45 The Orchard Bellefield Enniscorthy Y21 K7F9
ISLAND ROAD, ENNISCORTHY 053-9233601, 086-2457664
Wishing all our customers a Happy New Year
KAVANAGH’S GARAGE
Slaneynews Auto Maintenance & Repairs – Diagnostics – Pre-NCT and DOE Tests – Clutches, Brakes, etc – Breakdown Assistance
Serving Enniscorthy, Bunclody, and surrounding area since 2010
BUMBER 40 PAGE ISSUE
Your local FREE community newspaper
Issue 117 - Wednesday - 8 January 2020
Adamstown, Askamore, Ballaghkeen, Ballindaggin, Ballycarney, Ballyduff, Ballyedmond, Ballyhoge, Ballymurn, Blackwater, Boolavogue, Bree, Bunclody, Camolin, Castledockrell, Clohamon, Clonroche, Courtnacuddy, Curracloe, Enniscorthy, Ferns, Galbally, Glenbrien, Killanne, Kilmuckridge, Kilmyshall, Kiltealy, Marshalstown, Monageer, Monamolin, Oylegate, Oulart, Poulpeasty, Raheenduff, Rathnure, Screen, The Harrow.
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On 30th December an event was held in the Riverside Park Hotel, Enniscorthy, organised by Invest We x f o r d ( We x f o r d C o u n t y Council’s economic development unit) and Enniscorthy & District Chamber. It was attended by the local business community, politicians, Wexford County Council officials, IDA, Enterprise Ireland, etc to seek ways to transform Enniscorthy economically over the next ten years. MC for this ‘Transforming Enniscorthy’ event was Alan Corcoran from South East Radio. Four guest speakers addressed the sizeable audience from BD
Delivering Kerosene, Diesel, Gas Oil, Agri Diesel to homes, farms and businesses all around Co. Wexford.
Attendees at the ‘Transforming Enniscorthy’ event included Cllr Kathleen Codd-Nolan and James Browne TD.
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(Becton Dickinson – formerly Clearstream / CR Bard), Opus Fund Services (recently opened in Enniscorthy), GrandPad (a US multinational with new European headquarters in Gorey) and the IDA. The attendees were then asked to answer specific questions on how to transform Enniscorthy economically in the years ahead. With 55 people all offering their opinions, hundreds of ideas were generated. Invest Wexford will now examine those ideas more closely with a view to framing the economic way forward for the town. See page 8 for more information. n
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KAVANAGH’S ENNISCORTHY TEL: (053) 9234660
WISHING YOU A HAPPY & HEALTHY NEW YEAR From Everyone at Kavanagh's Pharmacy
Slaneynews: February issue will be out on Thursday 6th Feb 2020
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comment In this issue we carry lots of photos of Christmas party nights and appearances by Santa around the region. We hope all our readers enjoyed a happy and peaceful Christmas. As we look forward to the new year and decade ahead, we invite our readers to contact us with ideas on what changes and improvements you would like to see in our monthly paper. You can email us on slaneynews@gmail.com or text us on 087-2403310. And of course you can always contact us through our popular ‘Slaney News’ Facebook page (which recently reached 6,000 followers). Wishing all our readers, writers, photographers, advertisers and supporters a very Happy New Year. – Frank Corcoran
10,000 copies per issue of which 5,000 are distributed door-to-door in Enniscorthy town and 700 in Bunclody. The balance is distributed to over 230 drop-off points: ENNISCORTHY: ENNISCORTHY: Doyles Bar, The Duffry Gala Duffry Hope Centre The Wilds Copper Pan The Holy Grail Stamps Cotton Tree Cafe Crew Cuts Cut & Shave Burke O’Leary Turkuts The Antique Tavern George’s Hair Salon Impresso Cafe IWA Charity Shop Millstream Fish Shop Butcher’s Cottage / Bakery Bridget’s Hair Salon Hair Salon Inspiration Rackards Little Spoon Coffee Shop Danny’s Barber Shop Karl Martin Cutting Edge Curls South East Animal Rescue Maura Flannery’s Shop My Café Coffee Shop Abbey Centre Bizzy Fingers City Fashions AJ Pets California Sun Tan Orchard Fruit & Veg Shop NCBI Mrs Quinn’s Charity Shop Annette’s Flowers Sandro’s Wickham Bros The Athenaeum Storm Hair Design
––––––––––––––––––––– Alba Restaurant Holohan’s Pub Shang Hai Golden City Galo Chargrill Via Veneto The Bailey Dunnes TOP shop/filling station Lotus House Greenville Stores ABC Takeaway T. Doyle’s Pub Enniscorthy Kebabish Mizzoni’s Popovici’s Toss Kavanagh’s FFC Carry Out Templeshannon The Local Bar –––––––––––––––––––– Kavanagh’s Pharmacy Dawson’s Bar Uptown Kuts Enniscorthy Cabs Hilltop Dry Cleaners Aideen Vonno Beauty Booth Pet Corner Presentation Centre SuperValu Pettitts Gonzaga House –––––––––––––––––––– Quik Pick, Ross Road Grants Pharmacy Saucy Butcher Pet Depot Bellefield GAA complex CWCWE Enterprise Centre Enniscorthy Voc. College Co. Wexford Education Centre Centra-Drive Milehouse Road –––––––––––––––––––– C&R Print Bus Stop Shop Smiles Dental The Barber Shop Enniscorthy Chamber Screaming Canvas Slaneyside Carpets
Treacys Hotel Waterfront Merrythought House TK Cabs O’Callaghan’s Centra T’shannon Community Centre George Kehoe & Co Chapel Lane Service Station D&G Hair Studio Castle Gardens Dept of Agricuture Offices Topaz Service Station Baker Tilly Hughes Blake Alcast Motor Factors
ONLY 230 MORE DELIVERIES TO DO ! Wheelocks
Main Post Office IFA Centre Bank of Ireland AIB Wexford Local Development Enniscorthy Credit Union Enniscorthy Castle Ashmore Financial Services Frizelle O’Leary Solicitors Property Team M.A. O'Leary Burger Macs Hope Shop Touched By Suicide R&T Beauty –––––––––––––––––––– Sami’s Sherry FitzGerald O'Leary Monica’s Hair Salon Phoenix Estates Crystal Script Kennys for Bikes O’Learys Newsagents –––––––––––––––––––– Library
Riverside Park Hotel Rejuvenate Treatment Rooms St John’s Hospital 1798 Centre –––––––––––––––––––– Mackin Travel GX3 Scissors Sisters Put A Bow On It Finishing Touches Yellow Rose Town Council Offices River Restaurant Community Info. Service –––––––––––––––––––– Delaneys Newsagents Toffee & Thyme O’Brien’s, Court Street Serenity Place Court Street Dental Clinic Court Street Medical Centre Citizens Advice Centre Byrnes Bookshop Darcy Blinds & Interiors –––––––––––––––––––– Evolv James Browne TD Office Paul’s Shoe Repair Finnegan’s Findz –––––––––––––––––––– Studio 5 Bega Barber Cafe Harmonia Beautique Paul Kehoe TD Office Mick’s Barber Shop Paula Treacy Auctioneer Gus Byrne’s –––––––––––––––––––– Centra-Drive Quarrypark Cooney Furlong, Old Dublin Rd Moyne Veterinary Clinic Pump Palace Gym Kilcannon Garden Centre Superdine Lifestyle Fitness Rebecca’s Enniscorthy Car Wash Tile Store n More ADAMSTOWN: Power Plant Hire Baked Potato
BALLAGHKEEN:
Old Dublin Road Coal Yard ATB Tyres BALLYCARNEY: Before & After Furniture NCRS –––––––––––––––––––– BALLYEDMOND/WELLS: Enniscorthy Golf Club –––––––––––––––––––– BALLYMURN: ADAMSTOWN: Cullen’s Gala. BLACKWATER: BALLAGHKEEN: Donohoes Foodstore Sawdust Inn BOOLAVOGUE: BALLYCARNEY: Jenny’s Diner BALLYEDMOND/WELLS: BUNCLODY: Downes Gala BALLYMURN: Peter Doyle’s Costcutter Ballymurn Credit Union. BLACKWATER: Londis Post Office BOOLAVOGUE: Post Office Fr Murphy Centre. BUNCLODY: Adult Learning Centre SuperValu Anatolia Turkish Barber Betsy’s Hair Parlour Bearbóir Barber Mango Tree Tourism Office Rivers Edge Library Campus-Gala Sugar & Spice Daybreak, Ryland Road Eurospar Half Way House Credit Union CAMOLIN: Chevue Studio Dols Beauty Clinic DNG O'Connor & O'Connor Hers N Sirs CASTLEBRIDGE: ArtBank Hair Junction CLONROCHE: SignaCare Nursing Home CAMOLIN: C&K Takeaway Christy Byrne’s, Butcher COURTNACUDDY: Post Office.
CASTLEBRIDGE: CURRACLOE:
Flanagan’s CLONROCHE: Kavanagh’s Gala FERNS: Post Office House of Hair COURTNACUDDY: Kelly’s Shop. CURRACLOE: Cloney’s Shop Post Office. FERNS: Buí The Unique Escape Mace Applegreen Ferns Barber Bolgers Hardware Courtyard Eclipz Blush Ferns Community Centre KILMUCKRIDGE: Ferns Castle Saints Salon Daybreak Davitts Music Shop KILMUCKRIDGE: KILTEALY/BALLINDAGGIN: Centra Kates Coffee Shop & Deli Sean Ógs Hotel. MONAGEER KILTEALY/BALLINDAGGIN: Bowe’s Shop. OULART: MONAGEER Monageer Tavern / Shop. OULART: OYLEGATE: Corrigan’s Londis Post Office. RATHNURE: OYLEGATE: Garrys Service Station. RATHNURE: Pat Murphy Oil WEXFORD: Conran Interiors WEXFORD: Maldron Hotel O’Briens, Redmond Sq O’Briens, Main St Nosh & Dosh, Redmond Sq Yard Restaurant Wexford Arts Centre Wexford General Hospital Wexford Service Station
Court Street Dental Centre
Brian and Deirdre Kehoe enjoying the Enniscorthy & District Chamber Ball – one of many social events featured in this month’s paper.
Court St, Enniscorthy. Tel: 053 9237404. www.courtstreetdentalcentre.com
SLANEY NEWS, CLONHASTON, ENNISCORTHY SLANEY NEWS, CLONHASTON, ENNISCORTHY Tel: 087-2403310 slaneynews@gmail.com
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Disclaimer: Slaney News Disclaimer: Slaney News reserves the right to accept or reject any advertisement submitted News forSlaney publication. Slaney News does not attempt to investigate or verify claims made in advertisements appearing in our publication. The appearance of an advertisement in this newspaper in no way implies endorsement or approvalSlaney by usNews of any advertising claims or of the advertiser, its product, or services. Slaney News disclaims any liability whatsoever in connection with advertising appearing in this publication. Slaney News Every effort has been made to ensure that all articles published in Slaney News are true and accurate but if any errors do occur please let us know and we will gladly rectify them in our next issue. Where details of future events are given in this newspaper, we recommend that you check these details directly with the organisers as event details may be subject to change. Slaney News Slaney News strongly recommends seeking independent professional advice before acting on any financial, medical or other information contained in this publication.
Keep up to dAte For positive, good news stories about Enniscorthy and Co. Wexford read Maria Nolan’s blog a t o u t a n d a b o u t w i t h m a r ianolan.wordpress.com the AthenAeum What’s on? See “Enniscorthy Athenaeum Museum and Historic Theatre“ on Facebook. st senAn’s pArish binGo Bingo Nights are back! Sunday nights (except bank holiday weekends) at 8pm in Templeshannon Community Centre. €1,100 Prize Fund. For more information contact: (053) 9261729 or 086-7913919.
ENNISCORTHY SNIPPETS…
Civil defence needs you! Check out www.civildefence.ie.
christiAn mediA trust Check out www.christianmeddiatrust.ie for details of programmes and broadcast times on South East Radio.
ing? Call the Al Anon confidential helpline 01 8732699, www.alanon-ireland.org. Local meetings held in St John’s Day Care Centre, Mondays, 8.30pm.
enniscorthy flood defence The main construction work is expected to start later this year lasting three years. See www.enniscorthyfds.ie
GroW Grow Mental Health Help & Discussion Group. Mondays at 2.00pm in The Presentation Centre. This meeting is free to attend. Contact Ellen at 086-8066959 or southeastregion@grow.ie.
illeGAl dumpinG To report illegal dumping: Wexford County Council (WCC) Customer Service on 053-9196000 or email customerservice@coco.ie. If you see dumping, take a photo and if possible send it to WCC to help them assess how big or small the incident is and what level of response is needed.
i r i s h c o n v e r s At i o n eveninGs A chance to chat in Irish whatever level you’re at. Next get-together is in The Presentation Centre, Enniscorthy, on Weds 8th January at 8pm and every two weeks after that. All are welcome. Fáilte roimh gach duine. More information: I 087-1377068. n
Al-Anon Worried about someone’s drink-
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View from the Hill
A local contributor looks at life today in Enniscorthy and beyond ANOTHER YEAR Christmas and New Year have come and gone (thankfully, some would say) and we are
8 January 2020 into another year. The big question is, “What will it hold for us?” With major issues like Brexit with all its dire consequences for Ireland on the horizon, the Irish Banks not being forthcoming with finance for vital private businesses and projects (some people think that they are broke again), a homeless crisis which seems beyond solution, massive waiting lists for health and mental healthcare and the, what is now normal, hundreds daily lying on trolleys waiting for hospital beds, the defence forces almost at a standstill because of lack of personnel in vital areas and the gardai totally under-resourced, we could be forgiven for thinking that the country is a busted flush. If Ireland was a private business it would be liquidated and the directors prosecuted for reckless trading. In the political world things are different. The Taoiseach appears on the internet boasting about all that they have achieved in the last 12 months and since they came to office. Over the Christmas period, he is photographed swimming
Hope & Dream 10
Darragh Jordan (centre), who is the official race starter for the Hope & Dream 10, with the new gold t-shirt for next year’s event which will take place on Sunday 5th April, 2020. Also in the photo are Joan Hipwell Neville and Catherine “Biddy” Walsh (Leader). Hope & Dream 10 2020 is LIVE so get your entries in now. You can register on hopeanddream10.com. Hope & Dream 10 thanks Enniscorthy Credit Union for hosting the recent launch night for the event. n
Christmas tree recycling Wexford county council has confirmed that they will be running free christmas tree recycling again this year as follows: ––––––––––––––––––––––––– Recycling Centre, Old Dublin Road, Enniscorthy. Thursday 2nd January
to Saturday 11th January. 8.15am-12pm. 1pm-4pm (3pm on Saturdays). ––––––––––––––––––––––––– Bunclody AFC, Sliabh Ros, Bunclody. Thursday 2nd January to Saturday 11th January. 9am-6pm. n
and dossing around in the Forty Foot and out in India visiting his ancestral home. That was a private visit we are told but someone went to the trouble to photograph it and make sure that it got into the media. In the meantime, the main opposition party seems to be more bothered about the timing of the election rather than looking to the people to see what solutions can be found to the real problems facing us every day of the week. Micheal Martin and Leo Varadkar send letters to each other seeking meetings to discuss this. They send letters while when the Dáil is sitting all they need do is take two steps each across a narrow aisle and discuss the matter. We couldn’t be faulted for thinking that none of them want an election and are using every tactic in the book to delay the inevitable. Eamon Ryan, leader of the Greens, wants to reintroduce wolves to the countryside and recommends that people living in rural areas should pool cars to reduce greenhouse gasses and emissions. He reckons that 30 cars for
“The Taoiseach appears on the internet boasting about all that they have achieved in the last 12 months”
each 300 people is about right. Aw sure that’s fine Eamon, we’ll just get a bus or the Dart or the Luas. Oh, hold on, I forgot we don’t all live in Dublin 6. On the other hand, maybe the plan is to reduce the nuisance of a rural population with wild wolves rambling about while we make our way home from the car pool late at night. The Labour Party is becoming exercised at the current policy of increasing the age to qualify for the State pension. Not good enough, says Brendan Howlin, we will oppose this. Ahem, was it not Labour under Joan Burton as Minister for Social Protection
and Brendan as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform who in 2012 actually brought in these proposals, and also the policy which deprived thousands of people in Ireland of their proper entitlement to the full pension. Our memories are not that short. Sinn Féin seems destined to be a party of opposition as their light has faded remarkably since the departure of Gerry Adams. The local election results would appear to indicate that come the general election their Dáil numbers will be considerably less than what they are now. There are many reasons for this but the main one has to be that the
public tire of a party which seems to be against everything, except a presently unwise Border Poll, and for very little other than issuing policy documents which no one reads. The public would like to see the party actually vote for something in the Dáil rather than against almost everything. As for the Independent Alliance what can you say. Their leader Shane Ross really did cook his own goose over Christmas. It’ll be bye bye to them shortly. I could go on and on, but I won’t. Am I the only one who is disillusioned? I wouldn’t think so. The political and elite circle goings-on in this country over the last decade would disillusion anyone. Hopefully as the year goes on a few signs to give us hope may emerge from somewhere. If they do this column will be the first to acknowledge this. And besides, maybe I’ll be over the January Blues before the next column. See you then. Any observations or comments on this column feel free to email: viewcolumn@gmail.com
Health service – the good and the bad the health service in this country is rarely out of the headlines and usually for all the wrong reasons. however, good news does filter through occasionally at local level, such as recent confirmation that co. Wexford will finally get 24/7 ambulance cover. Fianna Fáil TD for Wexford James Browne has welcomed the news that the HSE has agreed to increase the number of ambulances and paramedics based in Co. Wexford to allow for 24/7 ambulance provision in the county. “This move will see 7 ambulances available in the county during the day, with four available at night and six available at the weekend. The announcement also includes an additional five paramedics based in Enniscorthy,” said Deputy
Browne. The 24/7 cover is expected to begin this month once the roster negotiations with the paramedics are finalised. “This is the news we have all been waiting for in Wexford, and is long overdue. It’s an issue I have been raising long before I was a TD and I am very pleased that it is now finally coming to pass.” Meanwhile, on the negtive side, Deputy Browne’s fellow Fianna Fáil TD for Wexford, Malcolm Byrne, has pointed out that over 4,000 children are waiting for healthcare in Co. Wexford, saying, “It is shocking that 4,313 children and adolescents are having to wait for primary healthcare services in Wexford, including 1,396 who have been waiting for over one year... Wexford has one of the
The Hogan heroes the hogan family from enniscorthy came within a whisker of claiming the title of ireland’s fittest family before having to settle for second place on rte’s Ireland's Fittest Family. Dena and Tom, both aged 37, are international mountain runners, triathletes, and Ironman participants. Sons, Josh (17) and Jay (14), are sports enthusiasts and are equally fit. All that fitness was combined with strength, endurance and determination to see them though the heats and into the final where luck deserted them on the final ramp forcing them to settle for second place – still an amazing achievement. n
James Browne TD
worst waiting lists of any county outside of Dublin.” He said, “To make matters worse, this figure is an underestimate and does not take into account the number of Wexford children on hospital waiting lists – many hospitals don’t report waiting lists for different age groups, so we don’t know the full extent of the problem. “When we talk about primary care we’re talking about treatment that should be read-
ily available, in a timely manner, in our communities. Occupational therapy, ophthalmology, psychology and physiotherapy are just some of the treatments which children are having to wait for. “We know that early intervention is key, research has shown that when children receive delayed interventions, it negatively affects their quality of life, and increases their risk of not making progress or a full recovery in some circumstances. “It is unfair that the children who need treatment do not get it, and it is damning of this Government that families have the additional burden of trying to source private assessments and follow-up treatment because the State fails to deliver it,” he concluded. n
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Slaney News
8 January 2020
‘Transforming Enniscorthy’ Continued from page 1... One idea, which was very favourably received, is to encourage firms already established in Dublin to open a second centre in Enniscorthy where the cost base is much lower for the employer and the cost of living much lower for the employees. Already Opus Fund Services, a financial services firm, has done that with 9 staff now employed in Templeshannon, expected to rise to 15 within the next few months, and with plans to rise to 60 once established in the old Courthouse on Court Street (after the Enniscorthy Municipal District staff return to the Market Square), and potentially 100 jobs in about 5 years time if operating from the new Enniscorthy Technology Park at Killagoley. Invest Wexford is holding an event in Dublin next month to sell the idea of a second centre in Enniscorthy to companies who might be thinking of expanding. If successful, this ‘second centre’ model could be a huge winner for Enniscorthy particularly with the new Technology Park becoming available and the nearby motorway offering easy access to Dublin. In addition to the above and other positive ideas put forward at the event, a number of stumbling blocks were also identified such as the lack of a university in the South East, the lack of development at Rosslare port, a lack of houses to rent in the Enniscorthy area, and the lack of amenities and social outlets that a city like Dublin has for people in the early years of their working life. Ed Murphy from Invest Wexford emphasised the importance of a Town Team to carry on the good start which was made at this meeting. This team would concentrate solely on the economic development of the town and he encouraged all attendees to become more active in promoting and ‘selling’ Enniscorthy. n i have chosen to begin with one of our youngest and highly motivated achievers who is rapidly becoming a household name and a very recognisable face in the extremely competitive world of fashion, beauty and social media – the bright, bubbly and beautiful clonhaston lass laura mullett. Laura is currently a fashion stylist, a TV and radio fashion broadcaster and a fashion editor with RSVP magazine. She works freelance styling clients, many of them famous, for press shoots, ad campaigns and publications. She is a blogger and an influencer and a Personal Shopper at the popular Dundrum Town Centre. She is a motivator and a much sought-after speaker and in 2019 Laura very kindly opened the Enniscorthy Strawberry Fair bringing her Laura and Maria.
Directing operations, Ger Mackey (Enniscorthy Municipal District Manager) and Ed Murphy (Invest Wexford). Eamonn Murphy, Chair of Wexford Enterprise Centre and Maree Lyng, AIB.
Making his point! Minister Paul Kehoe TD with local businessman Michael Bennett.
Cllr. Barbara-Anne Murphy and Michael O’Brien, Development Manager, Waterford Wexford Education & Training Board.
SLANEYSIDE SUCCESS STORIES A new series by Maria Nolan
own individualism and special brand of style and flair to the occasion, offering excellent tips and advice to our eleven Princesses. I asked Laura about the career path that led to her current position and she attributes a lot of her present success to her blog page, ‘It really got me out there and helped me to find my place in the industry.’ Laura has a BA in Journalism and Visual Media from Griffith College Dublin and has always had a passion for fashion and style. ‘I think when following a dream you have to be willing to
To begin a new year and a new decade at the Slaney News we have decided to run a new monthly article featuring success stories from Slaneyside natives and those who live and work here. Each month, I will be talking to a person who is excelling in their chosen field be it Sport, Literature, Business, Entertainment, The Arts, Fashion, Beauty and who is either Slaney born and bred or has a connection to here. This feature will aspire to recognise and applaud the achievements of Enniscorthy people and those associated with the area who are attaining success locally, nationally or internationally. The focus of this new endeavour is to shine a light on those from our town who are doing well in their respective careers and life paths, emphasising their influences and motivations with a view to inspiring and encouraging other Enniscorthians to emulate their success.
work hard and be full-on seizing every opportunity.’ That is very much the ethos her parents instilled in her and her two sisters, Jade and Kim, from an early age according to Laura, as she acknowledges their incredible and continued support. And this is one lady who is most definitely living the dream having already interviewed celebrities like Pierce Brosnan, Colin Farrell, Kim Cattrall and Michael Fassbender to name but a few. Laura has also styled Irish model Madeline Mulqueen for red carpets in New York, Shanghai, Miami, Rio, Berlin Toyko, Beijing and of course Dublin. How surreal is that for the little Enniscorthy girl who
wanted to grow up to be Lois Lane. ‘Dressing fabulous models, working with people you idolised when you were young, and seeing your work in print is a great feeling.’ Laura, who describes herself as positive and considerate, is very family orientated and although she enjoys living and working in Dublin she is incredibly close to her sisters and misses ‘waking up in the same house’. She also misses Enniscorthy, the people, the cafes and the boutiques. ‘It’s a town with great character’, in Laura’s opinion, ‘Great efforts are being made to create the same buzz at the festivals as there was at the Strawberry Fair when I was young.’
Validation and recommendation indeed for our town’s boutiques coming from a recognised and well-respected fashionista. Laura tells me that she is a colossal overthinker and her career can be hectic and very challenging but she is learning to deal with it all by ‘not being too hard on myself and developing a good sense of humour’ although she quickly adds, ‘my pet hate is toilet humour and awkward moments’. Good guidance indeed for all of us going into a New Year with all its expectations and stresses. I asked Laura what advice she would have for someone aspiring to emulate her. ‘It is of course important to have a good college education in terms of media and broadcasting. It’s important to have passion and flair in terms of fashion and styling, and blogging is a most important tool to showcase your creativity and talent.’ ‘There are tremendous opportunities in Ireland in fashion and media at the present time but you have to work hard and really put yourself out there. You need to constantly sell yourself, always be on the lookout for internships
and work experience and when you get them do your utmost to be helpful, indispensable and a standout candidate.’ Excellent counsel from one of Enniscorthy’s youngest talents who is making a name for herself both nationally and internationally in the highly charged world of fashion and beauty. ‘A college education is a must but with it you have to work hard and sell yourself.' – Maria Nolan
Laura Mullett.
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Slaney News
TOWN TALK
WITH
KEITH DOYLE
8 January 2020
www.slaneynews.com
‘TIS THE SEASON TO BE JOLLY? ‘Tis the season to be jolly? Absolutely!!! It’s a delight to watch the joy on the faces of children at Christmas time. It’s also a time for people to come home from both near and far to celebrate with family and catch up with old friends. A time to enter into the annual ritual of decorating the tree. A time of reflection when you get a quiet moment at such a busy time. And also a time to reflect on the other side of Christmas – the houses in our community that don't have a Christmas tree, houses with people who find Christmas
time sad and hard to get over for many reasons. At this point I have to declare a vested interest. I did fight the disease of depression for over twenty years. I do know the potent devastation it can cause. I feel that I can speak on the subject with experience. How many professionals in this field and in the HSE thought it was a good idea to regionalise the care of mental health? Can anyone explain why it would be good practice to send people from Wexford to Waterford Regional Hospital
to an over-crowded basement facility? Isolating patients from their loved ones when they are needed most. To a facility which has shown that the extra patients has brought extra pressures. When I was a Councillor I had a comprehensive meeting with an insider about issues which begged the question – is it really fit for purpose? Mental health is now a buzz word amongst the political fraternity – local and national. I have seen first-hand the genuine concern and frustration amongst the mem-
bers of the County Council, and a roll-out of different things to ease the situation. I do wonder however do TDs really grasp the problem or do they feel rhetoric and no action is enough to get them re-elected? Sort it out and sort it out now as people are very unforgiving when lives are at stake. Localise the help into the community. What is certain is if we had even small facilities in Wexford Hospital or St John’s, or both, it would improve the situation no end. It is so achievable. I must doff my hat to all
those local organisations tackling the causes and providing the help needed. To the person who quietly looks over friends and neighbours in trouble, making their journey in life an easier one. You are the heroes. To the people making a career out of peddling words with no empathy or care to provide solutions, shame on you. If I were a radio DJ right now I would be dedicating the Hothouse Flowers version of the song I Can See Clearly Now to all who are starting a new year with hope in their hearts. n
A look inside Bunclody’s elegant new nursing home signacare bunclody is a new, state-of-the-art, 62-bedded nursing home, in the heart of bunclody. the centre opened on 2nd of september in the former millrace hotel premises and is a significant jobs booster for bunclody with 70 new jobs being created in the new nursing home. SignaCare is a familyowned business which has invested significantly in the Bunclody project. The Owner and Head of Operations of SignaCare, Margaret-Anne Walsh, tells us that, “We have worked hard to recruit an expert team to provide excellence in care for the older persons. We will continue ongoing recruitment over the next couple of months in all areas of healthcare, social care, catering, household, etc. We have focused on training and developing our team to meet the highest standards in care. Our Director of Nursing, Maria Domsa, has extensive experience in older persons care and is a great asset to the centre. Our centre’s physiotherapist provides a personalised care plan for each resident, plus we have speech and language, dietitian, wound-care specialists etc all planning care for our residents. “Our facilities are expertly designed to provide a home-like environment, thereby enhancing our residents’ abilities in planning and living their daily lives. We value the uniqueness of each individual and we are guided by our commitment to excellence that ensures every resident will enjoy our passionate and professional care. We facilitate residents’ independence and choice in how they plan their daily lives.” Services on offer from the caring and expertly trained staff include: long-term residential care, convalescence and respite care, specialist dementia care, individualisd health and social care, personalised physiotherapy plans. Fair Deal is also accepted. n
Some of the expert staff at the new nursing home in Bunclody.
One of the comfortable bedrooms at the impressive new SignaCare nursing home in Bunclody.
SignaCare Bunclody visit signacare in bunclody, email: info@signacare.ie, tel: 053 93 76222.
Owner and Head of Operations of SignaCare, Margaret-Anne Walsh, outside her impressive new nursing home in Bunclody.
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Slaney News
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Georgia Southern University opens its first international facility in Wexford in november 2019, the savannah-based Georgia southern university officially opened its first learning centre in ireland, Georgia southern Global hub – ireland, located in Wexford town. Georgia southern university is the first public university in the united states to open an outreach learning facility in ireland. There is a strong historic connection between Wexford and Savannah, the oldest city in the U.S. State of Georgia. A large percentage of the city’s population claims Irish ancestry, specifically tracing their roots to Wexford. The Allen company of Wexford town and the Graves and Howlett companies of New Ross operated direct services to Savannah in the mid-19th century. That connection brought many emigrants across the Atlantic on ships like the Dunbrody. To this day, family names associated with Wexford abound in Savannah, not least: Corish, D o y l e , K e h o e , M u r p h y, Redmond, Rossiter, Sinnott, and Stafford. Southern G e o rg i a University was founded in 1906. Occupying a total of 1,200 acres, it operates campuses in the cities of Savannah,
8 January 2020
OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE Minister Paul Kehoe has confirmed the details of funding streams that will give young people in Wexford opportunities to partake in outdoor adventures, as well as volunteer and leadership initiatives. In total, almost €60,000 has been earmarked for Wexford via the county’s Local Sports sponsorship. 1) Urban Outdoor Adventure Initiatives: €33,500 will be used to create new opportunities for people living in disadvantaged communities to participate in outdoor adventure sports in urban settings. The programme also seeks to create new opportunities for at-risk youth in disadvantaged communities and people with a disability. 2) Volunteer Training and Support Programme: €15,000 has been set to successfully identify and assist targeted individuals who are volunteering in disadvantaged communities or with people with disabilities to gain community sport and physical activity leadership skills e.g. as coaches, leaders, referees, committee members etc. 3) Youth Leadership: €10,000 will be used to fund this project, which involves the development and delivery of specialised Sports Leadership training for young people providing a stepping stone for learners into employment and also into further education or training. The money announced is part of the Dormant Accounts Funds with €4.2m being announced nationwide.
Official opening of the Georgia Southern University Global Hub – Ireland, in Wexford Town. Photograph Patrick Browne.
Statesboro, and Hinesville, and it also provides online instruction. With 141 degree programs, it educates over 26,000 students, from undergraduates to postdoctoral research students. A delegation from Georgia Southern University and the business community of Georgia travelled to Ireland to host the official opening event with Wexford County Council and An Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney TD. Wexford County Council has forged a partnership with Georgia Southern and is providing the university with space to create the learning centre for students who will travel here from the United States.
The new facility is located at the Old County Hall on the Spawell Road in Wexford Town, a Georgian-era building, constructed in 1812. Thanks to an €800,000 investment, the space has been modernised to provide state-of-the-art classrooms while retaining its heritage character. Commenting at the opening, Dr Howard Keeley, Director of Georgia Southern’s Center for Irish Research and Teaching, said, “Georgia Southern University is excited to make a significant investment in international education by committing to Global Hub – Ireland. This constitutes the university’s most important studyabroad initiative since its
founding over 100 years ago. “ It is planned that in Spring and Summer this year Georgia Southern will be launching a series of pilot courses at Global Hub – Ireland focused on professional disciplines such as nursing, healthcare administration, sports management, and primary and secondary school education. In addition to classroom instruction, the intention is to provide field experiences and networking opportunities for Wexford townbased Georgia Southern students.” Also to be offered during the pilot phase of the Global Hub – Ireland will be humanities and international-studies courses. n
Braving the weather on Enniscorthy’s Market Square in aid of the Lions Club Christmas Appeal were volunteers Renee Kelly, Orla Harrington, Frank O’Connor and Catherine Bourke-O’Leary.
Davy Fitz at Skoda
County Wexford Community Workshop and Kilcannon Industries acknowledge their volunteers internAtionAl volunteer dAy 5th december, 2019 co. Wexford community Wo r k s h o p e n n i s c o r t h y (cWcWe) is an organisation founded by volunteers and strongly promotes a volunteer ethos to support people with an intellectual disability. It is a service for approximately 200 adults who attend
its day service or live in its residential homes. CWCWE’s sister company, Kilcannon Industries, is a Social Enterprise with the primary aim of developing a supportive environment through supervised work and the creation of employment opportunities within a sustainable working environment for individuals with an intellectual disability.
Globally, December 5th is designated as International Volunteer Day and this gives the organisation the opportunity to recognise and celebrate the many volunteers who, combined, contribute thousands of hours of their time, skills, talents and expertise to support both the service users and the organisation itself. In December the organisation held a coffee morning to say ‘thank you’ to its dedicated volunteers and to launch a new and improved Volunteer Programme focused on supporting and guiding
volunteers to make the time they contribute as meaningful as possible for all parties involved. CWCWE volunteers currently participate in activities ranging from sporting activities such as golf, bocce and line-dancing to arts, crafts, music, and others who volunteer in Kilcannon Garden Centre Nurseries and annually in Kilcannon’s Santa Village. CWCWE is extremely grateful to all current volunteers and wishes to thank them for their ongoing dedication. n
Above and below: Wexford Manager Davy Fitzgerald endorsing Donohoe Skoda at the Blackstoops roundabout, Enniscorthy. Pics: Maria Nolan.
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Slaney News
8 January 2020
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Enniscorthy Greyhound Track – fighting for survival A recent report commissioned by bord na gcon (irish Greyhound board) has recommended the withdrawal of funding to four greyhound tracks, including enniscorthy, which if implemented would inevitably mean the closure of the enniscorthy facility. In December, Enniscorthy TD James Browne called a special Dáil debate with the Minister of State for Agriculture, Andrew Doyle TD, concerning the proposed funding cut to Enniscorthy. Speaking in the Dáil debate on 10th December, Deputy Browne stated it “comes as an economic blow to the town, which is only now getting back on its feet. The track makes a significant contribution to rural employment and developing the town of Enniscorthy. It is a profitable track, which makes it difficult to understand why it is being targeted by Bord na gCon. It makes little or no sense for the region... It is difficult to comprehend this decision when so many other tracks are making a loss.” Minister Andrew Doyle replied: “According to the 2017 Power report, the greyhound sector provides and supports considerable employment both directly and indirectly throughout the country. It is estimated that in 2016, the industry supported 5,058 full-time and parttime jobs in the economy. In
addition, there are 7,313 active greyhound owners in Ireland. The total number of people deriving economic benefit from the sector is estimated at 12,371. “Bord na gCon released an independent report undertaken by Indecon Economic Consultants on 6 December 2019, which reviewed the future needs of its 16 licensed stadia and made recommendations regarding the industry's footprint into the future. The recommendations of the report, which have been accepted by Bord na gCon, provide a road map to underpin a sustainable long-term future for the industry. The brief for the study included the assessment of infrastructure and services available at all 16 licensed stadia in Ireland, an assessment of financial sustainability at each track, analysis of population catchments and motorway access, and detailed recommendations regarding each individual stadium. “The report has recommended... the ceasing of fund-
ing for four stadia, namely, Enniscorthy, Lifford, Longford and Youghal. These four tracks have a long and distinguished history and have been focal points for recreation and enterprise in their respective communities. The impact of their closure will be acutely felt, and I am cognisant that people's livelihoods will be impacted.” Deputy Browne replied: “The track in Enniscorthy is approaching its 90th year. It is a profitable track. Many of the other tracks that are to be left open are losing money hand over fist so the fact that Enniscorthy is one of the tracks to be closed makes no sense. I call on the Minister of State and Bord na gCon to meet with the track operators, an independent track in Enniscorthy, to review this decision. I hope this track will not close... I also hope that the welfare plan in the Indecon report is not only implemented but that there is proper oversight to ensure it is implemented and these animals are properly cared for.”
More than three hundred people attended a public meeting at Enniscorthy Track in December to try and prevent the closure of the track. Minister Paul Kehoe told the attendance that he didn’t trust the IGB board, that they are trying to get rid of private tracks and that Enniscorthy did not get a fair hearing. Deputy Browne told the same meeting that the legal option should be explored saying that the Competition Authority needs to look at this as there should be independent tracks to compete against the IGB and if private tracks like Enniscorthy are closed IGB will end up with a monopoly. Enniscorthy Track Manager, Jim Turner, told this paper that any track closing has a detrimental impact on the sport of greyhound racing. He said that Bord na gCon is on the one hand trying to get people to participate in the sport yet on the other hand is closing tracks that would afford people the opportunity to
WHAT DOES "LGBTQIA+" STAND FOR EXACTLY?
Ethos of a Catholic Primary School programme launched in Ferns Diocese
This acronym not only serves as a symbol for the movement, but also as a memory tool for those who need a little help.
“outside of dublin, Wexford has always been a popular destination for our community and whilst the Wexford festival opera sees an influx of lGbtQiA+ people to the county, there's plenty for us to take part in during the rest o f t h e y e a r, ” s a y s J o h n cunningham-ryan, founder of the Wexford rainbow reading club. There are lots of events being organised in Co. Wexford – most of them under the umbrella of the recently formed Wexford LGBTQIA+ collective. The Collective was delighted to take part in the Frederick Douglass Wexford Civil Rights Festival which ran at the end of November, with Ruby O'Connor and John Cunningham-Ryan leading a fantastic discussion on what it means to be a member of the community and how important representation is (spann i n g f ro m o u r e l e c t e d representatives to how all forms of media portray the community, and personal representation).
Following on from a great Pride in the Park event this summer, lots of people have come forward with ideas for how the LGBTQIA+ community can strengthen and grow. The Rainbow Reading Club continues to meet on the second Saturday of every month. Find out more on the Wexford Rainbow Reading Club private facebook group or contact John on 086 395 3846. John continues, “This new year we will be starting a monthly pub social night but it's also really important to have a variety of events including ones that don't involve drinking alcohol and events suitable for families. To this end there there will be regular bowling and movie nights and occasional table quizzes. We've even had an enquiry to set up a choir. “We also have a lot of work to do to reach out to the older members of our community in isolated rural areas in the county, so this new year will certainly not be boring. So, yes we have lots of challenges but we are looking forward to it.” n
L - Lesbian. Lesbian is a term used to refer to homosexual females. G - Gay. Gay is a term used to refer to homosexuality, a homosexual person, or a homosexual male. B - Bisexual. Bisexual is when a person is attracted to two sexes/genders. T - Trans. Trans is an umbrella term for transgender and transsexual people. Q -Queer/Questioning. Queer is an umbrella term for all of those who are not heterosexual and/or cisgender. Questioning is when a person isn't 100% sure of their sexual orientation and/or gender, and are trying to find their true identity. I - Intersex. Intersex is when a person has an indeterminate mix of primary and secondary sex characteristics. A - Asexuality. Asexuality is when a person experiences no (or little, if referring to demisexuality or grey-asexuality) sexual attraction to people. + - The "+" symbol simply stands for all of the other sexualities, sexes, and genders that aren't included in these few letters. n
At a meeting in the riverside park hotel in enniscorthy on thursday 14th november 2019, bishop denis brennan , speaking to a gathering of primary schools principals and chairpersons of boards of management of catholic primary schools in ferns diocese, launched the document Ethos of a Catholic Primary School. The document outlines a programme of understanding and action to be rolled out within Catholic Primary Schools within the Diocese over the next five years. The programme is designed to deepen understanding of the Catholic ethos, to highlight awareness of the current strengths within schools and to effect a programme of basic discussions and actions across the whole school community that fully values each person and makes more explicit the Gospel energy available to further the mission of Christ in today’s world. Speaking at the launch, Bishop Brennan said: “... this is a comprehensive work offering our Catholic Primary Schools strategies which will enable us to evaluate our standing in relation to schools of other faiths and none.
participate. How many young people are going to get involved in greyhound racing if their local track has closed, asked Mr Turner. At the monthly meeting of Enniscorthy Municipal District on 16th December, many of the councillors spoke in support of Enniscorthy Track. Cllr Jackser Owens pointed out that the track opened in 1933 and has been a wonderful facility for the town ever since. Cllr Cathal Byrne emphasised that the track is privately owned and profitable. Cllr John O’Rourke spoke about how the track is a great source of fundraising for local charities, clubs and voluntary bodies t h ro u g h b e n e f i t n i g h t s . Chairperson Kathleeen CoddNolan mentioned how the track is a business in addition to a social outlet with many people employed directly at the track and also in breeding and training greyhounds. On 19th December, a delegation from Co. Wexford met with Minister Andrew Doyle. The delegation included two
representatives from Enniscorthy Greyhound Track – Myles Roban and John Somers, and politicians – Minister Paul Kehoe, James Browne TD, Minister Michael D’Arcy, Cllr Kathleeen CoddNolan, Cllr Pip Breen (representing Wexford County Council Chairman Michael Sheehan), and Cllr Cathal Byrne. The delegation believe they got a fair hearing from Minister Doyle. Enniscorthy Track is now working on a professional submission which will be sent to Indecon, Bord na gCon and Minister Doyle, before the end of this month, in support of its case for continued funding. A S p e c i a l M e e t i n g o f Wexford County Council has been called for 13th January to meet with a deputation from Enniscorthy Greyhound Track. A public meeting is set for Wednesday 15th January at 8pm in the riverside park hotel, enniscorthy. All are welcome. A potential crowd of about 1,000 is expected which will make it one of the largest public meetings in enniscorthy in many years. Keep an eye on our ‘Slaney News’ Facebook page for ongoing updates on this story. Meanwhile racing at the track continues – the next night is Thursday 16th January. n
Ferdia Kelly (Catholic Schools Partnership CSP), Mairin Jackson (Diocesan Advisor for Primary Schools in Ferns Diocese), Tommy Carroll (CSP) and Bishop Denis Brennan of Ferns.
“Our Catholic Schools are part of a huge worldwide network. The Catholic Church is the largest non-governmental provider of education in the world serving over 60 million students annually. “Our schools are recognised around the world for excellence in academics, for instilling a commitment to civic engagement, for fostering leadership and for nurturing respect for the dignity of the human person. “It is interesting to note that of the 47 member states of the Council of Europe, which includes Russia and Turkey, there are only 2 countries, France and Macedonia, where
there is no religious education in State Schools. “I would like to take this opportunity to extend my sincere thanks to all who work in our schools for the remarkable work you do throughout the Diocese, in your work with young people you truly touch the future. “This process is a nationwide initiative and is being currently introduced across the other 25 dioceses. “So, once again my thanks for your presence tonight and my thanks for all your do in the name of the Gospel to create in the words of Pope Francis, ‘a civilisation of love’.” n
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CHRISTMAS AROUND THE REGION
Wexford Winterland Parade at Selskar and turning on of Christmas Lights, 23rd November. Left: Santa with Amy and Sean Hatchell. Above: Santa with Cllr Lisa McDonald and her daughter Caragh Simpson. Above right: Santa and Mrs Claus meet Paddy Rossiter from Castlebridge at Selskar.
Wexford Winterland Parade at Selskar and Christmas Lights Turn-on on Wexford Quays, 23rd November. Adults L-R: Cllr Garry Laffan, Angela Laffan (Town Manager), Cllr George Lawlor (Mayor), Cllr Ger Carthy.
The Snow Queen at Wexford Winterland Parade at Selskar on 23rd November.
Clonard Community Centre Christmas Fair: Peter and Lotty Kelly. Switch-on of Lights and Remembrance Tree at Our Ladies Isle.
Wells House & Gardens. Santa and Mrs Claus with their Elves in front of Wells House, Gorey, 1st December 2019.
Visiting Santa at Kia Ora Mini Farm, Gorey. Above L-R: Elf Emma Roche, Lea Roche, Sophie Plummer, Pauline Roche and Elf Tiernan Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Toole. Above right L-R: Erin, Lily Bethany and Saige Lilford with Santa.
Christmas at Wells House & Gardens on 1st December. Above left: Elves Aisling Power as Tinsel and Ciara Blake as Giggles. Above right: Having a reindeer weekend â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Mika Daly watched by Jessica Skerritt as Elf Jingles.
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Slaney Entertainment & Leisure
8 January 2020
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ENNISCORTHY AND DISTRICT CHAMBER BLACKTIE BALL Riverside Park Hotel, Enniscorthy, Tuesday December 10th
One of the social events of the year, the Enniscorthy and District Chamber Blacktie Ball signalled the start of the festive season in Enniscorthy with all the glitz and glamour one would associate with an event of this magnitude. A sumptuous meal was preceded by a champagne reception sponsored by the Riverside Park Hotel. And the renowned Brass and Co. provided the music for the dancing. The ball attracted a large representation from the commercial, retail, industrial and cultural sectors from across the Enniscorthy district.
Top left: Ger Mackey (Enniscorthy Municipal District Manager), Minister Paul Kehoe TD, Leonie Grant, Rory Fanning, Martin Sinnott. Top centre: Fr. Odhran Furlong and Rev. Nicola Halford. Top right: Colm Neville and James Browne TD. Above right: Ed Murphy, Ger Mackey (Enniscorthy Municipal District Manager), Maree Lyng and Jimmy Gahan (President and Development Officer respectively of Enniscorthy and District Chamber). Left: Members of Wexford Literary Arts Festival Committee Cathy Keane, Richie Cotter, Maria Nolan and Edel Kelly, with Minister Paul Kehoe TD. Right: Kathleen Codd-Nolan (Chairperson Enniscorthy Municipal District), Minister Paul Kehoe TD, Barbara-Anne Murphy (Vice-Chair Enniscorthy Municipal District). ALL PICS: MARIA NOLAN
ISLA GRANT IN CONCERT AT RIVERSIDE PARK HOTEL Isla Grant is now well established in Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, America and Canada as a singer/songwriter of the highest quality. Over the last few years she has completed hugely successful tours of those countries and once again received five 'Gold Discs' for CD sales. Add this to six 'Platinum Discs' already received in Ireland and you can see why this 'Scottish Lass' is so popular. Her highly entertaining concert show features all her wonderful hit songs and some new ones from her latest album. Isla's interaction with her audience is second to none and the atmosphere at her live shows is a joy to experience. Together with an excellent backing band which includes AL GRANT and GLEN FLYNN, the ingredients are there for a concert of the highest quality. RIVERSIDE PARK HOTEL, ENNISCORTHY. Thursday, February 6th. Tickets €30 at the Hotel. Tel. 053-9237800. And at Ticketmaster.ie n
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THE GLASS ASYLUM by Bunclody/Kilmyshall Drama Group 17 Jan 2020, 8pm. This is a new work written by Niall Ó Muirí and recently premiered by Bunclody/Kilmyshall Drama Group in Bunclody to 4 sell-out performances and also sold out in Wexford Arts Centre. The play is set in a Psychiatric Hospital on the outskirts of Dublin in the 1980s. It centres on the struggles of Rayo Hickey as he comes to terms with his illness and his relationship with staff, fellow patients and the outside world. It has been described as, “A comic and dramatic tale of one man’s struggle with mental illness.” A great play to see as part of Firstfortnight – The Mental Health Art and Culture Festival in January 2020. Proceeds on the night will go to Wexford Mental Health Association. €12/10. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Plus art exhibitions, workshops, classes, childen’s activities etc. See www.presentationcentre.ie for details. Tel: (053) 9233000. Always lots happening at The Presentation Centre.
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Pa Whelan (third from right in front row) with his AWOL fitness class at their Christmas Party night in the Riverside Park Hotel. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– JEFFREY FOUCAULT plus guests Billy Conway and Ry Cavanaugh. 25 Jan 2020. In 20 years on the road Jeffrey Foucault has become one of the most distinctive voices in American music, refining a sound instantly recognisable for its simplicity and emotional power. He’s built a brick-and-mortar international career of multiple studio albums, countless miles, and critical acclaim, lauded for “Stark, literate songs that are as wide open as the landscape of his native Midwest” (The New Yorker), and described as, “Quietly brilliant” (Irish Times). –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– MAGICAL JOURNEYS with renowned storyteller JOE BRENNAN. 26 Jan, 16 Feb, 29 Mar, 26 April 2020, all at 2.30pm. Wexford storyteller Joe Brennan will dip into his collection of traditional stories to bring the audience on ‘Magical Journeys’. Each performance is unique as he invites his audience on a journey that will excite, surprise, inspire, challenge, cause the odd fright even and many laughs. Joe’s gift as a storyteller, from many years sharing stories across the globe, is to respond to his audience, to lead them gently on the journey and to ensure they come out the other end feeling all is right in the world.’ The stories will choose themselves on the day,’ says Joe. And each telling is a new experience and version for that audience, that place. His storytelling performances are unadorned wonders, just Joe, his voice and his hands. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– PILGRIM ST. 1 Feb 2020. Strongly influenced by Bluegrass, Old Time Country and Folk Music, fused with traditional folk songs from this side of the Atlantic, Pilgrim St bring a warm and lively atmosphere to their music and have garnered a glowing word-of-mouth endorsement from venues around the country with their powerhouse live performances. Drawing from fellow luminaries such as Hank Williams, Woody Guthrie, The Pogues and Bruce Springsteen’s Seeger Sessions outfit, Pilgrim St bring their infectious melodies, harmonies and songs to venues all around the country. With a set list made up of covers and their own original songs, they have graced the stages of Electric Picnic and Vicar St plus played all over Ireland's top theatres and music venues. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– LUAN PARLE and CLIVE BARNES. 8 Feb 2020. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Plus art exhibitions, workshops, classes, childen’s activities, etc. See www.wexfordartscentre.ie for details. Tel: 053-9123764.
ENNISCORTHY DRAMA GROUP For information on the group’s play Wild in the Country running from 4th to 7th March in The Presentation Centre, see Joe Doyle’s page, page 36.
Blackstairs Blues news.... At a recent meeting to review the 2019 Blackstairs Blues Festival, the Chairman, John Murphy, stated that “it was one of the most successful Festivals for years and the fact that it was celebrating its 25th anniversary added to the significance of the event. It is now established as one of the premier Blues Festivals and it is the hope
of the committee to build on its continued success and to maintain and even improve on the standard of the bands and the quality of the music for future festivals. The committee appreciates the co-operation of all the participating venues and the support of our sponsors which added greatly to the Festival’s success.”
ENNISCORTHY LIBRARY EVENTS For information on all Enniscorthy Library events in January, see “Enniscorthy Library” on Facebook or contact Library 053-9236055. Next year’s Blues Festival will be held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the 11th, 12th and 13th September 2020. n
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TOM KELLY PRESENTS IN CONCERT
ISLA GRANT
ISLA GRANT & BAND RIVERSIDE PARK HOTEL ENNISCORTHY THUR FEB 6th TEL 053-9237800. TICKETS €30 EACH AT
JOHNNY McEVOY
JOHNNY McEVOY
MIKE DENVER
RIVERBANK HOUSE HOTEL RIVERSIDE PARK HOTEL ENNISCORTHY THUR MAR 26th WEXFORD SAT FEB 29TH TEL 053-9237800. TEL 053-9123611. ALL HOTEL VENUES AND TICKETMASTER.IE
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Slaney Entertainment & Leisure
8 January 2020
Rathnure Panto Review by Seán Doyle The Society’s first Pantomime, Cinderella, was staged in 1995, and over the intervening years some 25 Pantomimes, 10 original Musicals and 1 straight drama, have been presented in the John Kelly Memorial Hall in Rathnure. The vast majority of the shows emanated from the fervid and fertile imaginations of John Reilly and Liam Sharkey. I was present for their latest production on Saturday evening, 28 December, which was titled ToyBox. My sister, Anne Kehoe of Clonleigh, picked me up in Enniscorthy and conveyed me and my grandson, Ethan Doyle, aged seven, to Rathnure and we were definitely in the throes of excited anticipation. We arrived at the Hall at 5.30pm – the show was due to commence at 6pm which was an ideal time for us. As we entered an almost empty hall I missed one encounter I always experienced at all previous pantomimes I attended in Rathnure and that was the very visible Martin Byrne, with a broad smile across his honest countenance, and with a fistful of tickets for the nightly raffle. There was no escape – one stumped up immediately. All the years I purchased tickets from Martin I never won anything but this year I won a tin of biscuits and a voucher for Malocca’s of Slaney Street, Enniscorthy. Martin, looking down from above, must have felt guilty that I won nothing from all the tickets he sold me and intervened and directed the hand to pull out my ticket. The Pantomime Programme contained an eloquent and moving tribute to Martin and acknowledged his generous contribution to his community. I travelled to Lourdes two years
ago with the Ferns Diocesan Pilgrimage and I heard many extolling the involvement of Martin Byrne with the Ferns Pilgrimage over the years. Martin was unable to travel that year but I did meet him at the Pilgrimage Mass in St. Aidan’s Cathedral prior to the journey to Lourdes. The Hall had rapidly filled up, a packed house. I find it difficult to explain the storyline of ToyBox, except to say that two little girls imagined their toys having a real life in the big bad world which resulted in an assembly of characters we are all familiar with such as Bo Peep, Red Riding Hood, Action Man, The Hulk, Snow Queen, Magic Mirror, Dorothy and the cowardly Lion and many more; I was so mesmerised I lost control of my initial interest in individuals and allowed it all to come at me. Pantomime survives by being extremely adaptable and the presentation I enjoyed in Rathnure is worlds away from the traditional pantomimes I was involved in as a young thespian. Mixing classic fairy tales, nursery rhymes and futuristic make-believe certainly worked with the young audience. To comment on the acting abilities of all the characters that appeared on stage would take up too much space which is not available to me. Suffice to say that
the acting and self-confidence has improved dramatically over the years. All the young people on the stage came across full of conviction – they had many exits and entrances in a rather complex show and they did not appear to fluff any of their cues or entrances. The show commenced almost on time, shortly after 6 o’clock, and the final curtain came down five minutes past 9pm. The action on stage was non-stop, scene after scene in quick succession; the story moved on at a spell-binding pace linked together by excellent narrators. Audience interaction was something to behold – the young people amongst us certainly let themselves go shouting the immortal pantomime line ‘he’s behind you’. Ethan Doyle became very animated, jumped to his feet, gesticulating furiously and shouting at the top of his voice. It was the first time that I was accompanied by a young boy at a Rathnure Pantomime and it confirmed my belief that pantomime stimulates lively reactions in young people, prompted, of course, by some of the characters on the stage. Suddenly, roughly half way through the performance, an apparition appeared on stage, loud and brassy in the person of Elsa, played by John Reilly. She
was curvaceous but the curves appeared to be incorrectly positioned. Elsa was a dissipated travesty of overripe femininity. She was brazenly forward and pressed her flirtatious attentions on a number of characters on stage; no respect whatever for political correctness or for the male Me Too Movement. She made a number of forays into the auditorium which appeared to be enjoyed by the audience. She approached Ethan with a high five hand gesture, but Ethan didn’t play ball – he told me later that he was seated in the side of the hall that was supporting Albert, the Wolf, played by Liam Sharkey and that he couldn’t let Wolf down. I thought Wolf was a benign character; just couldn’t see him savaging sheep up Corrigeen way. The audience certainly enjoyed the entertainment and the reaction of all the young people added enormously to the overall enjoyment the night I was there. I did feel that the public address system added certain raucousness to the singing. The show had an enormous cast and a large number of backstage staff, all volunteers; and after much rehearsal and attention to detail you could say we were treated to a theatrical extravaganza. The wizardry of the lighting team was much appreciated and the sets and costumes were brilliant. Anne Kehoe landed Ethan and I back in Enniscorthy and then she had to drive to Clonleigh. What one does for the sake of ‘Art’? On the way back to Enniscorthy, Ethan expressed his delight with the show and hopes to join a future cast of a Rathnure pantomime and he is seeking “a talking part”. – Seán Doyle
Your “cut out and keep”
JAN 2020 ENTERTAINMENT All venues are in Enniscorthy unless otherwise stated. Fri 10 Thur 16 Fri 17 Sat 18 Sun 19 23-25 Fri 24 Sat 25 Sun 26 Feb 1 Feb 6 Mar 26
THE DOLAN FAMILY presents “REMEMBERING JOE” – JOE DOLAN TRIBUTE BAND. Riverside Park Hotel, Enniscorthy. DIRTBIRDS LIVE. Riverside Park Hotel, Enniscorthy. THE GLASS ASYLUM by Bunclody/Kilmyshall Drama Group. The Presentation Centre, Enniscorthy, 8pm. NIALL TONER & DERMOT BYRNE, plus DJ support from Lewis Boogie. The Bailey. 9pm. AARRON & DANI McDONNELL DUO (from Texas). The Bailey. 8pm. ROBIN HOOD. Pantomime performed by Ferns Dramatic Society. Ferns Community Centre, 8pm. JACK L. Courthouse Arts Centre, Tinahely. JEFFREY FOUCAULT plus guests Billy Conway and Ry Cavanaugh. Wexford Arts Centre. Magical Journeys with renowned storyteller JOE BRENNAN. Wexford Arts Centre, 2.30pm. PILGRIM ST. Wexford Arts Centre. ISLA GRANT. Riverside Park Hotel, Enniscorthy. MIKE DENVER. Riverside Park Hotel, Enniscorthy.
BINGO: Sunday Nights (except bank holidays) in Community Centre, Templeshannon, Enniscorthy, at 8.00pm. HOLOHAN’S PUB: See “Niall Holohan” on Facebook for upcoming gigs. THE LOCAL BAR: Live music every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. T. DOYLE’S PUB: Live music every Friday night. GREYHOUND RACING: Every Mon and Thurs from Thurs 16th January. First Race 8pm. ST MICHAEL'S THEATRE, NEW ROSS: www.stmichaelsnewross.com NATIONAL OPERA HOUSE: www.nationaloperahouse.ie SOCIAL DANCING: Check out “Social Dancing in and around Wexford” on Facebook or text your name to 087 2723375 to receive the dates.
It would be prudent to check all events locally with organisers and/or venues. Thanks to Joseph Doyle for his help with our comprehensive events guide. Please email your event details to slaneynews@gmail.com.
FOR LOCAL ENTERTAINMENT NEWS… Check the listing above Check out our pages 15-23 See Joseph Doyle’s column page 36 Check www.wexlive.com for updated listings. Facebook:“Slaney News” and “Enjoy Enniscorthy”
Enniscorthy Library...
Wexford Has Talent – auditions this month The countdown to the much anticipated 2020 Wexford Has Talent audition date is underway and the only chance for competitors to bag a place on the competition stage takes place on Sunday, January 19th, from 12 noon to 6 pm at Clayton Whites, Wexford. Participants can now reserve their free audition slot on www.wexfordhastalent.com The judges for the 2020 auditions have also been announced... Edel Quinlan has been Principal of Centre Stage School of Ballet & Performing Arts in Waterford for the last 15 years. She has choreographed for Wexford Light Opera, Wexford Opera Festival and Carrick on Suir Musical Society and is no stranger to performing having danced on a local and national level. Her students were selected as the Best Overall Group at the Irish National Dance Awards and have competed internationally in Romania as part of the World Dance Championships. Eric Hayes is no stranger to
the stage having starred in a variety of stage roles over the past 15 years. A previous winner of the "Best Male Singer" award in the Guinness Singing Swinging Pubs competition he was also selected as "Best Male Singer" in the Tops of the Town competition. More recently he has been seen on stage as MC and solo performer in “Sing Out Loud” which was held in the National Opera House and as if that wasn’t enough he is also the current Chairperson and former Secretary of Wexford Light Opera Society. Catherine Walsh, or "Biddy"
as she is known to many, is renowned throughout Wexford and beyond as an actress, entertainer and comedienne for her entire life. In her younger days she acted and directed Panto with Wexford Pantomime Society, she is a founder member of Oyster Lane Theatre Group, and has been a stalwart with Taghmon Tops group on and off stage. Catherine is long time member of Wexford Light Opera Society and has featured in many productions with them. She is the proud winner of AIMS Best Supporting Female on two occasions. From the auditions process, the judges will select a shortlist of between 24 and 30 acts who will then go forward to take part in the live audience semi-finals at Clayton Whites on Saturday, February 1st and Sunday, February 2nd, with the Grand Final taking place on Saturday the 29th of February and will see at least 12 acts perform to an audience of 600 people. Finalists
will be competing for a prize of €750 across the categories; Over 25’s, Variety and Under 25’s Music & Song with one of these three category winners being upgraded to the overall winner and walking away with a €2,000 prize fund. The Wexford Has Talent competition is kindly sponsored by The Wexford People. Tickets for semi-finals and the Grand Final are priced at €10 and €15 respectively. Organisers say that all acts who turn up to audition on the day will get a chance to showcase their talent. Chairperson Enda Whelan says, "We are encouraging as many acts as possible to pre-register for their audition place via the website www.wexfordhastalent.com as this will ensure the least amount of waiting time for contestants. However, the judges will see all acts that turn up on the day.” To register for a free audition place see www.wexfordhastalent.com n
Professional photographer Ger Carty will deliver two presentations in Enniscorthy Library in January. Both are FREE and all welcome.
THURSDAY 23RD JANUARY AT 7PM: This first night will be a talk, demonstration and presentation on photography from the early days of film and print processing in a darkroom right up to today’s digital cameras, computers and storage.
THURSDAY 30TH JANUARY AT 7PM: In this second session, Ger will concentrate on camera equipment, and how to improve your photographc skills.
BOOKING RECOMMENDED TEL: 053-9236055 TO ADVERTISE ON OUR ENTERTAINMENT PAGES PLEASE CALL 087-2403310
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RIVERSIDE PARK HOTEL ENNISCORTHY THURSDAY 16th JANUARY 2020 Doors open 7.30pm, show starts 8pm. Tickets €24 from: Hotel Reception on (053) 9237800 or Ticketmaster.ie
Dollies delight in Christmas Party
Enniscorthy Delightful Dollies Christmas Party in the Riverside Park Hotel L-R: Teresa Ring and Stephanie Murphy.
Delightful Dollies Christmas Party in the Riverside Park Hotel L-R: Caroline Stamp and Maria O’Sullivan.
Enniscorthy Delightful Dollies Christmas Party in the Riverside Park Hotel, L-R: Catherine Quigley, Goretti Hayes, Theresa O’Connor and Helen Wildes.
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Slaney Entertainment & Leisure
8 January 2020
CHRISTMAS IN ENNISCORTHY LEFT: Happy Christmas as Rosie Lambert gives her brother Alfie a kiss for Christmas at the Kilcannon Garden Centre Santa’s Winter Wonderland on the Old Dublin Road, Enniscorthy. RIGHT: After Visiting Santa at Kilcannon Garden Centre, Enniscorthy, were: Sandra Jones Austin Connolly and Anthony Keenan.
ENNISCORTHY CHRISTMAS LIGHTS SWITCH-ON, 23rd NOVEMBER. Above Left: Paul Kehoe TD and his children with some characters from Santa’s Enchanted Castle. Above Centre: Happy smiles as the lights are switched on in Enniscorthy. Above Right: Some of the characters participating in the Enniscorthy Christmas Parade. Left: Cllr Kathleen Codd-Nolan, Chairperson of Enniscorthy Municipal District with some of the crowd at switch-on in Enniscorthy. Right: Enjoying the switch-on of the Christmas Lights in Enniscorthy. Below: Three more photos of the Enniscorthy switch-on.
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CHRISTMAS AROUND ENNISCORTHY
Kilmuckridge Panto "Adventure to Kayoss" in Kilmuckridge Hall, 12th to 15th December, Mick Murphy as Null, Johnny Dempsey as Prof Atnas, and Ciaran Cooper as Void.
Oulart Christmas Fair in the Community Centre on Sunday 1st December. A bunch of flowers for Tina Rossiter from stallholder Bob Wilshire.
Oulart Christmas Fair in the Community Centre. Put a Cork On It! Niamh Dempsey and Charlie Byrne at their stand.
Helen D’Eathe (fourth from left) with her models from Helen’s Home Shop at the Enniscorthy Golf Club Craft Fair and Fashion Show.
Santa arrives by Horse and Cart at Wells House & Gardens on 1st December.
COLÁISTE AN ÁTHA, KILMUCKRIDGE, CHRISTMAS FAIR IN SCHOOL GYM, 29TH NOVEMBER. Left: Evelyn Burke and Mia Redmond at their candle products stand. Right: School Choir singing Christmas numbers to delight attendees at the Fair. Below: A family affair at Courtnacuddy Christmas Fair in Community Centre 24th November: Billy Byrne, Emma O’Brien, Georgia Molloy and Sally O’Brien.
Kiltealy Christmas Fair in Community Centre Sunday 24th November, Cara Kean and Anne Morris at the ICA stand.
Below Right: Galbally Christmas Fair in Community Centre, 24th November, Marie Banville at the Molly Magic Moment stand with customers Sally Leacy and Patrick McLoughlin.
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Slaney Entertainment & Leisure
On Friday 20th December, Wexford GAA celebrated a successful 2019 season with a Black Tie Gala Ball at the Clayton Whites Hotel Wexford. The special evening had all the hallmarks of Wexford hurling manager, Davy Fitzgerald, who seems to have the Midas Touch on and off the field, making this an occasion to remember. ‘I didn’t just want the lads to hear a couple of speeches and be presented with their Leinster Medals,’ he told me, ‘I wanted the lads, their families, partners, clubs, sponsors and the great Wexford supporters to have a night with a difference.’ ‘When myself and the lads do something we do it well and to the best of our ability and we wanted this night to have that wow factor.’ And, as always, when Davy sets out to achieve something there is normally an element of success and the night was a magical occasion that the attendees will treasure forever. Beginning with a Drinks Reception of Prosecco and Gin Cocktails, followed by a delectable 4-Course Repast accompanied by an abundance of Castille del Diablo Red and White wine, entertained by that incomparable duo, Marty Morrissey and Tom Dempsey, Kilrane National School Choir singing the Purple & Gold, Arias from Opera Singers sublime, Wexford band Corner Boy, Quizzes, Prizes and Auctions, and even Conor Mac and the team making their debut with Corner Boy singing a song written for them on their 2019 season which is going to be released early in the New Year, and finishing with American Heart. There were interviews with members of the team – Paul Morris, Liam Og McGovern, Simon Donohoe, Jack O`Connor
8 January 2020
The WexFactor
Pic: Maria Nolan
Pic: Maria Nolan
Above left: Liam Ryan receiving his Leinster Senior Hurling Medal from County Chairman Derek Kent. Above right: Paul Morris, Ian Byrne and Shaun Murphy.
and of course joint Captain Matthew O’Hanlon who described the team as a band of brothers who would do anything for each other and anything for Davy and Wexford. All of those interviewed includ-
ing the manager himself said that they would do their utmost to go a step further in 2020 with Davy once again paying t r i b u t e t o t h e w o n d ro u s Wexford supporters. The Leinster medals were
presented by County Board Chairman Derek Kent who said that 2019 is a year that will live long in the memory of Wexford people and he thanked everyone who had an involvement with it.
Pic: Maria Nolan Davy Fitzgerald and Marty Morrissey in jovial mood.
Davy Fitz is the Master of detail and leaves no stone unturned when it comes to planning a game or an event and this one like any good game had it all. Davy wanted the occasion to have a wow factor
but I think it is safe to say that it had the WexFactor – so well done to him, to the Wexford senior hurling panel and to Wexford county management on a spectacular evening. — Maria Nolan
Pic: Maria Nolan Tom Dempsey, Kevin Foley and Marty Morrissey.
Beautiful carol service at St Aidan’s Cathedral
The combined choirs of St Aidan’s Cathedral, Enniscorthy Choral Society and Enniscorthy Gospel Choir performing at a carol service in St Aidan’s Cathedral before Christmas. Above right: Stephen Murphy performing at the same event. Pics: Maria Nolan.
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PARTY TIME !
Enniscorthy & District Chamber Blacktie Ball in the Riverside Park Hotel, 10th December. Above Left: Kathleen Codd-Nolan (Chairperson Enniscorthy Municipal District ), Pauline and John Murphy. Above centre: Louise Doyle, Louise Murphy, John Murphy and Eugene Doyle. Above right: Jimmy Gahan (Enniscorthy & District Chamber) and wife Dr. Mairead Kelly.
Enniscorthy Farm Systems Christmas party night L-R: Declan Hempenstall, John Byrne, Shane Redmond and Jack O’Hagan.
Waters Technologies Ireland staff party Doireann Ferris and Raimonda Yonusaite.
Waters Technologies Ireland staff party night in Talbot Hotel, Wexford, L-R: Natasha Podberezska, Amber Corish Kaoanaoa and Ingrid Butler.
Rathangan N.S. party night in the Riverbank House Faythe Medical Centre party in the Riverbank Hotel, Wexford, Clara Murphy and Emma Ambrose. House Hotel, Chaintelle Ennis and Orla Martin.
Waters Technologies Ireland staff party night, Katarzyna Dabrowska and Senwdzeuk.
Rathangan N.S. staff party in the Riverbank House Hotel, Leslie and John Ormonde.
Enniscorthy’s Delightful Dollies choir entertain their colleagues at their Christmas get-together in Bellefield GAA Complex.
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Slaney News
8 January 2020
Smoky coal ban on the way Funding for 7 The ban on smoky coal will be extended to 13 towns, including Enniscorthy, from September 1st, 2020. The plan, which was given Cabinet approval before Christmas, has been welcomed by local Minister Paul Kehoe TD. The ban follows dire health warnings about the risk of smoky coal from the World Health Organisation a n d t h e E n v i ro n m e n t a l Protection Agency. The Ministers at their preChristmas meeting heard that t h re e o f t h e 1 3 t o w n s – E n n i s c o r t h y, C o b h a n d Castlebar – are among the worst in terms of air quality standards in the country. All of the 13 towns selected have populations of between 10,000-15,000 people. In welcoming the ban, Minister Kehoe added that the lead-in period will allow distributors to order appropriate fuel types for next winter’s season. “I am extremely support-
ive of this proposal,” Minister Kehoe said, saying that he knows the issue is of concern to the community and businesses. “The EPA has said that 1,500 people per year die prematurely due to poor air quality,” Minister Kehoe said. “Extending the ban on the use of smoky coal will have a positive impact on air quality, particularly in built-up areas like Enniscorthy,” he added. Fianna Fáil TD for Wexford, James Browne, is critical of the fact that the ban won’t be in place until this September. He said, “While I welcome this belated decision to extend the ban, it is disappointing that the government had to be dragged kicking and screaming to this point. It also begs the question as to why if all the main towns and cities can be covered, the rest of the country cannot? It just doesn’t add up. “I recently received a letter from the HSE’s Assistant
National Director, who confirmed that poor air quality and its health-related impacts are estimated to cost €2bn per year in Ireland. That is a significant sum of money, which could be reduced if a nationwide ban was introduced. “Fine Gael’s reluctance to extend the ban is baffling. The smoky coal ban in Dublin has been a success with “significant falls in respiratory problems and premature deaths following the introduction”. Why the government is failing to accept the medical evidence and is instead bowing to the coal merchants is something Minister Bruton needs to explain. It’s disgraceful. “Today’s announcement is merely a tactic to try and appease the public concern around this issue. It doesn’t go far enough. If Fine Gael was serious about improving air quality and respiratory health, it would extend the ban right across the country.” n
New social housing units 11 v a c a n t a p a r t m e n t s i n Enniscorthy are to be filled by families on the social housing list in the coming weeks as they are being leased by Wexford County Council for a period of 20 years. 10 of the apartments are two-bedded, while the remain-
der is a one-bed unit. All are b a s e d a t Te m p l e h i l l , Templeshannon (at the old Donohoe’s Hardware complex). The move is part of the Social Housing Leasing Scheme aimed at reducing the number of families on waiting lists. The estimated completion
date is the first quarter of 2020. "This is a welcome development from the Department of Housing,” Minister Kehoe said, adding, “I want to see these sort of arrangements increase over the coming months so as to address the issue of housing in Enniscorthy." n
Soccer legend Paul McGrath presenting a cheque for €12,175 from his Wexford Golf Classic to Tracy Jennings and Tom O’Donnell of the Wexford branch of Acquired Brain Injury Ireland, at their premises in Drinagh, Wexford, at the end of November.
Wexford Co. Council members – past and present – Christmas Party in the Riverbank Hotel, L-R: Cllr Kathleen Codd-Nolan, Cllr Willie Kavanagh, Malcolm Byrne TD.
new courses at IT Carlow and Wexford The Institute of Technology Carlow is to receive €723,000 for 77 additional places across seven of its newest courses. The announcement was made in December by Minister of State for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD, as she released the results of the call for additional places on undergraduate courses under Pillar 2 of the Human Capital Initiative that will provide for almost 3,000 additional places on 138 courses, to commence in Autumn 2020 and 2021. The seven courses at Institute of Technology Carlow that will receive funding for additional places are: Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Creative Computing and Digital Innovation; Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Cybercrime and IT Security; Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Computing in Interactive Digital Art and Design; Bachelor of Science
(Honours) in Brewing and Distilling ; Bachelor of Science in Digital Marketing with Analytics; Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Digital Marketing with Analytics; Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Mechanical Engineering. The Bachelor of Science ( H o n o u r s ) i n C re a t i v e Computing and Digital Innovation is delivered at the Institute’s Wexford Campus; the remaining courses are delivered at the Carlow campus of Institute of Technology Carlow. Welcoming the announcement, Dr. Patricia Mulcahy, President of IT Carlow, said, “This announcement by Minister Mitchell O’Connor is a further endorsement of our newest courses at both Carlow a n d We x f o rd c a m p u s e s . Institute of Technology Carlow prides itself on developing and providing an undergraduate course portfolio that is both
diverse and relevant and, because we engage with a broad range of partners in industry, provides every opportunity for employability and career success”. The additional student places represent an allocation of over €24 million from the Human Capital Initiative, which is a key part of the Enhancing Skills and Developing and Attracting Talent Pillar of Future Jobs Ireland. They will address identified key areas of enterprise skills needs and are provided through increased and incentivised provision in full time undergraduate provision. Places are on full award, full-time undergraduate courses at levels 6 to 8 on the NFQ in Higher Education Institutions. For each additional student provided under this pillar, €2,500 per year will be allocated to the institution in addition to the core grant. n
Wexford Mayor George Lawlor hosted a Christmas party in the Talbot Hotel for former Mayors of Wexford. At the event were L-R: Cllr Garry Laffan, Cllr Ger Carthy, Cllr Lisa McDonald, Mayor George Lawlor, Brendan Howlin TD, Cllr Jim Codd and Cllr Jim Moore.
Wexford Co. Council members – past and present – Christmas Party in the Riverbank Hotel, L-R: Cllr Jim Codd, former Chairman Jimmy Curtis, Cllr Lisa McDonald and Cllr Leonard Kelly.
Wexford Co. Council members – past and present – Christmas Party in the Riverbank Hotel, L-R: Current Chairman Michael Sheehan and Chairman of 40 years ago John Roche.
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Angels and Saints let down! In the July Issue of the Slaney News I wrote about the ‘Angels and Saints’ of Wexford General Hospital after spending ten days in their care. I was highly impressed with their good humour despite the stress they work under. So, I was prompted to ask how they coped and why they are so badly paid considering they are unionised. I remember when I was at college studying for a Bachelors Degree in Industrial Relations and Personnel Management, the firebrand that was P.J. Madden, the secretary of the then INO, lectured us one evening. So I asked what’s happened since the unfortunate demise of P.J. (RIP). Below are some of the comments I received from a number of nurses working in different hospitals. The comments are transcribed literally so apologies in advance for the language. 1. “Overworked, underpaid, and unappreciated. If any young person leaving school aspires to this profession, my advice to them is to avoid it like the plague and choose a career that pays fairly and commensurate with the responsibility that it brings. And choose a union that actually gives a shit about its members.” 2. “The measly 1% awarded to all government workers did not apply to the nurses. We got nothing.” 3. “I work as a nurse in a large teaching hospital. Before we went on strike last February I thought we were at our lowest. How wrong we were. It’s absolute torture working in Irish hospitals now. We didn’t receive a red cent as a result of the strike let alone extra staff. The deal the union recommended was total crap. And to add insult to injury the government imposed an embargo on any further staff recruitment. As a result, the patients are suffering and we are quite literally on our knees. Why, we wonder, did the INMO agree to this and not take action. They should’ve been screaming blue murder. Did they bugger off on an extra long holiday (like their government colleagues) in the belief that they had done what we pay them for? They have allowed the government to walk all over us and treat us like dirt. I literally feel physically sick at the end of
Another interesting and thought-provoking article by Glenbrien man, Eamonn Sheridan, who is definitely getting things off his chest! each 13-14 hour shift because of the stress. I’m ready to collapse with exhaustion having done the work of three nurses at times. The same applies to my colleagues. The danger here is... mistakes through tiredness, the result of which could be fatal. We are screamed at, sworn at and physically assaulted.” (Perhaps the union representatives have fallen into the trap used by government in past times. The Minister invites them to meet him in the Dáil and over a nice lunch he insists on them addressing him by his first name. ‘We are all friends here’ is the tactic. And the reps fall for it.) Isn’t it strange to think that he is also addressing an employer... yes, unions are employers... weird but true. This writer is a witness to the truthfulness of the remarks made previously regarding the behaviour of some patients. I believe I related in my first article the behaviour of some of the patients. One particular patient was sent from a nursing home to the hospital because they couldn’t control him. He arrived midafternoon when lunch was over so the staff gave him a cup of tea and some toast. They laid it on the tray beside the bed and wished him well. As soon as they left the ward he turned the tray over scattering everything onto the floor. He then began roaring abuse at the top of his voice and proceeded to pull the curtain that surrounded his bed off the rail. The staff came back and tried their best to placate him while the mess was being cleaned up. He continued to roar and shout abuse regardless of attempts to calm him down. Later on that night after he had quietened down, I pulled the curtains around my bed in an attempt to get some sleep. At approximately 2.30am the curtain was opened gently, I was awake and who should be there only the person who was causing all the noise earlier. “Get back in your fu***** bed before I give you good reason for being in hospital,” I told him. Where do you think he went? Yes, straight back to his bed. Next morning I told him to behave
himself from now on and that was the end of his bad behaviour. He wasn’t sick, he was just a bad bugger who needed to be told to behave. The staff were delighted although they had no idea of what brought this better behaviour about. Now my question is this: What gives a nursing home the right to send someone like this to a hospital considering the exorbitant charges they impose on residents? Do they not have a doctor on call or someone who can determine whether someone like this man has a genuine problem? And what do they think a general hospital can do if he really has a mental condition? General nursing is not designed to cope in situations such as this in my opinion. “No one seems to care and certainly not the government. They couldn’t give a flying fu** so long as they can have their cosy cars and subsidised bars. As for our union... I finally left it after thirteen years because of their inaction. I had enough of giving them my hard-earned money and getting nothing in return. We have the biggest nursing crisis in the history of the state and where is the union? Not where they should be, banging the table in the Minister’s office and threatening an allout strike. They refer to us as ‘Mighty Nurses’ my arse. It’s time all of us nurses got together and called that all-out strike. Let’s see how the government will cope with that! It’s no wonder nurses are emigrating or leaving the profession altogether. I apologise for my bad language but I’m so stressed and frustrated it’s my only release valve.” These are just a few of the many comments that I received. The one theme throughout all of them is... short staffed, long hours, underpaid, subject to abuse verbally and physically, and the possibility of making a mistake due to tiredness which could have serious consequences for the patient. Will the staff shortages be allowed to reach a stage where there simply isn’t enough people to cover the work schedules and what then? You’ve heard the old saying, “Doctors Wexford COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) first meeting in Wexford’s Clonard Community Centre on 29th November. LEFT: L-R Der White, Richie Murphy, Lanie Bruce, Sean Murphy and Breda Flood. RIGHT: Committee back row L-R Sean Murphy, Richard Murphy, Breda Flood and John Bruce. Front row: John O’ Gorman, Lanie Bruce and Richard Hanly.
differ and patients die.” Well one thing is certain.. if there aren’t enough doctors and nurses, patients will surely die. The HSE has already paid out millions of euro in compensation to patients and relatives of patients because of malpractice lawsuits. How many of these cases resulted from overtired and overworked staff due to working longer shifts because of staff shortages? “This is a budget without precedent,” the Minister for Finance proudly announced to the Dáil as his opening gambit recently. Support for Farming, Fisheries, Livestock and the Drinks Industry were among the beneficiaries together with the National Treatment Fund and Homecare etc. He also announced a €837 million package for overseas aid. Has he lost the run of himself? Why the hell are we spending millions abroad when our health system is in a shambles? He announced a €600 million bonanza from the tax take. But he is going to hold onto that for a rainy day. What he fails to recognise is that it’s been pouring bloody rain on the nurses for years. What he hasn’t highlighted is the fact that he and his colleagues in government have had two increases in their salaries this year alone. His basic salary by the way, is... €96,189 plus €79,510 in allowances... total €175,699. This does not include the use of a state car and driver, subsidised food in the Dáil restaurant and of course a subsidised bar. What other institution in the state has a bar in their place of work? Workers in general and the Nurses in particular have been given a slap in the face once again. That will lead to further strikes and further emigration of recent graduates. To use a quote by Catherine the Great, “The army is with me and the peasants will do what they’re told.” Let me draw the attention of the Minister and all of his colleagues to the fact that the Army among others are disgruntled because of the way in which they are being treated. They, the nurses, and others, might just have had enough. The seeds of revolution are being sown. Be careful you don’t reap the whirlwind. – Eamonn Sheridan n
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Funding for outdoor trails Five outdoor trails in Wexford which have significant tourism potential have received a funding boost. According to Minister Paul Kehoe, over €81,000 has been ring-fenced to develop projects in Wexford town, Courtown, Ballymoney, Rosslare and Kiltealy. The funding is part of the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme, which supports the development and maintenance of outdoor amenities such as trails, walkways, cycleways and blueways. The specific allocations: -€19,765.00 for the Wexford Walking Woodlands trails. -€16,804 to develop walking trails around Kiltealy. -€14,400 funding for the Rosslare Harbour to Carne Trail. -€16,000 for a walking trail through Courtown woods from Glennglogh to Courtown.
-€14,120 to provide a coastal walk from Ballymoney Strand to Tara Hill. Welcoming the funding, Minister Kehoe said: “There is no doubting the importance of these projects for the wellbeing and quality of life of local residents... Our investment in outdoor recreation facilities and infrastructure also pays a significant economic dividend. Thousands of tourists make walking, hiking, cycling and other outdoor pursuits an important part of their stay in Ireland. Last year alone, almost 2.7 million overseas visitors engaged in some form of cross country walking or hiking, while over 0.5 million visitors incorporated cycling into their stay. In addition, one in four of us included walking or hiking as part of our domestic holidays last year.” n
Ciara Roche, Dean Walsh and Megan Roark, from Wexford, who were just three of over 750 graduates who qualified in Primary or Post-Primary teaching at the recent annual Hibernia College conferring ceremony, held at Dublin’s Convention Centre, during which the 10,000th graduate from the College was also conferred.
Funding for local schools Vital upgrades and improvements costing €30m will be carried out at 16 schools in Co. Wexford this coming summer according to Minister Paul Kehoe TD. The investment by the Department of Education is part of the €30m Summer Works Programme , a package that will benefit 405 schools nationwide. According to Minister Paul Kehoe, the number of schools selected is up on last year which he said is a welcome development.
The 16 Wexford schools are in: Kilnamanagh, Camolin, Oulart, Newbawn, Bunscoile Loreto Gorey, Ballycullane, Poulpeasty, Castletown, Bree, Davidstown, Coolcotts, St. Mary's C.B.S Enniscorthy, Coláiste Bríde Enniscorthy, Presentation Secondary School Wexford, Kennedy College New Ross, Selskar College (Coláiste Sheilscire) Wexford. A climate action initiative has been included in the Summer Works Scheme 2020 to ensure schools future-proof for electric vehicles. n
DECLINE IN NUMBER OF GARDA VEHICLES Fianna Fáil TD for Wexford James Browne has raised concerns about the number of Garda vehicles in the county, saying there are only 62 vehicles to cover the entire Wexford Division, down from 66 in 2018. “At the moment we have 48 cars, 11 vans, one motorcycle and two 4x4s. They have to cover an area of over 2,365km² and a population of almost 150,000.... Our Gardaí need the resources to effectively police and patrol the county”, he concluded. n
26
Slaney Food & Drink
8 January 2020
Have a healthy New Year By Oonagh Trehin BSc MSc ANUTR Oonagh Trehin is a registered associate nutritionist (ANutr) from Co. Wexford. She studied nutrition for four years at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, and received a BSc Nutrition in 2016. In November 2017, she graduated from an MSc in Public Health at the University of Sunderland. Her passion for nutrition and science led her to set up Little O Nutrition which offers an evidence-based, judgementfree, friendly service. Oonagh contributes a regular column to the Slaney News.
At this time of year, after all the feasting and festivities, it can be tempting to buy into one of the many diets on the market. But for most of us, these diets are not maintainable or healthy in the long term. Instead of cutting out meals or food groups, or the things you love to eat most, take a sensible approach to the new year. You don’t have to undo or make up for anything you ate
in December, but now is a good time to make improvements in your diet. If you are thinking of making a change, keep it simple, realistic and within your time and money constraints. Above all, remember that you want to make changes that you can keep up all year, not just in January! Health-positive New Year resolution ideas: ❶ Eat an extra portion of fruit
or vegetables every day (the aim is 5/day!). ❷ Try a new fruit or vegetable every week or month. ❸ Try a meat-free dinner once per week. ❹ Take up a sport or exercise class. ❺ Walk more and use the car less. ❻ Start taking a vitamin D supplement (October- May, 10mcg/day). ❼ Learn to cook a new dish every month. ❽ Change to wholegrain pasta, rice or bread. ❾ Drink more water (aim for 8 glasses/day). ❿ Reduce your alcohol consumption (aiming to have at least 3 alcohol-free days per week). Wishing you all a healthy and happy 2020! If you would like to learn more about having a healthpositive 2020, follow my posts on social media @littleonutri-
Says “No” to food waste A large crowd attended the Ferrycarrig Hotel, Wexford, on 28th November where they were treated to a festive cookery demonstration by wellknown TV Chef Catherine Fulvio of Ballyknocken Cookery School. The event focused on making the most of food at Christmas and was part of Wexford Co. Council’s Food Waste Prevention Campaign under the Southern Region Waste Plan. Catherine’s beautiful Christmas meal consisted of Carrot & Cumin or Garden Spinach Soup to start, followed by Poached Apples Stuffed with Cashel Blue Cheese Salad, with a Christmas Pancetta and Cranberry Turkey Breast with Glazed Pears & Port Gravy for main course. Accompaniments included a Courgette and Brussel Sprout Stir Fry and Hasselback Potatoes. Desert consisted of Rosemary Honey & Plum Tart. Throughout, Catherine offered advice on meal plan-
Wexford says “No” to food waste as Fulvio’s Festive Fare goes down a treat.
tion and at www.littleonutrition.com. To book an appointment or find out more about working with me, please contact littleonutrition@gmail.com or 083-3260216. n
NIGHT CLASSES AT GOREYCOMMUNITY SCHOOL Sustainable Living is the buzzword for 2020. Give yourself a head start by learning to grow your own organic vegetables and then learn how to ferment them so you can get value from your crop right throughout the year. Organic Kitchen Gardening starts on Wednesday 22nd Jan. Food Fermentation starts on Wednesday 26th Feb. Both Classes cost €80 and run for 5 nights. For more information or to register online: www.goreyadulted.ie
To advertise on the Slaney News Food Page contact: 087-2403310
Wexford Food Family’s continued success Members of the Wexford Food Family attended their A G M o n Tu e s d a y 2 6 t h November at the Brandon House Hotel, New Ross. Wexford Food Family Chairwoman, Andrea Molloy, took everybody through what has been an extremely successful and busy year with various events and activities. CEO Paula Ronan then went though plans for 2020 which showed that members can look forward to a busy and exciting year ahead. The meeting thanked the Local Enterprise Office for their support throughout the year and is looking forward to working with the team there over the coming years. The Wexford Food Family has a strong membership of 43 producers and has 34 Official Supporters and aims to grow these in 2020. Anyone interested in becoming a member should visit the group’s website – www.wexfordfoodfamily.com for an application form. The committee was thanked for all their hard work throughout 2019.
The new committee for 2020 comprises: n Andrea M o l l o y, Cleverman Beer – Chairwoman. n Catherine George, Fancy Fungi – Vice Chair. n Tom Sinnott, Wexford Home Preserves – Ex Officio. n Anthony O’Toole, chef – Treasurer. n Trudie Power, Trudie’s Kitchen. n Liam Byrne, Macamore Buffalo. n Mary Regan, Regan Organic Farm. n John Walsh, Irish Country Meats. A new and updated Wexford Food Family website is now live and showcases all the group’s Members and Official Supporters giving potential customers valuable information on their products and services. The website also provides a valuable resource for the group’s own members providing useful information, news and updates on events, etc. Check it now: www.wexfordfoodfamily.com n
ENNISCoRTHY FARMERS’ MARKET: Saturday mornings, Abbey Square. ENNISCoRTHY CouNTRY MARKET: Friday mornings, IFA Centre, Millpark Road.
Tony meets chatty man Carr ning, reducing food waste and saving on shopping bills. She also provided tips on being creative with leftover food. The audience was very appreciative of the fantastic meal and the proof of the pudding was very much in the eating, with not a leftover in sight at the end of the two-hour demonstration! Wexford Co. Council asks all
households to consider reducing their food waste this year and help in the fight against climate change. For more information on reducing food waste visit stopfoodwaste.ie and mywaste.ie or contact the Environment Section of Wexford County Council on 053 9196000 or by email to environment@wexfordcoco.ie n
Congratulations to O’Callaghan’s Centra, Templeshannon, which was a finalist in the Centra Off-Licence Excellence Awards held in the Guinness Storehouse, Dublin, in December. O’Callaghan’s finished in the Top 10 Neighbourhood Stores in Ireland.
A group of Slimming World Consultants from Wexford and Wicklow (including Enniscorthy’s Tony McCann) celebrated their groups’ successes by meeting chat show host and comedian, Alan Carr (who presents the comedy chat show Chatty Man on Channel 4) at the annual Slimming World Awards held at Birmingham’s International Convention Centre, England. Alan co-hosted the annual Slimming World Awards with the organisation’s founder and chair Margaret Miles-Bramwell OBE. Margaret opened her first group in 1969 and over the last 50 years Slimming World has become the favourite way to lose weight, supporting almost one million slimmers. Tony McCann says, “For many people, taking that first step into a Slimming World group takes a huge amount of courage. But they’re always certain of a warm welcome and introduction to our fabulously flexible eating plan which means you’re never hungry while you’re losing weight. And when you join a group, and stay each week, members support each other
Slimming World Consultants Nichola Ryan, Tamsin O'Neill, and Tony McCann meet Chatty Man Alan Carr.
with motivation, tips and ideas, cheering each other on and boosting each other to face any challenges. Watching people grow in confidence each week and take on things that they didn’t think possible before losing weight absolutely amazes me. I feel proud of the
small part I play in supporting people to achieve their dreams.” Tony’s Enniscorthy groups meet every Saturday, 9am and 11am, at Salt n Pepper Pot Restaurant, Co. Wexford Community Workshop, Bellefield. Tel: Tony 087-1785384. n
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Comhairle Contae
053 919 6000 www.wexfordcoco.ie customerservice@wexfordcoco.ie
Loch Garman Carricklawn, Wexford Y35 WY93
TENDERS
CLOSED/VESTED BURIAL GROUND MAINTENANCE GRANT 2020 Wexford County Council seeks applications under the Closed/Vested Burial Ground Maintenance Grant Scheme 2020. The purpose of the grant scheme is to allow the Council to contribute financially to local voluntary groups such as Residents’ Associations, Tidy Towns Groups, burial ground committees etc. and qualifying individuals who carry our burial ground maintenance/improvement works, and incur expenses associated with that work within Wexford County Council vested closed burial grounds – a full list of qualifying burial grounds is available at www.wexfordcoco.ie/burial-grounds A grant of up to €400 may be available to successful applicants. How to Apply: Application form is available from the Community Section, Wexford Council, Carricklawn, Wexford, Y35 WY93 and online at www.wexfordcoco.ie/burial-grounds or by emailing community@wexfordcoco.ie or by contacting the Community Department on 053-9196520. ____________________________________________________________________
CHRISTMAS TREE SHREDDING Wexford County Council will again be arranging for the FREE shredding of Christmas trees at the below locations throughout the County. If only bringing a Christmas tree for shredding to Wexford County Council's 4 household recycling centres, there is no entry charge. €2 entry charge applies for all other waste accepted at Wexford County Council's 4 household recycling centres.
The following tender competitions are currently active. If you wish to obtain further information and make a submission for any of the tenders please visit www.etenders.gov.ie
Tender Id Reference
Tender Description
Closing Date
TempleShannon Pedestrian Bridge
162538 41/SP/2019
Celtic Routes Video Tender
162677 14/01/2020 42/COMM/2019 @ 16.00
Emergency lighting works and energy efficiency upgrade of general lighting in Wexford Library
162954 43/LIB/2019
17/01/2020 @ 16.00
Slade Harbour Remedial Works
161203 38/ENV/2019
23/01/2020 @ 16.00
Credit Control Management System
163262 44/FIN/2019
21/01/2020 @ 16.00
10/01/2020 @ 16.00
If you would like training in how to tender please contact Angie Malone on 053 9196022 or angie.malone@leo.wexfordcoco.ie
Locations
Christmas Trees can only be left on the dates below
____________________________________________________________________
Wexford County Council's 4 Household Recycling Centres
Thursday 2nd January to Saturday 11th January 2020
SPORTS ACTIVE WEXFORD OPERATION TRANSFORMATION 2020
Opening Times: Enniscorthy Household Recycling Centre, Old Dublin Road, Enniscorthy
Open Tues - Fri 8.15am - 12 noon 1pm - 4pm
Gorey Household Recycling Centre, Gorey Business Park, Ramstown, Gorey
Open Saturday 8.15am - 12 noon 1pm - 3pm
New Ross Household Recycling Centre, Hewittsland, New Ross
Closed for lunch 12 noon – 1pm
Holmestown Household Recycling Centre, Barntown, Wexford
Closed Mondays and Sundays
Redmond Park, Wexford
Thursday 2nd January to Saturday 11th January 2020. Opening Times: Monday - Sunday 9am - 5pm
Rosslare Harbour / Kilrane Sports & Social Centre, Ballyknocknen, St. Brendan's Estate, Rosslare Harbour
Thursday 2nd January to Saturday 11th January 2020. Opening Times: Monday - Sunday 9am - 5pm
Bunclody AFC Sliabh Ros, Bunclody
Thursday 2nd January to Saturday 11th January 2020 Opening Times: Monday - Saturday 9am - 6pm
Make a note of your nearest location and please remember that you may bring your tree and leave it on the specified dates. For further information please contact the Environment Section, Wexford County Council on 053 9196000. RECYCLE YOUR CHRISTMAS EMPTIES!! Put beverage cartons into your green bin, as well as cardboard, paper, food and drink cans. Bring glass and cans to your local recycling centre. If a bring bank is full, don't leave materials on the ground, use your nearest alternative site or come back another day. ____________________________________________________________________
National Walk Day – Saturday 18th January, 2020. We hope to increase numbers on last year. Bring camera/video along and forward on your clips to us or email otnationwidewalks@gmail.com Club
Time
Details
Venue & Contact Details
Sports Active Wexford
11.00am
4km
Courtown Woods Walk. Meeting in public car park in front of Courtown Adventure Centre. Sat Nav: 52.646471, -6.227945 Degrees. Tea and Coffee will be provided in the LTI building afterwards. Contact: Mary T. on 053-9196557 or maryt.kehoe@wexfordcoco.ie
Tintern Abbey Walk
11.00am
3.5km
Foxboro Trail. Meeting in public car park. Contact: Kate O'Brien.
Rosslare Harbour Ramblers
11.00am
4km
Viewing point just passed Supervalu supermarket in Rosslare Harbour. Margaret Hartigan 087-6730463.
Ballygarret Tidy Towns
11.00am
4.8km loop
Starting from Cahore Pier with a choice of 2 routes with one destination. Route 1: Cahore Cliff Walk over to Old Bawn along the beach and back via road. Route 2: Along the road from Cahore Pier to Old Bawn. Bernie Byrne: 087-9389288. Registratiion and warm up to music at 10.30am.
Wexford Walkers
11.00am
Wexford Bridge & Quay
Starting from Wexford Swimming Pool along bridge and quay. Eithne Fitzpatrick: 087-7920505.
Sunny South East Strollers
11.00am
40 min
Rathangan Community Walkway. Jacintha Cloney jacinthacloney@gmail.com
HORESWOOD COMMUNITY GAIN FUND The Horeswood Community Gain Fund has been re-opened for applications. This fund was established as part of the An Bord Pleanala ruling on the Great Island Power Station re-development. All Community Projects within the Parish of Horeswood are eligible to apply. For more information and a copy of the application form drop in to Campile Hall between 4.00pm and 8.00pm on Tuesday the 14th of January. For further information email community@wexfordcoco.ie Or call 053-9196000.
Street Lights Broken? Report on www.deadsureapp.com
27
Outside office hours call: 1890 666 777 Register on www.mapalerter.com for free text and email alerts about service disruptions in your locality
Planning app. lists available at www.wexfordcoco.ie/planning
28
Slaney Business & Finance
8 January 2020
www.slaneynews.com
LINKING IRELAND AND WALES Transforming Enniscorthy!
Clockwise from top left: L-R: Minister Paul Kehoe, Aileen Dowling of Failte Ireland and Minister Andrew Doyle. Co. Wexford Tourism Officer Billy Byrne with Cathy Keane. Padraig Sinnott and Paul O’Reilly provide the entertainment. Chairman of Wexford County Council Michael Sheehan and Chair of Enniscorthy Municipal District Kathleen Codd-Nolan. All pics: Maria Nolan.
On 30th December an event was held in the Riverside Park Hotel, Enniscorthy, organised by Invest Wexford (Wexford County Council’s economic development unit) and Enniscorthy & District Chamber. It was attended by the local business community, politicians, Wexford County Council officials, IDA, Enterprise Ireland, etc to seek ways to transform Enniscorthy economically over the next ten years. See more details on pages 1 and 8. L-R: Ed Murphy (Invest Wexford), Jimmy Gahan (Enniscorthy & District Chamber), Liz McGonigle (Pivotal, Gorey), Ger Mackey (Enniscorthy Municipal District Manager).
Wexford/Wicklow/Waterford and Wales are all going back to their shared Celtic roots in an exciting international project that links local authorities in the 3Ws with Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion. The Celtic Routes Project, assisted and driven locally by Wexford County Council’s Ger Mackey and Oonagh Messette, aims to encourage visitors to stay and explore new areas of Ireland’s South East and West Wales before leaving for their final tourist destination. The project – which was launched recently in Wales – has been developed through customer research, trade events and workshops as well as crossborder visits by businesses in Ireland and Wales to bring together expertise and ideas. Celtic Routes was launched by Ministers Paul Kehoe and Andrew Doyle at the Riverside Park Hotel on Tuesday 26th November and will run until December 2020. Welcoming everyone to the historic event, especially the
Welsh delegation, Chairman of Wexford County Council (the lead authority for the project in Ireland) Michael Sheehan said that the object of the exercise was ‘to open our hidden history, get people to explore new areas and enjoy new experiences in our six counties’. Emlyn Dowell, speaking on behalf of the Welsh contingent, thanked everyone for their very warm Irish welcome saying that it was most gracious to see ‘the Welsh Dragon flying beside the Irish Tricolour’ when they arrived. ‘This is a tale of two Nations’, he continued, ‘with the same blood coursing through our veins. Our stories, our saints and our histories keep us bound together and Celtic Routes is a celebration of all of that.’ It hopes to transform less well known areas from transit zones to touring sites, increasing the time visitors spend in these regions and capitalising on opportunities to boost local economies. The Project focuses on the three realms – Land/ Sea/Sky and is all about getting people to slow down and
take detours and unearth along the way their Celtic heritage, mysticism and spiritualism. Minister with responsibility for Defence, Mr Paul Kehoe TD, said: “Celtic Routes is a branded collection of tourism experiences that encourages travellers to Ireland and Wales to discover the Celtic Spirit by offering a number of immersive and authentic Celtic experiences in West Wales and South East Ireland. On behalf of the government’, he went on, ‘I am delighted to support a project that will have a huge impact on tourism and will act as a beacon shinning a light, not just on our magnificent landscape but on our shared mystic past.’ A wonderful project with major potential to tap into ‘slow tourism’ and give people a chance to come off the beaten track and allow the magic to happen. If you are interested in finding out more about Celtic Routes please email Project Manager Oonagh Messette: Oonagh. Messette@wexfordcoco.ie – Maria Nolan
Congrats to Evolv!
CONGRATS TO EVOLV, CASTLE HILL, ENNISCORTHY, WINNERS IN THE INAUGURAL ENNISCORTHY BUSINESS ASSOCIATION (EBA) CHRISTMAS SHOPFRONT COMPETITION. Over 2,000 votes were cast by 12 noon on Christmas Eve for the 19 entries with Evolv being the very narrow winner on 284 Votes just ahead of Petite Cherie on 276, with many of the other entries not far behind. Thanks to all who took part in this fun competition and based on this year's success, the EBA looks forward to making this an annual event.
Celebrating one year in business
ENNISCORTHY CHAMBER EVENTS: www.enniscorthychamber.ie for upcoming events Enniscorthy & District Chamber of Commerce. Tel: 053-9232006. Portsmouth House, Templeshannon. Mon to Fri 9.00am – 5.30pm. admin@enniscorthychamber.ie www.enniscorthychamber.ie
Congrats to the management and staff in The Village at Wheelocks who celebrated one year open in December.
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with the Moyne Veterinary Hospital I received a present from a client – Noel Fitzpatrick’s Supervet book and picked it up a few days later and was pleasantly surprised by it. I didn't have too many preconceived notions about it but I have to say I found it fascinating from start to finish. He came from humble beginnings, a rural farm in Co. Laois, had a tough upbringing in that he suffered brutal bullying in school and had to graft every inch of the way through school, college and his professional life... And still does by the sounds of it!! What inspired me was that nothing came that easy to him but he just doggedly stuck to each task and even though there were lots of setbacks he just pushed onward again. We have this notion that these people who are extremely gifted were somehow born that way... (and I suppose we all are it’s just that it’s buried beneath a pile of rubble so we never get to see the real potential we have) but when you realise the sheer grind that he endured to achieve his goals it is very heartening. He had his goals and dreams of setting up the ultimate veterinary surgery and has achieved them. What really struck me was how open he was about his failures... the cases that went horribly wrong or just didn't make it. He spoke about the hurt of some people’s open attacks on him whether verbally or through social media, even though he'd done all he could, it still wasn't enough. Each vet has been confronted with this at some stage in their career, probably more than once. It can be enough to make some leave a practice and pursue a different path. When faced with these lows it can seem like you want the ground to open up and swallow you, but try getting back up and dusting yourself off because the truth of it is we don't always get it right, nobody does, it’s the reality of it. Getting up again and doing your best is what defines a professional, through the inevitable highs and lows. General practice has many challenges, from the physical one of battling the elements to fractious animals and cases that just don't respond as you hope... Each brings its own unique difficulties be it physical, mental or emotional, but it’s what we sighed up for!... Inadvertently possibly!! In our own humble way, we in the Moyne Veterinary Hospital are making strides to move the practice forward each year too. It is a new year, a new beginning, and with a young enthusiastic team we've new skillsets on board and embrace the challenges. I'll leave you with a prayer from my father Simon, who was in practice for over 60 years, and saw it all... 'Lord grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change The courage to change the things I can And the wisdom to know the difference' Happy New Year to all our loyal customers. n
If you have a topic you’d like Joe Kavanagh to address please text SLANEY NEWS at 087-2403310 or email: slaneynews@gmail.com
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OPENING HOURS (6 DAYS A WEEK): 9.00am–1.00pm and 2.00pm–6.00pm Small animal clinic (please tel. for appointment): Daily 9.30–10.30am, 2.30–3.30pm, 5.00–6.00pm. 24-hour, on-call, Emergency Service: (053)9233187.
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8 January 2020
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Our February issue will be out on Thurs 6th Feb 2020
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Slaney History
8 January 2020
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If a picture tells a thousand words… Ibar Carty chronicles the 20th century in Enniscorthy & beyond...
Ibar Carty has opened up his vast photo archives to the Slaney News. In this 99th of a series, Ibar shares two photos he took over 30 years ago. If you can supply the names of any of the people featured in these photos, Ibar and the Slaney News would be delighted to hear from you. For our convenience we would ask you to email the names to: slaneynews@gmail.com. Thank you. Above: Garret Fitzgerald TD outside Murphy-Floods Hotel during pre-election tour February1987. Right: The Progressive Democrats pre-election campaign highlighting the derelict site of the Portsmouth Arms Hotel, Templeshannon. All pics: Copyright © Ibar Carty.
Ibar Carty can provide high quality prints of all photos in his series to date. Simply ring Ibar on 087-6729969 or email: ibar_carty@yahoo.ie or call into his premises on Castle St (beside Athenaeum) and if you mention the Slaney News he’ll give you 20% OFF the price! DON’T FORGET: IBAR SPECIALISES IN RECOPYING AND RESTORING OLD PHOTOS. CALL IN ANY TIME FOR MORE INFORMATION
History and Heritage at Enniscorthy Library Enniscorthy Library completed a most informative year with two extremely interesting talks in December – one delivered by heritage expert Kieran Costello on Enniscorthy Courthouse and the War of Independence, and the second a most illuminating account of one of the most influential families of the 1916 Rising – the Ryans of Tomcoole. ‘The Bureau of Military History Witness Statements are a treasure trove of information on the struggle for Independence in County Wexford,’ Kieran told the large Library audience, ‘96 local Enniscorthy men were a r re s t e d a n d h e l d i n t h e Courthouse during the War of
Independence and their accounts of how they were detained and tortured by the Devonshires under the cruel command of one Lieutenant Yeo is well documented.’ Men like Edward Balfe from the Shannon who was arrested in Irish Street and poked and prodded with bayonets as he was marched to the Courthouse describes how he was stripped naked on arrival, had cold water thrown at him, and then was forced to run around the Court yard whilst members of the Devonshires beat him with towels. Or Sean Whelan, who was arrested in town in November 1920, talks about being ‘scrubbed
with a scrubbing brush until there was hardly any skin left on my back’. Yeo, who was a Parson’s son, seemed to delight in the mistreatment of the prisoners with many of them ending up in hospital after beatings earning him the title of ‘the u n c ro w n e d King of Enniscorthy’. The Ryans of Tomcoole Delivered by writer, publisher and genealogy expert Jim Ryan who was delighted to tell the large Enniscorthy audience about his family’s involvement in the formation of the State and beyond. Centring mainly around
Eamonn Dundon and Tommy Sullivan at the Library. Right: Librarian Jarlath Glynn with brothers Eoin and Jim Ryan, grandsons of James Ryan.
Pic: Maria Nolan.
Pic: Maria Nolan.
his grandfather and namesake, James Ryan, and his sisters Mary Kate – Kit, Mary Josephine – Min, Ellen Mary – Nelly and Phyllis who all played a part in the struggle for Irish freedom. Three of them, James, Min and Phyllis acted as couriers, carr y i n g o rd e r s f ro m S e a n McDermott and Eoin McNeil during Easter Week and James acting as Medical Officer in the GPO attending to the wounded James Connolly. Min, it is reported, was romantically involved with Sean MacDiarmada spending his last moments with him in his prison cell at 3am on the morning of 12th May, he was shot the same morning at
3.45am. In 1919, Min married Richard Mulcahy who became the commander of the proTreaty forces in the Civil War after the death of Michael Collins. A difficult time for Min as her siblings were all antiTreaty but according to Jim Ryan this caused no rift between her and her brothers and sisters. Kit and Phyllis were both married to Sean T. O’Kelly, Phyllis marrying him a few years after the death of her sister Kit. James Ryan, the second youngest of the twelve Ryan children, won a county council scholarship to UCD where he studied medicine. When the
Kieran Costello, heritage expert
Rising broke out in 1916 he was assigned to medical duties in the GPO and was one of the last to leave upon evacuation with James Connolly. In the 1918 General Election he was elected as a Sinn Fein candidate for Wexford South and refused to take his seat in the Westminister Parliament. In 1919, he married Mairin Cregan from Kerry who had also fought in the 1916 Rising. James later became a founding member of Fianna Fáil taking his seat in the 1927 Dáil. James Ryan served the people of Ireland and Wexford as a TD from 1918 to 1965 holding several ministerial positions including Finance, Social Welfare, Health and Agriculture. A most fascinating evening and a fascinating family history with no-one at all anxious to leave the library at the conclusion. – Maria Nolan
Slaney Around the Region
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BUNCLODY…
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CASTLETOWN... Liam Mellows Commemoration in Castletown on Sunday, December 8th, 2019. Oration by Fianna Fail Senator Mark Daly. Shortly before Liam Mellows’ execution he expressed a wish to be buried some day with his Grandfather and Grandmother in Castletown. In accordance with that wish he sleeps with his Wexford forebearers in the graveyard in Castletown.
Bunclody VTOS students organised a street collection on behalf of Focus Ireland on Wednesday December 4th which raised €890.
bunCLoDY LIbRaRY See Bunclody Library’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook. com/BunclodyLibrary/events where you can sign up for the monthly what’s on e-newsletter. Also see the website: http://www.wexford.ie/wex/Dep artments/Library/WhatsOn/ aRT banK bunCLoDY ARTBANK Bunclody is a not for profit organisation and comprises an inclusive gallery, events, and workshops on the main street of Bunclody. Gallery open every Tues to Sat 2pm to 5.30pm. Do drop in!
Follow ART BANK on Facebook for all happenings. sT VInCEnT DE PauL Local Confidential helpline 0873696883. SVP request box is now located at back of shop. There is a newspaper recycling bin beside SuperValu in aid of S.V.P. LoCaL maRKETs Local Markets on the Mall and Saint Aidan’s Hall on Saturdays selling beautiful local produce. WHIsT Monday night 8:45pm in Day Care Centre.
sIgnaCaRE nuRsIng HomE SignaCare Bunclody is a new, stateof-the-art, 62-bedded nursing home, in the heart of Bunclody. Visit SignaCare in Bunclody, email: info@signacare.ie, tel: 053 93 76222. LoCaL busInEss WEbsITE Check out www.bunclodybusiness.com – a new online hub promoting business in the Bunclody area. And a great way also to keep up to date with what’s happening in the town. On the site you can avail of a FREE listing to promote your business and share news. n
CRAANFORD... on 30th november, more than 900 representatives from counties across Ireland gathered in the Lyrath Estate Hotel, Kilkenny, for the all-Ireland 2019 Pride of Place awards. The awards are about recognising and celebrating the extraordinary, inspirational and
tireless work being done by communities all over this island to make their place a better place. A s t h e a w a rd s w e re announced, there was joy for the representatives from the picturesque village of Craanford as it took top spot in the 300-
CAROREIGH...
Rachel Bradley, with children Liam and Niamh, and Lee Bradley at the recent annual Hibernia College conferring ceremony, held at Dublin’s Convention Centre.
New Ross native, Rachel Bradley, had double cause for celebration after she achieved ‘top of her class’ status at the annual Hibernia College conferring ceremony which was held at Dublin’s Convention Centre recently. Rachel was honoured with the prize for Best Research Project. A teacher at St. Garvan’s National School, Caroreigh, Rachel was amongst 750 graduates to qualify in Primary or Post-Primary teaching at the ceremony, during which the 1 0 , 0 0 0 t h g r a d u a t e f ro m Hibernia College was also conferred. n
1,000 population category. In their remarks, the judges paid tribute to the underlying and allembracing community spirit of the people of Craanford and the many and varied initiatives and projects successfully undertaken by the community on a voluntary basis. n
Representatives of Craanford Community accept their Pride of Place Award.
GOREY...
KILMORE QUAY... InTERnaTIonaL Yoga In KILmoRE QuaY 2020 The recent International Yoga Weekend, presented by Rachel Lovegrove at the Stella Maris Centre in Kilmore Quay, proved to be such a success that two more have been confirmed for 2020. The dates are April 3rd to 5th and September 18th to 20th. According to local organiser Mary Duane, “The venue turned
out to be a big hit with participants who travelled from the USA, Germany, Britain and various parts of Ireland. They fell in love with Kilmore Quay, and I expect many of them will be back.” Early Bird bookings are a l re a d y a v a i l a b l e o n t h e Eventbrite website. Local queries to Mary Duane at 087-225 0736. n
On Thursday 28 November 2019, Gaelscoil Moshíológ, Gorey, won their first major sporting title in the boys’ Rackard League Rising Stars 2019. Gaelscoil 6-09 to Piercestown 2-03.
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Slaney Motoring
Caroline gets motoring MAZDA MX-30 EV PROTOTYPE
REVIEW BY CAROLINE KIDD In 2020, mazda will launch the brand’s first ever electric vehicle, the mazda mX-30 allelectric suV. In December, I travelled with mazda Ireland to Lisbon, Portugal, to preview the new mX-30 and test drive mazda’s new EV technology in a prototype vehicle. Mazda has set out to bottle up the company’s Jinba Ittai – driver and car as one – engineering ethos, and produce an electric vehicle that delivers ‘outstanding driving pleasure’. The MX-30 will be the third new generation Mazda – after the 2019 Mazda3 and CX-30 – when it goes into production towards the middle of 2020. At Mazda’s Technology & Design Forum in Lisbon, we had the opportunity to speak in great detail with the MX-30
8 January 2020
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European product development team, led by the passionate and articulate Christian Schultze, Director and Deputy General Manager at the Mazda Motor Europe R&D Centre. Schultze has been working with Mazda in Europe since 1990 and told us about the product development that saw the European team in consultation with their Japanese colleagues from an early stage. The MX-30 will be a global car but will launch first in Europe in 2020 and has been developed for this market. The MX-30 uses the brand’s new S k y a c t i v - Ve h i c l e Architecture and employs a number of new technologies and innovations to create the most natural feeling EV powertrain. Mazda has developed its own bespoke motor pedal
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concept for the Mazda MX-30 for a more natural feel relative to the driver’s intended amount of acceleration and deceleration. They have also developed special sound or ‘aural feedback’ through the audio system corresponding to the driver’s pedal action. Power will come from a 35.5 kWh battery giving a power output of about 140 hp, torque of 265 Nm and an electric range estimated somewhere in the region of 200 km. Mazda engineers also spoke to us about the possibility of a rotary engine being installed as a range extender. The test vehicle provided to us in Portugal on a bright December morning was an eTPV (electric technology proving vehicle) using the chassis and body of a CX-30. The MX30 and CX-30 are closely
matched in size and wheelbase so this was a realistic preview of what the MX-30 is going to feel like on the road. Before I set off on the test route on a beautiful mountainous road through the Sintra region, a member of the Mazda event team briefed me on the vehicle and let me know that the only safety equipment the test vehicle had was ABS – no airbags, no lane departure warning, no electronic stability control, etc. I looked down the ravine to the left and thought…okay… just before I met one of the locals who thought he was driving in Ireland. I was so excited to be driving this new electric car from Mazda that feels like no other. The Mazda DNA is very quickly apparent. The steering was natural and fluid, the car willing to play ball among the twists and turns of our test route with a pleasant amount of grip through the front tyres in fast cornering. The most interesting and frankly, brilliant, innovation here is the aural feedback from the car and sensations through the pedals as you accelerate and decelerate. Electric cars are typically devoid of any feedback through the pedals or controls. Not so with the MX-30 EV prototype. It feels and sounds not much different than a petrol Mazda SUV in typical stop/start driving. Up and down hills, I had the opportunity to experience this new technology and I loved it: gurgles and resistance like a good old-fashioned ICE. The nature of the weight distribution of an EV versus a front engined mid size SUV was apparent in the way the car shifted its weight around corners, but it was remarkably
bunclody native Caroline Kidd brings us reviews of the latest new cars to arrive in Ireland. Caroline is the editor of Changing Lanes (www.changinglanes.ie), one of Ireland’s leading motoring blogs, and a jury member for Irish Car of the Year. she also provides freelance writing services to businesses in Wexford under the name of star Content (www.starcontent.ie).
good to drive. Certainly I felt the relative ‘low’ power of the CX-30 EV prototype (140 hp) versus some of the similarly sized EVs I’ve driven at home, as it doesn’t feel quite as lively off the line. Mazda is persevering to push a ‘right sized battery’ approach that they claim is kinder to the environment when you look at where battery and EV technology is right now. But there are obvious shortcomings to this approach in an era where many rivals are pushing out EVs with 64 kWh batteries and range in excess of 400km. This wasn’t an adequate test of battery range and practicality in every day life but from an engineering perspecPic: Maria Nolan.
tive, what we drove in Lisbon was really promising for the future of EVs and the Mazda brand. It’s worth noting that the MX-30 is just one part of Mazda’s ‘multi-solution approach’ to the debarbonisation of transport. The brand is also working on improving engine efficiency with innovations such as Skyactiv-X, the world’s first petrol engine with compression ignition, and a new clean diesel coming next year. Mild hybrid technology has already begun to be rolled out in the brand’s newest product ranges and Mazda will offer more electric, plug-in hybrid and range extender vehicles in the future. n Davy Fitzgerald with Ciara Butler on a recent visit to Donohoe Skoda, Enniscorthy.
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NEW CAR SALES DIP The total number of new cars sold in Ireland in 2019 fell by 6.8% to 117,031 units compared to 2018. ŠKODA Ireland is pro-
jecting a slightly more optimistic result in 2020, with 120,000 passenger vehicle sales forecasted for the year ahead.
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Christmas party at Bellefield GAA The little ladies of the Rapparees/starlights gaa club bopped ‘til they dropped at their end-of-year Christmas Party at bellefield gaa on Friday 6th December as the effervescent DJ Liam sharkey put them through their paces with favourites like big Fish, Little Fish, and Let It go from the film Frozen. MC Seamus Doyle and Chairman Ronie Furlong thanked the girls, their mentors, and their parents, for the terrific year at the club saying that the Ladies Section is growing all the time and competing well at all age groups. The message once again is that help is needed and most welcome at all levels. Club and county camogie player Aoife McCrea presented awards for Team Player, Most Improved Player and Player of the Year as follows: U/8 Camogie – Aoife Walsh, Brooklyn Kennedy, Emma
Stafford. U/8 Football – Laura Kehoe, Katelyn Murphy, Mia Whelan. U/10 Camogie – Saoirse Fortune, Chelsea Doyle, Clodagh Stafford. U/10 Football – Lucy Crean, Lexi Kennedy, Aoife Doyle. U/12 Camogie – Ciabha Carty, Mia Walsh, Katelin Conroy. U/12 Football – Kate Dagg, Maddison Owens, Leah Shannon. – Maria Nolan
Above: Rapparees/Starlights little ladies Christmas Party. Right: U-8s Rapparees/Starlights. Below left: Camogie star Aoife McCrea presenting Best Team Player Award to Aoife Walsh. Below: Aoife McCrea with Best Team Player Laura Kehoe. ALL PICS: MARIA NOLAN.
Ladies awards night Rapparees/starlights gaa honoured the female members of the club with a special awards night for under 14, 16, 18 and Junior Camogie and Football players recently at the bellefield Clubhouse, Enniscorthy. The iconic Ursula Jacob, All-Star, All-Ireland winner, and Sunday Game pundit was the Guest of Honour for the event along with Starlights senior football captain and county final winner 2017, Rory O’Connor, both giving words of encouragement and support to each of the girls as they presented them with medals and individual awards. The message from MC for the occasion, Seamus Doyle, Ladies Chairman Ronie Furlong, and mentors Mick Kenny and Maurice Donohoe, was that the club’s Ladies
Section is growing and developing year on year with considerable success. This year our Junior Footballers won the League title and our very talented U16s took the honours in both codes in the championship with narrow misses in Minor Camogie and Junior Football championship. As numbers continue to grow, it is vital that we have the personnel onboard to assist with the preparation and training of teams at all levels and in both codes. From U-8 to Adult we are desperately seeking coaches/mentors/managers and we are appealing to parents and adult players to get involved. Work in developing the Underage Section of the club and the growing numbers is continuing through initiatives
like Hurling 365 at St. Aidan’s Primary School where the number of female participants is regularly doubling that of their male counterparts. Awards were presented in each category for U-14, U-16, U-18 and Junior to Best Team Player, Most Improved Player and Player of the Year: U-14 Camogie – Siofra Fenlon, Aoibhlinn Ryan, Abbie Jordan. U-14 Football – Ella Kinniard, Ruby Kelly, Erin Carley. U-16 Camogie – Leah Kidd, Amy Shannon, Megan O`Connor. U-16 Football – Gaby Drycz, Cody Dunne, Erin Cahill. U-18 Camogie – Eadbha Farrell, Erin Peoples, Ciara Boland. Junior Camogie – Sara Murphy, Gina Murphy, Ciara O`Connor. Junior Football – Jess Flood, Bonnie Kinniard, Sarah Figgis. – Maria Nolan PRO
Above right: Members of Rapparees Junior Camogie League Champions with Ursula Jacob and Rory O’Connor. Right: U-16 Camogie team with Ursula Jacob. Below right: Members of the club’s victorious U-16s with Ursula Jacob and Rory O’Connor. Below left: Mentor Leanne Hore, Chairman Ronie Furlong with Ursula Jacob. ALL PICS: MARIA NOLAN.
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Slaney News
DiaRy Dates
EnnIsCoRTHY EYE a column by Joseph Doyle
wilD iN the cOuNtRy!
Enniscorthy Drama group will present wild in the country, written by local man Paul o’Reilly, this march in The Presentation Centre, Enniscorthy. When it is suggested to Rose that her favourite superstar, Elvis Presley, is coming to town to perform in the local hall, she gives it her all to get ready for this great event. But when her plans to meet and seduce Elvis get interrupted by her Mozart-loving husband, a washing machine, a local election, and mother time herself, she decides she
must take matters into her own hands if she is to fulfil her destiny. This is a play set in Enniscorthy, by an Enniscorthy author, with an Enniscorthy cast, for an Enniscorthy audience. Enniscorthy Drama Group proudly presents this three-act play, by Paul O’Reilly, starring Julie Fox, Kate Breen, Fergal Kelly, Pat Murphy, Niall Holohan, Alan Kinsella, and directed by Fintan Kelly. Preview tickets €10 on 4th March and €15 on 5th, 6th and 7th March. – Joseph Doyle
Talented Enniscorthy director, Fintan Kelly, with Joseph Doyle.
t.v. Past, PReseNt, FutuRe
onCE uPon a TImE What if you were a fairytale character and were transported from your fairytale world to the real world and had to live among the townspeople of that time? Well in Once Upon a Time that is exactly what happened to the residents of fairytale land. This TV series tells the story of a woman who is sent to the town of Storybrooke, Maine, USA, to save its residents. Emma Swan is the daughter of Prince Charming and Snow White. She has a son who has been adopted by the
8 January 2020
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town’s mayor Regina. This little boy loves fairytales and sees Regina as the Evil Queen when he is given a storybook by his school teacher who is in fact Snow White. The trouble starts with a curse which transports the fairytale character to presentday Maine and Storybrooke, here we meet every fairytale character we’ve read about... there’s Rumpelstiltskin who does you a favour but at a price as he says, “All magic comes with a price”, there’s a very handsome Capt Hook, an evil Peter Pan etc. This TV series, which stars Robert Carlyle as Rumpelstiltskin and Jamie Dornan as the local sheriff, is available on Netflix but is now over, having run for seven seasons. In our next issue I will be talking about Little House on the Prairie. And after that A Place to Call Home and Dr Who. – Joseph Doyle
best wishes & cONgRats ☺ What a hectic few months it’s been for Enniscorthy Rugby Club now competing in Division 2C of the AllIreland League and sitting top of the table at the half-way point in the season. ☺ Best wishes to South East Animal Rescue moving from Slaney Street to Court Street. ☺ Happy Birthday this January to Mattheus Butler and also Ann Byrne. ☺ Padraig Breen celebrated his birthday on St. Stephen’s Day. Hope you enjoyed it, Padraig! ☺ Congrats to the Hogan Family, Enniscorthy, on reaching the Final of Ireland’s Fittest Family and only narrowly losing out on the top spot. ☺ Well done to Enniscorthy CBS on the sporting front – they won the Leinster Junior B Hurling Championship, and narrowly lost the McMullen Cup schools’ rugby final. ☺ Well done so far to the Ajax mens’ team – top of their division. ☺ Still on a soccer theme but across the water – congrats to Liverpool on winning the World Club championship. ☺ Congrats to Wexford’s Rianna Jarrett on winning Player of the Season in the national Women’s soccer league. ☺ Slaney Olympic’s Anne Gilshinan was named Female Athlete of the Year at the
REguLaR EVEnTs:
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South East Radio Sports Awards, and in December she was awarded the EMA Best Masters Award in the Middle Distance category. Well done to Enniscorthy architect Tomas O’Leary and his Mosart firm for their involvement in Enniscorthy’s new Technology Park, the first building there will commence next month. Best wishes to Wexford Panto with their show this January and any other local groups doing pantos at this time. Well done to all involved in the new New Ross bridge which will open this month. Well done to the management and staff of The Antique Tavern and T.J. Murphy’s – both recently got the thumbs up from Pub Spy in the Sunday World. Congrats to The Rapps/ Starlights on their recent successful Pudding Run. Best wishes to local authors Madeline Breen, Christine Sinnott and Ger Ennis with their recently published books. And finally, a word about Doyle’s Pub – the oldest pub in Enniscorthy, celebrating 94 years this month under the Doyle name. – Joseph Doyle
Treacy’s Hotel – Live music every Fri, Sat and Sun nights in main bar. sunday night sessions at Benedicts, plus disco. benedicts Disco – Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Dbar – Saturday night DJ – 70s & 80s night. Holohan’s Pub – Live music every Tues, Weds, Thurs. Toss Kavanaghs: Live music every weekend. T. Doyle’s: Live music every Friday. alba Restaurant: Live music – see “Alba Restaurant” on Facebook. T.J. murphy’s: Live music venue. Rock ‘n’ Roll Jive Classes every Weds at The Bailey. Beginners at 7.30pm, Advanced 8.45pm. Freestyle after with DJ Lew Boogie from 10pm. €5. The Presentation Centre – See their website. Enniscorthy greyhound Track. Racing every Monday and Thursday Night from Thursday 16th January. Doors open 7pm. First race 8pm. alan o’brien (The Dance man) – see his Facebook page for full details of dance classes and his local social dancing events. Doreen’s. Live music every weekend. bingo: Sunday Nights (except bank holidays) in Community Centre, Templeshannon, Enniscorthy, at 8.00pm. The Local bar: Live Music every Friday, Saturday & Sunday Night.
LooKIng aHEaD:
arateentertainment Kid. See main listing page 18. It’sle onpresents Youtube stream- Joe” – Joe Dolan tribute The Dolan family “Remembering band.ing. Fri 10 Jan 2020. Riverside Park Hotel, Enniscorthy. – Joseph Doyle DirtBirds Live. 16 Jan 2020. Riverside Park Hotel, Enniscorthy. The Glass Asylum by Bunclody/Kilmyshall Drama Group. 17 Jan 2020. The Presentation Centre, Enniscorthy, 8pm. Niall Toner and Dermot Byrne, plus DJ support from Lewis Boogie. The Bailey. Sat 18 Jan, 9pm. Aarron & Dani McDonnell Duo (from Texas). The Bailey. Sun 19 Jan, 8pm. Isla Grant. 6 Feb 2020. Riverside Park Hotel, Enniscorthy. Mike Denver. 26 March 2020. Riverside Park Hotel, Enniscorthy. Please check all events locally with organisers and/or venues in case of any late changes. – Joseph Doyle
If you would like Joseph to mention an upcoming event or would like to send in pics of any occasion (weddings, birthdays, etc) for inclusion then email both doyleduffry@gmail.com and slaneynews@ gmail.com. The closing date for receiving material for this column is always the Thursday before our publication date which is usually the first Weds of every month.
chRistMas JuMPeR Day FOR c.F. iN DOyle’s
cystic FibROsis News
C.F. Awareness Day is on 10th April 2020. Joseph Doyle will be holding a Coffee Morning and Lecture (TBC)
on 24th April, 10am–2pm in The Presentation Centre, Enniscorthy. Malin2Mizen Cycle4CF on May 7th. Paris2Nice Cycle on 17th Sept. International Walk - Bulgaria on 25th Sept.
For more on these and all cF events check out: www.cfireland.ie
Thanks to all the customers and staff (including Denise Gordon, Delphine Ritchie and Sandra McKeown) of Doyle’s Pub who helped raise €130 for Cystic Fibrosis Ireland during their recent Christmas Jumper Day in the pub. This will now be an annual event there, as will the Table Quiz for the Wexford Branch of C.F. Ireland.
Slaney Sport
www.slaneynews.com
Ladies Golf...
A CONVENTION CELEBRATION The 2019 annual Wexford gaa Convention held at the Clayton Whites Hotel, Wexford, on monday 9th December was a celebration of all things good at the moment in Wexford gaa. With Leinster Minor and Senior Cups on display in the large function room, flanked by the newly designed Wexford Jersey launching the four-year sponsorship deal with international insurance company Zurich, €369,422 of a surplus in annual accounts, the legend that is Davy Fitz back for another two years with Wexford Hurlers, and the iconic Kerryman Paul Galvin with Wexford footballers, and all 2020 league and championship competitions fully sponsored, Chairman Derek Kent was upbeat and positive about the future and who could blame him. ‘Tonight and our current happy position is an endorsement of the leadership of Derek Kent and his marvellous business acumen,’ according to outgoing Central Council Representative Tony Dempsey. To n y, w h o h a s s e r v e d Wexford GAA since 1976, was presented with an award along with long-serving Club Reps Toss Ryan and Brendan Smith and outgoing Chairman of the Commercial Committee Miceal Mahon. Miceal has been at the helm of the Commercial Committee for
the past 3 years and gave a most detailed account of activity and progress made in this area since 2017 under the following headings – the Boston Fundraiser, the London Gathering, Cairde Loch Garman Race Day, Cairde Loch Garman Membership, Spiegeltent On The Ball, Cairde Loch Garman Golf Classic, Signage, increase in Season Tickets, Naming Rights, Wexford Wellness Project, Corporate Packages and Wexford GAA Headline Partnerships all realising €193,845 in 2017, €424,925 in 2018 and a staggering €548,714 in 2019. ‘The projection is good,’ Miceal said, ‘and I am leaving it in the very capable hands of
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Wexford GAA’s Health & Wellbeing Committee L-R: Maria Nolan, Liz Gardiner, Tom Boland and Mary Doyle at the County Convention.
Adrian Fenlon, Sean Doyle, Anthony Neville and Commercial Manager Eanna Martin along with new Chairman of Cairde Loch Garman David Doc O’Connor and the Cairde Committee.’ Its onward and upward for Derek Kent and Wexford GAA it would seem going forward into 2020, and as the Convention drew to a conclusion we remem-
bered all the GAA stalwarts who passed to their eternal reward in 2019 especially Ned Wheeler, Art Foley, Sean Ormonde and Simon Kennedy. It is good for us to acknowledge the old Chinese saying quoted by Tony Dempsey, ‘Those who drink the water should always remember those that dug the well.’ – Maria Nolan
a fabulous night was had at Enniscorthy golf Club at the end of november as a large number of ladies came together for another super ladies Christmas dinner. good food, music and laughs were the order of the night. The end of season awards were presented on the evening as follows: Gill Leo Trophy: Winner Bernie Butler. Club Fourball: Winners Helen Deathe and Nicola Jacob. Club Singles: Winner Teresa Bailey. Golfer of the Year: Ciara Sharkey. Silver spoon: Ciara Sharkey. Silver medal: Ciara Sharkey. Bronze medal: Mary Haligan. n
L-R: Ciara Sharkey – Golfer of the Year with Breda Sinnott. Breda won this cup the same year as Ciara was born!
Rapparees/Starlights GAA awards night
Ursula Jacob presents Ciara Boland with Player of the Year Award at U-18 and Megan O’Connor with Player of the Year Award at U-16. See full story page 35. Pic: Maria Nolan.
Pics: Maria Nolan.
Wexford GAA’s new management committee for 2020.
CBS success In December, Enniscorthy CBS ran out four point winners over Colaiste Choilm, Tullamore, in the Leinster Junior B final on a scoreline of 2-14 to 1-13. At half-time the CBS held a four point advantage, 1-07 to 06, with the goal coming from Corey Dunbar. Cian Murphy scored the second half goal to seal the victory for Enniscorthy.
Rapparees/Starlights AGM The annual general meeting of Rapparees/starlights was held in the Clubhouse on sunday 8th December with the message coming loud and clear from Chairman michael Doyle that more people are needed to help at all levels in the club – at adult, underage, Ladies section, Lotto, bingo, Pavillion and on big match days. It is not enough to simply be a member – your club needs you to be an active member. Michael went on to say that the club would be actively recruiting in the New Year for
people to participate on Finance/Membership/Social & Fundraising sub-committees along with assisting with teams from Adult right down to Under 8s. He asked that encouragement and support would be the ethos of the Club for 2020 with people adopting a positive, less critical approach to the club and each other. Michael went on to congratulate club players Kevin Foley and Liam Ryan on their All Star Nominations and their Leinster Final success along with Minor hurlers Oisin
Pepper and Jack Kirwan. He thanked everyone for their contribution in 2019 including parents, players, mentors and St. Aidan’s Primary School. The newly-elected Executive Committee is as follows: Chairman Michael Doyle, S e c re t a r y G e r M c Ve i g h , Treasurer Kathleen Miller, PRO Maria Nolan, John Browne, John Tobin, Ed Doran, Pat Tobin, Pat Dempsey, Stephen Murphy, Tomas McVeigh, Ronie Furlong, Brian Morrissey, Pepi Coady, Tom Boland. – Maria Nolan
Underage Rugby Hard luck to the Enniscorthy under 16 girls rugby team who made their debut in Donnybrook in December losing to Wexford in the Leinster Plate Final. The Enniscorthy CBS rugby team also tasted a Final defeat losing to Mount Temple in the McMullen Schools Cup Final in Donnybrook on 16th December.
Ursula Jacob and Rory O`Connor present Jesse Flood with her Junior Football Best Team Player Award.
Slaney Olympic The slaney olympic Committee for 2020 is finalised. The Club would like to thank its two departing Committee members, sabina sweeney and Catherine Roche, for the time, effort and leadership they have given to the Club and would like to welcome Thomas Crofts and ger murphy to the 2020 slaney olympic Committee. The remaining Winter Time Trial Series: Tuesday, 14th Jan, 1
Ger Forde who placed 3rd at the All-Ireland Novice Cross-Country Championships in Meath.
mile, and 21st Jan, 3k. Reminder: Enniscorthy 10k on 16th February. n
The accolades keep coming in for Slaney Olympic’s Anne Gilshinan. In November she was named Female Athlete of the Year at the South East Radio Sports Awards, and in December she was awarded the EMA Best Masters Award in the Middle Distance category. This was a memorable year for Gilshinan who improved three world records within a single month. Anne set a new world record (WR) at 1500 and lowered her own W55 WR once more, clocking 4:41.46. At IMC Meet in June she set a W55 800m world record, clocking 2:19.63, lowering the previous record by more than 2 seconds. In Dublin Anne also set a W55 1-mile WR (5:08.47). In addition, at the WMACI 2019 in Poland, one week before she turned 55, Gilshinan won the silver medal in 1500m (4:50.17). n
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Slaney Arts & Heritage
Wexford County Council Arts Office
8 January 2020
Credit Union Art Competition
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES 2020 - INFORMATION CLINICS Arts Officer Liz Burns from Wexford County Council will hold a series of information clinics in January 2020 to discuss funding and other opportunities through the Arts Office. Four free information clinics will be held around County Wexford. All are welcome to attend. These clinics will be of particular interest to artists, community groups, festivals and schools. 1. Gorey Date: Monday 13th January Time: 2.00pm – 3.00pm Venue: Gorey Library To book a place: 053-9421481. 2. Wexford Date: Wednesday 15th January Time: 2.00pm – 3.00pm Venue: Wexford Library To book a place: 053-9196760. 3. New Ross Date: Tuesday 21st January Time: 2.00pm – 3.00pm Venue: New Ross Library To book a place: 051-421877 or newrosslib@wexfordcoco.ie 4. Enniscorthy Date: Thursday 23rd January Time: 11.00am – 12.00pm Venue: Presentation Centre To book a place: 053-9233000. For any queries on the above please contact arts@wexfordcoco.ie
LITTLE WOMEN
Liz Cullen, Manager Enniscorthy Credit Union, presenting prizes to the talented winners listed below (Erica Zhang not pictured).
The Credit union art Competition continues to be one of the most successful annual promotions undertaken by the credit union movement. The competition strives to encourage artists throughout Ireland through self-expression, creativity and imagination whilst also raising awareness of credit unions. The theme of the competition in 2019 was “The Walk of Life”. As usual Enniscorthy Credit Union received a large number of entries – there were over 300 to sort through, and to see how the theme was interpreted.
Local winners received their prizes at a local prize-giving ceremony on Thursday December 5th in Enniscorthy Credit Union. National winners will receive prizes at an award ceremony to be held in Croke Park, Dublin in February 2020. 7 YRs & unDER: 1st Eve Cullen, Clongeen NS. 2nd Danny Redmond, Clongeen NS. 3rd Zoltan Kovacs, Scoil Naomh Maodhog, Ferns. 8 – 10 YEaRs InCLusIVE: 1 s t L i l l y M a y O ’ L e a r y. 2nd Erica Zhang. 3rd Niamh Murphy, Caim NS. 11 – 13 YEaRs InCLusIVE:
Ui Cinsealaigh Historical Society Christmas Dinner
1st Éimhín Nolan, St. Colman’s, Ballindaggin. 2nd Ellie Fleming, Oylegate NS. 3rd Jamie Darcy, Oylegate NS. 14-17 YEaRs InCLusIVE: 1st Daniel Pong, St. Mary’s CBS. The winners were put forward to the Regional (Chapter) Competition where Lily May O’Leary came 2nd in the 8-10 years category, Éimhin Nolan 3rd in the 11-13 category. Daniel Pong took 1st prize in the 14-17 years competition and he will now be going forward to the national competition. n
LOCAL LIBRARY NEWS Check out: www.wexford.ie/wex/ Departments/Library/ Whatson/ for details of what’s on in your local library. also, check your local library on Facebook.
Ui Cinsealaigh Historical Society Christmas Dinner in the Riverside Park Hotel, Enniscorthy. Above left: Julie and Laurence Sweetman and Tommy O’Sullivan. Above right: Mary Joyce and Patrick Brennan.
New art exhibition on January 10th, 6pm-7pm, the launch of nicola anthony’s e x h i b i t i o n , a D e s i re F o r closeness, will take place at The Presentation Centre, Enniscorthy. This is a free event and all welcome to attend. The exhibition itself runs until January 25th. Though our need to connect is innate, many of us frequently feel alone. Based in Dublin, international artist Nicola Anthony has worked with individuals in Wexford who feel isolated, displaced, or lonely. From the stories they told her about their lives, she has created an immersive installation of interwoven text sculptures: some kinetic, others hovering in mid air. The exhibition will
with Maria Nolan
wrap you up in stories about the experience of loneliness, and help you to reconnect. Nicola has traveled the world to work with disenfranchised communities and find the essence of what connects us all as human beings. Her life’s work is to collect human testimonies, empowering and transforming them into contemporary art. In the last 2 years, her work featuring the stories of Irish emigrants to the USA and Holocaust survivors who escaped Europe, have become public sculptures in Los Angeles, Colorado, and Singapore. For more information contact The Presentation Centre at 053-9233000 or email lisa@presentationcentre.ie n
TEXACO CHILDREN’S ART COMPETITION The search to find the young artists who will excel in this year’s Texaco Children’s Art Competition has begun. Last year five students from Co. Wexford won prizes in the event which is now in its 66th year and widely acknowledged as the longest running arts sponsorship in Ireland. The closing date for entries is Friday, 28th February 2020 with judging to take place in March. Winners will be announced in mid-April, with prize-giving to follow in May. Details are available through Texaco service stations and online at www.texacochildrensart.com n
This month I am reviewing a book that I read when I was all of 12 years old, not today or yesterday, but if the current popularity of the new St. Stephen’s Day cinema release Little Women is anything to go by, this classic by Louisa May Alcott has truly stood the test of time. Mothers take your daughters, aunts bring your nieces, grandmothers enjoy with your granddaughters and girlfriends come together to view this wonderfully accurate and very moving and meaningful adaptation of this nostalgic family drama written over 150 years ago. And if you have readers in the family go out and get the book they will never forget it. I know I never did. I read it as two novels Little Women followed by Good Wives but the Saoirse Ronan film marries the two, and so smitten was I with the March family saga that I read the sequels Little Men and Jo's Boys afterwards. Set against the backdrop of the American Civil War, this is the story of the four March sisters from Massachusetts as they emerge from childhood into womanhood and all their trials and tribulations with themselves, each other, with love, with loss and with a changing world. It is truly timeless. Meg, the eldest, is quite a beauty, who bemoans the fact that they live in genteel poverty not affording her the magnificent gowns and elegant lifestyle of her pals. Her wish is to marry well and have what she wants but life and love never quite works out like that and she finds herself falling in love with someone who falls short of her goal. Jo, the tomboy of the family, is impulsive, feisty and quick to anger and feels that it is her duty to provide for her family in the absence of their father and resents the gender constraints placed on her because of her sex as she struggles in a male dominated world to become a writer. Love is not for her she feels despite the fact that Teddy, the boy next door, fell in love with her at first sight. Beth, described by her sisters as ' the best of us' is the peacemaker. She is quiet, shy, caring, kind and gentle and really wants nothing but her family and her piano. She is an accomplished musician but falls ill to scarlet fever after tending to a poor family living close by. Amy, the youngest, is precocious, spoiled, vain and self-centred. She feels she lives in Jo's shadow and is constantly either seeking her approval or getting even with her older sister who does her best to ignore her annoying sibling. Tempers are constantly flaring between them and often end in fisticuffs. Amy changes dramatically when their wealthy spinster aunt takes her on a tour of Europe, where she can develop her artistic talents and find that wealthy husband that was always her right. It's a magical read and a wonderful family drama, and strange as it may seem, the values extolled hold the same charm as they did over 150 years ago – perhaps nothing ever really changes after all! – Maria Nolan
‘Image Conscious’ sadhbh Quinn’s artwork, entitled ‘Image Conscious’, will appear on the front cover of the 2020 Texaco Children’s art Competition Calendar. Winning a Special Merit Award in the 16-18 years age category of the 2019 competition, the Wexford teenager’s work was one of a number said by a competition adjudicator to perfectly reflect the sheer talent and skill that many young people in Ireland possess and the essential role played by schools who encourage and inspire their students through art education. Calendars are currently available through a select number of Texaco service stations and Texaco branded distributors countrywide and through Texoil, Valero’s own home-heating oil division. This artwork by 16-year-old student Sadhbh Quinn, from Loreto Secondary School, Wexford, has been chosen to illustrate the 2020 Texaco Art Competition Calendar. n
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL ARTS CENTRE Wexford Arts Centre: 053-9123764. The Presentation Centre, Enniscorthy: 053-9233000. The Courthouse Arts Centre, Tinahely: 0402-38529.
Slaney Wexford Town & Beyond
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OUT AND ABOUT IN WEXFORD TOWN & BEYOND
PARTY NIGHTS AT CLAYTON WHITES HOTEL. Above: Eugene Doyle and the staff of The Saucy Butcher, Enniscorthy and Wexford. Above right: Niamh’s Nails and Beauty Gorey, Mary Byrne, Marie Leacy, Katie Nolan and Niamh Murphy. Below left: Johann’s Bakery staff enjoying the party, Stephanie Murphy, Claire Molloy and Lorna Furlong.
Family Fun Concert in Our Ladies Isle Community Centre. A saintly moment as Fr. Jim Cogley minds four nuns.
At The Saucy Butchers Christmas party at the Clayton Whites Hotel, Carrie Holmes and Lauren Carthy.
THE FAYTHE HARRIERS HURLING AND CAMOGIE CLUB 70TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION DINNER IN THE TALBOT HOTEL, WEXFORD, 30TH NOVEMBER. Above left: Eddie (Heffo) Walsh and his daughter Alannah Walsh as they meet Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh. Above right: Liam and Eileen Butler, Liam Butler Snr and Marie Kehoe. Below left: Wexford hurling star Larry O’Gorman greeting Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh. Below centre: Ann Walsh, Doborah Clarke and Patricia Nolan-Mahoney. Below right: Seamus Cullimore, Eoin O’Brien and Richard Murphy.