Growth in camper van tourism

By Dan Walsh

Due to the Covid-19 restrictions that included a summer ban on overseas holiday travel there was a notable upsurge in camper van and motor-home related tourism, especially around the coastal areas of County Wexford, and consequently, the need for parking facilities was discussed at the September meeting of Wexford County Council held under Covid-19 government guidelines at Riverside Park Hotel, Enniscorthy.

Cllr Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin made reference to the huge growth witnessed this year in camper van and motor-home related tourism and he outlined the benefits this form of tourism could bring to an area and he pointed out that it was a central part of the tourism infrastructure in many counties as well as being  a generator of revenue for local authorities.

Under a Notice of Motion, Cllr Ó Súilleabháin called on the Council to identify sites in County Wexford to develop motor-home/camper van parks. He felt it could attract many visitors from the UK and the continental market and it would tie in very nicely with Ireland’s Ancient East and he felt it could complement tourism trends in Wexford.

Cllr Jim Codd said Cllr Ó Súillleabháin’s idea was very good but it would make it very difficult for caravan parks that were already established if the Council comes along and establishes other ones.

TOM ENRIGHT, CEO, Wexford County Council

CEO Tom Enright felt it was not a market that the Council should be stepping into. “What we can do is if communities or local people want to develop these facilities we (the Council) should encourage them through the planning process and financially as well to provide the basic infrastructure that is needed to provide and identify sites.”

“A lot of mobile home parks and caravan parks in the county have facilities for people to come along to erect tents and park motor-homes overnight,” added Mr Enright who questioned the need for the local authority to compete with that market.

With a slight amendment, agreed by the proposer, the motion was seconded by Cllr Codd and was passed by the members. The same motion from Cllr Ó Súilleabháin was on the following day’s agenda for the Gorey-Kilmuckridge Municipal District Council meeting, but because it had already been discussed at the County Council meeting, and a decision was agreed there, it was withdrawn.

Powerless speedboat towed to Cahore

Cahore Inshore Rescue Service were launched by Dublin Coastguard on Monday to assist a speedboat that had lost power off Glascarrig.

CAHORE LIFEBOAT (File Pic)

When located the stricken vessel was drifting towards the button rocks. However, everybody was safe, and the vessel was brought under tow to Cahore Pier.

The lifeboat members were helmsman Dave Kavanagh and crew Conor Burke and Sarah Horgan.

Remember, if you see something in the water please call 112 or 999.

Colour code conundrum at bottle bank!

By Dan Walsh at Gorey-Kilmuckridge District Council meeting

“There’s a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one
And they’re all made out of ticky-tacky
And they all look just the same”

A line from the song Little Boxes written and performed by Malvina Reynolds in 1962 and recorded by many well-known performers including Pete Seegar.

This line of bins at Courtown Car Park looked reasonably tidy and clean on Tuesday evening.

Any segment of light discourse during the battle with Covid-19 is welcome and the ticky-tacky words of Little Boxes sprang to mind during Tuesday’s three-hour meeting of Gorey-Kilmuckridge Municipal District Council held in Gorey Courthouse to comply with Covid 19 regulations during a discussion on litter and waste disposal.

Cllr Diarmuid Devereux told the meeting that he visited Courtown the weekend and he described “a place disgraced with rubbish.” He wondered if it had been cleaned on Saturday and Sunday?

Cllr Andrew Bolger also noted that the Courtown bins were “overflowing” and he made a ‘phantom’ query about ‘special bins that were wider at the top and easier to empty!”

Wexford County Council Environmental Officer Cliona Connolly was ‘present’ from County Hall, and she was performing admirably via video link up to this point and then she lost her understanding and worse was yet to come!

Cllr Donal Kenny referred to full bottle banks and their subsequent collection. He noted that when people come to the bottle bank and they have a bag of ‘clear’ bottles and the ‘clear’ bottle bank is full, they frequently leave their bottles on the ground, rather than putting them into the facility besides labelled ‘green’, ‘brown’ etc. This is frowned upon by the authorities and is regarded as littering – take your waste home with you is the slogan!

Then Cllr Kenny asked if all the colour codes at the bottle banks are collected in the same lorry?…and if that is the case…what is the problem with placing ‘clear’ bottles in the ‘green or brown’ banks if the ‘clear’ is full up and overflowing? Rather than leaving them on the ground?

Cllr Anthony Donohoe was of the opinion that the bottles were all transported in the same lorry and the different colours were separated at the recycling plant.  Cllr Willie Kavanagh felt that the system in Oylegate meant that each colour was transported separately from the bottle bank location.

Meanwhile, heads are coming together at Wexford County Council and watch this space as colour coding for bottles could be returned to the Council agenda anytime soon!

€100,000 worth of cannabis in Gorey

Gardaí have arrested a man and a woman and seized €100,000 worth of suspected cannabis after stopping a car at a checkpoint in Gorey last night.

At approximately 9pm, Gardaí in Gorey stopped a vehicle and detected a smell of cannabis. The car was searched as a result and Gardaí discovered €100,000 worth of cannabis (pending analysis).
A male in his 30s and female in her 20s were arrested and taken to Enniscorthy Garda Station. They are currently detained under section 2 of Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996. They can be detained for up to seven days. Investigations are ongoing.

In Gorey…the bus stops here!

By Dan Walsh

On a previous occasion when it was suggested that the bus stop on the Main Street be moved to the Gorey railway station car park the town’s business community were having none of it…but could it become a reality this time around?

Concerns were raised on the matter at today’s monthly meeting of the Gorey-Kilmuckridge Municipal District Council held under Covid-19 government guidelines in Gorey Courthouse. Cathaoirleach Cllr Joe Sullivan was in the chair.

No great traffic issues at Gorey bus stop (south) this evening at 6.30pm .

Cllr Diarmuid Devereux recalled a situation recently where ‘three sets of blue lights’ – a reference to the emergency services – attended an ugly scene at the Main Street bus stop where an obstreperous passenger alighted from a bus and created a major public social disturbance.

Cllr Devereux floated the concept of moving the bus stop (which is on either side of the Main Street – north and south bound) to stem this kind of behaviour and he also referred to traffic congestion when buses were in picking up and setting down passengers. “A million-euro car park at the railway station is never used,” he concluded.

Cllr Anthony Donohoe suggested that the bus stop be removed to the railway station car park and all the transport needs could operate from there.

Cllr Andrew Bolger echoed the sentiments of local newsagents and coffee shops who were opposed to the bus stop being moved.

Cllr Donal Kenny was opposed to such a move. “Maybe the bus stops could be staggered to improve the flow of traffic on the Main Street, but I wouldn’t be in favour of moving the buses.” he added.

Cllr Fionntán Ó Suilleabháin strongly emphasised the need for proper policing of anti-social behaviour at the bus stop rather than merely moving the buses.

Cllr Mary Farrell also opposed the move and asked that consideration be given to the elderly and wheelchair users who need easy access to the Main Street.

Cllr Pip Breen said he would be ‘very slow’ to support an attempt to move the buses because of anti-social behaviour. “The elderly needs our support and the anti-social elements should be dealt with,” he concluded.

Director of Services Amanda Byrne said the notion of moving the bus stop was tried before and the businesses on the Main Street were not in favour. She wondered if such a move was necessary due to anti-social behaviour and “people falling off the bus” at the existing stop?

District Manager Michael Drea said that due to Covid-19 bus stops should be conducive to social distancing and he also noted pedestrians were passing up and down and he suggested that maybe a case study might yield some answers.

Drugs valued at €25,000 seized in Enniscorthy

A 43-year-old South African man has appeared before a sitting of Wexford District Court after he was arrested yesterday and charged under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1997/1984 at Enniscorthy Garda Station where he was detained for questioning.

As part of an intelligence led operation, Revenue officers seized approximately 500g of clephedrone with an estimated value of €25,000, following a search, under warrant, of a premises in the Enniscorthy area.

The joint operation was conducted by Revenue’s Custom Service, the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau and the Enniscorthy Detective and Divisional Drugs Units.

Investigations are ongoing.

This operation was part of ongoing joint investigations targeting organised crime groups. If businesses or members of the public have any information regarding drug smuggling, they can contact Revenue in confidence on Confidential Phone Number 1800 295 295.

€377,000 for 27 empty housing units

By Dan Walsh

Wexford County Council is to receive funding of €377,000 for the refurbishment and repair of 27 empty housing units following an announcement by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD of €40 million for the refurbishment of local authority void housing units.

VERONA MURPHY TD

Speaking from New Ross this morning, Wexford Independent TD, Verona Murphy told WexfordLocal.com; “The refurbishment and re-letting of 27 void properties in County Wexford is vitally important and it has been made clear by the Department of Housing that these works are to be carried out immediately with the units allocated by the end of this year”

The Deputy added; “Applications are categorised into three funding streams; standard voids at an average cost of approximately €11,500, homeless voids at an average cost of €17,300 and long-term voids at an average cost of €47,000, Wexford has received funding for 22 standard voids and five long term voids.”

Nationally 2,398 applications from Local Authorities across Ireland have been approved at a cost of €39.8 million, with further applications anticipated.

Poor Broadband areas need priority; Cllr McDonald

By Dan Walsh

Working from home and the poor performance of Broadband in rural areas of Co. Wexford was a topical discussion at the September meeting of Wexford County Council that took place yesterday (Monday) under Covid-19 government guidelines at the Riverside Park Hotel, Enniscorthy. Cllr Ger Carthy, Cathaoirleach, was in the chair for the two-hour session.

CLLR LISA McDONALD told the monthly meeting of Wexford County Council about the need to prioritise Broadband roll out in rural areas.

Cllr Lisa McDonald made a call for a variation in the National Broadband in rural Ireland and place areas that have poor Broadband first before the larger towns due to the challenges in working from home for those with poor connectivity to break down the digital divide. “There is perfectly good Broadband in the towns, I know myself, but I have to come in from Murrintown to (Wexford) town if I want to send a big document. The reality work from home…doesn’t work five miles outside Wexford town,” she told members.

Cllr Pat Barden said at a previous meeting that it could take three years for Broadband to be rolled out in Adamstown. “We can’t wait that long. We need to prioritise rural Ireland to roll out Broadband. The present Broadband is not going to bring any industry,” insisted Cllr McDonald, and Cllr Cathal Byrne seconded the motion which received cross-party support.

Cllr Byrne noted the situation in his parish where Broadband “comes down a hill and it comes up a hill and it doesn’t meet in the middle and we are told we won’t have it until 2026!”

Cllr Barbara-Anne Murphy lamented the lack of commercial quality Broadband on the Templeshannon side of the town and businesses trying to set up there are being told that it cost them ‘ten grand’ per year for the privilege.

Cllr George Lawlor referred to Covid-19 and work patterns and he called for a taskforce to examine the best way for County Wexford to exploit the possibilities for remote working from home for the benefit of remote workers across the county.

Traffic delays at Ferns roundabout

By Dan Walsh

Irish Water working in partnership with Wexford County Council are attending to emergency works to the damaged sewer on the R772 at Ferns Village Roundabout where work will continue until Wednesday, September 16th, 9.30am to 6.30pm.

The public are informed that significant traffic delays is likely so motorists are advised to plan their trip accordingly. 

These essential works are necessary to construct a foul sewer manhole that requires an excavation of approximately 3.5 metres on clay main sewer. This is to accommodate the repair/replacement of the damaged 150 diameter sewer due to the damaged that was caused to the existing sewer.

Irish Water apologises for the inconvenience caused by these essential works. Customer queries should be directed to 1850 278 278 or @IWCare. 

Medals for two Courtown stalwarts

By Dan Walsh

Two dedicated volunteers with Courtown RNLI who each gave 30 years’ service have received official recognition and honoured with long service medals by the RNLI.

Sam Kennedy and Rose Murphy were surprised when the postman delivered the medals, but both were delighted, and when the Covid-19 restrictions allow, an official presentation ceremony is planned.

ROSE MURPHY and SAM KENNEDY are honoured with long service medals for their dedication to Courtown RNLI branch.

Both Sam and Rose were with the Courtown Inshore originally as committee members and crew. When Courtown Inshore was re-established as Courtown RNLI, they readily continued to give their time and service.

Rose Murphy who has always been a stalwart and friendly face behind the counter of Courtown RNLI charity shop, has also held roles such as PRO and Secretary. She recalls the pride and joy when the new lifeboat house was opened in 1992. “Ireland’s Olympic gold champion Ronnie Delaney was one of the people who helped with the official launch, and it was a super day for Courtown RNLI”

Sam Kennedy has been Lifeboat Operations Manager, since 1997, having been a senior Helm on crew prior to this. He remembers a notable rescue in the late 1990s. “I will never forget the rescue of a small boy who had drifted offshore on an inflatable, by the time we got to him he was barely hanging on and was beginning to lose grip due to the cold, the sheer joy and relief on his mother’s face will stay with me forever.”