Almost 140 kilogrammes of cannabis with an estimated value of €2.8 million were seized at Rosslare Europort yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon.
Cannabis in a consignment of vegetables discovered at Rosslare Europort (Pic; Revenue)
A man in his 40s was arrested at the scene and taken to Wexford Garda Station.
The drugs were discovered when Revenue officers stopped and searched a Spanish registered articulated lorry and its accompanying trailer that had disembarked a ferry from Cherbourg, France.
The search, carried out with the assistance of Revenue’s mobile x-ray scanner, led to the discovery of the drugs concealed within a consignment of vegetables.
Investigations are ongoing.
If businesses or members of the public have any information regarding smuggling, they can contact Revenue in confidence on free phone number 1800 295 295.
Local jockey JJ Slevin was in brilliant form at this evening’s Wexford races at Bettyville Park where he recorded a double – winning both divisions of the Calor Gas Handicap Hurdle – and was runner-up in the handicap hurdle on Brogine behind Yenillick (18/1) ridden by Keith Donoghue for Louth trainer Harry Rogers.
Slevin got into winning mode on Good Bye Milan (25/1) for Askeaton trainer Seamus Braddish, winning by half a length over Colm Murphy’s Gondor (Brian Hayes) in the first division of the Calor Gas Handicap Hurdle and half-an-hour later bagged division two on Must Be Dreaming (11/1) for the Garrett Ahern stables in Cork. Slevin also enjoyed a double at Punchestown on Tuesday.
John P. McManus supplied the winner of the maiden hurdle – Moving Water (15/2) trained by Desmond McDonagh and ridden by Mark Walsh – by a comfortable 15 lengths. Rachel Blackmore finished second on her only ride of the evening, the 10/11 favourite Ingenious Stroke from Henry de Bromhead’s Waterford stables.
Jack Kennedy won the Boylesports Mares Handicap Hurdle on Hurricane Georgie (5/4 fav.) for the absent Gordon Elliott by three and a quarter lengths.
Chinx Of Light (6/4) won the hurdle race for John McConnell from Meath with Simon Torrens up with two of Gordon Elliott’s charges The Bosses Oscar (Jack Kennedy) and Fakir (Jordan Gainford) following him home in the three-mile test.
There was no surprise in the bumper. Newcomer No Rosk No Fun (10/11 fav.) came home nine lengths to the good for Willie Mullins and champion amateur jockey Patrick Mullins.
The day’s Tote aggregate was €90,262.52 (7 races) compared with €78,440.70 (8 races) last year.
Next races at Bettyville Park on Wednesday afternoon, June 8th.
Firefighters at a major blaze at warehouse property in Castlebridge village last Sunday evening (Pic; WexfordLocal.com)
By Dan Walsh
Gardaí at Wexford Station have confirmed that two people have been arrested and files are sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) after ‘significant progress’ was made in an investigation into last Sunday evening’s major fire at Castlebridge village where considerable damage was caused to abandoned buildings adjacent to The Porter House licensed premises.
The outbreak was noticed as smoke began billowing from the rear of the street soon after 5.30pm. The local pub – The Porter House – was quickly evacuated and the emergency services soon arrived on the scene.
Two units of Wexford Fire Service from Wexford town and New Ross, one unit from Enniscorthy, and a hydraulic platform unit from Wicklow Fire Service fought the blaze for over five hours. There was a large Garda presence, the road through the village was closed for several hours and curious onlookers crowd control was in operation.
It has subsequently been confirmed that the licensed premises escaped damage and no injuries were reported.
In a statement issued to WexfordLocal.com this evening, Irish Water, working in partnership with Wexford County Council wish to remind residents and businesses who are supplied by the Enniscorthy Public Water Supply that a Boil Water Notice remains in place and to continue to boil their water for consumption purposes.
Following consultation with the Health Service Executive (HSE) yesterday (Monday), Irish Water and Wexford County Council issued a Boil Water Notice to protect the health of approximately 11,187 consumers supplied by the Enniscorthy Public Water Supply scheme.
This followed the detection of cryptosporidium found at the Vinegar Hill Water Treatment Plant supply. As a precaution, Irish Water and Wexford County Council issued a Boil Water Notice with immediate effect to protect the health of consumers. Any customers with health concerns are advised to contact their GP.
This notice applies to all consumers on the Enniscorthy Public Water supply.
Updates are available on the Supply and Service Updates section of the Irish Water website, on Twitter @IWCare and via the customer care helpline, open 24/7 on 1800 278 278.
Revenue officers seized 960,000 cigarettes at Rosslare Europort yesterday (Monday).
File Pic
The illegal cigarettes were discovered with the assistance of Revenue’s mobile x-ray scanner, when Revenue officers stopped and searched an unaccompanied trailer that had disembarked a ferry from Bilboa, Spain.
The cigarettes branded ‘Benson & Hedges Silver’ and ‘Lambert & Butler’, have an estimated retail value of €720,000, representing a potential loss to the Exchequer of approximately €566,000.
Investigations are ongoing.
This seizure is part of Revenue’s ongoing operations targeting the shadow economy and the supply and sale of illegal tobacco products. If businesses or members of the public have any information regarding smuggling, they can contact Revenue in confidence on free phone number 1800 295 295.
GRAINNE DORAN, County Archivist, and CLLR BARBARA-ANNE MURPHY, Cathaoirleach, Wexford County Council, who performed the official launch, at The Treaty, 1921; Records from the Archives exhibition at Wexford County Council Headquarters.
By Dan Walsh at County Hall, Wexford
The Treaty, 1921; Records from the Archives exhibition, which has completed a three-month stint at Dublin Castle was launched at a pleasant ceremony in County Hall, Wexford, last night (Monday) by the Cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council, Cllr Barbara-Anne Murphy.
The exhibition marks the centenary of the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty on December 6th 1921, and available on public display in ‘the Street’ until June 10th.
Grainne Doran, County Archivist, acted as master of ceremonies and welcomed everybody to the official opening including Deputies Brendan Howlin and Paul Kehoe, Cllrs George Lawlor, Maura Bell, Jim Moore, Jim Codd and Andrew Bolger, other guests and a special welcome to Orlaith McBride, Director of the National Archives in Dublin and Cian Ó Lionnán from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, the Gaeltacht, Sports and Media.
AUDIO ADDITION – CLLR BARBARA-ANNE MURPHY speaking at the exhibition opening.
Tom Enright, Chief Executive, Wexford County Council,said; “Wexford County Council is delighted to be hosting ‘The Treaty 1921’ exhibition as part of its commemorative programme under the Decade of Centenaries for 2022. We hope that visitors will readily engage with the exhibition and increase their understanding of this seminal period in our country’s history. We are also excited to be showcasing to the public some of the relevant documents and images from our own county archive’s collections alongside the main exhibition.”
Orlaith McBride, Director of the National Archives, said; “We are delighted to bring this exhibition to Wexford. The wide and vivid range of documents, images and text presented capture as never before the drama that was the Treaty negotiations in London in 1921 and does so in a way that evokes the personal stories and personalities with all the attendant tensions, hopes and disagreements. It represents a really significant contribution to our understanding of one of the most important few weeks in our country’s history.”
Admission to the exhibition is free. The exhibition is presented by the National Archives in partnership with the Royal Irish Academy, the National Library of Ireland and the Office of Public Works, with records from the collections of the Military Archives and University College Dublin. A virtual exhibition is also available online at http://www.nationalarchives.ie.
A Boil Water Notice has been issued by Irish Water and Wexford County Council following consultation with the Health Service Executive (HSE) to protect the health of approximately 11,187 consumers supplied by the Enniscorthy Public Water Supply scheme.
This notice applies to all consumers on the Enniscorthy Public Water supply.
Irish Water’s Ronan Walsh acknowledged the impact of this notice on the community and regrets the inconvenience to impacted customers, adding: “Public health is Irish Water’s number one priority, and we are working closely with Wexford County Council to restore drinking water quality for all impacted customers in Enniscorthy and to lift the Boil Water Notice as quickly as it is safe to do so, and in consultation with the HSE.
“We have had very heavy rainfall in the Enniscorthy catchment area over the past few days and our sampling has highlighted a detection of cryptosporidium at Vinegar Hill Water Treatment Plant. We regret the impact that this Boil Water Notice will have on the local community and would like to assure them that we are prioritising works to restore a safe water supply with a view of lifting the notice as soon as it is safe to do so.”
Vulnerable customers who have registered with Irish Water will receive direct communication on this Boil Water Notice and are reminded that the water is safe to consume once boiled and cooled. In line with HSE advice on hand washing, Irish Water advises that the water remains suitable for this purpose and boiling the water is not required.
Updates are available on the Supply and Service Updates section of the Irish Water website, on Twitter @IWCare and via the customer care helpline, open 24/7 on 1800 278 278.
Remnants of a campfire and damage to trees at Gorey Town Park over the weekend has led to calls for more committed parental observation over teenagers and young adults staying out until the early hours of the morning.
GOREY TOWN PARK (File Pic)
The latest episode of anti-social behaviour saw five stakes uprooted, a broken tree and ashes where a fire had been lit on the grass.
Small groups are known to converge in the park into the early hours on occasions and while most respect the surroundings damage occurs from time to time.
GOREY TOWN PARK on Monday morning.
Gardai at Gorey Station are investigating the latest incident at the park and Cllr Joe Sullivan will be raising the matter at the June meeting of Gorey-Kilmuckridge Municipal District Council.
“I have been calling on Wexford County Council for public lighting in Gorey Town Park for some time now, but to no avail,” said Cllr Sullivan, who is disappointed at the latest anti-social behaviour in the park which is open for public use, but the project is not fully completed.
It is understood that the scene of the weekend embers may have evaded the CCTV system installed in the park!
Wexford Ógra Fianna Fáil have called on Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan TD to take immediate action to address the state of the road network in the county.
RUAIRÍ RYAN, Chair Wexford Ógra Fianna Fáil
Chair of Wexford Ógra Ruairí Ryan told WexfordLocal.com; “We as an organisation are calling for this to be addressed seriously by the minister. If you drive anywhere in the county (Wexford) you’ll see how bad this for yourself. The roads are particularly bad where I live around Enniscorthy, being quite dangerous for drivers. It’s affecting road safety for everyone. It’s quite clear to me that Wexford has been forgotten by the Minister in this regard.”
The call comes in the wake of recent published research which show “that Wexford had the worst roads in the country.”
The Business Post recently reported that a study from the National Audit and Oversight Commission in 2020 found that 31% of primary roads, 44% of secondary roads, and 39.5% of tertiary roads in the country were “structurally distressed” in 2020.
“It is clear that additional funding from central government is now needed to address this ever-growing problem,” concluded Mr Ryan.
Colin Bowe’s charges were in winning form at Inchydoney, Co. Cork, today where the Kiltealy champion handler saddled three winners bringing his seasonal total to 44 and his 10th national title is only a week away!
Alden and Barry O’Neill were victorious by one length in the maiden race for four-year-olds and O’Neill shared a double with Bowe as Brents Hollow came home five lengths to the good in the maiden race for mares aged five years or older.
Rob James completed the Bowe treble when he virtually led all the way on D’Last Spetz to score by ten lengths in the maiden race for five-year-old geldings.
BARRY O’NEILL in winning form this weekend
Kieva Hynes, (21), from Adamstown, had her very first winner as a rider aboard Local Rogue for owner Edward Power and handler Sean Doyle, by one length, in the maiden race for geldings of six years or older.
There was a two-day point-to-point fixture at Ballingarry, Co. Tipperary, and the maiden race for four-year-old geldings run today (Sunday) was won by newcomer Wrestligwithrae from the Cormac Doyle stable. The winning rider was Luke Murphy, Gorey, and the verdict was one and a half lengths.
Barry Stone was also on the scoresheet. The Cleariestown rider won by four lengths on Woodfield Symphony for Rosemary Connors in the maiden race for seven-year-olds and over.
Action at Balingarry also took place yesterday (Saturday) and two Wexford winners were recorded. On Se Calme was the two lengths winner of the maiden race for four-year-old mares for the Monbeg Farm Partnership, handler Cormac Doyle and rider Harley Dunne.
Colin Bowe and Barry O’Neill won the auction maiden race for four-year-olds with newcomer Atlanta Brave who got the verdict by ‘a head’.
WexfordLocal.com 