WexfordLocal.com

Extension for Wexford Co. Council home loan scheme

By Dan Walsh

Wexford TD and Minister of State for Law Reform James Browne has confirmed to WexfordLocal.com that the mortgage payment break already in place for local authority home loan borrowers in County Wexford will be extended for those continuing to face difficulties due to the Covid-19 emergency.

Borrowers under Wexford County Council’s home loan scheme could already avail of two payment breaks totalling up to six months and borrowers who take up a third payment break will be contacted by their local authority during the payment break to assess their financial situation and discuss options if necessary.

Commenting the Minister said; “Due to the continuing economic uncertainty associated with COVID-19, many local authority home loan borrowers in Wexford continue to face difficulties in paying their mortgage or have very real fears that they will face repayment problems in the future.

“The simplified application process in place allows borrowers in distress to access a payment break quickly. Any local authority home loan borrower facing difficulties due to COVID-19 are urged to contact Wexford County Council as soon as possible to access the information that is available on the Wexford County Council website.

“Importantly, no additional costs to the original home loan balance arise for the borrower who avails of these measures, as borrowers are not charged interest for the period of the breaks,” concluded Minister Browne.

‘Healthy Wexford’ launch at Heritage Park

By Dan Walsh

Minister Frank Feighan, Minister of State with responsibility for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy attended the Irish National Heritage Park today to formally launch Healthy Wexford. The launch was streamed via an open access link to an online audience meaning all could attend virtually and included the launch of the Healthy Wexford County Plan 2020-2022.

The Vision for a Healthy Wexford is where everyone can enjoy physical and mental health and wellbeing to their full potential, where wellbeing is valued and supported at every level of society and is everyone’s responsibility.

Speaking at today’s launch Minister Feighan said; “At Healthy Ireland we want to ensure that everyone gets the opportunity to live a long, happy and healthy life. We want to empower every person to improve their own health and wellbeing, but to do that we need to support them to make healthy choices.”

**CLLR JOHN HEGARTY, Chairman Healthy County Committee (File Pic; Joseph Dixon)**

At the launch Cllr John Hegarty, Chair of the Healthy County Committee, highlighted Healthy Wexford as the structure that connects and highlights all of the great work that that is already happening, and encourages the partnerships and collaboration for future developments. “Healthy Wexford is about thinking and working differently and seeing health and wellbeing as a focus in all that we do,” concluded Cllr Hegarty.

Cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council, Cllr. Ger Carthy, highlighted that many of the determinants of health such as where we live, work, play, and age are outside of the direct influence of health and social services. However, the Local Authority touches the lives of our citizens in many of these areas each day. Therefore, Wexford County Council is uniquely placed to assist in delivering the vision for Healthy Wexford, in collaboration with agencies and communities across County Wexford.

To find out more about Healthy Wexford see https://www.wexfordcoco.ie/community/healthy-wexford

7,100 litres of cider seized at Rosslare Europort

By Dan Walsh

Revenue officers seized nearly 7,100 litres of cider following a search of a Northern Ireland registered truck that had disembarked a ferry from Fishguard last Friday evening.

The smuggled alcohol had an estimated retail value of almost €31,000 representing a potential loss to the Exchequer of €12,500.

Investigations are ongoing.

These seizures are part of Revenue’s ongoing operations targeting the supply and sale of illicit alcohol products in the shadow economy. If businesses, or members of the public, have any information, they can contact Revenue in confidence on Confidential Phone Number 1800 295 295.

Gorey’s Niall Kennedy KO’d in Round 3

By Dan Walsh

Niall Kennedy is still a world sporting hero in his native Gorey and is credited with doing his country proud despite a bruising end to his fight against Croatian Alen Babic tonight.

Kennedy was no match for his opponent and was on the floor twice before the referee called a halt to the gruelling contest in the third round.

Report on the fight by Richard Damerell of SKY SPORTS.

**ALEN BABIC and NIALL KENNEDY in action in tonight’s big fight which was viewed in Ireland on SKY SPORTS**

By Richard Damerell – SKY SPORTS

Last Updated: 04/10/20 9:47pm

Alen Babic blasted out Niall Kennedy in the third round as ‘The Savage’ continued his destructive progress as a heavyweight contender.

The Croatian was extended into the third round for the first time, but swiftly finished off Kennedy with an explosive assault to bring up his fifth straight knockout win.

Charging out from his corner, Babic unloaded a barrage of early hooks, and Kennedy had to withstand clubbing shots in the opening round.

Kennedy wilted to the canvas in the second, with the referee ruling out a knockdown, but Babic continued to hammer away with brutal punches from both hands.

A short, savage hook sent Kennedy toppling to the floor in the third and Babic ruthlessly followed up with more sustained shots to force the referee’s intervention.

Barry O’Neill rides his 600th winner

By Dan Walsh

Barry O’Neill left wet and soggy Castletown-Geoghegan this evening with a career tally of 601 winners following a treble this afternoon. The four-time reigning champion point-to-point rider is leading the 2020-21 championship with 10 winners so far.

**BARRY O’NEILL… rode his 600th point-to-point winner**

It was Paul Nolan’s first timer Fire Love who gave O’Neill his milestone 600^th victory by half a length in the maiden race for five and six-year-old mares. Nolan has few point-to-point runners these days as he concentrates on the track, but it was at the Toberona House Stables, near Enniscorthy, that O’Neill started out!

O’Neill’s opening winner at the Westmeath track was in division one of the maiden races for four-year olds on Grady Hollow in the colours of Maria Kavanagh, Arklow, and trained at Kiltealy by champion handler Colin Bowe. The winner got home by six lengths in testing conditions with only two finishers.

Barry O’Neill has enjoyed a long and successful partnership with Fermanagh handler David Christie, and they shared O’Neill’s third victory of the afternoon when Handy Headon come home ten lengths to the good in the Winner of Two race.

Fireworks seized at house in Gorey

One person has been arrested after a large quantity of fireworks, cash, watches and tobacco was seized at a house in Gorey town last night.

The search was conducted under warrant as part of Operation Tombola.

Gardai are advising the public “Please do not purchase fireworks from illegal unregulated sources. Serious injury may occur with life changing consequences.”

Please contact your local Garda Station if you have any information on the illegal sale of fireworks or call the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666111.

Contaminated horse feeds rule out Aidan O’Brien’s Arc runners

By Dan Walsh

World champion trainer and Wexford-man Aidan O’Brien has ruled out his four intended runners in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp today (Sunday) after it was revealed on Friday that various batches of GAIN horse feeds, which O’Brien uses, had been found to be contaminated with a prohibited substance.

A Tweet on the official account of O’Brien’s Ballydoyle yard at 9.20pm last night, read: “Unfortunately the results of the urine samples taken from the horses yesterday have come back positive from the French laboratory.

**CHAMPION TRAINER AIDAN O’BRIEN (Pic; Ballydoyle Facebook Page)**

“There is a possibility that the contaminant may have left their racing by the time of racing tomorrow, however, we have no guarantee of this and in order to protect the integrity of racing we have decided to withdraw all our horses from racing tomorrow.

“Joseph and Donnacha O’Brien will do likewise.”

WexfordLocal.com became aware of difficulties for several local yards using Gain horse feeds and, as a consequence, many runners were taken out of race meetings and point-to-points in recent days.

GAIN Equine Nutrition had issued a statement on Thursday advising trainers to refrain from feeding horses its equine products, including its widely used cubes and mix, after it emerged some of its products have been contaminated with Zilpaterol.

That substance is unlicensed in Europe but is used in America and elsewhere to promote weight gain, mainly in cattle. The advisory came about after France Galop announced five horses had tested positive for Zilpaterol in recent weeks.

GAIN Equine is working closely with all appropriate agencies, including the Irish Department of Agriculture, to fully investigate the source of the contamination and says it will provide a more detailed update once more information is available.

Martin Ryan, Head of GAIN Equine, said: “We apologise sincerely to our valued customers for the inconvenience caused by this incident and we are committed to promptly keeping you fully informed. A thorough investigation and trace back of all feed ingredient sources is underway as a matter of urgency to determine how this external contaminant could have found its way into some batches of our equine product.”

GAIN Equine Nutrition is the equine feed brand of Glanbia and is located at Clonroche Mill, near Enniscorthy.

Colin Bowe double in first two races

By Dan Walsh

Colin Bowe continued his good new season point-to-point form at Toomebridge, Co. Antrim today (Saturday) with a double in the opening two races with two newcomers – Branson Missouri in the mares maiden race for four year olds and Jungle Jack in the maiden race for four year old geldings.

COLIN BOWE… champion handler had a double today Pic; Horse Racing Ireland

Branson Missouri in the colours of Leo McArdle gained advantage after the first past the post was disqualified for taking the wrong course and was awarded first prize with five lengths to spare under Caim rider Jordan Gainford.

It was a tight affair with the Milestone Bloodstock Ltd’s Jungle Jack getting the nod by half a length to give Bowe a double on the day and his sixth success of the season with Barry O’Neill in control.

Donnchadh Doyle and the Monbeg Syndicate were victorious in the maiden race for six year old geldings with Figaro Des Bordes who had an easy twenty lengths success under James Walsh, Tinahely, who is enjoyed a brilliant start to the 2020-’21 season.

Only a head separated the first two over the line in the maiden race for ‘older’ maidens but the verdict favoured First Revolution for the Monbeg Partnership, trained at Ballindaggin by Sean Doyle and Jamie Scallan, Tomhaggard, was in the saddle.

County Wexford must stay at Level 2

A call for positive action and changes to behaviour remain essential to ensuring that hospital and community healthcare services locally are enabled to deal with demands, that the optimum levels of living safely alongside the threat of the virus are sustained and that County Wexford stays at Level 2 of the public restrictions in place in Ireland.

The Chair of the South East Regional Steering Group for Major Emergency Management (comprising the three principal response agencies: An Garda Siochana, the HSE and the Local Authorities) and Chief Officer of HSE/South East Community Healthcare Kate Killeen White, joined by Specialist in Public Health Medicine and Director of the HSE’s South East Public Health Dept. Dr Carmel Mullaney and The General Manager of Wexford General Hospital Linda O’Leary are reminding the public to:

Wash your hands well and often
Cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing
Limit contact with others and maintain physical distancing
Wear a face mask or covering where appropriate.

When such actions are taken, the HSE says, doing so not only prevents the transmission of the virus but also protects older and vulnerable people and healthcare workers.

The Cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council, Cllr. Ger Carthy and the Chief Executive Tom Enright are also urging people not to allow everyone’s hard work to date in 2020 to be undermined and are re-iterating that individual actions do matter and that if those in County Wexford live by the advice being given, that schools can be kept open and other points reached on Ireland’s roadmap to recovery be maintained.

The Garda Chief Superintendent in Wexford Denis Ferry points to what has been evident to date in 2020: the country moving from a short-term emergency response approach to a medium-term one, to manage risk and repair the damage that COVID-19 has inflicted on society. Chief Superintendent Ferry concludes the joint message by reminding everyone that we are at a critical point in tackling the spread of COVID-19 and people in Wexford must take personal responsibility to avoid situations that are a risk to themselves, their family and their friends.

Kennedy fight on Sunday Sky Sports

By Dan Walsh

Niall Kennedy, the heavyweight from Willow Park, Gorey, who also works as a full-time Garda in Wicklow town, has had an eventful career since turning professional. Fighting under the Murphys Boxing Promotion, Kennedy, (36), has made a big name for himself Stateside and won state titles in Massachusetts and New England in 2017.

**NIALL KENNEDY from Gorey (Pic; Joseph Dixon)**

On Sunday, Kennedy is set to fight live on Sky Sports for the first time, as he takes on up-and-coming Croatian fighter Alen Babic in an Eddie Hearn Matchroom card.

Niall Kennedy said; “For everyone at home it’s brilliant, not having to wait until three of four o’clock in the morning, I reckon I’ll be in the ring before 8pm. It’s massive that the fight will be shown live on Sky Sports, it’s easier for people to see and it’s a massive platform for me as well.”

Kennedy’s opponent has created quite a stir so far, in four professional fights the 29-year-old has four knockouts to his name, all within two rounds.

Kennedy’s record is even more impressive though, he has 13 wins, one draw and one loss to his name. The loss came in his last bout as he suffered a back injury in the bout against former US Olympian Devin Vargas.