Ballygarrett.

There are eight churches in these five parishes, and up to now there have been 19 Masses to be celebrated in the five parishes each weekend. As Fr Morgan White, now in Boolavogue, will be returning to the USA shortly at the request of his bishop, this will leave five priests to look after the eight churches.

The priests involved have met and decided that the number of Masses will have to be reduced to 13 Masses every weekend to enable them to cope adequately with their ministry.

Weekend Mass times in the various churches will be as follows:

Monageer: 6 pm Vigil 10 am Sunday

Boolavogue: 11 am Sunday

Oulart: 8 pm Vigil 11 am Sunday

Ballaghkeen 7 pm Vigil

Kilmuckridge 7 pm Vigil 11 am Sunday

Monamolin 6 pm Vigil

Blackwater 7 pm Vigil 10 am Sunday

Ballygarrett 6 pm Vigil 10 am Sunday

Weekday Masses will be changed also. Final decisions have yet to be made, but it is hoped that Monageer will have three or four Masses over the five days while Boolavogue will have one or two. Fr Butler of Ballygarret and Fr Cosgrave will attend to the Boolavogue Masses, weekend and weekday, between them.

It is important to make clear that any money that comes into a parish fund through the generosity of the parishioners will stay in that parish.

This new arrangement will begin in all five parishes on the weekend of 26th February, the First Sunday of Lent.

25 years since disappearance of Fiona Sinnott

Gardaí in Wexford continue to actively investigate the disappearance and murder of Fiona Sinnott on the 8th February 1998.

Fiona was the mother of an infant daughter and at the time of her disappearance Fiona lived at Ballyhitt, Broadway, Co. Wexford.

On Sunday 8th February 1998, Fiona Sinnott was socialising at Butler’s Pub in Broadway, Co. Wexford with friends. She left Butler’s Pub at approximately 12 midnight. This was the last confirmed sighting of Fiona.

A motorist saw a male and a female on the roadway near Kisha Cross, Broadway, County Wexford on Sunday 8th February 1998, at around midnight.

There were two males in their late teens or early twenties in close proximity.

None of these 4 people have ever come forward and Gardaí are anxious to trace them, or anyone who was in the vicinity who did not, or could not come forward at the time.

FIONA SINNOTT

In 2005 Gardaí arrested and detained a male on suspicion of the murder of Fiona Sinnott.  At the same time 5 other persons (3 women and 2 men) were arrested and detained in connection with the investigation into the disappearance and murder of Fiona.

No person has been charged in connection with this investigation to date.

In addition to regular appeals on the anniversary of Fiona’s disappearance An Garda Síochána has made a number of direct appeals in relation to this investigation, including at the time of the arrests in 2005, a Crimecall Appeal in February 2017 and a follow up appeal in April 2017.

On each occasion An Garda Síochána continues to receive contact from persons in relation to this investigation. 

Given the passage of time, on this the 25th anniversary of the disappearance and murder of Fiona Sinnott, Gardaí are appealing to anyone with information in relation to the disappearance and murder of Fiona Sinnott to come forward.

An Garda Síochána believe there are people in the Broadway area of Co. Wexford who have information vital to this investigation.

With the passage of time, it is possible that persons who have not spoken to Gardaí to date, or who spoke to Gardaí over the past 25 years but possibly have more information that they can provide, are now in a position to come forward.

Anyone with information or who can assist with the investigation into the disappearance and murder of Fiona Sinnott is asked to contact Wexford Garda Station on 053 9165200, the Garda Confidential Telephone Line 1800 666 111, any Garda Station or any member of An Garda Síochána.

Swims and dips cheques presented

Independent TD Verona Murphy at the Fethard-on-Sea lifeboat cheque presentation.

By Dan Walsh

Fundraising for the lifeboats is a popular activity around Christmas and the generosity of coastline supporter has been reflected in the presentation of cheques at Fethard-on-Sea and Kilmore Quay recently.

Hooked on Swimming’s ’12 Swims of Christmas’ raised €15,260 for Fethard-on-Sea RNLI with a little help from their friends.

The funds were raised through a Go Fund Me page, coffee morning, grand raffle and support from local businesses.

As part of the total raised, they were thrilled to receive a substantial donation of €6,750 from Siemens Energy, who wished to support one of their employees, Siobhan Redmond, as she undertook the 12 swims.

The brave ’20 Dips in December’ fundraiser for Kilmore Quay RNLI Lifeboat was a huge success and raised €6,817 and the cheque has been presented.

In a message on social media, Kilmore Quay Lifeboat said; “A huge thank you to all involved especially Charlie the Kippers mascot a special mention to teenager Tommy who raised a whopping €1,641 congratulations to everyone involved!”