WexfordLocal.com

€3.7m cocaine seized at Rosslare Europort

By Dan Walsh

Revenue officers seized approximately 53.5 kg of suspected cocaine with an estimated value of €3,747,765 at Rosslare Europort.

The illicit drugs were discovered when an accompanied freight unit that had disembarked a ferry from France was stopped. The subsequent search, with the assistance of Revenue’s mobile x-ray scanner and detector dog Dáithí, led to the discovery of the drugs concealed within the exhaust system.

A man in his 40s was arrested by An Garda Síochána and is currently detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996 at a Garda Station in the South East. Investigations are ongoing.

This seizure is part of Revenue’s ongoing operations targeting the importation of illegal drugs. If businesses, or members of the public, have any information regarding smuggling, they can contact Revenue in confidence on 1800 295 295.

Wexford town Boil Water Notice lifted

By Dan Walsh

The Boil Water Notice for Uisce Éireann customers in Wexford town, supplied by the Newtown Water Treatment Plant, has been lifted with immediate effect.

Uisce Éireann confirmed today (Tuesday) that, following consultation with the Health Service Executive, customers on this supply can now resume normal use of their water supply.

This follows consistent satisfactory sampling results.

The Boil Water Notice was issued on December 19^th to protect the health of approximately 22,000 customers following untreated raw water entering the supply.

Drinking water experts from Uisce Éireann worked hard to lift the notice for impacted customers as quickly and as safely as possible.

Uisce Éireann’s Padraig Lyng acknowledged the impact of the notice on the community. “Uisce Éireann regrets the inconvenience that the Boil Water Notice had on customers in Wexford Town. I would like to thank them for their patience and support while our drinking water experts worked to lift it as quickly as it was safe to do so.

“I also thank the local political representatives and the media for their assistance in sharing the information during the period of this notice”, added Mr Lyng.

Motorcyclist injured at Killurin

By Dan Walsh

A man in his 20s is in critical condition after a serious collision involving a car and a motorcycle happened at around 11.45pm last night (Monday) on the R730 at Killurin near Glynn.

The motorcyclist was taken to Wexford General Hospital for treatment and has since been transferred to Beaumont Hospital, where he remains in a critical condition.

No other injuries were reported.

Gardaí are appealing for anyone with dashcam or information to contact them at Wexford Garda Station (053 9165200), the Garda Confidential number 1800 666 111 or any garda station.

Funds for historic Castlebridge House

By Dan Walsh

Castlebridge has received €300,000 under the 2025 Towns and Village Renewal Scheme to transform the gardens of historic Castlebridge House, birthplace of the Guinness Book of Records.

The news was welcomed on behalf of the community and Wexford County Council by Cllr Robbie Staples, Chair of the Castlebridge Town Centre First team. “It will restore the area for inspiring outdoor events and performance space and pocket park, swing benches and pagodas and biodiversity area, and hopefully, some features relating back to the Guinness Book of Records set in the grounds of this landmark building,” concluded Cllr Staples

€300,000 Christmas Cracker for Ballyhogue

By Dan Walsh in Ballyhogue

**Bill Walsh, Cllr Trish Byrne, John V. Carr and Claire Lawless, Eniscorthy District Manager outside the old Ballyhogue Stores which faces redevlopment.** (File Pic; *WexfordLocal.com*)

Ballyhogue Development Group Secretary, John V. Carr, announced earlier today via social media that positive developments have arrived ahead of Christmas in Ballyhogue.

“Wexford County Council in conjunction with Ballyhogue Development Group have received €300,000 under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme to transform the old shop/post office into a Community Hub!”, stated Mr. Carr.

The project was initially proposed in 2023, with a public consultation conducted at Ballyhogue National School last June.

The submission was for the delivery of a multi-purpose Community Hub with training facilities, social enterprises and community garden to address an urgent deficit in multi-use community/enterprise facilities in Ballyhogue through converting a vacant shop/post-office.

Wexford County Council acquired the former Ballyhogue Post Office and shop, and a grant application for ‘Ballyhogue Stores’ under the Town & Village Renewal Scheme 2025 was prepared and submitted.

The annual general meeting of Ballyhogue Development Group will be held in the coming weeks where today’s announcement will be welcomed and progressed.

“We are all looking forward to a new future for our little village of Ballyhogue,” concluded Mr Carr.

Two injured in Camolin crash

By Dan Walsh

Two people have been removed to hospitals in Dublin and Wexford following a serious road traffic collision near Camolin this evening (Sunday).

A female passenger in her 60s was brought to St Vincent’s Hospital for treatment of serious injuries.

A driver, aged in his 40s, was brought to Wexford General Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

The collision involving two cars occurred on the R772 at Ballinclare shortly after 5 o’clock and emergency services were quickly on the scene.

Gardaí have confirmed in the last hour that the road is closed and local diversions are in place and this arrangement will remain overnight.

Motorists are advised to avoid the area and use alternative routes.

Anyone with dashcam footage are asked to please contact Gorey Garda Station on 053 9430690.

Enniscorthy district festival funding 2026

By Dan Walsh at Enniscorthy Municipal District Council meeting

The annual festival funding allocation agreed for Enniscorthy district for next year remains at the 2025 figure of €106,000, it was revealed at the December meeting of Enniscorthy Municipal District Council held in the Presentation Centre Chamber.

**Enniscorthy’s main festival is the annual Rockin’ Food & Fruit Festival.**

Topping the list is the Rockin’ Food and Fruit Festival at €40,000, followed closely by the Enniscorthy Christmas promotion at €35,000.

The Festival of Ferns receives €5,000; The Street Rhythms comes in at €4,000; and the Enniscorthy St. Patrick Day Parade at €3,000.

The Blackstairs Blues receives €2,500; the Bunclody Christmas Lights €2,000 and the Bunclody St. Patrick’s Day/Eileen Aroon Festival €1,500.

The Easter Monday Commemorations gets €2,000, and the ’98 Le Chéile in association with the National 1798 Rebellion Centre receives €1,000.

Kiltealy St. Patrick’s Day Parade receives €500. There is also a Festival Support Fund of €9,500 – not sure what that is about, or how it is spent?

Because Fleadh Cheoil na h-Éireann has taken the August Bank Holiday dates for the past two years there may be changes to the 2026 festival dates. However, I’m sure the dates will be sorted soon as the various festival groups hold public meetings and be transparent while encouraging more people to become actively involved.

Labour Party seeks action on GP shortages

By Dan Walsh

The Labour Party urges immediate action on the shortage of GP’s (local doctors) given the ongoing Caredoc workers strike, which has arisen due to employees picketing after their employers failed to honour the 2023 commitment to salary increases.

Labour Party local representative, Damien Corish once again is highlighting the fact that our health system in the South East is not up to standard or nationwide for that matter.

Mr Corish said; Here in the South East, we are still waiting to attend GPs with waiting times lasting weeks.

“In this region there is currently only one GP per 2,033 people that’s 24 GPs for 48,788 citizens with the north Wexford region similar at one GP for every 2,287 citizens and the national average at one GP 1,700 citizens we need an action plan to end the inequality in our society in terms of Healthcare, we are still holding Labour’s survey in relation to GP services and we were asking you to take the survey so we can work towards an equal health service for all.

You can also check the data for your area on the Labour website.”

Wexford Town Boil Water Notice impacts 22,000 customers

By Dan Walsh

Uisce Éireann has issued a Boil Water Notice for customers in Wexford town supplied by the Newtown Water Treatment Plant.

This notice is being issued to protect the health of approximately 22,000 customers due to untreated raw water entering the supply.

Drinking water experts from Uisce Éireann are working to rectify the disinfection issues at the treatment plant and lift the notice as quickly and as safely as possible, in consultation with the Health Service Executive (HSE).

Uisce Éireann is also progressing works at the treatment plant to upgrade and improve the supply for the community. In the meantime, all customers on this supply are advised to boil water before use until further notice.

Padraig Lyng, Uisce Éireann, regrets the inconvenience to impacted customers. “Public health is Uisce Éireann’s number one priority and we would like to assure customers that the notice has been put in place to protect public health. We acknowledge the inconvenience caused to homes and businesses and would like to assure customers that we are working to resolve the issue and lift the notice as quickly and as safely possible.”

Vulnerable customers who have registered with Uisce Éireann receive direct communication on Boil Water Notices. Customers are reminded that the water is safe to consume once boiled.

€1.6m retrofit for New Ross Leisure Centre

**Signing of The Apex Leisure Centre, New Ross integrated design team consultancy services energy retrofit contract in the Council Chamber, Wexford County Council.** Back row: Clare Kelly, (Climate Action Officer, Wexford County Council), John Frister, (Energy Engineer, South East Energy Agency), Mark Weinkle (General Manager, The Apex), Cian O’Riordan (Managing Director, PowerTherm Solutions), Joe Fallon (Energy Officer, Wexford County Council), Siona Daly (Regional Energy Manager, South East Energy Unit), Michael Drea (County Secretary, Wexford County Council), Eamonn Hore (Director of Services, Wexford County Council), Loughlin Kilcline (SEAI Pathfinder Programme, Programme Executive). In front: Lorenzo Cammoranesi, Butler Cammoranesi Architects, and Eddie Taaffe (Chief Executive, Wexford County Council).

By Dan Walsh

Wexford County Council has announced a €1.6 million energy retrofit of the Apex Leisure Centre in New Ross.

This ambitious retrofit project, funded through the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) Pathfinder Programme grant, match funded by Wexford County Council, aims to decarbonise the leisure centre’s heating systems, improve the building’s overall energy efficiency, while reducing its operational running costs.
This project forms part of the Wexford County Council and SEAI Pathfinder Partnership Funding Agreement. The primary objective of the SEAI Pathfinder Programme is to contribute towards Wexford County Council’s ambitious 2030 Carbon Emissions and Energy Efficiency Targets as set out in the Wexford County Council Climate Action Plan which targets a 51% reduction in Green House Gas emissions and a 50% improvement in energy efficiency from a predefined baseline by 2030.