Pearse Rogan challenges for U21 title

By Dan Walsh

Two Wexford trained horses were involved in a dead-heat in the maiden race for five-year-old geldings at Kirkistown, Co. Down this afternoon.

Point-to-Point action at Ballycrystal (File Pic)

Long time leader Rathmacknee in the colours of the Final Furlong Bloodstock Ltd for Colin Bowe and Barry O’Neill was caught at the finish by Galunggung trained for the Monbeg Syndicate and Ballindaggin handler Donnchadh Doyle and Pearse Rogan (19). The judge failed to separate the pair and declared a dead-heat.

Rogan from Caim added a second winner of the afternoon on Creadan Grae by four lengths for Helen and Peter McBurney in the Open Race for novice riders.

This brings Pearse Rogan onto the seven-winner mark with Liam Gilligan for the under 21 riders’ championship with only tomorrow’s fixture at Grennan, Co. Kilkenny, left of the 2020-21 season. Michael O’Sullivan from Mallow and Sean Staples, Duncormick, are both one behind on the six-winner mark, so it is all to play for amongst the four talented riders.

Jack Hendrick, Mayglass, was aboard Getalady for owner/handler Peter Flood for a two and a half lengths victory in the maiden race for five-year-old mares’ and over.

Craanford handler and rider Liam and James Kenny were successful with Ranger Kid by three-quarters of a length in the maiden race for ‘older’ geldings in the Big Zeb colours of Gorey owner Paddy Redmond.

Duty Free shopping returns on Rosslare ferries

By Dan Walsh

With the easing of lockdown restrictions, and a hope that international tourist travel will resume shortly, Stena Line is anticipating a busy summer. And after a 21-year absence, duty-free shopping onboard Stena Line’s ferries will now be available following Brexit.

Meanwhile, sailings between Rosslare Europort and Fishguard remain suspended as the Stena Europe‘s stay in dry dock is extended to Friday, June 4th.

STENA EUROPE will soon return from dry dock in Belfast for the Rosslare-Fishguard route.

Writing in The Western Telegraph reporter Becky Hotchin said the Irish Sea crossing was temporarily cancelled, initially until May 22nd, when Stena decided to send the vessel for repair at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, following a routine inspection of the ferry.

It was initially anticipated that the repairs would be completed by May 21st and the ferry back on the run by the 22nd. However, the company still has no Irish Sea crossings from Rosslare to Fishguard and it was confirmed that the Europe’s stay in dry dock has been extended.

“Stena Line is continuing to carry out works on the Stena Europe (Rosslare-Fishguard) while travel restrictions with the Republic of Ireland remain in place,” said a spokesperson for the company.

“An announcement from the Irish Government is expected imminently on Digital Green Certificates and International Travel and Stena Line plans to have the Stena Europe back in service on June 4th.

The Fishguard to Rosslare route was severely affected by Brexit and Covid-19 at the beginning of this year with freight crossings down by 70% and a reduction in services.

Papal Knighthood for Eugene Doyle

By Dan Walsh

During 7pm Friday evening Mass in St. Senan’s Parish Church, Enniscorthy, Bishop Denis Brennan conferred a Papal Knighthood on local parishioner Eugene Doyle on behalf of Pope Francis in recognition of his personal and professional contribution to the Diocese of Ferns.

EUGENE DOYLE receives a Papal Knighthood from Pope Francis

Since becoming Diocesan Finance Officer in 2004, Mr Doyle has helped to shape and oversee diocesan financial policy in a time of acute challenge – and as responses were being shaped – to a new evolving human, pastoral, spiritual and economic reality.

Bishop Denis Brennan said; “The focus of the last twenty years in the diocese has been genuine engagement and honesty with major issues that have confronted the diocese. As Diocesan Finance Officer, Eugene Doyle played an invaluable part in restoring trust and in helping chart a sure course through turbulent waters.

“In the conferral of the honour on one of our parishioners, I am conscious that it will be warmly received at all levels here in Ferns diocese and will – in some part – recognise the selfless and very often unnoticed heroic effort that marks daily life here in our parishes, and within the Diocese of Ferns,” concluded Bishop Brennan.

New Vaccination Centre at Kilanerin

By Dan Walsh

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has announced the welcome news that the HSE has secured a site for a new vaccination centre that will serve both south Wicklow and north Wexford at Kilanerin Community Centre.

The new centre is expected to be fully operational by the middle of June and will have the capacity to offer 1,200 vaccinations a day.

The Kilanerin Community Centre, which will have ten vaccination booths, is an ideal location for the new vaccination centre as it has both parking facilities and enough space for the vaccination teams to operate and is located in the village.

KILANERIN COMMUNITY CENTRE

Minister Donnelly praised the work done by the HSE in finding the new location. He said: “An immense amount of work has gone into finding suitable premises for the vaccination centre which was not an easy thing to do as there are a lot of criteria that have to be met. I had asked the HSE that they make it a matter of urgency to find somewhere suitable which after a lot of hard work they have now done. Kilanerin is ideal for people in the area to get to.

Kilanerin Community Centre has been developed and enlarged by Kilanerin Ballyfad Community Development Association in recent years and will remove the need for people from north Wexford to travel long distances for the Covid-19 vaccine.

Windows smashed at Enniscorthy school

By Dan Walsh

Gardai in Enniscorthy are investigating a serious incident where windows were damaged in an anti-social or criminal act of vandalism at St. Aidan’s Parish School on Nunnery Road last weekend.

ENNISCORTHY GARDA STATION

It is understood that some youths trespassed on the school grounds and smashed three glass panels on the infant playground. The intrusion has been strongly condemned by school staff and parents who are concerned for the safety of the children.

Gardai are asking people to keep a watchful eye in the vicinity of the school and the adjoining Peace Park and to report any suspicious activity to Enniscorthy Garda Station on 053 9242580 or the Garda Confidential line on 1800 666 111.

Saving Kilmore Quay fishing industry

By Dan Walsh

Around 50 boats from the coastal areas Kilmore Quay to Dingle sailed through the night and assembled at Roche’s Point at 7am today before the public awareness flotilla of boats sailed up the River Lee to Cork City to highlight the huge strain on the fishing industry and delivered a plea for help at An Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s constituency office.

Speaking to RTE News Dinah Busher owner of the Ellie Adhamh, Kilmore Quay, said; “The quotas we have they are not paying the bills. The expenses for each trip they are not being covered.”

The local fishing fleet resting in Kilmore Quay. (File Pic)

Commenting locally Cllr Jim Codd told WexfordLocal.com; “Fishing communities like Kilmore Quay are on the brink of utter destruction due to unmanageable new EU regulations. These new measures which will require fishermen to unpack and weigh their catch on the Quay before repacking and re-icing the load and transporting it two hundred yards up the road to the factory are just the latest attempts to erode our fishing communities.

“Our trawler crews working in the most dangerous of jobs now see a box of Whelks, which was fetching €100, now only getting €55-€60 while Lobster pots have risen from €50 to €80. Diesel has gone from 30% to 54% cent per litre in the last year. A box of haddock is getting £100 in Peterhead across the water. Fishermen here are lucky to get €20 a box with prices falling to €12 a box last week. Things have gone so bad that they are using the haddock in the Lobster pots now. Prices go up while wages drop creating an unsustainable situation,” concluded Cllr Codd.

Wexford has most Beach Awards in Leinster

By Dan Walsh

Wexford County Council retains Blue Flag status for five beaches and both marinas awarded in 2020, however, Ballymoney North Beach awarded in 2020 has not retained Blue Flag status for the 2021 season.

The beach has been classified as achieving a Good Water Quality rating in 2020 based on the assessment of bacteriological results for the period 2017 to 2020. Excellent water quality classification is the standard required of beach applicants to achieve Blue Flag status. Wexford has received more Blue Flags and Green Coast Awards than any other county in Leinster.

BLUE FLAG BEACHES AND MARINAS 2021; Ballinesker Beach, Curracloe, Morriscastle, Rosslare Strand, Carne, Kilmore Quay Marina and New Ross Marina.

GREEN COAST AWARD BEACHES 2021; Grange, Cullenstown Strand, St. Helen’s Bay, Ballyhealy, Booley Bay, Cahore Point Beach, Culleton’s Gap, Old Bawn Beach and Baginbun Beach.

OLD BAWN BEACH selected for a GREEN COAST BEACH AWARD

The Blue Flag and Green Coast Award sites for 2021 were announced by Ian Diamond, Coastal Awards Manager with An Taisce’s Environmental Education unit this morning (Tuesday) in a virtual awards ceremony attended by Local Authorities, marina operators and Clean Coasts groups who volunteer at the beaches receiving Green Coast Awards this year.

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien said; “I want to offer my sincere congratulations to each of the communities who have won these most prized awards. Winning a Blue Flag or a Green Coast award is a collective effort with local authorities, An Taisce, local coastal communities and other volunteers on the ground all playing their part.”

Budget approval for Bunclody Vocational College

By Dan Walsh

The Department of Education has approved a multi-million euro budget for the construction of a new four-storey building on the grounds of Bunclody Vocational College on Irish Street.

CLLR KATHLEEN CODD-NOLAN and PAUL KEHOE TD

Cllr Kathleen Codd-Nolan, Chairperson of Bunclody Vocational College said; It is positive news for the School and for the young people of Bunclody area and thanks everyone who has worked so hard to get the project to this stage.

“The building will quadruple the space of the present building and give capacity to grow the student population up to 550 students. The new building will also include a Special Education Needs Unit,” she told WexfordLocal.com

William Coade Architect for the project said the next stage in the project is the lodgement of the Planning Application which is hoped to be lodged towards the end of this year.

The road to Min Ryan Skate Park

By Dan Walsh

MAYOR OF WEXFORD Cllr Leonard Kelly takes to the controls at the opening of the Skate Park at Min Ryan Park, Wexford

A Wexford company, Sole Sports and Leisure have begun construction of the access road for them to immediately begin the construction of the Skate Park and a 20m x 39m Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) supported by Cllrs Leonard Kelly and Davy Hynes at Min Ryan Park, comprising a soccer pitch length ways complimenting with two basketball courts and soccer pitches across ways.

The surface will be multi-purpose Astro. The MUGA will be located at the upper (southern) end of the Central Field, adjacent the existing grass kickabout area.

Mayor of Wexford, Cllr Leonard Kelly “believes that this offering will greatly benefit the young people of this town. The outreach work done by FDYS Wexford in the park since last year has helped to highlight this need.”

Thanks is expressed to Sean Meyler (Wexford County Council) and Peadar Murphy (Sole Sports and Leisure) for driving this forward and all the other council officials who are helping to make this a reality. The build time is expected to be approximately 16 weeks.

Sod turned on €1.45m New Ross Fire Station

By Dan Walsh

Today was an historic day for New Ross and district as the sod was turned on the new state-of-the-art fire station in New Ross that will be constructed at the cost of €1,458,205.

Wexford TD and Minister of State for Law Reform James Browne has expressed his delight at attending the sod-turning ceremony accompanied by Cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council Cllr Ger Carthy, Cathaoirleach of New Ross Municipal District Cllr Michael Whelan, Cllrs Michael Sheehan and John Fleming, Tom Enright, Chief Executive Wexford County Council, Ray Murphy, Wexford County Chief Fire Officer, and Daniel and Kevin Thorpe of Thorpe Construction, Adamstown, who were awarded the contract for construction of the single-storey building at Hewitsland.

Soft digging to turn the sod at Hewitsland, New Ross, for the new Fire Station today. Aimed with the shovels are Cllr Ger Carthy, Cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council, Minister James Browne TD, and Cllr Michael Whelan, Cathaoirleach New Ross Municipal District Council.

Minister Browne told WexfordLocal.com; “I’m delighted to attend the sod-turning for a new fire station in New Ross. I made several representations to Minister for Housing and Local Government Darragh O’Brien TD seeking the approval of the tender for this much-needed investment and I am glad that these representations have culminated in the development of the new fire station.

“A modern fire service is critical for any community and our fire service personnel deserve the best facilities available.

“The current fire station on Michael Street has served its purpose very well for the residents of New Ross and environs for over 30 years. New Ross Fire Brigade now have three responding fire appliances and a 4×4 vehicle requiring this expanded facility. The new fire station will allow for the housing of response vehicles and allow for future expansion of not only the fire service in the region, but also training and development capabilities, which is important as the town grows.

“The new location will allow for a quick response to the new bypass and bridge and to assist other neighbouring brigades. It will be a new chapter in New Ross history and a welcome development for the crews of New Ross Fire Brigade. I look forward to see it’s development and official opening when this building project is complete,” concluded Minister Browne.