Traditional music was performed by Chulainn Ó Faolain and his sister, Éire Ní Fhaolain. as Leas-Cathaoirleach of Gorey-Kilmuckridge Municipal District Council appreciates their talent at the opening of Ballyfad Wood Heritage and History Project today (Sunday).
By Dan Walsh at Ballyfad Woods
Ballyfad Wood Heritage and History Project was officially launched today by Cllr Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin, Leas Cathaoirleach Gorey-Kilmuckridge Municipal District Council deep in the woods where a special stone memorial was unveiled.
Piper Ray Finn led the parade which included members of the local pike group. After a warm welcome and a brief explanation around the project by Cllr Ó Súilleabháin the memorial was unveiled with help from Coilte’s Mary Clifford.
Amongst the attendance were Deputies Johnny Mythen and Verona Murphy and Cllrs Donal Kenny and Joe Sullivan.
Cllr Ó Súilleabháin thanked everybody associated with completing the project including Lorraine O’Dwyer of gallavantingtours.ie who treated everybody to a guide to the woods, medicinal plants and biodiversity information and Rory O’Mahoney, engineer with Wexford County Council who helped with the funding. Special thanks also to Derek Carroll and Oliver Mythen for their research work.
There was also the unveiling of an information board which was performed by Tom and Mary Fleming in tribute to their son, the late ‘Jango’ Fleming.
Traditional music was performed by Chulainn Ó Faolain and his sister, Éire Ní Fhaolain.
It was a pleasant Sunday morning in the woods and afterwards refreshments were provided for all in May Byrne Trust House on Coolgreany’s Main Street.
Group at the opening of the Ballyfad Woods Heritage and History Project.
AUDIO ADDITION; Cllr Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin speaking to Dan Walsh at the Ballyfad Woods Heritage and History event.
The Ballyfad Walk is set in over 200 acres of mature woodland near Coolgreany, which is an example of an old woodland site that is shown in the original 1835 Ordnance Survey map. Such old woodland sites are relicts of the original vast forests that covered most of the country prior to the 16th century and are rich in biodiversity as they have never been fully clear-felled.
The woods at Ballyfad were acquired by the government from the Brooke Estate in 1904 at a cost of over £3,000.
The trailhead sign shows details of four trails of varying length and many fine examples of mature oak (1820), beech (1912), Norway spruce, Western hemlock, Douglas fir and Scots pine can be seen along the way. A special section of the Bluebell trail has been developed as a fairy walk especially for younger walkers.
Ballyfad Wood was used as a refuge by rebel forces both before and after the rebellion of 1798 and there are records of Anthony Hackett and his companions encountering local loyalist militia in the woods in the autumn and winter of 1798.
A tourism program called ‘Beidh Mé Ar Ais’ which is presented by Sinéad Ní Uallacháin, presenter on Raidió na Gaeltachta and Osgur Ó Ciardha, manager of the award-winning Generator Hostel in Dublin, where they travel around Ireland on the hunt for Ireland’s best tourist attraction.
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Launching THE WEXFORD BOHEMIAN in St. Peter’s Square(left to right); Wally O’Neill, Red Books (publisher), Álanna Hammel (Editor) and Cllr Leonard Kelly.
By Dan Walsh
From an impressive entry of more than 300 submissions 55 creative writers from all across Co. Wexford have their work published in the third issue of THE WEXFORD BOHEMIAN which was officially launched by the publishers RED BOOKS in St. Peter’s Square on Friday evening.
Editor Álanna Hammel from Morriscastle told WexfordLocal.com; “Editing and formatting this collection was quite possibly one of the most important projects I’ve ever worked on. I am honoured to feature work of such a high standard and privileged to tie it all together. Thank you to everyone who submitted, contributed, read and suggested.”
Ms Hammel also spoke highly of Wally O’Neill of RED BOOKS who published the works.
There are notes about the contributors and they include Wendy Connolly, Brian Trench, Edel Hanley, Nicky Rossiter, Blaze Devine, Margaret Galvin, Saoirse Wadding-Hayes, Steve Denehan, Bernadette Gibson, Meritxell Grau Buntinyac, Philip Quirke, Suzanne Burns, Aisling Cahill, Anne Ireton, Richard Connolly, R.J. Breathnach, Susan Doran, Aaron Dowling, Carmel Conroy, Eamonn Sheridan, Cian Desmond, John Cooney, Hugh Doyle, Dean Bolger, Mary O’Brien, Alan Dobbs, Caroline Stevens-Taylor, Niall Ó Siadhail, Dave Lordan, Maybelle Wallis, Noel Culleton, Siobhán Cahalan, Son, Nick Forbes, Jimmy O’Connell, Nathan Goff, Charlotte Glynn, Chris Black, Deirdre O’Connor, Imelda Carroll, Ellen Lordan-Lohier, Fionntán Ó Súilleabhain, Paulette Chapman, Stephen Barnes, Éire Ní Fhaoláin, Luke Bradley, Tony Bolger, Allston James, Aoife Rose O’Brien, Ronán P. Berry and Paul Hennessy.
THE WEXFORD BOHEMIAN, issue 3, Wexford’s own journal of art, literature and culture, EDITOR, Álanna Hammel, 112 pages, no illustrations, published by RED BOOKS, St. Peter’s Square, Wexford. Copies on sale at RED BOOKS.
AUDIO ADDITION; Álanna Hammel talking to Dan Walsh about editing THE WEXFORD BOHEMIAN
Senator Malcolm Byrne has welcomed moves by Government that will require the mandatory registration of jet skis by their owners and that the move will assist where jet skis breach local bye-laws designed to protect swimmers and other sea users.
Speaking in Seanad Éireann, Senator Byrne said; “We are coming into the summer season. Many more people are availing of our beaches and swimming is becoming more popular year-round. However, the problem continues to arise around jet skis and small motorised vehicles. I am aware that legislation is in place that will allow local authorities to put by-laws in place. Those by-laws are supposed to be enforced, but one of the difficulties is around the question of enforcement. At the moment, even though there are by-laws regulating where jet skis can go – and they should not be going into bathing areas – there is no requirement on the owner of a jet ski to register that ownership.
“There are now jet skis that can travel at up to 100 km/h in some cases and have 1,000 cc engines. Anybody can go and buy them. There are no requirements in terms of training, insurance or registration. Think about a vehicle that powerful in comparison with, say, a motor vehicle. What happens if there is an accident? What happens if one of those jet skis collides with a swimmer? This is a fear in many of our coastal communities. What are the insurance implications? Who is responsible?
“The Minister of State will be aware that there was a joint appeal last year by a number of bodies, including Waterways Ireland, the Coast Guard and Water Safety Ireland, around the responsible use of jet skis. However, we as a country are an outlier in terms of registration of these small motor vehicles. We need to look at treating jet skis essentially in the same way as we treat cars, with the same registration requirements. That way, if an incident occurs, somebody can be held to account.
“We do not want to stop people from using jet skis. Encouraging water sports is important, but people should do them responsibly. It may be that at some stage in the future we need to consider the idea of water police for some of our busiest beaches, who could be shared around the country, to be able to monitor situations where jet skiers and swimmers are close to each other.
Minister of State Mary Butler TD replied; “I thank Senator Malcolm Byrne for raising this matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Deputy Naughton, who is currently attending Cabinet. I recognise many of the significant points made by the Senator. He attended in Waterford last Friday afternoon, when we celebrated 20 years of the search and rescue service in the southeast located at Waterford regional airport. We must achieve the right balance. We have seen the amount of search and rescue requests at sea and inland, and these are coupled with the supports provided by the Garda and other bodies that help people who may get lost on mountains or whatever. There is a huge range of supports in place and we must be very conscious of that.
“The Minister of State informs me a range of control mechanisms relating to the regulation of jet skis exist under the Maritime Safety Act 2005. The Act strengthened the law against improper use of certain personal watercraft and recreational craft and promotes good practice in the operation of vessels generally. Section 6 in Part 2 of the Maritime Safety Act 2005 allows local authorities, harbour authorities and Waterways Ireland to make by-laws to regulate or control the operation of craft or specified classes of craft, including jet skis, in waters under their control or management or in their functional areas.
“The prohibition or restriction of jet skis may be general or in specified places and in the interests of the safety of persons using waters at certain times, or for the prevention of nuisance or injury to persons or damage to watercraft or other property on the waters. It may also be for the protection of a natural heritage area or protected monument. The by-laws may also address matters relating to launching, mooring or berthing craft, the conditions to be observed by operators of craft or maximum speed limits at which craft may be operated.
“Section 6 of the Act also includes an offence and penalty regime for persons who operate a craft in contravention of a by-law made under the section. The Act recognises that the conditions and issues can vary in different parts of the country. Therefore, it is a matter for the individual by-law making authorities to assess the particular circumstances in their area and decide on the appropriate response. There are general enforcement provisions contained in the 2005 Act that allow An Garda Síochána or authorised persons to act in particular circumstances. These include requiring the ceasing of the operation of craft, the seizure of craft in the interests of safety and other enforcement actions.
“I accept that the only reason the Senator is raising this matter is from a health and safety perspective and he is not trying to stop anyone enjoying the water or the beautiful beaches we have. We are very lucky to live on an island with fabulous and spectacular beaches.
JET SKIS IN ACTION OFF COURTOWN HARBOUR (File Pic).
The Senator indicates there is no provision under the Merchant Shipping Act for the licensing of jet skis. The provision of the Merchant Shipping (Registration of Ships) Act 2014, when fully commenced, will assist in the identification of owners of jet skis for enforcement purposes. An extension of mandatory registration to additional ship categories, including personal watercraft such as jet skis, is proposed for the future when the new ship registration regime is rolled out. However, this will take some time as the full commencement of the Act requires the establishment of a new electronic ship register and registration regime, which will be progressed under a separate information technology project. There will be new ship registration regulations to complement and align with the registration information technology project. It is one of the Senator’s main concerns that these craft are not registered currently.
As I outlined, the legislative framework includes a range of controls to regulate the operation of jet skis. I refer specifically to the Maritime Safety Act 2005, under which local authorities, harbour authorities and Waterways Ireland may make by-laws to regulate or control the operation of jet skis in their functional areas. Such by-laws may also address matters relating to the launching of craft or the maximum speed limits at which craft may be operated. Under this Act, a range of offences and enforcement provisions may be employed in this context by authorised persons or members of An Garda Síochána.
Given conditions can vary in different parts of the country, I hope the Senator will appreciate why it is a matter for the individual by-law-making authorities to assess the specific circumstances in their areas and then to decide on the appropriate responses to those local conditions. It is reasonable that those closest to the issues and possessing local knowledge should regulate for local circumstances. I encourage the relevant authorities to explore actions permissible under the provisions of the 2005 Act if specific problems may be arising with jet skis in particular local areas or waters.”
A series of new initiatives and funding from Government will make remote working more accessible and attractive for Wexford people, according to Fine Gael TD, Paul Kehoe.
Deputy Kehoe said: “A series of measures announced by my colleague, Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys, marks a significant development in making remote working a more viable option for people living in Wexford.
“At least 10,000 hot desk spaces will be provided across the country under the new Connected Hubs Voucher Scheme, which is aimed at both existing hub users, as well as those accessing digital hub facilities in Wexford for the first time. The scheme will initially provide three days of hub use per person between now and the end of August.
“Under the funding, Enniscorthy Enterprise & Tech Hub is to receive €31,950 as part of a series of new initiatives to support Remote Working.
The funding will be used to provide higher spec. laptops and a printer; scanner; photocopier to conduct work efficiently and professionally. “In addition to these measures, funding of €50,000 is also being provided to Wexford County Council under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme.
“This will help Wexford County Council to promote remote working opportunities and Wexford communities as a destination for people considering relocating from our cities and larger towns who may want to return home and enjoy a new experience.
“The drive to encourage remote working will help revitalise towns and villages and it supports Fine Gael’s ambition and campaign to build stronger, safer communities in Wexford, Deputy Kehoe concluded.
Another sign that life is returning to normal following a two-year break forced by the Covid-19 pandemic is seen in the announcement by Fyffes that it is to resume its programme of fitness visits to Wexford schools commencing in September.
Since its launch just four years ago over 720 Wexford pupils had been introduced to the Fit Squad programme before Covid and resulting school closures forced Fyffes to bring its message online.
Delivered by Irish health and fitness expert Tom Dalton, each visit of 45-minutes duration includes an active workout designed to improve children’s general fitness through engagement and fun-filled activities, supported by talks and tips on healthy eating.
Irish Olympic athletes Phil Healy and David Gillick, have the enthusiastic support of young fitness fans Juneau (10) and Casey (7) Conroy, as they announce that Fyffes is to resume its children’s fitness programme of live school visits in September following a two year break during Covid.
Noel Dooly who trains at Courtnacuddy, Enniscorthy, delighted the local followers with a 13/2 winner, Where’s Bunny by three and a half lengths in the handicap chase at sunny Wexford this afternoon.
Owned by the trainer’s father, Robert Dooly from Tramore, the trainer said afterwards; “That was her first handicap over fences. She had one run in a beginners’ at the back-end of last year. She has always jumped well and ran in point-to-points in her early days.”
Where’s Bunny provided jockey Richard Condon with a double. He also scored on Jakes Dream (12/1) in the mare’s maiden hurdle where Uppertown Moya took the third sport for Coolgarrow, Enniscorthy, trainer Mary Ellen Doyle.
Charlie O’Dwyer, son of former Wexford jockey and Cheltenham Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle hero, Conor O’Dwyer, won on King’s Keeper (2/5 fav) in the Gigginstown House Stud colours and Waterford trainer Henry de Bromhead in the opportunity maiden hurdle.
There was another Waterford winner in the maiden hurdle when John Queally’s Don’t Tell Allen (11/1), with Ian Power up, had five lengths to spare over Mangan Sue, running in the colours of Pat Doyle, Courtown, trained in Bunclody by Anthony John Black and Peter Carberry was the winning jockey.
Larry Murphy from Ramsgrange was the breeder of Bearwithmenow (8/1) who took the handicap hurdle giving Gabi Bourke, (27), from Cork who has ridden winners in Sewden, his first success in this country. A winner for John Flavin’s Tramore stables. Bonne Debut finished third after a good run for Mark Scallan’s Cleariestown yard.
Rarely does a Wexford meeting go by without a Willie Mullins trained winner and the champion trainer kept up his good strike rate in the south-east with Ganapathi (11/10 fav), the nine lengths winner of the novice chase under Carlow claiming rider Kieran Callaghan.
Philip Fenton maintained a good seasonal strike rate at Bettyville Park when saddling Secret Cargo (16/1) to a ‘neck’ victory under Mikey Hamill, just holding off the challenge of Steps March (Ian Power) in the concluding handicap chase.
Racing returns to Bettyville Park next Wednesday, June 15th, for an evening meeting, so all looking forward to that.
The Tote aggregate was €101,895.22 (7 races) compared with last year- €84,079.14 (8 races).
Figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show that in 2016 almost 15% of the population of Wexford was over the age of 65 with a projection this will grow to 22% in the South-East by 2031.
MINISTER MARY BUTLER TD.
“We must be ready to face the challenges that such an eventuality will bring to society and the services required to support this ageing population,” said Mary Butler TD, Minister of State at the Department of Health who welcomed and launched the Age Friendly Strategy 2022-2026 in the Council Chamber at County Hall recently.
Cllr Barbara-Anne Murphy, Cathaoirleach Wexford County Council told the invited attendance; “Working on this strategy has given us an opportunity to listen to older people and find out what it is like to be an older person living in County Wexford, the good things as well as the challenges and issues.”
Wexford County Council CEO, Tom Enright, added; “This strategy is the culmination of an extensive consultation process that brought together the older residents of Wexford and the key service providers from the statutory, voluntary, community and private sectors to identify how we can make Wexford a better place in which to live, work, enjoy life and grow older.”
Kevin Molloy, Chairperson of Wexford Older People’s Council, stated that “As life expectancy increases, the need to ensure that Wexford becomes a great county in which to grow old is increasing too. The voices of older people and their concerns and issues are captured in our second Age Friendly Strategy. The work of Wexford’s Older People’s Council with Wexford County Council and the Age Friendly Alliance is for the good of everybody regardless of age.”
There were also other presentations; Age Friendly National Perspective by Alice Corbett, Age Friendly Ireland, and Findings from public consultation were delivered by Dr Yvonne Byrne, Rural Development Consultant.
At the opening of Kilcavan Garden in Tara Hill today (Sunday) were (left to right); Christine Pidgeon, Niamh Free, Joe Roche, Chairman of Tara Hill Community Development Association, Dan Doyle and Catherine Kinsella.
By Dan Walsh at Tara Hill
Kilcavan has Tara Hill as a backdrop with wonderful views towards Arklow and Croghan countryside and the view has been improved with the official opening of Kilcavan Garden today.
Members of Tara Hill Community Development Association identified a piece of waste land adjoining the old graveyard, they hatched a plan, rolled up their sleeves and created a wonderful natural park with seats, some poetry, an historical guide board, standing stones and coming soon – a compass!
Kilcavan Garden was officially opened when Kathleen Keyes cut the ribbon on behalf of her parents, Tom and Anne, who are celebrating their 51st wedding anniversary this week. The blessing was accompanied by a short prayer delivered by Rev. Roger O’Neill, C.C. Gorey.
Saint Caemhan or Kevin or Cavan, (associated with Clonmacnoise), as the name is variously spelt is the Patron Saint of Tara Hill and the site of the old church founded by him is situated at Kilcavan at the north side of the hill (253m or 830ft high) under a cliff by the road.
According to Kevin Spencer in the publication ‘Tara Hill – St. Kevin’s Centenary Celebrations 1987, Tara Hill School-Chapel opened on June 17 1888 and he wrote; “Tara Hill district was without a public place of worship for upwards on 100 years.”
In the same publication, Brian J. Cantwell, who compiled gravestone inscriptions, in July 1979, wrote that “the old graveyard, still in use, is situated on the north side of Tara Hill, approximately four miles from Gorey, not to be confused with Kilcavan, near Wellingtonbridge.
The oldest grave on record belongs to Matthew Brein (that’s the spelling?) who died in 1748 aged 30 years!
In the same publication, a short article by Jack Reid informed readers that “In 1969 when it became apparent that old Kilcavan was overcrowded and no more plots were available, it was decided to purchase a plot of ground adjoining.”
Consequently, the boundary ditch was removed merging the old cemetery with the new ground. A boundary wall of concrete blocks was built and a new entrance opened.
At the launch of Courtown Plaza and Pier Enhancement today were (left to right); Senator Malcolm Byrne, Liz Hore, Director of Services, Liz Stanley, Senior Staff Officer, Tom Enright, CEO Wexford County Council, Linda Sinnott, Chair Courtown Community Council, Philip Knight, District Manager, Cllr Pip Breen, Cathaoirleach Gorey-Kilmuckridge Municipal District, Cllr Joe Sullivan, Cllr Donal Kenny, Minister James Browne, Cllr Diarmuid Devereux, Cllr Andrew Bolger and Cllr Fionntán Ó Súilleabhain.
By Dan Walsh at Courtown
The official opening of the Courtown Plaza and Pier Enhancement today (Sunday) is recognised as the first step to bring Courtown back to its former glory and there are promises of future funding and revitalisation for the popular north Wexford seaside resort and village.
Cllr Pip Breen, Cathaoirleach Gorey-Kilmuckridge Municipal District Council, who unveiled a plaque, described the occasion as “the first step to bring Courtown back to its former glory.” “We are not finished by a long shot and I am committed to what Courtown needs to bring it back to where it should be and where it can be with the help of all the local people and with Wexford County Council!
He spoke of “a beautiful white beach that is no longer here” but he felt there are plans that will address that and it is for the future -it is not forgotten – and he is hoping for some positive news next year! Cllr Breen paid special tribute to Liz Stanley, Senior Staff Officer Gorey-Kilmuckridge Municipal District Council, who spearheaded the project at local level.
Minister James Browne thanked everybody associated with the project including members of the Local Authority and the Courtown Community Council. “Projects being done in communities is not about the people here today; it is about the oncoming generations; it is about the environment. We need to protect our communities. We need to protect the environment and biodiversity.”
Tom Enright, Chief Executive, Wexford County Council said it was great to be here on “a positive day for Courtown. What you see today is a small step in the future of Courtown It is time to revive it as a vibrant tourist destination and a place where people want to live.
Mr Enright said it was time to revitalise the community. He thanked Minister James Browne and the Government for the funding and outlined several projects taking place in north Wexford. “We are working with the Office of Public Works for a major project so there are lots happening, and the councillors are hugely committed to the revival of this wonderful village.
Linda Sinnott, Chair Courtown Community Council welcomed “this pier enhancement as a springboard to the revitalisation of Courtown. It’s an important milestone for our village and harbour so that it’s at least as beautiful as the one we grew up with.
“We have a unique opportunity to reinvent our village for future generations. This depends on bringing all the stakeholders together to find a way of working towards this common goal. Courtown needs more investment and development to survive. However, we must avoid the mistakes of the past, we need to learn from them. We need to do better,” concluded Ms. Sinnott who, on behalf of the community, acknowledged the hard-working staff of Wexford County Council for bringing these vital works to fruition and kickstarting a process of revitalisation.”
Ms. Sinnott thanked Cllr Pip Breen for his presence and is looking forward to working more closely with him and his colleagues at Wexford County Council to ensure that Courtown is no longer left behind.
Apologies were acknowledged on behalf of Paul Kehoe TD and the Cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council Cllr Barbara-Anne Murphy.
WexfordLocal.com 