In association with Dublin City University Gorey-Kilmuckridge Municipal District and Wexford County Council are engaging with a pilot project using the latest technology to explore smart tourism and public engagement! It’s called Hello Lamp Post.
The public is encouraged to engage with objects in local streets in an innovative and playful way while exploring how technology can change how the public think about and interact with the public realm in Gorey.
Starting at the Market House, people will be able to ‘talk to’ objects along the stretch which finishes at the Ashdown Park Hotel, including Gorey Garda Station and the Civic Centre. With an SMS enabled phone, you can say ‘Hello’ – sending a text to a particular object, for example ‘Hello Bench’ and have fun conversations with each object.
Yes, work it out for yourself! It appears to me as a type of social gathering information, so if you want to influence the Gorey of the future just talk to the lamp post!
A Christmas welcome at Gorey Civic Centre.
This pilot project is part of a wider ‘Town of Things’ project funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development under the Digital Innovation Programme 2021.
In addition to Hello Lamp Post, connected sensors will also be placed along Gorey Main Street to measure air quality and noise throughout the day as well as the number of vehicles and pedestrian traffic passing through the street.
Those living or visiting Gorey are encouraged to watch out for the QR codes popping up around the town presently and engage in a playful exchange or informative chat about the places visited most. Hello Lamp Post can’t wait to hear from you!
Blackwater Tidy Towns were the overall winners at the Wexford County Council Annual Environment Awards under the banner ‘Keep Wexford Beautiful’ which were announced during a special environmental programme broadcast on South East Radio hosted by Alan McGuire.
Cllr Barbara-Anne Murphy, Cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council, congratulated all the participants and went on to acknowledge the magnificent voluntary work that is carried out throughout the county. “It is heartening to see groups of local volunteers showing such spirit and endeavour and, in the process, inspiring others in their community to follow their example. The voluntary work undertaken makes a great contribution to improving our towns and villages, making them better places to live, work and visit,” she stated.
“The Environment Awards are about recognising and celebrating the inspirational tireless work being done by communities all over the county. Wexford County Council is very lucky to have such vibrant, enthusiastic and positive minded people living in communities throughout the county who embrace key environmental messages and promote them extensively in their local areas,” she concluded.
Carolyne Godkin, Director of Services, Wexford County Council recognised the commitment and dedication of all committees and individuals who make such a real difference at a local level. She said; “Your dedication is an inspiration to communities everywhere and illustrates the real benefits of pulling together for the greater good of the place we call home’.
Alan McGuire read a citation about the winners. “Blackwater is a large and thriving village whose population expands a great deal during the summer months. This is not surprising considering its ideal seaside location in the sunny south-east,” he said, and added; “The unique character of Blackwater can be seen in its traditional buildings and architecture. It’s not surprising then that Blackwater Tidy Towns are again being recognised for their outstanding commitment to the local environment and the very high standards achieved as they continue to maintain and enhance their beautiful village. Congratulations to Blackwater Tidy Towns.”
Blackwater Tidy Towns’ members on a clean-up in the village. (File Pic.)
Results 2021;
CATEGORY: BEST OVERALL ENTRY
Overall – Blackwater Tidy Towns
CATEGORY: BEST ENVIRONMENTALLY AWARE AND PRESENTED HOUSING ESTATE. 1st. Westwinds Residents Association, Kilrane. 2nd, Portside Residents Association, Rosslare Hbr. Joint 3rd. Greenore Park Residents Association, Rosslare Hbr, and Milehouse Residents Association, Enniscorthy. Highly Commended; Bernadette Place Residents Association, Wexford. Highly Commended; Cois Abhainn Residents Association, Blackwater.
CATEGORY: BEST ENVIRONMENTALLY AWARE AND PRESENTED TOWN/VILLAGE 1st, Kiltealy Tidy Towns; 2nd, Gorey Tidy Towns; Joint 3rd, Ballyduff Development Group and Ferns Tidy Towns. Highly Commended; Clean Screen Team.
CATEGORY: BEST COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT INITIATIVE 1st, Croghan Barrack Community Project; 2nd, Duncormick Area Action CLG; 3rd, Clonroche Development Association. Highly Commended; Ladhra Residents Association, Blackwater.
CATEGORY: BEST HERITAGE PRESERVATION AND CONSERVATION PROJECT 1st, Gorey Tidy Towns; Joint 2nd; Barntown Heritage Group and Askamore/Muintir na Tire Community Project Ltd; 3rd, Tomhaggard Pastoral Council. Highly Commended; Clonegal Tidy Village Committee, Highly Commended; St. Garvan’s Well – St. Garvan’s Church, Caroreigh.
CATEGORY: BEST NEW ENTRY 1st. Wellingtonbridge Tidy Towns Group; Joint 2nd; Ballyfad Tidy Towns and Carraig Dubh Residents, Blackwater. 3rd, Ballymoney Kildermot Community Development Group. Highly Commended; Rathpierce Community Group and Kilrane Tidy Village Group.
CATEGORY: BEST COMMUNITY PROJECT TO IMPROVE ACCESSIBILITY TO INFRASTRUCTURE 1st, Our Lady’s Island Community Development.
CATEGORY: BEST COMMUNITY PROJECT TO IMPROBE ACCESSIBILITY IN GARDENS/PARKS 1st, Kiltealy Tidy Towns.
CATEGORY: BEST COMMUNITY PROJECT THAT TACKLES AND REDUCES THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE 1st, Seal Rescue Ireland, Courtown; 2nd, Ferns Tidy Towns.
CATEGORY: BEST COMMUNITY BIODIVERSITY PROJECT 1st, Monageer Parish Grotto Group; Joint 2nd; Blackwater Junior Tidy Towns and Killanne Development Group; 3rd, Ferns Tidy Towns. Highly Commended; Hollyfort Development Group.
CATEGORY: BEST COMMUNITY WASTE PREVENTION/RE-USE PROJECT 1st,Foulksmills Tidy Towns; 2nd, Gorey Tidy Towns; 3rd, Monageer Parish Grotto Group.
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.
WexfordLocal.com 