Gardaí at Enniscorthy are appealing for any witnesses to come forward following a serious single vehicle road traffic collision involving a motorcycle that occurred shortly before 7am on Saturday at the Clohass Roundabout on the R744 Enniscorthy-New Ross road.
ENNISCORTHY GARDA STATION 053 9233534 (File Pic).
The motorcyclist, a man in his 30s, was taken to University Hospital Waterford with serious injuries.
Gardai is appealing for any witnesses to this collision to come forward.
Any road users who may have camera footage, including dashcam, and were travelling on the R744 or the area of the Clohass Roundabout between 6.30am and 7am are asked to make this footage available to the Gardaí.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Enniscorthy Garda Station on 053 9233534, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.
Crowds waiting for the ‘Rockin’ Express’ steam train at Enniscorthy Railway Station today.
By Dan Walsh in Enniscorthy
Enniscorthy town centre is returning to normal tonight, the food stalls have left, there is music in venues till the late hours, after many thousands visited the town at the super successful Rockin’ Food and Fruit Festival.
Thousands thronged the streets over two days with the only blip on the Saturday night when rain dampened proceedings from around 7pm. It is reckoned that the crowds were the biggest seen in the town since the glory days of the famous Strawberry Fair festival.
The event was described as “Ireland’s biggest rock and roll festival” and there was continuous music and dancing on the Market House stage every day. Night-time music and merriment took place at 14 venues and were well attended with visiting groups praising the festival organisers and hosts and thanking them for “a wonderful time in Enniscorthy.”
The food stalls were busy throughout the weekend. They reported a busy trade and were pleased with the town centre location which augurs well for the future development of the festival.
The funfair is still going late into the night. Long queues throughout the day as children and teenagers took on the thrill of the bumping cars and other fairground activity.
The exciting arrival of the steam train was delayed by half an hour, but nobody minded, and an energetic bunch of dancers kept everybody entertained at Enniscorthy Station until the 300 passengers from Dublin disembarked and were given a warm welcome to Enniscorthy.
The ‘Rockin’ Express‘ emerges from Enniscorthy tunnel this evening.
The steam train excursion was sold out within hours when it was first advertised. At Enniscorthy the visitors from the capital were replaced by 300 more passengers, mostly family groups, who enjoyed a return day excursion to Rosslare Strand.
The train was more than an hour late on arrival back in Enniscorthy where the locals disembarked, the 300 from Dublin, having enjoyed the delights of Enniscorthy, took advantage of the return trip and steamed away with wonderful memories.
It was a truly family fun occasion experienced in pleasant weather conditions.
And good news for the town’s age friendly and family friendly image, the weekend was successful in a safe and friendly way, as it should be, and no issues of anti-social behaviour or unsavoury happenings were reported.
Rosslare RNLI lifeboat responded to a local fisherman located 10 miles north of Rosslare Europort after he reported that his boat was taking on water rapidly at 9.40am yesterday (Saturday).
ROSSLARE RNLI (File Pic)
The volunteer crew arrived on the scene and passed over the salvage pump to help remove the water from the boat, but with the water waist high, the crew were concerned and close to abandoning ship.
The coxswain of the lifeboat ordered the Y boat to be deployed for the crew of the fishing vessel, but eventually the salvage pump made better progress in emptying the water from inside the hull.
After several hours, all the water was pumped out and the casualty vessel was stabilised. The vessel was towed back to the safety of Rosslare Europort.
Eammon O’Rourke, RNLI Coxswain at Rosslare Harbour Lifeboat Station, says; “This was an excellent service where the power and speed of the Severn lifeboat combined with our well-trained volunteer crew undoubtedly saved the fishing boat crew and their vessel.”
Community history was made in Enniscorthy this morning when Cllr Aidan Browne, Cathaoirleach Enniscorthy Municipal District Council congratulated the committee and cut the ribbon at the official opening of the Enniscorthy Community Allotments at Gort na Gréine.
The new development consists of 64 plots, 20 raised beds and 60 spaces in the polytunnel. Cllr Browne, who lives locally and is a member of the Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) said it was a great honour to be privileged to perform the opening, he complimented everyone associated with the project and said it was a great community facility for Enniscorthy.
AUDIO ADDITION; CLLR AIDAN BROWNE talking to DAN WALSH at the opening of Enniscothy Community Allotments this morning.
Pictured at the opening of the Enniscorthy Community Allotments – Anna Davis (Treasurer); Cllr Lisa McDonald, Chair LCDC; Cllr Aidan Browne, who cut the ribbon and performed the launch; Michael Devereux, Chairman Enniscorthy Community Allotments Committee; Noreen Kehoe (Secretary); Dr Cara Daly, Head of Horticulture Studies at SETU; Eimear McCauley (PRO) and Mark Cook (Vice-chairman).
Noreen Kehoe, Committee Secretary, told WexfordLocal.com that it was grass field up to February when the sod was first turned, it first opened on April 11th the purpose of the Open Day was to show “what has been achieved.
“Michael Devereux had an idea, he needed help, our first meeting was online because of Covid, we got a committee together, we applied for LEADER funding and the support of the community made it all come together,” explained Ms Kehoe.
Michael Devereux, Chairman of Enniscorthy Community Allotments Committee thanked everyone from his committee to Wexford County Council and Wexford Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) for part played in bring the site from a grass field to a growing community.
Other members of the Committee include Mark Cook, Vice-Chairman and master of ceremonies; Noreen Kehoe, Secretary; Anna Davis, Treasurer; Eimear McCauley, PRO, and Committee Members Cllr Aidan Browne and Shelly Doyle.
Chairperson of Wexford Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) Cllr Lisa McDonald, who is also Cathaoirleach of Rosslare Municipal District said it was great to be at the opening of the Allotments this morning. “This is a fantastic addition to the town where the entire community can come together. Well done to all involved, the LCDC look forward to continuing to support you in the future,” she concluded.
Dr. Cara Daly, Lecturer and Head of Horticulture at South East Technological University (SETU) gave a lengthy account of the relationship between horticulture and the community and outlined the satisfaction of sowing in the soil, caring for it, harvesting it and enjoying the food. “You have a growing community here and I would like to see it rolled out in all communities, and you have only been growing since April!” she added.
Amongst the attendance at the launch were Cllr George Lawlor, Cathaoirleach Wexford County Council, Minister James Browne, Deputies Paul Kehoe and Brendan Howlin, Cllrs Jackser Owens, John O’Rourke, Barbara-Anne Murphy, Cathal Byrne and Kathleen Codd-Nolan. Mr Ger Mackey, District Manager, Enniscorthy Municipal District Council was also present.
Minister of State James Browne TD launched the 2022 Enniscorthy Rockin’ Food and Fruit Festival at a pleasant outdoors reception hosted by Dunnes Stores on the roof of Enniscorthy Castle this evening.
MINISTER OF STATE JAMES BROWNE TD launching the Rockin’s Food and Fruit Festival on the roof of Enniscorthy Castle this evening.AUDIO ADDITION; Minister of State JAMES BROWNE TD talking with DAN WALSH at the Rockin’ Food and Fruit Festival launch.
Cllr Aidan Browne, Chairman of Enniscorthy Municipal District Council, said he was delighted to be invited to the launch of the festival and he acknowledged the work of the committee and the sponsors. “This festival has grown into the most successful summer festival in Co. Wexford. This success is being directed and managed by the festival committee under the chairmanship of Eric Barron and I would like to compliment Eric and his committee.
“The festival would not be able to proceed without the wonderful support of the sponsors – Wexford County Council and Dunnes Stores – and all the hard work will attract many thousands of people to Enniscorthy over the weekend. This will create offer a wonderful opportunity to showcase the town and offer a great boost to business.”
Eric Barron said; “It falls to me as Chairman of the Rockin’ Food and Fruit Committee to welcome you here this evening and I do so in the confident knowledge that this year’s event will live up to, if not surpass, the growing reputation our festival has gained over the years.
“In 2018 and 2019 the festival was adjudged as ‘the best festival in the South-East’ and that accolade was upmost in our minds when we set out about organising this year’s event. Organising an event of this magnitude is a huge undertaking and here I would like to thank my colleagues on the committee; Maree Lyng, Amanda Whitmore, Aisling Coady, Emma Fox, Jimmy Gahan and Richie Cotter. Their commitment and enthusiasm for the task in hand made it all worthwhile and as chairman I publicly. applaud their efforts.”
Attendance included Deputy Paul Kehoe, Cllrs Kathleen Codd-Nolan, Cathal Byrne and Jackser Owens, Bishop Denis Brennan, sponsors, committee members and other invited guests.
Over 50 food stalls will take over the centre of Enniscorthy overnight and the festival will be rockin’ from early Saturday morning until Sunday evening and large crowds are expected and a warm welcome awaits locals and visitors alike.
The programme includes a huge range of free events such as Artisan Food and a Craft Market, a Food Marquee and a superb line-up of celebrity chefs, including Kevin Dundon, Zack Gallagher, Paul Hynes and Trudy Power from Trudie’s Kitchen, to name a select quartet, with tastings and special guests.
The Live Outdoor Stage at Market Square will be booming all weekend with special guest dancers who are the heart and soul of the festival.
The Rock and Roll Town Gig Trail provides a huge choice of live music at 14 venues around town and at the Rockshore Main Stage in Market Square.
The Midnight Crawlers and The Due-Tones are arriving in the shadow of Vinegar Hill from the UK, Memphis Lee and the Creepers are a five-piece band from south Wales, Barry Darcy is an Ireland’s Got Talent finalist, Irish Elvis is one of Ireland’s multi-award-winning tributes to the King- Elvis Presley, and many others.
The advice from the organising committee is to take a stroll through the medieval streets of Enniscorthy and savour the very best of both local and national produce as chefs and food producers have the finest fare of offer.
Great weekend of music and entertainment for all the family at Gorey Market House Festival (Pic; Joe Dixon Photography)
By Dan Walsh at Gorey Civic Centre
“We’re going to have a great weekend. We are really looking forward to it. It is something that we have been missing for the last few years,” said Cllr Donal Kenny, Cathaoirleach of Gorey-Kilmuckridge Municipal District Council, and Chair of the Festival Committee speaking at the launch of the Gorey Market House Festival in Gorey Civic Centre this afternoon.
Cllr Kenny thanked the organising committee, the local Council, sponsors and everybody who have been associated with the revival of the festival which opens tomorrow (Friday) night and continues over the weekend. “It is great to have the festival back and we are really looking forward to it and hoping that everyone has a great time,” added Cllr Kenny.
Philip Knight, Gorey District Manager said; “I am excited that the Market House Festival is going ahead this year. This will be my first festival as District Manager in Gorey and I hope that people will enjoy the weekend that we have in store for them. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the Festival Committee for all the hard work they have put in.”
This year’s Gorey Market House Festival promises to be the best yet with music and events suitable for the whole family and an eclectic mix of music, arts and events happening throughout the town.
The weekend will be filled with free music on the Main Street from artists including Ireland’s best Queen tribute act Qween, Zooropa (U2 Tribute), Live Forever (Oasis Tribute), Beatles for Sale (Beatles Tribute), Dave Clark and Matt McManamon (The Dead 60s) to name a few. This year, we are delighted to welcome back Tan and Sober Gentlemen (North Carolina) who entertained the crowd in 2019.
Friday sees the return of Qween, who rocked the town in 2019. On Saturday, Tan and Sober Gentlemen will get the crowd ready for Zooropa, Ireland’s Ultimate U2 Tribute Band. And, on Sunday, there will be live music on the street to get the crowd in the mood for Beatles For Sale followed by Live Forever.
This year the festival promises to be action packed for all the family with various events happening throughout the weekend across the town including the ever-popular Play Day, which will take place in Gorey Town Park on Saturday from 12.30pm to 5pm, showcasing fun for the whole family with DJ Liam Sharkey, Puppet Shows, Magicians and Face Painting.
AUDIO ADDITION; DAN WALSH talking to CLLR DONAL KENNY at today’s official launch of the Gorey Market House Festival at the Civic Centre.
The Annual Busking Competition in association with Making Music will also take place on Saturday with €1000 worth of vouchers up for grabs for budding musicians. On Sunday afternoon there will be a craft market on the Main Street with music from Stratus, Matt McManaman, Cian Fitz and Turas followed by The Pucas with Liam Byrne, Beatles For Sale and Live Forever.
Pictured at the launch of the Market House Festival – Cllr Pip Breen, Liz Hore, Director of Services, Cllr Donal Kenny, Chair of Gorey-Kilmuckridge Municipal District Council and Chair of Gorey Market House Festival Committee, Inspector Pat Cody, and Philip Knight, District Manager.
Gorey Market House Festival 2022 takes place over the August Bank Holiday Weekend, Friday to Sunday inclusive, with music, arts and events suitable for the whole family. For more information on the festival, please visit LoveGorey.ie or Gorey Market House Festival on Facebook.
DUFFRY HILL area of Eniscorthy along with Redmond St. and Ross Road to benefit from Irish Water back yard service replacement project.
By Dan Walsh
Low water pressure due to leaks will soon be a thing of the past for Enniscorthy homes as Irish Water’s neighbouring customers on Redmond Street, Ross Road and Duffy Hill will all benefit from a back yard service replacement project.
In the coming weeks, the ageing back yard water mains will be decommissioned, new service connections installed, and 220 metres of new water mains constructed along the public road.
Irish Water’s Programme Delivery Lead, Joe Carroll explained the benefits of the works; “Ageing pipework is a significant source of leakage which in turn causes a reduced level of service for our customers. Detecting and repairing leaks in these old backyard service connections can be very difficult. By replacing the mains and installing new connections residents will have a more reliable supply.”
The works will put a stop to high levels of treating drinking water lost into the ground.
Shareridge Limited, carrying out the works, will contact each customer to discuss surveys to assess the current water connection arrangement.
The essential works may require some short-term water outages, but the project team will ensure that customers are given a minimum of 48 hours’ notice prior to any planned water outage.
Traffic management may be required where water mains are being constructed but local and emergency traffic will be maintained at all times.
“We understand that this type of work can be inconvenient, but we assure local residents that every effort will be made to minimise disruption,” said Mr Carroll.
Customers with questions about the project can call Irish Water on 1800 278 278 or contact on Twitter @IWCare. For further updates please see the Irish Water website www.water.ie For more information on the Leakage Reduction Programme please visit www.water.ie/reducingleaks
The Galway Plate is one of the legendary steeplechases first run in 1869 and the 2022 renewal was won this evening on day three of the Galway racing festival by Hewick (16/1) ridden by 21 years old Wexford jockey Jordan Gainford.
JORDAN GAINFORD (File Pic)
Always travelling well and fighting off the presence of a loose horse in the closing stages Gainford held on confidently by half a length much to the delight of Bagenalstown trainer John ‘Shark’ Hanlon.
Gainford from Caim, Enniscorthy, enjoyed a big race success in the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown in April on Hewick (16/1) and recorded a big race victory on The Shunter at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
Gainford was successful on the point-to-point circuit when with Colin Bowe at Kiltealy before turning professional during Covid 19 and is associated with the Gordon Elliott stables. Actually, he rode the first winner of the Galway festival on Monday evening for Elliott on Royal Eagle (18/1) in a novice hurdle.
Jordan Gainford will be aboard Vina Ardanza, at overnight odds of around 18/1, for Gordon Elliott in tomorrow’s big race – the Galway Hurdle – and he faces the challenge in top form.
There was another Wexford winner at Galway this evening. Outback Flyer (11/1), home-bred by owner Jonathan Deacon, Clonmore House, Bree, and a winner at Wexford in April, won the mares handicap hurdle.
ENNISCORTHY plays host to the Rockin’ Food and Fruit Festival over the August Bank Holiday.
By Dan Walsh
The Rockin’ Food and Fruit Festival is the perfect cocktail of everything that is brilliant about the summer with food, music and lots of family events, and it returns to Enniscorthy over the August Bank Holiday.
The programme includes a huge range of free events such as Artisan Food and a Craft Market, a Food Marquee and a superb line-up of celebrity chefs, including Kevin Dundon, Zack Gallagher, Paul Hynes and Trudy Power from Trudie’s Kitchen, to name a select quartet, with tastings and special guests.
The Live Outdoor Stage at Market Square will be booming all weekend with special guest dancers who are the heart and soul of the festival.
The Rock and Roll Town Gig Trail provides a huge choice of live music at 14 venues around town and at the Rockshore Main Stage in Market Square.
The Midnight Crawlers and The Due-Tones are arriving in the shadow of Vinegar Hill from the UK, Memphis Lee and the Creepers are a five-piece band from south Wales, Barry Darcy is an Ireland’s Got Talent finalist, Irish Elvis is one of Ireland’s multi-award winning tributes to the King- Elvis Presley, and many others.
The advice from the organising committee is to take a stroll through the medieval streets of Enniscorthy and savour the very best of both local and national produce as chefs and food producers have the finest fare of offer.
WexfordLocal.com 