Wicklow Voice 8-6-20

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May 2015,wicklowvoice.ie t: 01 901 5556/7, June28, 8, 2020 e: info@wicklowvoice.ie t: 01 901 5565 e: info@wicklowvoice.ie

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County goes all out to save the summer Wicklow is praying for good weather to save its summer.

As businesses and facilities re-ermerge from the lockdown, locals are being urged to stay local and shop local.

Wicklow County Council has opened a raft of facilities from Monday following the relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions across the country - but Bray’s Cliff Walk will remain closed.

Public toilets across Wicklow, including Brittas Bay, Glendalough and Bray promenade, will reopen to-

morrow in line with Phase 2 of the Government’s Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business as will a number of playgrounds and outdoor gyms.

While carparks are open, parking restrictions continue to remain at a number of locations.

The Bray to Greystones Cliff Walk as well as the Beach Cliff Walk to Wicklow Head remain closed, including the Glen Turn Car Park serving this location, due to physical distancing concerns.

All of Wicklow County

Council’s 13 libraries will reopen for a “Click and Collect” service only due to COVID-19 restrictions. The official bathing season began on June 1 as did lifeguard patrols.

Beaches patrolled this year are Bray (North and South Prom), Greystones (South Beach); Wicklow Harbour, Brittas Bay (North and South) and Arklow South Beach.

Patrols will be in operation from 11am to 7pm each day through to the end of August.

Irish Water and Wicklow

County Council are asking the public, both householders and businesses, to help in maintaining vital water and wastewater services by conserving water, where possible while a hosepip ban was introduced earlier this week. In particular, non-domestic customers are asked to turn off all non-essential water in buildings which are not going to be in use for a period of time, including, for example, the automatic flushing of urinals.

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Unit 5, Idea House, Killarney Road Business Park, Bray

A young girl enjoying Keelings strawberries - the fruit company is supporting the ISPCC Childline by donating 10c from every special pack purchased

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June 8, 2020

COVID-19 OUTBREAK Don’#t forget to wash your hands

COVID-19 OUTBREAK Don’#t forget to wash your hands

No kissing, hugging or shaking hands, says top expert People should not kiss, hug or shake hands when they meet people they haven’t seen ina while, a top expert has said.

“We really don’t want touch-related greetings and we don’t want intimate greetings where people are getting very close,” Professor Sam McConkey, from the Department of International Health and Tropical Medicine at the RCSI said.

He said there should be “no kissing, no hugging and no shaking hands”.

During home visits, rooms should be well-ventilated, along with maintaining a two-metre social distance.

People are also being asked to continue to adhere to coughing and sneezing etiquette and to regularly wash hands, as part of the efforts to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Visits will also be allowed to the homes of people who have been cocooning - those aged over 70 and people who are medically vulnerable.

It is recommended that

face coverings are used as an additional precaution, along with the other public health advice.

Prof McConkey said “if people want to eat and drink together, that’s fine”.

However, he said it’s “not quite time for using the same spoons and knives and forks and cups at this stage”.

“But I think eating together, drinking tea together and sitting together talking is great.

“This is a move forward,” he added.

Decrease in number on Covid pay

THERE has been a decrease in the number of people on the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment as more people have returned to work.

The number is now 515,700 - a reduction of 27,400 on the same point last week.

For the first time since its introduction, more people are in jobs subsidised by the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme than are receiving the Pandemic Unemployment Payment. At the peak of the Covid-19 related unemployment surge, 598,000 people were claiming the PUP. However since then, over 80,000 people have returned to work as the economy gradually reopens - a drop of around 15%.

Of the 515,700 receiving the PUP, around 22,200 have notified the department that they have now returned to work.

However, while the bill to the exchequer for the PUP welfare payment is diminishing, the number of workers having their pay subsidised by the state through the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme has hit a new record of around 520,900.

Stay local, stay safe as situation remains ‘fragile’ People have been warned to remain vigilant as Covid-19 restricitions are eased across the county.

Minister for Health Simon Harris told RTÉ that progress against disease is “still fragile” as the country moves into Phase Two of the plan to reopen.

Health authorities have appealed to people to stay local and limit the amount of people they meet.

Since Monday, people can travel anywhere within their own county and up to 20km from home, if crossing into another county.

Outdoor exercise, cultural or social activities of up to 15 people may take place, while it is hoped many outdoor play areas will reopen. Libraries are also beginning to open again.

Up to 25 people are now able to attend funeral services.

You can also meet up to six people from outside your household, indoors or outdoors.

Mr Harris has cautioned that outdoor meetings would be better and meetings indoors should be limited to around an hour.

He also appealed to people

to keep the number of people they are in contact with small and added measures such as hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette are now more important than ever.

Mr Harris said the National Emergency Public Health Team (NPHET) will review the two-metre rule in the hospitality sector over the coming weeks, on the condition that the prevalence of the virus remains low, and report back to Government, admitting there may be some settings in which the rule is hard to apply.

However, he stressed that two metres is “definitely better than one and is the public health advice”.

Health authorities have also appealed to people to continue to observe the two-metre social distancing guidelines.

Mr Harris said he was sympathetic to the idea of barbers and hairdressers opening earlier and the industry was coming forward with good sensible suggestions on how they can reopen in a safe manner and Government will engage with industry.

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June 8, 2020

Hotels: Safety is priority

The Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) has said that while the early reopening of the sector is great news, the health and safety of employees and guests “will always be our main priority”.

“The earlier reopening of hotels is excellent news and a welcome boost for the tourism community, as well as for people of all ages across the country who are looking for a well-deserved holiday after lockdown,” it said.

“Hotels have already begun to adapt their services and facilities in anticipation of reopening under COVID-19 guidelines as they prepare to reopen and welcome guests from the end of June. The health and safety of employees and guests will always be our main priority.

“We are seeing great examples of creativity, innovativeness and flexibility in terms of how hotels and guesthouses are using their property’s spaces as well as rethinking services, restaurant and leisure facilities.

“We also welcome the announcement that the Temporary Way Subsidy Scheme will be extended until the end of August.”

Air bridge plan could see foreign tourists back Brennan brothers to serve up some help

Calling all hospitality businesses - the Brennan brothers are looking for you!

As the industry gets ready to reopen on July 20, renowned hoteliers Francis and John are seeking owners of large three or four star hotels or tourist attractions to take part in a new series of At Your Service which is currently in development for RTÉ.

“We’re all facing huge challenges as we plan to welcome guests back into our hotels next month,” Francis Brennan says.

“John and I would really like to help other hoteliers

navigate this process and help them future proof their business.”

John added: “The hospitality industry continues to suffer more than most due to this lockdown. We understand the pressure this has placed on so many businesses.

“But we believe this challenge can be a real opportunity as more and more people are planning to holiday at home in Ireland this year.

“So, we’d like to join four owners of hotels or indeed tourist attractions on their journey into the ‘new normal’ over the coming months and hopefully help them reinvigorate their service.”

This new four part series is currently being developed by independent production company Waddell Media for RTÉ in 2021, but needs business owners to get in touch now to express their interest in taking part, so filming can be planned in the coming months.

If you are the owner of a large three or four star family hotel or tourist attraction in Ireland, Waddell Media would love to hear from you.

Please contact Maggi Gibson or Gareth McGreevy via email in the first instance on maggi@waddellmedia. com or gareth@waddellmedia.com.

Foreign tourists could make a welcome return to Ireland in July and August is an ambitious ‘air bridge’ plan.

It would also mean that Irish overseas travellers could travel to certain countries also.

The air bridges would connect ireland to places with similar coronavirus records to our own.

Germany, France, Portugal, Greece, and Eastern European countries such as Croatia are rumoured as two countries that could welcome Irish tourists although places like Spain and Italy with much worse Covid records may not be included.

Speaking to Pat Kenny on Virgin Media One, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said: “In terms of air travel, that’s a bit away yet.

The 14 day rule for people coming into the country remains.

“The position we would like to get to, later in the year, hopefully later in the summer, is being able to travel point to point between Ireland and other countries where the virus is successfully suppressed like Portugal as you mentioned and maybe Greece.

“That’s now being coordi-

nated on a European wide level which I think is the best way forward.”

There had been concerns among some Cabinet ministers that making it mandatory for Irish citizens or visitors into the country to self isolate would be a “step too far”.

But with hotels, restaurants and bars set to reopen in late June, the Taoiseach is hopeful people will holiday at home this summer.

Mr Varadkar added: “There is the possibility that there will still be a tourist season for July and August. There will be a lot of Government support for domestic tourism to get up and running again in July and August.”

Health Minister Simon Harris said air bridges or “travel bubbles” could be an option in the future. We may decide there is no greater chance of you getting the virus in one country than it is going to Kerry… we are not saying that now and we are not at that point now but it is a point we could end up at over the course of the next while,” he said.

Irish Water has confirmed that a National Water Conservation Order commonly referred to as a hosepipe ban is now in place until July 21.

Four weeks ago, Irish Water urged the public to choose handwashing over power washing as domestic water usage increased as people stayed at home in response to the Covid-19 crisis.

Now, the increased domestic demand and increase in commercial demand as businesses are reopening is being exacerbated by warm weather and the emergence of drought conditions.

The Water Conservation Order has been issued in a bid to safeguard water supplies for essential purposes. Met Eireann has confirmed that May 2020 was the driest since 1850.

Their data shows that temperatures were above average in nearly all areas and

rainfall totals in every county were below average for the season, with the Greater Dublin Area, Westmeath, Sligo and Tipperary experiencing their driest spring on record.

Since March, Irish Water has been carefully monitoring all of its raw water sources, that is the water from lakes, rivers, springs and ground sources that feed our water treatment plants.

Of Irish Water’s 900 drinking water schemes, 27 currently are in drought and 50 are at risk of going into drought.

The weather forecast is for a continuation of drier than normal conditions which will further exacerbate the situation.

Irish Water’s data shows dramatic spikes of water usage on very sunny days.

During the June Bank holiday, the exceptionally warm saw an equivalent daily increase of water usage for an additional 200,000 people being used in

the Greater Dublin Area.

This increase in demand was replicated across the country.

Given the current pressures on the water sources, this level of demand cannot be accommodated in the coming weeks.

The amount of rainfall needed to replenish supplies varies around the country and is site specific however Irish Water estimate that a minimum accumulation of 100mm rainfall spread over a number of weeks would be required and normal rainfall levels after that before the threat to water sources would pass.

The Conservation Order prohibits the use of garden hosepipes and other nonessential uses of water by domestic users and commercial premises for non-commercial activities for example watering gardens attached to a business premises.

Leave the lawn alone as hose ban put in place

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June 8, 2020

insideback

See you soon(ish), my old pub pal

I

have been on good terms with pubs for the 50plus years of my adult life. The pub is an old friend and I have shared his company with many other friends. He stood by us through thick and thin, in good times and bad. He was there for all our celebrations, confirmations and graduations; when the boat came in, the lottery ticket came up or the dark horse proved a winner.

My old friend has been locked down all on his own for months and I am looking forward to getting together again and raising a glass in his company.

But I wont say ‘I can’t wait’ for the pubs to re-open. I can wait, and I will wait a bit longer, for, so long as there is a virus on the loose, pubs are dangerous places.

I can think of few social settings where physical distancing is less likely to be maintained than in an Irish pub.

I am not speaking here of pubs that are really restaurants , where people reserve tables , stay at them and leave in good order shortly after finishing their meal. Despite what pub-

Michael Wolsey

licans would have us believe, such places are rare.

Most pubs serve food nowadays and some serve very good food but, at heart, they are centres where meeting, not eating, is the main function.

The Irish pub is a kaleidoscope that changes throughout the day.

I like pubs in the early evening, when people are heading home from work. Nobody lingers long but you never know who you will meet at the bar, with a good story to tell or a piece of tasty gossip.

I like pubs when there is a big match on the television. You don’t need a ticket; just join the

crowd, cheer for your team, and you’ll soon be a member of the supporters’ club.

I like pubs when I bring my own company there with me.

Sometimes my company will join with someone else’s company and it all becomes a happy rolling maul.

I like to call into a pub on the way home from an evening’s entertainment. I drop in with a friend, knowing there is every chance we will meet other friends and round off the night with good conversation.

That’s the great thing about pubs. You don’t need a ticket

or reservation, you can keep to yourself or mix with the mob, make a friend for the evening or a friend for life.

And, yes, you can even eat there. But that has never been the real purpose of an Irish pub and I can’t see it becoming the real purpose, no matter how

strictly publicans try to enforce the new rules, I appreciate that many publicans are struggling to keep their businesses alive and I hope the plan for earlier re-opening works for them and for the country.

In general, though, I am wary of pressure to speed the end of lockdown. The new dates are sensible and we should stick to them.

The roadmap has been well thought out; it gives us a chance to see whether limited loosening of the rules brings growth in infection and to assess developments in other countries.

It would be tragic if, having made so many sacrifices and wrecked the economy, we were now to move too fast and find ourselves back at stage one.

Maybe that’s a risk worth taking when it comes to schools, offices, or factories. But it is not worth taking for the pleasure of enjoying a pint in good company. Particularly if the rules mean that there can’t be good company.

So, sorry my old pub pal. I do very much hope to see you again soon. But not too soon.

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June 8, 2020

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June 8, 2020

June 8, 2020

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June 8, 2020

insideback

Is Winter football the answer

I

t won’t happen and I suspect it wouldn’t get widespread support but I’ll ask the question anyway. Should we use the current impasse in our league that COVID-19 has dictated to consider switching back to a winter soccer season?

The immediate advantage of such a move would be that it would allow us to start a full new campaign this autumn.

The 2020 summer season, which had been in its infancy when things shut down, could be aborted. We could return with a 2020-21 campaign.

Personally I’d be in favour of such a move. Having had summer soccer since 2003, I have to admit that my favourite seasons were the ones before that, when we had a traditional autumn-tosummer season played through the winter.

I enjoyed lots of things about winter soccer. I liked wrapping up against the cold to go to the game, battling the elements to cheer Bray Wanderers on.

I enjoyed the fact that our league was in synch with Eng-

Any one who has spotted a Swift in recent weeks is being asked to contact BirdWatch Ireland or their local county council. Swifts come to our towns every year for just four months, arriving in late April and leaving in late August but their numbers have declined in recent years

land’s and the other leagues in Europe.

I liked the away trips better – they felt like more of adventure in the cold and dark than they

do in the warmth and light.

More than anything else though, I miss the friendlies.

Come July or August we could have between six or eight

friendlies in Bray.

Forget about the occasional marquee name like Blackburn or Newcastle gracing the turf at the Carlisle; it was the chance

to see lower-league opposition from England and Scotland that floated my boat. Port Vale.

Crewe Alexandra. Cowdenbeath. Queen of the South.

The arguments that heralded the arrival of summer soccer haven’t been fully realised in the intervening years.

We haven’t seen the expected growth in crowds. The GAA and other traditional summer sports have been a thorn in the side of summer soccer.

Progression by our Europeancompetition representatives has only been marginally better than before.

Does all this mean that summer-soccer has been a mistake?

No; it has been an experiment worth trying.

But there was a case for reverting back even before COVID-19, and that case has grown stronger now.

Like I said at the outset, it won’t happen. But I can dream.

Of a future where we have switched back and I can wear the extra layers needed to keep out the mid-winter cold as I help my fellow fans clear snow off the pitch to ensure the game that day goes ahead.

The referee will bring an orange ball.

- Brian Quigley

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June 8, 2020

WILDLIFE

with Justin Ivory

Indulge your Hobbies

Hobby at East Coast Nature Reserve (Photo Justin Ivory) Overcast and cold, the reeds in the fen are swished back and forth by the strong south-easterly. All is quiet bird wise. Then, suddenly and dramatically, everything changes. The wind drops. The clouds roll away to reveal a bright sun in a blue sky. Within minutes dragons are rising from the fen and patrolling the skies like masters of all they survey. First one, and then another, large shape launches themselves to the skies from the nearby tree-line. Enter the dragon hunters. Like deadly, silent assassins, they pick off the dragons one by one.

No, this drama is not a scene from the latest fantasy epic but one playing out at several locations along the East Coast in recent weeks. The dragons being dragonflies and the dragon hunters Hobbies.

So what is a Hobby? The Hobby is a handsome falcon which superficially looks a bit like a small Peregrine but also bears some similarity in size and shape to a Kestrel. It has long pointed wings which are held swept back in a scythelike position giving the look of a large Swift. It has very distinctive red ‘trouser’ feathers on its upper legs.

Extremely fast and agile, the Hobby is capable of sudden bursts of acceleration and high-speed aerial manoeuvres that allows it to hunt down its favourite prey, dragonflies which it eats while in flight, stripping off the wings before devouring the body. They also hunt martins, swallows and even swifts.

Red-footed Falcon (Photo Justin Ivory)) A scarce but annual vagrant visitor to Ireland – usually young birds which nip across from the UK to our shores for a week or two in May/June, this year has seen higher numbers than usual with sightings of between one to six individuals at multiple locations in Wicklow, Wexford, Dublin, Cork and Carlow. There have also been multiple sightings recently of Red-footed Falcon, another annual but scarce vagrant to our shores.

ninenottomiss book of the week

tv show of the week

HOROSCOPES

film of the week

AriesKeep offering valuable products and services.

Do the homework behind a successful sales and marketing plan.

missing

by Barry Cummins

Snowpiercer Netflix

Parasite Buy as stream/download

From 1950 to the present day, there have been almost 900 long-term missing people in Ireland. Where did they go? Are they dead or still alive somewhere? How many have been murdered? How many killers have got away with their crimes? RTÉ journalist Barry Cummins has reported on the unsolved cases of Ireland’s missing for decades. In this new edition of his bestselling book, he examines the latest leads and developments of Ireland’s most high-profile missing cases, including the women who disappeared under eerily similar circumstances in the 1990s and whose bodies have never been found.

A new ice age has wiped out most of the Earth’s population. Survivors circumnavigate the planet on a perpetually moving 1,001car train called the Snowpiercer, its carriages segregated by class. The premise of Bong Joon-ho’s 2013 post-apocalyptic sciencefiction film was always faintly ridiculous, but it worked, thanks to the director’s wit, the camerawork and the choreography of the action sequences. Four years in development, this goofball reboot ditches all the art and craft and strips it down to its essentials, yet it somehow still works.

Although the scale of its success at this year’s Oscar ceremony (where it won four awards) was a surprise, Bong Joon-ho’s (who also gets a mention in TV Show of the week) the thriller was always likely to find admirers beyond its native South Korea. This tale of a rich household infiltrated by a crafty working-class family (including Choi Woo-shik and Song Kang-ho) requires little translation: its twists and flourishes are instantly dramatic.

TaurusEnjoy a moment of blissful personal synchronicity.

Articulate your dreams and visions. hings don’t always go as planned.

BUSINESS of the week

kids film of the week

CancerWeigh the pros and cons of a community issue. Choose the most persuasive case.

Watch for hidden agendas.

Team conversations reveal the inside story.

event of the week

GeminiRest and recuperate from a recent activity flurry.

Don’t strain the budget. Use what you have. Pool your resources.

LeoKeep your professional agreements despite distractions. Self-discipline and determination can work a miracle. Love prevails. wells house & Gardens Ballyedmond, Gorey, Co. Wexford, Reopens June 8 www.wellshouse.ie OK some of you are going to be able to get here quicker than others dependeing on when restrictions are lifted but this 17th century manor house, set on a 450-acre estate, is worth the visit on your own or with your family. Also, whether you’re looking to host an event for 900 people or nine, Wells House is the perfect space to do it in with a choice of venues, menus and entertainment to suit all needs . Not only is Wells open for large work events but they also have facilities to host conferences, meetings and team building.

charity of the week

ALPHA CC (01) 286 1800, alphacc.ie or info@alphacc.ie

UP Disney+

If you are nervous about the current pandemic then Alpha CC can provide you with cleaning services to keep your staff safe during and after the Covid-19 outbreak. We can offer all of the following services adhering to strict HSE Covid-19 guidelines:

Like last week’s WALL-E, this is a beautiful movie for kids of all ages. An exciting, funny, and poignant adventure, Up offers an impeccably crafted story told with wit and arranged with depth, as well as yet another visual Pixar treat. A 78-year-old curmudgeonly balloon salesman, is not your average hero.

When he ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies away to the wilds of South America, he finally fulfills his lifelong dream of adventure. But after Carl discovers an 8-yearold stowaway named Russell, this unlikely duo soon finds themselves on a hilarious journey in a lost world filled with danger and surprises.

• Pre return Clean • Transitional Clean • Essential Maintenance Clean • Emergency Cleans Crebisol

radio show of the week documentary of the week

VirgoAn investigation reveals a hidden treasure. Follow a fascinating thread. Study a diverse range of views.

Discover surprising news.

LibraWork together. Old financial assumptions could get challenged. Hold out for the best deal. Simplify expectations.

ScorpioHide away with your partner to strengthen foundations with collaborative efforts.

Gather more information before making a decision.

Sagittarius-

Balance your work, health and fitness with careful scheduling. Adapt to changes. Nourish your physical strength.

enable ireland www.enableireland.ie/wheel100

Lunchtime Live with Ciara Kelly www.newstalk.com/

In Tom Crean’s Footsteps Documentary on One Dowload or Podcast

Enable Ireland is asking the people of the county to take part in its Wheel 100 Challenge next month. The challenge encourages participants to wheel 100 times in their own way and raise vital funds for the charity - either cycle, skate, wheel, scoot, push a walker or buggy! It’s up to you whether you do 100 laps in your garden, 100m near your home or 100 km within your local area. A virtual ‘Wheel 100 Champions Wall’ for those who raise the most funds will be added to the Enable Ireland website www.enableireland.ie/wheel100.

Going behind the day’s headlines and talking points, from current affairs and politics, to lifestyle and human interest. Dr Ciara Kelly is a GP, an Award Winning Columnist with the Sunday Independent and Broadcaster with Newstalk. Ciara began her media career with the Sunday Independent in 2008 and her debut article won a Medical Journalism Award. Her column ‘Doctors Orders’ regularly gets the nation talking and often trends on social media. ​​She was previously the Medical Expert on Operation Transformation.

Following in the footsteps of your ancestors can be a difficult journey, particularly when your Grandfather was the famous adventurer, Tom Crean. 100 years later, his granddaughter Aileen sets out to retrace this historic journey. Crean was a member of three major expeditions to Antarctica during the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration and was a member of Ernest Shackleton’s crew which made a small-boat journey of 1,500km from Elephant Island to South Georgia Island to seek aid for the stranded party..

CapricornRelax, and take it easy.

Don’t make assumptions about another’s views or hold out for a false romantic hope. New facts dispel old fears.

AquariusResolve a misunderstanding or family disagreement as soon as possible. Cultivate compassion for yourself and others.

PiscesListen carefully. Assess the news, and maintain an objective view. Provide a stabilizing influence in a confusing situation. Avoid gossip or rumors.

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Wicklow wakes up

Continued from front page

Irish Water is also appealing to the public to check for and report leaks to 1850 278 278.

The Council is also urging people to adhere to the advice of the HSE. Financial supports for businesses to provide a safe environment are available from the Wicklow Council Covid-19 Restart Grant alongside a wide range of supports from the Wicklow LEO office.

Public Car Parks reopened •Upper car park at Glendalough •South Beach car park, Mill Road, Greystones •Park and Ride, Woodlands Avenue, Greystones •Trafalgar Road, car park, Greystones •La Touche Road car park, Greystones •Harbour/Marina public car park, Greystones •Bray Head car park •Brittas Bay car parks north and south •Sugar loaf car park •Seaview Avenue car park, Arklow •South Beach car park Arklow •The Cove car park Arklow •Knockieran and Baltyboys car parks Blessington •Bray Harbour

COVID-19 OUTBREAK Don’#t forget to wash your hands

COVID-19 OUTBREAK Don’#t forget to wash your hands

wicklowvoice.ie June 8, 2020

Petal the abandoned pony rescued from Sugarloaf The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) has rescued an injured pony which they’ve named Petal from the side of the Sugarloaf mountain.

Chief Inspector Conor Dowling said they responded to a call made to the ISPCA’s National Animal Cruelty Helpline by a concerned member of the public and walked a vast area of the mountainside, covering nearly eight kilometres before locating the pony.

“The pony, now named Petal, was struggling to walk and every step she took caused her pain. I needed to act immediately to get her to safety so I contacted the nearby Irish Horse Welfare Trust (IHWT) for assistance,” Chief Inspector Dowling said.

Despite being injured, Petal didn’t understand that help was at hand and efforts to secure her with a head collar were unsuccessful.

So, while waiting for aid to arrive, Conor slowly herded Petal towards the car park.

He was joined by a Veterinary

The injury pont which was rescued from Sugarloaf Mountain which has since been named petal

Inspector from the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine and a representative from the IHWT. Along with members of the

public the team were able to patiently guide Petal straight into a waiting horsebox and to safety.

A subsequent veterinary examination revealed that Petal

had a severe infection and an injury.

She requires medication and box rest and the coming weeks will be critical to her recovery.

“I was several hours on the mountain but it was so worthwhile to see Petal safe and to know that she would get the veterinary care and pain relief that she urgently needed. I just hope that we were able to reach her in time,” Conor added.

Enquiries are continuing to try to identify the owner of the pony as she was not microchipped, which is a legal requirement.

“It is my belief that this unfortunate pony was dumped on a mountainside because she was injured and the person responsible for her care didn’t want to pay for her veterinary treatment.

If anyone has any information about how she came to be there, we would very much like to hear from them.”

If you have any information to assist the ISPCA’s investigation, please contact us at 1890 515 515 or email helpline@ ispca.ie in confidence.

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wicklowvoice.ie June 8, 2020