The Boil Water Notice on the Wexford Town Public Water Supply since October 30th is “now lifted with immediate effect.”
A statement issued this afternoon said; “Irish Water and Wexford County Council wishes to notify customers on the Wexford Town Public Water Supplythat following the completion of remedial measures and the receipt of satisfactory monitoring results, the boil water notice which has been in place is now lifted with immediate effect. This decision follows consultation undertaken with the Health Service Executive.
All consumers on the Wexford Town Public Water Supplycan now resume normal use of the water supply for drinking, food preparation and brushing teeth.
Irish Water and the Local Authority/Health Service Executive Water Liaison Group will continue to meet and will review ongoing process control, monitoring and testing of the drinking water supply.
The Irish Water Customer Contact Centre (1800 278 278) is available to answer customer queries in relation to this water notice. Further information is available on www.water.ie.
Irish Water and Wexford County Council acknowledge the patience, co-operation and assistance of the public during the period of the boil water notice and greatly regrets any inconvenience caused to householders and the business community.
Plans for the Centenary Programme was controversial amongst members at today’s monthly meeting of Gorey-Kilmuckridge Municipal District Council held in the Upton Court Hotel, Kilmuckridge, where Cathaoirleach Cllr Pip Breen was on hand to calm matters.
Prior to the meeting, Cllr Fionntán Ó Súilleabhain claims he contacted his Council colleagues seeking their support for a cross-party motion which read; “That we produce a mural as one part of our Centenary Programme to honour local figures such as Liam Mellows, Seán Etchingham and Máire Comerford”.
Cllr Ó Súilleabháin told the meeting that while viewing the online agenda last night he felt disappointed, but not at all surprised to see that Fianna Fáil as a group had withdrawn their support for the proposal despite having agreed to their names on the cross-party motion when it was submitted.
An historic stone memorial in Gorey Town Park. Is there room for another?
“It was done in a spirit of co-operation for what should be a non-party political approach to these centenary events,” he stated.
He could not understand why murals were not suitable despite “having several beautiful murals on other subjects in the district, which they had praised and fully supported and with which they were delighted to pose for photos.”
Cllr Diarmuid Devereux praised the three major historical figures associated with the Gorey area,
“We are the only town in Leinster, that I am aware of, that has three significant leaders, one an executed leader of the War of Independence, that are buried within a four-five mile radius of the town – we have Máire Comerford, a world renowned feminist, Liam Mellows who is commemorated annually and Sean Etchingham, who was the first Cathaoirleach of Cumann Lúth-cleas Gael Loch Garman.
Cllr Willie Kavanagh believed “a mural won’t be there for all time.” Cllr Anthony Donohoe asked if murals were “putting a ball and chain around Councils in twenty or thirty year’s time when they would have to be replaced,” he felt maybe a memorial in Gorey Town Park might be the best approach. He favoured a “more classier piece of art or something like that.”
Cllr Donal Kenny said he was not in favour of a mural. He supported Cllr Donohoe and claimed “they are alright for a couple of years, they need maintenance and they don’t get it.”
Cathaoirleach Cllr Pip Breen said “we are all in agreement that we need a memorial, whether it is a mural or a stone, and he suggested putting a sub-committee together to liaise with the County Librarian, when Cllr Donohoe interjected and claimed that 1798 was blighted with stone memorials, in 2016 we put up stones, and he felt that something more thoughtful be considered.
Cllr Mary Farrell asked if the removal of the word ‘mural’ from the proposal would help? Cllr Joe Sullivan told the meeting that there were numerous talented artists around Gorey and he suggested setting up a committee to look at the various options and come up with a fitting memorial to 1922.
There is a strong demand for tickets to the Gorey One-Act Drama Festival taking place from Wednesday to Saturday, inclusive. Three plays each night in Gorey Little Theatre.
Kilmuckridge Drama Group’s A Family Affair and Kilrush Drama Group’s Red Carnation are the Wexford performers on the opening night along with Gaggin Drama Group from west Cork with Lucy in the Sky.
On Thursday night, Camross Drama Group presents Semblance of Madness, Balally Players will perform Bedbound, and concludes with Something Unspoken by Martello Productions.
Friday night’s line up is as follows; The Christmas Tree by Blue Transit Theatre, Galway, A Night With The Stars from Coolgreany Drama Group and Lucan Drama Group, Dublin, presents Contractions.
Adjudication takes place after Saturday night’s three plays; Normal from Navan Theatre, A Kind Of Alaska by Pic Players from Clara, Co. Offaly, and the concluding presentation is The Fat Lady Sings in Little Grimley by the Clondalkin Drama Group.
Tickets for the drama festival in Gorey will be available on the door or online at http://www.gr8events.ie, Prices are €12 per night, or €40 for a Patron’s Ticket for all four nights.
Audience members must wear face masks in the theatre, with refreshments served at intervals. Covid Certs and ID are also required.
Today’s monthly meeting of Enniscorthy Municipal District Council chaired by An Cathaoirleach, Cllr. Cathal Byrne and held in the Presentation Centre, Convent Road, learned that an application was submitted to the Department of Rural and Community Development for works at the River Walk south of the town.
The project would involve the resurfacing of the entire riverside trail –about three kilometres – and resurface a track by the River Urrin up to St. John’s Bridge consisting of a 600-metre loop.
Municipal Administrator, Bernie Quigley, claims in her report that this work will allow wheelchairs and disabled users access around the Urrin footbridge.
A grant allocation of €200,000 is available and funding allocations is expected to be announced in December or January.
The installation of water fountains at The Promenade, which is the pathway to the River Walk, along with installations at Bunclody, Bree, the Twenty-One Steps at Templeshannon, and Doyle’s Corner, The Duffy is imminent and should be complete by the end of December.
There was also support at today’s meeting for the laying of a footpath from Cherryorchard to The Still. Members agreed and suggesting that it would be “another leisurely walk on the outskirts of the town and families could admire the ducks in The Still Pond.” The project will be advanced when funding becomes available.
The Promenade leading to the Enniscorthy River Walk seen from the Urrin Footbridge.
The Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) has released its preliminary findings into a crash landing on a beach near Carnsore Point, Co. Wexford, on September 23rd 2021, in which, fortunately, all persons on board survived.
The twin-engine aircraft, a Partenavia P68 Victor, with one Pilot and three passengers on board, departed Waterford Airport (EIWF) at 11.08 hrs. All of the passengers were part of an environmental research team and the purpose of the flight was to record sightings of a variety of marine wildlife. During the occurrence flight, one passenger was seated in the front right seat next to the Pilot, and the two other passengers were seated in the row directly behind.
The plan for the flight was to fly at low altitude along 16 pre-defined survey lines. Each line was approximately 45 km in length and the lines were spaced approximately 4 km apart. The planned 16 survey lines were completed after 4 hours and 30 minutes of flying. Following a discussion with the passengers, and after assessing the remaining fuel, the Pilot determined that there was approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes of fuel remaining and they decided to complete two more survey lines before returning to EIWF.
The Pilot informed the Investigation that two minutes after commencing the final survey line an abnormal drop in the indicated fuel quantity was observed, the right engine stopped, and within approximately four minutes the indicated fuel quantity in the right tank dropped to zero.
The Pilot advised that he switched on the fuel pump and pushed the throttle, fuel mixture and propeller levers forward, in an attempt to re-start the engine, which was unsuccessful. At the time of the right engine stoppage, the aircraft was travelling at approximately 108 knots (kts). Recorded data shows that the aircraft then climbed to approximately 500 feet (ft). The Pilot said he carried out the actions required to secure the right engine including feathering the right propeller. The Pilot noted that the left engine and left fuel quantity indicator at this point were stable. The Pilot decided to fly directly to EIWF which he estimated was approximately 20 minutes away.
Scene of the crash landing near Carnesore Point last September. Fortunately, all persons on board survived. (Pic; RTE)
However, the Pilot informed the Investigation that he had difficulty gaining and maintaining altitude on one engine, and that he did not believe the left engine was delivering full power. He said that he verified that the left fuel selector and fuel pump were on, and that he moved the fuel tank cross feed to ON, waited and then turned it OFF again, but it did not make any difference to the engine power.
He decided to fly close to the shore so that a forced landing could be carried out if necessary. The Pilot reported that when the aircraft was turned towards EIWF at an altitude of approximately 250 ft, the left engine stopped. The Pilot attempted to re-start the left engine several times. The Pilot said that the engine did re-start but each time it re-started, it stopped again within a few seconds. The Pilot then flew directly to the shore and when the aircraft reached the shore, he banked the aircraft to the left and carried out a forced landing on the beach. The beach surface consisted of loose shale causing the aircraft to decelerate rapidly on touchdown. This caused the aircraft to pitch down, and the nose of the aircraft impacted heavily with the surface, causing significant structural damage to the cockpit and forward cabin areas. The Pilot informed the Investigation that immediately after landing, the left engine spontaneously re-started and accelerated to full power. The Pilot said he pulled the engine mixture lever back to stop the engine.
The passengers exited the aircraft through the aircraft door and the Pilot exited the aircraft through the windscreen which had broken during the impact. The Pilot and one passenger sustained serious injuries during the impact sequence and were airlifted to hospital by two Coastguard helicopters that attended the scene. The two other passengers sustained injuries and were taken to hospital by ambulance.
The Air Accident Investigation Unit on-call duty Inspector was notified of the accident by Shannon Air Traffic Control (ATC) at 17.30 hrs on 23 September 2021. Three Inspectors of Air Accidents deployed to the accident site where Gardaí with the assistance of local people had secured the aircraft, which had come to rest in the intertidal zone of the beach.
During the night of 23 September, an initial examination of the aircraft and site was carried out. At low tide the aircraft was moved to a position above the high-water mark. The following morning further examinations of the aircraft and accident site were completed before recovery of the aircraft to the AAIU’s secure wreckage examination facility at Gormanston, Co. Meath for further examination.
The forced landing was performed on a beach near Carnsore Point, Co. Wexford. The surface of the beach consisted of loose shale and sloped towards the sea.
The aircraft was a Partenavia P68 Victor manufactured in 1973. It was powered by two Lycoming IO-360-A1B engines, each of which was fitted with an MTV-12, 3-bladed, variable pitch, constant speed propeller. The aircraft cabin could accommodate a maximum of six people (one pilot plus five passengers) with seating arranged in three rows of two seats. Each seat was fitted with a ‘lap-strap’ style seatbelt. The two front seats were also fitted with a single shoulder strap. Cabin access and egress was provided by a door on the left side of the aircraft.
The aircraft had a Certificate of Airworthiness issued by the French Direction Générale de l’Aviation Civile (DGAC) on 11 April 2018. The most recent Airworthiness Review Certificate was dated 29 October 2020 and had an expiry date of 02 December 2021.
A preliminary examination of both engines was carried out at the accident site and at the AAIU wreckage examination facility. The preliminary examination found that:
There was no evidence of a fuel leak on either engine.
The fuel hose that was identified as the source of the fuel leak on 18 September 2021 was found in place, with the connection secure.
A small amount of fuel was present in the gascolator5 bowl for each engine.
The fuel injector manifold which divides the fuel between the four cylinders of the engine, was found to be dry for both engines. The right engine was then removed from the aircraft and shipped to a UK engine test facility approved by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
The fuel hose at the inlet to the mechanical fuel pump was left undisturbed. The test was witnessed by a Senior Inspector of Air Accidents from the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB). The test report made the following observations: The engine was connected to a dynamometer to replicate a propeller.
The engine was connected to the test rig using the engine’s own fuel and oil hoses. The engine started normally.
The engine had no oil or fuel leaks at the time of the test.
The Pilot informed the Investigation that the fuel tanks were full prior to departure of the accident flight and that he used a fuel consumption value of 62 litres per hour for flight planning purposes. He said that in his experience, the fuel gauges on this aircraft were reliable. At the accident site, the Investigation removed the refuel caps from both wings and noted that there was a quantity of fuel in each fuel tank. A sample of one litre was taken from each tank. No fuel leaks from the fuel tanks were observed at the accident site, and the fuel tanks were re-secured for transit to the AAIU wreckage examination facility. A sample of fuel drained from the occurrence aircraft was tested by a specialist laboratory.
Met Éireann (Aviation Services Division) provided the Investigation with an aftercast of the weather conditions at the time and location of the accident; Wind: Surface: West-northwest 5-8 knots (kts) 2000 feet (ft): Northwest 10 -12 kts Between surface and 300 ft: Similar to surface Visibility: 30 kilometres (km) Weather: Dry and sunny Cloud: Largely clear skies, isolated fair weather cumulus with bases around 2,500 ft.
The passengers stated that they were wearing the lap strap seatbelts provided in the aircraft as well as life jackets and immersion suits. A life raft and a crash axe were also carried on board. The passengers reported that the Pilot carried out regular safety drills as well as briefings before each flight.
The Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) is satisfied that WexfordLocal.com publish its findings, however, it points out that this is a safety investigation, exclusively of a technical nature, and the Final Report reflects the determination of the AAIU regarding the circumstances and its probable causes. The Final Report will follow.
There were extraordinary scenes at today’s point-to-point races at Knockmullen House, New Ross, where two dead-heats were recorded and featured the same rider – Brian Dunleavy from Cork. The turf history books will be under heavy scrutiny for a few days as historians and statisticians search to find if anything like this ever happened in the history of horse racing.
Dead-heats are rare, although there was one at Loughbrickland, Co. Down yesterday involving Barry O’Neill and Rob James, and they happen when the finish is so close that the judge cannot separate the horses, even with the aid of photography!
MAURA GLEESON, ROBERT McCABE (owner and Handler) and rider Brian Dunleavy with Irish Blaze following his win at Knockmullen House today.
First race was the Cooney Furlong maiden race for four-year-old mares where Dontyawantme, owned and handled by Denis Murphy, Ballyboy Stables, The Ballagh, ridden by Luke Murphy, Inch, Gorey; shared first prize with Royale Dance from the Baltimore Stables, handled by Ellen Doyle at Coolgarrow, Enniscorthy, and ridden by Brian Dunleavy.
Amazingly Dunleavy was involved in the second dead-heat of the day at the finish of the maiden race for five-year-old geldings. He was aboard Irish Blaze, owned and handled by Robert McCabe, Corbally, Enniscorthy. He shared the winner’s prize with Twosarewild, bred and owned by Jimmy Devereux, Rostoonstown Stud, Broadway, and handled by his son, Vincent. Having their first runner of the season.
The winning rider was Conor Moore, Kilmore Quay, who notched up a double on the day and gained his first success of the season. He was aboard Benefits Jeu, owned by his father, Denis Moore, and handled by Tom Byrne, and had eight lengths to spare at the finish of the maiden race for six-year-olds and upwards.
The maiden race for four-year-old geldings was won by Bearwithmenow, handled on the Kilkenny side of the close-by Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Bridge by Garrett Power and career winner number twenty for Mayglass rider Jack Hendrick. The winning distance was two lengths.
Midway to Getaway was a winner for the Redbridge Stables of Michael Murphy at Duncormick in the five-year-old and upwards maiden race for mares. One and a half lengths were the verdict and Dan Nevin was the successful rider. The Winner of Two race went to Rose of Coolbally handled by William Murphy at Rathoe, Co. Carlow, and ridden by Moira McElliogett. One and a half lengths the winning margin.
JIMMY DEVEREUX and CONOR MOORE (a double) were amongst the winners at Knockmullen House point-to-point races today.
Conditions were pleasant and a fog that appeared all around was courteous during racing and did not invade visibility to any significant degree and much to the delight of Cian Cassidy who made an impressive debut in the commentary box on the day of the two ‘dead-heats.’ and only three winning riders!
The fixture was well organised and conducted smoothly by Wexford Hunt. Pleasant conditions and a good-sized attendance.
Racing also took place today at Quakerstown, Co. Clare, where the team of Monbeg Syndicate, Donnchadh Doyle and Rob James managed a brace of winners and were narrowly beaten in a determined search for a treble.
Saint Davy won by eight lengths in the maiden race for four-year-olds, Aubis Walk won by asimilar margin in the mares’ maiden race for five-year-olds, and Jimmy Chau Pecos AA was beaten a length into second place in the maiden race for five-year-old geldings. Good weekend for Rob James with a double on Saturday and Sunday and he is now on the 13- mark for the season, four behind the champion and current leader Barry O’Neill.
Pat Doran was born and raised in Enniscorthy with a vague knowledge and awareness of the 1916 Easter Rising in the town, however, on the discovery that two of his great-grandfathers were willing participants he was inspired to pursue further research.
Pat’s detailed research has uncovered the names of individuals who either participated in the Easter Rising in Enniscorthy or were arrested and detained in the aftermath and the fruit of his research is found in a new book, only available in the past two weeks, entitled; Enniscorthy; The Forgotten Republic.
PAT DORAN author of Enniscorthy; The Forgotten Republic outside the Athenaeum, Enniscorthy.
The Easter Rising began on Monday, April 24th in Dublin when approximately 1,200 men and women from the Irish Volunteers, Irish Citizen Army and Cumann na mBan seized strategic sites in Dublin, including the GPO (General Post Office) in Sackville St, later renamed O’Connell St. Outside of Dublin Enniscorthy was the only location where the Volunteers would raise the Tricolour.
“The fact that from April 27th to May 1st 1916, Enniscorthy was an Independent Republic is rarely mentioned,” said Pat, who added; “The reality that the local Volunteer force took control of the town and its citizens, confined the RIC to barracks, marched to Ferns and took it over and were nearly at Camolin when orders to surrender from Padraig Pearse (from his cell in Arbour Hill) came to surrender is barely acknowledged.”
In and around Enniscorthy the names and stories of the leaders have gone down in local folklore, however, the rank-and-file participants are lucky if their names are remembered by anybody outside their families and even some may not be remembered by their own.
Pat Doran has brought the subs onto the pitch through the pages of this fine publication and has earnestly toiled to ensure that nobody is intentionally forgotten but given their rightful place in the history of a town that they were willing to fight and die for around a century ago.
Pat Doran has done a great archival service in compiling this book and filling in mini-biographies of so many familiar names found abundantly in Enniscorthy and district, like Ferns, Ballindaggin and Camolin, and the Shannon side of the River Slaney – including Byrne, Balfe, Breen, Boyne, Carroll, Carty, Cleary, Colfer, Courtney, Connolly, Cullen, Davis, Devereux, Donohoe, Doyle, Dwyer, Dunbar, Ennis, Franklin, Goff, Hiney, Hyland, Keegan, Kehoe, Kelly, Kavanagh, Leacy, Murphy, Nolan, O’Brien, O’Byrne, O’Connor, O’Leary, O’Neill, O’Reilly, O’Rourke, O’Toole, Pierce, Rafter, Redmond, Roche, Ronan, Sinnott, Thorpe, Tobin, Tyrell, Wafer, Walsh, Whelan, Webster, Wilson and Wiles, to name just a small number.
Enniscorthy; The Forgotten Republic by Pat Doran, paperback, 280 pages, no illustrations, available at Delaney’s Newsagent, Rafter St., Enniscorthy, €15. ISBN-13-979-8-4854-4558-4
AUDIO ADDITION; PAT DORAN talking about his new publication – Enniscorthy; The Forgotten Republic.
PAT DORAN will be a guest on Mid Week Voices (South East Radio, 95.6 and 96.4FM, next Wednesday, at 8pm) talking to DAN WALSH and his listeners about his first publication Enniscorthy; The Forgotten Republic.
Doubles for Barry O’Neill and Rob James were a feature of today’s action at Loughbrickland, Co. Down and they involved two thrilling finishes that concluded in a short-head victory and a dead-heat.
ROB JAMES two wins as a rider and one victory as a handler.
Rob James got into the winners’ enclosure as a handler and rider in the maiden race for four-year-olds with Lost In Transit in the Matchmaker Syndicate colours. The Kiltealy raider got the better of his neighbour – Matthew Flynn-O’Connor’s Issuing Authority (Brian Lawless up) by a head verdict.
Rob James recorded a double in the Open Race when his mount, Mighty Stowaway, trained by Gordon Elliott, dead-heated with David Christie’s Winged Leader with champion rider Barry O’Neill on board.
O’Neill made it a double for the afternoon half an hour later when bringing Definitely Darsi home in front by two lengths in the maiden race for six-year-old geldings and upwards for handler Cian Collins.
Sunday point-to-point takes place at Knockmullen, New Ross, under the auspices of the Wexford Hunt with the first of six races off at 12.30pm. Latest going information is “good, good to yielding in places.” Eighty-six entries.
Irish Water and Wexford County Council is reminding customers supplied by the Gorey and Wexford Town Public Water Supplies, that the Boil Water Notices on these supplies remain in place over the weekend and until further notice. Works are being carried as a matter of priority at both plants to enable lifting of the Boil Water Notices as soon as it is safe to do so.
In Gorey maintenance work was carried out on the filtration system at the Creagh Water Treatment Plant during the week. Following this, further testing and monitoring of the performance of the plant is underway and a further assessment of the Boil Water Notice will be made next week.
GOREY WATER TREATMENT PLANT
Irish Water has invested €100,000 at the Creagh Water Treatment Plant since August 2021 on a range of capital works and is also pleased to announce that we have received approval in principle, subject to specifications and costings, to acquire an additional UV treatment system to provide further resilience to the water treatment plant.
In the Wexford town supply, flushing of the network is continuing. This has been limited by low water levels in the reservoir, but levels are recovering and Irish Water operations and compliance teams will review the water quality test results early next week with a view to lifting the Boil Water Notice as quickly as possible.
Jim Fitzgerald, Regional Operations Manager with Irish Water, said; “We are continuing to monitor the performance of both the Gorey and Wexford plants with a view to lifting these Boil Water Notices as soon as it is safe to do so. “While these notices are essential measures to protect public health, we understand the inconvenience and disruption they cause. We would like to thank the people of Wexford and Gorey for their patience and assure them that we are working as a matter of priority with our partners in Wexford County Council to address these issues.”
“If any customer has a query or concern about their Boil Water Notices, please contact the Irish Water customer care helpline, open 24/7 on 1800 278 278.”
For customers who wish to check if their property is on the Boil Water Notice themselves, please go to the following link on the Irish Water website: https://www.water.ie/help/water-quality/results/ enter the property’s Eircode and then click the ‘More Details’ tab. You will then see if your property is on the Boil Water Notice.
The majestic redevelopment of historic Johnstown Castle Estate, Museum and Gardens, near Piercestown, a few kilometres from Wexford town were officially opened by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue T.D. yesterday (Thursday).
Minister McConalogue said: “I am delighted to officially open this national treasure and I congratulate all involved in recent years at Johnstown Castle Estate, Museum and Gardens in offering visitors the opportunity to become immersed in the story of Irish food, farming and family life, while providing a nostalgic journey through Irish farming and social history at the fascinating Irish Agricultural Museum.”
“We are so delighted to welcome today descendants of the former staff at the Johnstown Castle Estate to celebrate this special occasion, as bringing history to life is what we are passionate about,”said Anne O’Donoghue, CEO of The Irish Heritage Trust, who added; “We would also like to acknowledge the support of the local community including our wonderful team of 120 plus volunteers who have worked on many parts of the estate since 2019. We are also most grateful to our 7,600 plus members who have remained loyal throughout the challenges of the pandemic.”
Orla Carroll, Director of Product Development of Fáilte Ireland said; “It is wonderful to be in Wexford today to mark the official opening of Johnstown Castle Estate, Museum & Gardens. This attraction, supported by Fáilte Ireland in partnership with Teagasc and The Irish Heritage Trust, will provide an additional draw to the South-East of Ireland for domestic and international visitors. The investment in and redevelopment of Johnstown Castle amplifies Ireland’s heritage tourism credentials, creates a new must-visit attraction in Wexford and reinforces Ireland’s Ancient East as a world-class destination.”
JOHNSTOWN CASTLE is officially opened. (File Picture).
Chairman of the Teagasc Authority, Liam Herlihy said: “It is wonderful to see this new chapter in the story of Johnstown Castle. For many decades, the castle and grounds have been in the care and stewardship of Teagasc and its predecessor An Foras Taluntais. The scientific developments initiated here in the 1940s and ’50s were crucial for the agricultural and economic development of the early Irish state. The new exhibition in the Castle, in the former research labs, is a timely reminder and celebration of this contribution across the decades. The scientific contributions from Johnstown Castle now focus on the environmental sustainability of agriculture and are as important now as ever. It is very rewarding to see the success and popularity of Johnstown Castle Estate, Museum & Gardens.
Johnstown Castle opened its doors to the public for the first time in 2019 exactly 850 years after the arrival of the Anglo-Normans to Wexford.
Situated in 120 acres, the historic property opened pre-pandemic following the completion of a €7.5million investment by Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine and Fáilte Ireland – which was overseen by the owners of the property Teagasc, the agriculture and food development authority, in partnership with The Irish Heritage Trust, an independent not-for-profit organisation.
This investment included conservation works in the Castle and enabled the estate to deliver a stunning destination visitor offering in Ireland’s South-east. The offering includes Castle tours, the re-opening of the 86-metre servant’s tunnel; the building of a world-class visitor centre and re-development works at the Irish Agricultural Museum and Daniel Robertson Ornamental Gardens along with unveiling 4km of stunning lake walks and the addition of a children’s playground.
Since 2019, Johnstown Castle Estate, Museum & Gardens has proven a hugely popular visitor attraction and presently draws over 100,000 visitors per year with some 7,600 Irish Heritage Trust members enjoying the facilities all year round.
The Irish Agricultural Museum explores rural life in Ireland and houses a fascinating collection of nineteen permanent exhibitions. In the past year, the Museum has launched new exhibitions, including one about Pierce’s Foundry, Wexford’s world-famous industrial giant.
WexfordLocal.com 