Fans were evacuated onto the pitch at Chadwicks Wexford Park this evening delaying the throw-in of the Allianz Hurling League Division 1 Group A Round 1/Walsh Cup final after a small fire broke out in the main stand.
The start to the game was delayed by 15 minutes until the Fire Officer declared it safe for the waiting fans to enter the stadium and the match to go ahead.
Speaking to RTÉ News, CEO/Operations Manager of Wexford GAA Gavin Donovan said that smoke came out of a vent after an air-conditioning unit went on fire. The mains power in the stadium was out for a time as a result.
“There was only a small bit of smoke, and the air handling vent is damaged but there was no damage to the room that it was in. Nobody was hurt or injured as a result”, said Mr. Donovan, who praised the quick response of the emergency services.
The game got under way 15 minutes behind the scheduled starting time and victory went to the visitors. Final score; Galway 0-23 Wexford 0-15.
Wexford is to receive a major funding boost for the development of cycle and walkways in communities around Co. Wexford that will be better with safe and people-friendly corridors to visit friends, go to the shops, or cycle or walk to school, sports training and other activities.
Fine Gael Deputy Paul Kehoe was speaking following confirmation that the National Transport Authority has allocated funds to Ireland’s local authorities, with an overall fund of €290m to be spent on walking and cycling infrastructure this year.
“This large scale investment will enable councils to support approximately 1,200 Active Travel schemes nationwide,” said Deputy Kehoe, who added: “I am particularly pleased to report that Wexford County Council has been allocated €3,280,298 to develop and maintain cycle lanes, widened footpaths, new walking and cycling bridges and pedestrian crossings locally.”
DEPUTY PAUL KEHOE
Some of the projects in Wexford receiving funding include several schools:
Scoil Mhuire Rosslaire €80,000.
Scoil Naomh Abbann €80,000.
Saint Aidan’s €80,000.
Gorey Central School €20,000.
Ramsgrange Community School €20,000.
St. Patrick’s N.S. Crossabeg: €20,000.
In addition, there are a few other projects that will transform the local area;
€1,500,000: Newtown Road Active Travel Pathfinder Scheme.
€570,000; Roxborough Active Travel Pathfinder Scheme.
€59,298; Gorey Footpath Improvement Schemes.
“There is an assumption that Greenways, cycleways or walkways are primarily tourism amenities. While they do enhance our local tourism offerings in Wexford, first and foremost they are about local people and improving local life, connecting suburbs, local villages or townlands that often become disconnected from one another because of busy and dangerous roads,” said Deputy Kehoe.
“2023 is going to be an important year for active travel. With a growing number of active travel schemes moving from design into construction and delivery, we can encourage more people across the county to walk or cycle within and beyond their local community,” he concluded.
The body of a woman was recovered from the River Slaney at lunch time today and taken to University Hospital Waterford for a post mortem examination.
She has been named locally as Stephanie O’Connor, (51), from Slí na Sláine, Enniscorthy.
Ms. O’Connor had been reported missing by concerned family members yesterday afternoon and An Garda Siochána initiated a search that included Slaney Search and Rescue crews.
A body taken from the River Slaney south of the Urrin Bridge today has been positively identified as that of Ms. O’Connor and family members have been informed.
Úisce Éireann, working in partnership with Wexford County Council, is replacing almost 800 metres of aged water mains with new modern pipes along Cahore Road in North Wexford.
The project, which will commence this week, will provide a more reliable water supply and reduce the amount of treated drinking water lost to leakage.
The works will also involve laying new water service connections from the public water main in the road to customers’ property boundaries and connecting it to the customers’ water supply.
Beautiful Cahore in summertime (File Pic)
Outlining the benefits the water mains replacement project will bring, Joe Carroll, Regional Delivery Lead at Uisce Éireann, stated; “I would like to thank the local community in advance for their patience and co-operation during the works. We know based on previous experiences that the short-term inconvenience will be overshadowed by the long-term benefits.”
Where water mains are being constructed traffic management will be in place during this time. Local and emergency traffic will be always maintained.
These works are being carried out by Shareridge Civil Engineering in partnership with Wexford County Council on behalf of Uisce Éireann and are due to be completed by mid-March.
Uisce Éireann’s customer care helpline is open 24/7 on 1800 278 278 and customers can also contact on Twitter @IWCare with any queries.
Mayor of Wexford Cllr Maura Bell and Cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council, Cllr George Lawlor welcomed French Ambassador, His Excellency, E. Vincent Guerend and Conseiller Monsieur Julien Bouchez to Wexford town, yesterday (Monday).
MAYOR OF WEXFORD CLLR MAURA BELL
In a statement on social media, Cllr Lawlor said he was delighted to join Mayor Bell and French Ambassador Vincent Guérend for the official announcement that the French Embassy in Ireland is to establish an Honorary Consulate in Wexford.
“This historic development had come about as a result of the hugely enhanced connections that have developed with Wexford and the region post Brexit,” stated Cllr Lawlor.
It is anticipated that this new post will help grow relations between France and the South East of Ireland as well as increasing economic growth in County Wexford.
The consulate which will be based in Wexford will serve counties Wexford, Wicklow, Carlow, Kilkenny and Laois.
The scene at Mill Park Road, Enniscorthy, tonight, as works commence on resurfacing the roadway from Abbey Square to St. Mary’s CBS.
By Dan Walsh
The R744 is closed tonight to facilitate road resurfacing works from Abbey Square and along Mill Park Road to St, Mary’s CBS causing traffic disruption entering and leaving Enniscorthy town centre on the Enniscorthy-New Ross route.
The works is being carried out by Roadstone Ltd on behalf of Wexford County Council and night-time closures will apply until Wednesday, February 8th from 7pm to 6am.
Local access will be in place and diversion routes will be signposted. In a communication to residents and business Roadstone Ltd has apologised in advance for any inconvenience this may cause.
It should also be noted that these works are weather dependant and as such the dates and times may be subject to change at short notice.
The last time the Mill Park Road was totally resurfaced was in 1998 to facilitate the second stage of the Tour de France which travelled the N30 from Enniscorthy to New Ross.
As the count down to the start of the 3-Act drama festival circuit continues, Ballycogley Players are preparing to begin their pre-festival run with their circuit entry for 2023, ‘The Red Iron’ by Jim Nolan.
The group are no strangers to Nolan’s work, having performed the amateur premiere of the Waterford playwright’s ‘Dreamland’ during the covid interrupted 2020 festival circuit.
Having just missed out on a place in the All-Ireland finals last year, the cast and crew, led by first time 3-Act director Ellen Cloney, will be eager to go one step further in 2023. The vastly experienced cast of Sean Carthy, Diarmuid Buttimer, Colm Doyle, Mag Cloney, Catherine Murphy and Pat Sinnott, who is making his debut with Ballycogley Players, having performed with Camross Drama Group for many years, began preparations under the guidance of director Ellen Cloney back in August.
‘The Red Iron’ was premiered under the direction of writer, Nolan, in his native Waterford in November of 2019. Set in September of 2017, as crowds gather on Waterford’s Quay to greet the county’s vanquished All-Ireland hurling team the now middle-aged members of a teenage gang return to the city’s long abandoned Red Iron Bridge to remember their recently deceased friend. The revelation of events surrounding the former hurling star’s death and the unexpected return of a long-exiled associate unravel the cords that bind the gang and expose the fragile nature of a thirty-year-old friendship.
The amateur premiere of the play will be held in Our Lady’s Island Community Centre, this coming Friday, February 3rd at 8pm, tickets are €10 and can be purchased on the door.
Just under two weeks later the group will perform at the National Opera House in Wexford for three nights between February 15-17th, with shows starting at 8pm nightly. Tickets are €15 and are available from https://www.nationaloperahouse.ie/whats-on/show/the-Ballycogley-players-present or by contacting the box office in the National Opera House.
The group will then begin their festival circuit journey in Kilmuckridge on March 1st, followed by performances in Kiltyclogher, Ballyduff, Charleville, Ballinamore and Shercock, before returning to home-turf to compete at Wexford Drama Festival on March 28th.
Champion point-to-point rider Barry O’Neill has stretched his lead at the top of the 2022-23 championship with a double at Cragmore, Co. Limerick today. O’Neill is now on the 26-winner mark and six ahead of Rob James.
O’Neill was aboard Workahead for handler Colin Bowe in the 18-runner maiden race for five-year- olds who was impressive with eight lengths to spare for owner Sean Kinsella, Knockhouse Stud, Kilmacow, Co. Kilkenny.
BARRY O’NEILL and COLIN BOWE enjoyed victory at Cragmore today.
David Christie supplied O’Neill with his second winner of the day in the Open Race where Winged Leader held the advantage by one and a half lengths at the finish line.
Saturday’s point-to-point action was run under the auspices of East Down at Tyrella and the wonderfully named Speranza Wilde delivered a late challenge to gain a two and a half lengths victory in the maiden race for five-year-old mares.
Handler and breeder Susan O’Gorman supplied the impressive winner for her father, Donal O’Gorman, Kellystown, Adamstown, and Speranza Wilde, who was having her first outing will be heading for the sales ring. It was a 30th career win for Tomhaggard rider Jamie Scallan.
Racing returns to Co. Wexford next Sunday, February 5th with the first four-year-old race of 2023 heading the card and 1pm start. It all happens at Ballinaboola, New Ross, with the Wexford Hunt inviting all to a sporting afternoon.
WALLY O’NEILL, publisher at Red Books Press, launched ÁLANNA HAMMEL’s latest book at Red Books, Wexford, tonight.
By Dan Walsh in Wexford town
Wexford’s latest literary sensation, Álanna Hammel enjoyed a double personal occasion tonight when she combined the celebration of her 21st birthday and the launch of her second book… When I Grow Up I Want To Be… at a gala launch in the company of family and literary friends at Red Books, St. Peter’s Square, Wexford.
Her latest work was officially launched by Wally O’Neill, publisher of Red Books Press, who praised Álanna on her work and outlined that he believes she has a great literary future ahead of her. The launch included a number of readings by family and friends.
WALLY O’NEILL talking to DAN WALSH at tonight’s book launch held in Red Books, St. Peter’s Square, Wexford.
Speaking to WexfordLocal.com, Álanna described her latest work; “It’s a memoir in essays and short stories based on my upbringing in Kilmuckridge, weekends spent in rural Wicklow, where my mother is from, and eventually from Wexford to Dublin for university.”
Last August, the talented Kilmuckridge writer launched a debut collection of 11 poems with the curious title, “Cruel and Vicious”. It was an immediate sell-out and she had to re-order more to satisfy the market.
Currently studying Irish and French at Trinity College Dublin, Álanna has also edited two volumes of The Wexford Bohemian, each with more than 50 contributors in each edition and is host of the podcast The Art of Conversation,
When I Grow Up I Want to be, Álanna Hammel, 60 pages, published by Red Books Press, ISBN 9781838215446, €10, available at Red Books, St. Peter’s Square, Wexford, www.theirishbookshop.com or from the author.
The M11 Southbound has reopened to traffic shortly before 10pm tonight following a serious traffic collision earlier this evening.
Airlift from M11 at Gorey this evening.
Details of the collision are sketchy, but some sources claim it involved a truck and a car. One person was airlifted to hospital.
The road had been closed in both directions between junctions 23 and 24, for Gorey and Enniscorthy, from around 6pm and emergency services were quickly on the scene.
In a second road traffic collision on the M11 today, two people were taken to hospital following a single vehicle collision between junctions 20 and 21 South at Arklow.
WexfordLocal.com 