Summer/Autumn 2024
As we inch towards Winter, we may not have seen much sunshine over the past few months, but that certainly didn’t stop us from achieving our goals.
The summer began on a somber note as we said goodbye to one of our dearest friends, Orlagh O'Connor (née Donegan). Orlagh was a lifelong resident of the Harbour, with the Donegan family having deep roots in the community for generations.
Orlagh held a deep regard for Courtown's natural and built heritage. Her wealth of local knowledge proved invaluable, particularly during the Save Courtown Woods campaign in 2021. Orlagh was paramount in helping us reinstate the Courtown Heritage Group. where she served as Chair untill she passed. Her courage, strength and tenacity will forever leave a lasting legacy in her hometown of Courtown. She will be sorely missed.
TOWN CENTRE FIRST
Also back in May, Courtown/Riverchapel was selected as a Town Centre First Town under the National Town Centre First Initiative. Expressions of interest in serving on the Town Centre First Team were sought at a presentation in the Taravie Hotel on May 13th. We are happy to report that CCC have a representative on the TCF team.
NEW TRUSTEE
At the end of May ‘24, we were delighted to welcome new trustee Lorraine O’Dwyer from Gallivanting.ie onto CCC.
Lorraine has extensive experience in the hospitality industry, having worked in hotels, restaurants, bars and curating tours of various sizes. Lorraine was one of the founding members of Taste Wexford, the region's food tourism initiative. She has also worked for both Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland, promoting Wexford internationally. She also sits on the board of Wexford Walking Trail and is clearly passionate about the environment.
Lorraine runs award-winning foraging and folklore walks in Courtown Woods and offers seasonal tours to local farms and food producers. She is committed to reviving Courtown’s glory days through Green Tourism, aiming to make the area a richer and more fulfilling place to live, work and visit and we’re delighted to have her join us!
TOURISM IRELAND - COURTOWN VISIT
Back in June, Courtown had a visit from some VVVVIPS!
Tourism Ireland, the State Agency charged with marketing Ireland to international visitors made a visit to Courtown!
Lorraine delivering a talk on the Elder tree
Almost 40 attendees!
The Dublin office, who were on a fact finding mission also toured Johnstown Castle and enjoyed a showcase lunch with members of Wexford County Council in the Ferrycarrig Hotel. All part of developing international tourism in the region as the Rosslare Europort grows.
Feedback was great, with number of comments on the beauty of the woodlaand and how marvelous it is to have heritage aspects hidden within, underneath the trees!
Over the next few years, Wexford should see an increase in French and Spanish visitors so it’s nice to know they may well plan a visit to Courtown!
LOCAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE (LCDC)
In July we were very proud to annouce that our Chair - Linda Sinnott was elected and formally approved on Wexford County Council's Local Community and Development Committee (LCDC). As a representative of the community and voluntary group sector, Linda is incredibly committed to supporting local communities across Wexford.
You can get in touch with Linda by emailing linda.sinnott@yahoo.ie
More about LCDCs
Summer Raffle
We held our Saturday Sweep Raffle outside Brooks Riverchapel over 3 weekends this summer. Prizes included 3 Shopping Vouchers valued at €100 each. Many thanks to everyone for your continued support. Thanks also to Brooks Supermarket who kindly donated a luxury hamper. Congratulations to all our lucky winners!
COMMUNITY WOODLAND WALK
Our Community Woodland Walk with Lorraine from Gallivanting.ie had a great turnout and were delighted to welcome Cllr Darragh McDonald along.
Under the tree canopy we heard tales of Courtown Estate during the famine, the ghost of Ginny Kelly, St. Aidan's work converting the local pagans, and failed attempts to blow up Ballinatray Bridge!
The walk was packed with Local Folklore! Lorraine's walk concluded with a wonderful performance by local duo Siofra and Fiachra who performed "Ar Nós na Gaoithe".
For anyone who missed it due to popular demand, we hope to run another walk in the near future! This community event was made possible through Wexford County Council 's Amenity & Arts Grant Scheme.
KATE KOS WORKSHOP
Another succsessful event funded by the Arts and Amenity Grant took place on August 28th.
16 aspiring artists gathered with Kate Kos for a Community Sketching Workshop at Courtown Harbour. Kate is an immensely talented Artist, living here in north Wexford for a number of years. We hope to host this event again next year but if you misssed out, you can always attend one of her classes which she runs from her studio and gallery in Gorey.
BAT WALK IN COURTOWN WOODS
In September, we hosted another well-loved event: A Bat Walk in Courtown Woods!
A huge thank you to Alan and Graeme from the Wexford Bat Group, who guided us on a twilight stroll through the woods. We learned all about our native bats, listened to them using specialist equipment and even watched them dart through the night skies in search of an evening meal. Magic! This event was also funded by the Arts and Amenity Fund.
NEW WEBSITE
In September we were delighted to announce the launch of our brand new amazing website!! Thanks to Lorraine for all her hard work on this. Now you can stay up to date on all the goings on through our newsletters, events page, and theres even register to become a volunteer! So take a look and let us know what you think!
www.courtown.org
ASI MEMORY WALK
CCC was once again delighted to support the Riverchapel Alzheimer's Society during this year's Memory Walk held on Sunday September 22nd. This event continues to grow from strength to strength with over 100 participants taking part this year. Well done everyone. We look forward to seeing you all again next year. The Alzheimer's Society are also offering workshops aimed at helping Courtown Riverchapel become a dementia-friendly community. For more information, contact cathryn.oleary@alzheimer.ie
CIRCULAR ECONOMY ACTION PLAN
Thanks to funding from Community Foundation Ireland we are making significant progress in developing a Circular Economy Action Plan for our Courtown Riverchapel. With the assistance of our designated consultant Roisin Markham from VOICE - Voice of Irish Concern for the Environment and Seal Rescue Ireland. A series of presentations will be held to gather feedback, which will be integrated into a comprehensive plan. This Circular Economy Action Plan, along with our Smart Village Strategy compiled last year, will both contribute to the recently announced Town Centre First initiative for Courtown Riverchapel. If your interested in getting involved, please contact us.
COASTWATCH ALL IRELAND SURVEYS
Our coastwatch autumn survey threw up some very interesting data this year. While we continue to suffer the devastating effects of coastal erosion here in Courtown (1m-2m per year). We’ve also seen first hand, the positive effects the deposit return scheme is having on our coastline. We also had the excitement of discovering a new species of bee right here in Courtown - The Ivy Bee (colletes hederae) 🐝 First recorded in Ireland at the Raven, Co.Wexford in 2021.
ORIS UPDATE
With support from Wexford Walking Trail and the Outdoor Recreational Infrastructure Scheme, our Courtown Kiltennel Trail Enhancement project is making significant progress. Many thanks to Adrian and his crew from http://www.fencingsolutions.ie/ who did a fantastic job installing the knee rail fencing which will safeguard our biodiversity areas well into the future. Soon, new picnic tables and benches will be added. Upcoming enhancments will include brick repairs, native planting and new signage showcasing our stunning Natural Heritage Area Courtown Dunes and Glen, as designated by NPWS. This will be further complimented with the installation of local points of interest signs dotted along the trail. Thank you to the Courtown Heritage Group for helping us identify suitable locations. It’s wonderful to see these enhancements beginning to take shape.
And finally, whats going on here?
Well don't they make a lovely couple!!
🎊 Congratulations to our vice chair Lorna and her new hubby Richard who tied the knot this September in sunnier climes (wise move) while we sat here in Courtown bracing ourselves for Storm Agnes. Best wishes to the happy couple from all of us here at CCC!
So thats it folks. You’re all caught up. As the Winter draws in, keep an eye on our social media pages for upcoming events and we’ll have another newletter for you in the upcoming year!