WexfordLocal.com

Wexford Covid-19 “a very serious concern”

By Dan Walsh

Following an extension of existing restrictions and additional measures announced by the government, HSE, Gardaí and Wexford County Council, in a joint special appeal issued today, are warning that “the Covid 19 incident rate in Co. Wexford in the first month of 2021 has been very worrying and remains a very serious concern.”

Director of the HSE’s South East Public Health Department. Dr. Carmel Mullaney, the Chief Officer of South East Community Healthcare Kate Killeen White. and General Manager of Wexford General Hospital Linda O’ Leary say the ongoing roll out of the Covid Vaccine and the slight reduction in figures evident this week provide some hope. However, they are anxious that older and vulnerable people are kept safe in the meantime, so that the Vaccine roll out has maximum effect and that the pandemic related demand on health services reduces to the benefit of other day to day services.

The Garda Chief Superintendent in Wexford Denis Ferry said the co-operation of the public to remain within their 5km zones was crucial in this respect. Whilst their members will continue to operate check points, the Chief Superintendent said the Gardaí echoed the appeals of the HSE and Wexford Council for people to take personal responsibility to avoid situations that are a risk to themselves, their family and their friends.

Cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council Cllr. Ger Carthy and Chief Executive Tom Enright agreed that a downturn in incidence of Covid-19 locally can be achieved through the continued determination of people to stay at home, to work from home where possible and to avoid meeting and socialising with others. It is imperative, the local authorities say, that everyone continues to strictly adhere to the public health advice to protect ourselves and our loved ones from this highly infectious disease.

In the current Level 5 of restrictions, everyone is being asked not just to adhere to the basics of prevention but also to stay at home – except for travel for work, education or to take exercise within 5kms of home.

The HSE, the Gardaí and Wexford County Council, in thanking the public for their efforts to date, are reminding everyone that individual actions do matter – including adherence to all the public health restrictions.

The three agencies are working hard to protect people with the aim in mind of getting to a better and safer place as a society and are urging people to continue taking precautions in relation to transmissions of Covid-19, to adhere to restrictions, and practice “the basics”:

Reduce your contacts with other people.

Wear a mask.

Keep your distance.

Wash your hands.

Ahare Bridge “a disaster waiting to happen”

By Dan Walsh

Regular flooding and local concerns that the Ahare Bridge could be washed away were raised again following last weekend’s heavy flooding which occurred in a Special Area of Conservation between Tara Hill and Castletown.

“A disaster waiting to happen,” Cllr Joe Sullivan, Cathaoirleach Gorey-Kilmuckridge Municipal District Council told WexfordLocal.com after the most recent episode which saw the road closed to traffic for several hours.

Cllr Diarmuid Devereux told WexfordLocal.com that the Ahare river flooding is occurring annually for years and is an ongoing risk to public safety. “The fact that no remedial action has been taken, even on a short-term basis, is very difficult to understand. However it’s rural Wexford thus does anyone really care?,” he pondered.

AHARE BRIDGE is closed to traffic following heavy flooding on Saturday

Cllr Devereux added that the river is also a valuable habitat for sea trout and various nesting birds and deserves better attention from national and local authorities.

Cllr Fionntán Ó Súilleabhain suggests “doing something to the road, such as raising it, and/or works at the river estuary, removing sediment from time to time which can build up,” and he claims that as the estuary is a Special Area of Conservation authorities are obliged to do it in an environmentally sensitive manner, if permitted at all.”

Speaking to WexfordLocal.com, Cllr Ó Súilleabhain added; “Afforestation along the nearby floodplain may also help, as trees soak up large quantities of water and help drain land on a long-term basis. I have requested an update from the coastal engineer. Funding needs to be found as quickly as possible before we have a tragedy on our hands. This has been running on for far too long.”

Former Minister of State for the Office of Public Works and Flood Relief, Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran T.D. paid an official visit to the Ahare River site in November 2019 to see for himself the issues that concerned the local community and its public representatives.

Cllr Joe Sullivan was elected as a representative in the formation of a working group who would progress the project. Now he finds himself pessimistic and told WexfordLocal.com “there appears to be no desire to do anything with it.”

The working group engaged with the Office of Public Works and was promised a survey to include a study into the condition of the bridge, the flood plain and environmental impact.

Findings of survey are expected to be made available in March 2021.

TV role for Boxwells of Butlerstown

By Dan Walsh

The 200-page hardback memoir, The Boxwells of Butlerstown Castle, a lineage of the Boxwell, Harvey, Skrine, Stokes and St Leger families, written by Helen Skrine, a Boxwell descendant, will be featured on Nationwide presented by Helen McInerney, on RTE 1 on Monday at 7pm.

The book is edited by Anna Skrine Brunton and set in Butlerstown House, near Tacumshane, in south-east Wexford and combines the experiences of 94-year-old Helen Skrine with her interpretation of Ireland and Irish history since the arrival of the Normans in Wexford in 1169.

Helen Skrine wrote the book over a period of 30 years. She tells in descriptive, colourful, and entertaining prose about her experiences, and the history of her famous family in the 1798 Rebellion, the War of Independence of 100 years ago, World War II, and the bleak 1950s living in a big house across the yard from the historic Butlerstown Castle on its 100-acre farm.

Maeve Davison of Bargy Castle, mother of singer-songwriter Chris de Burgh, Helen Skrine and Anna Skrine- Brunton, of ***The Boxwells of Butlerstown Castle*** book, and Francois Davison with Helen McInerney, presenter/ producer RTÉ ***Nationwide*** programme and Neilus Dennehy, cameraman, during filming Butlerstown Castle. (Pic; Michael Freeman).

The Boxwell story goes back in time to England of the 1600s and incorporates family relationships and connections with Bagenal Harvey of Bargy Castle, commander-in-chief of the rebels during the 1798 Rebellion in Wexford, and the legendary Oscar Wilde, whose mother was Jane Francesca Elgee from Wexford.

In more than 16 family trees dating back to the 1500s, she connects her direct family to Boxwells, Harveys, Skrines, St Legers, and more than 280 other names including Dr John Colclough of Ballyteigue Castle and Monk Gibbon. The extended families now stretch from Wexford to Ireland to England to Asia to South America and Australia.

Helen Skrine grew up in Butlerstown, spent two years in London with the BBC, and later many years in Malaysia where she lived with her late husband John Skrine, a lawyer. She started writing the manuscript about her family and her Wexford roots about 30 years ago. During the 1980s she was secretary and later president of the Wexford Historical Society for some years

Copies of The Boxwells of Butlerstown Castle, a lineage of the Boxwell, Harvey, Skrine, Stokes and St Leger families are on sale at Wexford town bookshops at €30 each, and directly from Anna Skrine-Brunton at Butlerstown, Tomhaggard, Co. Wexford, telephone 087 9803403 or email: annaskrine@hotmail.com.

Water levels fall in Gorey tonight

By Dan Walsh

Over 300 sandbags were deployed in Gorey today after the community woke up to serious flooding following a night of heavy rain which appeared to come as a shock to many. However, the town is clear tonight and fingers are crossed for a normal night without further heavy rain!

Cllr Andrew Bolger became aware of the flooding when he thought “a blocked drain” was sending water in the wrong direction, however, he soon realised it was “much more serious” and staff from Wexford County Council assisted by Gorey Fire Service were stretched to the limit all day, the main aim to prevent the flooding from impacting on family homes and business premises.

There were pockets of flooding across the town with the areas mainly affected being Ramsfort, Hunters Green, Garden City and Esmonde Street.

Water levels have fallen tonight.

AUDIO EXTRA; CLLR ANDREW BOLGER recalls today’s events in Gorey where heavy overnight rain caused flooding in many areas of the town and hinterland

**ARKLOW ROAD out of Gorey was closed for a time today after flooding under the railway bridge.**

Many rural areas of North Wexford were flooded too. The Ahare River was again in the news and the road from Tara Hill to Castletown was closed for several hours. Large tracts of land along the River Bann through Camolin and towards the River Slaney at Scarawalsh were submerged. Huge waves washed the seafront at Ballymoney, Courtown, Cahore and other areas of the Wexford coastline. Fortunately, there are no reports of injury or hardship to people or animals.

Heavy flooding in Gorey district

By Dan Walsh

Many areas of North Wexford, including parts of Gorey town are affected by heavy flooding and staff from Wexford County Council and Gorey Fire Service are involved in a number of clean-up operations.

A family home in Creagh Woods was badly flooded. The Arklow Road underneath the railway bridge and part of Esmonde Street were flooded. Heavy flooding was reported in the Ramsfort Park area. Torrents flowed from the stream running through Willow Park. Some of it gushing from a displaced manhole cover, and at once stage there were fears that a stone bridge at Garden City would be washed away.

Toss Byrne’s licensed premises at Inch is badly flooded. The Ahare River is in flood and the road from Tara Hill to Castletown is cut off. And reports too, of heavy flooding at Banntown, near Camolin.

Heavy flooding at Toss Byrne’s of Inch. Video courtesy of Thomas Clare.

The M11 was flooded between the Courtown exit and the Camolin exit, but has cleared and traffic is flowing normally again.

The Status Yellow Rainfall Warning which was issued on Friday for Wicklow and Wexford was in place until 3pm today.

Death of Ballycullane curate

By Dan Walsh

The death has taken place at Cherrygrove Nursing Home, Campile, New Ross, of Rev. Fr. James Cashman, (in his 90^th year) who was ordained at 55 years old and served 15 years as a curate in the Diocese of Ferns at Ballycullane and St. Leonard’s.

**REV. FR JAMES CASHMAN** (Pic; Diocese of Ferns)

Born in 1931 in the Cork village of Kilbrittain, near Bandon, Fr Cashman was a late vocation and was ordained at Waterford in 1986.

He served as curate in the Diocese of Ferns at Horeswood from 1986 to 1996 and at St. Leonard’s from 1996 to 2001. He was described locally as “a very private man.”

Beloved brother of the late Margaret McDonald and Theresa McSweeney. Deeply regretted by the Healy family, Granreigh, Kilbrittain and Mickie Hayes and family, The Village, Kilbrittain, nieces, nephews, Bishop Denis Brennan and his fellow priests of the Diocese of Ferns, relatives and a large circle of friends. May He Rest In Peace

Due to current HSE & Government guidelines, Fr. Cashman’s funeral will be private. The Funeral Mass will be livestreamed on Monday, February 1st at 12 noon.

Two new Covid-19 centres in Wexford

By Dan Walsh

Two Wexford-based Covid-19 Rapid Antigen Test Centres developed by the Department of Transport in response to new regulations from the French authorities for truck drivers heading to France have gone into operation this week.

Covid-19 Rapid Antigen Test Centre at Gorey Circle K, Ballyellin, Gorey (Pic; RTE)

Centres have opened at the Gorey Circle K Service Station at Ballyellin, on the M11 near Gorey, and another at Holmestown Waste Management Facility, near Larkin’s Cross, on the N25, a few miles from Wexford town. Both facilities will benefit hauliers using the ferry services at Rosslare Europort.

New regulations in France require all commercial drivers to produce evidence of a negative Covid-19 test on arrival in that country came into this week.

Truck drivers are advised to pre-book their tests online to avoid build-up at the centres and drivers can have their test within 72 hours of their journey to satisfy the French regulations.

Sunken boat salvage south of Duncannon

By Dan Walsh

Salvage operations to recover a sunken fishing vessel in the Waterford Estuary south of Duncannon Pier is taking place today. An exclusion zone of 500m is in force around the crane barge Lara 1 for the duration of the operation and all vessels must keep well clear of the operation and the main shipping channel is closed to all traffic until midnight.

**The vessel will be towed to Duncannon Pier**

When the recovery operation has been safely completed, the vessel will be towed into Duncannon Harbour where contractors will remove any remaining fish and fuel on-board before it is towed to the boatyard in New Ross, where it is due to be lifted on to land.

Aztec, a fishing vessel from west Cork, sunk near Duncannon, on January 11^th and all four fishermen on board were rescued by a Wexford registered fishing vessel that was operating nearby.

Every Wexford parish covered in book series

By Dan Walsh

Two new volumes of the publication On Our Own Ground: County Wexford Parish by Parish were virtually launched today via Microsoft Teams by Dr. Patrick Prendergast, Provost, Trinity College Dublin. It follows on from volume one launched in 2013, with the launch of volumes two and three delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions and abnormal activity interruptions.

Dr Prendergast spoke about his family connections with Raheenaskeagh, Oulart, and growing up with the townlands. “It is wonderful to have this piece of Wexford here in my hand and to read about the county and the beautiful photographs and to be reminded of the history and topography.” He described the volumes as “impeccably researched to satisfy the scholars and academics, but also succinct and entertaining enough to appeal to the wider public.” He congratulated everybody associated with the publication series.

Dr Ned Culleton, who is a native of Piercestown said; “My aim has been to publish material on the archaeology of Wexford in a manner that ordinary people can understand and to direct them to the sites that they can look at. I also decided that getting this material across to the ordinary people of Wexford was through the parish and the townland. People love their own parish and everything in it.”

CEO Wexford County Council Tom Enright said he has been in Wexford seven years and found volume one a fascinating insight to the history and tapestry in the form of the buildings and landscape of County Wexford and it highlights the fantastic history we have here in the county, and he is eagerly looking forward to enjoying volumes two and three with equal enthusiasm.

Cllr Garry Laffan, Leas-Cathaoirleach, Wexford County Council, welcomed the attendance of more than 80 people to the virtual launch of a series that defines the heritage of County Wexford ‘parish by parish’ and a lasting record of the heritage of the county. Cllr Laffan complemented all associated with the publication.

County Librarian, Eileen Morrissey, co-ordinated the launch and introduced the speakers. She also thanked them for their contribution.

This comprehensive three volume series, written and compiled by Dr Ned Culleton, with contributing editor Celestine Murphy, is a standout publication that details the built and natural heritage of County Wexford through the centuries. It is beautifully illustrated with colour photography, drawings and maps to compliment the detailed text.

On Our Own Ground provides researchers and local people with a record of the landscape, archaeological sites, industrial, commercial and domestic buildings, and other man-made objects that define the rich culture of the Wexford countryside. The books showcase the impact man has made on the landscape and his contribution to the heritage of our localities.

The parishes referenced in On Our Own Ground, are the modern Catholic parishes and parts of parishes that lie within the County Wexford boundary. As Dr Culleton notes in the introduction, the use of the Catholic parish unit, as a vehicle for conveying information, is based on practical considerations of useful geographic size, local familiarity with the landscape, and on community and sporting allegiances within each area – parish by parish, On Our Own Ground gives brief descriptions on all significant man-made and natural places of interest in the county. Within the parish, the townland, the smallest administrative territorial unit in the county, provides the most intimate connection between the landscape and its people. The townlands system is of Gaelic origin, many pre-dates the Norman invasion, although their number, boundaries and names have been considerably altered over time.

Within County Wexford there are forty-five parishes and seven parts of parishes from bordering counties, and almost 3,000 townlands. Volume two and three, complete the three-volume series.

VOLUME 1; Adamstown, Arklow (part of), Ballindaggin, Ballycullane, Ballygarrett, Ballymore, Bannow, Blackwater, Bree, Bunclody (part of), Camolin, Carnew (part of), Castletown (part of), Castlebridge, Clonard, Clonegal (part of), Clongeen, Cloughbawn, Craanford, Crossabeg, Cushinstown, Davidstown and Duncannon.

VOLUME 2; Enniscorthy St. Aidan’s, Enniscorthy St. Senan’s, Ferns, Glynn, Gorey, Horeswood, Kilanerin, Kilaveney (part of), Kilmore, Kilmuckridge, Kilrane, Kilrush, Marshalstown, Monageer and Newbawn.

VOLUME 3; New Ross, Oulart, Our Lady’s Island, Oylegate, Piercestown, Ramsgrange, Rathangan, Rathnure, Riverchapel, St. Mullins (part of), Taghmon, Tagoat, Templetown and Wexford town.

On Our Own Ground: County Wexford Parish by Parish, Volumes 1, 2 and 3 can be ordered online from selected bookshops and will be available soon from bookshops in County Wexford, price €30 each.

Wexford’s ‘Keep Well in Your Community’

By Dan Walsh

During the current Covid-19 restrictions neighbour awareness is more important than ever and so the Wexford Keep Well ‘Community Check In’ initiative is doing just that in an innovative and non-contact way with ‘Check in’ cards.

The postcard size cards provide details of the Wexford County Council Community Call helpline on one side, and a friendly message on the reverse. Cards have been distributed to Wexford PPN Member groups who conduct the local check-in activity.

The concept of the cards is that it is not intrusive to the vulnerable or isolated person, and gives them an invitation to connect, should they wish to do so – either with the local person who dropped the card, or with the Wexford County Council Community Call Helpline. PPN Members will only conduct ‘check ins’ within their own 5km radius.

Annette Dupuy, Healthy County Co-ordinator said; “We are delighted to be collaborating with Wexford PPN on this initiative. As a network with over 400 member groups across the county they will ensure a broad reach.”

Wexford PPN volunteer and current Wexford PPN Committee Member John Carr said many member groups had answered the call back in March when the Community Call was looking for support across communities. “We are delighted to answer the call once again by getting involved in this initiative”, he added.

Head of the Community Section at Wexford County Council, Paul L’Estrange, said; “This is just one of a number of ‘Keep Well‘ initiatives where the Community Section and other Departments at Wexford County Council are linking in with communities to support our citizens.”

The Keep Well campaign comes with thanks to Healthy Ireland an initiative of the Government of Ireland with funding from the Healthy Ireland Fund and the Sláintecare fund, delivered by Pobal.