Just one big Wexford story from day two (Wednesday) of the Punchestown Festival was the success of Foxy Jack in the Grade A Guinness Handicap Chase giving Adamstown jockey Jonathan (Jonny) Moore a well-deserved winner.
Moore took a fall a few days before Cheltenham and suffered an injury, declared himself unfit to ride at the festival, and missed out on two victories as horses he should have ridden for his Meath yard of Gavin Cromwell were winners!
JONATHAN MOORE … lost out at Cheltenham… winner at Punchestown.
Speaking afterwards Moore said; “In fairness to Mouse (Morris, winning trainer) he told me that with this fella and his light weight to go and make the running and that he wouldn’t be far away. He thought he would be in the shake up and credit to him and his team for getting him here right.
“It was great for the team (Gavin Cromwell — two winners) and everyone involved over at Cheltenham, the owners too deserved it, but it was probably the toughest month of my life when all that was going on (sidelined with injury and missed out).
“I’m just a lucky boy to be in the position I’m in — to ride those horses on their big days. I rode the winner of this race five years ago and it’s great to do it again.”
A 24-foot sailing yacht with one person on board was brought to safety by the Arklow RNLI Lifeboat Ger Tigchlearrafter running aground at Clogga Bay, just north of Kilmicheal Point on the Wexford/Wicklow border, on Tuesday afternoon.
Sailing ship rescue at Clogga Bay by Arklow RNLI Lifeboat yesterday. (Pic; RNLI/Coast Guard Unit)
The Irish Coast Guard requested the launch of Arklow RNLI at 4.26pm and the volunteer crew made their way to Clogga Bay, south of Arklow Harbour, where a sailing yacht with one person aboard was aground in shallow waters.
Once the towline was established the lifeboat gently pulled the sailing vessel to deeper water. Once it was established the boat was dry and not taking on water, the XP boat and crew came back aboard the lifeboat and proceeded back to Arklow with the casualty on tow. All hands were back ashore approximately 40 minutes later.
Arklow RNLI Coxswain Ned Dillon said; “Thanks to our crew, this was an excellent successful service, where we got to deploy and use very many of the safety critical tools and lifesaving equipment we carry aboard the lifeboat. In all my years I have never seen all these items being deployed at once and never so successfully, it’s a real testament to our crew and the excellent training we get from RNLI.”
The formal application for the Technological University for the South East (TUSE) will be lodged this Friday.
The Governing Body at Waterford Institute of Technology met on Tuesday and the Governing Body at IT Carlow meets on Thursday to formally ratify the bid. Minister Simon Harris and the IT Presidents will brief the Oireachtas Group on the University chaired by Wexford’s Senator Malcolm Byrne, on Friday afternoon.
SENATOR MALCOLM BYRNE
Once the bid is submitted, an international panel will assess it against the requirements for university designation. This is likely to happen in June.
Assuming that the bid is successful, the University will come into being on January 1st. The TUSE (possibly with a new name) is likely to be the fifth or sixth largest in student numbers in the State. It is also likely that two other universities (Shannon and Connaught Ulster) will come into being in 2022.
The deal on the Wexford campus for the new university is currently being concluded.
Commenting to WexfordLocal.com Senator Byrne said; “This has been one of the most important projects on which I have worked since election to the Oireachtas and will make an enormous difference to County Wexford and to the region.”
The prestigious Ladies Cup over the famous Punchestown Banks Course was won by Singing Banjo (14/1) who initiated a double for Tinahely trainer Philip Rothwell on the opening day of the Punchestown Festival today (Tuesday).
BARRY WALSH enjoyed his first track winner at Punchestown Festival.
Owned by John Walsh, Ballyday, Gorey, and ridden by his son, Barry Walsh, Singing Banjo battled to the finish line with Vital Island and prevailed by one and one-quarter length. This was a first winner on the track for Barry who has seven career point-to-point winners to his credit.
Rothwell said afterwards; “It is great for the Walsh family. He comes over a few weeks before he runs and we ran him in a couple of hunter chases to have him ready for today. It is a huge family thing for the Walshes and it is all about them more so than me.
“Barry’s (winning jockey) brother Aaron rode a couple for me around the banks here and we were second a couple of times,” he added.
It was an eventful race as the track became slippery as light rain fell on fast ground, with two horses slipping-up and another unseating jockey on bends.
Rothwell’s first winner of the day came in the opening novice handicap hurdle with the fast finishing Cousin Harry, (25/1), who pipped the 5/1 favourite Light Brigade by a neck with Meath jockey Paddy O’Hanlon up.
Speaking afterwards the winning trainer said; “Michael Carthy heads up the Roc Racing (owners) syndicate and every horse they’ve had with me has won. This fella (Cousin Harry) has been great this year. I’m absolutely thrilled.”
The Fairwood Stables had three runners today but do not have a huge number for the rest of the week.
Homes and businesses in the Coolballow area of Wexford will soon enjoy a safer, more reliable water supply as Irish Water, working in partnership with Wexford County Council will begin works to replace approximately 2.1 kilometres of problematic water mains with polyethylene (plastic) pipes in early May.
To complete works safely and efficiently, a road closure of the Coolballow Road will be required for the duration of works from 08.00hrs to 17.00 hrs Monday – Friday. Local access will be maintained, however, traffic travelling south east/east will be diverted via Sinnotstown Lane toward the Rosslare Road. West and south west bound traffic will be diverted via the Rosslare road southbound to Sinnotstown Lane.
The new pipe is to be installed from the junction of the L3507-1 (Coolballow Rd) to the R-730-37 at Kerlogue Nursing Home and up to Starve Hall reservoir on the L-3506-3. When works reach the L-3506-3 further traffic management may be required and will be advertised closer to the date. Pipe installation, testing and switching of existing connections over to the newly installed water main will take approximately 20 weeks in total.
These works are being carried out as part of Irish Water’s National Leakage Reduction Programme.
JOE CARROLL, Networks Programmes Regional Lead for Irish Water
Networks Programmes Regional Lead for Irish Water, Joe Carroll said; “We are delighted to be able to bring a more secure and reliable water supply to the residents and community of the Coolballow area. The benefits of these works will come by way of replacing water mains and service connections that will reduce the instances of bursts and the occurrences of water outages which will ensure a reliable supply of water to customers and local businesses in the area.
“Finally, I would like to thank the residents for their patience as we carry out these essential works which will take about twenty weeks to complete. We should be finished in total in late September,” concluded Mr Carroll.
Eamonn Hore, Director of Services at Wexford County Council, stated that the replacement of the Coolballow watermain pipeline is very welcome news for consumers in the Wexford area. “The existing pipework has been in place since the late 1970s and has failed regularly over the last number of years leading to frustration and water outages, not to mention the additional costs involved in repairing the pipe and roadway after each burst.
“The replacement watermain has been designed by the Wexford County Council design team and will be delivered on site by Wexford County Council’s own pipe laying crew with the significant €0.5million investment from Irish Water.”
Coolballow is also an area of archaeological importance and the attendance of an archaeologist for a section of the dig close to a church site of the Knights Templar, graveyard and St James Well will be required.
Planned water shut offs will be advised in advance to the affected consumers and a letter informing residents of the works has been delivered. Customers have been notified about the works and can phone Irish Water on 1850 278 278 if they have any questions about the project or check out the Water Supply Updates section of the Irish Water website for regular updates.
Detector dog Flynn assisted as 40kgs of cannabis with an estimated value of €800,000 was seized at Rosslare Europort yesterday (Monday).
FLYNN.. top detector dog.
The drugs were discovered when Revenue officers stopped and searched a Polish registered articulated lorry and its accompanying trailer that had disembarked a ferry from Dunkirk, France. The search, carried out with the assistance of Revenue’s mobile x-ray scanner and detector dog Flynn, led to the discovery of the drugs concealed within the spare tyres of the trailer.
A man in his fifties was arrested by Gardai at the scene and taken to Wexford Garda Station.
Investigations are ongoing.
These routine operations are part of Revenue’s ongoing work targeting drug smuggling. If businesses, or members of the public have any information, they can contact Revenue in confidence on Confidential Phone Number 1800 295 295.
Senator Malcolm Byrne has called for the new Office of the Gambling Regulator to be in Gorey. The North Wexford public representative was speaking in a Seanad debate on forthcoming gambling legislation.
SENATOR MALCOLM BYRNE
Senator Byrne recalled that in 2007, the then Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, promised that the planned Office of the Gambling Regulator would be in Gorey!
“The legislation has been delayed a long time but as part of my contribution in the Seanad on Friday on regulating gambling, I urged that the Office, once established, would be based in Gorey. The necessary office infrastructure is already in place in the town and would be an ideal home for the new regulator,” Senator Byrne told Wexford Local.com
He pointed that the legislation deals with all aspects of gambling in Ireland and will focus on ways to tackle gambling addiction.
It is being steered through the Oireachtas by Junior Minister James Browne and his Fianna Fáil colleague added that he would hope that “Minister Browne could deliver on Michael McDowell’s promise of 14 years ago!”
Revenue Officers at Rosslare Europort detained 13 COVID-19 rapid test kits. The kits, which originated in China, are unauthorised for use in the EU, including Ireland, and were discovered when an Irish registered van which had disembarked a ferry from Cherbourg, France was stopped and searched.
Seizures are part of Revenue’s ongoing operations targeting the shadow economy and smuggling. If businesses, or members of the public, have any information regarding smuggling, they can contact Revenue in confidence on Confidential Phone Number 1800 295 295.
More Wexford householders can now benefit from Irish Water’s free leak repair service following approval by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) to extend the scheme that helps reduce leakage and safeguard water supplies.
The First Fix scheme is a key element of the national Leakage Reduction Programme which is addressing the serious problem of leakage in Ireland’s water network. The scheme provides customers with support in identifying and fixing leaks. Irish Water offers a free leak investigation and, when a potential leak has been identified, a free repair to a leak detected on an external supply pipe on the customer’s property.
Since its introduction in 2015, the First Fix scheme has resulted in savings of 155 million litres of water every day, enough water to supply 450,000 homes a year. To date more than 87,000 investigations and 60,400 leak repairs have been completed. The changes approved by the CRU this week will open the scheme to customers who were not included in the original scope, including those without a water meter. As a consequence up to 600,000 more customers nationwide will now be able to benefit from the service.
Irish Water’s Customer Strategy and Capability Manager Geoffrey Bourke said; “We are making steady progress by replacing old water mains, fixing leaks and upgrading our water network as part of the Leakage Reduction Programme.”
Following the completion of the CRU review of the First Fix Free scheme, Irish Water will work with the Regulator and our delivery partners to implement the recommended changes, including; Unmetered domestic customers can now avail of the scheme.
Domestic customers with usage above 213,000 litres per annum will be prioritised for leak investigation under the First Fix Scheme; An Internal Stop Valve is no longer needed for a customer to be eligible; Some mixed-use customers will now be eligible; Properties with a shared service connection will now be eligible; and Customers no longer need to be registered with Irish Water to avail of the scheme.
Full details of the First Fix Free scheme can be found at www.water.ie. Customer care helpline is open 24/7 on 1850 278 278 and customers can also contact us on Twitter @IWCare with any queries.
Irish Water working with Wexford County Council partners, contractors and others to safeguard the health and well-being of both staff and the public and to ensure the continuity of critical drinking water and wastewater services. Irish Water would like to remind people to follow the HSE COVID-19 advice and ensure frequent handwashing.
Point-to-point action today (Sunday) took place at Fairyhouse where rider Luke Murphy and handler Denis Murphy each recorded a double.
DENIS MURPHY
Runwiththetide was the four lengths winner of the four-year-old mares race for the Monbeg Syndicate and Sean Doyle. A fifth winner of the season for rider Luke Murphy.
First time out Hidden Heroics won the four-year-old geldings maiden race for owner/handler Denis Murphy, The Ballagh, by two and a half lengths with Jamie Codd showing good form ahead of the Punchestown Festival this week. This was Denis Murphy’s 230th winner in his 15 years of training point-to-pointers.
Denis Murphy managed a double when Loughderg Rocco was best by 12 lengths in division one of the maiden race for five-year-old geldings. A double on the day for rider Luke Murphy.
WexfordLocal.com 