Riverchapel Community Complex update

By Dan Walsh at Gorey Kilmuckridge Municipal District Council

At the December meeting of Gorey Kilmuckridge Municipal District Council it was reported that following a meeting on the site of the proposed Riverchapel Community Complex with the appointed design team last summer further discussions have taken place regarding the final design and costs which have increased since funding was approved.

It was reported that several meetings have involved the architects in Special Projects and the District Manager.

Artists impression of Riverchapel Community Complex, April 2024. (WexfordLocal.com)

A meeting has been arranged by relevant stakeholders for the project in early January 2026 to move the project forward.

In other news from this part of North Wexford, a new Creative Ireland project for 2026 will see a socially engaged artist and creative aim to create a sense of cohesion between the communities of Courtown and Riverchapel.

Running from February to October 2026, the community art project will build on already established links between the two villages, working with a range of local community groups, including the Town First Team.

The project will support the consolidation of the town centres, helping the communities to find ways to meaningful connect trough creative activity.

Taking a community-based approach, the project will celebrate relationships and togetherness and reimagine the identities of the once separated villages as one.

An open call for the artist/creative has issued with a deadline of January 4th 2026.

Rescue 117 lands at Craanford

By Dan Walsh

This morning, St. Stephen’s Day, helicopter Rescue 117 touched down at the Craanford GAA Club pitch to help transfer a patient to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin.

At 11.53am the Courtown/Arklow Coast Guard Unit were tasked to assist with a medical transfer where they secured and prepared the landing zone on the adjoining pitch in a multi-agency incident involving, Courtown/Arklow Coast Guard, the National Ambulance service and Rescue 117.

Remember if you see someone in difficulty on or near the water dial 112 or 999 and ask for the Coast Guard.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS 2025 to all

This is a modern depiction of Christmas appearing in the Dick Joynt Memorial Garden in Bree village. Dick Joynt (1938-2003) was a renowned sculpture artist. (Pic;WexfordLocal.com)

WexfordLocal.com wishes all our loyal readers and followers a HAPPY CHRISTMAS 2025. We are your e-newsroom smartly covering local news, sport and events that matter across Co. Wexford since June 2020.

WexfordLocal.com is independently produced and edited and is free from advertising compromise or commercial distractions. We give you the verified news as it is happening with the co-operation of official news sources.

WexfordLocal.com is your first source for all the breaking news and coverage of local events as they happen in the community where you work, rest or celebrate.

WexfordLocal.com wishes to thank everybody who have co-operated in generating news stories, those who generously share their press releases, the photographers, and those thoughtful supporters who always send us in the right direction to cover a breaking story, and, of course without readers there would be no point in keeping the local news and events on the front page!

Our loyal readers are ‘gold dust’ in the survival of the evolving media industry. Thank you all sincerely.

Quality production is an important ingredient, and we applaud our universal publisher WordPress for the high standard of production and technical support always provided.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS 2025 to readers and followers everywhere.

Regards. 

Dan Walsh, member of National Union of Journalists, Managing Editor, WexfordLocal.com. 

Always available by email at WexfordLocal@gmail.com

€3.7m cocaine seized at Rosslare Europort

ROSSLARE EUROPORT (File Pic; WexfordLocal.com)

By Dan Walsh

Revenue officers seized approximately 53.5 kg of suspected cocaine with an estimated value of €3,747,765 at Rosslare Europort.

The illicit drugs were discovered when an accompanied freight unit that had disembarked a ferry from France was stopped.  The subsequent search, with the assistance of Revenue’s mobile x-ray scanner and detector dog Dáithí, led to the discovery of the drugs concealed within the exhaust system.

A man in his 40s was arrested by An Garda Síochána and is currently detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996 at a Garda Station in the South East. Investigations are ongoing.

This seizure is part of Revenue’s ongoing operations targeting the importation of illegal drugs. If businesses, or members of the public, have any information regarding smuggling, they can contact Revenue in confidence on 1800 295 295.

Wexford town Boil Water Notice lifted

By Dan Walsh

The Boil Water Notice for Uisce Éireann customers in Wexford town, supplied by the Newtown Water Treatment Plant, has been lifted with immediate effect.  

Uisce Éireann confirmed today (Tuesday) that, following consultation with the Health Service Executive, customers on this supply can now resume normal use of their water supply.  

This follows consistent satisfactory sampling results.  

The Boil Water Notice was issued on December 19th to protect the health of approximately 22,000 customers following untreated raw water entering the supply. 

Drinking water experts from Uisce Éireann worked hard to lift the notice for impacted customers as quickly and as safely as possible.  

Uisce Éireann’s Padraig Lyng acknowledged the impact of the notice on the community.  “Uisce Éireann regrets the inconvenience that the Boil Water Notice had on customers in Wexford Town. I would like to thank them for their patience and support while our drinking water experts worked to lift it as quickly as it was safe to do so.  

“I also thank the local political representatives and the media for their assistance in sharing the information during the period of this notice”, added Mr Lyng. 

Motorcyclist injured at Killurin

By Dan Walsh

A man in his 20s is in critical condition after a serious collision involving a car and a motorcycle happened at around 11.45pm last night (Monday) on the R730 at Killurin near Glynn.

The motorcyclist was taken to Wexford General Hospital for treatment and has since been transferred to Beaumont Hospital, where he remains in a critical condition.

No other injuries were reported.

Gardaí are appealing for anyone with dashcam or information to contact them at Wexford Garda Station (053 9165200), the Garda Confidential number 1800 666 111 or any garda station.

Funds for historic Castlebridge House

By Dan Walsh

CLLR ROBBIE STAPLES

Castlebridge has received €300,000 under the 2025 Towns and Village Renewal Scheme to transform the gardens of historic Castlebridge House, birthplace of the Guinness Book of Records.

The news was welcomed on behalf of the community and Wexford County Council by Cllr Robbie Staples, Chair of the Castlebridge Town Centre First team. “It will restore the area for inspiring outdoor events and performance space and pocket park, swing benches and pagodas and biodiversity area, and hopefully, some features relating back to the Guinness Book of Records set in the grounds of this landmark building,” concluded Cllr Staples

€300,000 Christmas Cracker for Ballyhogue

By Dan Walsh in Ballyhogue

Bill Walsh, Cllr Trish Byrne, John V. Carr and Claire Lawless, Eniscorthy District Manager outside the old Ballyhogue Stores which faces redevlopment. (File Pic; WexfordLocal.com)

Ballyhogue Development Group Secretary, John V. Carr, announced earlier today via social media that positive developments have arrived ahead of Christmas in Ballyhogue.

“Wexford County Council in conjunction with Ballyhogue Development Group have received €300,000 under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme to transform the old shop/post office into a Community Hub!”, stated Mr. Carr.

The project was initially proposed in 2023, with a public consultation conducted at Ballyhogue National School last June.

The submission was for the delivery of a multi-purpose Community Hub with training facilities, social enterprises and community garden to address an urgent deficit in multi-use community/enterprise facilities in Ballyhogue through converting a vacant shop/post-office.

Wexford County Council acquired the former Ballyhogue Post Office and shop, and a grant application for ‘Ballyhogue Stores’ under the Town & Village Renewal Scheme 2025 was prepared and submitted.

The annual general meeting of Ballyhogue Development Group will be held in the coming weeks where today’s announcement will be welcomed and progressed.

“We are all looking forward to a new future for our little village of Ballyhogue,” concluded Mr Carr.

Two injured in Camolin crash

By Dan Walsh

Two people have been removed to hospitals in Dublin and Wexford following a serious road traffic collision near Camolin this evening (Sunday).

A female passenger in her 60s was brought to St Vincent’s Hospital for treatment of serious injuries.

A driver, aged in his 40s, was brought to Wexford General Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

The collision involving two cars occurred on the R772 at Ballinclare shortly after 5 o’clock and emergency services were quickly on the scene.

Gardaí have confirmed in the last hour that the road is closed and local diversions are in place and this arrangement will remain overnight.

Motorists are advised to avoid the area and use alternative routes.

Anyone with dashcam footage are asked to please contact Gorey Garda Station on 053 9430690.

Enniscorthy district festival funding 2026

By Dan Walsh at Enniscorthy Municipal District Council meeting

The annual festival funding allocation agreed for Enniscorthy district for next year remains at the 2025 figure of €106,000, it was revealed at the December meeting of Enniscorthy Municipal District Council held in the Presentation Centre Chamber.

Enniscorthy’s main festival is the annual Rockin’ Food & Fruit Festival.

Topping the list is the Rockin’ Food and Fruit Festival at €40,000, followed closely by the Enniscorthy Christmas promotion at €35,000.

The Festival of Ferns receives €5,000; The Street Rhythms comes in at €4,000; and the Enniscorthy St. Patrick Day Parade at €3,000.

The Blackstairs Blues receives €2,500; the Bunclody Christmas Lights €2,000 and the Bunclody St. Patrick’s Day/Eileen Aroon Festival €1,500.

The Easter Monday Commemorations gets €2,000, and the ’98 Le Chéile in association with the National 1798 Rebellion Centre receives €1,000.

Kiltealy St. Patrick’s Day Parade receives €500. There is also a Festival Support Fund of €9,500 – not sure what that is about, or how it is spent?

Because Fleadh Cheoil na h-Éireann has taken the August Bank Holiday dates for the past two years there may be changes to the 2026 festival dates. However, I’m sure the dates will be sorted soon as the various festival groups hold public meetings and be transparent while encouraging more people to become actively involved.