Money for new playgrounds but none to main existing ones!

This piece from today's Enniscorthy Guardian beggars belief. €100,000 available for a new playground but the council can't even find a few Euros to buy a couple of pots of paint for the existing one on the Promenade.

A tragic accident robs Enniscorthy of one of its favourite sons

By Eimear Ni Bhraonain

Wednesday December 22 2010

A CHRISTMAS party night ended in tragedy after a popular publican fell down the stairs of his home to his death.

Ian Noone, of the Antique Tavern in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, was out celebrating his staff Christmas social on Monday night. Tragically, Mr Noone was killed when he tumbled down the staircase after returning home from town.

It is believed he may have been going down the stairs to let his dog outside when he fell in the home he shared with his long-term French girlfriend, Delphine Riche.

His work colleagues were shocked at the sudden death of the 42-year-old.

A black ribbon hung outside the Antique Tavern and the pub closed as a mark of respect yesterday.

His co-worker Karl Forrester said Ian was an "excellent employer" who was "very kind" and a "very good" friend.

"Everyone in town is devastated and absolutely shocked," he said.

Enniscorthy councillor Paddy Kavanagh saw Mr Noone out with his staff on Monday night in the Castle Bar in the town. "He was there with all his staff and everyone looked like they were having a great time."

Local businessman Jimmy Gahan said Mr Noone was an "absolute gentleman".

"He was highly popular and the community is in shock with the circumstances being so tragic."

President of the Enniscorthy rugby club, Charlie Kavanagh, described Mr Noone as a "very jovial" man. He said he ran the bar in the rugby club and in the local golf club for some time and "couldn't do enough" for people.

Mr Noone is survived by his parents, Joe and Eileen, and brother Karl.

Removal takes place today from Browne's funeral home in Enniscorthy at 5.30pm to arrive at the Star of the Sea church in Riverchapel at 6.30pm. Funeral Mass takes place at 11am tomorrow and burial will follow in the local cemetery.

- Eimear Ni Bhraonain

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/shock-as-popular-publican-dies-after-falling-down-stairs-2470044.html

Ian was in great form when I was in the Antique for Saturday's rugby matches and like many others I was absolutely stunned by the news of his untimely death. I offer my deepest sympathy to Ian's family, friends and all the staff at the Antique. A light has gone out in the social and sporting life of Enniscorthy -Ní fheicfimid a leithéid ann arís.

An earlier restoration of Enniscorthy Castle

While trawling on eBay this morning I came across this interesting postcard of the last major restoration of Enniscorthy Castle by P.J.Roche of New Ross. The work was carried out between 1900 and 1905, and the Castle was a wedding present for his son, Henry J.Roche and his American bride Josephine Shriver. Imagine what the health and safety people would say if they saw scaffolding like that today!

More green shoots of recovery?

Ironically, at a time when the country seems balanced on the brink of the abyss Enniscorthy is experiencing something of a revival. As previously noted a number of new businesses have recently opened in the town and these are about to be joined by the return of Wickham's Butchers in the Market Square. The original premises was condemned following the destruction of the adjoining Murphy Floods hotel by fire in September 2005.

At the bottom of Slaney Place a new cafe - "Nosh & Coffee" - has recently opened and seems to be doing a good trade. I called to sample it this morning and found the coffee nice, the service friendly and I would recommend it to everybody. Just don't wear too many clothes - it's compact and very warm! Proving popular is the before 9am special offer of a mug of tea or coffee for €1.00.

'Arbeit Macht Frei"

This photo montage taken yesterday (7th November, 2010) says a lot about the shambolic way that our town council spends our money. An enormous, and unnecessary banner announces the launch of a new book on Enniscorthy, while in front of the Council Offices the seating and the 1798 memorial remain in an extremely tatty and defaced condition - see previous posts. Whatever about the cleaning of the 1798 monument, the cost of the banner would surely have covered the expense of repainting the seats and the children's playground.

At the top and bottom of Slaney Street new arches, reminiscent of the entrance to Auschwitz, have been erected. The paintwork was damaged during erection and I suspect they will soon blend in with the general tattiness of the street. Meanwhile the children's playground near the Riverside Park Hotel is allowed to go to rack and ruin. I really do despair!

New Enniscorthy Tourism Website

A welcome new development is the new tourism website http://www.enniscorthytourism.com/which is being promoted by Enniscorthy Chamber of Commerce. However, there are a number of mistakes and omissions on the website and I have drawn attention to them. As yet I have received no acknowledgement from Enniscorthy Tourism.com nor have the mistakes been corrected.

So, a reasonably good website but a shame about some of the products including the one below

http://www.enniscorthytourism.com/categories/playgrounds_in_wexford-24.html

- can it possibly be the same playground as this - photographed today?

Click on the pics to enlarge.

Courtown - a town of two parts.

I took my children to Courtown Harbour a few weeks ago, primarily to visit the Irish Seal Sanctuary but also to do a few of the normal seaside things - chips, amusement arcades etc. Train to Gorey and taxi the rest of the way by Cousins Mini Bus Hire (086) 246 6264. I can highly recommend them for friendliness/price and reliability. Of course there was no information panel at the station with taxi numbers but the helpful ticket clerk supplied me with Cousins' number.

I hadn't been to Courtown for years but what a shock awaited us. The old part of the town appeared derelict with boarded-up hotels and other closed business premises. We walked on to the Forest Park Leisure Centre and nearby Irish Seal Sanctuary http://www.irishsealsanctuary.ie/ which although not yet open to the public gave us a free guided tour which ended in a well stocked souvenir shop!

The Leisure Centre boasts all sorts of excellent facilities and is a model of how things should be done, more information here: http://www.coralleisure.ie/our-clubs/court.html.html and, for the more daring, adjacent to the Centre is Gravity Extreme Adventure and it is not for children or the faint hearted but looks amazing fun and state of the art!

More here: http://www.gravityforestpark.ie/index.php

Back to the old part of the town, past a sad looking crazy golf course which looked like it had peaked in the late 1960s and off to find chips. The first two premises that we tried appeared disinterested in customers and so we headed back towards the harbour where we came across the Dinky Takeaway next to Flanagan's Wharf Amusements. I like to consider myself something of a connoisseur when it comes to chips - I've eaten enough of them - and I was bowled over by what the Dinky served us. Even my eight year old who is not a big fan of chips devoured his portion. I googled the Dinky when I got home and was amused to see that my taste buds had not lied and that they had been voted as serving Ireland's best chips on Marty Whelan's 2FM radio show!

After the chips it was time to bite the bullet and introduce the kids to the delights of Flanagan's Amusements .......more later have to go out urgently.

Oct.20th - Back at last! Well, what can you say about Flanagan's - the kids loved the various bike, car and truck simulators while I was reminded of why it's best to stay out of such places as the gambling machines devoured my loose change. At last look around the harbour before the taxi arrived to bring us back to Gorey station. I'll be back again but next time to do a spot of birdwatching in Courtown Woods.

Green shoots of recovery?

In recent months several new retail outlets have opened in Enniscorthy and this new fashion accessories boutique in Castle Street is due to open next week. A smart interior refit plus an external repaint have transformed the premises and I wish them luck in the venture.

Who fears to speak of '98?

Clearly not the village idiots in Enniscorthy! I noted this graffiti after last weekend and I wonder just how long it will take our wonderful council to get around to removing it? Incidentally, the small stencil applied graffiti (bottom right corner) has been on the monument for months.

On a happier note the rag/flag that had been flying outside the '98 Centre, which I posted about on the 16th July, has been replaced with a new one. Click on image for a bigger picture.

Update: Oct.20th and no effort has been made to clean up the monument.

Another smart paint job!

The Internet cafe beside the old bridge has received a nice bright repaint and it now stands out like a beacon in a wasteland of dereliction.

Paint at last!

Yes, hot on the heels of the new seat by the '98 Centre comes the painting of the metal seats along the Shannon - and the railing. After almost ten years back in Enniscorthy I can report that the seats have been painted for the first time albeit in some type of 'Hammerite'! Although this doesn't really suit, it is better than peeling paint and rust. While the seats look quite smart the railings seemed to have received little preparation and the peeling paint has simply been painted over. Be that as it may, is it possible that the council will now take it upon themselves to paint the railings every year rather than every ten years?

Whatever next, the children's playground?

Enniscorthy long ago.

Slaney Place, Enniscorthy viewed from the bridge in quieter times - anybody identify the type of car?

The Good & the Bad

I will start on a positive note and pictured above is the attractive shopfront of Millstream Fishmongers at the Irish Street entrance to Dunnes Stores in Enniscorthy. It is amazing what a little bit of money and imagination can do! Millstream is a great place to buy fresh fish especially queenies/scallops and salmon. Be sure to give them a call if you're shopping in Dunnes.

Just nipped down for a quick look at the children's playground down by the Riverside Park Hotel and it's still in the horrible state that it was when I posted about in early 2009. Will anything every be done about it?

Another postcard view of Enniscorthy

When a flag becomes a rag.

As I passed the '98 Centre yesterday I noted that the Irish tricolour flying outside is entering the faded/tatty rag stage of its life. Surely of all places the '98 Centre should fly a pristine Irish flag?

A new seat at last!

The council have, at last, replaced the rotten seat near the 1798 Centre with a fine new one which I hope they will maintain. However, I note that the viewing area on Mill Park Road is as derelict looking as ever. Come on lads go for it - one improvement a week!

Postcards views of Enniscorthy

A couple of pleasant views of Enniscorthy from old God's time. Quite a number of the quayside buildings survive to this day and unbelievably the railing on the quayside is still there - probably unpainted since the days of the postcard. Click on the pics to enlarge.

The first green shoots of recovery?

It is good to be able to report some apparent signs of recovery in Enniscorthy's retail sector with a number of new shops opening in recent months. The former 'Brides with Attitude' shop in Church Street has undergone a massive transformation and is due to open shortly as a Beauty Salon. The striking colour scheme is typical of what is to be found in West Cork towns such as Clonakilty but sadly lacking in Enniscorthy. Hopefully the first of many as it is amazing what some paint and a few window boxes can do to transform a drab streetscape. The colour is even more vivid than my poor photograph shows and is like a burst of sunlight on the street.

Meanwhile a new Kebab shop has appeared on Castle Hill (where there was a shortlived Pizza place) and from first accounts it seems to be doing a brisk trade.

Enniscorthy Castle ...and so it goes on!

From today's Enniscorthy Guardian. Check my post of April 22nd - I really despair!

Something positive from Enniscorthy UDC - at last!

From today's Enniscorthy Guardian comes a report which suggests that businesses in the town may be grant aided to improve their shopfronts. A great idea but it needs to be done very carefully or it will make a bad situation worse - especially as they mean to start in Slaney Street which is in a terrible mess.

Enniscorthy Market Square: Repairs - at last!

The broken paving in the centre of the Market Square has been patched up at last - I highlighted the problem in my post on St.Patrick's Day and it had been going on well before that. Why has it taken so long to get such relatively straightforward repairs carried out? Incidentally, many other paving slabs in the same area are also coming loose from the plinth.
Less than 15 feet from the door of the Council offices a shrub stands surrounded by weeds and dog poo. All the other planting in the Market Square is in the same unkempt state - right outside the windows of the Council offices. The 1798 memorial has recently had grafitti added in marker and the public seating urgently needs repainting. Enniscorthy 1500 'how are you'?

Is there a need for a sub-garda station in Templeshannon?

I quite frequently have to make the journey from the rarified atmosphere of west Enniscorthy as far as the railway station, and it is an increasingly depressing walk between closed down businesses, smashed windows and general filth. God only knows what unfortunate visitors staying at Treacy's Hotel must make of it? This morning on my way to the station I noted that three closed down business premises have smashed windows - Slaney Bookmakers; De Old Bridge Restaurant and the 'unidentifiable' clothes shop opposite the turn for the station. It really presents an appalling appearance for visitors to the town - not to mention locals - and suggests to me that it is a no-go area after dark. A much heavier garda presence is called for as there have been incidents, too numerous to mention, in the vicinity of Benedict's Night Club and at the nearby taxi offices. In my opinion, for what is worth, a special garda sub office needs to be established in the area - manned at night - and there's surely enough vacant property to find something suitable. The whole area is dying on its feet and until something radical is done to make it a safe area at night things are not going to change. My photographs don't show the actual broken windows that clearly but take my word for it - broken they are. The general filth needs to be seen to be appreciated!
Click on the pics for larger images.

Council postpones Tourist Season until late August

Following on from last week the council now have admitted that the Office of Public Works is completely out of the loop regarding the restoration of the castle - this came as a surprise - to me anyway!

According to this news item in today's Enniscorthy Guardian (22/4/2010) the ground floor of the castle will open in late August (!) with some sort of an exhibition, while all the serious work on the upper floors has been long fingered. Oh dear........

This is the same council whose offices in the Market Square look out on the 1798 memorial and its expensively paved surroundings. This whole area is becoming an eyesore with broken and missing paving slabs, kerbstones coming up out of the road - a danger to vehicles and pedestrians - unpainted seats, weeds and the ever present dog poo. If the wretched council can't even take care of the space right in front of their offices how on earth do they expect to deal with colossal undertaking which is the restoration of the castle? Enniscorthy 1500 how are you!

To end on a positive note, the remaining 'head' shop at the bottom of Slaney Street has closed down in recent days - hopefully for good.

Don't forget to click on the pics to enlarge.

Castle Museum reopening - sort of!

Well, there's a surprise, the museum is not going to be ready for the 2010 tourist season after all! But, don't worry an expensive, mickey mouse display will be knocked up so that local worthies will have something to be seen during the Enniscorthy 1500 'celebrations' and then the castle can be left to moulder away. This piece from today's Enniscorthy Guardian.

Up in Smoke has disappeared and good riddance!

Some good news at last, the "Up in Smoke" headshop in Slaney Place, Enniscorthy, referred to in an earlier post has vanished overnight. One retailer that the town won't miss!

Enniscorthy Castle under siege!

From the Enniscorthy Echo Thurs. March 18th 2010
http://www.enniscorthyecho.ie/news/story/?trs=mhojeymhoj&cat=news

Thursday, March 18, 2010 Vandalism fears as Castle lies idle.
IT’S WITHSTOOD sieges and attacks by bomb, bullet and sword, but now Enniscorthy Castle could fall prey to a modernday menace vandals.Fears are being expressed over the state of the 13th century building after damage caused by vandalism, one of the first such incidents since the building was closed three years ago.One of the large lower ground floor windows to the side of the building was badly damaged in an incident that has shocked locals, already dismayed by the ongoing closure of the Castle and its world famed Co. Museum collection of historic artefacts.Despite repeated assurances by officials, even as recently as last week, the vandalism has added to the concerns of people genuinely concerned in the matter, many of whom remain sceptical of officialdom’s announcements.At a Co. Council meeting only last week, Co. Manager Eddie Breen repeated the view that the Museum will be open for business this Summer, even though the building lies empty and bare.The Manager pledged that €600,000 has been set aside to meet the cost of repairs to the castle, whose doors closed back in 2007 and remain locked.Cllrs. Paddy Kavanagh and Pat Cody both raised concerns at the meeting, particularly about the continued closure of the Castle, opened as home to the Co. Museum in 1961.

Enniscorthy on St.Patrick's Day 2010

More pics here:

Enniscorthy on St.Patrick's Day 2010

Took a quick run around my favourite spots today and what a depressing mess - almost a year since I first posted on the run-down state of the place and it's worse if anything. Starting off at the Market Square the paving out side the council offices is starting to disappear and is now quite dangerous in places; at the Slaney there are now 7 (!) lifebelts missing i.e. about 4 in their correct places; the seats, bins and railings on the Shannon Quay are still unpainted; the relatively new lamp standards on the promenade are unpainted and shabby looking; the children's playground is still a filthy disgusting eyesore covered in graffiti; the seats in the viewing area are rotten and the table still in a dangerous condition and the new sign proclaims the attractions of the area including Borodale house which they claim is still there (it was demolished in the 1930s) and returning to Enniscorthy Castle (which is supposed to reopen for the 2010 tourist season) shows no signs of activity and my picture shows a mark on the grass where a millstone was until recently - whether it has been officially removed is unknown.

The pity about it is that if even one item that I mention was tackled every week, or even every month (!), the town could be visually transformed. You be the judge.

Don't forget click on the pics to enlarge!

A sign of the times?

February 16th and still no sign of activity at the castle - although the front door was open today - and even the sign proclaiming that it will reopen in 2010 has fallen down! Elsewhere in the town the retail sector has continued its implosion with even pound shops now closing down. The good news is that we now have two 'Head' shops with a third on the way, and as we all know Enniscorthy has plenty of skulls!