wexford
thechronicle
April 19, 2022 t: 0539102441, www.thechronicle.ie
FREE
20,000 copies
FREE
.ie
02
April 19, 2022
wexford
thechronicle
April 19, 2022 t: 0539102441, www.thechronicle.ie
FREE
20,000 copies
Now you can let the dogs out on beaches Wexford County Council has made a U-turn on plans to ban dogs from its beaches, and is now permitting owners to let the dogs out on Wexford’s blue flag strands this summer. It follows a backlash to proposals made last year to ban dogs between certain hours. However, at a recent meeting, councillors agreed it was unfair on dog owners to ban their pets dogs outright from blue flag beaches between 11am and 6pm during the busy summer season. Director of Services Carolyn
Godkin said there were 153 submissions following the announcement last year of the dog ban proposal at the Sunny South East county’s top beaches. Some 135 people were against having a time restriction on dogs being able to access blue flag beaches with their owners, with just one person in favour, in the consultation process. Ms Godkin said the plan was to prevent dogs from accessing blue flag beaches at peak times, adding that the “nuance of what
was being proposed was lost on a lot of communicators on social media”. The council has decided to amend the bye law to allow controlled dogs to be walked through blue flag beaches this summer at any time of the day. Ms Godkin said the ban was to be in place from June 1 to September 15 on just 2kms of the county’s 260k coastline. “We have agreed with An Taisce that dogs can be brought through blue flag areas once the dog is on a lead,” she said.
“We are going to see how that goes this year and we will have beach wardens to monitor that,” she added. “Blue flag beaches are important public amenities for the county in terms of tourism and Wexford County Council regularly receive complaints regarding control of dogs on beaches. She said it is a condition of being awarded a blue flag that there are no animals on these Continued on next page
.ie
FREE
Mollie Mai Moore at Scoil Naomh Maodhóg Ferns Morning Class Confirmation in St Aidan`s Church Ferns
04| news in brief South East TU to open in May THE new South East Technological University will be established next month, after an order to dissolve IT Carlow and Waterford IT was signed, paving the way for the creation of the long-awaited university. Wexford TD and Minister of State at the Department of Justice James Browne called it a “momentous day” for education in Wexford and across the south east and said the announcement will see the establishment of a new multi-campus facility.
April 19, 2022
Wexford students in the frame for top art contest
Protecting our past for our children PROTECTING the Past and ensuring those who are no longer with us are remembered was the mission at Wexford Library, as a new educational resource for children was launched recently. Coming in a booklet form, County Wexford War of Independence and Civil War: an educational resource, charts the events and timeline of the War of Independence and the Civil War in county Wexford. It has been designed for young people from Fourth Class in primary school to Third Year secondary.
Following in the footsteps of some of the leading Irish artists who competed during the early part of their careers – renowned figures such as Graham Knuttel, Robert Ballagh, Dorothy Cross and Bernadette Madden – young artists who submitted entries to this year’s Texaco Children’s Art Competition, including all those from Co Wexford, are currently having their works evaluated
as the judging process gets underway. Pictured above is adjudicator, Seán Kissane, holding two of the entries received from Co Wexford this year — a work entitled ‘Let’s face it’ (left) by a pupil from Bunclody Vocational College, and another entitled ‘Outside Dancing’, by a pupil from St Anne’s National School, in Rathangan. Winners in the seven age categories, including one
exclusively for artworks by young artists with special needs, will be announced in late May. Currently in its 68th year, the Texaco Children’s Art Competition is the longestrunning art sponsorship in Ireland. First held in 1955, it is hosted by Valero Energy (Ireland) limited – the company that markets fuel in Ireland under the Texaco brand.
Dogs free to roam on beaches Continued from previous page
beaches. “We have five [blue flag beaches] and we’re applying for more this year,” she said, adding: “The proposal makes sense and if we can get it to hold we will maintain it.” Cllr Kathleen Codd Nolan said she was happy with the proposal, so long as dog owners pick up the dog foul after them. “80pc to 90pc do. It’s the few that cause the trouble,” she said. She called for additional wardens to be on duty at blue flag beaches during the summer to ensure dog fouling is kept to a minimum. Cllr Davy Hynes said he believes the vast majority of dog owners are responsible. “It often happens that because of the sins of a small minority a lot of bye laws are brought in. Ballinesker and Curraloe, in particular, are the crème de la crème of beaches in the whole south east.” Ms Godkin added: “It’s our intention to have beach wardens at our blue flag beaches, once we know which ones have qualified in May. I am reasonably confident this will work.”
Council says sorry over clash with radio station
Wexford County Council’s secretary has apologised to councillors and colleagues over the public controversy caused by an email attempting to link advertising spend to editorial content at South East Radio. David Minogue’s apology came after Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he was “concerned” over the council’s alleged attempt to link advertising spend with the broadcaster to editorial content. The email had suggested that the Wexford radio station agree its presenters would not express personal opinions on air in return for the council taking out advertising on the station. Mr Minogue said in a statement issued night that it is “unfortunate” and “regrettable” that an email intended to “create opportunity for an improved working relationship and to avoid future discord can be misinterpreted so as to have the directly opposite effect”. Mr Mingoue, who is also the council’s head of communications, said: “I wish to apologise to the Elected Members and to my colleagues at Wexford County Council for the manner in which my well-intentioned efforts to rebuild a strong working relationship between the Council and South East
Radio have given rise to public controversy. “It would appear this is exactly what has happened in relation to my email of 25thMarch 2022 to South East Radio. “My email and its contents were designed to improve the working relationship between Wexford County Council and South East Radio, not to damage it further as I appear inadvertently to have done.” He said the sides could iron out any differences and that he was “confident” that an “amicable and mutually acceptable outcome” could be achieved. Mr Minogue said he intends to make contact with Eamon Buttle, general manager of South East Radio, to clarify the matters outlined in his email last month and to “reaffirm” his genuine intentions behind the email. In January the Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo) found against council chief executive Tom Enright saying he “misused the council position in effect throwing around the weight of the councils purse” and in doing so put pressure on South East Radio to alter its broadcasting practices. Mr Enright apologised to the elected members of the council in January.
MORE than 900 people turned out for the inaugural Job Fest at The Quay in Wexford recently. The expo offered an opportunity for businesses in the county to engage with the general public, graduates and school-leavers all intent on finding employment. “The career opportunities in County Wexford are endless!” Emma Dunphy of County Wexford Chamber said at the event.
“We had around 900 register for free on the website, then it was free to the general public on a walk in basis over the two days. We also had sixth year students across County Wexford attend on Friday morning with over 30 exhibitors take part,” she added. Job Fest was organised by County Wexford Chamber of Commerce and was officially opened by Cathaoirleach Barbara Ann Murphy.
New opportunity knocks at Job Fest
| 05
April 19, 2022
opinion&comment
It’s the little things that make our hospitals look sick
B
ig changes have been announced for Ireland’s hospital system. That worries me, for I remember other announcements of big changes. They always cost a lot of money; they rarely made things better and they sometimes made them worse. The new plan for Regional Health Areas sounds disturbingly similar to the plan for Regional Health Boards, which was a big announcement in 1970. It failed because local politicians were given control of the boards and most of these councillors put regional pointscoring before public health. The system collapsed in 2005, under the weight of its own bureaucracy. It was replaced by the centralised Health Service Executive (HSE). It has been the object of several grandiose schemes, the grandest of them
Michael Wolsey
all being Sláintecare, of which the return to regionalism is a part. While the big targets have been debated, dissected and discarded, opportunities have been missed for small changes that, while they would not have revolutionised the hospital sys-
tem, could have made actual hospitals better for real patients. And there is a lot of room for improvement. A recentlypublished Independent Review of Unplanned Care found little sign of planning and not much care in the nine hospitals surveyed. There was widespread placing of patients almost at random any bed, any time, anywhere, including mixed gender wards. The report said this did not create extra capacity, but led to “safari rounds” as doctors hunted around hospitals to locate the patients they were meant to be treating. None of the nine hospitals was found to operate a 24/7 model of safe and effective care. The HSE says things have improved in the two years since the report was compiled and, on some specifics, that may be true. But I fear the system is still dominated by a culture that concentrates on big ideologi-
cal objectives - like Regional Health Areas - and ignores the value of sound hospital management. At around the time the Independent Review was being conducted, I had personal experience of some of the failings it discovered. My wife had suffered a surprise seizure and was directed by a GP to the emergency department of a large public hospital. It was packed with would-be patients and their escorts. The most overcrowded place was the reception area because nobody could get out of it until they had seen the one triage nurse on duty. There were three receptionists but only one nurse and the logjam was made worse by the fact that she would regularly leave her station and head off with a patient to find a doctor, or show the way to the x-ray unit. When my wife finally got out
of the packed reception area she ended up on the inevitable trolley. “You could do with a pillow there,” said a passing nurse. And indeed should could. But, despite several requests, she never got one. Five or six medical people spoke to my wife over the course of the next few hours. They all asked her pretty much the same questions and not one of them ever completed their inquiries before being called away to deal with someone else. Twice she was asked if she was on any medication. Twice she replied that she was but couldn’t remember the names of the drugs. She pointed out that she had been in the hospital after a recent fall and they had her records. Twice she was told that the staff couldn’t access records at night. Similar difficulties were being experienced by people all around us. None of them were problems that required much
money to fix, just a bit of sensible management. The hospital staff were all working extremely hard in very trying conditions, but they were not working to good effect and its resources were not wellused: there were more people working in the carpark than in the reception area. And while there may have been a shortage of medical staff there should certainly not have been a shortage of pillows. These are issues for hospital management. They are not the sort of problems that focus the minds of politicians and public health chiefs and I doubt, somehow, that they will be the focus of our new Regional Health Areas. But these are problems which directly concern patients and somebody needs to fix them. If the little details continue to be ignored, regionalisation will be just another big idea that leads nowhere.
06 |
April 19, 2022
It’s ‘now or never’ to stop global warming
WE have less than three years to stop the rise of carbon emissions and less than a decade to cut them in half, the UN has said in a shocking report on global warming. That daunting task is still possible, but current policies are leading the planet towards catastrophic temperature rises, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) made clear. The 2,800-page report — by far the most comprehensive assessment of how to halt global warming — outlines “a litany of broken climate promises”, said UN chief Antonio Guterres in a scathing attack on governments and industry. “Some government and business leaders are saying one thing but doing another. Simply put, they are lying. And the results will be catastrophic,” Mr Guterres said in a video message released at the same time as the recent UN report. In its third major review in just eight months, the IPCC pointed out that greenhouse gas emissions have risen 12% since
VAT cut on gas but not on oil heating
Leah Quish (9) at the launch of Round Up for Ronald McDonald House in Crumlin Hospital. Pic: Andres Poveda Catherine O’Keeffe, Dr Sabina Brennan and Kathleen Hurley-Mullins at the launch of Menopause Success Summit which will be held on May 21. For more information and tickets go to www. menopausesuccesssummit.com Pic: Mark Stedman
2010 and by 54% since 1990 and are now higher than at any point in human history. It said that if global CO2 emissions continue at current rates, the remaining carbon budget for keeping warming to 1.5C will likely be exhausted by
2030. The report highlights that there are options in all sectors to at least halve emissions by 2030 but says that this will require major transitions in the sector. Cutting back on long-haul flights, switching to plantbased diets, climate-proofing
buildings and other ways of cutting the consumption that drives energy demand could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40-70% by 2050. This means global emissions will have to be reduced by 43% by 2030.
The Cabinet has signed off on the plan to reduce the VAT rate on gas and electricity from 13.5% to 9% - but there will be no reduction in home heating oil. The Department of Environment, Climate and Communications said that the temporary VAT reductions will begin on May 1 and will last until the end of October. Cuts to excise duty on petrol and diesel, announced last month, will last until Budget 2023. An additional €100 fuel allowance payment will be made, and a programme of communications will be launched to inform businesses and consumers of ways to reduce energy costs. But an overall cut on VAT looks increasingly uncertain, despite talks in recent weeks between Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe with the European Commission. Tánaiste Leo Varadkar recently indicated that a VAT cut is currently not possible.
“We already have a discretionary VAT rate in Ireland. We have the lowest VAT rate, or one of the lowest VAT rates, in Europe,” Mr Varadkar said. He added if the Government was to cut VAT from its current rate of 13.5% to 12%, when the Government came to raise VAT again it would have to revert to 23% and Ireland would lose its special low VAT rate. The Central Statistics Office confirmed that inflation in March rose to 6.7% from 5.6% in February. This is the largest annual increase in the rate of inflation since November 2000 when annual inflation stood at 7%. Both electricity and gas bills are going up at over 20% on an annual basis with significant price rises due to take effect later this month. Home heating oil took a leap of over 58% in March, a rise of almost 127%. Petrol is up just over 35% while diesel is up by 46%, the CSO said.
Rewilding project Tenancies back with a buzz must be
registered with RTB
Garden designer Diarmuid Gavin with Ben Geraghty THE Great Rewilding initiative, which aims to address Ireland’s declining bee and pollinator populations, has been launched once more by Keelings. The campaign is in its second year and will aim to distribute 250 million native Irish wildflower seeds, an additional 150 million seeds compared with last year. Following the success of the initiative in 2021, Keelings are inviting the people of the sunny South East to get involved by redeeming promotional codes from their unique berry punnets online, in return for free Irish wildflower seeds.
Each seed pack is packed full of 30 different Irish wildflower species and will be sure to brighten up any garden across the country as summer approaches. As part of The Great Rewilding initiative, Keelings has also distributed native Irish wildflower seed packs to 1,000 schools across the country, meaning children and teachers alike can get outdoors, create environments for pollinators to thrive in while learning all about bio-diversity. For further information and tips, please visit www. keelingsgreatrewilding.ie
Landlords are being warned they are now required to register tenancies annually with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB), under new legislation which came into effect this month. Landlords must now register their tenancies each year, within one month of the anniversary of when the tenancy began. The RTB said the change will allow them to gather more accurate and detailed tenancy and rent data, “ensuring more effective regulation of the rental sector”. The annual costs of registering a tenancy will be €40 for private, costs and Student Specific Accommodation (SSA) rentals. The fee for tenancies managed by AHBs will be €20 annually, while there will be a fee waiver for landlords who currently have a ‘Further Part 4’ tenancy in place. The RTB confirmed there will be a four-month transition period for tenancies with renewal anniversaries between April 4th-July 3rd, 2022.
April 19, 2022
| 07
08 |
CCTV to help nab dumpers
NEW laws proposed by Gorey Senator Malcolm Byrne that will allow CCTV and other technologies to be used by Wexford County Council to catch illegal dumpers, will be enacted by the Government before the summer as part of a forthcoming bill. Senator Byrne’s Bill had been making its way through the Seanad and he has been regularly raising the need to tackle the problem of illegal dumping in the county. Senator Byrne said: “[The] Government is now prioritising this issue and I’m happy that they are taking on board the measures I set out in my Bill. “In theory, there was no difficulty for local authorities to use CCTV or drones or other technologies to try deter environmental crimes but without underpinning legislation, there are data protection concerns.” Some local authorities have faced issues from the Data Protection Commission over failures to ensure appropriate protections were in place. A survey of all local authorities in 2021 estimated the cost of cleaning up dumping nationally runs between €90m and €100m.
April 19, 2022
Thank you! Tony steps down after 42 years Tributes have been paid to Tony Larkin, who has retired after 42 years’ dedicated public service in the position of Deputy CEO and Director of Services. The Enniscorthy native spent most of his working life with Wexford County Council, apart from 18 months with Bray Urban District Council. It is estimated he attended over 400 Council meetings throughout his career. CEO Tom Enright acknowledged Mr Larkin for his immense contribution to many projects, including Min Ryan Park, Wexford; the Hatch Lab in Gorey, Enniscorthy Technology Park and Trinity Wharf. “Thanks for the friendship over the past eight years [Mr Enright’s time with Wexford County Council] and I will miss your vast knowledge,” added Mr Enright. Cllr Ger Carty recalled his late father (Cllr Leo Carty) working with Mr Larkin and he complimented him on his great achievements and outstanding contribution to public service. Cllr Oliver Walsh also asked
Eoin Larkin, Cllr BarbaraAnn Murphy, Cathaoirleach Wexford County Council, with Tony Larkin and his wife, Adrienne.
that he be associated with the tributes from the Chamber. “I have known Tony for a long number of years — I’m 21 years here myself — he is a pure gentleman and a hard worker and I want to thank him for all
he has done,” he said. Tony said he appreciated the kind words, but refused to accept all the kindness, adding “no individual does projects. We are a team”. He recalled his good relationship with the members
over the 42 years of service and added that he had really enjoyed the work. Mr Larkin’s wife, Adrienne, and son Eoin were present in the Chamber to hear the tributes and a small reception followed.
Property prices up 3.5% in just three months The price of the average second-hand three-bed semi in County Wexford has risen by 3.5% to €235,500 in the last three months, according to a national survey by Real Estate Alliance. And the survey has shown that 27% of sales in the county are to first-time buyers, with 22% of all purchasers coming from outside the area. Across the county, the average time taken to sell is three weeks, the Q1 REA Average House Price Index has shown. In Wexford town, prices rose to €215,000, an increase of 2.4%. 25% of the purchasers were first-time buyers, and 29% of buyers came from outside of the county. Prices in Gorey rose by €5,000 to €250,000, an increase of 2%, with 30% of sales to first-time buyers and 15% of buyers from outside the county. “The property market throughout County Wexford has started strongly in 2022, and prices are increasing at a
steady and consistent rate,” said Winston Halnon of REA Halnon McKenna. “Supply is a major factor for all sectors of the market, from second-hand property right through to rental stock. “Landlords are selling up as prices have increased and more rules are being brought in regarding tenancies. “This is a major concern for all as the lack of rental stock is alarming. “There are more new developments in the pipeline, however they are taking a long time to get going due to the delays in the planning process. “We expect 2022 will continue as it has begun, with short supply of all property types – both sales and rental.” The REA Average House Price Survey concentrates on the actual sale price of Ireland’s typical stock home, the threebed semi, giving an accurate picture of the second-hand property market in towns and cities countrywide.
Author in court over sex offences
A successful children’s author who appeared before Wexford District Court three years ago for allegedly breaching a sex offenders’ order has been remanded in custody in the UK. Patrick Dorian Cowland (inset), also known as Patrick Joseph Cormack (72), was wanted in the UK for alleged historic sexual assaults on two boys in Cheltenham, Gloucester. Cowland, whose last known address was Ballagh, Enniscorthy, is an author of children’s books. The court was told at an earlier hearing he had been working as a photographer when he met one of his two alleged victims in Oxford in the 1970s. The eight charges against Cowland allege indecent assault and gross indecency offences against two boys — one between 1973 and 1975 in Cheltenham and the other between 1979 and 1982 and other locations in England and Wales. The judge remanded Cowland in custody until the next hearing.
Rosslare to Spain on new ferry
BRITTANY Ferries has confirmed that the introduction of a new ship on the Rosslare to Bilbao route will triple passenger capacity and offer an tremendous on-board experience for passengers. The huge cruise-ferry the ‘Galicia’ is due to take over the route from November of this year and is one of the newest additions to the Brittany fleet, having been launched in December of 2020. Currently the RosslareBilbao route is serviced by the ‘Connemara’, a freight vessel with limited facilities for holidaymakers. The firm has now focused its attention to passenger traffic on the route and the ‘Galicia’ can comfortably accommodate up to 1,015 passengers. It’s hoped that the introduction of the more passenger friendly vessel could result in a major boost to tourism across the south east and Ireland as a whole. In 2019, Ireland welcomed 431,000 Spanish visitors, generating an estimated €218m in revenue. The challenge is to ensure that these visitors do not just pass-through County Wexford.
| 09
April 19, 2022
wexfordinpictures
Leading lady Clare Kavanagh and James McDermott at the launch of The Pirates of Penzance in Wexford National Opera House Cafe, which runs from April 25-30
Rose McDonagh (centre) celebrates her 80th birthday with husband Joe and her family and granchildren in Kilmore Coast Hotel
Siona Byrne, Kim Kennedy and Catherine Jobi at Scoil Naomh Maodhóg Ferns Morning Class Confirmation in St Aidan`s Church Ferns
Leah Sweeney and her granmother Helen Anderson at Scoil Naomh Maodhóg Ferns Morning Class Confirmation in St Aidan`s Church Ferns
Keelin Egan at the launch of The Pirates of Penzance in Wexford National Opera House Cafe, which runs from April 25-30
10 |
April 19, 2022
| 11
April 19, 2022
WILDLIFE
ninenottomiss
Holly Blue
book of the week
with Justin Ivory
Holly Blue butterfly (Photo Justin Ivory) A walk with the family mutt and my teenage kids in glorious April sunshine on Saturday was brought to an abrupt halt when I hissed the command ‘Everybody freeze’. Quickly handing the pooches’ lead to my daughter to hold, I stealthily took my camera from my shoulder and dropping to one knee started firing off shots. A flash of delicate blue out of the corner of my eye had brought about this turn of events. My bemused teenagers were curious to know what it was. ‘It’s a Holly Blue butterfly’ I replied. ‘Is this the first time you have ever seen one?’ they enquired. ‘Not all. It’s just my first of the year’ I explain followed by eye-rolling and incredulous looks from the interrogators! The Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus) is a beautiful, small, delicate gem of a butterfly. The upper wings are a beautiful light, lilac-blue. The male has very thin black borders on the wings. These black borders are much broader in females. The under-wings are a pale silvery, powder blue speckled with black spots.
Holly Blue (Photo Justin Ivory) We have two other species of blue butterfly in Ireland – the Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus) and the Small Blue (Cupido minimus). While the Holly Blue bears similarities to Common Blue males, it lacks the orange under-wing spotting of that species. Also of the three blue species, Holly Blue is more likely to be seen flying above head height around bushes and trees whereas the others fly lower to the ground. Eggs of the first (spring) brood are laid on Holly as this is the preferred food plant of the pale green caterpillars. When this second generation come to lay eggs completely different food plants are chosen for the larvae (caterpillars) with mainly Ivy being chosen but also Bramble and Dogwood. So it is really important we protect and promote these plants.
tv show of the week
HOROSCOPES
film of the week
the death’s head chess club by John Donoghue
clear history RTE2, 22.30pm, Thursdays
the cellar Cinemas nationwide
IN 1962, Emil Clément comes face to face with Paul Meissner at a chess tournament in Holland. They haven t seen one another in almost two decades. Clément, once known only as The Watchmaker, is a Jewish former inmate of Auschwitz. Whilst there, he was forced to play chess against Nazi guards. If he won, he could save a fellow prisoner s life; if he lost, he would lose his own. Meissner, a soft-spoken priest, was also at Auschwitz. He was the SS Officer who forced The Watchmaker to play. Gripping historical thriller.
NEW comedy panel show, Clear History, is fronted by Kevin McGahern, with team captains Joanne McNally and Colin Murphy. In the brand-new RTÉ2 series, which will rewrite the past in the name of comedy, weekly guests will be asked to put comically cringey moments from their personal histories on public display. Opposing teams will re-live iconic moments from the nation’s history as well as their own personal embarrassments, hoping to make them much funnier the second time around. Stars team leads Joanne McNally and Jason Byrne.
KEIRA (Elisha Cuthbert) and her husband Brian (Eoin Macken) move into an old house in Ireland with the hope of rebuilding their business and staving off financial ruin. However, the house’s cellar holds a dark and powerful entity and when their daughter (Abby Fitz) disappears into the cellar, Keira must venture after her in order to find her... it’s claim to Irish fame is that it was filmed in Roscommon and uses Clonalis House as its setting — but if could have been shot anywhere. A bit of a by the numbers scare, but worth a night out to support the domestic movie industry.
stream of the week
RECIPE of the week
album of the week
AriesTogether, you’re a powerful community force. Discuss a shared vision and coordinate actions. Adapt to unforeseen circumstances. Connect and hold on. Support each other. TaurusShare a dream or vision with a strong professional team and you’re unbeatable. Inspire others and pull together. GeminiDiscipline with planning and preparation pays off. Stick to basics and fundamentals before advancing. Discover a hidden truth. CancerConfirm intuition with facts and data, especially regarding family or shared finances. Changes necessitate budget revisions. LeoYou can see a path to realize a long-term, heartfelt vision or dream. Use your creativity. Grow what you love.
hacks Amazon Prime
Healthy pasta primavera www.bbc.co.uk/recipes
red hot chili peppers Unlimited Love
THE new series courtesy of Amazon Prime, ’Hacks’ explores a dark mentorship that forms between Deborah Vance (Jean Smart), a legendary Las Vegas comedian, who is trying to salvage her waning career, and Ava (Hannah Einbinder), an entitled, outcast 25-year-old television writer. Vance is losing her relevance, and the head of the casino wants to reduce the number of her performances. Ava has been ostracised for an “insensitive tweet” and is struggling to find work. The duo realises they could help each other and decide to team up, but very reluctantly.
PASTA and a healthy spread of green veggies and other bits and pieces? Can’t go wrong. The carb kick and the health kick all at once! Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and put a steamer (or colander) over the water. Steam the beans, asparagus and peas until just tender, then set aside. Boil the pasta while frying the leaks and sweating with the other veg. The only tricky bit is adding the fromage frais to the leeks and very gently warm through, stirring constantly to ensure it doesn’t split. Add chicken if you wish. Yum.
ALWAYS divisive, the Chillis are back again to spark debate over their credentials. Unlimited Love is the 10th studio album from the band who are officially the most successful (socalled) alternative rock outfit in the world with more than 100 million records sold worldwide. The Irish Times wrote: The album opens inoffensively enough with Black Summer, a passable song as long as you ignore the mediocrity of the lyrics, which make Bono’s much maligned Paddy’s Day poem look as profound as TS Eliot’s The Wasteland. Ooops.
charity of the week
wine of the week
walk of the week
VirgoAll that physical practice is beginning to pay off. Luck shines on your dream. Take practical steps to achieve a milestone. LibraFortune follows disciplined collaborative efforts. You can see the prize that you and your partner have been working for. ScorpioHousehold matters need attention. Make repairs. Consider long-range plans. Get inventive to find creative, cost-effective solutions. Sagittarius-
You’re especially clever and creative. Write your discoveries. Diplomacy can resolve a challenge. Find areas of connection. CapricornYou can make good money. It may require making a mess or overcoming an obstacle. Things could get chaotic.
incognito art sale www.incognito.ie
lidl new range www.lidl.ie
wicklow town heritage trail www.wicklowtown.ie/heritage-trail
Samantha Mumba is one of 1,200 artists taking part in this year’s Incognito art sale in aid of the Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation, which celebrates 25 years in 2022. The biggest online art sale in Ireland, what makes Incognito unique is the artist’s identity remains a mystery until the sale closes. Each artwork costs €65, with all funds raised going to support Jack and Jill’s in-home specialist nursing care, respite support and end-of-life care for children. The sale gets underway on Thursday, 21 April 2022.
THERE are some great summery wines in stock now at Lidl with our favourite being the demi-sec Alsace Grand Cru Mambourg Gewurztraminer (€14.99). The wine bursts rose water aromas and has textured creamy fruits. While it might not be sweet enough for most desserts (fruit desserts might work), try it with a plate of cheese instead. Also look out for the Grand Tokaji Selection Furmint (€9.99) which is also lightly sweet and worth a try. And for that price, you can’t go wrong.
FOLLOWING the success of the recent inaugural walk, plans are now being put in place to have a weekly guided walk of the Wicklow Town Heritage Trail. The starting point will be from the first stop on the Heritage Trial at St Patrick’s Church in Wicklow town and the walk will be led by local historian, John Finlay, on Saturdays. The Heritage Trail features 24 points of interest detailing the history of Wicklow town, from the landing of St Patrick in 432, to the end of the Civil War in 1923, with seven new storyboards with QR codes.
AquariusA personal ambition takes focus. New possibilities entice you to pursue something long-desired. Take charge for positive results. PiscesPeaceful meditation illuminates hidden thoughts, perks and motivations. An insight provides freedom from endless repetition. Envision a perfect outcome.
12 |
April 19, 2022
opinion&comment
Journey to Qatar nears its end
A
fter the latest p l a y - o f f qualifications, the unveiling of the official match ball and the customary draw to give England a handy group (Iran, USA and a play-off winner), Qatar 2022 is beginning to feel a whole lot closer. I know it’s not until much later in the year, but I for one am getting excited, and am not afraid to say so. Qatar 2022 has been beaten with many sticks since it was announced in 2010. Louis van Gaal was the latest to have a pop. “It’s all about money” is a good one, as if FIFA was never all about money before Qatar. Or the “it’ll be too hot” line the tournament is being played in November and the conditions will be the same for every team. The conditions that migrant workers have had to endure is well-documented, and a real horror story, but unfortunately the way of economics since the dawn of time has seen people who need work travel to where
Brian Quigley there is work, regardless of the risks. The bitter irony here is that soccer – which is the most popular sport in Qatar – was brought to the country through migrant oil workers after the Second World War. The name of the 2022 World Cup football – ‘Al Rihla’ – means ‘the journey’ in Arabic, and it couldn’t be more fitting for a tournament that has caused so much controversy. But in the end, it’s all about the ball. The hosts, the stadiums, the squads, the group draw and the media are just bit-part players of varying importance. Without the ball nothing can
happen.So, ‘Al Rihla’ takes over from the ‘Telstar’, which was the official ball of Russia 2018. It is the fourteenth successive ball created for a FIFA World Cup by Adidas. According to the launch blurb, it travels faster than any other ball in the tournament’s history, thanks to the innovative 20-panel shape. It’s also the first FIFA World Cup ball to be made exclusively
with water-based inks and glues, so the sustainability flag gets a wave too. This year needs the Qatar tournament - Covid-19, Russia invading Ukraine and rapid inflation have depressed us all. We need a distraction, something to entertain us, something to unite us. Hopefully the tournament can score on all fronts. But who will win? I have the answer – thanks to a little applied mathematics!
ACCREDITED
There will be 32 nations competing in Qatar. Have they all got an equal chance of winning? In theory yes, but in actuality no. There have been 21 previous World Cups, and the statistics on where they were held, who won them and who guided the winners to victory can go a long way towards predicting who will lift the World Cup trophy this December. All previous World Cups have been won by either a UEFA (European) or CONMEBOL (South American) nation. There will be 13 UEFA nations in Qatar and either four or five CONMEBOL nations. Straight away, for me, 32 potential winners becomes 17 or 18. CONMEBOL nations have won nine World Cups in total, but crucially have won more away from South America (five) than they have in South America (four). UEFA nations on the other hand have won 12 World Cups in total, but only two of these wins have been outside Europe. So, the evidence suggests it is statistically more likely that a CONMEBOL side will win in
Qatar than a UEFA side. So, for me, 17 or 18 potential winners becomes four or five. Another interesting fact to consider is that all previous World Cups have been won by countries whose manager was born in that country (knowing this, you would wonder why any FA would appoint a foreign manager!). Tite, Brazil’s current manager, is Brazilian. Argentina’s current manager, Lionel Scaloni, is Argentinan. Uruguay’s manager (Diego Alonso) is Uruguayan. Ecuadar have qualified from South America alongside these three but employ an Argentinian manager, as do Peru who have made the play-off spot. So, I reckon either Brazil, Argentina or Uruguay will win in Qatar, on the evidence above. Trying to drill down further is a tough call; Argentina have probably the greatest individual player in Lionel Messi, Uruguay have the most experienced squad in terms of collective caps and Brazil have the most players in their squad playing in the Premier League, supposedly the best in the world. Bring it on!
DUBLIN: 28-29 April 2022
Learn how to take blood ... TRAIN AS A
PHLEBOTOMIST Introduction to Phlebotomy TWO DAY COURSE l First step onto Allied
Healthcare Career Path
l Accredited (Level 5 Ireland) l No previous experience needed l Small classes - limited places For more info. or to book online:
www.
geopace.net
Search online: GEOPACE Virtual Classroom option also available (Home Training Kit Provided) HIGH DEMAND IN: Hospitals - GP Surgeries - Clinics - Private Sector - Community
April 19, 2022
| 13
14 |
April 19, 2022
| 15
April 19, 2022
We take a look back at extracts from old newspapers to see what was in the news this month in years gone by
Sun Ind 07/01/1940
Irish Press 13/04/1938
Freemans Jrn 07/04/1864
Irish Ind 02/04/1937
Freemans Jrn 01/04/1843
Irish Ind ..19/04/1932
Irish Ind 14/04/1936
16 |
thechronicle.ie April 19, 2022
RECRUITMENT Wexford County Council invites applicants for the following posts:
Beach Warden/Supervisor (Duncannon) Beach Warden (Curracloe Area) Beach Warden (Morriscastle)
Selection for all posts will be by means of interview and candidates may be shortlisted based on applications submitted. Panels may be formed from which future vacancies may be filled. Qualifications, application forms and further particulars for this post are available from: Customer Service (Block F), Wexford County Council, Carricklawn, Wexford. Phone 053 919 6000 or visit our website at www.wexfordcoco.ie Closing date for receipt of completed application forms is: 5.00 pm on Wednesday 27th April, 2022 Wexford County Council is an Equal Opportunities Employer
HOUSING
CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST FOR THE SUPPLY OF SOCIAL HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT LAND Wexford County Council has an ambitious 5 year capital programme under the Housing For All Action Plan. As part of a range of housing solutions, the housing authority is seeking expressions of interest from private developers, building contractors and land owners. Wexford County Council is seeking expressions of interest from interested parties who are capable of delivering turnkey units within the County or the provision of development land. Wexford County Council will consider land or units in areas which have an established need. An explanatory document will outline the areas of need across the County. In particular, Wexford County Council is seeking:• Turnkey developments. Acquisitions are on a turnkey basis; potential payment is a fixed price lump sum, on completion of a development, within an agreed timeframe. • Mixed development schemes where social residential components could be incorporated. • Development land, varying from small sites (circa 4-6 units) in rural areas with modest demand to larger sites in urban areas (circa 50-70). • Delivery of adapted dwellings to meet the requirements of those with specific needs. All developments and associated works must be fully compliant with the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government guidelines and standards. A preliminary proposal via the official application form will need to be submitted along with required documentation. Application forms must be received by 5pm on Wednesday 11th May 2022. Application forms and accompanying explanatory documents should be requested by emailing housingcapital@wexfordcoco.ie. Wexford County Council is subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2014.
ENVIRONMENT Wexford County Council are currently seeking to create a panel of interested garden centres / gardening supply providers for the provision of gardening supplies as covered under the terms of the Pilot Planting Grant Scheme 2022. This panel is for a year and may be extended by 3 years. For further details, terms and conditions of this pilot scheme visit https://www.wexfordcoco.ie/environment/biodiversity-community -andschools/community-and-schools/environment-grants/planting-1 Please be advised that inclusion on a panel does not automatically guarantee business. The approved community group will select the retailer and not Wexford County Council. Closing Date 5 pm Friday 22nd April 2022