Tc wk 4 b by Chronicle Wexford

TE 1 VO o. N

Delivering to more homes in Co Wexford than any other newspaper

ISSUE Thursday NO. 58 January 28, 2016

Cllr. Ger Carthy, Independent Candidate “Carthy--a trusted name in Wexford politics”

Phone: 053 9123527

www.thechronicle.ie

Wexford's €20m 'good news' day

After five years of austerity the tide finally turned for Co. Wexford this week with the government splashing the cash in the final full week of the current Dail. And Fine Gael politicians headed by Government Chief Whip Paul Kehoe and Senator Michael Darcy could not contain their excitement at the good news being deliv-

ered to the county. They took to the airwaves and social media and were busy issuing press releases to proclaim the good news. Few could blame them after almost five years when there was little positive news to deliver and both men spent much of their time defending the corrective measures which the government in-

sisted were essential to save the country. On Tuesday the cash came rolling into the county with millions for roads, houses and nursing homes. Minister Kehoe said it was only possible to provide the cash as a result of the recovery which was now underway but still fragile Top of the list is the alloca-

tion of €11m plus for road maintenance and improvements. The state of rural roads is emerging as a major election issue in several parts of the county and Fine Gael will be hoping that the announcement will take some of the heat out of the issue but many will argue that it is too little too late. Meanwhile there was good

news on the housing front with an allocation of €5m for the provision of social housing. Minister Kehoe accepted the money would not be sufficient to deal with the full scale of the problem but he said it would have a positive impact on the problem across the county. The announcement of €4m for refurbishment works at

Gorey District Hospital and at The New Haughton Hospital in New Ross has been welcomed in both locations. The bulk of the money (€3.5m) will go to the Gorey hospital. The announcement will be a relief to many people in North Wexford where there had been concern for the future of the hospital.

Business Owners When it comes to your business... You know you can

TESCO TESCO WEXFORD ARKLOW

Count on us!

L LL UL F FU N ON TIIO PT IIP R R C C S S E RE P PR E E C VIIC RV ER S SE E LE BL A AB L L I I A A V V A A

Find out more: Call (053) 91 34097

LOWER PRESCRIPTION PRICES

Your Late Night Pharmacy

OPEN 7 DAYS

WEEK

all Wedding bands for January and February

OPENING HOURS Mon, Tue & Wed: 9am - 7pm, Thur & Fri: 9am - 9pm Sat: 9am - 6pm, Sun & Bank Hols: 10am - 6pm

Tel: 053 9166355 0402 41104 Quality & Convenient Pharmacy Services

Free Wedding Coin and engraving with all wedding bands

NATIONAL SHOWROOM

Tom Doyle Supplies RETAIL AND COMMERCIAL

www.cunningham.ie

Offer open until the end of February 2016 only. Deposits taken.

The Old School House, Taghmon, Co. Wexford.

JANUARY SALE!

UP TO 50% OFF SELECTED RANGES, 25% OFF GALA BATHROOMS SALE ENDS Saturday January 30th Telephone 053 938 3700 or email shop@halotiles.ie Tom Doyle Supplies, Camolin, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford

www.halotiles.ie www halotiles ie Di Milano coin sets

TILES

BATHROOMS

TIMBER

STONE

Eternal Leaves: each leaf is natural , unique and

chain, holder and coin of your choice

preserved in gold, rose gold and sterling silver

To €55 per set

OUR PRICE €49 to €55

Down from €85

Full range of Geneva Watches Now in store ALL REDUCED TO

€55

All gold and silver jewellery 25% off for the month of December

RRP €69 to €79

Di Milano bangles Reduced from €29 NOW ONLY €18 EACH

Exclusive collections, deposits taken for christmas

The

Chronicle January 28, 2016

News

Malcolm busy with mute bottom as Robbie joins meeting by video ink

He’s behind you; look he’s waving; come in Robbie--------not the dialog from the latest panto but the scene at the January meeting of the Gorey District Council when Labour Councillor Robbie Ireton joined the session by video link from a hospital car park in Dublin. Robbie has to spend six weeks in hospital as part of a diet control programme but he was anxious not to miss the proceedings of his local district council. So Bernard Wadding from the Council’s IT Depar4tment was hauled up from Wexford to establish a video connection between Gorey and Loughlinstown Hospital where Robbie had set himself up in the car park.. It may not have been historymaking but it was certainly a

novelty to have one of the members joining the meeting by video link and there was a certain excitement in the Chamber. The Councillors would all speak into microphones when they made contributions so that Robbie could hear what they were saying, Chairman Malcolm Byrne decreed. Then just as they were about to launch on to this great new adventure a terrible thing happened. Suddenly the screen went blank and Robbie’s image vanished. After a bit of fiddling with buttons the IT man managed to get the picture back and we were off. Usually at these meetings the Chairman spends quite a bit of time trying to stop Robbie from speaking but as John Hegarty commented on Tues-

day it was the opposite. As each issue was debated Malcolm took care to ask Robbie if he wanted to contribute and kindly informed him that if he wanted to come in at any stage just to wave his hand and the members would see him. And that’s what he did. However, in this set up all the power rested with Malcolm because as soon as Robbie was about to say anything which the Chairman didn’t like he was immediately silenced by use of the mute bottom. Never was the mute button more eagerly brought into play than when Robbie was contributing to a debate on housing and started to praise Minister Alan Kelly. No sooner had the words ‘Alan’

and ‘Kelly’ been uttered than Malcolm slapped onto the mute button like a man possessed. Robbie certainly didn’t speak as much as if he had been present in person but the video link did obviously play a part in helping to break the monotony of a long stay in hospital for the Labour councillor. A 5pm Robbie had to leave but not before he had some very kind words for all those who facilitated the video link. A bit like the eurovision song contest it was ‘goodnight from Loughlinstown’ and everyone agreed that after this experience Robbie would be ideally suited to present Ireland’s votes for this year’s song contest.

Plan to target flooding blackspots Wexford Co. Council has been urged to draw up a list of the flooding blackpsots in North Wexford and to tackle them on a planned basis. Councillor Anthony Donohoe said there were a number of areas which had been flooding for years and they needed to be deal with. While the Council did not have the resources to deal with all the problems they needed to draw up a plan and carry out work on an annuall basis eliminating the problem over time in a planned way. Members of the Municipal District Council agreed with the Fine Gael councillor’s suggestion and a plan to deal

with the problem is to be drawn up. There was warm praise from members for the Council’s outdoor staff efforts in dealing with the flooding crises which hit over the Christmas and New Year holiday period. Councillor Fionntán O Súilleabháin said there was a serious shortage of outdoor staff in the area and he called for the provision of more outdoor staff for North Wexford highlighting the fact that some Council employees had worked shifts of up to twenty hours during the recent storms.

North Wexford housing problem to be given priority

The housing crisis in North Wexford is to be moved to the top of the Co. Council’s agenda but even the best efforts of the Housing Department are unlikely to have a major impact on the problem given the lead time involved in providing new units.

Housing Officer Liz Hore told members of the Gorey Municipal District Council that North Wexford would be prioritised as part of all the initiatives aimed at dealing with the housing problem in the county. She said the provision of houses would be prioritised

in terms of need across the county. The housing problem in North Wexford is now acute with a shortage of all types of accommodation and a big scarcity of homes and apartments to rent. And the rent allowance scheme is a disaster for the

area because its upper limit is considerably short of the minimum amount required to get any sort of accommodation in the area. Councillor Marry Farrell said property on the rental market was totally overpriced and she accused landlords of profiteering.

€1.2m. Gorey Town Park upgrade to go ahead A massive re-development of Gorey Town Park is to go ahead later this year aimed at making the facility a major attraction not just for locals but for visitors to the town as well. Wexford Co. Council is to provide funding of €1.24m for the work. The cash is to come from development levies. Plans for the Park have been developed over several years but they hit a stumbling block last year when the facility did not qualify for State funding. But the good news for North Wexford is that it can

now go ahead with the cash coming from the Co. Council’s own resources. The new facility will include a unique mix of sports and leisure facilities which will be a ‘fantastic’ amenity for the people of the town, according to councillors. Cllr Anthony O’Donohoe said €1.2m was a ‘colossal’ amount of money to spend on the park. Cllr John Hegarty said on a day when another €1m was being announced for the quays in Wexford it was great to see funding coming to Gorey.

Gorey’s ‘avenue’ to be restored

Pictured at the launch of the Interagency Suicide Prevention Strategy Report in Wexford County Hall were. Ms.Jeanne Hendrick,General Manager.Community Healthcare Org.Health Service, Ms.Aileen Colley, Chief Officer, Community Healthcare Org. Tony Dempsey, Chair County Council, Minister Brendan Howlin, .Kathleen Lynch, TD Minister of State Department of Health.Ger Carthy,Mayor of Wexford and Dr.Gerard O Neill,Director of Counselling, Comm.Healthcare Org.

Work aimed at restoring The Avenue in Gorey to its former glory is finally to begin at the end of the month. The job had been due to get underway a year ago but ran in to difficulties. Now local councillors are anxious that the full plans be put on display so that people will see what the final job will look like before contractors start digging up trees and removing

footpaths. Cllr Malcolm Byrne said it was important to allay the concerns of residents by showing them how the Avenue would look when the work is complete. Cllr. Fionntán O’Sulleabhain said he would like to see a more mature type of tree being planted to replace those being taken away

The

Chronicle January 28, 2016

News

Concern over workload as Cllr. Kelly recovers

Members of the Wexford Municipal District Council were united in wIshing their hospitalised colleague a return to full health when they met for their January session. The Mayor Cllr. Ger Carthy was able to inform his colleagues that Cllr Kelly had telephoned him from his hospital bed to express his thanks for the support of his

colleagues and for the prompt response of the ambulance service when he fell ill. Mayor Carthy said Cllr. Kelly, who had been gravely ill for a time, had made great progress but faced a long road to recovery. All members joined the Mayor in wishing their colleague well but a number of

them used the occasion to highlight the increased workload faced by councillors and the potential toll it could have on the health of individuals. A number of members in Wexford have been repeatedly critical of the decision to abolish urban local authorities. Cllr. Davy Hynes said three used to be twelve coun-

cil loss to serve Wexford town but now there were only ten to serve the entire district. This placed a big extra burden on the elected . Cllr. Hynes said local government reform had been a disaster for the towns. Cllr.. Fergie Kehoe said the added workload was putting a strain on the health of councilors.

Wexford's Friary needs urgent repairs The Mayor of Wexford Cllr. Ger Carthy has announced that the Co. Council is to provide funding for an examination of the problems which have been identified in the roof of the Friary in Wexford town. He made the announcement at a meeting of the Wexford Borough District Council

where he described the Friary as an iconic Wexford building which needed to be preserved. The first task is to identify the scale of the problem with the roof and the Council is to provide an initial €25,000 for this work but further funding has also been pledged to carry out necessary repairs.

Bid to solve school time traffic chaos

Wexford town faces school time traffic chaos on a daily basis with serious congestion being experienced on the streets around all schools. One of the worst affected areas is around the CBS where traffic backs up to Pettitts supermarket and further out. Now councillors are urging officials to come up with a

plan to relieve the daily chaos. Cllr. Davy Hynes suggested that the junction at Bride Place was part of the problem because cars found it very difficult to get through the the junction at peak times. The fact that there is only a single lane for traffic at the junction was part of the difficulty, he suggested.

He suggested that a roundabout could provide the solution in that area if there was sufficient room to construct one. Cllr Fergie Kehoe said an additional problem was created by traffic emerging onto the junction from Carrigeen Street and he suggested that Carrigeen Street be made one way in the other direction.

But Cllr. George Lawlor said that would divert the traffic towards the Presentation School and Cllr Deirdre Wadding said it was already difficult enough to to get from Grogan's Road to Roche's Road. Engineers are now to examine the junction to see if it is suitable for a roundabout or an alternative solution.

Seventh Anniversary of Wexford Toastmasters Club A cake crafted by club president Isabel Barros featured centrally during a special meeting of Wexford Toastmasters club, to mark its seven years of existence. It meets at 8pm on the first and third Thursdays of the month in the Executive Suite, fifth floor, of Clayton Whites Hotel. There are currently 25 members. In Toastmasters clubs, mem-

bers practice and hone the craft of speaking before a group, along with other skills. It uses tried and tested systems. Members get two handbooks. One is called “Competent Communication”, and has ten speech projects. The subject matter and pace IS up to the individual. This builds an incremental set of presentational skills. After getting the

Competent Communicator pin, a member has a choice from twelve advanced manuals. Everyone carries a bit of the load at meetings. These jobs provide mini-speaking opportunities, through coming forward to introduce oneself and to give end reports. These transferrable “leadership” feature in the second manual, Competent Leader-

ship, where another member ticks boxes along the way. Jobs have names like timer, grammarian, ah-counter, evaluator and poet. A meeting is chaired by Toastmaster of the Day. Visitors are very welcome to come along and sample the flavour. There is no charge to these guests, and parking tickets are validated free at Reception on the way out.

Wexford Toastmasters Club members applaud their seventh anniversary cake before tucking in.

Unlike many on-line companies offering cheap insurance we are not tied to any one insurance company. At Avalon we compare a variety of different insurance companies in the market to get you the best deal. We offer a full range of personal insurances such as Household, Motor, Travel and Health insurance as well as commercial insurance for Shops, Offices, Restaurants, Farms, Warehouses etc. In addition we provide Life, Mortgage Protection, Income Protection and Pensions from all the leading Life Companies in Ireland. Call in and talk to us at 34 Main Street Gorey, phone us on 053 9483607 or email info@avaloninsurance.ie "We do the legwork so you don't have to".

The

Chronicle January 28, 2016

News

Mythen launches his campaign

Sinn Féin General Election candidate Councillor Johnny has said that a Sinn Féin government would act in the best interests of the ordinary people of Wexford. Councillor Mythen was speaking at the launch of his election campaign at Clayton Whites Hotel where he was joined by Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams TD. More than two hundred people gathered for the launch which featured a reading of the Proclamation, traditional music and dance. There were also get well greetings for party councillor, An-

thony Kelly who is ill in Wexford General Hospital. Councillor Mythen and Mr Adams visited the hospital before the launch. In his address to the attendance Cllr Mythen said; "A Sinn Féin government will focus on the real issues faced by ordinary people and will always act in their sole interests, for the common good, and for the prosperity of all its citizens. "I believe that Sinn Fein can be in government, but only with a mandate from you, can we set about achieving this goal.

Johnny meets some of his family at launch

"Fine Gael and the Labour Party have brought in laws without debate, and guillotined them through the Dail. They have done this to force people to pay unfair taxes and unjust fines. "They have brought in laws that have given banks a powerful veto over the family home. Any government that uses the law against the will of its own citizens loses the right to govern and they must go. "In sharp contrast, a Sinn Féin government would act in the best interests of the ordinary people of Wexford. We have underscored that reality by committing to abolish water charges, the local property tax and by pledging to meet the challenge of the housing crisis with a massive social housing build programme. "Wexford has great potential; our tourism, agriculture, aquaculture, industries, our S.M.E.s and Rosslare Port are all areas that can be expanded upon, and they have the potential to provide much needed local jobs. "Wexford has a

highly skilled building work force, and we have a housing list of 3720. Put the two issues together. Build more social houses and we will have employment and homes for families. "We have witnessed the growth of economic and social inequality on a massive scale. It will continue to grow if the current Government and their austerity policies are allowed to con- Jody Kelly, daughter of councillor Anthony Kelly with Johnny tinue. Mythen and Gerry Adams "These are policies that were the progressive, republican alour way, and usually they are given birth by Fianna Fail and ternative represented by Sinn very few and far between. christened by Fine Gael and Féin. "It's time to return the right Labour Party "The direction provided by of the people of Ireland to the "We in Wexford, and people Fine Gael, The Labour Party ownership of Ireland. across the country, have an op- and Fianna Fáil has left us the "It's time to finally cherish portunity to change the politithird most disadvantaged all the children of the nation cal landscape of the Ireland, county council in the state. equally, and to work hard to that has been dominated by Wexford has 128 areas of depbuild a better future for them two parties since the late twen- rivation, and one of the highest all. ties, once and for all. rates of unemployment in the "It's time for the people of "We must decide what road state. This has all happened Wexford to elect a Sinn Féin to travel. Is it the road of the under the watch of two estabTD and put in place a governstatus quo, that has delivered lished Ministers. ment with vision, compassion, very little for the ordinary peo"There are times in all our and understanding.", he conple of Wexford? Or will it be lives that opportunities come cluded.

The

Chronicle January 28, 2016

Treating yourself? At Motivation Weight Management, we know that thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always a reason behind unhealthy eating. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why we begin your weight loss journey with a clinically developed behaviour assessment, to discover why you eat the way you do. Then we work with you to help change those habits, leading to fast, healthy weight loss that lasts for life.

Start treating yourself right, visit motivation.ie today.

VISTIT W WWW.MOTIVATION.IE WW W.MO . 000 TIV V0000 AT TION.IE VISIT CALL 000 UNIT 1 ARDCA ARDCAVAN AVAN A BUSINESS P PARK A ARK AR ARDCAVAN, DCA AVAN A ,

WEXFORD T TOWN, OW CO.. WEXFORD WEXFORD.. CA WN, CO CALL ALL 053 942 942 2950 0 0$,1 52$' 72:1 1$0( &2817< 1$0( BL OCK A BLOCK A,, THE EP PALMS ALMS A MEDICAL CENTR CENTRE, RE, THE A AVENUE, VENUE V , 0$,1 675((7 27+(5 72:1 1$0( &2817< 1$0( GOREY, WEXFORD.. GOREY Y, CO. CO. W WEXFORD

CALL 053 941 0036

31 Clinics Nationwide

The

Chronicle January 28, 2016

News

No rough sleepers in county

Anger over state of Co. Council graveyards People in Bunclody were unable to visit the graves of loved ones over the Christmas period because there was severe flooding at the entrance to the local cemetery. Local councillor Barbara Ann Murphy said it was very distressing for people. The flood waters were simply too high for people to gain access, she told colleagues at a meeting of the Enniscorthy Municipal District Council.

She also pointed out that inside the cemetery conditions were very difficult for visitors because there was a lack of paths in the newer parts of the burial ground. Cllr Murphy said people deserved better given the amount of money they were being asked to pay for graves, She was supported by Councillor Oliver Walsh who said similar problems existed in other Council cemeteries and he agreed that the price being

charged for graves was very high. Director of Services John Carley said the cost of graves was linked to the cost of buying land and providing the graveyards. However, Chairman Paddy Kavanagh said at €1,000 per grave twenty burials would pay the cost of an acre of land and you would fit many times that number of graves in an acre.

A major review of policy in relation to the running of local authority cemeteries across the county is currently underway and it is expected to be completed by mid-year. A suggestion from Cllr Walsh that local communities be provided with materials to carry out some work in cemeteries themselves is to be included as part of the review.

It’s a tractor or nothing on some rural roads Some roads in parts of the county are now in such a bad state of repair that it is only possible to travel along them in tractors, a rural based Co. Councillor has claimed. Kathleen Codd Nolan has been banging the drum over the state of the county’s roads for months and the Fine Gael councillor has been critical of her own government over the scrapping of the schemes which helped maintain some

of the worst routes in the past. Cllr. Codd Nolan said she had been inundated with complaints and had been shocked by the scale of problems in some areas when she inspected them. Cllr Barbara Ann Murphy said she could find almost no road in her area which did not require attention. However, away from North West Wexford, the area repre-

Popular beach cut off One of the county’s most popular beaches, and the only seaside resort in the Enniscorthy Municipal District, has become almost

totally inaccessible due to damage to the approach road, it has emerged. Ballyconnigar beach in Blackwater has full facilities

sented by both councillors, there was an even greater difficulty, with Oliver Walsh telling the Enniscorthy Municipal District Council meeting that a road at Ballyvaloo near Blackwater which had been flooded for several months had been closed due to the problem for an average of four months each year for the last four years. Cllr Walsh accepted that there was a legal issue inincluding a car park and toilets but it has become a no go area. Local councillor Oliver Walsh appealed for action to restore the road at a meeting of the local Council and he revealed that as a result of

volved but said it was totally unacceptable for people to be cut off an isolated for that length of time. ‘If it was the N11 or a main route it simply would not happen’, he told colleagues. Chairman paddy |Kavanagh said Cllr Walsh had been raising this problem every year and four years was too long to wait for action, regardless of any legal issue.

difficulties reaching Ballyconnigar people were now using other less safe parts of the coastline. Council officials are to examine the problems in the area with a view to carrying out necessary works

Despite the huge increase in houseless across the country and the growing waiting list for houses in Co. Wexford there are no rough sleepers in Co Wexford. The County Hosing Officer, Liz Hore told members of the Enniscorthy Municipal District Council that despite dealing with five hundred and thirty four cases

of homelessness last year the Council was able to ensure that no one went without a bed at night. And there was praise for Council staff who provided a rota for emergency cover over the Christmas holiday period to deal with people who found themselves in difficulty

Dredging would not have halted flood waters in Enniscorthy People who suggested that Enniscorthy’s recent flooding crisis could have been avoided if the river Slaney had been dredged simply did not know what they were talking about, members of the local Municipal District Council have insisted. And they were particularly critical of a local radio broadcaster who repeatedly made the claim during interviews with Council Chairman Paddy Kavanagh and local ministers. Leading the charge was Councillor Keith Doyle who said that all the experts had proven that dredging was not the answer to the problem in the town and those who suggested otherwise were only giving false hope to people and were ill informed. And Council Engineers who are working on the issue have supported the view. A detailed presentation on the scale of the flooding over the Christmas and New Year period in the

town was presented to the Council’s January meeting and there was warm praise for the efforts of Council staff, the emergency services and voluntary groups to deal with the problem. But the engineers made it clear that dredging in itself would do nothing to solve the flooding threat. The only effective way to deal with the problem is through the multifaceted flood protection plan which has now been designed for the town. With funding in place for the project this plan is now advancing rapidly. However, there is no guarantee that the town will not flood again before it is fully constructed, councillors were informed. The project involves some dredging in addition to the building of flood defences and the positioning of valves on all outlets from the town into the river to stop flood waters travelling up pipes and into properties in the town.

Arachas Ferrycarrig 5 Five Mile Road Race

Katherina,Killian,Ailish,Mary and Katie Kinsella and Damien Freeman,New Ross

Briget Bolger,Una Timmons,Michael Fottrell,Elaine Stafford and Siobhan Bolger,All New Ross

The

News

Chronicle January 28, 2016

Ireland’s recovery is fragile but Fine Gael’s Long Term Economic Plan will Keep the Recovery Going – D’Arcy

With the General Election only weeks away, the Fine Gael Ard Fheis last weekend was an important opportunity for the party to set out our stall and to tell the people about the plan we have formulated to keep the recovery going. Thanks to the hard work of the Irish people and the policies pursued by this Government over the last five years, the country is doing well. Confidence is increasing and the recovery is beginning to reach all parts of the country, including here in Wexford. The recovery we are experiencing is in the early stages and it is fragile, but Fine Gael has a Long Term Economic Plan that will keep the recovery going. The plan has three steps; more and better jobs, making work pay and sensible investments in public services. The first step is to create more job opportunities spread across the country. This is why the Fine Gael manifesto

will commit to more doubling the number of apprenticeships to 31,000, an additional €42 billion in infrastructural investments and the protection of the 12.5% corporation tax. The only way that we can cut taxes to ease the pressure on families, while investing in the services that people rely on, is to grow the economy. That is why we have put job-creation at the heart of our long economic term plan. Other parties will spend the election campaign arguing over how they will spend the resources created by the recovery, without any plan to actually keep that recovery going. After years of the Fianna Fáil recession, we are now talking about the future, about the potential we have to invest in that future and about how that investment will reap the rewards the Irish people deserve. Fianna Fáil and other parties have lots of ideas about how to spend money but precious few about creat-

ing the jobs that will give them the money to spend. Fine Gael will work to make sure that jobs pay, that tax doesn’t cripple hardworking families and that we have a welfare system that supports families trying to access employment. Fine Gael’s policies will continue to create more jobs, ensure that work pays and grow the economy to finance better and fairer public services. Without a strong economy, promises to improve public services are nothing more than unaffordable. Help us finish the job we began five difficult years ago let's keep the recov- Gorey District Hospital has been strongly supported by local community and sporting groups ery going. with fundraising efforts. This was a presentation by the Gorey Darts League to the hospital. This week the governement announced €3.5m in funding to secure the hospital’s future.

Senator Michael D'Arcy Constituency Office, 71 Main Street, Gorey

Tel: 053 9483966 Mobile: 087 9901055 www.michaeldarcy.ie Email: Michael.darcy@oir.ie Offices open in Ferns and Bunclody

The

Chronicle January 28, 2016

News “Politicians have a clear lack of ambition for Wexford” declares Byrne.

Aoife Byrne launched her bid to win a seat in Wexford in the forthcoming General Election at the Whitford House Hotel, recently in Wexford town. Surrounded by her supporters and family, Byrne a first time Fianna Fail candidate for elected office, mapped out her priorities for Wexford over the coming years. Covering, employment creation, tourism, infrastructure, education, young families, care of the elderly and security in the home, Ms Byrne clearly held the past government to task declaring “The clear lack of ambition over the past 5 years” Adding “ For too long now Wexford has been left behind. We are in a downward spiral, from 7th most disadvantaged county in the country in 2007 to 3rd most disadvantaged

today. This quite simply has to stop. We have one of the highest unemployment rates in the country, lowest in terms of educational attainment, highest burglary rate, one of the highest suicide rates, high rates of negative equity. All of these issues are inter-linked and cannot be tackled in isolation. There has been a clear lack of ambition for Wexford over the past 5 years. The people of Wexford have been let down, neglected and it is time that changed. It is time Wexford reached its potential” Setting out her commitments Byrne outlined “If elected I will address the issues of unemployment and access to education, particularly for our younger people. I welcome the South East Action Plan for Jobs. It is imperative that it is now

implemented, with Wexford County receiving its fair share.” Moving the discussion onto education, Byrne a graduate of IT Carlow added “ I believe that it is imperative that a Technological University for the South East is established, with a purpose built, fit for purpose campus here in Wexford, which will provide access to third level education locally for our younger people and those wishing to return to education.” Byrne also committed herself to working for New Ross, including developing the town once the new road bypass is in place in addition to maximising Tourism to benefit the county. Concluding, Byrne stated "As I said Wexford has not nearly reached its potential. It

is a fantastic county, with fantastic assets, including of course its people. I will work to ensure that those who want to live and work in this county get the opportunity to do so. I will work to make Wexford safe, vibrant and family friendly, to make it a leading tourist destination here in the Sunny South East. Vote for me and I will work with passion and integrity for you, and together we can make Wexford work."

Vote No 1 Aoife Byrne

Aoife and her Dad, former TD and Junior Minister Hugh Byrne.

MAKING WEXFORD WORK

The Cassidy Quintuplets with their parents and Aoife Byrne at her election launch. Pictured are Kevin, Rory, Dearbhail ,Cassidy, Aoife Byrne, Conor, Cian, Amy and Veronica Cassidy.

Working with James Browne and Malcolm Byrne

Bill Underwood, Aoife Byrne, Nuala Carroll and Rich Howlin, at the launch

The

It’s time to start thinking about that Spring Clean

The beautiful Spring sun is not far off and while it’s a beautiful thing, it brings with it one major problem. It shows up all the dirt and dust. Suddenly you wonder how you’ve been living looking out of those mucky windows, and surely all that dust on the mantle place couldn’t be true? There’s only one thing for it – it’s time to roll up the sleeves and stick on the immersion. Yep, hot water, suds and plenty of elbow grease is the only way to go. Of course you can’t have a truly clean home without it being tidy and if you are an organised person this is where you’ll come into your element. If the last time you tidied was back when Mark McCabe had his 1 hit wonder, fear not. Here are a few simple tips that’ll have your gaff in tip top shape in no time.

1). Be Ready: Mentally that is. There is no point in trying to organise a 1,000 sq ft house if you’re not in “the zone”. So start thinking about what you need to do and when and how you’re going to do it. Paint a mental picture and by the time D-Day

arrives you’ll be rearing to go. 2). Clear Out Let Ye: If you have smallies running around that aren’t able to pitch in, organise someone to take them out for a few hours. There’s no hope in hell you’re going to get anything done with 100 questions and complaints coming your direction. If they’re older send them into their room and tell them no Wi-Fi until it’s sorted. 3). Bit by Bit: “How do you eat an elephant? Bite by bite.” It’s the same for all tasks. Don’t try to be a martyr by emptying all your cupboards in one morning, come evening time you’ll only be side-stepping piles of stuff everywhere. Take one room or area at a time and do it properly. If you only get one room done per day that’s OK, if a job’s worth doing it’s worth doing right and that sense of achievement will give you the energy needed for the next day. I promise you’ll be itching to tackle the rest of the house after it. 4). Keep, Sell, Bin: Separate out all your belongings into these 3 piles. The stuff you’re keeping – be honest with yourself & only keep it if you have a use for it, or

sentimental value on it, and a place for it. If it’s of no longer use to you why are you holding onto it? Sell – this is a major upside to spring cleaning. You get to make some extra cash. CaChing!! Bin – it is what it is, if it’s no good to anyone, bin it or recycle it. 5). System: If you don’t have one create one. Do you remember your mother saying “everything in its place and a place for everything”, well she was right (don’t tell my mam). The other up-side to a good clear-out is a smoother running life. You will find your belongings much quicker, you’ll get ready for work / school faster and you’ll actually free up some memory because you won’t have to remember where everything is anymore. Think of it like a clean-up app for your brain. Get it working efficiently again. The hardest part is getting started, so get your cleaning rags on, those windows open and the music pumping. You’ll be glad you did it. You can sell your preloved items for free on QuickSearch.ie where you could also win a €50 One4All gift card.

Chronicle January 28, 2016

Tips for Buying or Selling through a Classified Website

QuickSearch.ie is Ireland’s newest app for finding any service you need. From activities for the kids or family days out to (soon to be launched) hotel breaks, restaurants and shops & services. You can search by keyword, category or location, you also see reviews left by others visitors and contact the business owner directly with any queries all through our user friendly smartphone app. Our Buy It Sell It page has just been launched where you can easily sell your pre-loved items for free. To celebrate, all adverts placed on the site will be entered into a draw for a €50 One4All gift card. Each advert placed = 1 entry into the draw, so the more items you out up for sale, the more chances you have of winning. Here are a few easy tips to help you get your selling off to a flying start: 1). Organise: Gather up all the items you no longer want to keep and get them ready for sale. If they need a quick clean, a button replacing or a new set of batteries get all that sorted. 2). Photos: Your items are more likely to sell with photos, people want to know exactly what they are buying. One person’s

opinion of “excellent condition” might not be the same as another’s. So take the best photo’s you can, some up close to show any marks etc. and in day light if possible. 3). Describe it: You have a text area to describe your item, use it wisely and include all relevant details. Example, “32 inch silver LG TV for sale, 3 years old, have the remote and the manual. No marks or scratches, in excellent condition. Reason for sale – buying a bigger TV and no longer have use or room for this. Can be viewed working prior to taking away”. This description is very clear and indicates that the seller is honest. The buyer has a chance to view working if they wish. 4). Be Honest: Not all preloved items can be in excellent condition, they have been used after all. Maybe the item is a little faded in colour from being outside but is operating perfectly, or is missing a small piece, or maybe it’s only good for parts. Explain all this in your advert so people are aware prior to sale what they are getting. This also reduces excessive haggling and qualifies the buyer. If after knowing the item isn’t perfect but the buyer is making an offer, you know they

are genuinely interested, this will save everybody’s time. 5). Be Careful: Most people are genuine, trustworthy people, but remember you are buying from / selling items to strangers, be careful when and where you meet. Talk off-line prior to meeting so you have a phone number of the other person. Meet in daylight in a well populated area. Tell someone you are going to meet this person, or better yet, bring someone along with you. If you are not dealing in cash, be aware of online scams asking for bank account details etc. There are very sophisticated scams out there and if something sounds weird – it probably is. 6). Leave a Review: You can leave reviews for the buyers & sellers on the site. This is a great way to let others know who are genuine and trustworthy. With these few tips under your belt you are well equipped to being a master buyer or seller, so all that is left to do now is have a gather round the house to see what items you can make some extra cash from. After all “One man’s junk is another man’s treasure”. Happy Selling!

WIN With

QuickSearch.ie QuickSearch.ie is Ireland’s newest directory app. To celebrate we want our mascots to come and visit your school!!! To be in with a chance of winning simply: 1). Colour in the picture 2). Fill in the form attached 3). Upload a photo of it to our Facebook page @quicksearch.ie The competition is open to primary school pupils County Wexford. Entrants will be shortlisted by QuickSearch.ie with the finalists going forward on Facebook where the public will decide on the winner. Full T&Cs can be found on the website.

Download QuickSearch App today

Name: Age: School:

The

Chronicle January 28, 2016

Whelan Cleaning Systems

Whelan Cleaning Systems Ltd. Based in Wexford Town are a family run business with over 30 years experience in the industrial and commercial cleaning business. We specialise in Office, Factory and Hotel Cleaning, Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning, Cleaning of New Buildings, Cleaning of Rental Properties, Fire & Flood Damage, High Reach Window Cleaning, High Pressure Power Washing and Industrial Kitchen Cleaning. We also specialise in residential cleaning of carpets and upholstery and introducing mattress sanitising. Call us today for a competitive quote and avail of our 10% Spring Cleaning Offer on 0539123392.

! BRAND NEW, CLEAN DRY SECURE STORAGE CONTAINERS - 20FT X 8FT OR 40FT X 8FT ! CONTAINERS FROM €25 PLUS VAT PER WEEK ! INDOOR STORAGE AVAILABLE UP TO 5000 SQ. FEET ! 24HR / 7 DAY ACCESS ! SHORT OR LONG TERM RENTS

IDEAL FOR: ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

That time of year to get those Gutters cleaned of leaves!

SELF STORAGE FROM €25 PER WEEK

BUSINESS STARTUPS COMMERCIAL STOCK TRADESMEN / BUILDERS COMMERCIAL / DOMESTIC FURNITURE MARKET TRADERS HOME MOVEMENTS / RENOVATIONS OFFICE CONTENTS / FILE STORAGE VINTAGE CARS / MOTORCYCLES / MACHINERY

24/7 C.C.T.V. SECURITY

Phone or Email for further information Located in Kilcannon Industrial Estate, Enniscorthy (Beside Recycling Centre)

Tel: 087 447 6493 enniscorthyselfstorage@eircom.net

The

A CI

E NT

E P S

Chronicle January 28, 2016

Breathe New Life into Your Home or Business

“I also provide specialist cleaning services to remove spots, stains, odour and chewing gum; dust mite elimination; rug cleaning; leather cleaning; curtain cleaning and mattress cleaning; as well as the latest antibacterial stain

Cleaning Doctor Gives Your Carpets & Upholstery a Bright New Look, and Saves You €€€s Too!

protection, Bactoshield OV, which is designed to combat the spread of E-Coli and MRSA. It’s an essential service for nursing homes and hospitals.”

You look around your home or business and observe that your carpets, curtains and upholstery are looking a little dull, stained,

David stresses that his services cause very little disruption, “All cleaning is done on-site in your home or business, and there’s no need to move heavy items or take curtains down.”

tired, and definitely under the weather. Maybe you’re thinking about replacing them, but worried about the cost and upheaval which has delayed your decision. Well, worry no more – Cleaning Doctor Wexford has an ideal low cost

David emphasises, “As a Cleaning Doctor professional, I am totally dedicated to giving you the best ever carpet, curtain and upholstery

solution for you.

cleaning and stain protection, all at sensible prices and backed up with my 100% satisfaction

Cleaning Doctor David Delaney provides professional cleaning and restoration services;

guarantee on every job. And don’t forget, a restoration clean can save expensive replacement costs. I’ll give your home or

he looks after the health of your indoor environment by giving you cleaner, brighter, fresher, safer, healthier carpets, curtains and

business a bright new look at a very economical cost.”

upholstery – a breath of fresh air for your home or business.

So if your carpets, curtains and upholstery are

David explains his approach, “As well as the traditional hot-water extraction system, I use the revolutionary Dry Fusion low-moisture cleaning system, which leaves carpets clean, dry, deodorised, stain protected and ready to walk on just 30 minutes after cleaning. My systems are ideal for homeowners and businesses that want faster drying and less downtime.

looking poorly and need reviving, give Cleaning Doctor David Delaney a call and get them restored back to a clean and healthy state. For comprehensive information visit www.cleaningdoctor.ie/wexford, Call on mobile: 087 689 1041 Or telephone: (053) 910 6160

MS MAINTENANCE JUST THE WOMAN FOR THE JOB

MS Maintenance provide a range of services

GET YOUR CHIMNEY CLEANED OPEN FIRE OR STOVE

I OFFER A CLEAN AND EFFICIENT SERVICE THERE ARE SIMPLE REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD GET YOUR CHIMNEY CLEANED You may not think an open fire or a solid fuel stove can’t pose a danger of carbon monoxide fumes. So let me enlighten you... It is a known fact that blocked chimneys or flues allow carbon monoxide to seep into your home and badly affect your health - or even kill you. OR CAUSE HOUSE FIRE

I also provide a power wash service

Get your gutters cleaned out and washed. Don’t let them fall down your driveways, patios, decking gradually becoming vulnerable to weed growth, moss, algae and lichen, leaving them looking dirty and dated

CALL SIOBHAN ON 0872951175

The

Chronicle January 28, 2016

BMW 3 Series

jdonohoebmw.ie

The Ultimate Driving Machine

*TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY.

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot of things you can expect from a 161 BMW. Technology that breaks new HSPVOE #.8 &Gâ&#x20AC;«×©â&#x20AC;¬DJFOU %ZOBNJDT UIBU TFU OFX TUBOEBSET " ESJWF UIBU EFâ&#x20AC;«×©â&#x20AC;¬OFT QMFBTVSF "OE BT QBSU PG PVS 6MUJNBUF 4BMFT %SJWF ZPVÅ&#x2020;MM BMTP â&#x20AC;«×©â&#x20AC;¬OE B SBOHF PG FOIBODFE PGGFST BU + Donohoe Enniscorthy. For more information about a typical APR of just 3.9% on selected BMW models, call 053 924 2526 or e-mail bmw@jdonohoebmw.com

J Donohoe Quarrypark, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford Y21 XP59. 5FM www.jdonohoebmw.ie Finance example is based on a 37 month BMW Select (Hire-purchase) agreement for the model featured, a BMW 318d SE. Total Contract kilometres 45,000. Vehicle condition charges may apply at the end of the agreement. On the road cash price is based on manufacturerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recommended retail price and includes BMW Dealer Warranty and BMW Emergency Service. Prices are correct at time of publication and are subject to change without notice. 3FUBJM DVTUPNFST POMZ "MM â&#x20AC;«×©â&#x20AC;¬OBODF JT TVCKFDU UP TUBUVT BOE BWBJMBCMF UP PWFS Å&#x2020;T JO *SFMBOE POMZ 8BSOJOH ZPV XJMM OPU PXO UIF HPPET VOUJM UIF â&#x20AC;«×©â&#x20AC;¬OBM QBZNFOU JT NBEF 'JOBODF JT QSPWJEFE CZ #.8 'JOBODJBM 4FSWJDFT *SFMBOE -JNJUFE 4XJGU 4RVBSF 4BOUSZ %FNFOTF #.8 'JOBODJBM 4FSWJDFT *SFMBOE -JNJUFE JT SFHVMBUFE CZ UIF $FOUSBM #BOL PG *SFMBOE

The

News

New HSE website undertheweather.ie may save you a trip to the doctor

Many of us feel under the weather at this time of year. It could be a cold, a sore throat or an earache, and the HSE has lots of advice for these common ailments on its website undertheweather.ie. The straight-talking and easy to navigate site, developed in partnership with GPs and pharmacists, gives our visitors clear and practical information on how to manage a range of common illnesses with common sense. Mr. Tony O'Brien, Director General of the HSE, said today; "The purpose of undertheweather.ie is to build on the work already undertaken by the HSE, GPs, Pharmacists to improve the general population’s confidence in managing common illnesses, reduce unnecessary use of antibiotics and help to manage demand for our healthcare services over the busy winter period.’ The information site for adults and children has been developed by health professionals, covering a wide range of common conditions like colds, flu, earaches, sore throats and tummy bugs. It describes each ailment, tells you how long each one should last, gives you information on what to take to recover from these illnesses and when to seek advice from your GP or pharmacist. Along with practical advice,

Under the Weather offers videos from leading Irish GPs; Dr. Nuala O'Connor from Cork, Prof. Andrew Murphy from NUIG, and Dr. Eamonn Shanahan from Kerry; and Pharmacist Tom Maher from Co. Meath. Dr. Nuala O'Connor, ICGP Antibiotics Lead, who played a leading role in developing the site, said: “The easy to read content, videos and advice from GPs and pharmacists, represent the health education that goes on in GP surgeries every day. We may know there's no point in taking antibiotics for common viral illnesses, but it’s a different story when you or your child is feeling very unwell. Undertheweather.ie will guide you on how to treat the condition yourself and how to get better – and also when you need to ask for expert help.” To date Undertheweather.ie has had more than 157,000 visits, nearly four times the target set at the time of launch in November 2014. It also performed strongly on Facebook, with some messages reaching an audience in excess of 100,000, and over 6,350 likes. Under the Weather YouTube videos have almost 300,000 views since last winter. Ms Kathy Maher, President of the Irish Pharmacy Union said; 'Pharmacists pro-

vide expert health advice in every community on how to ease the symptoms of common conditions, and we are delighted to be involved with this website. As well as guidance on what over-thecounter remedies can work for you, your pharmacist is also there to help and reassure, and will let you know when you should seek advice from your doctor.” Dr. Robert Cunney , Consultant Microbiologist at Temple St Hospital, and the HSE’s Lead for Antimicrobial Resistance: ‘Research has shown that a lot of people still believe that antibiotics can help to treat colds, flu, earaches, tummy bugs and rashes. In fact, antibiotics do not cure these common infections. Learning how to manage common illnesses with confidence and common sense is a life skill and browsing undertheweather.ie is a good start in developing this life skill.’ Here are some of the common-sense facts that the site helps to promote: ·A cough, while irritating, can often last up to three weeks – many people feel this is a concern but it is quite normal · Influenza is quite a serious illness that can keep you off

Malcolm 'Running' for the Dail

Malcolm Byrne is perhaps the fittest candidate for the Dail. He has completed 23 marathons, many for charity, as well as lots of other distance runs including the Wexford half marathon, the Oylegate half marathon and the Enniscorthy strawberry marathon. A former Chief Executive of the National Community Games organisation, Malcolm believes that sport is hugely important not just for physical health but also for mental wellbeing. He pointed out, "Exercise can play a huge role in positive mental health. We are lucky that we have many great running clubs in Co. Wexford but you don't need to even be in a club to just stick on a pair of runners and go out and hit the roads. Running has certainly helped prepare me for the physical and mental exertions of a marathon election campaign!"

your feet for a week or two – but it doesn’t respond to antibiotics. We treat the flu with rest, fluids, over the counter medicines. Keep an eye on older people or those with long-term illness, who might experience complications and need to see the doctor · Earaches and sore throats can be very painful, but again, the vast majority don’t respond to an antibiotic. We treat them with over the counter medicines like paracetamol or ibuprofen, and most resolve by themselves within a few days

Chronicle January 28, 2016 Wexford Festival Trust appoints new Head of Development Wexford Festival Trust has appointed James Ó Murthuile to the new role of Head of Development for both Wexford Festival Opera and the National Opera House. This new appointment signifies an advancement in the organisation’s philanthropic activities, as it expands its national and international development and fundraising initiatives. James brings with him extensive strategic, commercial and marketing experience in the fundraiser sector, having recently

served as a senior director with CCS, a leading global fundraising consulting and management firm. Commenting on the recent appointment, Chief Executive David McLoughlin said, “The appointment of James to this new senior role within the organisation will bring a wealth of understanding of, and experience in, devising and implementing fundraising strategies for leading non-profit organisations such as Wexford Festival Trust.”

Research among those who were shown the site shows that only 30% said that they would still want an antibiotic from their GP after visiting the site with 70% acknowledging that an antibiotic was not necessary. 89% would recommend the website to a friend and 83% would be likely to visit the site if they or a family member had a common illness. Visit www.undertheweather.ie - Get advice and Get BetterM

Investing in Education and Youth Services Education and youth issues brought Malcolm Byrne into politics, it is the field in which he works and they are issues about which he feels passionately. Investment in education and youth services pays long term dividends for society and for the economy.

Malcolm’s priorities include: • • • • • • • •

Developing pr preschool eschoo ol education and childcare childcare Pr Protecting otecting small scho schools ools Ensuring access to eeducation, regardless regarrdless of background baackground Supporting special ne needs eeds education Campaigning againstt overcrowded classrooms oomss overcrro owded classr Guidance counselling g and mental health services servicees for young people Offering moree opport opportunities Of fffering mor tunities in higher education n and in training Investing in rresearch eesearrch c and restoring restoring postgraduate postgraduatte grants

If you share these priorities, at the General Election, please support

Malcolm Byrne

and continue your preference for James Browne

Wishing Y You ou a Happy H and Peaceful Peaceful Christmas

The

Chronicle January 28, 2016

News St.James GAA Club Ramsgrange Dinner Dance in the Talbot Hotel Saturday

CHOOSE A NEW ROSS CREDIT UNION CAR LOAN! Own your car from day one with a Special Car Loan from New Ross Credit Union. New Ross Credit Union’s staff will talk you through their excellent car loan facilities, providing you with all you need as you set about the exciting journey of buying your new car. Sample - €10,000 Special Car Loan (APR 9.3%), repayments of €57.16 over 4 years, cost of credit €1,893.55, total amount to be repaid €11,893.55. Lump sums can be repaid, without penalties or fees, and there is no charge for completing the loan ahead of schedule. Loans are subject to approval, terms and conditions apply. New Ross Credit Union is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

Marie Breen and Sarah Kehoe

New Ross Credit Union is now able to offer members the opportunity to receive salaries and pensions directly into their credit union account. Members can also electronically transfer money to, and receive transfers from, 33 European countries. Every credit union account now has its own unique IBAN and BIC, these appear on the bottom of a member’s credit union transaction receipt/statement and can be used by members to electronically transfer money in from a bank account. Members can also pay direct debits from their credit union accounts. There are currently no fees for this service.

Breda and Paddy Murphy

Big day for St. Mary's club

It was a dream come true for members of the St Mary's of Maudlintown club in Wexford town on Saturday when Mayor Ger Carthy and Minister Brendan Howlin were on hand to mark the opening of the new club grounds and impressive facilities at The

Rocks in the heart of the community which the club serves. It had taken many years and a great deal of work by club officials and members to bring the dream to a reality. Minister Howlin and Mayor Carthy saluted the efforts of all those

involved in making the project a reality including long standing clubman and former Mayor of Wexford Paddy Nolan. The project received State grants and support from Wexford Co. Council.

Minister Brendan Howlin, Barry Kinsella Club Vice Chairman, Mayor Ger Carthy, Winnie Doyle and Pat Doyle Club President.

Pat Doyle Cub President, Minister Brendan Howlin, Aoife Byrne, Mayor Ger Carthy, Barry Kinsella Club Vice Chairman with local children celebrating the opening of the St. Mary’s complex.

Martin Buggy and Jimmy Thomas attented the opening.

The

Chronicle January 28, 2016

Changing your car soon?

Give yourself the present you want with a New Ross Credit Union Car Loan

We have money to lend! In the last 12 months we loaned out over â&#x201A;Ź11.6 million to our members

New Ross Credit Union Ltd. www.newrosscreditunion.com info@newrosscreditunion.com TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY New Ross Credit Union is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland

Phone us on 051-421143 for a confidential chat

The

Chronicle January 28, 2016

GER WALSH Unfortunately no lessons will be learned from student’s death The tragic death of a young student in Cork as a result of using a lethal drug will have shocked parents and young people across the country. It is an enormous tragedy for his family in the first instance, but also for his friends. Eighteen years old Alex Ryan was by all accounts a caring fun loving young man and just the sort of guy you’d want as a friend. Tragically, however, his promising young life has been cut short leaving his family and friends devastated. You would like to think that in the wake of this tragedy lessons could be learned and somehow and further needless lost of

promising young lives could be avoided. Unfortunately, however, despite the best intentions of many, I feel little or nothing will be learned from this latest tragedy. I was a bit shocked, but not totally surprised, by the reaction of Kevin Donoghue, the Students Union Head, to the death. He choose not to advise his members to stay away from taking these potentially lethal drugs but instead urged them to attempt to make sure what the drugs contained before they purchased them.. The reasoning was that young people and third level students in particular were doing to take drugs and

there was simply no use in ignoring that fact so the most effective advice was to just tell students to be more careful. I can understand what motivated the Students’ Union spokesman, and he is not alone in taking this view but the advice really was a bit outrageous. For a representative organisation spokesman to be effectively telling his members to go on taking drugs just to be careful about what they contained would be laughable if it were not so serious. I know some senior medics have made this point but I suppose really there is little to be gained by in shooting the messenger in

this case. Why is it that those who are among the most intelligent in their age group are prepared to act in such a reckless manner with their own lives? It seems unbelievable that they cannot be educated in a straightforward way on the potentially lethal risk they expose themselves to on each occasion they take drugs because in the main they have no idea of what they are taking. It seems that no amount of education or advice on the issue makes any difference and to think that these are the health professionals, lawyers etc of tomorrow. It’s all very depressing.

Will Wexford deliver an election surprise or opt for more of the same? I expect that before our next issue the countryside, not to mention every electricity and telegraph pole in the towns, will be covered with election posters as the general election campaign proper swings into action. In reality, however, the campaign has been going on for weeks with reports from all over the place of candidates appearing on doorsteps seeking support. The canvass is still vitally important in rural constituencies like Wexford and in some areas, particularly outside the towns; it is the candidate that goes to the trouble of getting out there and knocking the door who has the best chance of getting the vote. I have heard more than one rural dweller saying recently that if they can’t go to the trouble to travel rural roads to ask for a vote what interest would they show later on in rural issues. The government parties have spoken a lot about the return of prosperity and the ending of the recession and there is truth in what they say. However, I am not so sure that people living on collapsing pot hole riddled

roads in rural areas are exactly feeling that recovery just yet. There is certainly a feeling that rural communities have just been cast aside. There is no doubt that there has been a shocking decline in many rural parishes in this county. Garda numbers have been reduced, a couple of rural garda stations have closed, some post offices have disappeared and while new motorways are on the way to connect the county directly to Dublin the rural road infrastructure is in a state of collapse. While it might be unfair to lay all the blame for the continuing decline of rural communities on the outgoing government because many of the problems pre-date them coming to power, there is a real sense that the concerns of rural people have not been addressed at all during the last five years. I get a sense that this will play a bit of a part in how people will vote and I also have a suspicion that many in urban areas who feel that the bulk of the heavy lifting on the road to the recovery was placed on their backs will not be that forgiving of

the present administration when it comes to polling day. I may be wrong but I think those who had a range of welfare benefits cut, endured problems having their sick children cared for or witnessed their elderly relatives waiting for urgent medical attention or losing their medial cards will also be slow to forgive regardless of the recovery. On the other hand there is no doubt that things are a lot better now than the wreckage which Fianna Fail left behind five years ago and few would want to risk going back to that. So what will it all mean come polling day. The honest answer is that I do not know and I am not sure anyone else does either. However, I do get a sense that the type of predications that are being made in terms of ‘safe’ seats may be off the mark. While Wexforf is often considered a conservative constituency the reality is that voters have made a reasonably significant change in Dail representation here at every general election since 1977. Often that meant changing the line up within parties,

like when Michael D’Arcy took out John Esmonde in 1977, or Huge Byrne knocked out Sean Browne in 1981. On other occasions it involved more significant change. In February 1982 Fianna Fail took three seats in the constituency leaving Labour without a seat and in the November election of 1982 Fine Gael won three seats again leaving Labour out in the cold. Five years later and against the odds, Brendan Howlin took back the Labour seat which had been widely expected to go to Fianna Fail and there was a lot of swapping and changing within the parties at every election until 2002 when Liam Toomey was elected as an independent reducing Fine Gael to a single seat. And in 2011 Mick Wallace reduced Fianna Fail to a single seat Could it be that at a time of unprecedented volatility in politics Wexford will effectively send back the same representation to the next Dail, replacing retirees with the people nominated by the parties to replace them? If they do they will be breaking a tradition that has lasted almost forty years.

Promotion for Ryan and Kehoe Wexford councillor Fergie Kehoe and former Mayor Joe Ryan got a little promotion at the weekend from the Sunday Times. The paper carried a report on general election pestering and used a pic of posters on Wexford Quays featuring Ryan and

Kehoe among others, saying that they had been contestants in the 2011 general election. But of course they were not candidates in that contest and the image was taken from the 2014 local election campaign.

Keep an eye out for the best value at the pumps The price of fuel has really come tumbling down in recent weeks and it is obviously a good time to fill the oil tank, even if you have enough oil left to see you through to the end of this winter. Despite the predictions of the experts I cannot see these low prices lasting to next autumn. And you also should make sure that you take full advantage of the low prices at the pumps, and keep an eye out for those outlets that

are not passing on the full benefit of the price falls. Last Sunday in Camolin I bought diesel for a fraction over €1 per litre which is the cheapest I have paid in a long, long time. But I was a bit shocked to see a service station a bit further up the M11 quoting €1.08 for the same fuel. That would make a big difference in the pocket if you were filling a tank, so keep an eye out for the best value.

The nude hurlers I see at the weekend that there was some nude hurling going on at the beach close to The Raven last week. The Sunday World highlighted the matter on its front page and went on to splash pics of the clothes free hurlers inside. I have to say that the images could have been anything as far as I could see. Maybe they were nude, maybe they were hurlers, I

just don’t know. The ‘World’ called on that expert on all things Wexford, Cllr George Lawlor, for a comment. George was just happy that the nude activities did not occur on the busier part of the beach at Curracloe. I am assured by those who know that the incident did not involve a secret training camp for the Wexford Senior team.

GOREY HIRE

For all your construction and DIY needs

Phone 086-2297647 We have located to: IDA Industrial Estate Courtown Road Gorey (Beside Stone Art) goreyhireacc@gmail.com

/goreyhire.ie

The

SERVICES MICHAEL BURKE

Chronicle January 28, 2016

Find someone here to Fix It, Clad It, Buy It, Sell It, Build It, Heat or Insulate It, Paint It, Print It or Make It, Hire Someone, Find a Job, Pass that Test. It’s All Here in The Chronicle Services Section

The Bookworm

Painter/Decorator

With over 40 Years Experience

Need to freshen up some rooms for Christmas?

!!SPECIAL OFFER!! Wallpapering just €15 per roll Interior & Exterior Wall Papering

Kitchens Hand Painted All types of varnishing work

*Competitive Rates* Ballyedmond, Wells, Gorey

Tel: 053-9389282 / Mobile: 087-2466234

In The Gorey Indoor Market All Books

HALF PRICE OR LESS Address: Pettitt’s Lane, Opposite Supervalu Open everyday till Christmas Tues to Sat from New year

New shop opened in

Gorey Indoor Market Trend and Urban fashion for today's young woman at great prices

Open Monday - Saturday Like us on facebook for updates on new stock and sales

STUART NOLAN

PLUMBING AND HEATING COMPUTER/LAPTOP/REPAIRS/ SALES PRINTERS & PERIPHERALS AND BROADBAND/NETWORKING ISSUES

I.T. Support & website design We call to you Supporting home, business & schools. Tel: (053) 9138992 Mobile: (087) 2994988 E-Mail - ken@kenscomputerclinic.com Website - www.kenscomputerclinic.com

English Grinds Tutor/Teacher

Oil boiler installation Oil boiler service/repair Solid fuel installation Heating system upgrades Bathroom/wetrooms Central heating powerflush

Ph: 0860734257

Em: stuartnolanph@gmail.com Seai registered - Oftec registered Tax reg - Insured

Tom’s Chimney Sweep

jim@energywiseinsulation.ie

KOMANDOR Superior Sliding Wardrobes

Junior Certificate & Leaving Certificate

Registered with The Teaching Council of Ireland One to one tuition and special rates for groups

First consultation FREE

CONTACT

Richard MPhil (U. Dub); BA; LLCM (Ed)

Phone: 087 6712767

10 Years Experience! • Power Sweep & Tar Removal • Wood Burners, Creosote Removal • Nest Removal • CCTV Inspection • Written & Verbal Report • Extra Wide Chimney • Draft Test

Call Tom on 087 9921426

HANDYMAN

For get the rest and ring the best

10% off

on all Repairs with this advert

Phone:

053 9152823 / 087 1724102

Visit our showroom Komandor New Ross John Street, New Ross, Co. Wexford

Phone: 051 448584/ 087 2060715/ 053 9152212 Visit our fantastic new website at www.komandor.ie

Free quotation! Fitted within 4/5 weeks!

or Find us on Facebook

Your Local

All Models of Laptops and Pc's catered for

Tony Breen - Main Dealer for Komandor Wexford

FOR ALL YOUR HOME REPAIRS AND IMPROVEMENTS Wardrobes, Kitchens, Tiling, Carpentry, Plumbing, Patios,Decking, Roofing, Electrical And much much more PROMPT SERVICE - FREE QUOTE

ALL TYPES OF WORK CONSIDERED

TOM REDDY 087 - 4123535

Save Money on your heating with

Pump Flush

Restore Heating Efficiency and reduce heating costs Maintain heating efficiency and conserve energy

Descale and clean heating system and radiators Restore Radiators to original output No Mess - No Fuss Call for a Free Quote - 086 2509412 www.radiatorflushingservice.com Email: doyledanthony.plumbing@gmail.com

The

Chronicle January 28, 2016

SERVICES

P.C. Decorating Painter & Decorator

Painting &Decorating Services All Aspects of Roofing Extensions Garages

Storm Damage

Sunrooms

Attic Conversions

PVC, Fascia & Soffit

Renovations

Plastering

Fully Insured & Registered

25 YEARS EXPERIENCE

TEL: 086 4036363 axcessroofingbuilding@gmail.com www.roofingwexford.ie

BLUE DIAMOND WINDSCREENS

Ph: 053 92 42000 Proprietor: Victor Meyler ATA accredited

Old Dublin Road, Enniscorthy

Wipers Supplied & Fitted for ALL makes and models of vehicles Covering the South East Direct billing to Insurance Companies Very competitive rates for non-insurance

C2 Registered Free Quotations

General Painting Wallpapering Sanding & varnishing floors and all woodwork Kitchens, wardrobes, stairs Roof, wall and floors painted Interior & Exterior Domestic & Commercial All prep work provided Residential Painting Commercial Painting

Call Phil Chrisophi on 0876852439

info@pcdecorating.ie

www.pcdecorating.ie

!"#$%&'(")*+$,'-('./ @ The Bull Ring, Wexford Town

Alterations/Repairs Ladies - That Black Number will fit Again!!! Gents - Patch those Favourite Jeans!!!

Call Brian 085 7766871 - 25% Discount if you mention this ad!

CHIMNEYSWEEP.IE

(Certified, Registered & Insured) Package includes: Power Clean Carbon Monoxide Test Chimney Checking of Smoke Shelf Free Cresote Test & Image of Flue with live Smoke Test chimney camera

Thatched Cottages, Extra-Wide, High & Awkward Chimneys a Specialty.

Call Pat at chimneysweep.ie 087 2649152 Chimney Repairs, Chimney Refining and Cresote Removal, Camera Inspection, Insurance Quotations, Opening & Closing of Chimneys WE INSTALL, SERVICE & REPAIR ALL MAKES OF STOVES, BACK BOILERS, COOKERS AND FIRE BACKS. IF YOU HAD A CHIMNEY FIRE RECENTLY CALL US

All work carried out by HETTAS Engineers. Remember - Get your Chimney Inspected before you Fit a Stove CARBON MONOXIDE KILLS

CARERS WANTED Due to increased demand for our services for Gorey, Enniscorthy & surrounding areas. Must have experience caring for people in their own homes. Weekend and evening work included. Must be very flexible. Fetac 5 completed or in progress.

Email: wexford@homeinstead.ie or Call: 053 91 84042 for further details

Sharon Whelan Hair Design

Special Offers!!! Root touch up & blowdry Blowdrys €10 on Thursdays 10% off cut & blowdrys Full colour & blowdry 12-16 week blowdry

Colman Doyle INTERIORS

South Main Street, Wexford. PHONE 053 9142084 Specialists in Blinds & Shutters for all window types

€39

Reference The Chronicle for

€10 off

€45 €90

Offer available until Saturday 7th November

Open Tuesday - Saturday 9 to 6 Late Friday night

Call 086 8408333 / 053 9146234

T.J. COLFER DOMESTIC APPLIANCE REPAIRS Repairs and Service on all makes and models

Huge Range of Styles & Fabrics Available We Measure, Advise, Fit & Repair Shutters Supplied & Fitted

Custom Made Curtains & Readymades Haberdashery, Wool, Curtain Poles & Accessories Extensive Craft Section

* Christmas Craft Fabric, NOW IN STOCK

Call: 087-2972352 Find me on

Offer entitles you to €10 off any call out that requires parts fitted. T&C Apply.Offer valid until 30th June 2015

The

BILL FREE TV Multi Channel Stations RTE’S BBC’S UTV’S + Movie Channels & many more Satellite & Aerial Repairs

NO MORE MONTHLY BILLS Contact Joe: 086 - 2582291 COBBLER AN D

KEYS

Est: 1984 Anne Street, Wexford Shoe Repair Shoe Stretching Orthopaedic Work Shoe Care Products Key Cutting While U Wait. Electronic Car Keys

NEW SERVICE - KEYS CUT BY CODE Leather Work & Stitching Leather goods - belts/wallets/puses etc Alterations

New Range of Central Locking Car Key Shells

Keys cut for Offices, Lockers etc

Tel: 053 9124089

Chronicle January 28, 2016

Clonhaston, Enniscorthy

Open 6 Days 10am - 6pm

(Open During Lunch) (Opposite Ulster Bank) North Main Street, Wexford

GENTS

DRY CUT WASH CUT BLOWDRY WASH & BLOWDRY ALLOVER BLADE PENSIONERS STUDENTS

THE SOUTH EAST’S LONGEST ESTABLISHED

BLIND MANUFACTURERS

€12.00 €13.00 €8.00 €10.00 €10.00 €10.00

SUPPLIERS OF ROLLER, VENETIAN, VERTICAL & VELUX BLINDS TO SUIT ALL WINDOWS AND DOORS OLD ROLLER BLINDS TURNED & REPAIRED Free Measuring. Free Consultation. No Obligation

SPECIALS

FATHER & SON KIDS UNDER 13 STUDENT REDUCED RATE (MON to WED)

€14.00 €5.00 €7.00

E: redmondblinds@hotmail.com W: www.redmondblinds.com

087 1279288

Check out our catalogue of hairstyles on facebook

/Trims-barber-shop

!"#$%"&'

Robbie Hudson Phone: 086 - 8721 582

()*+,-./+,0

We supply a complete range of plumbing and heating services TOTAL ENERGY PLUMBING AND HEATING HAS THE SKILLS AND EXPERTISE TO BE THE PLUMBING AND HEATING SPECIALISTS YOU REQUIRE.

!"#$%&'()%%%%%%% 7,*3J+)+,.-B4)

Boiler Installation & Maintenance Heating Repairs & Installation Bathroom Sanitary Ware Installation Bathroom Renovation Wet Room & Shower Installation, Renovation & Repairs Stove Installation Wet & Dry Solar Panels Installation & Maintenance Central Heating Systems Installed & Maintained Heat Pumps Installed and Maintained Emergency Repair Call Outs

14>?2+-+3@A)+,.23@A,)B0C+,0 1,+>.-B4)03#,,.).D+*

14)-.E-3;<3C4A,03.3*.FG3 H3*.F03.3I++/

1.223'+.)3.)*31.,4234) 5673839:;;5<=

Fully Registered Fully Insured

SEAI

SAORVIEW, FREEVIEW & COMBI BOX INSTALLATIONS Also TV/LVD’s Supplied & Fitted, DIY Systems on Digial Boxes

TRADE WELCOME Open 6 Days a Week

Domestic & Commercial Sky Installations

053-9366985 087-2633743 Professional Camera Systems for Home, Business, Agricultural

Web: www.topphones.ie, Email: pnolan@mprs.iol.ie

BALLYOUGH, FERNS, CO. WEXFORD

Prompt, Reliable & Proffesional Services Guaranteed At All Times 24/7

No Frills

Pat Nolan Digital Satellite Systems

Fully Qualified OFTEC Registered

Hair Salon

Our storage units are ideal for: House Furniture Business Records Sales reps Commercial Stock Storage Moving or Renovating

No Appointments Mon-Thurs: 9.30-3.15 Fri: 9.30-4.00

Units all sizes available for rental Long-term or short-term Sinnottstown Business Park, Sinnottstown Lane, Drinagh, Wexford, County Wexford (053) 916 0164 www.selfstoragewexford.com Each Unit is secure. The site has CCTV along with Intruder and Fire Alarms Fitted. You can access your storage unit at all time with our secure access cards & pin

Body Waves Wash & set Wash cut and blow dry €25 Colours Special offer - Dry Cuts €15

At our Self Storage facility we offer a personal and helpful service

Phone 086 2664660

8am - 5pm Monday to Friday & 9am - 1pm on Saturday

18 Henrietta street

Outside trading hours contact 053 9160164 or email selfstoragewexford@gmail.com

p C

D Dry i

phol

ilk, ,

ith D y F

l i

, k

i g k

i & i

k ,

i g t

ain, Od i

b i i

l 3 0 Mi

id p i l

li l

f g

d g i

C ll David Delaney today: Ca

Mobile: 087 689 M 9 1041 T Tel: (053) 910 616 6 0

w w.cleaningdoctor ww o .ie/wexford ww ww.facebook.com/C CleaningDoctorWex xford

The

Chronicle January 28, 2016

Colman Doyle Home Store

South Main Street, Wexford PHONE 053 9142084

SPECIAL SALE OFFERS Cayman

Melbourne

4’6” Bed Frame, 2 x Lockers 1 x Chest of Drawers 1 x 4’6” Cooltouch Matress

ONLY €1095

FREE CUSTOMER CAR PARK

Glass Top Dining Table + 6 Chairs

DELIVERY SERVICE AVAILABLE

ONLY €600