WexfordLocal.com

Laptop hotspot in all Wexford’s libraries

By Dan Walsh

Wexford County Council has launched the eduroam Wi-Fi in all five libraries – Wexford, Enniscorthy, New Ross, Gorey and Bunclody – in County Wexford as part of the eduroam everywhere initiative.

A new word – eduroam stands for education roaming. It provides secure and easy-to-use Wi-Fi access in thousands of locations across more than 100 countries.

Students whose college/university participates in eduroam can simply open their laptop or mobile device within an eduroam hotspot to have immediate internet connectivity.

Cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council, Cllr. Barbara-Anne Murphy said; “eduroam is another important addition to the IT services provided by Wexford Library Service. We encourage third level students to visit their local public library in County Wexford where they will be able to access eduroam and link seamlessly into their college networks while in their own home county.”

Ronan Byrne, HEAnet’s CEO, said; “We are delighted to welcome Wexford Libraries as an eduroam participant. We would like to thank everyone who contributed to making this happen, together we are working towards improving the learning experience of students in County Wexford and reducing the digital divide.

eduroam in Ireland is pioneered by HEAnet, Ireland’s National Education and Research Network. HEAnet has helped enable over 200 eduroam hotspots in universities, institutes of technology, libraries, healthcare settings, town centres, retail outlets, sporting venues and many others.

At the *eduroam* launch are: Patricia Keenan, Senior Executive Librarian; Eileen Morrissey, County Librarian; Cllr Barbara-Anne Murphy, Cathaoirleach Wexford County Council and Jarlath Glynn, Executive Librarian.

Any interested organisations can get in touch by emailing eduroameverywhere@heanet.ie.“

Taoiseach’s visit, but no cheque book!

By Dan Walsh

An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin was in the South East region of Wexford today with visits to Rosslare Europort and Rosslare Community and Sports Centre at Rosslare Strand, however, there were no new announcements.

An Taoiseach said he was delighted to visit Rosslare Port today to witness the impact of investment, and the significant expansion of port traffic, jobs and passengers – as well as the exciting plans for development in the near future.

Minister James Browne said it was a pleasure to receive an important briefing alongside Taoiseach Micheál Martin regards plans for Rosslare Europort from the General Manager Glenn Carr.

“The port has become a vital asset in the Government’s response to Brexit and continued investment will support the local economy and add more jobs,” said Minister Browne.

Cllrs Lisa McDonald and Ger Carthy from the Rosslare Municipal District were pleased to meet with An Taoiseach on their home patch and discuss community issues.

**Cllrs Ger Carthy and Lisa McDonald with An Taoiseach Micheál Martin at Rosslare Europort.**

Independent Deputy Verona Murphy described the Taoiseach, government officials and elected representatives visit to Rosslare Europort as “very disappointing for Co. Wexford.” She lamented the fact that there was “no announcement, no government cheque book.”

“It (the Taoiseach’s visit) did not deliver the €200 million required to upgrade the port and create 2,000 jobs for the people of Wexford,” concluded Deputy Murphy.

Cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council, Cllr Barbara-Anne Murphy, Deputy Paul Kehoe, Senator Malcolm Byrne and Chief Executive of Wexford County Council Tom Enright were also amongst the invited attendance.

Water woes in Gorey again!

By Dan Walsh

Discolouration of drinking water has featured on social media in the Gorey town area today.

**Water quality at Millands today at 9am**

Wexford County Council text alerts say that discolouration of water may be experienced in Millands and surrounding areas.

Water mains flushing is taking place at Millands from 2.30pm to 5pm.

A number of investigations are in progress following a major incident at the Gorey Water Plant when unsafe drinking water entered the public supply and 52 people were reported ill during August.

Truck driver convicted of M11 drink driving

By Dan Walsh

An Garda Siochána has told WexfordLocal.com that they would like to thank a motorist for making a call and reporting a convicted driver who may have prevented a serious road traffic collision.

On August 8^th last at approximately 9.20am on the M11 near Gorey, a motorist contacted Gardaí to report an articulated truck driving dangerously and veering across lanes on the motorway.

A Roads Policing Unit (RPU) nearby intercepted the truck and observed similar driver behaviour. With the assistance of an RPU. motorcycle unit the truck was escorted off the motorway, where the driver was arrested for intoxicated driving, his urine sample concentration was 323mg/100ml, the minimum limit for a specified driver is 28mg.

The driver who was not resident in Ireland was charged to Court and remanded in custody. At Gorey District Court on the August 9^th the driver pleaded guilty to the charge and received a one month prison sentence and was disqualified from driving for three years.

Anyone observing poor or erratic driving on our roads should contact Gardaí on 999 or 112.

Irish Water upgrades at Tagoat and Wellingtonbridge

By Dan Walsh

Twenty-one additional wastewater treatment plants have been selected for upgrade as part of the Small Towns and Villages Growth Programme, including two in Co. Wexford.

In Wexford, two settlements are set to benefit from the programme. In Wellingtonbridge, an upgrade of Wastewater capacity to provide for growth will be catered for and in Grahormac, Tagoat, an upgrade for the Wastewater Treatment Plant will provide additional capacity for growth.

Irish Water’s Regional Operations Manager, Jim Fitzgerald, said; “The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien recently announced the Housing for All plan, and this is one of Irish Water’s key initiatives in supporting the delivery of this plan. Irish Water can confirm that the green light has been given for projects which will improve wastewater treatment capacity in Wellingtonbridge and Grahormac, Tagoat. This will unlock growth and development in this area by ensuring the treatment infrastructure is in place to meet the needs of the area.”

Irish Water has announced these projects now to enable Local Authorities to make plans on housing and development into the short and medium term supporting their regional and local development plans.

The announcement today was made possible after Irish Water’s planning team finalised their reviews of all submissions with a focus on the right sized projects for the right town or village at the right cost. The project will now continue through the next stages including design, detailed planning, procurement and approvals.

Further updates on the budget and timelines for delivery will be provided in due course. Looking forward, Irish Water anticipates that this programme will continue in the next capital investment programme delivering further upgrades to cater for growth.

Irish Water is responsible for public water and wastewater infrastructure and is committed to providing a safe and reliable water supply, Irish Water is investing €5.2 billion in the period from 2020-2024 in drinking water and wastewater quality and capacity and new infrastructure.

Wexford students tops in children’s art

By Dan Walsh

Three Wexford students have won top prizes in this year’s 67th Texaco Children’s Art Competition, the results of which were delayed until now due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
They were Ella Carley (15) from Loreto Secondary School, Wexford for her work entitled ‘Thom Yorke (Fade out)’ and John (8) and Nina Redmond (6), both pupils at St. Kevin’s National School, Gorey for their works entitled ‘The Hairy Lion’ and ‘The Underwater Sea Adventure’.

All were winners of Special Merit Awards for artworks that Final Adjudicator, Professor Declan McGonagle said: “demonstrated high levels of skill and imagination”.

The Texaco Children’s Art Competition is popularly regarded as the longest-running sponsorship in the history of arts sponsoring in Ireland, with an unbroken history that dates to the very first competition held in 1955.

This year, as has been the case throughout its life, it has been a platform on which young artists from Wexford and counties throughout Ireland have had their talents recognised and their creativity commended.

Kehoe says restore school library fund

By Dan Walsh

“Every child in every school in the Wexford has the “right to be a reader” and the upcoming Budget must make this happen,” according to Enniscorthy-based Fine Gael Deputy Paul Kehoe, TD.

Calling on Minister for Education and Skills, Norma Foley to fully restore the school library fund in Budget 2022, Deputy Kehoe told WexfordLocal.com ; “Every piece of research into childhood development shows that reading really matters. Reading is linked to improved well-being, cognitive development, increased literacy and academic self-confidence. Reading has the power to change children’s lives for the better and I am calling on the Minister to restore to full budget for grant funding for primary schools to keep their libraries fully stocked.

“This budget was cut in 2008 and has never been restored. As a result, fewer children have ready access to excellent, modern books. Many schools rely on donations to provide this essential resource.

“I am very proud of the great strides that we have made in our school building programme, building state of the art new schools, upgrading existing schools and planning for the future, but we need to continue to move this forward. There is little point in providing wonderful spaces for libraries in our schools if there is no funding to fill them with books.

“Allocating €10 for every primary school child in the country to help schools buy books (including audio and picture books) would require a Budget allocation of €5.68m, which, as with every investment into our children, would pay the state back exponentially into the future. Funding school libraries allow every child to become a reader,” concluded Deputy Kehoe.

Fishermen rescued in thick fog

By Dan Walsh

Two fishermen were stranded in thick fog in a small open punt after their craft suffered outboard engine difficulties off Creaden Head in the Waterford Estuary last Saturday.

Fethard RNLI was requested to launch by the Irish Coast Guard shortly before 12.30pm. The volunteer crew of Fethard RNLI launched their inshore lifeboat at Duncannon Strand and proceeded to the co-ordinates given by the men on the broken-down vessel.

The water was flat calm and there was a light breeze at the time. However, visibility was less than four metres in a thick fog. The fishermen were located off Woodstown, where they tied up to a lobster pot marker buoy.

There, the lifeboat crew assessed the situation, and it was decided to tow the fishermen’s boat back to the safety of Duncannon Harbour.

Thomas Stafford, Fethard RNLI Helm said afterwards; “The two lads did everything right. They wore their lifejackets, they tied up to a marker when the engine failed, and they had the means to call for help and give their co-ordinates when things went wrong. All this led to a positive outcome with the two lads being returned to safety.

HIGH FIVE for champions Barry and Colin

By Dan Walsh at Monksgrange

National champions Barry O’Neill and Colin Bowe have hit the ground running sharing five winners on the first two days of the 2021-’22 point-to-point season, three of them today at their local Bree Hunt fixture at Monksgrange, Rathnure, where the rains fell and changed the going.

Four runners stood their ground for the maiden race for four-year-old mares and victory went to the odds-on favourite Music Of Tara by three lengths to get the O’Neill-Bowe partnership into victory mode. “She’s a smart filly. Her future will be on the track,” said the winning trainer.

Six competitors faced the starter half an hour later for the maiden race for five-year-old geldings and the punters followed O’Neill and Bowe and backed Music Drive into favouritism. Music Drive did it well, two and a half lengths to spare on the finish line, and he is now for sale.

**The rain arrives as the riders get last instructions for the four year old maiden mares race at Monksgrange this afternoon.**

The O’Neill-Bowe hat trick came in the final race of the day – the maiden race for 6 years-old-and plus – with Getaway Lodge by three lengths in the eight-runner. Like Music Drive earlier, Getaway Lodge was in the Milestone Bloodstock Ltd colours.

The most competitive race of the day was the 10-runner maiden race for five-year-old and upward mares where Bonnie Debut scored by eight lengths to give Tomhaggard rider Tiernan Power Roche his 24^th career winner. Owned by David O’Byrne from Carlow, Bonnie Debut was the sixth winner as a handler for Mark Scallan, Cleariestown, who has retired from the saddle with 57 career wins and has 15 horses in training for the new season.

Jack Hendrick from Mayglass was in winning form when bringing home Diese Des Bieffes by three lengths in the Open Lightweight Race. His previous races were in England at Uttoxeter and Cheltenham (twice) for champion trainer Paul Nicholls and changed hands at the Doncaster Sales, the eight-year-old grey gelding was running in the colours of Monbeg Farm Racing Partnership and the 31^st career winner for the Ballindaggin handler Cormac Doyle.

The only prize that left the county was the success of Coastguard Station from the Tipperary stables of Sam Curling at Cashel and the winning rider was Pa King. That was in the eight-runner maiden race for five-year-old geldings.

It was a very successful day. Everything went off without a hitch, the ground was good, but deteriorated as the rain began to fall heavily, there was a fine attendance – many family groups – and the punters gave a welcome to the return of the bookmakers. It was the first time in 18 months that the crowds were allowed in due to Covid-19 and some pandemic guidelines still apply, such as the mandatory wearing of masks in the parade ring.

October is ‘National Reuse Month’

By Dan Walsh

October is Ireland’s National Reuse Month, where the aim is to inspire and provide the skills and tools to reuse more in every aspect of life. For example, you may have already reused by getting shoes resoled rather than replacing them or borrowing books from your local library.

To cut down on waste and greenhouse gas emissions, we can begin to prioritise repair and reuse this October. Why not try to buy second hand, upcycle something, borrow, swap and refill. This avoids the need to extract raw materials, manufacture and distribute new stuff, and avoids waste –all of which cuts down on greenhouse gas emissions. Why not make a commitment to reuse as many things as possible to save the environment this October?

Cllr Barbara Anne Murphy, Cathaoirleach Wexford County Council officially launched National Reuse Month last and joining her at the launch was Mr. Brendan Daly Principal of FCJ Secondary Bunclody, Ms. Samantha Hughes, Green School Co-ordinator and their student water ambassadors.

Speaking at the launch Cllr Murphy said; “October Reuse Month is about inspiring people to make use of the items that may otherwise go to waste. Reuse is about valuing our stuff, by using and reusing it for as long and as often as possible. At times we forget to consider where things came from or went to after we use them – never mind the environmental consequences of using up primary resources and dumping waste. Reuse is good for the environment and good for your pocket. I encourage all residents of County Wexford to get involved in national Reuse Month”

At the launch of National Reuse Month at Bunclody FCJ were Cllr Barbara-Anne Murphy, Cathaoirleach, Wexford County Council, Cliona Connolly, Environmental Awareness Officer and Samantha Hughes, Green School Co-Ordinator, and participating students.

Also present at the launch, Cliona Connolly, Environmental Awareness Officer, Wexford County Council added; “Throughout October we invite everyone, whether a school, sports club, community group or business, to join us for Reuse Month. Maybe you want to attend a workshop or take part in a competition. We have initiatives to suit everyone this year, from how to encourage reuse and cut out disposable plastics at your sports club or school to upcycling everything from fashion to furniture.”

All events are now listed on www.wexfordcoco.ie