Environment

Spring cleaning Co. Wexford

Enniscorthy cleanup.

Almost 200 Wexford groups joined the National Spring Clean 2022 campaign

The National Spring Clean is Ireland’s official anti-litter campaign and over the past 23 years the initiative has been highlighting the collective responsibility we share in tackling and preventing our national litter problem. National Spring Clean is operated by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce in partnership with Local Authorities and supported by the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, and Mars Wrigley Ireland. This year, the campaign returned to its usual month-long clean-up in April after two years of restricted clean-ups due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Almost 200 groups from Wexford registered to carry out clean-ups throughout the county, an increase on

St Colman’s National School, Ballindaggin.

the number of registered groups this time last year making #SpringClean22 Ireland’s largest anti-litter campaign to date.

Over 7,000 Wexford volunteers participated in organised clean-ups throughout the county.

Nationwide, volunteers collected an estimated 2,800 tonnes of litter. Furthermore, National Spring Clean has been a starting point for a large number of groups to organise regular clean-up events all year long!

National Spring Clean 2022 has been an amazing opportunity for communities to come together and do their bit for their local environment, contribute to creating a more sustainable community, be with like-minded people and make a difference.

This year the theme of community pride was at the forefront of the campaign with The National Spring Clean urging people of all ages to gather friends, family, classmates, neighbours or colleagues to unite in cleaning their shared green spaces together. Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan TD, said of the initiative: “The statistics for what the National Spring Clean achieves every year are staggering and are a real testament to the energy, drive and community commitment of volunteers up and down the country, who come out and work hard together to protect, enhance and clear up our local environments. It’s unpaid, largely unsung and often unseen work that improves the quality of life for all of us. I would like to salute your work and express my gratitude for the hours of selfless volunteer work that help make National Spring Clean such a critical part of the annual environmental calendar here.

“I would also like to acknowledge the key role played by An Taisce in overseeing the campaign. My Department will continue to provide support to the campaign and I look forward to the many events that will be held countrywide.”

National Spring Clean Chairperson Michael John O’Mahony added: “The work and efforts of volunteers, groups and Local Authorities all over the country for National Spring Clean in 2022 has been truly amazing. A big thank you to everyone who made it such a success; in fact the most successful National Spring since the first National Spring Clean in 1999! Go raibh mile maith agaibh go leir.“ Mars Wrigley Ireland Corporate Affairs Manager, Nicola Forde stated: “It’s been fantastic to see people, businesses and community groups across Ireland get behind the National Spring Clean again this year. Our own team rolled up their sleeves and hosted a spring clean event in Dublin earlier this month which was a huge success. We continue to champion programmes like the National Spring Clean that support a cleaner, greener environment.”

Even though the month-long clean-up is now over, there are plenty of campaigns and activities that The National Spring Clean run and endorse that our readers can get involved in. A few of these include:

 When you are out for a walk, visiting a park or a beach, do a quick #2minutestreetclean or a #2minutebeachclean.

 Avoid single-use plastic when possible, by choosing more sustainable alternatives, such as reusable bottles and coffee cups, cotton bags, metal straws, etc…  Don’t litter, and if a bin is overflowing, keep your waste until you find a way to dispose of it properly.  If you can’t reduce or reuse, recycle; know where and how to recycle all types of waste.  Recent statistics show that, in Ireland, discarded cigarette butts make up for 60% of litter on the streets. Always bin your butt!  Make sure to bin your chewing gum when you’re done to avoid a €150 gum littering fine and keep our streets clean! n

Recyle those batteries!

Wexford consumers recycled the equivalent of 16 AA batteries per person in 2021, surpassing the national average, new figures reveal.

Data from WEEE Ireland shows Ireland achieved a 46% battery recycling rate in 2021, reaching its EU directive obligations.

Nationally, there was a 16% increase in the amount of batteries recycled by Irish households, in line with increased consumption and greater usage of batteries in everyday products. The spike in recycling is equivalent to 15 AA batteries saved from landfill per person – an increase of two per person on 2020.

Consumers in Wexford were above the national trend, averaging an equivalent of 16 AA batteries per person which were prevented from entering landfill. “This small increase of two extra AA batteries recycled per person across Ireland made a huge difference and we are urging everyone in Wexford to recycle at least two more in 2022 to reach our target – and to stop and think before throwing them in the bin,” said WEEE Ireland CEO Leo Donovan. Younger consumers, in particular, are being urged to stop binning used batteries as a new survey reveals almost half of 18-34-year-olds are tossing them in the trash.

“They are often lauded as the most environmentally conscious, yet the survey shows a worrying 43% of adults under the age of 34, actually throw their used batteries in general waste bins instead of recycling them,” said Mr Donovan. The survey of 1,000 people, conducted online by Empathy Research last month, reveals that more than a quarter (28%) of people are unaware that batteries contain valuable resources such as cobalt, zinc, nickel and lithium, which can be used again. Over 55s are the most eco-conscious, with just 9% binning batteries – the lowest of all age categories – while 81% know they contain valuable materials. Only 2% of over 55s hoard them, but this rises to 26% for 18-34 year olds. Data across all age groups shows a total of 16% of the population binning and 6% hoarding batteries, while the vast majority who do recycle them, use retailers (47%), recycling centres (17%), WEEE Ire-

WEEE Ireland CEO Leo Donovan.

land collection events (16%) and local schools (11%). “Any retailer or supermarket that sells batteries will take them back for recycling. That’s in addition to the hundreds of recycling centres across the country. “For the millions of batteries not recycled properly every year, we lose precious elements and important resources that can only be replaced by mining. The environmental and social costs of extracting and processing the materials required for battery manufacturing, can be huge. “The world will require much less mining for materials if we can recycle more spent ones.”

However, Mr Donovan said that as battery sales soar to cater for the growing demand for electric vehicle and e-mobility devices, these targets will become harder to reach if we don’t get into the habit of recycling more. Every battery recycled by WEEE Ireland goes towards a donation fund to support the vital work provided by LauraLynn, Ireland’s only Children’s Hospice. This year’s €40,000 donation brings its overall total to €520,000 since the partnership first began 11 years ago. n

IFAC CALLS FOR PROACTIVE PACKAGING STRATEGIES

IFAC (Irish Farm Accounts Co-operative Society Limited) is urging Irish SMEs to get their packaging right to curb their costs and impact on the environment. IFAC is Ireland’s leading farming, food and agribusiness specialist professional services firm. On 11th May 2022 it launched its Packaging Report 2022, titled ‘Get Your Packaging Right’, to help Irish SMEs and food businesses improve their packaging strategies, reduce costs and ultimately minimise their impact on the environment. Following the Cabinet’s recent approval of the Circular Economy Bill that aims to reduce waste and influence behaviour to help significantly reduce our greenhouse gas emissions (including incentivising the use of reusable and recyclable alternatives to a range of wasteful single-use disposable packaging), this timely report outlines the environmental impact of packaging and the rising costs facing Irish food businesses. It also highlights the ways packaging can work as an effective salesperson for brands, what retailers are looking for, the funding options available for packaging, as well as some of the emerging packaging solutions on the market such as sugarcane and seaweed. In addition, the report features case studies and helpful learnings from Irish food businesses including Finnegan’s Farm and performance nutrition brand, All Real. The central tenant of IFAC’s Packaging Report 2022, is the importance for food businesses to conduct a packaging audit to put them in control of rising input costs. The report also signposts Irish food businesses to IFAC’s Packaging Cost Calculator. This free tool will help any food business owner to get a real sense of the actual combined cost of packaging for their products; they can use it to itemise individual packaging costs and examine how volume increases or decreases can impact unit costs. Download IFAC’s Packaging Report here: https://downloads.ifac.ie/x/6e818a04ab/ifac-packaging-report-website.pdf.

Living in Enniscorthy?

You are entitled to a brown bin from your provider.

If you are living in Enniscorthy, new food waste regulations mean you are entitled to get a brown bin if you request it from your waste disposal company, and you are required to separate your food waste from your black bin waste. If you don't have a brown bin, you can bring your food waste to Enniscorthy Recycling Centre. Learn more at:

https://www.mywaste.ie/whatto-do-with-my-food-waste/ n

David Leydon, Head of Food and Agribusiness and Lorcan Bannon, Associate Director, Food and Agribusiness from IFAC’s award-winning Food and Agribusiness advisory team.

Reserve a radon monitor at your library

Radon monitors are now available for all Wexford library members in the county to borrow. The monitors are available to borrow for a 4 week period, and come with instruction leaflets.

World Ocean Day 8th June 2022

This World Ocean Day, 8th June 2022, you are invited to act locally to make a global difference. Irish environmental charity Clean Coasts and National Spring Clean are offering the public in County Wexford a free clean-up kit to host a beach clean-up on World Ocean Day. World Ocean Day is celebrated annually on June 8th to highlight the important role the ocean has for our life and the planet. In 2022, the focus will once more be on the 30x30 campaign: to create a healthy ocean with abundant wildlife and to stabilize the climate, it’s critical that 30% of our planet’s lands, waters, and ocean are protected by 2030. One of the issues affecting our ocean is marine litter that has become a global problem for both humans and marine life. However, communities in County Wexford have demonstrated their desire to be part of the solution by taking part in several beach cleaning calls to action. Once more, Clean Coasts is asking individuals, households and groups to join them and take action to protect the ocean. To support their efforts, registration is open for communities and individuals in Ireland who want to receive free beach cleaning kits containing bags, gloves and hi-viz vests. In 2021, the initiative changed its name from “World Oceans Day” to “World Ocean Day”. By dropping the “s”, its organisers wanted to highlight the fact that we are all connected by a large ocean. This shared ocean supports all life on the planet, by producing most of the oxygen we breathe and regulating climate. No matter where we live, we all depend on the ocean to survive. Statistics show that the number one cause of marine litter is litter dropped in towns and cities. Building on the success of the Spring Clean 22 campaign, which took place in the month of April and saw over 7,100 volunteers organising over 180 clean-ups in County Wexford, the National Spring Clean programme is joining Clean Coasts this year in supporting these communities around Ireland. This means that each piece of marine litter removed from the coast in County Wexford will have a positive impact on a global scale. To register, visit: cleancoasts.org/our-initiatives/world-ocean-day/ Website: https://cleancoasts.org/our-initiatives/world-ocean-day/ Facebook: @CleanCoasts and @NationalSpringClean Twitter: @CleanCoasts and @NationalSpringC

Instagram: @cleancoasts and @nationalspringclean

YouTube: Clean Coasts Ireland and National Spring Clean

Linkedin: Clean Coasts n

Wexford’s BLUE & GREEN awards

Wexford receives 6 Blue Flags for Beaches, 2 Blue Flags for Marinas and 9 Green Coast Awards.

On Friday 20th May, An Taisce announced the International Blue Flag and Green Coast Award recipients for 2022. The awards were presented by Malcolm Noonan TD, Minister of State with responsibility for Heritage and Electoral Reform, at a ceremony at Curracloe beach.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Minister Noonan stated that: "This year celebrates 35 years of the Blue Flag as an international programme and during that time the Blue Flag has become an internationally recognised symbol of high standards in water quality, environmental management, environmental education and safety. I am pleased to be presenting 95 blue flags and 62 green coast awards today and want to commend the great efforts made by local authorities, An Taisce, coastal communities and volunteers for their work around the country.” Cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council, Cllr Barbara-Anne Murphy, said, “It is a great honour for Wexford to be selected as the location for the presentation of Blue Flag and Green Coast Awards for 2022 having previously hosted the event in 2011. We, in Wexford, value the emblem of quality that the Blue Flags and Green Coast Awards bring to our beaches. The Blue Flag is a commitment to local and tourist visitors alike that they are visiting a safe, clean, well-managed beach with excellent water quality, good facilities and information on the local environment. We are delighted with Wexford's results this year and will continue to work to protect and safeguard Wexford's marine and coastal environment.”

WEXFORD’S BLUE FLAG AWARDS: Ballinesker Ballymoney North Beach Carne Curracloe Morriscastle Rosslare Strand BLUE FLAG MARINAS: Kilmore Quay Marina and New Ross ‘Three Sisters’ Marina

WEXFORD’S GREEN COAST AWARDS: Cahore Point Beach Ballyhealy Grange Old Bawn Beach Baginbun Beach Cullenstown Strand St. Helen's Bay Culleton's Gap Booley Bay Gorey Senator Malcolm Byrne commented, “I was delighted to be at the announcement ceremony in Curracloe. It is wonderful news that so many beaches and marinas in Co. Wexford have retained their blue flag status, but it is particularly welcome to see the restoration of that status for the beautiful North Beach at Ballymoney, where the flag had been absent. I spent so much of my childhood on Ballymoney beach and it is a really special place.” n

Launching National Biodiversity Week

L-R: Catherine McLoughlin, Heritage Officer, Wexford Co. Council; Clare Kelly, Climate Officer, Wexford Co. Council; Beryl McKee, Director of Nursing, St. John’s Community Hospital, Enniscorthy; Cllr Barbara-Anne Murphy, Cathaoirleach of Wexford Co. Council and Cliona Connolly, Environment Education Officer, Wexford Co. Council.

An Cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council Barbara-Anne Murphy officially launched National Biodiversity Week on Friday 13th May when she attended the planting of a native Irish rowan tree in the grounds of St. John’s Community Hospital. The Cathaoirleach was accompanied by representatives of Enniscorthy Men’s Shed and St. John’s Community Hospital and staff of Wexford County Council.

Speaking at the event, Cllr Murphy said, ‘I am delighted to officially launch National Biodiversity Week here in Co. Wexford. This week is all about connecting people with nature and the benefits of protecting and enhancing our biodiversity. Spending time in nature can improve our health and well-being. It is great to see the wide range of initiatives being undertaken by Wexford County Council, including the increased support for biodiversity in our urban areas, a great example of which is the enhancement of the Gorey ecological corridor’. Catherine McLoughlin, Heritage Officer, Wexford County Council, also attended the event. ‘National Biodiversity Week is also about learning and having fun. Many of the events are family friendly and there is something for everyone to enjoy,’ said Catherine. Her colleague Clare Kelly, Climate Officer with Wexford County Council, agreed, ‘A simple action that we can all take as individuals or communities to help biodiversity and reduce carbon emissions is to plant a native tree,’ she said.

On Monday 16th May, Wexford County Council supported a talk on the barn owls of the south-east by Birdwatch Ireland and the Wexford Barn Owl project, and on Thursday, 19th May, Barntown Community Centre hosted a public talk on the fascinating underwater biodiversity of the Wexford coast.

Check out the National Biodiversity Website at https://biodiversityweek.ie/

National Biodiversity Week is coordinated by the Irish Environmental Network, funded by the National Parks and Wildlife Service and supported by the Heritage Council. n

‘Love Your Coast’ photo competition

Wexford’s Declan Roche won the overall national Love Your Coast photo competition for this photo in 2021.

Clean Coasts’ 13th annual Love Your Coast photography competition has officially opened for entries! The Love Your Coast competition asks for amateur photographers to capture and celebrate the uniqueness of our coastal communities, environments, or waterways such as our stunning coastline, beautiful beaches, epic cliff faces, and raging rivers. Wexford has some of the most spectacular coastlines in the world so there’s no excuse! Get out your cameras this summer and explore the Irish coast and capture its beauty. 2021 saw three Wexford photographers score top places in various categories. Declan Roche won the overall Love Your Coast prize as well as first place in the Wildlife and Underwater category for his image Let Me Out that was shot at Wexford Harbour quayfront. Photographer Myles Carroll also placed first in the new category called Creativity and the Coast for his photo entitled Seagull on Tour, taken at the beach at Kilmichael Point, Co. Wexford, with Ivan Donoghue winning third place in the same category for his photo entitled Sunlight from Above, taken at Hook Head.

Moreover, Graham Murphy with the picture titled Caught on the Hop and Thomas Ormond with the photograph Puffin with Sandeels were shortlisted in the top ten images for the Wildlife and the Coast Category. Nikki George’s image Hurling at the Ball Alley and Tara McGeary’s photo Joggers at Dawn were shortlisted in the People and the Coast Category with Myles Carroll’s image Hook Lighthouse and Christine Taylor’s photo Stargazer shortlisted in the Coastal Heritage and the Creativity and the Coast category respectively. Photographers have until 9am on Monday the 29th August 2022 to submit their best images in one of five categories to be in with the chance to win a prize fund of €5,000 across all categories. The categories for this year include: 1. Wildlife and Underwater 2. Coastal Landscape 3. People and the Coast 4. Coastal Heritage 5. Creativity and the Coast Each year Love Your Coast draws in a large amount of interest from Ireland’s amateur photographers, coastal enthusiasts, and conservation and biodiversityminded. Clean Coasts have ensured there is a diverse range of categories so there truly is something for everyone! Photographers are encouraged to explore new and different methods and angles in capturing the coastal regions and wildlife and would discourage photographing of locations and species that have been heavily submitted in previous years. Working with communities on the ground, Clean Coasts’ mission is to help foster pride in our coastline, supporting Clean Coasts communities, groups, and volunteers to tackle issues affecting their local area.

Visit the website to find out more about the competition and how to enter at: to enter at: https://cleancoasts.org/ourinitiatives/lov

Be sure to head to our gallery of top images from previous years: https://cleanhttps://cleancoasts.org/ou r-initiatives/love-your-c n

Conserving water this summer

Research commissioned by Irish Water shows that over half of Irish households (53%) admit to wasting water, even though some eight in ten (78%) know it is important to take steps to conserve it. The research coincides with the launch of Irish Water’s new Conservation Calculator which will assist households across the country to assess their water usage habits and find out how much water they are saving on a daily basis. It also offers useful and practical tips on how to reduce water usage and track their progress. The free tool was developed in response to research which shows consumers want additional tools to assist them conserve water and is available at www.water.ie/calculator

By answering just a few short questions about water usage habits, households of all sizes can calculate how much water they are currently saving, and what they could do to save even more. The average water use of one person is 133 litres per day, and results from the calculator are based on the water use of typical households of similar sizes. The Conservation Calculator provides helpful advice for those wanting to ensure they use water responsibly to improve their score rating. Simple water saving tips include: In addition, Irish Water is also continuing its First Fix Free programme which helps households that may be using higher level of water than average, which could signal a potential leakage problem. Together with the homeowner the Irish Water team will investigate the cause of the leak and fix the issue to curtail any further potential leaks. This is in line with Irish Water’s collaborative approach to water conservation where all working together can safeguard our precious water resources now and for the future. Speaking at the launch, Ronan Walsh of Irish said: “We understand that historic network leakage continues to be a challenge and we are working hard with all relevant stakeholders and are on track to achieve a national leakage rate below 20% in Dublin and 25% nationally by 2030 – that’s down from 46% leakage in 2018. Over 2,000 leaks are fixed every month by our team and local authority partners, and 166 million litres of water was saved daily during 2021 alone. Working together, we can all take steps to ensure our water is safeguarded for future generations.” Each day in Ireland, 1.7 billion litres of water travels through a network that includes 63,000km of pipes to supply treated drinking water to homes, businesses, hospitals, schools and farms nationwide. The treatment process is a lengthy and complex one with up to seven stages that can take up to three days to make raw water suitable to drink.

WATER SAVING TIPS

At Home: • Take a shorter shower • Fix dripping taps or leaking toilets in your home • When brushing your teeth or shaving, turn off the tap and save up to 6 litres of water per minute • Keep a jug of water in the fridge rather than letting the tap run cold and save six litres a day • Reducing shower time by 60 seconds can save up to 120 litres of water every week • 250 litres of water a week can be saved by fixing any leaking or dripping taps in the garden • Ensure washing machines and dishwashers are full before running • Avoid using paddling pools • If you need to wash your car, use a bucket and sponge instead of a hose • Report any external leaks to Irish Water at 1800 278 278. No leak fixes itself and every leak gets progressively worse. The escaping water can weaken the ground or cause slippery footpaths and roads. The leaking water reduces the supply pressure for adjacent properties. What looks like a small leak at the surface can be using the equivalent to 20-30 households. In the garden: • Save and reuse water collected from baths, showers, and hand basins in the garden • In the garden use a rose head watering can instead of a hose and aim for the roots • Consider installing a water butt to collect rainwater – this can then be used for watering the garden during dry weather • Do your watering in the evening, when it won’t evaporate • Pots and containers need lots of water to prevent drying out, so plant directly into the ground as much as possible • Another good tip is to add a layer of plant material, like bark, to your flower bed to prevent evaporation and reduce the need for watering More information on water conservation can be found at https://www.water.ie/conservation/

Ministers announce ambitious new strategic action plan for the National Parks and Wildlife Service

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien TD and Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform Malcolm Noonan TD have published a Strategic Action Plan for the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) following Government approval. The Plan sets out an ambitious timeline for a full organisational restructuring of the NPWS, and a substantial €55m additional investment in the organisation across three budgetary cycles, together with the early recruitment of 60 key staff for critically important roles. Launching the Strategic Action Plan in Ballykeeffe Nature Reserve in Co. Kilkenny, Minister Noonan said: “The renewal of the National Parks and Wildlife Service is the keystone action in this Government’s response to the biodiversity emergency and today I’m announcing a suite of strategic actions to transform the organisation, which have now been approved at Cabinet. “NPWS will be established as an Executive Agency, giving it a strong identity and voice to speak for nature. Its internal structures will be overhauled, delivering a stronger focus on external engagement and delivery of outcomes. New Directorates, organised along functional lines, will benefit from the early recruitment of 60 key staff for critically important roles. “I’ve already increased NPWS funding to €47m in 2022 – a total increase of 64% since I became Minister – bringing it back up to a level not seen since before the financial crisis. Today, I’m proud to announce that Government has endorsed future underpinning investment of up to €55m over the coming three budgetary cycles to realise this plan.” “This funding commitment will enable the NPWS to embrace Ireland’s ambitions for nature and help us begin to turn the tide on biodiversity loss.” Launching the plan, Minister Darragh O’Brien said: “The NPWS has a proud history, and despite being a relatively small organisation of some four hundred people, carries a complex range of responsibilities, ranging from significant policy and advisory functions, to operational responsibilities in our National Parks, conservation, enforcement, licensing, biodiversity protection and as a statutory consultee on planning. It is vital that we have a resilient and effective NPWS to perform all of those functions. I am very pleased that we now have Government approval for this Strategic Action Plan, which will provide the momentum to build on the very significant gains which, working with the Minister of State, I have been able to secure for the organisation in the past two budgets, bringing its funding, for the first time since the financial crisis, back to pre2008 levels. I am happy too for the dedicated and expert team who have sustained the NPWS through so many years – with the implementation of this Strategic Action Plan, the future of the NPWS looks bright.” Minister Noonan added: “Today’s announcement fulfils an important commitment in the Programme for Government, providing for a significant investment in, and a renewal of, the National Parks and Wildlife Service. This renewal is underpinned by a comprehensive, expert review of the organisation, which has now been completed by independent authors. The Strategic Action Plan is designed to implement and deliver upon the recommendations made by the review.” The Strategic Action Plan and accompanying documents can be found at: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/fbb8 1-national-parks-and-wildlife-servicestrategic-action-plan-and-review n

Sod turning in Kilmore Quay

The rainfall could not dampen the air of positivity as the sod was turned last month for the new Wastewater Treatment Plant and related infrastructure at Kilmore Quay. Irish Water, working in partnership with Wexford County Council, has already commenced works on the new sewerage scheme and wastewater treatment infrastructure for the village, however due to Covid restrictions, the ceremonial aspects of the works were put on hold, until last month. Jon Sisk and Sons Ltd are carrying out the works on the utility’s behalf to end the discharge of raw sewage into the Celtic Sea with the project due for completion in 2024. Once completed, the new sewer infrastructure will ensure compliance with wastewater discharge regulations. It will also improve the performance of the sewer network and water quality in the receiving waters and the Celtic Sea. The new scheme will involve the design and construction of a new wastewater treatment plant, underground pumping stations, pipelines, as well as testing and commissioning works. All new infrastructure will be sized to serve existing and future populations and the new wastewater infrastructure will enhance local amenities and provide a platform for social and economic development. Irish Water’s Michael Tinsley was in Kilmore Quay and said, “It is really fantastic to be here in Kilmore Quay this morning. Irish Water is really looking forward to delivering this important project to benefit the local community for the generations to come. This project will improve water quality around the quay and wider harbour area, enhance the amenity value of the coastal waters and ensure compliance with national and EU regulations relating to the treatment of urban wastewater. “Irish Water has a strong track record of completing projects on time and on budget once we get boots on the ground. Indeed, we have good news in this regard not too far away from here. We turned the sod on the Duncannon, Arthurstown and BallyL-R: Michael Tinsley (Irish Water), Cllr Jim Moore, Tom Enright (CEO, Wexford Co. Council).

hack project in June 2021. Later this summer, the Wastewater Treatment Plant located in Arthurstown will begin operation, with the overall project being on course to be fully completed by the end of 2022, ahead of schedule.

"Irish Water is committed to playing its part in the national drive to provide homes to people who need them by developing and prioritising the delivery of key water service infrastructure. ” Councillor Jim Moore, Cathaoirleach of the Rosslare Municipal District was present at the sod turning and has campaigned for this infrastructure for some time: “I am delighted to see this most welcome infrastructure which will give a huge impetus to the development of Kilmore Quay in terms of environment, industry, community, housing, and tourism. I would like to thank all concerned for their efforts in reaching this important milestone for Kilmore Quay and the surrounding district and region. It comes at an opportune time with the Wexford County Development Plan under consideration as well as the Local Economic Development Plans for the District.” n

L-R: Cllr Ger Carthy, Tom Enright (CEO, Wexford Co. Council), Paul Kehoe TD, Michael Tinsley (Irish Water), Cllr Jim Moore, Brendan Howlin TD, Verona Murphy TD, Cllr Frank Staples, Cllr Jim Codd.

Green-Schools Water Awards

The achievements of Ireland’s young water champions were celebrated last month at the annual Green-Schools Water Awards hosted by An Taisce Green-Schools and Irish Water.

Over the past school year, over 123,000 students in 551 schools all over Ireland have participated in the Green-Schools water theme which is sponsored by Irish Water. The water theme looks at developing awareness around water conservation and how to effectively manage this precious resource in our schools and at home.

St Joseph’s Primary School in Creagh, Gorey, was named the regional winner in the ‘Water School of the Year’ category as they continue to spread their water conservation messages of “Saving water is in our hands” and “Save the flow, save H2O”.

St Joseph’s, consisting of over 550 students and teachers, completed all essential green schools actions, as well as conducting a water use survey, carrying out surveys/questionnaires to gauge awareness around water conservation, investigating the possibility of rainwater harvesting in the school and investigating the water lifecycle of the school.

The six ‘R’s can save our planet!

Refuse single use plastics (bags, cups, etc) Rethink your choices Reuse as much as possible Repair before you replace Recycle all packaging and plastic bottles Rot all your organic stuff and put it back into the soil

St Joseph’s Primary School in Creagh, Gorey, was named a regional winner in the ‘Water School of the Year’ category.

For their action day they all wore blue, carried out water-related science experiments, and the senior classes did a 3km walk for water around the town park. They also learned a water rap that the caretaker composed! Students also took part in the Green-Schools Water Poster competition and displayed their internal winners on their website. The students continue to spread the message of their two green codes: “Saving water is in our hands” and “Save the flow, save H2O.” n

Mock O’Brien with his vintage 82 Triumph.

Clonroche Vintage Club

Little tractor men give the thumbs-up at the display in Clonroche, Killian and Tony Cowman.

All ready for the tractor run was Pat Roche. Thomas Keating parks his tractor before the off.

ctor Run May 2022

Above: Jimmy Swan and Frank Rochford. Above right: Paddy Fortune. Right: Keeping an eye on the tractors was Tom O’Brien and Mary Tector. Below right: Leo Murphy.

ft: Owen and Luke Mackey and Paul Kirwan. Above: Marty Grenan with his tractor. ht: Kyle Byrne arrives on his tractor in Clonroche. Below left: Jas Mooney and Leo Tector. ntre: Coming in to more modern times was Jimmy Murphy. Below right: Michael Murphy.

A rose by any other name...

Attendees at the launch by Wexford County Council and O’Connell Marketing of the 3-day tour of the county by the Rose of Tralee contestants. Pics: Maria Nolan.

A Rose by any other name... and what a perfectly beautiful name for our Wexford Rose – Joy – her whole countenance oozes with it, from her warm, easy smile all the way to her kind, sparkling, eyes. Joy Quigley is a joy to work with and nothing was too much bother for the bubbly Ferns native at the photoshoot organised by Wexford County Council and O’Connell Marketing to launch the Roses 3 Day Tour of the County. As Strawberry Queen 2019, Joy Quigley has the distinction of being the longest reigning Strawberry Queen ever. Launching the 3 Day Wexford Rose Tour, which will take place in the county from 11th – 13th August, Wexford County Council Chairperson Barbara-Anne Murphy said that Joy Quigley would be the ideal hostess for the other thirty-two Roses from all over Ireland and all over the world who will be lighting up our shores in the run-up to the 62nd Rose of Tralee Festival. Liz Hore, Director of Services and Head of Enterprise at Wexford Co. Council, said that it was an ideal opportunity to showcase all that is good about Wexford to over 1.2 million viewers and she had no doubt that Joy would be a marvellous ambassador for her county. Damian Lynch, Treasurer of Visit Wexford, said that this county has a fantastic product, and this was the perfect opportunity, and Joy was the perfect person to promote it. Hospitality partner Paul Finnegan of the Ashdown Park Hotel in Gorey said that they were delighted to be hosting the 33 Roses for the two nights they will be in Wexford and promised that the hotel will be endeavouring to make their stay in the county a most memorable one. Steve Cronly, Director of Operations Rose of Tralee International Festival, praised Pete Cooney, Wexford Rose Co-ordinator, Billy Byrne, Tourism Officer, Jean O’Connell, O’Connell Marketing, and Wexford County Council for the wonderful welcome and treatment they were receiving adding that if it was anything to go by, the Roses would be three weeks in Wexford not three days, and he was certain it would prove difficult to get them to leave it, such was the extent of the welcome and the elaborate itinerary. Joy Quigley assured everyone that this was a chance of a lifetime and she was going to embrace it with both arms and play her part to sell herself and advance her varied and delightful county to everyone she came in contact with over the next two months and hopefully beyond.

L-R: 1. Bernie Quigley, Acting Enniscorthy Municipal District Manager with her niece Joy Quigley. 2. Escort Lar Whelan. 3. Damian Reck, Joy Quigley and Sarah O’Connor. Pics: Maria Nolan.

L-R: Lar Whelan (escort), Damian Lynch (Visit Wexford), Barbara-Anne Murphy (Cathaoirleach Wexford County Council), Joy Quigley (Wexford Rose), Steve Cronly (Director of Operations, Rose of Tralee International Festival) and Paul Finnegan (Ashdown Park Hotel). Pics: Maria Nolan.

As an avid Wexford hurling fan, senior hurler Damian Reck and camogie player Sarah O’Connor were on hand to wish Joy the very best and impart a couple of tips to her on stamina, courage and the will to win. We hope it works! Having worked with Joy during the 2019 Strawberry Fair, I can unequivocally say that Joy Quigley is a most excellent choice for the Wexford Rose and will do us all proud in Tralee this August.

– Maria Nolan