Page 40 - Simon Bourke News Today

A man in his 80s has drowned after getting into difficulty in the water at Curracloe Beach in Wexford on Tuesday afternoon.

The traffic lights on Wexford Bridge are expected to remain out of action until tomorrow (Wednesday, September 5) as contractors work to repair the issue. The outage was caused by a fault with the main circuit board which required Wexford County Council (WCC) to hire a team of outside contractors to carry out the repairs. Work has now begun on those repairs and the anticipation is the lights will be operating as normal in the coming days.

While the current Irish rugby team is carrying the hopes and dreams of the nation to France this coming weekend, it’s the past teams and, in particular, their former home which is the focus of a fundraiser for Caim Community Park. In 2007, Caim resident Desmond McCarthy was commissioned by the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) to draw and record the historic Lansdowne Road stadium before its demolition and rebuilding.

Over 10,000 people attended Wexford’s first ever National Services Day parade as the men and women responsible for saving lives in the county showcased their work for the public. The parade itself was led by Johnny Fowler and the Organisation of National Ex-Service Personnel (O.N.E.) with a representative from each organisation in attendance carrying their respective flags. With 15 groups in attendance, there more than 200 emergency services members in the parade.

Wexford Arts Centre will use funding received from the AIB Community Fund to continue to connect with local communities via a series of creative engagement programmes. The centre has received €28,000 from the fund which asks AIB customers, the wider public, and colleagues to nominate charities which connect with causes that matter most to them and their communities.

Construction has began on a new reservoir which will “greatly enhance” water supply in the wider Castlebridge, Curracloe, Ballymurn, Crossabeg, Glenbrien and Oilgate areas.

After weeks of adventure camps and blitzes, tense, febrile holidays in the sun, and a series of moderately successful playdates, the well had run dry. Parents were forced to reach deep into their box of tricks and come up with something, anything, to pass an afternoon as the calendar inched agonisingly towards September.

As the Staples family continue to come to terms with the sudden and violent attack on Frank Jr outside an Australian restaurant last month, their second family has come together in a show of unity and support. A fundraiser organised by Madge Corrigan and Maura Doran of The Wexford Harbour Boat and Tennis Club (WHBTC), saw Frank’s mam Statia joined by the community for an event which was about raising funds and showing support for the Staples.

As it prepares to deliver its Bullying Awareness Programmes to primary and secondary-level students across Wexford, the Red Moon Drama team is seeking to establish a pool of local actors interested in this work. The bullying programme is, according to Michael Way of Red Moon, a way of giving back to the community, providing for schools and the young people of the county.

CCE Tuaisceart Loch Garman has returned from Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann 2023 two All-Ireland winners and two second-place finishes. Bringing a large group of gifted musicians to Mullingar, many of them Leinster champions, the Craanford group represented their village with pride and reminded all in attendance just why Wexford has been chosen to host next year’s event.