Cllr Barbara-Anne Murphy, Cathaoirleach Wexford County Council is leading the congratulations to Presentation Secondary School Wexford on their work in helping their local community to reduce single use plastic.
Speaking at the prizegiving where she presented them with their prize of a contactless water station and reusable water bottles, Cllr Murphy said; “This is a great campaign for communities up and down the county to get involved in. It encourages schools and businesses alike to act against plastics, thus preventing waste and acting against climate change. This competition has united communities in a common goal to responsibly refill a reusable bottle and continue to contribute to the positive results the campaign has seen to date.”
CLLR BARBARA-ANNE MURPHY presents prizes to Presentation Secondary School, Wexford, for project on reducing the use of single plastic.
“Schools across the county have done tremendous work for this competition”, commented Cliona Connolly, Environmental Awareness Officer with Wexford County Council. “This campaign has highlighted the benefits of refilling and reusing, not just within the school but across the wider community I would encourage everyone to look at the Tap Map on Refill.ie to check where their local refill points are located. We were delighted to receive LAPN funding from the EPA to run this competition.”
The competition held for secondary schools across Wexford and Waterford had huge success in encouraging action against single use plastic bottles.
Wexford County Council has announced that it has agreed to acquire the site of the former Murphy Floods Hotel, which was destroyed by fire in September 2005, in Enniscorthy town centre.
Having recently acquired the adjoining property which has also been vacant for a number of years, this announcement means that Wexford County Council will be the full owner of a strategically-located large-scale brownfield site in the heart of Enniscorthy, with significant development potential.
News that the Council has developed ambitious plans to completely redevelop the site, which has been derelict for many years, is sure to be of interest to the people of Enniscorthy and the surrounding area, who have long campaigned to have the town centre site redeveloped and restored to its former prominence at the commercial heart of the town.
Those plans would see the site redeveloped to accommodate a modern, mixed-use purpose built building to include a new modern library for Enniscorthy, commercial units, 18 residential apartments and basement parking in a major project with an estimated cost of approximately €8 million.
An artist’s impression of a proposed new development at Enniscorthy town centre. (Image; Wexford County Council)
At a meeting of Enniscorthy Municipal District Council held in the Presentation Centre on Monday, Chief Executive Tom Enright said the project has been advanced by the Council to assist Enniscorthy town in realising its undoubted potential as a destination town, where traditional shopping facilities, supported by modern and vibrant commercial, social and residential facilities can continue to attract locals and visitors alike to the town centre.
Welcoming the announcement, Cathaoirleach of Enniscorthy Municipal District, Cllr. Cathal Byrne described the development as having the potential to transform and reinvigorate not just Market Square but the entirety of Enniscorthy town, and he thanked the Chief Executive and his staff for their initiative and commitment in bringing this transformative project forward.
The necessary planning application for the redevelopment of the site and accompanying public consultation will proceed early in the New Year, while the Council is in early discussions with a number of private investors who have expressed interest in supporting the project.
Tales, Traditions & Folklore of Wexford is the latest publication to come from the pen of prolific Wexford writer, Liam Gaul, and it is a real stocking filler for Christmas.
Described by the author as “a dip-in- and out” style of reading the content is made up of snippets from the history pages. Wexford town in 1902 emerges through the surviving film when the Mitchell and Kenyon cameras came to town.
Wexford author LIAM GAUL with his latest publication; ‘Tales, Traditions and Folklore of Wexford, Vol. 2
The Mitchell & Kanyon film company was a pioneer of early commercial motion pictures based in the Lancashire town of Blackburn in England, in the early days of the 20th century. Liam Gaul’s work is enhanced by the discovery in 1994 of film negatives that were restored.
Eighteen hundred rolls of nitrate film remained sealed in barrels the basement of a shop in Blackburn, for 70 years, and when investigated they contained valuable film from Wexford town. What a discovery? It forms the backbone of Liam Gaul’s latest work.
Plenty of other interesting tales in this fine book which is a great stocking-filler, and the proceeds are in aid of Wexford Women’s Refuge and Wexford Lions Club.
LIAM GAUL talking to DAN WALSH about his latest book, ‘Tales, Tradition and Folklore of Wexford. Vol. 2
Tales, Traditions & Folklore of Wexford, Vol. 2, Compiled by Liam Gaul, A40 size, illustrated, 64 pages.
The spirit of Christmas present faded at 8 o’clock tonight when the early closing time called for restaurants, bars and cafés came into effect as part of the new restrictions aimed at assisting the health service cope with the spread of the Omicron variant.
Other restrictions include indoor events scheduled earlier in the day limited to attendance of 50% of capacity or 1,000 people, whichever is lower and outdoor events are also limited to half capacity, to a maximum of 5,000 people.
An Taoiseach Micheál Martin said this will help the country get to the other side of the current wave as safely as possible.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan has said the new restrictions will substantially cut the volume of total social contact across society if people follow “not just the letter but the spirit” of the guidelines.
Dr Holohan told RTE News; “it is now down to people individually” to confine social engagements to small groups of people and not to meet up with multiple groups of people over Christmas time. He added people should look to cut out discretionary contacts and that there are no plans to introduce stricter measures before Christmas.
Wexford’s Henrietta Street. Almost deserted. A sad sight. No Christmas cheer for 2021.(File Picture)
However, he said that NPHET will continue to monitor the situation over Christmas and is available to give more information to the Government if need be.
The restrictions do not apply to takeaway or delivery services. Religious services are exempt. The measures will remain in place until January 30th.
The brave and competitive Kinsella family from Marshalstown have become the second Wexford winner of Ireland’s Fittest Family and are €15,000 richer following tonight’s final shown on RTÉ 1 television.
The team comprised of Dad Patrick (49) and the kids, Michael (21), David (18) and Caoimhe (15). They showed an amazing display of strength, resilience and determination in the television series featuring families competing in different adventure races and fitness challenges.
The Kinsella family from Marshalstown, winners of Ireland’s Fittest Family, with coach Anna Geary. (Pic; Courtesy of RTÉ).
The final had viewers across the country, and particularly in Co. Wexford, biting their nails and on the edge of their seats with a Cinderella twist, with Caoimhe Kinsella losing her shoes going through the final cargo net. “Take off your socks!” coach Anna Geary yelled at Caomhe as she steels herself for the final ramp. There were two centimetres in it, it was so close.
It was down to the two dads at the end, but it was Michael Kinsella who was hauled up a couple of seconds before Aidan McIntyre. It was a Wexford success for the first time in the nine years of the competition.
“We have been watching the show since the first season but had to wait for Caoimhe to get to 15 to be able to apply,” said Patrick, who added; “All the children have won awards for under-age boxing but I reckon Caoimhe was ‘the secret weapon’.
Each year, the competition begins with a group of 15-20 families, all of whom will be put through extreme endurance challenges in new locations around the country competing for the chance of winning €15,000 and the title of Ireland’s Fittest Family.
The event was decided over eight weeks and tonight’s final featuring four families was filmed at the To Hell and Back Hub at Kilruddery, Co. Wicklow.
Already on social media messages of congratulations and pride in the well-earned victory for the brave Kinsella family from Marshalstown, near Enniscorthy, are pouring in and bound to make the front pages of the Christmas edition of the local press.
Wexford Pantomime Society has announced the postponement of its January 2022 production Aladdin.
NATIONAL OPERA HOUSE, WEXFORD.
“There have been a number of different factors to this decision,” the Society said in a press release, and added; “Mainly the national public health advice about reducing social contacts and the spread of Covid within the community, in addition, the unknown Omicron variant and uncertainty regarding restrictions in the entertainment industry were also considered.
Looking to the future, the Society stated its plans to stage Aladdin with the current cast, chorus, and choir in the first half of 2022 and are currently liaising with the team at the National Opera House, Wexford, seeking new dates.
In conclusion, the Society asks “to bear with us as we work on this, and we’ll inform you about these new dates as soon as possible. All tickets purchased will be transferred to the new dates and refunds will be available if the new dates do not suit you.”
Minister of State at the Department of Health Mary Butler has launched a report of the findings from an innovative telehealth pilot which set out to provide a 12-week telehealth intervention to 50 patients in Wexford with a chronic illness.
Telehealth refers to the use of electronic and telecommunication technologies to support healthcare at a distance from the patient. This year in County Wexford a telehealth pilot project was undertaken by a multi-agency Stakeholder Group (Wexford County Council-Age Friendly Programme including the Wexford Older Peoples Council, Age Friendly Ireland, HSE, Wexford General Hospital, including Consultant Geriatrician and Clinical Nurse Specialists and Tunstall Emergency Response).
This pilot project set out to provide a 12-week telehealth intervention to 50 patients with chronic illnesses including Chronic Heart Disease, COPD and Diabetes. The project was independently evaluated and monitored by Waterford Institute of Technology and their research report, including their findings and recommendations was launched in Wexford by Minister Mary Butler.
MINISTER MARY BUTLERTOM ENRIGHT CEO WEXFORD COUNTY COUNCIL
Telehealth can be used to support older adults to self-manage their health conditions within their own homes. Depending on the health condition being monitored, patients were provided with specific equipment. The patients with COPD were asked to use a blood pressure monitor, pulse oximeter and thermometer.
Those with CHF used the blood pressure monitor, pulse oximeter and scales, while the patients with diabetes recorded their blood pressure, weight and could also if they wished manually input their blood glucose readings. The patients input their readings daily into a tablet and this information was transferred to clinicians at Wexford General Hospital, with an alarm system in place if the readings were outside of limits set by the medical team.
Speaking at the launch, Mr Tom Enright, Chief Executive of Wexford County Council said; “The Joint Departmental Housing Options for Older People set out a clear objective of how assistive technology can support older people to age in place. Throughout the pandemic the need for adaptive technology solutions has never been more important. I am delighted that Wexford County Council, through its Age Friendly Programme is actively engaged in working with Age Friendly Ireland to address the emerging needs that this report is highlighting here today, and I look forward to the next phase of this project’.
Minister Butler said; “With a rapidly increasing population of older adults in Ireland, the enhancement of community supports and health interventions that will enable the realisation of care as close to home as possible has never been so important. As Minister, I am committed to maximising the use of virtual and telehealth services to enhance access to supports for individuals and their families.”
This Wexford telehealth pilot is very timely in the context not only of an ageing population but also in the context of Covid 19. Phase Two of the Telehealth project will see it expanding to other counties and is an indication of the success of Phase One.
Gardaí are seeking the public’s assistance in tracing the whereabouts of 13 years old Scarlet Bright, who was last seen in Wexford town at 4pm, yesterday (Wednesday).
SCARLET BRIGHT
Scarlet is described as 5’ 5” in height, of strong build with shoulder length black hair. When last seen she was wearing all black casual clothing.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Wexford Garda station on 053 9165200, the Garda confidential line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.
A North Wexford company were fined €175,000 at a sitting of Wexford Circuit Court, before Judge Martin Nolan, following an investigation into a fatal accident that occurred on April 1st, 2016. Faser Court Limited pleaded guilty to a charge under Regulation 54(2) Safety, Health & Welfare at Work (Quarries) Regulations 2008 Contrary to Section 77(2)(c) Safety, Health & Welfare at Work Act 2005.
The case arose following an investigation by the Health and Safety Authority into an incident that occurred on April 1st, 2016 that resulted in an employee, Mr Peter Byrne, sustaining fatal injuries. Mr Byrne was employed as a machine operator by Faser Court Limited (also known as Casey’s Quarry and Casey Concrete) at Coolishall Quarry, Gorey, Co. Wexford.
On April 1st, 2016, a quarry face blast was carried out at Coolishall quarry. The blasted face was checked and given the ‘all clear’ by the explosive supervisor prior to the commencement of digging out the blasted rock. The incident occurred approximately 20 minutes after the blast. Mr Byrne was operating an excavator and was loading a dumper when the quarry face above him suddenly collapsed burying the excavator he was operating. Another operator received minor injuries while Mr Byrne received fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. The quarry face was approximately 62 meters in height.
Mark Cullen, Assistant Chief Executive with the Health and Safety Authority said that this tragic incident arose from not ensuring that all the necessary assessments were carried out on the quarry face in advance of the works proceeding and there was no Geotechnical Assessment carried out prior to work commencing.
This case is a stark reminder to quarry operators of the necessity to have all the necessary surveys and pre-planning done prior to commencing work on any quarry face.
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