A new report evaluating the role that deer play in the spreadof Bovine TB (bTB), has labelled Wicklow as a Bovine TB'hot-spot' and suggests that Wicklow's large deer populationmight be to blame. However, this is hotly disputed.

The report in the peer-reviewed scientific journal, MicrobialGenomics, titled'Mycobacterium bovisgenomics reveals transmission of infectionbetween cattle and deer in Ireland', was published on June 18thby Crispell et al.

It 's understood thatdeer can act as a spillover host for the infection where high deerdensities are present,however there is no clearevidence to show deerare a source of infectionfor cattle. Whilst badgersare recognized as being asource of infection forcattle, similar evidence

on the role of deer inIreland is lacking, thereport says.

In the last decade,Wicklow has had thehighest herd-level prevalence of bTB in thecountry. The report statesthat in Co. Wicklow,"high densities of deerhave been implicated inthe local spread and persistence of M. bovisinfection in cattle. Ouranalyses suggest that M.bovis is transmittedbetween cattle and deerpopulations, and thatdeer may be acting as animportant source ofinfection in Wicklow."

James O'Keeffe, SVI,Head, Department of

Agriculture's WildlifeUnit said regarding a2018 Department study"this information doesnot inform us about thedirection of spread ofdisease, and cannot beused to draw any conclusion about whichspecies may be infectingwhich other species."

A recommendation tothe Minister ofAgriculture in 2015 bythe Irish DeerManagement Forum,confirmed "that there isno evidence to linkBovine TB incidence indeer in Ireland to BovineTB outbreaks or persistence in cattleherds."

In 2018, Dr EoinRyan, Chief VeterinaryInspector at theDepartment said there is"no evidence of linkbetween wild deer andthe spread of TB."

No study to date hasshown the directionalityof bTB transmission fromwild deer to cattle (orbadger) or vice-a-versa.

The Crispell et alreport states that "Ouranalyses reveal that cattleand deer share highlysimilar M. bovis strains,suggesting that transmis-sion between thesespecies is occurring inthe area. In addition, thehigh level of diversityobserved in the sampleddeer population suggestsdeer may be acting as asource of infection forlocal cattle populations.These findings haveimportant implicationsfor the control and ultimate eradication ofbTB in Ireland."

The report also notesthat the similar M. bovisstrains in cattle and deercould result from a common source, such asbadgers.

"Defining the role ofdeer in the bTB system inWicklow will require further research," thereport states. Aspokesperson for the IrishDeer Commission said"while deer like manyother wildlife species aresusceptible to TB at lowlevels, the report high-lights that good deermanagement can helpreduce the spread ofpotentially infected wilddeer by carrying outinformed data led cullsannually to reduce wilddeer numbers and main-tain them at sustainablelevels. Also, good deermanagement ensures wedo not drive deer intonew areas by over-cullingor sustained increasedhunting pressure."

DON'T BLAME THE DEER!HOUSE PRICES

page 4TIDY TOWNS

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SOUTH EDITION DELIVERED TO HOMES & BUSINESSES IN: RATHNEW, WICKLOW, GLENEALY, BRITTAS BAY, AVOCA, WOODENBRIDGE, ARKLOW, SHILLELAGH, TINAHELY, REDCROSS, BALLINACLASH, AUGHRIM, RATHDRUM, DONARD, DUNLAVIN, CARNEW, COOLATTIN, BALTINGLASS, BLESSINGTON.

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Freya Kella and Jordi Butterworth out walking with donkeysNeddy and Billy in Arklow

Tuesday 14th July 2020 First Floor, The Boulevard, Quinsborough Road, Bray. A98 R6D7. Tel: 01 - 2869111 E-mail: wicklowed@localtimes.ie www.wicklowtimes.net

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A local fundraising challenge has succeeded in raising over €3,5000 for Pieta House. Organisersof ‘100km for May’ created a Facebook page and set people the challenge to run, walk, or jog100km throughout the month of May. Over 150 people took part from Wicklow town, Newtown,Greystones, Ashford and as far as Away as Australia. By the end of the Challenge €3,512 hadbeen raised for donation to Pieta house. Pictured are Anne Marie Nolan, Leah Kelly & TakisApostolopoulos at the presentation of the cheque.

Kilbride trainer Prunella Dobbs was among the winners at Leopardstown on Wednesday 1stJuly where Airgead prevailed in a driving finish to the concluding 7f handicap. The 10/1 chancewas a third winner on the night for high-flying Shane Foley who brought the four-year-old witha perfectly timed run to pip Highly Approved and Colin Keane in the dying strides. It was a sec-ond Leopardstown win for Airgead. The margin here was a head and when he scored over a mileat the track last August, the winning verdict was a neck. Dobbs said, “This horse loves it here.My heart was sinking since I arrived as I felt this ground wouldn’t suit him with all the rainaround. Shane gave him such a good ride, settled him out early and made the break at just theright moment. We’ll look for something similar and he seems to thrive around Leopardstown.”Photo: Shane Foley gets the Prunella Dobbs-trained Airgead up on the line to win the concludingseven-furlong handicap at Leopardstown on Wednesday. Photo: Caroline Norris, Racing Post

Contacts:Shay Fitzmaurice, Managing Editor - shay@localtimes.ie

Ian Colgan, News Editor - ian@localtimes.ieGeneral enquiries - info@localtimes.ie

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is published by Wicklow Times,First Floor, The Boulevard, Quinsborough Road, Bray. A98 R6D7. Tel: 01-2869111

Oh My It’s 3005!Summer Stars is the national reading programme for

children taking place in all 330 public libraries inIreland. It is a completely free programme and open toall children. As well as online stories, competitions andbook reviews, Wicklow County Library Service areproud to announce a unique creative writing event forchildren entitled “Oh My It’s 3005!” with renownedwriter Maeve Devoy.

Children ages 8-12 can take part in the webinarsfrom 27th July to 31st July, online. Maeve will takethem on a futuristic journey to the year 3005, exploringworlds and letting their imaginations grow.

Registration is essential and free. To register, pleasecontact greylib@wicklowcoco.ie. Participants must beable to access Zoom on the days in question. For anyfurther details, please check out your local library.

La Touche Festival of History postponed

The La Touche Legacy Committee andGreystones Archaeological and Historical Societyhave confirmed that this year’s Seminar/Festival ofhistory has been postponed due to Covid-19. It hasbeen rescheduled for the 10th/11th September with alaunch lecture in May 2021. Chairman of the LaTouche Legacy Society, George Jones, said “Wethank all our supporters and attendees over the yearsand are looking forward to your continued supportnext year. In the meantime keep safe.”

GAA Cul Camps From Bray to Baltinglass, all Wicklow GAA clubs

are in with a chance of claiming incredible prizes aspart of Kellogg’s sponsorship of the Kellogg’s GAACúl camps. At a time when fundraising has been lim-ited, this provides GAA clubs with an incredibleopportunity to claim great prizes through a simple

Short story competitionopen to children in

Greystones MunicipalDistrict

Social Democrats Cllr for Greystones District Jodie Neary has launched a short story competition in association with her successful Bee Route Project. The Bee Route Project wasdevised by Cllr Neary who worked with Greystones, Delgany and Kilcoole Tidy Towns givingout free Bee Route Starter Packs and lavender to locals in a bid to get people to grow pollinator-friendly plots in their gardens.

Over 150 participantshave signed up to the pro-ject so far. The success ofthe project has inspiredthe launch of the BeeRoute Short StoryCompetition, open to allchildren aged 5-12 fromacross Greystones,Delgany, Kilcoole andNewcastle. The theme willbe: The Sunflower and theBee. Children are asked towrite a short story (bythemselves!) of up to 300words on this subject

The Competition hasbeen developed by CllrNeary alongside WicklowGood News broadcasterJillian Godsil and produc-er Marlena Murphy, toencourage children to dis-cover more about biodi-versity and to keep theircuriosity growingthroughout the summermonths.

The competition willrun for approximately fiveweeks ending on August7th. A panel of judges willconsist of local artists,writers, Council represen-

tatives and people associ-ated with the gardeningworld. Please send yourshort story tojodie.neary@socialdemocrats.ie

Speaking on the ShortStory Competition, CllrNeary says "The theme forthis competition will be:The Sunflower and theBee. When writing, chil-dren can take inspirationfrom watching beesbuzzing around their newpollinator-friendly sun-flowers if they participat-ed in the Bee RouteProject or imagine a beepassing through well-known spots acrossGreystones, Delgany,Kilcoole and Newcastle.It can be anything theywant associated with bees,pollinators and nature".

Cllr Neary says, "Iwant to encourage chil-dren to take part in thecompetition not only toraise awareness about bio-diversity, but also to docu-ment their relationshipwith the natural environ-

ment during COVID19lockdown. Children havesuch fantastic imagina-tions and are best placedto really appreciated oursurrounding natural envi-ronment and they havetaken advantage of thelockdown to explore theirsurroundings in greatdetail. I know that peoplewould love to read whatchildren have discoveredover the last few months,and that's just in their ownback gardens!

"I often feel that chil-dren are left out ofnational discussions onthe topic of biodiversitywhen really it's childrenwe should be targeting.We need to nurture theircuriosity which will beessential in the futurepreservation of our natu-ral heritage. This is oneway we can facilitate peo-ple to participate in pre-serving our natural her-itage. I look forward tothe contributions and toannounce the winners inAugust. The competition

is open to all childrenregardless of whetherthey participated in theBee Route Project ornot," concluded CllrNeary.

Age categories willapply to the following agebrackets: 5-6 years, 7-8years, 9-10, 11-12 years.Winners will beannounced duringNational Heritage Weekfrom 15th August - 23rd.The competition is beingsponsored by theArboretum and the topfive winners will receivevouchers - €100 for theoverall winner and €50for another 4 runner ups!They will also get to havetheir picture taken by thevery kind Eva Blake at alocation to be confirmed,together with the otherwinners (social distancingstyle!), and individually.

Furthermore, kids willalso get to have their sto-ries posted on theWicklow Heritage Sitefor National HeritageWeek

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mechanic. In order to nominate your club, all thatis required is to pick up a promotional box ofKellogg’s Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies or BranFlakes. Using the unique on-pack code, log on tokelloggsculcamps.gaa.ie/competition and nominatethe club of choice. For more information on theKellogg’s GAA Cúl Camps visit gaa.ie/kellog-gsculcamps

Support for Kilcooleskate park campaign

Minister Simon Harris TD is supporting thecampaign for a skate park facility in Kilcoole.Minister Harris said: “I was very impressed by thecampaign 14 year old Jake Mitchell from Kilcooleis undertaking to develop a skate park. Jake hasdecided to be proactive and campaign for the coun-cil to develop a safe skate park for this very popu-lar outdoor activity.

“After the impact of the lockdown it is importantthat young people are supported in safe outdoorsporting and recreational activities.

“I would also like to pay tribute to the staff ofTemple Carrig Secondary School who developedthe ‘Do Something Great’ award to motivate stu-dents during the lock down period. The school’sinitiative spurred on Jake to begin his campaignand I am delighted to be able to support it”.

New online course in suicide preventon training LivingWorks Start helps participants to identify

people who are at risk, confidently ask them aboutthe topic of suicide and connect them withresources that can help them stay safe. It is a level 2alertness skills programme and not as advanced assafeTALK or the two-day intervention skills work-shop, ASIST. You can complete the programme onany device or computer. You will have 60 days tocomplete the programme. The programme uses amix of guided online content, video and interactivequestions. The course is for those aged 18 and over.This course is made available in Ireland by the HSENational Office for Suicide Prevention andLivingWorks. Limited places, for further detailsemail, job title and work location tomichaeln@mentalhealtireland.ie.

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€20,000 of cannabis seizedfrom Bray grow house

Gardaí in Wicklow have seized €20,000 worth of cannabis plants and arrested a female inrelation to a surveillance operation carried out at a house in Bray.

Last Wednesday afternoon, 8th July, Gardaí attached to the Bray District Drug unit and assisted by theDistrict Detective unit obtained a Section 26 warrant under the Misuse of Drugs Acts. A search of a housewas carried out and a grow house was located in the attic of the house.

A number of cannabis plants were seized, at various stages of maturity. The seizure, subject to analysis,has an estimated street value of €20,000.

One female, (38 years) was arrested at the scene and detained under Section 4 of the Criminal JusticeAct, 1984 at Bray Garda Station. She has since been released from custody without charge and a file willbe prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions. Investigations are ongoing.

Minister for Higher Education, Simon Harris pictured with Bife principal, Ray Tedders and CEO ofKWETB, Greystones resident Deirdre Keyes in Bife last Friday when the Minister made his first official visit.

'BIFE IS AN EXAMPLEOF A CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE IN

HIGHER EDUCATION'SAYS NEW MINISTER

Last Friday the new Minister for Further and Higher Education made his first officialvisits to a Higher Education college, Bray's Institute for Further and Higher Education(BIFE).

Minister for Further andHigher Education SimonHarris TD said: “I amexcited to be appointedMinister for Further andHigher Education. I havea long commitment toFurther Education having previously servedon the board of BIFE. “BIFE's success is evident in the 1,200 plusfull- t ime learners s tudying at degree,diploma, and certificatelevels , and over 3000learners s tudying part-time courses. BIFEis a leader in FurtherEducation not only inWicklow but nationally. “BIFE's film and mediacourses build onWicklow's exist ingstrengths as a location

for the film industry andlast week's announce-ment of the newGreystones MovieCampus shows howBIFE courses are at thecutting edge of futurejob opportunities. “As Minister for FurtherEducation I want tobroaden access toFurther Education anddrive inclusion andequali ty within the sector. BIFE is an excellent example with ahands-on approach toeducation which is pract ical and gives students real l i fe experience with theirchosen career. “I have already met withemployers ' groups to discuss opportunities of

bringing research andinnovation together withfurther education and thegovernment in the Julystimulus will announceadditional measures as tohow Further Educationcan support the recovery.”Speaking at the college,CEO of Kildare andWicklow Education andTraining Board(KWETB), DeirdreKeyes, from Greystones,said “ It was an honourfor us to welcome thefirst ever Minister forHigher Education to oneof our colleges, especial-ly one that he is so close-ly associated with, having served on theBoard of Managementand officiated at many

graduation ceremonies. Ibel ieve Higher andFurther education inCounty Wicklow wil lgrow and thrive withsuch a committedMinister.Ray Tedders, Principal

of Bife also said he wasdelighted to welcome theMinister to the college.“Minister Harris hasbeen a good friend andsupporter of Bife downthe years and our teachers and thousandsof present and past pupils appreciate his support.Here at Bife we haveexcit ing developmentplans which I look forward to presenting tothe Minister as soon ashe is settled in.”

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Harris supports WestWicklow Pool campaign Minister Simon Harris TD is supporting the application by the Community Pool forWest Wicklow Committee for funding under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme.

Minister Harris said, "The Community Pool for West Wicklow Committee has stepped up their campaign and I am fully behind it as it goes from strength to strength. I would like to commend DeirdreMcCormack and all the team for their excellent work. The objective of a Pool for West Wicklow in now tobe included in the next County Development Plan and the success of their campaign is reflected in the factthey are supported by communities and representatives across county Wicklow.

There is a clear need for this facility for people in West Wicklow. In fact, West Wicklow is the onlyMunicipal District in County Wicklow which does not have a public swimming pool. This needs to be rectified".

Local councillor Avril Cronin added: "I have been working to advance this project at local authoritylevel. This is an incredible community group has come together and has worked so hard to drive this pro-ject forward. They need and deserve the full support of the local authority to make their plan a reality.There are so many benefits to swimming for people of all ages and I urge Wicklow County and I want tosee this project advance to the next level".

Average Wicklowhouse prices fall

0.8% in pastthree months

The price of a three-bedroomed semi-detached house in County Wicklow fell by 0.8% over thepast three months, according to a national survey carried out by Real Estate Alliance.

However, agents inthe county are reportinga larger than expectedincrease in enquiriessince they reopened theirdoors after lockdown.

The price of the aver-age three-bed semi inWicklow fell by 2.4% to€ 283,000 in the pastyear, the REA AverageHouse Price Survey hasfound.

"Viewings are current-ly very strong, and pur-chasers have a lot ofconfidence in the mar-ket," said Karl Tracey ofREA Forkin in Bray,North East Wicklow, andWicklow Town.

"Houses with homeoffices are highly soughtafter, and broadbandspeed has become veryimportant for homes inrural Ireland.

"There is a surge ofnew home developmentsin the North Wicklowarea which is keepingsecond-hand prices at asteady level, allowingfor a small decrease thisquarter."

REA Forkin reportedthat the average three-bed semi prices fell by4.8% to €300,000 overthe last year in NorthEast Wicklow, with a1.9% drop this quarter.

Average Bray pricesfell by 4.3% over thepast year, and 1.47%this quarter, to€ 335,000. WicklowTown reported a 3.1%fall over the past 12months to € 310,000,with prices remainingstatic this quarter.

Time to sell increasedby one week in NorthEast Wicklow this quar-ter to 16 weeks, while inboth Wicklow Town andBray i t remainedunchanged at 15 weeks.

REA Murphy ofBlessington andBaltinglass reported thathouse prices rose by 3%in Baltinglass over thepast year to €175,000,remaining unchangedthis quarter. Time to sellin the area rose from 12weeks to 16.

Blessington pricesremained at €295,000since this time last year,and time to sell in thearea increased fromeight weeks to ten thisquarter.

The REA AverageHouse Price Survey con-

centrates on the actualsale price of Ireland'stypical stock home, thethree-bed semi, givingan accurate picture ofthe second-hand proper-ty market in towns andcities countrywide.

Across the country,despite fears of a down-turn in the market due tolockdown, the price of athree-bedroomed semi-detached house fell byjust -0.15% over thepast three months to€ 234,667, an annualdecline of -0.56%.

"Although salesslowed during the lock-down, they did happen

and, despite fears, veryfew fell through or hadto be renegotiated," saidREA spokespersonBarry McDonald.

"Changes in the worldof work are having animmediate effect on thesecond-hand housingmarket with a nation-wide trend emerging ofbuyers looking to move15 minutes outside oftheir urban locationwhere they can get morespace for the samemoney.

"We are finding that people are looking forthree things - morespace, gardens and a

guarantee of bet terbroadband, where trans-port was previously thehighest priority.

"While the currentoutlook is positive, andthere seems to be a lotof pent-up demand, itmay be Q3 before wesee the effect of Covid-19 on the market and onthe outcome of mort-gage approvals grantedbefore the lockdown."

According to Daft.ie'slatest report, in Q2 2020the average house pricesin County Wicklow was€316,007 which is 6.2%lower than a year previ-ously.

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Ronan Murphy, CEO of Horse Sport Ireland (centre), with Katie Maegan from Alltech, SharonFitzpatrick and Liz Brennan from the IBC committee and Joanne Hurley from GAIN, at thelaunch of the Irish Breeders Classic at the Barnadown Equestrian Centre in Gorey. Pic: Sportsfile

Water supplies are vulnerable to

failure, report findsBallymorris and Johnstown South in Co. Wicklow are among the 17 public water supplies inthe country where boil water notices are currently in place, according to the EPA's report onDrinking Water Quality in Public Supplies 2019, released last week.

Twenty-three house-holds are affected by thesetwo boil water notices. AtBallymorris the issue isrelated to Turbidity at theplant, while at Johnstownin Arklow the issue is todo with Coliform Bacteria(this has been an ongoingissue affecting this watersupply since 2015).

Overall, the reportshows that the quality ofdrinking water in publicsupplies remains high. InWicklow's 57 water sup-plies there was 100%microbiological compli-ance and 99.3% compli-ance with chemical limits.There were three boilwater notices last year,affecting 1,366 people;one water restrictionaffecting 281 people, andone supply with direc-tions, affecting one per-son.

However, increasinguncertainty in IrishWater's planning anddelivery of criticalimprovements to watertreatment plants is making

supplies vulnerable to fail-ure, posing a risk to thehealth of a large portion ofthe population.

On 2nd April 2019 adirection was issued toiplement an ActionProgramme to upgrade theAvoca Ballinaclash watertreatment plant. By the endof 2019 this direction hadot been complied withdespite the deadline beingSeptember 30th. The reportstates that enforcementaction was not consideredhowever due to verifiedprogress with works.

The report notes thatworks were carried out inMarch 2019 at water sup-plies affecting Enniskerry,Wicklow, Bray,Greystones/Windgates/T e m p l e c a r r a i g ,Kilmacanogue, andNewtown/Newcastle/Kilcoole, due to elevated levelsof Trihalomethanes(THMs) - chemicalsformed along with otherdisinfection by-products,when chlorine or other dis-infectants used to control

microbial contaminants indrinking water react withnaturally occurring organicand inorganic matter. Thiswas also the reason forworks in September 2019at the Aughrim/Annacurrasupply.

In Q1 of 2020, upgradeworks were carried out atVartry due to seven watersupplies being affected byelevated levels of THMs.

Launching the report,Laura Burke, EPADirector General said:"The supply of safe drink-ing water is of criticalimportance for our wellbe-ing and for social and eco-nomic prosperity. Delaysin delivering public waterimprovements puts waterquality and the public'shealth at risk. The grow-ing uncertainty in IrishWater's planning anddelivery of criticalimprovements to watertreatment plants is under-mining confidence in thesecurity of supply of safedrinking water. Irish Waterneeds to urgently address

the underlying causes forthe delays and shortcom-ings highlighted in thisreport and prioritiseinvestment to ensure thatpublic supplies are safeand secure, and that publichealth is protected."

The EPA has also seendelays in completing thenational disinfection pro-gramme and a significantreduction in work plannedto remove ‘lead’ from supply connections.

Andy Fanning, EPAProgramme Manager, said"Disinfection is the mostimportant step in watertreatment and makes ourwater safe by keepingwater free of harmful bac-teria, viruses and para-sites. Lead presents a dif-ferent problem where theonly remedy is to removethe lead pipework. Withthe reduced programmefor removing lead pipesthe EPA estimates that itcould take Irish Water upto 60 years to remove allpublic-side lead connec-tions.

'Give us back our walk'A group of concerned residents fromGreystones are calling for a section of thecliff walk access route to be re-opened to thepublic.

The cliff walk was closed for a period duringlockdown but was re-opened at the start of thismonth. However, the section from Darcy's Field toGreystones Harbour, believed to have been closedoff by the developer of the housing development atthe harbour, has yet to be re-opened.

A temporary alternative pathway has been creat-ed, which Cllr Tom Fortune says is problematicdue to the terrain here being dangerous.

Residents held a meeting on Friday 3rd July,and are now seeking a meeting with GlenveaghProperties, Wicklow County Council, and Sisk.

After attending the meeting, Cllr Fortune said"In my opinion all of this may have been avoidedif the developer would just communicate with thecommunity. The residents are very concerned and

frustrated about what is happening, to a largeextent because there has been no communication."

On Saturday 4th July, Cllr Fortune was shownthe situation by a Redford Park resident. "I walkedwith him from the Grove into Greystones Harbour,I was there from 11:30am to 1pm and met approxi-mately 250 people on that section of the walk inthat time," explained Cllr Fortune. "When youcome to Darcy's Field where the park has beendeveloped it's been blocked off, so you have tocurrently take a sharp left turn at Darcy's Field andfollow this temporary arrangement. The problem isthat the terrain is very dangerous and sloped forthe greater part. We witnessed a lady almostfalling at one stage. I also observed while I wasthere that potential house purchasers were view-ing the houses and then walking around the parkwhile the public using the Cliff Walk could onlylook in."

Cllr Fortune is calling for security personnel tobe provided while this temporary situation exists.

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Minister Simon Harris met with East Coast Mask Makers in Enniskerry - a not for profit groupmaking free cotton masks for care givers and the vulnerable. Minister Harris said “I’m delightedto be able to thank Sinead O’Reardon and Sinead McGuinness and all the team for all their voluntary work during the Covid-19 crisis. This is a wonderful group of people who selflesslyresponded to the emergency having made 20,000 masks so far. Their example was inspiring during the most difficult days in the past few months and I wanted to express a heartfelt thankyou to them”.

Casey appointedGovernment Finance

Spokesperson inSeanad

Wicklow Senator Pat Casey has expressed his delight and honour at being appointed theFianna Fáil Seanad spokesperson by An Taoiseach Micheal Martin.

Senator Pat Casey

"To be appointed to oneof the most importantportfolios in the Seanad isan honour for me and myfamily and as we rebuildour shattered economyafter the Covid crisis and Iam determined to play apositive role in ensuringthat we return jobs andgrowth to all areas ofIreland as quickly as pos-sible," said Senator Casey.

"Speaking to AnTaoiseach we have priori-tised the return of the cru-cial tourism and hospitali-ty sector which has beentotally crushed by theCovid lockdown. Havingdecades of experience inthis area along with being

an employer I understandthe needs of the small andmedium business sector inIreland and in particular atourism county such asWicklow.

"This Governmentmust support the vitalSME sector in Wicklowto get back on their feetand provide the jobs andgrowth that we so badlyneed. The next year willbe tough but I am confi-dent having spoken to theTaoiseach that economicrecovery for all is top ofthe agenda.

"I also spoke toMicheál about growingthe Fianna Fáil Party inWicklow after a very dis-

appointing GeneralElection. He has askedme to work with ourorganisation in Wicklowto study the lessons fromthe election campaign anddevelop the growth of our

republican movementwithin our garden county.

"As the only Wicklowmember of the Oireachtasfrom outside Greystonesand Bray I am acutelyconscious of the lack ofrepresentation in the Dáilfrom East, South andWest Wicklow. I amdetermined that theseareas of the County arenot left behind in the nec-essary rebuilding thatneeds to take place. I amcommitted to continue mywork with the communi-ties, businesses and farmfamilies of Wicklow,Arklow and Baltinglass toensure a fair recovery."

Last year’s Bray Tidy Towns winners

Council to proceed withTidy Town Awards

Wicklow County Council has decided to proceed with its annual Tidy Towns andEnvironmental Awards.

The Council said it appreciates that Covid-19 hasled to the postponement or cancelling of some pro-jects and initiatives and has made it very challengingfor groups to organize activities and complete work.

However much has been done and continues to bedone on the ground in communities across the county.The national Tidy Towns competition will not takeplace this year, which makes it even more importantthat the work of local tidy towns groups is recog-nized, the Council says.

The closing date for entries is 31st July with anextension for schools until 4th September to allowfor submission of entries after schools reopen.

The aim of the Environmental Awareness Awards isto showcase best practice in environmental awarenessand actions across County Wicklow.

"Through the awards we aim to recognise thediverse range of groups engaged in environmentalawareness projects. The the competition is open toany group working at local level, which has undertak-en a project that demonstrates good practice," theCouncil said.

"The awards have links to best practice in theNational Tidy Towns Competition which aims to helpus build more sustainable communities. They are

however open to all types of community groupsincluding Tidy Towns groups, Coastcare groups,sports and recreational clubs schools, local businessesand housing estates.

"These awards aim to recognize some of the greatwork and innovative ideas being developed to makeWicklow more resilient to Climate Change and pro-tect our natural resources. Communities across thecounty will be key partners in delivering action onboth mitigation and adaptation with relation toClimate Change and also the protection of biodiversi-ty at local level and Wicklow County Council wouldlike to recognize your contribution.

"As much detail as possible should be includedeither on the form, or by submitting additional docu-ments detailing projects, noting which categories ofaward you wish to have considered on this form.

"The application can be made by the communitygroup carrying out the works or in the form of a nom-ination of another group. Application may be madefor more than one award. In any given year awardsmay not be given for all categories. An award willonly be made where Wicklow County Councilbelieves works undertaken are of high value as anexample to all in County Wicklow. Where justified asecond recognition may also be given in an award cat-egory."The awards are open to all relevant towns, vil-lages and community groups, schools and organisa-tions in county Wicklow.

'Enniskerry's pedestrian scheme isan example to wider community'

Wicklow Minister Simon Harris along with Cllr Melanie Corrigan last week visited thenew pedestrian area in Enniskerry Village.

Minister Harris said "I am delighted to see the lengths local businesses and the community have gone tofacilitate safe social distancing for shoppers to protect customers.

"The government is rolling out the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme to support villages andtowns for the development of new and existing outdoor recreational infrastructure in rural areas."

Enniskerry and Bray West Councillor Melanie Corrigan added "The Outdoor Recreation InfrastructureScheme has been crucial to the development of the recreation facilities enjoyed by growing numbers oflocals and tourists in rural areas in recent years. These facilities are now more important than ever in light ofthe COVID-19 emergency. We have applied to the Town and Village Renewal Scheme for additional fundingand I am looking forward to enhancing disability access to the new pedestrianised area and further enhance-ments of the village."

ALONE raises concernsabout access to safe

public transportALONE, the organisation which supports older people, has highlighted the significant lack ofaccessible and safe transport available to older people amid the COVID-19 pandemic. ALONE hasreceived a substantial number of calls to its National Support Line from older people who are nowfinding it difficult to access transport due to the country beginning to reopen.

As older people rely on publictransport to attend important medicalappointments and collect necessitieslike groceries and medication, we arenow worried for their safety. Whilethere is strong evidence that olderpeople are keen to attend necessaryhospital appointments, many areapprehensive about using publictransport in case they come into con-tact with a carrier of the virus. Theorganisation has also raised concernsregarding older people with mobilityissues, who may not be able to usepublic transport and rely on othermeans of transport such as familymembers or private ambulances.

ALONE are cognisant of the widersystemic issues faced by older peoplein accessing safe and affordabletransport and further delays toappointments are not viable at thistime. The organisation said that thecost of getting taxis to and fromappointments means that they are nota viable alternative transport formany older people. ALONE havebeen assisting these transportationqueries by providing a redirection for

older people to the Irish Red Crosswho have been helping older peopleattend appointments across the coun-try. With transportation continuouslyarising as problematic for older peo-ple, COVID-19 has only compound-ed this issue further.

ALONE CEO, Seán Moynihansaid, "Many older people who cannotdrive or do not have access to a carrely on public transport to go abouttheir daily lives, however the arrivalof COVID-19 in Ireland has causedolder people to become anxious whenusing public transport. The only otheroption for older people is to take taxisto their appointments, which is some-thing that many older people cannotafford on a regular basis. As a resultof this, many older people withunderlying medical conditions aremissing essential checkups, becausethey do not want to put themselves atfurther risk by using public transport.This is an issue which is affectingolder people in both rural and urbanareas."

He continued, "While we werepleased to hear the news that the

wearing of face coverings is nowmandatory on public transport fromthe 29th of June, older people are stillapprehensive to use public transportas they are one of the groups mostaffected by COVID-19. We are ask-ing members of the public to remem-ber the older people in their lives whomay be struggling, and if it is safe todo so, offer to take them to and fromappointments."

Since March, ALONE's NationalSupport Line has received in excessof 26,174 calls for support. ALONEstaff and volunteers have made morethan 127,475 calls to older peoplewho needed support, and providedmore than 21,549 units of practicalsupport, delivered from the supportline, staff and volunteers. ALONE isproviding ongoing support to morethan 13,300 older people who requiresupport for difficulties with loneli-ness, health, finance, housing, access-ing services, COVID-19 and otherchallenges. ALONE is encouragingolder people who need advice to callALONE on, 0818 222 024 from8am-8pm, seven days a week.

01 2829668bifeenquiries@wicklowvec.ie

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Tuesday 14th July 2020TimesWICKLOW

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8 NEWS

Newcastle locals are against

proposed mixed-use development

Newcastle residents have let their views be known on the matter of the proposed mixed usedevelopment in the field behind The Castle Inn, which Wicklow County Council is due todecide on this week. In a survey carried out by the Newcastle Residents Association, overtwo-thirds of respondents said they were against the development.

The developmentwould consist of 22 hous-es, 13 apartments, andthree commercial units. Aplanning application wassubmitted to WicklowCounty Council by ABBDDevelopmet Limited, inMarch. The deadline forpublic submissions endedon 23rd June.

The NewcastleResidents Association car-ried out a survey and wel-comed the "full androbust" response from thelocal community.

The survey had 179respondents, with 71%saying they were not in

favour of the develop-ment. Of the 28% infavour of the develop-ment, most of these wereonly 'somewhat' in favour.Development in general isnot opposed among

the responses to the sur-vey, but preference hasbeen expressed for smallerscale, sustainable develop-ments that respond in asensitive way to the localarea, and that centre theneeds of the existing com-munity are preferred.

Most opposed to thedevelopment say that itwill be disproportionatelylarge for the scale of the

village and will negativelyimpact and over-burdenthe capacity of existinginfrastructure.

The main concerns oflocal residents include:Height and volume of res-idential units; Lack ofadequate sewerage facili-ties for existing popula-tion; Lack of adequateinfrastructure to supportexisting population, inparticular the safety ofL5050 to the N11;Concern that the commer-cial units will lie vacant,as seen with theRockingham develop-ment; Concern that the

scale of the developmentis more suited to a townwith a larger existing pop-ulation.

Most in favour of it sayit will grow the communi-ty and bring more businessto the area. They say it's aconsidered and affordableoption for locals who wishto live in the area. Theyalso welcome the inclusionof the park and say there ispotential for more villageamenities in the commer-cial units.

Wicklow CountyCouncil is due to make adecision on the applica-tion on 14th July.

A survey of Newcastle residents has revealed they are largely against plans for a large residential andcommercial development in the field behind the Castle Inn.

Permission refused forNewtown residential

developmentAn Bord Pleanala have overturned a decisionby Wicklow County Council and refused permission for a development of 43 apartments and 28 houses on Church Hill inNewtownmountkennedy.

A third party appeal had been made followingWicklow County Council's decision to grant permis-sion for the development. The planning applicationwas lodged by Knockree Developments Ltd. Thedevelopment was to include a number of other facili-ties including a ground floor creche with play area, carand cycling parking and ancillary features.

The appeal was made by a local residents groupwho had concerns about design issues, amenity andtransport, and who argued that it was contrary todevelopment plan policy on such issues.

The appeal site, with a site area given as 1.56hectares, is part of an elongated area of unused grass-land within the older northern part of the town. To thesouth of the site is a line of derelict buildings associat-ed with a former fever hospital, with open land behindit in the shallow valley of a small stream.

The site is close to two historic buildings, St.Matthews Church and Season Park House, and wouldhave been visible from Fishers, a protected structure.It was submitted in the appeal that there was insuffi-cient information available to assess the overall visualimpact of the development on the village and thedesign and density appeared not to integrate with theexisting fabric of the village.

There is a current appeal under the Derelict Site Actrelating to a proposed Levy on the site. A recent deci-sion on the lands to the south overturned the proposedLevy for that site.

The site is zoned ‘Town Centre’ in theNewtownmountkennedy Local Area Plan 2008. Thetown is considered a ‘Level 4’ settlement in theCounty Development Town, with a target increase inpopulation from some 3000 in 2011 to 6000 in 2028.There are a number of protected structures in thevicinity, but none on the site.

The ABP Inspector also recommended that permis-

sion be granted, however the ABP Board did notaccept this. In making its decision, ABP stated "theproposed development is dominated by roads and sur-face car parking and results in a poor design conceptfor the site, fails to establish a sense of place, wouldresult in a substandard form of development that lacksvariety and distinctiveness including the road frontageand removal of the historic wall and includes a poorquality of urban design in the historic core of the town,all of which would be seriously injurious to the resi-dential amenities of future occupants and the amenitiesof the area. The proposed development would, there-fore, be contrary to these Ministerial Guidelines andwould be contrary to the proper planning and sustain-able development of the area.

"In deciding not to accept the Inspector's recom-mendation to grant permission, the Board consideredthat the proposed development did not adequatelyaddress the key criteria under the ‘Urban DesignManual - a Best Practice Guide’, was dominated byroads and surface car parking, with a poor design con-cept that lacks variety and distinctiveness and includesa poor quality of urban design, including along theroad frontage, all of which would be seriously injuri-ous to the residential amenities of future occupantsand contrary to the provisions of the "Urban DesignManual - a Best Practice Guide", and would, therefore,seriously injure the residential amenities of futureoccupants, and would be contrary to the proper plan-ning and sustainable development of the area."

EGS lodges new application for

sports hall East Glendalough School in WicklowTown has submitted a new application fora sports hall, having now secured the necessary funding to go ahead with theproject.

Permission was previously granted in September2019, however due to lack of funding the schoolwas unable to proceed with the construction at thetime.

The secondary school has now applied for plan-ning permission for alterations to the previousapproved planning permission.

Alterations include a reduction in size of the pro-posed scheme to suit the funding which is currentlyavailable to the school.

The school has been fundraising for the necessaryfunding, through initiatives such as the 'Buy a Brick'fundraising campaign.

The proposed development consists of the provi-sion of a 710.7 sqm, 8.85m high sports hall businesswith high level glazing facing south and north,ancillary spaces and all associated site works. Theoriginal application last year was for a 1,350 sqmsports hall.

Wicklow County Council is due to make a decision on the application on 27th August.

Application lodgedfor 99 houses in

DelganyA planning application has been submittedfor a residential development of 99 houseson Chapel Road, Kindlestown Upper, inDelgany.

The application site is located approximately800m to the Northeast of the centre of DelganyVillage, and a stream runs through it. The coverletter of the planning application states that "Theproposed development will contribute positively tothe character and nature of the neighbourhood. Thecharacter of Delgany is that of an established vil-lage with a strong relationship with its naturalsur-roundings. The proposed development continuesthe character maintaining established views andareas of public open space with established naturalcharacter."

The development would consist of two and threstorey dwellings including 12 four-bed two-storeydetached dwellings, 6 four-bed three-storey semidetached dwellings, 10 four-bed two-storey semidetached dwellings, 44 three-bed two-storey semi

PLANNING NEWSdetached dwellings, 4 three-bed semi detachedbungalows, 19 three-bed two storey terraceddwellings, and 4 two-bed two-storey terraceddwellings. There would also be a crèche.

The Council is due to make a decision on 27thAugust.

Planning permission sought

for EmploymentPark

Workplace equipment supplier AJProducts (Ireland) Ltd have re-applied toWicklow County Council for planningpermission for an employment park inDelgany.

AJ offices and warehouse are currently locatedin Kilcoole, however due to expansion they wishto relocate to a purpose-built building as the head-quarters for their Irish division.

The development in Drummin East in Delganywould be Employment Park consisting of a pur-pose built building of total size 1095sqm compris-ing of warehousing/distribution, ancillary officespace together with access roads/roundabout,footpaths, cycle tracks, car parking (circa 30spaces), bicycle storage, and landscaping (withaccess from Greystones Southern Access Route)on lands zoned for 'employment uses'.

AJ offices made a similar application last year,and have reduced the building size in the newapplication by 14sqm. A decision is due to bemade on the application by 3rd August.

Amendmentto Avondale

redevelopment Coillte have lodged a planning applica-tion with Wicklow County Council toamend the previously permitted develop-ment to provide enhanced visitor facilitiesat Avondale House & Forest Park on asite area of circa 19.7 hectares within atotal landholding of circa 200 hectares.

The amended development consists of alter-ations to the walking trail (comprising sunkenwalkways, tunnels and elevated timber walkwaysand lookout over Avondale river), accessible tim-ber lookout tower (overall height 38 metres fromground level) with ground floor level associatedfacilities, entrance to existing walled garden,landscaping and all related site developmentworks.

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Tuesday 14th July 2020TimesWICKLOW

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10 NEWS

'Think Local, BuyLocal' campaign

launched Minister Harris formally launched the ‘Think Local, Buy Local’ campaign for GreystonesMunicipal District last week.

Wicklow CountyCouncil and Greystones2020 have launched acampaign to restart thelocal economy inGreystones MunicipalDistrict, recognising theneed to support the localeconomy to restart andthrive as quickly as pos-sible. Working with local businesses, they havedeveloped a marketingcampaign for the townand introduced a few measures.

They have: Developeda new dedicated businesshub within the grey-stones.ie website (grey-stones.ie/business-hub), aone stop shop forresources and support;Set up a 'Business hub'WhatsApp group for thebusiness community tofacilitate interaction andsupport for each other;All businesses in the dis-trict (Greystones,Kilcoole, Delgany andNewcastle) to be includ-ed on the greystones.iebusiness and servicesdirectory if not already

listed; A public aware-ness campaign through-out the community willbe launched throughoutthe district with publicsignage, social media,and local media; Workingin partnership with theGreystones MunicipalDistrict who are offeringfree safety signage, freetemporary outdoor dininglicenses & ongoing'Think Local Buy Local'marketing support. If youwould like your businesslisted or would like tojoin the GreystonesDistrict Business Hub'WhatsApp Group',please see greystones.ie.

Gráinne McLoughlin,Chairperson ofGreystones 2020 said,"The Covid-19 pandemichas disrupted daily busi-ness activity for us all,but we know that smallbusinesses may find itparticularly difficult tounderstand how to adaptand remain resilient insuch a rapidly changingsituation. We inGreystones 2020 are

committed to supportingthem in any way we can.Together we are stronger- Ní neart go cur lechéile."

Minister Simon Harriscommended the work ofGreystones 2020 commit-tee to maximise all thenew public and privateinvestment in the town.Minister Harris said: "Iam delighted to be able tosupport the incrediblework of the Greystones2020 committee. This afantastic initiative thatbuilds on the strengths ofour local town by devel-oping plans for combin-ing public and privateinvestment in the town.The Greystones 2020team have a number offantastic initiatives thatwill add to the vibrancyof our community and Ilook forward to workingwith them in the yearsahead. I encourage every-one to keep tagging'greystones and #thinklocal buy local ' andencourage local business-es in Delgany, Kilcoole

and Newcastle to join." Cllr Tom Fortune,

Cathaoirleach ofGreystones MunicipalDistrict, welcomed thecollaborative approach ofthis community-basedinitiative to help addressthe challenges facingbusinesses as theyemerge from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Greystones DistrictManager, MichaelNicholson, encouragedeveryone to support localbusinesses and to adhereto social distancing andhygiene protocols.

The Council has intro-duced a fast track licenceapplication procedure forthe above usage of publicspace only. All fees willbe waived for a period ofthree months, applicationforms can be downloadedfrom Wicklow.ie and sub-mitted online with a sitelocation map attached toplandev@wicklowcoco.ie.Changes to parking andpedestrian facilities arealso being introduced tosupport local business.

Minister Simon Harris with Cathaoirleach of Greystones Municipal District, Cllr Derek Mitchelllaunching the ‘Think Local, Buy Local’ campaign. Pic: Alan Rowlette

Hotel bookings highlight challenges facing tourismThe latest industry survey conducted by the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) shows nationaloccupancy levels of 23% and 26% for the peak summer months of July and August respectively, based on confirmed bookings, compared to an average of 90% for the sameperiod last year.

Last week, Minister SimonHarris met with Wicklow mem-bers of the Ir ish HotelsFederation. "Tourism is a majoremployer in County Wicklowand the chal lenges posed byCovid 19 have been overwhelm-ing for the industry," MinisterHarris said after the meeting. "Iknow Wicklow Hoteliers haveundertaken considerable plan-ning to reopen their businessesand they deserve our support. Idiscussed with the WicklowHotel iers their proposals inregards of supports for bothbusiness and employment.

"The government wil l bebringing forward extensive mea-sures in the July stimulus to beannounced before the end of themonth. The views of our localhoteliers will inform some ofthese sector-specific supportsand I will be bringing their con-cerns to the cabinet and the newMinister for Tourism and theycan count on my full support."

Occupancy for September,traditionally a popular time forUS visitors, currently stands at22%. IHF Wicklow branch chair,Gerard O'Brien said that the fig-ures show there is plenty ofavailability in hotels and guest-houses in every county includ-ing Wicklow. However, sheadded that the substantial dropin occupancy levels highlightedthe unprecedented challengesfacing the sector and therequirement for immediate inter-vent ions to support tourismbusinesses in Wicklow andacross the country.

"When we look across thewater to the UK, we see thedecisive action taken this weekby the UK Government in theirPlan for Jobs. The slashing oftheir VAT rate from 20% to 5%is a clear sign of their commit-ment to support the recovery oftheir tourism and hospitali tyindustry. Given how closely oureconomies are inter twined asimilar cut here is necessary.The UK is not only Ireland'sbiggest market for overseastourists, it is also our biggest

competitor," said Mr O'Brien.Mr O'Brien also called for

urgent clarity on the guidelinesfor gatherings in light of thedecis ion this week by theNorthern Ireland Executive toallow the capacity for indoorgatherings including weddingsto be determined by the size ofthe venue from 10th July."Currently capacity here is lim-ited to 100 people regardless ofthe size of the venue. We arecalling on the Government toallow hotels that can safely hostlarger weddings to do so basedon the s ize and scale of thevenues, rather than imposing ageneral limit on how many peo-ple can gather at any venue,regardless of safe capacity," headded.

Almost 90% of hotels inWicklow and across the countryare expected to be open again bythe middle of the month. MrO'Brien said that hotel andguesthouse owners have beenheartened by the strong supportfrom people who are donningthe green jersey and taking astaycation this year. However,she said that this continues to bea critical time for the tourismindustry, and the almost 270,000l ivel ihoods i t supports . I t isimportant to note that 70% ofthese jobs are outside of Dublin,highl ight ing i ts vi tal role inspreading employment opportu-nities and prosperity across theentire country.

Here in Wicklow tourism sup-ported 13,900 jobs and generat-ed € 135m in local revenuesbefore this crisis.

"Time and again, tourism hasproven itself as a hugely suc-cessful engine for economicgrowth, particularly in regionalIreland. In the aftermath of thelast recession, tourism created90,000 new jobs. Last year aloneit generated over €9 billion inrevenue. We are committed toworking closely with theGovernment and with MinisterCatherine Martin to safeguardtourism, Ireland's largest indige-nous employer, so that it can

play a key role again and be asignificant lever in the country'seconomic recovery. However,this requires specific sectoralsupports now in relation to liq-uidity and competitiveness."

Five Urgent MeasuresImmediately Required -Wicklow hoteliers are calling onthe Government to implementthe following measures as a mat-ter of urgency:

Continuat ion of the WageSubsidy Scheme and inclusionof seasonal employees. Thescheme should be extended toinclude seasonal employees aswell as take account of employ-ees previously on reduced hoursdue to seasonality. The schemeshould be continued until theimpact of Covid-19 restrictionshas fully abated.

Gatherings - the size of gath-erings should be linked to venuecapacity as opposed to an arbi-trary cap on numbers. Greaterclarity is now urgently requiredfor gatherings beyond July.

A reduction in tourism VAT to5% until December 2021 fol-lowed by a permanent restora-tion to 9% to assist recovery andsecure a viable and sustainablefuture for tourism. Internationalcompetit iveness is an urgentissue with Irish hotel VAT nowhigher than 28 European coun-tries with which we compete.

Liquidity measures tailored tothe specific challenges facingtourism to help businesses sur-vive and restart: i) significantlyincrease grants to assist tourismbusinesses reopen and survive;ii) 0% interest on Governmentguaranteed f inance; i i i ) aGovernment supported schemefor deferral of capital and inter-est payments for a period of oneyear.Local Authority rates andcharges - the three-month waiverperiod should be extended fortourism businesses to coincidewith business interruption due to Covid-19 and for a minimumof 12 months. After that , payment of local authority ratesshould be based on reduced lev-els of activity due to the crisis.

Accounting technicianapprentice scheme to

create 20 Wicklow jobsWicklow students have been encouraged toconsider a national accounting technicianapprenticeship programme available at BrayInstitute of Further Education which will create 20 jobs in Wicklow this year and 150positions nationally.

The accounting technician apprenticeship is afunded, work-based learning programme which seesapprentices earn at least €19,700 a year. LeavingCertificate students and mature learners can apply forthe programme through Accounting TechniciansIreland.

One of Ireland's top accounting professionals hasgiven his backing to the accounting technicianapprenticeship which allows participants work, earnand learn, saying it offers businesses a chance toreduce the risk of 'group think'.

Grant Thornton Managing Partner MichaelMcAteer's own accountancy career began withevening classes organised by Accounting TechniciansIreland.

The accounting technician apprenticeship providesa real alternative for Leaving Certificate studentswho prefer practical training to a full-time collegeprogramme, or for students who may have embarkedon a college course and found it didn't suit them.

It is also an attractive option for existing employ-ees and mature learners who would like to pursue acareer in accounting.

The programme sees accounting technicianapprentices work in the office four days a week andstudy in a local college on the other day during thetwo-year apprenticeship, which begins in September.

Successful graduates may then progress on to fullaccountancy with Chartered Accountants Ireland orone of the other professional accountancy bodies.

"The most important thing to avoid in any businessis 'group think'. If all your graduates come throughcollege degree courses, you may find a certain mindset there,'' said Michael.

"Our students, when they complete the apprentice-ship, gain a much in-demand accountancy QQI Level6 award and two years of solid work experience,placing them in a strong position to progress in busi-ness or to further study.”

ATI's Michael McAteer.

FEATURE 11TimesWICKLOW

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Tuesday 14th July 2020

Promoting Positive Mental Health & Well-Being

For Our Communities

Visit Our New Website Where You Will Find A Wealth Of Information

www.wicklowmentalhealth.org Private PaediatricOccupational Therapist

• Advanced Practitioner in Sensory Integration

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Contact Pauline on087 1344126 or pbmoran@me.com

New State of the ArtSensory IntegratedClinic now open atA11 NetworkEnterprise Park,Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow.

There are nearly 20,000 people in Co.Wicklow living with a disability and there areover 5,000 carers. There are approximately4,000 people in Wicklow with a disabilityrelated to mental health, nearly 2,000 with anintellectual disability, abour 1,500 with blind-ness or severe vision impairment, 3,000 withdeafness or severe hearing impairment, and5,000 with a learning difficulty.

About a quarter of people with a disability in Co.Wicklow are in employment. This is compared to about54% of the general population. About a fifth of peoplewith a disability living in Co. Wicklow, meanwhile, haveno access to a car or van. This is compared to just eightpercent of the general population.

There are over 7,000 people in Wicklow who have dif-ficulty with basic physical activities.

All of this means the topic of disability is becomingcloser to our hearts for many of us, as we are increasinglylikely to have a friend or family member who has a dis-ability. However, thanks to the many support services inplace, living with a disability doesn’t have to mean beingheld back in life. In Co. Wicklow, there are many ser-vices and organisations to provide support, care, educa-tion and employment, to improve the everyday lives ofthose with a disability who live, work and socialise in Co.Wicklow.

Purple HouseCancer Support

Founded in 1990, Purple House Cancer Support (formerly known as Bray CancerSupport Centre), is Ireland’s first community-based Cancer Support Centre.

They provide professional Cancer Support & Psycho-Oncology services to people affected by Cancer,supporting families affected by Cancer Nationwide in Ireland. All of their services are provided free ofcharge. They accept donations where possible to cover the costs of their services. They cater for patients,survivors, carers, families, friends and healthcare workers, and provide services to people of all ages, chil-dren and adults. They provide practical help, emotional support, counselling, psychotherapy bereavementcounselling, support groups, classes, workshops for children and complimentary therapies. They helpover 1,500 families each year in Ireland.

Purple House Cancer Support Centre recently moved premises and is now located at at 2 Duncairn Tce,Quinsborough Road, Bray.

“We rely on fundraising & donations to fund our services on a daily basis and we thank all of our sup-porters for helping us to help so many people in Ireland. We work in partnership with the HSE, the medi-cal profession, the Irish Cancer Society and other relevant agencies. We are independently governed andoperated. We are not funded by any national cancer organisations.

“Like many not for profit organisations, Purple House would not be able to survive without the com-mitment and dedication of our team of staff, volunteers and supporters. We are also heavily indebted tothe local communities in Ireland for their continued support.

“The cancer journey can be a difficult and painful experience, but it also can be an enlightening, learn-ing process. If you need help along your journey, please call in and talk to us - we are here to supportyou.”

Purple House has disabled access. Their trained Cancer Support Staff and volunteers are on hand tooffer a sympathetic listening ear in total confidentiality.

Purple House support people affected by Cancer Nationwide throughout Ireland through theirTelephone Counselling & Psychotherapy Service, Telephone Support Service, Support Groups andClasses through Zoom.

A confidential telephone support service is available Monday to Friday, with a 24-hour answermachine referral service for out of hours service.

Counselling is provided by qualified psychotherapists and professional counsellors. There are personal development classes in areas such as relaxation, art therapy, mindfulness, yoga, Moving Beyond Cancer& more. Call (01) 2866966 for more information or see www.purplehouse.ie.

Wicklow Mental Health Association promote pos-itive mental health through their website with infor-mation on how to live positively and providing up todate advice on the many support services available.

These include minding your mental health duringCOVID-19; local and national support groups pro-viding information on specific mental health condi-tions such as schizophrenia or eating disorders;issues that may impact upon your mental health suchas addiction, bereavement, financial problems, orsexuality.

There are several help lines relating to issues or attimes of crisis situations such as If you or someoneyou know is at risk of suicide or self-harm.

There are details on how to access HSE services,a list of accredited counsellors and psychotherapistsfrom the Irish-Counselling Service and accreditedcounsellors and psychotherapists registered with theIrish Association Of Humanistic & IntegrativePsychotherapy. Please visit www.wicklowmental-health.org for more information

Wicklow Mental HealthAssociation’s Website -

A Valuable Resource

Pauline MoranPauline Moran is a Paediatric Ocupational

Therapist, she has recently moved her successfulprivate practice from Dublin to a state-of-the-artclinic in Kilcoole. She qualified in 1994 from theLondon School of Occupational Therapy, BrunelUniversity. She began working with children in1996. Therefore, she has over 23 years experienceworking with children with a variety of differentconditions. Her area of special interest is SensoryIntegration (SI). She is an advanced Practitioner inSI with the University of Ulster and SensoryIntegration Network UK/Ireland. She is SIPTCertified and is an advanved practitioner inTherapeutic Listening. Pauline loves to see herclients progress and reach their full potential. Sheeducates, liaises, and works closely with parents,teachers, schools and other professionals. Sheworks holistically with the children, referring thechildren to other professionals when required. Sheis following all the HSE guidelines to keep everybody safe.

Wicklow Town DyslexiaThe Dyslexia Association of Ireland (DAI) runs

special out-of-school classes, called Workshops, forstudents with dyslexia. Dyslexia is a specific learn-ing difficulty which affects the acquisition of fluentand accurate reading and spelling skills; approx.10% of the population is affected. Dyslexia canmake learning to read, write and spell difficult...but not impossible! Workshops provide appropriatespecialist tuition in a small group (5-6) setting.Each session lasts two hours. During the sessionchildren will work on different skills to help read-ing and spelling- for example phonological aware-ness, word attack skills, and recognising sightwords. There are also activities such as drama andboard games. The emphasis is on building the con-fidence and self-esteem of the child with dyslexia.The Wicklow Town workshop runs on a Tuesdayfrom 4.30-6.30 p.m. in Coláiste Chill Mhantáin,and caters for children from 1st-6th class. There aretwo terms in the year and the cost of tuition is€360 per 12 week term. Reduced rates are avail-able for families on social welfare/low income. Alldecisions around reopening and managing theworkshop will be led by HSE public health adviceand guidelines. If you would like more informationplease contact Jennie at wicklowtown@dyslexia.ie

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A multi-agency meeting was held in Glenmalure to discuss ways to tackle the increasing problem of littering by campers. Attending were representatives from Wicklow County Council,the PURE Project, and local residents from Glenmalure Valley. Pictured is Wicklow CountyCouncil Environmental Officer Tommy Nolan handing out a refuse bag to a camper.

New Bible Chapel atGlendalough officially opened

The new Bible Chapel in Glendalough

However, in place of the main sawmill building,God's Cottage has now built a Bible Chapel as aplace of prayer and pilgrimage for all Bible believ-ing Christians right at the heart of Glendalough.

The Bible Chapel at God's Cottage is the onlyone of its type

in the whole world. The Catholic Church teachesthat Jesus is as truly

present in the Bible as in the Sacred Host. Yet,while there are many

Blessed Sacrament Chapels, this is the first BibleChapel within the ambit of the Catholic Church,though this Bible Chapel is ecumenical rather thansolely Catholic.

The official opening had been scheduled forSunday 5th April, but had to be postponed due toCovid-19. It was eventually held on Monday 29thof June. Again, due to Covid-19, the actual ceremo-ny took place at the Mass rock in the adjoiningfield, with Mass celebrated by Fr. Thady Doyle.

There are perhaps up to 100 chapels or churchesworldwide within the wider Protestant communitythat are called Bible churches, but it usually justimplies that the people who worship there are Biblebelieving Christians, and not that the Church itselfis dedicated to the promotion of the Bible in thesame way that a Blessed Sacrament Chapel is dedi-

Fourteen years ago, God's Cottage,Glendalough, suffered the loss of thesawmill yard buildings in an arson attackwhich completely destroyed them. It was amajor loss.

cated to the promotion of adoration of the BlessedSacrament.

In this Bible Chapel, the Bible on the altar facestowards the people, inviting a person to read, andthe seven "I am" statements of Jesus are framed andon the walls in a way similar to which one normallyfinds the Stations of the Cross on the walls ofCatholic Churches.

Communities, familiesand local groups inwicklow invited toexplore heritage

Local groups and communities in County Wicklow are being invited to develop projects forNational Heritage Week.

The Heritage Councilhas recently announcedplans for a modifiedNational Heritage Week,taking into account ongo-ing restrictions on eventsand gatherings due toCOVID-19.

Rather than focusingon the organisation of in-person public events,local heritage groups andorganisers, families andcommunities are beinginvited to develop pro-jects around this year'stheme of 'Heritage andEducation: Learning fromour Heritage' and to regis-ter these on www.her-itageweek.ie

The new approach isdesigned to promote thesharing of experience andknowledge and offers theopportunity for groups in

Wicklow to showcasetheir local research andhands-on heritage pro-jects.

Many groups inWicklow have experienceof carrying out projectssuch as developing newwalking trails, creating alocal wildlife habitat,planting for pollinators,researching their local his-tory, or restoring andreusing old buildings andthey may wish to useHeritage Week to high-light that story and show-case their efforts on aNational stage.

Accepted formats forshowcasing may varyfrom online talks or exhi-bitions, to a video, pod-cast, slideshow presenta-tion or blog, to mediacoverage, a dedicated

website or moderatedsocial media account, orby means of small,restricted social gather-ings, which comply withofficial public healthadvice.

All those interested inparticipating are encour-aged to register their pro-ject now on www.her-itageweek.ie. Registeredprojects will be show-cased during NationalHeritage Week from 15thto 23rd August and willbe considered for aHeritage Week Award.

Deirdre Burns,Heritage Officer withWicklow County Council,stated: "In Wicklow weare very fortunate toalready have a communityheritage website which isfreely available to all to

store and share HeritageWeek projects .

"If groups are interest-ed in using our website topublish their projectonline, they can visitwww.wicklowheritage.org, where they will have theoption of contributing tothe County WicklowHeritage site or alterna-tively, depending on theirlocation, they may wish tocontribute to one of theother mini sites: Glens ofLead, Donard- Glen ofImaal, Delgany,Glendalough andMedieval Bray."

Any groups or individ-uals seeking advice orguidance in developing aproject for Heritage Weekare invited to contactDeirdre directly atdburns@wicklowcoco.ie

Funding sought forDelgany Village

Accessibility SchemeMinister Simon Harris TD has written to the new Minister for Transport seeking funding forthe Delgany Village Accessibility Scheme.

Minister Harris said: "Thenew programme for governmentcommits to extensive develop-ment of cycling and walkingfacilities.

"To date the NationalTransport Authority (NTA) hasonly funded the design of theDelgany Village AccessibilityScheme. The new programmefor government commits to asubstantial increase in fundingfor cycling in the transport bud-get. I am looking forward to theimplementation of this in CountyWicklow.

"The County Council hasfunding for the design of theDelgany Village accessibilityscheme and addit ional fundsfrom the Department ofTransport wil l be needed toensure the scheme is developedas rapidly as possible".

Minister Simon Harris hassought an update from WicklowCounty Council as to the likelytimetable for an initial design of the Delgany Vil lageAccessibility Scheme and whenthis will go out to public consul-tation.

Minister Harris said: "TheDelgany Community Councilwas awarded funding from the2019 Town and Village Renewalscheme fund for a Public Realm

Design plan for Delgany."The Delgany Community

Council have conducted a wideranging consultation with thecommunity and local businessesto develop this plan called 'AVision for Delgany'. Progress onthe Delgany Vil lageAccessibi l i ty Scheme is animportant part of this.

"I encourage as many resi-dents as possible to share 'AVision for Delgany' with theirneighbours and friends online.The Community Council is anx-ious that they has as wide aninput from Delgany residents toensure they can capture every-one's personal suggestions abouthow the area can be improved.

"I would like to pay tribute tothe hard work and dedication ofall the volunteers in DelganyCommunity Council and theycan be assured of my whole-hearted support in this excitingproject."

Greystones Councillors passedthe Delgany Accessibi l i tyScheme at a special meeting inearly 2019. Increased trafficflow in Delgany in recent yearshas made the village less safe forpedestrians.

The councillors by resolutionagreed to the proposed schemesubject to incorporating a vehic-

ular entrance to Ivy Cottage,subject to road engineeringreview and proper planning.

The scheme aims to improvepedestr ian accessibi l i ty andsafety in Delgany at BellevueHill junction and traveling eastto Killincarrig Roundabout. Itfollows on from a Road UserAudit commissioned by TheCouncil in 2012 which identi-fied a number of road safety andaccessibility issues in the vil-lage.

According to the report pre-pared by consultants AECOMIreland Limited, the improve-ments include footpath build-outs and reduced corner radii atthe mouth of the junction to nar-row the carriageway and reducecrossing distances for pedestri-ans; a raised table across thejunct ion to reduce vehiclespeeds and serve as an entrytreatment to the village; provi-sion of a disabled person's park-ing bay on the east side of thejunction; provisions of trees andbicycle stands on the new foot-path area on the east side of thejunction.

The scheme includes roadwidening to provide appropriatepedestr ian faci l i t ies f romConvent Road around the bendto Priory Gate.

The old ruins of God’s Cottage

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At present Fayebella, based in Arklow,is trading solely online. We offer a click

& collect service for people living locally.Fitting can be made by appointment.

www.fayebella.com

Follow us on Facebook or instagram

and check out

Arklow is bouncing back Wicklow County Council, Arklow Town Team and Arklow Chamber of Commerce arefully committed to supporting the local business community in getting back up and run-ning. They ask that you consider local businesses first and support us in reopening theArklow District.

A wide range of potential solutions are being considered to help support the Arklow District busi-nesses as COVID-19 restrictions begin to ease.

Arklow Chamber of Commerce has already launched a successful community-based initiative, rais-ing positive awareness of the many business sectors in Arklow and the surrounding areas.

The “Back Soon #Love Arklow” video is a compilation of local businesses exhibiting enterpriseand community spirit at its very best.

All businesses in the district will receive a pack highlighting the supports available to them throughthe various Government initiatives. They will also be invited to submit suggestions on any new mea-sures that could be implemented in the short-term to assist in reopening our towns and thereby ourshops and businesses.

In this context, to assist local businesses in expediting the required consent for use of public spacesfor seating and tables to maintain social distancing requirements, Wicklow County Council has intro-duced a fast-track licence application procedure. All fees will be waived as a temporary measure forthe summer months.

Applications for licences under Section 254 of the Planning Acts can be submitted online. Pleasecontact plandev@wicklowcoco.ie to apply. Please note that liquor licensing laws and local bye lawsprohibit the consumption of alcohol on-street and it cannot be served to patrons of licensed premisesfor consumption outside.

Wicklow County Council can also provide standard temporary ground markings in order to helpbusinesses implement queuing measures to encourage social distancing. Please contactarklowmd@wicklowcoco.ie if you wish to avail of same.

All over Co. Wicklow the shoots of recovery are starting to becomevisible as the county’s economy gets back into gear following monthsof lockdown. Now more than ever your local businesses and servicesin the towns and villages around Co. Wicklow, need your help to aidtheir recovery. Many businesses have had to alter their services tocope with the current situation.

Many of us will havelong shopping lists aftermonths of minimal pur-chasing, but before yourush off to the big citythink of your local areafirst. Places likeNewtown and Kilcoolehave much to offer andthey are well worthspending some time andmoney in. Some busi-nesses have moved onlineand are offering deliveryor collection, while othershave kept their store openbut might have changedtheir opening hours ormade other changes.

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A multi-agency meeting was held in Glenmalure to discuss ways to tackle the increasing problem of littering in the area by campers. Attending were representatives from WicklowCounty Council, the PURE Project, and local residents from Glenmalure Valley

New mentalhealth tenancysupport service

for WicklowHAIL (Housing Association for Integrated Living) has announced a new mental health tenancy sustainment service for the Wicklow Area (CHO Area 6) funded by and in partner-ship with the HSE and Wicklow County Council.

The new VisitingSupport Service will sup-port people with mentalhealth difficulties who areliving in Local Authorityor private rented accom-modation and receivingsocial housing support,who are at risk of losingtheir tenancies and enter-ing homelessness.

"People who have anexisting mental health dif-ficulty such asschizophrenia, bipolar ordepression may need attimes some extra supportto manage their home andcan really benefit fromthis service," explainsSandra Fox, Head ofServices with HAIL. "Wewill work with clients andtheir community mentalhealth teams on their

personal recovery goalsand encourage them tobetter manage their home,to be good neighbours andto live independently.

"Support offered couldinvolve helping people tomaintain family connec-tions, socialise or sourcefurther education oremployment. Or it couldbe help with budgeting,paying their rent and utili-ty bills or managing con-flict as a result of stigma.Each case is different.”

HAIL is an ApprovedHousing Body whosemission is to providequality housing and indi-vidually tailored servicesto support tenants andclients, primarily thosewith mental health diffi-culties, to integrate and

live independent lives inthe community. The hous-ing body already operatesthe visiting service in thegreater Dublin area."Visiting support is typi-cally offered for around 6months," says Sandra."Clients are visited intheir own homes and support is provided on aone-to-one basis."

Commending the col-laborative init iative,Frank Curran, ChiefExecutive, WicklowCounty Council com-mented that "WicklowCounty Council has con-tinued to develop rela-tionships with the spe-cialist Approved HousingBodies operating in theregion and this collabora-tion has been critical in

dealing with the manyand complex issues thatcan arise from tenantssuffering from mentalhealth. The HousingSection had the foresightto set up a Mental Healthforum in 2018 with rep-resentatives from theHSE, Wicklow CountyCouncil and HAIL,which has led to theappointment of aTenancy Support Officerby HAIL, jointly fundedby Wicklow CountyCouncil and the HSE, forthe County."

The service is nowoperating in Wicklowbetween 9am and 5pmMonday to Friday. Call01 671 8444 or visitwww.hail . ie for moreinformation.

Cycling set for boom as60% of workers consider

changing commuting habits Cycling looks set to boom in Wicklow as commuting habits change in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

New nationally representativeresearch has found that nearly 60%of Leinster workers are open torethinking how they travel towork, with a combination ofimproved road infrastructure andconcerns over using public trans-port expected to result in moreIrish people than ever turning to abike for their commute to work.

This nationally representativeresearch, commissioned byOne4all and undertaken by CoyneResearch, was conducted to gaugepublic sentiment towards commut-ing following the COVID-19 pan-demic, with the results confirmingthat changes in commuting habitsare being considered by a largeportion of the Irish population as aresult of the virus.

Following an increase in thepopularity of cycling as a leisureactivity during the recent lock-down, many workers are lookingtowards bicycles to help them getfit, go green and save money, with55% willing to trial cycling towork over the coming weeks andmonths.

As a result of this increased pos-itive sentiment towards cycling,the research found that half of

Leinster workers (51%) wouldsign up to a workplace Cycle toWork scheme if it was offered bytheir employer.

This is a major jump from 2019,when similar research by One4allfound that only 14% claimed toalready avail of the scheme, withonly an additional 13% saying thatthey would consider signing up.

Under the Government's Cycleto Work scheme, bicycles and safe-ty equipment up to the value of1,000 can be bought free of any

Tax, PRSI or USC, a saving of upto 52%. One4all Bikes4work helpsbusinesses take advantage of thisGovernment initiative for tax-freebikes in the easiest way possible.

Despite many workplaces suchas retail shops and constructionsites now open, with many moreworkers expected to return to otherworkplaces and offices over thecoming weeks and months, thevast majority (87%) of people arestill concerned about using publictransport to commute to work.Concerns with using public trans-port are highest amongst Gen Z(18-24 year olds) with 91% ofrespondents saying they would beuncomfortable using busses or

trains due to COVID-19.The research points towards

cycling being a viable alternativefor many workers based inLeinster's cities and towns, withthe majority of Leinster respon-dents (74%) agreeing that bikingto work would be a good way tomaintain social distancing duringtheir commute, with this figure ris-ing to 83% for those working inDublin.

Given the economic cost of thepandemic on the population, thestudy affirmed the cost savings ofcommuting on a bike, with 90% ofworking adults in Leinster agree-ing that doing so would save themmoney and 82% deeming a bike aworthwhile investment.

In acknowledgement of theincreased investment in cyclinginfrastructure across Ireland inrecent years, almost two thirds(65%) agreed that recent upgradesto cycling infrastructure havemade travelling by bike safer. As aconsequence of this, half ofrespondents (51%) feel that theircar could be substituted by a bikein most scenarios. For more infor-mation about Bikes4work pleasesee below or visit: bikes4work.ie/

Imagine never escapingthe lockdown

A Wicklow worker from Irish Wheelchair Association is asking people to get behind theorganisation's #NotMyIndependenceDay petition, which urges the new Government toensure independence for people with disabilities.

Irish Wheelchair Association launched #NotMyIndependenceDay this week, a campaign to urge the newMinister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration to ensure that people with disabilities can live thelife they choose, with independence.

Michelle Kent Byrne, Irish Wheelchair Association worker in Wicklow said: "As Covid-19 restrictionsease, many people are looking forward to getting 'back to normal', visiting friends, getting haircuts, going topubs and gyms. But not everyone will be enjoying their full freedom.

"Lockdown restrictions give just a small flavour of what life is like every day for people with disabilities.Lack of wheelchair accessible transport, lack of home support hours, discrimination in the job market andinaccessible buildings and public amenities, are just some of the challenges that restrict people with disabili-ties from living an independent life.

"Irish Wheelchair Association has launched its #NotMyIndependenceDay campaign to petition RodericO'Gorman, new Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration and the new Government to com-mit to ensuring that policy decisions in housing, health, social welfare, education, environment - acrossevery department - take disability into account in a meaningful way.

"We are also calling on the new Government to ensure that disability organisations are properly fundedfor the vital services they carry out on behalf of the State after years of underfunding by successive govern-ments," said Michelle. People with disabilities have waited too long for their day of independence. We hopethat this new Government will finally listen to us and recognise the rights of people with disabilities fromWicklow and beyond to full participation in Irish society. We want no half measures, no crumbs from thetable. We want real investment in providing people with disabilities the right to live the life they choose,with full inclusion into society."

The organisation is asking people from Wicklow to support the campaign, by signing its#NotMyIndependenceDay petition on iwa.ie/petition.

Fundraising campaign seeksto ready Bray Wanderers for

return to the pitch Bray Wanderers FC is trying to raise €30,000to get the club ready for the recommencementof the 2020 SSE Airtricity season on July 31st.

At the time of going to press approximately €4,000had been raised. The club states that "we now turn togetting the club and team ready for the return to actionon the pitch. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a chal-lenge to us all, including Bray Wanderers FC, and thewelcome return of football to the Carlisle Groundsbrings with it many challenges which we must tackle.

"2020 has been a real test for the club so far in termsof survival alone. Our players and backroom teams haveall made huge sacrifices during this period to ensure theclub's survival for which we are extremely grateful.

"Our underage teams across boys and girls teamshave also not kicked a ball in over 4 months, and theirreturn to football is still to be confirmed by the FAI.

"Our volunteers, supporters and the local commu-nity have also rallied around to ensure that the clubcontinues to function over the past few months and as

ever we are thankful to them all for their continued support.

"Primarily we must ensure that the CarlisleGrounds are safe for the return of football with manynew measures to be introduced to comply withCOVID-19 related health and safety guidelines toensure hygiene standards and allow for suitable socialdistancing as with any workplace.

"This is to ensure the safety of players, manage-ment, officials, volunteers and hopefully for the returnof supporters (dependent on HSE guidelines). Thiswill involve modifications to various facilitiesthroughout the stadium including dressing rooms,medical room as well as cleaning procedures.

"There will place a significant financial burden onthe club and we are asking anyone who can help toassist the club during this challenging time to donatewhat they can. With this support we hope to see sup-porters, both home and away fans, back in the Carlisleas soon as possible and enjoying our wonderfulLeague!"

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Award-winning solicitors Rachael Liston and Clare Flavin have set up their own specialist medical and professional negligence practice in Zoe House in Greystones. The new practice willfocus on securing justice for clients and making the health service more accountable, say thepartners. The two women previously worked together at Orpen Franks in Dublin, where theyheaded up a medical negligence department and were winners of Medical Negligence Law Firm ofthe Year at the Irish Law Awards in 2019.

Low number ofWicklow businessesavailing of Restart

Grants Jennifer Whitmore TD is encouraging local businesses in Wicklow to avail of theGovernment's Restart Grant scheme set up in response to COVID-19. The call comes afterfigures released to her by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation revealedthat when compared to other counties, the take up of the grant in Wicklow was lower thanexpected.

Jennifer Whitmore TD

Speaking on the fig-ures, Deputy Whitmoresaid "I was surprised tosee that only 500 busi-nesses in Wicklow haveapplied and been grant-ed the Restart Grantscheme as of 6 July.This amounts to a totalof €1,931,284. Comparethis to Wexford whichsaw 994 businessesgranted a total of nearly€2m, it paints an inter-esting picture.

"Given the fact thatover half of the jobsavailable in Wicklow areprovided by SMEs andsmall, local businesses,you would expect a larg-er take up of the RestartGrant Scheme. As atourist destination facili-tating seasonal business-es, Wicklow is alsohome to local towns andvillages servicing largepopulation areas. Small

businesses are not onlyimportant serviceproviders, they areimportant local employ-ers. It's vital that theyare supported through-out the State's responseto the pandemic.

"The Minister didindicate to me that a fur-ther € 17,844,688 ofgrant funding has beenapproved as of 6th Julyand will be paid shortly.I would hope that thismeans many more appli-cations from businessesin Wicklow are due tobe granted. In the mean-time, it's important thatinformation on supportsis reaching the SMEsector in its entirety sothat no business fal lsbehind because theywere not aware of thesupports available tothem.

"I've spoken to a lot

of local businessesthroughout Wicklowsince being elected. I'vespoken to some businessowners who have expe-rienced shut down or areclose to closing theirshop doors for good, asa result of the lockdown.Now that we enter thesummer months, weneed to help businessesrebound as much as pos-sible. Many businesses

have found themselvesscrambling to find a newway to continue doingbusiness. They havebeen incredibly creativein finding ways to sur-vive the current level ofuncertainty, but theyneed further assistanceto keep up with thechanging environment.

"I would urge anybusinesses who needassistance, to contacttheir Local EnterpriseOffice (LEO) as well aschecking out the variousgrants available online. Iwill endeavour to raisethe concerns and issuesfacing the SME sectorwith the Minister in mywork in the Dáil andhelp our local employersto continue playing animportant part in ourtowns and vi l lagesacross Wicklow" concluded Whitmore.

The Best in ShowAward-winning dog groomer KellyMurphy's dream was realised last monthwhen she opened up her own groomingshop in her hometown of Bray.

The luxury boutique-style dog groomers, cateringfor all types of dogs, is located on the Vevay Roadand opened on June 8th. For the last few years Kellyhas been working towards this goal.

Since completing a two-year course in BIFE,Kelly has competed in numerous competitions allover the country, placing in each discipline, and hasdone extensive training with some of Ireland's topgroomers.

Kelly calls this a great learning experience, andshe has clearly taken on board the lessons. Applyingwhat she learnt, Kelly eventually was awarded theNovice Groomer of the Year Award by the IrishProfessional Dog Groomers Association.

Kelly took her education to the next level whenshe travelled to the Pets Icon InternationalGrooming Academy in Kuala lumpar last Januaryfor 10 days' training at the well-known and highlyregarded academy. Kelly was one of six groomers

from Ireland to attend the intensive course, and toldWicklow Times that she was able to learn invaluablelessons and techniques to do with textures and showgrooming. "I have done all this so I can give myclients the highest standard of service," says Kelly.

Flanagan Kerins Furniture tobe supported by €1 million

support fundBray-based Flanagan Kerins Furniture is to benefit from Virgin Media's €1 Million supportfund as part of their #BackingBusiness initiative which includes free on-air advertising including creative, production, profiles across its full schedule covering Virgin MediaChannels One, Two and Three.

Flanagan KerinsFurniture immediatelymoved their businessonline once lockdowncame into effect in Marchand began offering con-tactless doorstep deliveryfor online orders. Since therecent reopening of theirphysical store, they arenow offering privateshowings to anyone in vul-nerable groups as well asin store collection.

Peter Flanagan, Co-Owner of Flanagan KerinsFurniture said: "FlanaganKerins are delighted tohave been selected to take

part in Virgin Media'sBacking Business cam-paign. It demonstrates arecognition of the value ofsmall businesses in thecommunity and a creativecommitment to helpingthem to recover and growbeyond these current tur-bulent waters. We hope toattract new customers andreinforce the relationshipsof our current loyal fol-lowers."

Flanagan Kerins willfeature on Virgin Media'sweekly 60" ad break cam-paign and will also be pro-moted across Virgin

Media's official socialmedia channels.

The Virgin Media#BackingBusiness initia-tive is designed to under-pin the renewal and recov-ery of businesses in com-munities throughoutIreland in response to theongoing COVID-19 crisis.It's open now to businessesacross the country andaims to give them anational platform to show-case their resilience andingenuity during thesechallenging times. It willfeature as many Irish busi-nesses as possible, and

entering is really easy.All business owners

have to do is to send in ashort email, outlining whoand where they are, someof their main products orservices and how theyhave coped and reinventedthemselves through thecurrent crisis. The idealway to do this is to take ashort video by mobilephone (including shots ofthe business premises).You can simply email sub-missions to backingbusi-ness@virginmedia.ie orWhatsApp them to 089611 1111.

7,235 jobs at risk inlocal drinks sector

“Even if Wicklow's 151 pubs regain half their normal capacity by the end of 2020, which is anoptimistic scenario, as many as 3,500 jobs could be permanently lost, not to mention countlessmore in supporting trades like catering, security, and entertainment,” according to a reportauthored by DCU Economist Anthony Foley published last week.

The report, commissioned bythe Licensed Vintners Association(LVA), the Vintners Federation ofIreland (VFI) and Ibec representa-tive group Drinks Ireland, as partof the 'Protect our Pubs' campaign,states that on-trade pub alcoholsales will decline by 50% or morefor the second half of 2020 andthis is the most optimistic marketexpectation.

As of last week, over 60% ofpubs remained closed - small busi-nesses in our towns and villages.For the pubs that have, or intendto reopen over the coming weeks,Government guidelines will meana significant change in how theyoperate with reduced capacity andtime-limits on customer visits.

A recent LVA/VFI report out-lined the stark impact on capacityof operating under social distanc-ing guidelines. When applied inany 100m_ area in an on-licensedpremises, standing capacity willdiminish to 12.5%, while seatingcapacity is reduced to 34% of pre-crisis levels - 66% of capacity iswiped out.

The report states that over50,000 people are employed in the

drinks industry in Ireland. It findsthat of the 19,205 businesses inthe hospitali ty sector (pubs,hotels, restaurants), 96.5% ofthese employ less than 50 personsmeaning the sector is dominatedby small businesses - businessesthat are extremely exposed and atrisk of shedding half their employ-ment capacity should supports notbe made available.

The LVA, VFI and DrinksIreland is calling for a temporaryreduction in the hospitality VATrate; and extending it to apply toalcohol sales in the on-trade (pubsand bars), until 31 December 2020as part of the July stimulus pack-age promised by Government. Themeasure is being sought to supportpubs - Wicklow businesses - whowill struggle in the short termuntil they can resume operatingand viably trade at increasing lev-els of capacity in 2021 andbeyond.

According to detailed analysiscontained in the report, the cost ofreducing the likely second half2020 on-licence alcohol sales to9% VAT from 23% VAT is €143million. An amended European

Commission directive makes itpossible to extend and apply alower VAT rate on on-trade alco-hol in Ireland - a fact unknown tomany who believe it may be disal-lowed under EU VAT Directives.

The 'Reduce VAT on On-TradeAlcohol' report was published aspart of the 'Protect our Pubs' cam-paign by LVA, VFI and DrinksIreland which seeks to highlightthe important social and culturalrole that the drinks and hospitalityindustry play in our communitiesand to demonstrate the loss thatwould be felt should some pubsnot reopen due to Covid-19.

An amended European directivegives the new Government powerto apply and extend a lower hospi-tality VAT rate to on-trade alcoholsales (pubs, restaurants, hotelbars), according to Drinks Ireland.The group is calling for a tempo-rary reduction in the hospitalityVAT rate; and extending i t toapply to alcohol sales in the on-trade (pubs, restaurants, hotelbars), until 31 December 2020 aspart of the July stimulus packagecurrently being negotiated byGovernment.

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July at Mermaid...

Malin Head Storm, by Martina Gardiner, Winner of 2019 Love Your Coast competition

Liffey Portraits:From Source to Sea

by Tony GunningBray artist, Tony Gunning, presents 'LiffeyPortraits: From Source to Sea', an exhibitionof paintings that celebrate a river that hasbeen in his blood since birth. The exhibitionwill run in the Signal Arts Centre from 28thSeptember to 11th October.

The Liffey travels through three counties, Wicklow,Kildare and Dublin on its eighty-mile journey to thesea. Tony currently lives in County Wicklow but hasalso lived in Kildare and Dublin in close proximity tothe river and worked in an office overlooking it fortwenty-five years.

The locations portrayed reflect the artists personalconnection with the river but will have resonanceswith anyone who has ever come in contact with it.

Tony has been a professional artist for twenty yearswith fourteen solo shows to his credit. He has alsoexhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, theRoyal Hibernian Academy in Dublin and the RoyalUlster Academy in Belfast amongst others. He won thecurators award at EV+A in 2007 and won the Bank ofIreland Emerging Artist Award in the same year. Hiswork is in many public and private collections includ-ing the Waterford Municipal Collection and the Bankof Ireland Collection.

Grab your camera & get snappingas Clean Coasts' Love Your Coastphotography competition opens!

Clean Coasts' 11th annual Love your Coast photography competition is now open for entries,capture the uniqueness of our coastal communities, environments or waterways and enteryour best shots by 9am, 17th August.

With some of the most spectac-ular coastlines in the world, makesure you bring your camera as youexplore the Irish coast this sum-mer and capture its beauty. Thereis a prize fund of €5,000, up forgrabs across f ive categories,Coastal Heri tage, CoastalLandscape, People & the Coast,Wildlife & the Coast andUnderwater. Every year this com-petition draws a large amount ofinterest from Ireland's amateurphotographers, coastal enthusiastsand the conservation minded.There is a diverse range of cate-gories ensuring there is somethingfor everyone.

The Love Your Coast competi-tion aims to celebrate Ireland'sdiverse waters by capturing itss tunning coast l ine, beaut i fulbeaches, epic cliff faces and rag-ing rivers.

Working with communities onthe ground, Clean Coasts' missionis to help foster pr ide in ourcoast l ine, support ing CleanCoasts communities, groups andvolunteers to tackle issues affect-ing their local area. This competi-tion provides an opportunity toview the coast and our waterwaysthat Clean Coasts programmeworks to protect from a complete-ly different perspective and see

the beauty captured therein. Last year, Clean Coasts cele-

brated the 10th year of the compe-tition and received over 1,000entries where the 50 best shotswere shortlisted for the final exhi-bi t ion that was held on 23rdOctober 2019, in Printworks,Morrison Hotel, Dublin. MartinaGardiner, with her 'Malin HeadStorm', was the overall winner for2019 with Pat Carey and hisimage 'The Bull Wall', ClontarfCo., Dublin taking home the titleof Photograph of the Decade.

Visit Clean Coasts to find outmore about the competition andhow to enter.

Into the Matrix:an exhibition

by LiminalSignal Arts Centre is to open a unique exhibition by Liminal, a Wicklow-based group ofartists; Fabienne Herbert, Nessa McCormack, Anne Walsh and Christine Theobald.

'Into the Matrix', whichthe artists each embracedand interpreted in theirown individual styles andmedia speaks to them col-lectively of pattern,movement, texture, struc-ture, connection, intrigue,and the intuitive.

The body of work inthis exhibition rangesfrom felted art pieces byAnne "that bear witnessto mysterious under-worlds, where the slowbut powerful action ofwater and minerals cre-ates natural art works" toacrylic paintings byNessa "as an interpreta-tion of observed microelements in natureexpressed through vibrant

colour, abstract marksand simplified composi-tions".

Fabienne explains herprintmaking, natural dye-ing and thread work as"an exploration of therelationship between rep-etition, pattern and space,both in natural and man-made worlds, and how itimpacts our behaviour."Christine pushes the tech-nique of wet felting intoabstraction, in which she"seeks to make visible aperception of colour, con-trast and geometric ele-ments observed fromnature."

Liminal's four artistsmet through their sharedlove of fibre arts.

Committed to deepeningtheir art practice, theycame together to findstrength in working col-laboratively and innova-tively. Sharing an under-standing of what it meansto seek a sense of place inwhat has become their

adopted county Liminalrepresents their experi-ences of occupying'spaces in between'.

'Into the Matrix' exhibition runs fromAugust 31st - September13th in Signal ArtsCentre, Bray.

June has skipped by and Julybrings exciting times ahead forMermaidArts Centre.

"After an extraordinary few months we aredelighted to be back in the building. We are busyworking behind the scenes to make Mermaid asafe and welcoming place for you to return toonce we reopen on Monday 20th July."

The Betelnut Cafe re-opened on Monday 29thJune with limited socially distant seating inplace.

Connect Bray Neighbourhood YouthProject with Colm Keegan and young people from Little Bray Project

Mermaid Arts Centre in partnership withWicklow County Council Arts Office and CreativeIreland present: Connect Bray NeighbourhoodYouth Project with Artist Colm Keegan and youngpeople from Little Bray Project.

Artist Colm Keegan (Writer/Playwright/Poet)ran a series of workshops with young people fromLittle Bray Youth Project at the start of 2020.Colm and the young people have written and cre-ated their own spoken word poetry for this specialonline performance. Participants: Emily MurrayNelson, Jade Locke, Clare Kinsella & KievaKeating. With thanks to supporting Youth WorkersYvonne Murray (Youth Project Co- Ordinator)Thomas Murphy and Hazel Adamson Kane.

Anna Newell Theatre Adventures presents: BigKidLittleKid

Anna Newell and her team broughtBigKidLittleKid to Mermaid in October 2019, andperformed to over 100 children and their adults with4 performances over 3 days. Mermaid is nowdelighted to be able to digitally share this wonderfulpiece of children's theatre with audience members.

BigKidLittleKid is a quirky, playful, energeticand engaging look at being on your own and beingwith someone else; and how size can really matter.Are you a big kid or a little kid? Or both? Performedby Nicky Harley and Mary-Lou McCarthy.

Created by Anna Newell with music by DavidGoodall, with whom Anna has created shows forearly years audiences that have been seen on 5 conti-nents and off-Broadway, BigKidLittleKid promisesto delight and enchant its audiences with its uniquetake on the complicated world of sibling rivalry.

2019 full production funded by the ArtsCouncil/An Chomhairle Ealaíon in partnership withThe Civic, Tallaght; the Mermaid, Bray andDraiocht, Blanchardstown. (Initial R&D funding bythe Pavilion, Dun Laoghaire & Mermaid, Bray).

Anna Newell is a Bray-based theatremaker whosework for early years has been seen on 5 continentsincluding off Broadway. She invented the world'sfirst BabyDay, helped start babytheatre in SouthAfrica, was the first theatremaker to create home-grown Irish work for children with complex needsand was a recipient of one of the inaugural TonicTheatre Awards for 'women who are changing theface of theatre and the performing arts'.

Contact the Box Office on: 01 2724030

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17TimesWICKLOW

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Tuesday 14th July 2020TimesWICKLOW

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18 LOCAL BUSINESS / NEWS

Martin Darcy serving up some homemade organic burgers at the recently re-opened GlenmalureLodge.

Reach the MOST people for the LEAST money with Wicklow TimesFor details of our amazing deals please call 01 2869111

Shop local inWicklow Town

A new campaign to encourage people to 'Shop Local - Support Wicklow' has been launched toboost business in the town.

Behind the campaign isa re-opening committeeconsisting of members ofWicklow Town & DistrictChamber of Commerce,Wicklow Town Team andWicklow MunicipalDistrict.

The group will identifyand implement initiativesunder a promotional campaign entitled 'ShopLocal - Support Wicklow',which will help local busi-nesses as they start to re-open throughout theDistrict.

It is essential to thelocal economy that thetown's Main Street andlocal businesses surviveand prosper, and peopleare being asked to contin-ue to give their much-val-ued support as we returnto something approachingnormality.

A list of local business-es is available on theWicklow Town Websitewww.wicklowtown.ie andthe Wicklow Town andDistrict Chamber website

www.wicklowchamber.ie.The Shop Local -

Support Wicklow cam-paign is being funded byWicklow MunicipalDistrict and provides fortemporary public signage,a leaflet drop to 5,000households, Shop Localstickers, temporary groundmarkings, banners and ashort promotional video.

Local businesses arecurrently creating a safeenvironment for both cus-tomers and employees andas we emerge from thiscrisis consumers are beingasked to support Wicklowand to invest in their town,shop local first, shoponline locally and useWicklow Town Vouchersas gifts.

As part of the consulta-tion process WicklowTown and DistrictChamber is asking busi-ness to submit sugges-tions, tips, supports andlinks that will assist kick-start the local economy.Please send suggestions to

info@wicklowchamber.ieWicklow Municipal

District is available to pro-vide temporary groundmarkings to facilitatequeuing outside premisesin order to encouragesocial distancing. Ifrequired please e-mailwicklowmd@wicklowco-co.ie.

In addition, to helplocal businesses expeditethe required consent foruse of public spaces forseating and tables, andsocial distancing mea-sures, the Council hasintroduced a fast-tracklicence application proce-dure. All fees will bewaived for a period of three months,application forms can bedownloaded fromWicklow.ie and submittedonline with a site locationmap attached to plan-dev@wicklowcoco.ie.

Cllr John Snell,Cathaoirleach of WicklowMunicipal District, said hewas delighted to be asso-

ciated with this unitedapproach to support thebusinesses in the Districtand appealed to the com-munity to Shop Local -Support Wicklow.

Dave Shannon,Chairman Wicklow TownTeam, said "It is importantnow more than ever toshop local, support ourbusinesses and continue toenjoy all that Wicklow hasto offer".

Rosie Cooney,President Wicklow Town& District Chamber ofCommerce, added: "I wishto thank you for shoppinglocally during the last 12weeks in particular. Thankyou for supporting ourlocal shops, pharmacies,supermarkets, financial services and all of the service businesses thatremained open during themost restricted period ofthe recent lockdown and Inow appeal to you againfor your continued support in these challeng-ing times".

Now that many local business’ are up and open again, Delgany Community Council isencouraging all residents to try and keep their shopping local.

“If residents could look at just three things they could do in terms of spending locally that could make a bigimpact on Delgany. There’s lots of brilliant reasons to keep your shopping local: Shopping locally meansmore of your money remains in the area because locally-owned business’ usually buy goods and servicesfrom other local business’, employees are usually local too; Locally bought produce tastes better too, aswellas having a smaller footprint; Not forgetting the level of customer service is much better, there’s somethingspecial about shopping in a place where you can have a nice chat and people know your name.“Now that lockdown is lifted let’s not forget the local retailers, when we were starved of human contact thesmall interactions with local retailers became a lifeline for many. Local retailers deserve to be rewarded forthat as things get back to normal and we can make sure they are by keeping our spending local.”

Open for Business is a brand-new studio-based seriesfor RTÉ One and will be broadcast from Tuesday, 21stof July at 7pm. Presented by journalists & broadcastersRichard Curran & Ella McSweeney, the series will bepacked with a mix of fresh, useful information andadvice to guide businesses, employers and employees -as well as consumers - trying to operate in this new nor-mal. It is part of RTÉ's BoostMyBusiness, which willsee content across RTÉ helping Irish businesses bounceback. RTÉ will be supporting and promoting small andmedium enterprises, around the country, as they dealwith the challenges and the opportunities that lie ahead.It will highlight how powerful community support canbe to local life, and to the greater economy.

Businesses have never had to deal with a crisislike Covid-19 before. It has been described by thebusiness community as a mini economic Ice Age,with 85% of businesses closing or scaling back at theheight of lockdown. Right now, representative asso-ciations have expressed concern that up to 9000small and local businesses could close their doorsdue to Covid-19 impacts. For consumers meanwhile,it's a whole new world - all the things we take forgranted from our shopping, travel, social, leisureexperience has been turned upside down. Open forBusiness will share the stories of businesses at thecoalface - their difficulties, frustrations, innovationand adaptability, through case studies & interviewsfrom around the country, studio guests and interna-tional segments.

Each week, it will provide clear, up-to-date and trusted information on the range of Government andother supports available - and the truth about howeasy or difficult these are to access. Speaking at theannouncement of the show, presenter Richard Curransaid: "Businesses up and down the country have beenshaken to their core by this pandemic. It is vital thatwe all learn about what is happening in the world ofbusiness, whether it is the company you work for, orfirms whose goods and services you rely upon. Withthis show, we will bring stories of how businesses areresponding; analysis of what is going on and pointersto what lies ahead."

New RTÉ series ‘Open for Business’As Ireland re-opens for business RTÉ hasannounced a new six-part business series tohelp Irish businesses and consumers on theirjourney as they try to navigate their way inthis new and constantly shifting Covid-19world.

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Delgany Community Councilencourage shopping local

CLASSIFIEDS / NEWS 19TimesWICKLOW

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Steffen Petersen and Eugene O’Brien of Aughrim GAA club at training in the local communityfield as the club prepares to return to competitive football.

PLANNING • PLANNING • PLANNING

C LASSIFIED ADS & PLANNING / APPOINTMENTSCALL: 01 2869111 EMAIL: jennie@localtimes.iePLEASE NOTE DEADLINE FOR CLASSIFIED ADS AND APPOINTMENTS IS 12 NOON FRIDAY

Alphaplan Design (Tel: 0862461269, Email: eugene@alphaplandesign.com)Seeks planning permissionfor a dwelling, waste watertreatment system to EPAstandards, new entranceand associated works atAghowle Upper, Ashford, Co.Wicklow for N. Lumsden.The planning applicationmay be inspected, or purchased at a fee notexceeding the reasonablecost of making a copy, at theoffices of the planningauthority during its publicopening hours and a submission or observation inrelation to the applicationmay be made to the authority in writing on payment of the prescribedfee within the period of 5weeks beginning on the dateof receipt by the authority ofthe application.

WICKLOW COUNTY COUNCILPlanning permission issought for construction ofnew bungalow dwelling onsite at Birch Grove, Kilifin,Laragh, Co Wicklow, EircodeA98C1P3, for Rob and TalitaDagg. The applicationincludes the provision of a gateway, driveway,soakaways, well, anddomestic biofi ltrationsewage treatment unit. Theplanning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding thereasonable cost of making acopy at the offices ofWicklow County Council,County Buildings, Wicklow,during its public openinghours, and a submission orobservation in relation to theapplication may be made tothe authority in writing onpayment of the prescribedfee within the period of 5weeks beginning on the dateof receipt by the authority ofthe application.

WICKLOW COUNTY COUNCILFiona & Caoimhe Minogueseeks permission for demolition of existing 28.5m2

extension to rear of existing67/9m2 house and constructionof new 56.5m2 ground floorextension to rear and 70.2m2

first floor extension over raisedridge height and dormer roofprofi le to rear of existing house at 29 Avondale Park,Bray, Co. Wicklow. The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee notexceeding the reasonable costof making a copy at the officesof Wicklow County Council,County Buildings, Wicklow during its public opening hours and a submission orobservation in relation to theapplication may be made to theauthority in writing on paymentof the prescribed fee within theperiod of 5 weeks beginning onthe date of receipt by theauthority of the application.

WICKLOW COUNTY COUNCIL Gospel:Matthew 19:16-22There was a man who came toJesus and asked, 'Master, whatgood deed must I do to possesseternal life?' Jesus said to him'Why do you ask me about whatis good? There is one alone whois good. But if you wish to enterinto life keep the command-ments. He said 'Which?' 'These'Jesus replied 'you must not kill.You must not commit adultery.You must not bring false witness.Honour your father and motherand you must love your neighbour as yourself'. Theyoung man said to him 'I havekept all these. What more do Ineed to do? Jesus said, 'if youwish to be perfect, go and sellwhat you own and give themoney to the poor and you willhave treasure in heaven, thencome, follow me'. But when theyoung man heard these words,he went away sad, for he was aman of great wealth. C.J.

Mary Lou to join Wicklow Sinn Féinrepresentatives for online public meeting

Sinn Féin President and leader of the opposition Mary Lou McDonald will join WicklowSinn Féin public representatives John Brady TD and Councillors Dermot O’Brien andGrace McManus for an online public meeting on Thursday 16th July at 7pm.

Speaking ahead of the online public meeting Wicklow Sinn Féin TD John Brady said “The ongoing publichealth emergency has meant that public gatherings continue to be restricted, so we’ve had to be innovative inhow we engage with the public. I’m delighted that Mary Lou will join us for our online meeting that will bestreamed live on my Facebook page. The meeting will be an opportunity to discuss the many issues thatarose in the recent election and the formation of the new government. It will be a live Q&A so it’s a greatopportunity for people to have their questions answered by the Sinn Féin leadership, it also gives us anopportunity to discuss what’s next for Wicklow.”

Cllr Grace Mc Manus said “This public meeting is a great opportunity to hear the perspectives of one ofthe most fierce, warm and formidable women in politics, and it will be a privilege to represent our constituents’ views to Mary Lou on the night.”

Cllr Dermot O’Brien concluded “It’s fantastic to see the leader of our party and indeed the leader of theopposition making time for the people Co. Wicklow and in particular to talk about the key issues for themright now and as they think about the future.”

Powerscourt Hotel Resort & Spa named on prestigious 'top 10' list

Powerscourt Hotel Resort & Spa has beennamed on the prestigious 'top 10' list of resorthotels in the UK and Ireland, in the annualreader survey of the hugely popular US travelmagazine, Travel + Leisure.

In all, an incredible eight luxury Irish hotels made itonto the 'top 10' list - with Ashford Castle, BallyfinDemesne, Sheen Falls Lodge, the K Club,Ballynahinch Castle Hotel, Dromoland Castle andAdare Manor also featuring.

Every year, Travel + Leisure asks its almost 5 mil-lion readers to weigh in on their favourite hotels, cities,

travel providers and more, in its annual World's BestAwards. The magazine has unveiled the results of its2020 survey, including its list of the top resort hotels inthe UK and Ireland. To view the results, click here.

Welcoming the news, Niall Gibbons, CEO ofTourism Ireland, said: "I am delighted to see eight ofour fantastic resort hotels appear in the prestigiousTravel + Leisure readers' survey. I would like to con-gratulate all eight properties - it is truly another well-deserved accolade. Our industry has been one of thehardest hit by COVID-19, so this accolade is extremelywelcome, as we look to the future and plan for therecovery of overseas tourism."

Audi's ElectricE-Tron Suv

shows the wayThe Audi E-Tron was first unveiled to The Wicklow Times at the Dun Laoghaire College ofArt & Design, in the Autumn of last year. Little did we know then what was coming down thetracks and that it would be months before we could get the E-Tron out on Wicklow roads.

By Martin McCarthy

The launch venue waschosen because the vehi-cle is a major design exer-cise for Audi - an adapta-tion of the Q5 but with atotally different drivetrainwith separate electricmotors driving the frontand back wheels.

The DLIAD is nowestablished as a top-notchdesign school and the E-Tron is in the same vein,with a particularly stylish,innovative and strikinginterior. Big screens

make navigation throughMenu simple and straight-forward while a normalpush button radio controlknob bows to commonsense.

My test route was fromAudi South Dublin inSandyford, down the N11as far as Newcastle.Parking up, there is then adelightful 10km walkdown to the coast, thencrossing the train tracksand walking south along-side the beach. This

charming route passestwo railway stops datingfor the 1860s. Anothercountry road takes youinland again to completethe loop back toNewcastle.

The E- Tron 55 ispriced at €99,810 beforegrants and other incen-tives, but comes with avery high performance,95 KwH LG battery packmade in Poland. This hasa range of up to 350 kmand lightening accelera-tion to get to 100kmp in5.7 seconds. There is alower powered E-Tron 50priced at €76,990 whichstill gives a 330Km rangewith 308bhp, using theSamsung battery pack.All E-Trons are four-wheel drive, Quattros.

Living with an electric

car is easy - if you use itmainly for medium rangedrives which allowrecharging at home everynight. As the Etron is anSUV and tall, there is stillplenty of boot space evenwith the larger batterypack of the 55. The bootspace is flat and adapt-able while the foldingback seats makes it veryflexible in a variety ofconfigurations. As thebatteries are stored low,they do not intrude andallow for a tow bar, ifneeded.The E-Tron isselling very well acrossEurope, most notably inNorway, where it is 25%of all EV sales, so far thisyear.Electric motoring isnot for everyone - butAudi's Brussels builtentrant will attract a por-tion of those who havefallen out of love with theinternal combustionengine.

Bexley Kingsize 5’ Bedsteadnow €369 delivered and assembled x stoc

LIZA 2.5,2 AND CHAIR SETWas €2,497 Now €1,995immediate delivery.

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Thanks For Supporting IrishBusiness, Irish Manufacturers

and for Shopping Local.