WexfordLocal.com

Tributes have been paid to Pat Collins who retired from Wexford County Council after 42 years’ service and served the last six years as County Secretary.

A native of Wexford town, Pat served with Wexford County Council in many departments from 1978, joined the Wexford Corporation as Borough Accountant in 1995, became Town Clerk in 2002, and was elevated to the role of County Secretary in 2014. He was also a popular figure in the role of Returning Officer for elections over many years.

Chief Executive Officer Tom Enright and other members of the management and staff paid tribute to their loyal and popular colleague on his final day (Friday, June 26^th) in a pleasant and fitting farewell moderated by social distancing in line with government guidelines for Covid-19.

Dan Walsh

I always liked a visit to Cahore. It was always one of my favourite places, although I miss the closed doors of Cahore Castle where once we ate, drank, danced and lost our way home in a fun way on so many occasions, although The Strand Bar still retains some vestiges of the traditional hospitality.

The sea was choppy today and could be observed eating away at the beach which is receding into the car park. Climate change in action and a contributory factor to coastal erosion which is no stranger in this part of the south-east.

The beautiful and visitor friendly Wexford coastline is 250kms long and 90% consists of sandy soil which is easy fodder for storm and tempest that takes its share with each passing year.

We hear about the ‘lost’ beach at Courtown where it was found necessary to place rock armour, just south at Donaghmore a house tumbled into the sea after the garden disappeared. More reports from Kilpatrick, in the Castletown district in the north of the county, the constant erosion over many years at Ballyconnigar, just a few kilometres from Blackwater village, has been well documented, there are problems at Rosslare, and only last year a roadway disappeared from the landscape near Kilmore Quay.

Storm Ophelia is regarded as the worst storm to affect Ireland in 50 years when it made landfall over Ireland on October 16th 2017 with wind speeds of up to 115km/h recorded at Johnstown Castle weather station. The storm caused major power outages, lifted roofs, felled countless trees and caused coastal flooding in Ireland, and sadly, the tragic loss of three lives was also attributed to Storm Ophelia.

Major storms contribute hugely to coastal decimation and living with climate change into the future augurs negatively against the situation getting the better of the occasional angry waves of the sea driven by an intense breeze onto the exposed eastern coastline.

The estimated cost of coastal protection is between €2,000 and €3,000 per metre!

Senior Engineer with Wexford County Council Gerry Forde said that it is a difficult situation to combat but the emphasis is on protecting the towns, villages, public roads and places where people live. The best defence appears to be the rock armour that reinforces much of the coastline, but even so, in some places, this mechanism sometimes fails, and the erosion can is seen to reappear behind the defence lines.

By Dan Walsh

Huge concerns are simmering across south Wexford as Wexford County Council commenced a  public consultation process on the proposed N11/N25 Oylegate to Rosslare Harbour Scheme that has been extended until August 3rd and offers an opportunity for members of the public to voice their opinions and to contribute to the overall development of the project.

Various debates have been aired on local radio with most concerns been fuelled by the option of eight potential routes under consideration for the new motorway and no announcement yet of the preferred route.

A public meeting is planned for Glynn Community Centre this Thursday night at 7.30 pm and the public are invited to attend in social distancing to raise their concerns and objections and a document will be submitted to Wexford County Council. Local Cllr Garry Laffan, Vice-Chairman of Wexford County Council, is representing the concerned parties in this area on the western side of the River Slaney.

Another public meeting is planned for Piercestown Community Centre on Monday, July 13th at 7.30 pm where concerns for people living in that community affected by the motorway plans will be addressed. Social distancing will apply but it is hoped to have representatives from as many households as possible.

Speaking at the recent meeting of Wexford County Council, incoming Chairman Cllr Ger Carthy said; “This is almost 21 years going on. We need to know if this is going ahead and we need a date for when the route will be chosen.”

Cllr Lisa McDonald had concerns about residents living close to the identified routes. “In 2004 a preferred route was chosen and a number of houses in the preferred corridor were essentially sterilised. The owners can’t sell them,” she stated.

Cllr Jim Moore said; “if we don’t start here now, we’ll be back here again in ten years’ time having the same discussion.”

Director of Service at Wexford County Council, Eamonn Hore, said, “Rosslare Europort has become increasingly busy over the last few years, resulting in increased pressure on the infrastructure serving the Port and communities across south Wexford. This scheme aims to address this by upgrading the transport corridor from the current M11 motorway to Rosslare Harbour, resulting in safer, easier access.”

“We want to hear the views of the public with regards to the proposed scheme options. With the current restrictions on large gatherings in place due to Covid-19, we cannot hold an information session, as we would during normal times. However, the public will be able to express their views and have direct contact with the project team via phone conversations, as well as on-line and email services” he concluded.