WexfordLocal.com

Forge opens as Bunclody visitor centre

By Dan Walsh

The distinctive tapping on the anvil, the energy of the bellows and a special horse called Realt Na Mara (Star of the Sea) was publicly fitted with new shoes as the people of Bunclody turned out to celebrate with music, recitation and social exchange at Foundry Lane in brilliant weather conditions on Wednesday evening.

An old forge that was active daily from 1885 to 1992 has been given a new lease of life as a visitor centre. The forge, a popular meeting place in the town centre, was founded by Martin Nolan followed by Martin’s son Stephen, while Stephen’s son, Martin Nolan operated the business until 1992, and passed away later that year.

Local enthusiast Liam Kelly and some friends embarked on the project and saw it completed and the official opening was performed in traditional style by Nan (on her birthday) and Bill Kelly.

Canon Seamus S. de Val and Rev. Trevor Sargent praying at the opening of Nolan’s Forge in Bunclody on Wednesday evening.

Michael Kehoe of Bunclody Area Tourism complemented the Kelly family on the completion of the project and invited members of the public with an interest to visit Bunclody’s latest public attraction.

Cllr Barbara-Anne Byrne Cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council was on duty as master of ceremonies and other notables there included Cllr Cathal Byrne, Cathaoirleach Enniscorthy Municipal District Council, Deputy Verona Murphy and Senator Malcolm Byrne.

Canon Seamus S. de Val and Rev. Trevor Sargent jointly presided at a short prayer service.

There was a carnival atmosphere around the opening ceremony and it was obvious that the people of Bunclody are proud of their heritage and are delighted to see its past being preserved for future generations.

AUDIO EXTRA ; MICHAEL KEHOE Bunclody Area Tourism speaking to WexfordLocal.com about the restoration of Nolan’s Forge in Bunclody

Four rescued from sinking yacht off Wexford coast

By Dan Walsh

Four people were rescued this morning (Thursday) after their 14m yacht got into difficulty and subsequently sank 50 miles off the Wexford coast.

The volunteer Kilmore Quay crew were requested to launch their all-weather Tamar class lifeboat Killarney, by the Irish Coast Guard at 2.44am and assess the situation where the vessel had sustained a damaged rudder 50 miles south of Kilmore Quay.

The lifeboat under Coxswain Eugene Kehoe and with four crew members onboard immediately launched and made its way to the scene. The yacht had been on passage from Dublin to Vigo in Spain and had left Kilmore Quay yesterday afternoon.

On their way to the scene, the lifeboat crew were updated that the yacht’s crew had made the decision to turn back and slowly make their way to Kilmore Quay.

Arriving at the location at 5.30am, the lifeboat crew checked that all onboard the yacht were safe and well before assessing the situation. A decision was made to establish a towline and return the vessel to the nearest port which was Kilmore Quay.

As the yacht began to take on water, the lifeboat crew proceeded to place a salvage pump on the vessel, but such was the speed at which the vessel was taking on water, it was not enough to deal with the situation.

A second salvage pump was requested by the Irish Coast Guard Helicopter Rescue 117 from Waterford which was also tasked to the scene. However, it was decided at this stage to remove the four people from the yacht and transfer them safely onto Kilmore Quay RNLI’s lifeboat. The yacht subsequently sank.

The lifeboat brought the casualties safely back to Kilmore Quay where they arrived at approximately 11am.

**EUGENE KEHOE RNLI COXWAIN KILMORE QUAY**

Speaking following the call out, Kilmore Quay RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager John Grace, said: ‘It is always sad when a vessel is lost at sea but thankfully the crew onboard the yacht was safely rescued and are now back on shore. The casualties did the right thing in raising the alarm when they encountered problems in the early hours of this morning which helped to prevent the situation from becoming much worse. Despite the best efforts of everyone on scene, the vessel took on a lot of water. Our priority then was to ensure that the casualties were taken off the yacht and transferred safely onto the lifeboat.

‘We would like to wish the casualties well following their ordeal this morning and we would like to commend our volunteers who despite the early call and darkness of night, did not hesitate to respond.’ The Kilmore Quay RNLI lifeboat crew involved in the call out were Coxswain Eugene Kehoe, mechanic Philip Walsh and crew members Aidan Bates, Sean Furlong and Nigel Kehoe.

Swimming issues at Duncannon and Morriscastle

By Dan Walsh

Wexford County Council today (Thursday) erected ‘Do Not Swim’ notice at Duncannon after routine testing conducted as part of the Council’s bathing water sampling programme showed breaches of the mandatory levels for E.coli at the above beach. Following consultation with the HSE, the Council has decided to issue ‘Do Not Swim’ warning notice at the affected beach in the interest of public health and in accordance with the Bathing Water Quality Regulations.

In addition, an advisory notice in relation to swimming is in place at Morriscastle due to elevated levels of E-coli but within mandatory limits.

Technical staff from Wexford County Council are currently investigating the matter – while the exact source of contamination is not yet fully identified, the elevated levels of E. Coli may be partly attributable to recent spells of heavy rain.

Further water quality samples have been taken and results are expected on Saturday next, 14^th August, at which stage the prohibition notices will be reviewed.

In the meantime, beach lifeguards at Duncannon Beaches will fly a red flag indicating swimming is prohibited signage to this effect will also be placed at the Beach. Members of the public are requested to abide by these restrictions until further notice.

Wexford County Council wishes to assure the public that water quality results for 16 other beaches sampled along the Wexford coastline have been excellent with no issues encountered.

More information on bathing water quality can be obtained on www.beaches.ie

New footbridge through Courtown Woods?

By Dan Walsh

For many years now the members of Gorey-Kilmuckridge Municipal District Council have been strongly campaigning for the completion of a footpath between Gorey and Courtown which is being developed in stages and is roughly at the half-way point and is popularly used by the public.

WexfordLocal.com has seen draft plans by Wexford County Council that would see a spectacular new footbridge and it is proposed to purchase private lands from the new owners of Courtown Woods to complete the scheme.

The plans were previously discussed at the May 2018 meeting of the Gorey-Kilmuckridge Council when the course of the footpath was discussed in detail and faced a narrow passage over the historic Ballinatray Bridge over the Ounavarra River about a mile from Courtown Harbour.

**BALLINATRAY BRIDGE… one of the highest in Ireland.**

WexfordLocal.com believes that the future proposal may include a floodlit path and cycle path over a new metal footbridge with metal railings through Courtown Woods. A few ancient trees may be threatened with removal and the appearance of Ballinatray Bridge may also change!

It is understood that the cost may be carried by Wexford County Council with extra funding from Fáilte Ireland.

HISTORY; A work relief scheme organised by Lord Courtown in 1846 for the benefit of the starving poor consisted of drainage and the construction of a road southwards from Ballymoney crossroads to join Gorey and Courtown Harbour road.
In 1847, the present three-arch bridge at Ballinatray, once known as the Courtown Viaduct and at the time, was the highest stone bridge in the country.
Ballinatray Bridge is a 19th century civil engineering feat designed by James Barry Farrell, (1810-1893), who was the County Surveyor, and other similarly amazing works by him can be admired at Carrigmannon, (1844), near Killurin, and Corbally Bridge (1854) on the Enniscorthy to Oulart Road.
And for the record, Farrell was involved in the design of St Senan’s Hospital, near Enniscorthy, built in the 1860’s and now closed as a hospital and in private ownership.

An amnesty for your mattress!

Wexford County Council is holding a mattress amnesty at each of the four household recycling sites across the county in the coming weeks. This has been done before and is a popular service to the general public.

Mattresses will be accepted from domestic customers only (no commercial operations) at the locations listed below on the following dates;

Holmestown, Wexford Household Recycling Centre – Tuesday, 17th August to Friday 20th August.

New Ross Household Recycling Centre – Tuesday, 24th August to Friday 27th August.

Gorey Recycling Centre – Tuesday, 31st August to Friday, September 3rd.

Enniscorthy Recycling Centre – Tuesday, September 7th to Friday September 10th.

Contact Wexford County Council and Pre register here to confirm your interest before 5pm on Monday 15th August.

Jamie Codd lines the punters pocket

By Dan Walsh at Bettyville Park

It was refreshing to be amongst the restricted attendance under Covid-19 guidelines allowed at a fine Bettyville Park this evening where punters had to wait until the final event on the seven-race card for Jamie Codd to bring home a local winner.

Codd was well supported on the Gavin Cromwell trained Malina Girl (2/1) who stuck to her task in the bumper and ran out an impressive winner by one and three-quarter lengths on ground officially described as ‘good’.

It was a good meeting for Waterford trainer Henry de Bromhead who recorded a double – Urabamba (8/13 fav.) ridden by Hugh Morgan in the Welcome to Wexford Maiden Hurdle and Eagle Moon (4/1) with Dylan Robinson by two and a half lengths in the handicap chase.

Jockey Morgan had a double up in the first two races. He was also aboard Good World (6/1) in the Holiday in Wexford Handicap Hurdle for Mooncoin trainer Eoin Doyle. Paul Nolan went closest of the Wexford trainers here with Glen Robin (Brian Cooper) coming in half a length behind Good World and Nolan also saddled the third placed Cloak of Darkness (Sean O’Keeffe).

And Joseph O’Brien shook the punters with a 28/1 victory – Filon D’Oudairies with Simon Torrens up in the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Chase.

The Tote aggregate was €82,840.25 compared with €98,671.00 last year.

Equestrian disaster at Tokyo Olympics

By Dan Walsh

The dream of Wexford’s Bertram Allen and his Ireland showjumping team-mates of Tokyo Olympics glory has been shattered after Ireland have taken decision to pull out of the qualifiers for the team showjumping final after Shane Sweetnam’s mount Alejandro had a horrible experience.

**Shane Sweetnam, Bertram Allen and Darragh Kenny (Pic; Horse Sport Ireland)**

Bertram Allen and Darragh Kenny did not compete as there was no point as qualification was impossible.

Sweetnam, who replaced Cian O’Connor after his horse Kilkenny suffered a nose bleed at the individual qualifers on Wednesday, was the first of the Irish riders in the ring, but he came off the horse after barrelling into a number of fences and he lost a shoe in the process.

Qualification for the final with just two riders was a virtually impossible task and the decision was taken not to continue.

It was a hugely disappointing end to years of preparation and qualification, however, that is sometimes the outcome in equestrian sport.

€12.3m worth of heroin seized at Rosslare Europort

By Dan Walsh

Revenue officers at Rosslare Europort have seized around 88kgs of heroin, worth over €12 million following an intelligence led operation at the port yesterday (Thursday).

The discovery was made when a truck and low-loader trailer, arriving from mainland Europe, was stopped and searched.

The drugs were discovered concealed in machinery being carried on the low-loader.

The search was carried out with the assistance of Revenue’s mobile x-ray scanner and detector dogs Sam and Flynn, along with ongoing support from assistance of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau.

Anyone with information regarding smuggling can contact Revenue’s confidential phone number on 1800 295 295.

Good luck Bertram and Team Ireland

By Dan Walsh

The equestrian sport eyes of the world will be focused firmly on Equestrian Park at the Tokyo Olympics this morning as Team Ireland compete for medals and the local interest surrounds the participation of Enniscorthy-born Bertram Allen.

Son of Bert Allen and Geraldine Fitzgerald, Bertram celebrated his 26^th birthday last Sunday and has plenty of family connections to cheer him on, including his siblings, Harry, himself a promising young showjumping rider, April, Lucy and Grace. The family home is at Enniscorthy, but they also own Ballywalter Farm, near Kilmuckridge.

When news of his nomination broke in June, Bertram Allen told WexfordLocal.com; “I am most grateful to be nominated to represent Team Ireland at the upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo this summer together with my team-mates Cian O’Connor, Darragh Kenny, Shane Sweetnam and Michael Duffy. To compete for my country on the Olympic stage is a tremendous honour for me! “I am also incredibly proud of my Irish bred partner Pacino Amiro, who has kept on getting better and better this season to reach the highest level despite his young age!”

Now the great moment is nigh! The latest news is as follows thanks to Horse Sport Ireland.

**SHANE SWEETNAM, BERTRAM ALLEN and DARRAGH KENNY… Team Ireland in the Olympics today.** (Pic; Horse Sport Ireland)

London Olympic bronze medallist Cian O’Connor is out of the team after his horse Kilkenny suffered a nose bleed in the Individual Jumping on Wednesday where he finished in seventh position.

Team manager Michael Blake has called up Cork native Shane Sweetnam who makes his Olympic debut with Alejandro, a 12-year-old gelding owned by Sweetnam along with Spy Coast Farm and Seabrook LLC. A reliable source told me that Sweetnam has Wexford family connections in the Clough area of Gorey, but I have been unable to confirm this news!

Sweetnam will be first of the three Irish riders to jump and will be followed by Bertram Allen with Pacino Amiro (ISH), while Darragh Kenny will be last of the Irish to jump with VDL Cartello.

The full list of teams and the order to go is as follows:1, Czech Republic; 2, China; 3, Japan; 4, Israel; 5, Mexico; 6, Argentina; 7, Morocco; 8, New Zealand; 9, Ireland; 10, Egypt; 11, France; 12, Sweden; 13, USA; 14, Great Britain; 15, Brazil; 16, Switzerland; 17, Belgium; 18, Germany; 19, Netherlands.

The Olympic Show Jumping team qualifier starts at 11am Irish time today (Friday). RTE 2 will show each of the Irish riders in action, while the entire competition can be watched on the Eurosport Player/Discovery+ (subscription required).

Byrne calls on Taoiseach to support the arts

By Dan Walsh

Wexford Fianna Fáil Senator Malcolm Byrne has written to the Taoiseach Micheál Martin and to Arts & Culture Minister, Catherine Martin, calling for the Minister and senior Government officials to meet with representatives of the arts, live events and entertainment sector before the end of next week and to agree a clear roadmap for reopening.

He again expressed frustration that “arts and entertainment are not being given sufficient priority, in spite of the fact that those involved have been among the worst impacted by Covid over the last eighteen months.”

Senator Byrne stated that it was “welcome and appropriate that there was high level engagement with the tourism and hospitality sector, as well as with sporting bodies to ensure safe reopening” but added; “Like so many involved in the arts, I am tired of constantly having to seek clarity on cultural and music events after government announcements and worse, not having any sense of priority being given to the safe reopening of these activities.”

“Theatres and arts venues are controlled environments. They are happy to work within clearly defined safety guidelines; they do it all the time. Arts professionals – be they involved in production or dance or drama classes or event management – have a constant awareness of health and safety.”

“I do not accept an aspiration toward having some kind of roadmap at the end of August represents any sort of coherent government policy. There should be the same level of engagement now as we have seen with the tourism and hospitality sector.”