WICKLOW WE DELIVER!- for 31 years SOUTH EDITION...

The massive surge of support for Sinn Fein acrossthe country was very evident here in CountyWicklow where the wave carried John Brady TDto the top of the poll by a considerable margin. While itwas triumph for Brady, it was heartache for FiannaFail's Pat Casey (FF) who lost his seat on the 11th count.

Brady was elected onthe 1st count, with amassive surplus, andreceived almost twiceas many first prefer-ence votes as SimonHarris (FG).

Brady's incrediblevictory was finallyannounced shortlyafter 8pm on Sunday,sparking scenes of cel-ebration as he was heldaloft surrounded by hisfamily and supporters,as he raised the tri-colour. The 2nd countthen began and the first

day ended at approxi-mately 10:30pm afterBrady's surplus voteswere distributed.

This was Brady'sfourth time running forthe Dáil and his secondtime doing so success-fully. In 2016 he tookthe 2nd seat, with11,151 first prefer-ences, and was electedon the 2nd count. In2011 he narrowlymissed out on the 5thseat, as he was pippedto the post on the 19thcount by Stephen

Donnelly, who ran thatyear as anIndependent.

At the time of goingto press, JenniferWhitmore (SD) andSimon Harris (FG) arepoised to take the 2ndand 3rd seats, withSteven Matthews (GP),Stephen Donnelly(FF), Andrew Doyle(FG), and BillyTimmins (FG) all battling it out for the4th and 5th seats.

The election resultshave shown that

support for Harrisremains very high inhis home constituency,despite a disappointingelection for Fine Gaelnationally, though hisvote was down fromhis last election in2016 when he receivedalmost 11,000 firstpreferences and tookthe 3rd seat on the 2ndcount. This time hereceived 8,765 firstpreferences and is sureto retain his seat. PatCasey (FF) andAndrew Doyle (FG)also fared slightlyworse than they did in2016. While they eachreceived over 6,000first preferences fouryears ago, this timethey did not get morethan 5,000.

None of the sittingWicklow TDs took abigger hit, however,

than Stephen Donnelly(FF), who topped thepoll as a SocialDemocrat in 2016 with14,348 votes. Afterjoining Fianna Fail inthe intervening years,this election saw hisvote down by almosttwo thirds, as he got5,467 first preferences.

For Billy Timmins itcould be anotherpainful narrow defeatafter he lost his seatfour years ago when heran as a Renua candi-date. With a total validpoll of 71,320, Bradygot almost a quarter ofthe vote, with 17,297first preferences castfor him. With thequota set at 11,887,Brady's surplus was5,410. The total elec-torate was 101,332 andthere were 559 spoiled

(continued on p 2)

SCHOOL PROTESTpage 4

CLIMATE STRIKEpage 7

HOME & GARDENpages 9-14

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.

Delive

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essesTimesWICKLOWLOCAL

WE DELIVER!- for 31 years SOUTH EDITION

Tuesday 11th February 2020 5 Eglinton Road, Bray, Co. Wicklow Tel: 01 - 2869111 www.wicklowtimes.net E-mail: [email protected]

John Brady celebrates after topping the poll in Wicklow to be elected on the 1st count. Pic: Michael Kelly

WICKLOW ELECTION 2020

Tuesday 11th February 2020TimesWICKLOWLOCAL2 NEWS

At the count centre in Greystones were Dave Byrne, Jason Doyle, Cllr Tom Fortune, PaddyMourdaunt, and Cllr Pat Kennedy

Contacts:

Shay Fitzmaurice, Managing Editor - [email protected]

Ian Colgan, News Editor - [email protected]

Erika Doyle, Features Editor - [email protected]

General enquiries - [email protected]

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is published by Wicklow Times, 5 Eglinton Road, Bray.

Tel: 01-2869111Tel: 286 5057 Fax: 201 4335 www.acmeblinds.com

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Applications open forGreystones St. Patrick’s Day

parade This year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be big-

ger and better than previous years with the help ofthe local community. The cost for entry forClubs/Organisations is €20, for Commercial entries€40 (Cheques should be made payable to WicklowCounty Council). Please return application forms tothe Greystones Municipal District, Mill Road,Greystones by Friday 21st February. Final detailswill issue as soon as possible thereafter. Forenquiries contact Kay Coughlan, GreystonesMunicipal District- Tel: 2876694 / 2878448; E-mail: [email protected] /[email protected].

Deadline approaches to register for Bray St. Patrick’s

Day parade Bray Chamber is very busy planning a 2020 St

Patricks Festival to remember, here in Bray. It willrun from Friday 13th March to Wed 18th Marchwith events on for all the family over the 6 days.

On Tuesday, 17th March, the St. Patrick’s Paradewill explode onto the streets of Bray, celebrating themany cultures, communities and organisations inBray. The success of the Parade is down to the con-tributions made by the local community, withoutwhom it would not be possible. In the past 3 years,there have been over 100k visitors to the townalone.

The St Patrick’s Festival Bray committee appealto you to participate in this year’s parade and indoing so provide a colourful display for the thou-sands of spectators, who visit Bray for the parade.(For example colourful flags, or banners, hats etc).

This is an excellent opportunity for you to show-case your organisation and demonstrate what youdo. There are several different categories of awardsthe winners of which will be selected by the judgeson the viewing stand. To register online please go tohttps://www.braychamber.ie/be-part-of-the-st-patricks-2020-bray-parade/.

The final date for applying to take part in theparade is next week! Friday 14th Feb 2020 if youwish to be included in the festival brochure. Pleasecontact Kathy in Bray Chamber on 01-2828248 oremail [email protected].

Violin LessonsViolin teacher in the Brockagh Resource Centre

generally on Thursday from 1-2pm and Sat, 11-12pm but this may vary as needed. All types ofmusic for beginners to advanced levels. Lessons thatwill make learning the violin fun and fast. To bookphone Siobhan Kelleher 087 92 82 650 or [email protected]. See www.myviolinteacher.org.

West Wicklow HistoricalSociety

The first event of 2020 is the following lec-ture on Wednesday 19th February at 8pn in theLalor Centre (near St . Joseph’s Church) ,Baltinglass : _’Some Aspects of Surnames andPersonal Names in Wicklow as found in six-teenth century Fiants’ , by Conchubhar ÓCrualaoich. Dr. Ó Crualaoich works with thePlacenames Branch within the Department ofCulture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. He is authorof Townland Names in Co. Wexford (2016) andhe has written several articles on surnames, fore-names and placenames. Recently he completeda project on the townland names of Co.Wicklow. Admission €5.

Enniskerry historical societyThe next meeting of the Enniskerry historical

society will be held on Thursday 13th February at8.30pm at The Powerscourt arms hotel. Thespeaker for the lecture will be by James Scannell.The Topic a brief history of the Great northernrailway Ireland 1876-1958 further information isavailable from President John Callan at 01 2867858. Please come along to meeting and enjoy theinteresting lectures

ICA Delgany 80th anniversary

The next meeting of the Irish CountrywomensAssociation (Delgany Guild) will be MondayFebruary 10th, 2020 at 8pm, in St Patricks Church& Recreation Centre, Church Rd., Greystoneswhere the group will celebrate the 80th birthday ofDelgany ICA.

The election results after the first 10 counts in Wicklow

(continued from p 1)votes. Brady proved apopular candidate rightacross the county; notonly in his home areaof Bray, where he gotalmost 5,000 votes, butalso in the ArklowMunicipal District,where in one of the sur-prises of the election hegot more than twice asmany votes as FiannaFail's Pat Casey (3,773to Casey's 1,608). Thiswas a huge surprise topolitical observers asCasey had put in atremendous amount ofwork into Arklow andhad opened a full timeoffice in the town.Brady was also themost popular candidatein the WicklowMunicipal District,where he picked up2,502 votes, and inWest Wicklow he wasbehind only Billy

Timmins. Brady pickedup 2,971 votes in theBaltinglass MunicipalDistrict, while Timminsgot 3,632. With thedeparture of part ofCarlow from the con-stituency, Timminsneeded to maximise hisvote here to stand anychance of regaining aseat for west Wicklow.

In Greystones Bradywas behind Harris andWhitmore but ahead ofDonnelly. The distribu-tion of Brady's surplussaw 912 votes go toJennifer Whitmore(Social Democrats),further cementing herposition for the 2nd or3rd seat as it broughther up to 7,951, almosttwo thousand votesahead of StevenMatthews (GreenParty). The biggestbeneficiary fromBrady's surplus, how-

ever, was PeopleBefore Profit candi-date Sharon Briggsfrom Bray, who pickedup over 1,200 ofBrady's surplus, bring-ing her up to 2,224.

Also getting sizeablechunks of Brady's sur-plus votes wereIndependent candidateJoe Behan (677),Independent candidateJohn Snell (547), andGreen Party’s StevenMatthews (430).

In Bray Bradyhoovered up voteseverywhere and itresulted in a disap-pointing election forJoe Behan (Ind), whopicked up a lot ofvotes in his home areain Bray, particularlythe Bray West wardwhere he got 1,310votes, but failed to getenough support fromthe other Municipal

Districts that mighthave put him in thehunt for a seat. Behanpicked up more votesin Bray (over 2,000)than he did in the otherfour MunicipalDistricts combined.This was his fourthGeneral Election cam-paign and his third asan Independent candi-date. Likewise, jour-nalist and broadcasterValerie Cox (Ind), whoIvan Yates had sug-gested might "upsetthe applecart" by win-ning a seat, also didwell in her ownMunicipal District ofArklow, where shepicked up over 700votes, but did not farewell in other areas.She received 302 ofBrady's surplus votesto bring her up to2,107.

(continued on p 3)

WICKLOW ELECTION 2020

Green Party candidate Steven Matthews atthe count.

NEWS 3TimesWICKLOWLOCALTuesday 11th February 2020

Stephen Donnelly talks to a young supporter at the count centre inGreystones

Fine Gael candidate Simon Harris watches the vote come in with hissister Gemma.

(continued from p 2)Labour's Paul

O'Brien did best in hisown Municipal Districtof Wicklow, where hepicked up 740 votes,but it was also a simi-lar story for him as hestruggled outside of hisown MunicipalDistrict. He received1,727 first preferencesand after Brady's sur-plus was distributed,he sat at 1,912.

John Snell formerSinn Féin and now anIndependent got more

first preferences thanBehan, Cox, andO'Brien, and was thesecond most popularcandidate in theWicklow MunicipalDistrict where hepicked up 2,130 votes.However, he too didn'tdo well outside of hisown area and afterBrady's surplus wasdistributed, he sat onthree-and-a-half thou-sand votes.

The end of the 2ndcount also saw theelimination of

Independent candidatesWilliam King fromDrumcondra andAnthony Fitzgeraldfrom Bray, who wereboth very late entrantsin the campaign.

Resuming onMonday morning,count 3 saw the elimi-nation of IndependentJohn Larkin (Ind) fromNewtownmountkennedy, and Count 4 saw theelimination of CharlieKeddy (Ind) fromKilcoole. With just 530votes between them,

WICKLOW ELECTION 2020the distribution of theirvotes failed to makemuch impact on thelandscape. NationalParty candidate EileenGunning fromGreystones was elimi-nated at the 5th countalong with Tom Dunne(Ind), leaving over athousand votes to bedistributed. 123 ofthese went to BillyTimmins, keeping himahead of Casey andwithin touching dis-tance of Doyle.However, Donnellyremained in 5th place,560 votes ahead ofDoyle. The 6th countsaw the elimination ofAontu candidateSeamus Connor, leav-ing his 1,351 votes tobe distributed. Behanpicked up over 300 ofthese, bringing histotal to over 4,000,while Whitmorepicked up 113 of them,edging her slowlycloser towards thequota. The end of the6th count left Mathewsstill ahead of Donnellyby about 500 votes,and Donnelly ahead ofDoyle by about 600votes.

Labour's PaulO'Brien was eliminat-ed at this stage, withhis 1,975 votes to bedistributed. The mainbeneficiaries wereWhitmore who gained427 votes, Mathewswho gained 330 andJoe Behan who gained297.

Sharon Briggs(People before Profit)was eliminated thenand her 2,448 votesmainly benefittedWhitmore who gained787 votes, (Putting herahead of Harris),Matthews who gained443 and Joe Behanwho gained 338.Valarie Cox was theneliminated and her2724 votes distributedwhich gave Whitmorean additional 565(maintaining her leadover Harris) andMathews 338.

John Snell was theneliminated and his4,654 votes distribut-ed.

Jennifer once againwas transfer friendlyand received a whop-ping 1,161 votes followed by 790 goingto Joe Behan whichallowed him to pass PatCasey (FF) who waseliminated and his5,323 votes distributed.

At the time of goingto press this was thesituation with a longnight of countingexpected. Tel: 086 8375602 E: [email protected]

To all who voted for meTo all who canvassed To all who helped with Social MediaTo all who leaflet dropped To all who supported my campaign in any way

Poll topper John Brady celebrates with his family.

Social Democrats candidate Jennifer Whitmore with young supporters Flavia Bastos and RubyAllen at the count centre in Greystones. A the time of going to press Whitmore is poised to takeeither the 2nd or 3rd seat.


The final day of the Cumann na mBunscol (North East) 3rd/4th ClassesIndoor GAA blitzes took place on Thursday 30th January in ShorelineLeisure, Greystones. Another extremely successful day saw 13 boysteams and 7 girls teams participate on the day. The morning sessionsaw St. Laurence’s Greystones take on St. Laurence O’Toole’s NSRoundwood, both schools providing 2 boys and girls teams. The midmorning session saw Ravenswell NS Bray, St. Cronan’s Bray and St.Brigid’s Greystones partake in an all boys 5 team blitz. The final session of the day saw Greystones Educate Together, St. Coen’sRathnew and Newtownmountkennedy Primary compete in both theboys and girls blitz. The games were officiated by the Young Whistlers.

Rory P. Benville B.C.L.

Brian Robinson B.B.L.S., L.L.M.

Eilish Bradshaw B.A., L.L.B., L.L.M.

Clare-Ann Temple L.L.B.

Riverview HouseSeapoint Road,Bray, Co. Wicklow

Personal Injury Lawyers*Medical Negligence* Catastrophic Injuries*

Workplace Accidents* Road Traffic Accidents*Trips and Falls*

For professional, confidential and expert legal advice regardingPersonal Injuries suffered, please do not hesitate to contact

Brian Robinson or Clare-Ann Temple.

*In contentious business, a solicitor may not calculate fees or other charges as a percentage or proportion of any award or settlement

Tel: 01 276 1330 Fax: 01 276 1336Web: www.benvillerobinson.ieE-mail: [email protected]

Avoca-Ballinclash water supplyremoved from remedial action listOver 1,300 water consumers in Wicklow received good news lastweek following the removal of the Avoca-Ballinclash water supplyby the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from theirRemedial Action List (RAL).

The latest report from the EPA shows that Irish Water has reduced the num-ber of schemes on the RAL in Wicklow from 22 to seven since 2015.

The RAL identifies drinking water supplies that are ‘at risk’ of failing to con-sistently supply safe, clean drinking water. The Avoca-Ballinclash water supplywas given the thumbs up by the EPA following extensive investment andupgrade works by Irish Water working in partnership with Wicklow CountyCouncil.

Works are continuing on seven other Wicklow water supplies, with a view tohaving them removed from the RAL as soon as possible.

Andrew Boylan, Water Compliance Specialist with Irish Water says: “Thepublication of the latest RAL by the EPA confirms that whilst improvementshave been made in many areas, the scale of the challenge faced by Irish Waterin ensuring the delivery of clean and safe water in Wicklow and throughout thecountry remains.

“As a single national utility Irish Water has been able to conduct a compre-hensive evaluation of the performance of Ireland’s drinking water treatmentplants and focus investment where the risk to our customers is highest.Nationally Irish Water has adopted a prioritised programme of works which willrequire an investment of €2 billion by 2021. Significant improvements arebeing achieved year on year by this approach right across the country.”

A protest outside Colaiste Chraobh Abhann in Kilcoole last week

NTA discuss rail androad improvements

Representatives from the National Transport Authority (NTA) atended last week’s meeting of Wicklow CountyCouncil where they spoke about plans to improve the DART service from Greystones a 20-minute service, andimprove the N11 with a bus lane.

Council to seek meeting with Deptof Education over school places

Wicklow County Council is to seek a meeting with the Department of Education regarding the the lack of schoolplaces in Colaiste Chroabh Abhann (CCA) in Kilcoole and elsewhere around the county. The issue was raised by CllrJoe Behan (Ind) at last Monday’s Council meeting.

Cllr Behan said “What I’m proposing isthat we write to the Department ofEducation and ask them to urgently move toprovide temporary accommodation forthose pupils at Kilcoole Primary School toallow them to at least enrol in ColaisteChraobh Abhann, and also to bring forwardthe planning application to build therequired extension to CCA. Nothing elsewill do in this situation.”

He continued, “Newtownmountkennedyis a feeder area for Colaiste ChraobhAbhann for historical reasons and Newtownis getting a secondary school and there’smajor implications for young people fromNewtown and Kilcoole if something isn’thappening in Newtown as well. As part ofthe proposal I want to ask that the depart-ment be required to tell us if they plans to

develop a second level school inNewtownmountkennedy as well because Ithink it is going to be absolutely necessary.”

Seconding the proposal, Cllr TomFortune (Ind) said “This situation is reallycrazy. The paperwork for the work that wasto be done in that school was signed sixyears ago. And I’m at a loss as to why noth-ing has happened. The school is bursting atthe seams, there’s a PE storeroom beingused as a classroom. There’s no room forany more pupils, and even if there wasthere’s no resources. We really need theTDs in the county to come together and togo and find out exactly what is going on.Up to last week there were 40 children whohad basically no place. This is not going togo away and it does need to be sorted andthere needs to be an answer given back to

the very sensible committee put together totry and make something happen.”

Cllr Shay Cullen (FG) also highlightedthe situation in Roundwood and Newtown:“We have a very serious si tuat ion inRoundwood which has been a feederschool for the last ten years. We absolutelyneed a secondary school to be built inNewtownmountkennedy; Almost a thou-sand houses are to be built in Newtownover the next couple of years with no plan-ning for a secondary school. I have regularcontact with the staff in CCA, they’redoing a fantastic job under very difficultcircumstances but this is a situation that isaffect ing Kilcoole, Newtown andRoundwood, and I think whatever discus-sions are taking place need to incorporateall three areas.”

After last week's meet-ing, Cllr Derek Mitchhell(FG) said "The NTA arekeen to provide a DARTevery 20 minutes toGreystones, 50 percentmore than now. This isgreat news forGreystones. TheGovernment has alreadyallocated €2 billion forDART expansion andGreystones DARTenhancement can befunded from that. TheNTA have to do furtherstudies and the physicalwork will take some timebut they described it as'one of the more impor-tant projects in the DARTexpansion programme'."

Cllr Mitchell went onto say that the idea origi-nated from a paper whichhe wrote in 2018, subse-quently verified in aJacobs study. The Park n'Ride will be expanded inconjunction.

"They hope to installbus lanes on the N11 well

ahead of any of the mainworks. They are currentlytrying to amend the con-sultants ' contracts todesign it. They may haveto widen some places andlimit it to professionaldrivers only. The finalBus Connects schemewill be published soonand will be implemetedin 2021. I'm glad that theGovernment has giventhe funds to improve ourpublic trnasport."

Andrew Doyle TD said“This solution needs tobe part of a joined upapproach which includesincreasing capacity onour rail network fromArklow to Dublin,increasing the number ofbus corridors and expressbuses and opening newpark and ride facilitiesalong the N11. Increasingthe frequency, reliabilityand speed of the publictransport network inWicklow will helpreducethe number of cars

using the N11 at peaktimes.”

Cllr Steven Matthews(GP) questioned the NTAabout getting extra railcarriages for the Wicklowline and about electrifica-tion of the line south ofGreystones.

They responded that"when we get in addition-al DART fleet there willbe a lot of the deisealfleet cascaded on to otherroutes. It doesn't precludeelectrification in thefuture."

However they said thatbringing the DART toWicklow would be "chal-lenging": "because,there's a single line effec-tively from the north ofBray Head all the waydown. It is very unusualfor an electrified com-muter DART service tooperate on anything otherthan dual lines. Our strat-egy is to get a much morefrequent service intoGreystones, and then a

much more frequent shut-tle service south ofGreystones that allowspeople to connect in away they can't connect atthe moment because theservice is so infrequent.We think that's the bettersolution rather than to gooff in a different directionto look for full electrifi-cation and twin-trackingwhich with all the prob-lems and environmentalchallenges on that line islikely to be many, manyyears away."

Cllr Jennifer Whitmore(SD) asked about LocalLink buses, and AnneGraham, CEO of theNTA said "there's blatantdemand for local link ser-vices throughout thecountry and we're deliv-ering as much as ourfunding can deliver.We're carrying out astudy which we're calling'Connected Ireland'which at a county bycounty basis is looking at

the level of service par-ticularly in rural areascould be provided whichwould allow people liv-ing in rural areas to availof their services without acar.

“It is looking at thepossibility of having aservice in the morning toget you to the next townor even to be able to con-nect into a larger town toget on to a more regionalservice to bring you toyour work and employ-ment and education."

Regarding theBusConnects plan, MsGraham said “the consul-tation on Wicklow’s busnetwork is completed, thefinal network is to be published in Q2, 2020and we will commenceimplementation of thenew network in 2021. Interms of bus corridors,the second round of con-sultation on the 16 buscorridors will commencein Q1, 2020.


Philip Rothwell and Newtown jockey Adam Short shared a winner at Naas recently whereWolfofallstreets scored a two-length win in the 2m handicap hurdle. Owned by Carol Hoganand Eric Newnham, the 12/1 chance got to the front before the second last flight and made thebest of his way home to win from Youngnedofthehill and 4/1 favourite Bythesametoken.

Chloe Farrell, Isabella Downey, Layla Hitchin, and Emma Phillips make a donation to PaulineLeonard and Eileen Earls of Wicklow Cancer Support in Wicklow Town

‘800 Wicklow familiesin arrears need

Government scheme’Over 800 family home loans are in arrears for two years or more in County Wicklow, according to the latest figures.

Reacting to the figures,Housing and homelesscampaigner Fr PeterMcVerry has called forthe Government’s mort-gage to rent scheme to bemade mandatory forbanks when dealing withfamilies in unsustainabledebt.

The scheme allowsmortgage holders at riskof losing their homes toswitch to paying a fairincome-based affordablerent to their local authori-ty while remaining intheir current dwellings.Almost 60 mortgage torent cases have eitherbeen completed or arebeing actively pro-gressed.

Fr McVerry also calledon the incomingGovernment to increase

the scheme’s eligibilitycriteria so that a mean-ingful attempt can bemade to solve many ofthe cases where home-owners have been inarrears for at least twoyears.

Fr. McVerry has chal-lenged politicians seekingelection to the next Dailto do “something drastic”to end the spiral of mis-ery for so many families.

“What this housing cri-sis needs right now isradical thinking.Solutions won’t happenovernight but if the will isthere, then it can happenpretty quickly,” said FrMcVerry, a member ofthe Advisory Board ofmortgage to rent operatorHome For Life.

“If the next govern-

ment was serious abouttackling this huge mort-gage debt legacy from thepast decade, it shouldmake it illegal over thenext three years to evictpeople without an offer ofmortgage to rent.

“However, the nextgovernment has to sitdown and change thethresholds which limit themortgage to rent scheme.

“I am on record as say-ing that many more fami-lies should be included inthis scheme because it isthe only way for many ofthem to resolve their cur-rent circumstances.

“The stress and miserythat people are enduringmust be relieved andthere must be an immedi-ate review of extendingthe mortgage to rent

boundaries.“It saddens me to think

that every week there arethousands of home-dwellers living in need-less fear of a knock onthe door or a visit fromthe postman.”

He urged those whofind themselves in suchdifficulty not to bury theirheads in the sand becausethe arrears just won’t goaway.

“Instead, I wouldencourage them toengage with their localMABs people or theirlender so that their casescan be dealt with,” saidFr McVerry.

“If they do that, thenthey should be able tostay in their home if theypay a rent like all localauthority tenants.”

Council graded in EPA report The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its report on local authority environmental enforcement performance for 2018. The report shows that local authoritieshave increased their enforcement activities, with 168,000 inspections being undertaken in2018, together with almost 20,000 enforcement actions and over 850 prosecutions initiated.Local authorities also managed over 78,000 environmental complaints during the year.

Wicklow CountyCouncil was given a gradeof ‘above target’ and ‘ontarget’ with regards tooverall assessment,enforcement systems,waste enforcement area,and water enforcementarea. This is the middlegrade, with ‘excellent’being the best and ‘belowtarget’ being the worstgrade. Wicklow was givena rating of ‘excellent’ inair enforcement area.

The report states that“Illegal dumping/litteringindicators such asNational Litter PollutionMonitoring System andIBAL annual surveysindicate positive progressis being made in this area.In addition, PURE projectdata supports this findingin the areas in which theyoperate.

The report found thatlocal authority inspectionplanning and implementa-tion was effective andtook into account nationalpriorities. The EPA iden-tified, however, areaswhere local authorities

could improve their envi-ronmental enforcement.Dr Tom Ryan, Director ofthe EPA’s Office ofE n v i r o n m e n t a lEnforcement said “Thisreport shows overall goodperformance by the localauthorities in undertakingtheir environmentalenforcement functions,however there are areaswhere improvements areneeded. In particular,more focus is needed onthe enforcement of wastesegregation in householdsand businesses, alongwith an increase in farmand air quality inspec-tions. There is also anopportunity to improveinformation sharingbetween enforcementagencies to ensure thatillegal waste activities areidentified and tackled.The EPA will be engagingwith local authorities tomake this a priority in2020.”

The EPA advises thatlocal authorities need tofocus on ensuring goodsegregation of waste by

businesses and household-ers, to support betterwaste recycling. Thisincludes increasing theroll-out of segregated col-lection (e.g. brown bins)and their use by the publicand businesses. TheEPA also found that thereis a need to improve coor-dinated action, and thetimely sharing of data,between local authoritiesand other enforcementbodies to address illegalwaste activities.

The EPA found thatlocal authorities need toincrease inspection andenforcement actions tobetter regulate the burningof solid fuels. Theseinspections should focuson the sale and use ofnon-compliant fuels inlow smoke zones andcompliance with the sul-phur content limit forfuel.

This report found thatfarm inspections hadreduced by 650 and theEPA recommends that thenumber of inspections bereturned to previous lev-

els, at a minimum. TheEPA also recommendsthat farm inspectionsshould be targeted at areaswhere water quality is atrisk.

While focussed on thework of local authorities,the EPA highlighted thatthe public has a pivotalrole in addressing theseenvironmental issues.

Commenting on thereport, Valerie Doyle,Senior Inspector said:“We all need to play ourpart addressing the envi-ronmental challenges fac-ing us. This can includemaking sure we segregateour wastes at home and atwork so that as much aspossible is recycled.From an enforcement per-spective, the publicshould take responsibilityfor reporting environmen-tal pollution by using theEPA’s SEE IT SAY ITsmartphone app or bycalling the NationalE n v i r o n m e n t a lComplaints Line 1850365 121 or their localauthority.”

Students exercise their lateral thinking languageskills in the 12th All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad

Students from Loreto Secondary School Bray and SEK-Dublin Windgates joined over1,000 secondary school students nation-wide taking part in the Preliminary Round of the2020 All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad (AILO) last week.

Run by the ADAPT SFI Research Centre for Digital Media Technology, the AILO contest challengessecondary school students to apply logic and reasoning skills to solve complex puzzles in unfamiliar lan-guages. The contest helps students to develop transferable skills relevant to maths, coding and languages

Researchers from ADAPT have run over 30 free national workshops to help students improve their prob-lem-solving strategies and prepare for the Olympiad. Speaking ahead of the round, Prof Vincent Wade,Director of ADAPT said, “The All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad (AILO) challenges students to use theirlateral thinking skills to solve puzzles in languages from all over the globe. Students must analyse the datathey are given to work out the ‘rules’ of this new language”.

The top 100 students from the Preliminary Round will qualify for the National Final on 11th March inDublin City University. Four students will go on to represent Ireland at the International LinguisticsOlympiad (IOL) in Latvia in July 2020.

Average rent in Wicklowrises to €1,417

Rents fell marginally across the country by 0.1percent in the final three months of 2019, according to the latest quarterly Rental Reportby Daft.ie, the first time since mid-2012 thatrents have not risen quarter-on-quarter. InWicklow, however, rents were on average 3 percent higher in the final quarter of 2019 thana year previously. The average listed rent is now€1417, up 84 percent from its lowest point.

The late-2019 trends differ across urban and rural partsof the market. In Dublin, Cork and Galway cities, rentsrose between September and December, while outsidethe major cities, rents fell on average.

Year-on-year trends are more similar, however.Compared to end-2018, rents in Dublin at the end of2019 were 3.5% higher and in Cork and Galway were5.5% higher. In Limerick and Waterford cities, rents were3.9% and 4.3% higher respectively than a year ago.Outside the cities, rents were 4.7% higher in late 2019

than a year previously.The number of homes available to rent nationwide

continues to rise, albeit from a very low base. There were3,543 properties available to rent across the country inFebruary 1, up 10% from the 3,216 available the samedate a year ago. While this marks the 17th time in the last19 months that availability has improved year-on-year,the number of rental homes on the market is still down80% from its 2009 peak.

Commenting on the report, Ronan Lyons, economistat Trinity College Dublin and author of the Daft Report,said: “With the election of a new government, housing -and in particular the rental sector -are likely to be keyparts of the new government’s priorities. Despite thedesire for a quick fix, such as rent freezes, no such quickfix exists. By worsening insider-outsider dynamics, rentfreezes are likely to further harm those most affected bythe shortage of accommodation. And, if somehowapplied to newly-built rental homes, rent controls couldprove calamitous for a country that desperately needsnew rental homes but has very high construction costs.”


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Bray Choral Society recently presented the Bray based charity W.H. Five Loaves with a chequefor €5000. Pictured are Tommy Gordon (manager, W.H. Five Loaves), Carol Hunter (formerchairperson, BCS), Catherine McCarthy (current chairperson BCS) and Frank Kelly (musicaldirector, BCS).

Bray Chroal Societypresent cheque to Five Loaves

Following a full house attendance at their Christmas concert in December, Bray ChoralSociety were delighted to be able to present local charity W.H. Five Loaves with a chequefor €5,000.

W.H. Five Loaves are very grateful to the people of Bray for their generous support for the concert andfor the charity. The event has had a knock on benefit in highlighting the charity in the Bray area, with alltypes of donations to the charity well up on previous January periods.

Five Loaves delivers vital support to the homeless of Bray through the provision of daytime shelter, hotmeals and washing facilities, as well as the means of basic survival for rough sleepers. With the growingproblem of homelessness, all donations are greatly appreciated and make a real and immediate differenceto people’s lives.

Bray Choral Society is looking forward to a very exciting year in 2020. On March 22nd the choir issinging the Mozart Requiem in the National Concert Hall with the Dublin Orchestral Players, followed onMay 16th by the BCS Summer Concert, which this year features two beautiful works of the Americancomposer Dan Forrest. In June, BCS takes up the personal invitation from the composer Howard Goodallto sing his work “Invictus - A Passion” in Carnegie Hall for its New York premiere.

Positive meetingabout East

Coast Greenway The East Coast Greenway Taskforce emerged feeling positive from a meeting held in WicklowCounty Buildings on Friday the 31st January.

The meeting waschaired by Frank Curran,CEO of Wicklow CountyCouncil, and was alsoattended by MinisterSimon Harris, senior rep-resentatives from WCC,Irish Rail, National Parks& Wildlife Service,Wicklow Tourism, FailteIreland, OPW, and Cllr Irene Winters,Cathaorleach of WCC.

The Greenway Groupsaid “Excellent progresswas made with detailedpresentations on the chal-lenges involved in design-ing a route along this envi-ronmentally sensitivecoastline, along with pos-sible mitigating solutions.We also had a detailedpresentation on the coastalerosion risks from Dublinto Arklow, the accelerationin the pace of erosion,along with likely solu-tions.

“We expect to receive

an update with the stepsinvolved in the process inthe coming days alongwith a realistic timeline toa planning application andhopefully completion. Weare delighted with theTaskforce meeting andlook forward to next steps,and we thank MinisterSimon Harris for enablingthis to happen.

“As more and moreGreenways have openedaround the country overthe last couple of years,we have the followingobservations: FailteIreland recogniseGreeenways as a majordriver of additional touristvisitors to Ireland and anundoubted commercialsuccess; The economicreturn on investment forlocal authorities whenfunding Greenways hasbeen excellent in all cases;The physical and mentalhealth benefits from

already establishedGreenways for local resi-dents has been highly sig-nificant. As a society weare tackling major issueswith mental health andobesity. Greenways have amajor part to play in bothareas.

“Co Wicklow is beingleft behind as Greenwaysopen up all over the coun-try. This is not acceptable.The towns along the route,particularly WicklowTown, are in urgent needof a project of this scale toinject badly needed addi-tional tourists and revenueto help investment.Greenways, if designedproperly, can greatly bene-fit any environmentallysensitive areas by ways ofmitigation, controllingwhere people walk etc,and should not be seen asa danger to either land-scape or wildlife.

“The 16,000 people

who have signed ouronline petition, provesbeyond any doubt that thepeople of CountyWicklow want to see theproject delivered, and aregetting frustrated with thecurrent pace of progress.

“It is in that context thatwe will continue to presshard for the East CoastGreenway timescale to becompleted in the shortestpossible time. We are ask-ing all of the general elec-tion candidates, if elected,to commit to prioritisingthe Greenway and to workclosely with WCC, tomove things along. Notwithstanding MinisterHarris setting up theTaskforce, we would haveliked to have seen agreater level of involve-ment from our WicklowTDs, rather than positivesoundbites over the last 3years. Soundbites will notdeliver the Greenway.”

Speed lobby with Wicklowelection candidates

Approximately 75 local people attended arecent Meet the Candidates General Election2020 event in Bray, where they got the chanceto quiz candidates about the issues that matterto them and find out what candidates would doabout them if elected.

The event was put on by the County WicklowPublic Participation Network, the DisabilityFederation of Ireland and Bray Area Partnership, withCornerstone Church at the Well providing the venue.The event took place on Friday, 31st January.

General Election 2020 candidates who attended theevent were: Councillor Joe Behan, John Brady TD,Seamus Connor, Valeria Cox, Stephen Donnelly TD,Anthony Fitzgerald, John Larkin and CouncillorSteven Matthews.

Each candidate had two minutes to address theaudience and put their case for election, with their

speeches being live-streamed via Facebook by GardenCounty Radio.

Candidates then spent 10 minutes at each table inthe room to answer specific questions from communi-ty members, in a rotating 'speed lobby' format.

As well as individuals, community organisationsfrom the north Wicklow area were well-represented onthe day - with students, members and service-usersfrom New Court School, Cairdeas Clubhouse, BrayOld Folks Association, Tres Brazilian Cultural Centre,Peacehaven Trust, CASA Bray, Wicklow Triple AAlliance, Bray Men's & Women's Shed, Together forChoice, Sunbeam House, Lakers, U3A, ExtinctionRebellion, One Future, Wicklow Dementia Support,BIFE, residents associations - and more.

A truly memorable ending to the event was provided by Josh O'Connell, aged 16, from New CourtSchool, who sang a beautiful version of 'What aWonderful World'.

Wicklow’s election candidates at the Speed Lobby event; Valerie Cox, Cllr Steven Matthews, John Larkin,John Brady TD, Anthony Fitzgerald, Stephen Donnelly TD, Seamus Connor, and Cllr Joe Behan


Students from Gaelcholaiste na Mara in Arklow are pictured at their Strike for Climate Actionlast Thursday in St. Mary’s Park, Arklow.

Over 700 publiclights out around

the county Cllr Gail Dunne (FF) raised the matter of public lighting outages at last week’s meeting ofWicklow County Council. There are currently over 700 public lights not working around the county. Cllr Dunne requested that representatives from Airtricity be invited to the nextCounty Council meeting.

Cllr Dunne said “Asmost of us are out can-vassing at the momentwe’re seeing how manylights are out. One areaof Wicklow town, thisweek, I went down andfound out that lights hadbeen out for over three-and-a-half months.

“I don’t think that’sgood enough. If thelights are out thereshould be a time when itis fixed and that shouldbe adhered to, and it isnot. I feel Airtricity needto come to a councilmeeting and explain whatis going on. With over700 lights out throughoutthe county, this is a disas-ter.

“Old people are afraidto open their doorsbecause there’s no light-ing within the area. I’mreally t ired of i t , Ibrought this up so manytimes at both municipallevel and county level,we’re not listened to.”

Cllr Steven Matthews(Green Party) thanked

Cllr Dunne for raisingthe matter, adding: “It isnot just Airtricity; whenyou have cable damageor cable supply issues,ESB Networks have to bebrought into the equa-tion, we don’t seem tohave any reach in ESB atall to address the issues.There are also accessissues, where Airtricityare not allowed to climba pole and if they can’tget an elevated platformin, they have to rely onESB.”

Cllr Pat Fitzgerald(FF) said “this has beenan ongoing issue for thelast few years, but I don’tthink I’ve seen it as badas it is now. I reportedone outage on 18thMarch and it was fixedon 20th December.

“We’ve a small littletownland outside ofArklow with two lightsout of order for the lasttwo months so the excusethat people are nottrained up or can’t go upESB poles or whatever,

that doesn’t fit with meto be honest. We need toget Airtricity on board,they got the contract,they should have enoughpeople to do the work.”

Cllr John Mullen (FF)said “My predecessor,Cllr Pat Doran had fourlights put up last April inCarnew and they wereonly turned on lastWednesday, nearly a yearlater.”

Cathaoirleach, CllrIrene Winters (FG)described the number oflights which are out in allfive Municipal Districtsas “shocking”: “We havea new LED programmecoming but that’s not anexcuse for not repairingthe lights in existence.”She suggested that theCouncil’s audit commit-tee look for a clawbackon the contract withAirtricity.

The council has rolledover the contract withAirtricity utility servicesto bring it to the stagewhere the national ener-

gy retrofit programmetakes place, and it’shoped that will go to ten-der in Q3 this year.

Airtricity has five full-time crews operating inthe county - three in theeast of the county andtwo in the west. A coun-cil official explained tocouncillors that a crewcan fix ten lights within aday but that this has beenhampered by the fact thatthe contractor is nowrequired to replace i twith a LED fitting whichmeans replacing thewhole head, and this lim-its each crew to fixbetween two and fivelamps a day.

There are approxi-mately 15,000 publiclights in total around thecounty. It is WCC’sintention to move asquickly as possible inpushing Kilkenny Countycouncil on the nationalretrofit programme (thelead local authority forthe roll out and tender forthe LED retrofit).

Danielle Crowley, former student of St Gerard’s, with Professor Brian MacCraith, President of DCU,Guidance Counsellor Sheila Maguire and Professor Anne Sinnott, Dean, Faculty of Business Studies.

Former St Gerard’s student wins DCU BusinessSchool scholarship for academic excellence

Danielle Crowley, former student of St Gerards, has been presented with a €500 AcademicScholarship to study at DCU in recognition of her achieving more than 550 points in theLeaving Certificate.

Over €70,000 worth of scholarships were presented to fresher students at DCU. Awardees were joined ata special presentation ceremony at the Helix by their parents and former school principals and teachers.Each student received a commemorative certificate and the school principal/ teacher were presented with aplaque to display in the school marking the significant achievement of their past pupil.

The DCU Academic Scholarship Awards were presented to 144 students from throughout Ireland onachieving more than 550 CAO points at Leaving Certificate or equivalent. A scholarship of €500 is award-ed to students who gain the required number of points, meet the specific entry requirements and register tostudy with any of DCU’s five faculties: Engineering & Computing; Humanities & Social Sciences; Science& Health; Institute of Education and DCU Business School.

Council green lights CountyCampus Enterprise Hub

Councillors last week voted unanimously infavour of the plans to develop an EnterpriseHub at Wicklow County Campus (Clermont)in Rathnew. The construction tender will goout soon and construction is set to commewncein the third quarter of this year for an estimated opening in Q4 of 2021.

Councillors were informed that the 10,000sq ftenterprise hub will provide a mixture of hot desks, cre-ative pods, co-working spaces, a screening facility, apodcast studio, conference centre, and private officespace. It is estimated that the development will create150 jobs over five years, support 40 new businesses,and allow 15 clients to grow to high potential start-upstatus.

It is hoped that the hub will further developWicklow’s film industry by providing a central ‘one-stop shop’ for all the necessary supports for start-upand established screen content businesses.

“We want it to leverage the skills and expertisealready present in the county and the region, and to

support and strengthen the screen sector in the regionresulting in a strong regional level enterprise ecosys-tem and cluster,” Linda Healy, Senior EnterpriseDevelopment Officer, told councillors.

Cllr Gerry Walsh, Chair of the Council’s EconomicDevelopment & Enterpsie Strategic Policy Committee(SPC), said “this is an exciting project for the countyand an item that’s been regularly voiced on our SPCover the last two years in particular. I’m glad to hear itis a one-stop-shop for start-ups and it will mitigateagainst and help with the long distance commutes.”

Also welcoming the green light for the enterprisehub, Andrew Doyle TD said: “From its early stages,Clermont Campus was poised to become a major cre-ative hub to provide training, mentoring and employ-ment in industry. The Enterprise Hub will fulfil thatvision. Enabling Wickow people to work and buildtheir businesses in their own community is immenselygratifying and this Hub has the potential to createanother 150 jobs here. The inclusion of a PodcastStudio adds another dimension to the space, encourag-ing businesses to broaden their offering and reach newmarkets.”

Raheenleagh WindFarm Fund is open

Raheenleagh Wind Farm has announced the latest round of funding for communities locatedin Co Wicklow and Co Wexford. The fund is open for applications until Friday, 28th February2020.

The community fundinitiative aims to providefinancial support to localcommunity and voluntaryorganisations in proximityof the wind farm, helpingthem to deliver beneficialprojects and initiativeswhich fall within one ormore of these broadthemes: Education andSkills; Health, Safety andWellbeing; Environmentand Habitat Conservation;Energy Efficiency andSustainability; Cultureand Heritage; Recreation,Sport and SocialInclusion; Tourism.

Frank Kelly,Stakeholder Manager atESB, said: "Through ourCommunity Wind FarmFund, ESB's aim is tohelp the communities inwhich we operate ourwind farms to becomemore sustainable through

the support of positivelocal initiatives and activ-ities. We remain commit-ted to creating a brighterfuture for all by being agood neighbour and weencourage all local organ-isations to apply for thisfunding."

Monies have alreadybeen committed by thecommunity fund to devel-op a range of projects inthe region, which willmake their mark for manyyears to come as commu-nities continue to enjoythe benefits of the invest-ments.

Patrick Maguire, AssetManager at Greencoat,stated: "We are delightedto support these worthyprojects neighbouring thewind farm. It is great tosee the level of communi-ty activity and spirit in thearea, we look forward to

helping build on this overthe life of the wind farm.At Greencoat, we arecommitted to be a goodneighbour and supportingthe local communities inwhich we operate."

The 2019 fund com-mitted to investing over€60,000 to a total of 10projects, seven of whichare located in Co Wexfordand three in Co Wicklow.The projects are all locat-ed in the vicinity ofRaheenleagh Wind farm.

The community fund isbeing administered bySECAD and organisationscan apply online viawww.windfarmcommuni-tyfunds.ie/. Interestedorganisations should readthe Fund Guidelines onthe website at www.wind-farmcommunityfunds.ie/before applying.

Raheenleagh Wind

Farm is a renewable ener-gy project developed byRaheenleagh Power DACa jointly owned sub-sidiary of ESB andGreencoat, constructed onthe Coillte Raheenleaghforest in Co. Wicklow.The wind farm is locatedapproximately 8km westof Arklow and straddlesthe Wicklow and Wexfordborder. The wind farmfeatures 11 turbines witha combined generatingcapacity of 35.2MW. Itcan generate enoughrenewable electricity topower around 22,500homes a year.

The Raheenleagh WindFarm's community benefitfund, established in 2015,will prioritise projects andinitiatives that supportand benefit the area sur-rounding RaheenleaghWind Farm.

Tuesday 11th February 2020TimesWICKLOWLOCAL8

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The first consideration is analyzing how much youare willing to spend. No matter what your require-ments, everyone has a preference for either traditional orcontemporary looks. However, while some homeownersprefer to opt for the timeless appeal of traditionalstyling, others are choosing more cutting edge, ultra-modern designs. With a notable move towards stainlesssteel and aluminium, the European influences of lightmaple woods are being introduced as an alternative tothe traditional concept.

The importance of layout cannot be stressed enough;after all, you will be working in the kitchen and so it isnot sufficient that it only just looks effective. You have achoice of three ways of how you can go about installinga new kitchen. If you are one of those talented individu-als who God has blessed with a ‘good pair of hands’, youcan carry out all the work yourself.

If you bring the dimensions of your kitchen along to a

kitchen specialist entre, they will help you to design akitchen to your budget, and will also assist with adviceof suitability of various materials. The second method issomewhat similar to the first, but recognizing that youneither have the time nor the ability to install the kitchen,you employ the services of a good carpenter andplumber. However, a word of caution - make sure youget a reference from them for similar work they havedone, and check it out thoroughly. A kitchen centre willbe able to supply you with names of reliable workmenwho regularly do work for their customers.

The final approach is the one where you hand over theentire job to kitchen specialists. They will call to yourhome, measure up, design plans, bring you samples ofmaterial and install the final product. Specialist kitchencompanies, especially ones operating locally, are veryprotective of their reputations as they depend on it forreferrals.

Home maintenance and repair projects are projects that must be done tomaintain the integrity and value of your home. They include areas likeroofing, exterior painting, window upgrades and furnace upgrade.

These should be car-ried out if needed beforeany interior repairs or ren-ovations are considered.

Buyers expect a homewith solid structure andsystems, then they lookfor the cosmetic homeimprovements. Also, mosthome purchases nowinvolve an independenthome inspector who willbe looking critically andobjectively at yourhome’s condition.

Doing a kitchenremodel home improve-ment project when yourroof is leaking is like get-ting a facelift when youneed heart bypass surgery.One is critical and one is

not. If you don’t have thestructure and buildingsystems in shape, thenexpect to have the Buyercreate their own value forit and have that deductedfrom their offer price, ifyou get an offer at all.

Here is a list of someimportant home mainte-nance and repair things tocheck for and have donebefore you try and sell:

Roof and Flashing:Make sure the roof doesnot leak. If leakage isoccurring have it fixedimmediately. It’s probablya result of flashing failure.Check flashing around thechimney, walls, etc. Makesure broken shingles are

replaced. Check to makesure tree branches andleaves are not touchingthe roof.

Chimney: Make surethe bricks are not loose ormissing mortar. If theyare, have the bricks tuck-pointed to prevent waterleakage and structuralfailure. Check that theroof flashing around thechimney is in good shapeand does not have anygaps or openings forwater to penetrate.

Gutters andDownspouts: Make surethese are clean and flow-ing well. If they areclogged, clean and flushthe gutters and down-

spouts. Clogged guttersare the source of manyproblems such as paintfailure, leaks, wood rot,sagging gutters. Improperdownspout outlets arealso a problem that cancause water in the base-ment and cracked founda-tion walls. Make sure thedownspout outlet drainsaway from the house onsoil that is sloping awayfrom the house. If down-spouts are allowed todrain into the house orinto crocks that run to thebasement or foundation,water problems can occurincluding ground settle-ment resulting in crackingof the basement wall.

The Kitchen - a room of many functions Over the years the kitchen has developed into a room of many functions, becoming the centreof family life. A place to cook, dine, relax and entertain, the kitchen must offer an efficientand comfortable environment. Installing a kitchen is a major outlay, which requires planningand budgeting, no matter what your price bracket.

Brick Wall: Make surethat the brick wall is solidand in good repair.Replace damaged brickincluding cracked brickand tuckpoint any missingmortar joints.

Foundation: Repair anycracks in the foundationwall. If you see cracks

check that the downspoutsare not draining into thehouse foundation andfootings. Downspouts andthe yard should drainaway from the house. Ifthe basement wall cracksare severe, you may needstructural repairs includ-ing foundation underpin-

ning. This is serious andyou need to consult anexpert foundation repaircontractor.

Plumbing Fixtures:Check that the plumbingfixtures are in good work-ing order. Identify thetype of faucets you haveand replace any leaking

washers or cartridges ifthe faucet leaks. Checkthe drainage of toilets andsinks and unclog as nec-essary.

Furnace: Make sure thefurnace has clean air fil-ters and is in good work-ing order by performing aseasonal furnace checkup.

Tuesday 11th February 2020TimesWICKLOWLOCAL10 FEATUREInstall a patio or garden decking

Make sure your garden is up to scratch for thoselong summer evenings and lazy weekend BBQs.Decking and patios are a great extension of indoorspace and can provide a seating and dining area; tryshading with an awning and install lighting and out-door heaters to make the most of the space. If youwant outdoor areas for storage and growing fruit orvegetables, now is the perfect time to install that shedor greenhouse.

Maintain your garden

General garden maintenance like mowing, weedingand repairing fencing is important too. Gardens canlook untidy very quickly. Make sure that your lawn iswell cared for, grass can suffer in extreme heat so youmay need to install a sprinkler system and fertilise reg-ularly.

Check that your fencing, shed or greenhouse hasn’tbeen damaged during the winter and Spring and clearthe garden of debris. You may find that outdoor furni-ture and fittings are covered in mould or mildew fromthe wet conditions, these can be easily cleaned with asoap and water mixture. Garden paths or drivewaysmay also have come under attack from moss or algae,which is simple to remove too. Spring is a good timeto repaint or stain outdoor furniture to protect it fromfurther weather damage and to start composting.

Exterior home improvements

As we move into Spring, the better weather andlonger days mean you can carry out all those otherexterior home improvements you’ve been putting offsuch as plastering, painting and cleaning outside walls,windows and doors. Don’t forget to check the condi-tion of your roof and clean your gutters too. Your roofis the most important part of your home; it has to be ingood shape. Spruce up the exterior of your weather-weary walls, but first, check that they don’t have anycracks in them. Painting will also protect your homefrom damp - don’t forget that window frames can alsobe transformed with a lick of paint or gloss. Paintingyour front door can also make a big difference to yourhome.

Home extensions and conversions

Longer, drier Spring days are ideal for large scalehome extension and conversion projects. An extensionmeans lots to organise, so consider hiring an architect,quantity surveyor or project manager to keep every-thing on track. On the other hand, if you already havean unused loft or basement, why not convert thatinstead? Conversions are cheaper than extensions andeight times out of ten, they don’t need planning per-mission. Conservatories are also a low budget way toresize your home.

Lay a new driveway

If you are looking for a simple way to revamp theexterior of your property, then laying a new drivewaycould be the answer. There are a variety of drivewaymaterials to choose from; tarmac, gravel or cement arelow-cost options, whereas stone or clay paving slabsare a more attractive but expensive driveway material.

Heating, plumbing and bathroomproducts at SKC Providers

SKC Providers Ltd. has been established in Rathnew, Co Wicklow since 2010, while theirsecond branch opened in Drumshanbo, Co Leitrim in 2012 and their third branch inGorey, Co Wexford in 2015. All branches sell a comprehensive selection of quality heating,plumbing and bathroom products to not only trade professionals but also to the generalpublic.

“We supply and stock the full range of heating and plumbing materials, pipes, fittings, boilers,cylinders, pumps, heating controls, solar hot water systems, underfloor heating, radiators, heated towelrails, stoves etc., all at very competitive prices.

“Our showrooms boast an extensive range of bathroom suites, baths, shower trays, shower enclosures and showers. There is also a huge range of both traditional and modern heated towel rails,beautiful bathroom furniture and a great variety of taps to choose from when selecting taps for yourbathroom plus other bathroom accessories. We also have a very comprehensive range of stoves on display in our showrooms.

“Our experienced and helpful staff are only too happy to answer any questions you may have. Ouropening hours are convenient and consumer friendly - Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm (openthrough lunch) and Saturday from 9am to 1pm. There is plenty of free parking available at all branches and we also provide a free delivery service.”

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When trying to decide on what type of flooring to usein a particular area, think of the space available to you.While it may seem an obvious question many peoplehave got caught up in the impulse of buying and living toregret it afterwards. Perhaps the carpet is looking a littleshabby and needs replacing but your budget is tight. Isthere much point in scrimping on the budget and buyinga lesser quality carpet?

If you choose a look that’s too ‘trendy’, you could beleft with an eyesore in years to come, so stick to the clas-sic look.

It is probably best to start off with a realistic budget inmind, compare prices and as the old consumer’s mantragoes ‘shop around’. There is value to be had everywhereand to save yourself some money, all it takes is a little bitof time and effort.

Wooden Floors

This is one area of the flooring market that in recenttimes has experienced a phenomenal growth in populari-ty. Wooden floors may have advantages. Not only dothey give a home a classic timeless beauty, but also theyare really durable. There are numerous species of timber

used in flooring from the hardwoods like oak, maple andash to softwoods like birch or pine. Speciality woodslike bamboo are also available.

Carpets

The main plus point of carpets is choice. There areendless colours and patterns of carpets available nowthat can suit any colour scheme or décor. The range inprice is also phenomenal. So, whether you want a cheapshort-term fix, or some plush padding for your paws,there is endless choice.

Tiles

Tiles are ideal flooring options for the kitchen andbathroom in the home as they are imperious to moistureand are very easy to clean and maintain. There are threetypes of tiles: ceramic, porcelain and glass. The differ-ence between the three is how they are made, there is notmuch difference in price or durability of ceramic versusporcelain.

So remember, choose wisely and pick a floor that youcan live with.

WINDOWS & DOORS

Just changing or updating your flooring can make a room seem larger, more open and fresh.And today the choices are endless whether you want to opt for wooden floors, carpets, tiles orstone, the sky really is the limit. When considering changing your flooring it’s important tothink of a few things.

FLOORS & CARPETS

Do your homeworkbefore invest ing toensure that you adhereto building regulations,buy the best quali tywithin your budget andhave them correct lyinstalled.

Skimping too muchon doors and windows isa false economy and cancause major problems inthe future. It is recom-mended that you dosome research and makeyour own decision as towhich to go for. Advicefrom builders should bewelcomed but make sureyou do your own home-work as well.

You may want to takeinto consideration theweather conditions ofwhere you live beforechoosing your doors andwindows. Also keep inmind that windows anddoors can help reduceyour electricity bill. Iffitted well they will helpblock the escape of heatand stop the entry ofcold wind from outside.Don’t forget that theframes in which thewindows and doors arefitted should be strongand the colour should becompatible with thehome décor.

Selecting doors and windows for your home and conservatory can be a daunting task becauseof the sheer choice that now exists. Not only is no home complete without them, but they alsoprovide security, ventilation and restrict the entry of strong wind and other elements.

There are a number ofmaterials to choose fromincluding timber, alu-minium, PVC,aluclad/composites, steeland structural framelessglass. There are prosand cons to all possibili-ties depending on yourhouse type.

It is worth remember-ing, that i f you haveexisting timber frames ingood condition, there arecompanies who canmachine these in si tuand f i t real doubleglazed units into them.By doing this you get tokeep your treasured tim-ber and perhaps, avoid alot of re-tiling, plaster-ing and decorating.

Internal doors are

another thing to consid-er. Recent years haveseen an advancement ofdifferent and styl ishinternal doors. As wellas wood, they can bemade of glass or steel.The front door gives afirst impression of ahome and a well chosendoor can make yourhome stand out from thecrowd as well as provid-ing proper insulation andsecurity.

The windows anddoors of your conserva-tory are another area toconsider. Conservatorieshave a number of useswhether it be as a play-room, dining area, anoffice or something else.Light is key, and your

choice of windows anddoors can help maximizeand manipulate i tspotential.

Important decisionsmight include whetheryou want blinds on thewindows, or if you wanta glass roof that lets inthe light, or a roof thatshuts it out.

Just as your conservatory shouldcompliment your home,a conservatory’s win-dows and doors shouldalso compliment, and areessential to, the style ofthe conservatory itself,whether it’s a Victoriandesign, a Lean-To, a pavil ian, Bespoke or Edwardian conserva-tory.

Avoca Landscaping - no lawntoo small, no tree too tall

Liam O’Toole of Avoca Landscaping undertakes a full range of light and heavylandscape work in the Wicklow and Dublin area, seven days a week. Liam has over 20 years of garden landscaping & design experience and will carry out any gardenlandscaping task, including general maintenance and dealing with out of control gardens, forthose who feel overhwelmed by the idea of taking on the job themselves.

Some of the services Avoca Landscaping offer include: • Tree surgury; planting, removal, topping • Installing water features (Liam can

design a water feature for your garden)• Constructing rockeries • Fencing• Mowing grass• Forestry work • Christmas tree delivery

Call Liam today on 083 181 8250


Since much of our time in the bedroom is spentrelaxing or sleeping, many people prefer to choosecalm and serene colours when it comes to the thewalls. This can mean choosing a more toned downversion of whatet your preferred colour might be.

In the the bedroom, the ceiling takes on moreimportance than it does in other rooms, since many ofus spend time looking up at it while lying in bed. Youcan make the ceiling more interesting simply withsome added texture, colouring or design. Think of theceiling as extra wall in the room rather than ignore it.

A bedroom should be cosy and relaxing, and thepositioning of the furniture can matter a great dealwith regards to this. The bed shouldn’t be an obstacleyou have to constantly walk around, and other items offurniturte such a desks and dressers should be taileredaccording to the size of the room ; if the dresser is toolarge for example it will be too domineering in asmaller room. On the other hand, if your bedroom islarge, small items of furniture will look lost.

Less is more when it comes to the amount of furni-ture in the bedroom. A bed, a bedside locker, awardrobe and a dresser are generally thought of as

The Bathroom - A room for relaxation

The material you choose for your bathroom tile canmake a big impact on its final look. Each materialalso ranges in resiliency, smoothness,amount of shine, and price so choosecarefully.

Each room in your home shouldhave a set colour scheme, even yourbathroom. Building a colour schemecan sometimes be difficult, especial-ly when you do not know where tobegin. One tip to get started withyour bathroom remodel is by choosingthe larger pieces of furniture first, suchas your cabinet and vanity colours. Onceyou have those pieces picked out, create acolour scheme for the rest of the room. Whenshopping for tiles, navigate towards lighter colours that

will help make your bathroom accessories pop.It’s not always the most glamorous part of a

bathroom remodel but choosing the rightvanity can make or break your bath-

room’s design. If it’s placed awkward-ly in a traffic route, uses poor or mis-matched materials, or doesn’t haveenough storage, the rest of yourbathroom will suffer.

We are all familiar with thehumble shower cubicle. Again,

these can come in a vast range ofshapes, sizes, colours, materials and

designs to suit pretty much any giventaste. The choice of shower door, cubicle

size and finishes can complete the overall lookof your bathroom.

Choosing the right tile for your bathroom remodel can up the ‘wow’ factor and give yourspace an extra source of colour and texture. However, with thousands of tile options outthere, it can be tough to choose the correct one. There are several things you want to lookfor when shopping for tiles for your bathroom remodel, including size, shape, colour, andprice. You will also want to consult with a bathroom remodelling contractor to ensure thatthe job is done correctly for a professional finish.

‘A bedroom should be cosyand relaxing’

We spend about a third of our lives in thebedroom so it’s important to get things rightwith regards to décor, furniture and colours.

essentials. A dresser can sometimes fit inside awardrobe to maximise space. If you have a TV in yourbedroom, perhaps it can be mounted on the wall tosave space also, and if you must have some shelvingfor books or dvds, this can be mounted on the wall aswell. Many people also like to have a chair and desk intheir bedroom, but be careful; clutter can accumulatevery easily in the bedroom and the more surfaces thereare, the more likely that is to happen. The option ofadding drawers or boxes which fit under the bed is agreat way to reduce clutter and store things out ofsight. This is of particular importance when it comesto children’s bedrooms and the conundrem of where toput all those toys.

A reading chair can be a great addition to a bed-room, but if space won’t allow, then adding a windowseat could be an option. Finishing touches can be pro-vided with rugs, pictures on the walls, potted houseplants and some ornaments.

Lighting in the bedroom is key to setting a certainmood or serving a function; many people like to havea dimmer switch for this reason, but additional lightingwill most likely be required in the form of a bedsidelamp for reading. Fairy lights are another way ofadditing additional lighting that can change the atmo-sphere of the room. Whatever your preference, it’simportant to have options.

Tuesday 11th February 2020TimesWICKLOWLOCAL14 FEATURE

Do your homework - whateverroom you're tackling

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Be aware, however, that when you undertake a pro-ject on your home you are making an important deci-sion which will influence your daily life for many years.If you haven't got the DIY skills, then such an importantinvestment will need the help of expert and profession-als to avoid mistakes and to ensure that your needs andvision are properly realized.

The decision to improve your home is an importantfinancial commitment and thought and careful planningare needed. People can be excused for being wary ofhome improvement but numerous people have beenmaking the most of the hard economic times and havebeen able to negotiate better deals to get reasonably

After a long, dark winter, spring's bright sunand warm winds will soon be coming as abreath of fresh air. As winter becomes amemory it's time to remind homeowners totake stock of important work in the home tobe done for themselves or perhaps potentialbuyers down the road.

priced materials. Contractors eager for work will also bemore willing to offer affordable rates. So get planningfor your ideal home improvements.

There are many options when it comes to paint,flooring and wallpaper and it is important to choose theright one for you and your home. Whether it be woodenflooring, tiles or carpet, different people have their ownpreferences of what the most suitable type of floor foreach room may be. You may want to give each room itsown aesthetic or keep a common theme going through-out all the room of the house.

Tiles in the kitchen and bathrooms are a popularchoice, while elsewhere in the home the switch fromcarpet to wood or vice versa is a common change andimprovement that many people make.

If you are planning on renovating your kitchen,bedroom, living room or any room of your house,don't rush in without knowing exactly what you'relooking for. Hire a professional or if you're planning aDIY job, make sure you know what you're doing,make a check-list, don't scrimp on materials and

choose the best time to carry out the renovation. Installing a kitchen, for instance, is a major outlay

which requires planning and budgeting, no matter whatyour price bracket. The first consideration with doing upany room or having any major interior work done is ana-lyzing how much you are willing to spend. No matterwhat your requirements, everyone has a preference foreither traditional or contemporary looks, and also theirown preferences for colours and textures.

The importance of layout cannot be stressed enough.With regards to the kitchen, for example, you will beworking in it so it is not sufficient that it only just lookseffective.

Whatever room you're tackling, or whatever workyou are having done to the interior of your home, youshould do some homework first and have a fixed idea inmind of what you want. Buy the magazines, decide onwhat you like and what you hate. Get an overall conceptin mind. Be realistic with your budget. It's also worth-while to spend a little extra to ensure your comfort andhappiness.

Once the main part of the work is completed - theinstalling of the new kitchen or new flooring, etc - it'stime to furnish the room. This is where you give theroom its character and bring it to life, making the selec-tion of furniture one of the most important decisions andsomething you shouldn't just leave as an after-thought.

The right choice of sofa, table, bookcase, bed or cabi-net can make the room, but equally the wrong choice

can ruin the room and haunt you. When choosing furni-ture, don't just pick something that looks nice in theshop; you must always visualise how it will look in yourown home and how it will compliment the other furni-ture and décor of the room. Do you want a wooden orglass table, for example, and if you choose wood, doyou want pine or oak or something else?

In the bathroom, a dash of paint, a few tasteful addi-tions in terms of ornamentation, lighting - even plants -will go a long way towards improving it. But these aremere small changes. We can affect real drama in thebathroom with a change of suite, window dressings,tiles and even floor coverings.

The compact dimension of a bathroom should notinhibit the choice of furniture. The basic components ofa toilet, basin, bath, plus all brassware and basic acces-sories can be fitted into the smallest of areas withoutsacrificing convenience or mobility for users. As withall other rooms, careful preparation, planning and organ-isation are all essential ingredients for creating the per-fect bathroom, but there are several things you can do tohelp maximize the feeling of light and space in a bath-room, for example; choose plain colours and simple pat-terns. These will help to maintain an uncluttered lookand the lighter colours will create the illusion that theroom is bigger than it actually is.

Here in Wicklow, you will find many outlets forchoosing the perfect kitchen, flooring, wallpaper, furni-ture and furnishings.


Darragh Bouchier, Nicole Little, Ciara Ryan, Emma Lewis, and Leon Shannon are pictured at thepeaceful sschool protest last week at Colaiste Chroabh Abhann in Kilcoole

Stephen Cotter, Chief Operations Officer, CIE Tours International, presents the CIE Tours Award ofExcellence to Patrica Ross and George McClafferty of the Glendalough Visitors Centre

Glendalough Visitor Centre wins MeritAward for Excellence in Hospitality

Glendalough Visitor Centre, one of Wicklow and Ireland's most popular visitor destinations, wascelebrating after being recognised at the CIE Tours International Annual Awards of Excellence.

The Awards which are now intheir 30th year, recognise the besthotels and tourist attractions acrossIreland following an assessment offeedback from over 25,000 cus-tomers throughout the year. Eachwinner achieved a customer satisfac-tion rating of over 92% from CIETours International visitors withGold Award Winners achieving thehighest satisfaction ratings in theircategories.

Glendalough Visitor Centre waspresented with a Merit Award forexcellence in hospitality and qualityof service by Fiona Ross, Chairmanand Elizabeth Crabill, ChiefExecutive Officer, CIE ToursInternational. In total 84 hotels andtourist attractions from across the

island of Ireland won awards, with13 overall category winners beingawarded a Gold Award.

Speaking at the presentation ofCIE Tours International AnnualAwards of Excellence ElizabethCrabill said; "30 years ago CIETours International introduced itsannual Awards of Excellence torecognise Ireland's hospitalityambassadors - the people and busi-nesses throughout the country whoput Irish tourism on the global stagethrough the warmth of welcome andquality of service provided to ourinternational visitors.

"Since then Ireland's tourism sec-tor has changed utterly and grown inreputation but the demand for excel-lent experiences remains constant.

Ireland remains an attractive tourismdestination for visitors from NorthAmerica drawn by the diversity andrichness of the experiences offeredand the warmth of the traditionalIrish welcome which should not beunderestimated."The Irish holidayexperience is unique and continuesto grow in popularity, so much sothat we're launching new winter tourholidays to Ireland for the first timein 2020. This growth is driven in nosmall part by our Tour partners,many of whom we are recognisingtonight, who are continuouslyimproving their offering. I warmlycongratulate tonight's winners ontheir achievements and I thank allour partners who work closely withus throughout the year".

Bray students demonstratecommitment to Global Goals

Students from St. Patrick's Loreto PrimarySchool, Bray have been commended byhumanitarian aid agency, GOAL, for demon-strating their contribution and commitmentto helping achieve the Global Goals.

Third-class students were named runners -up in theGOAL Changemakers Award for developing a 100 percent recyclable Christmas wrapping paper. Primaryschool students all over Ireland were asked to sharetheir actions for global change through the Awards.

For months leading up to Christmas people discussthe gifts they are going to buy, the food they are goingto eat and the novelty items that offer short term enter-tainment but long-term damage to the environment.

The St Patrick's Loreto students discussed the unsus-tainability of many traditions at Christmas and felt theyshould take action in their community. They felt a verypressing issue is the excessive waste caused by wrap-ping paper and gift wrapping.

In a bid to achieve Sustainable Development Goal12: Responsible Consumption and Production theschool created their own wrapping paper which was100% recyclable. To explain their actions and raiseawareness to a wider audience, the children craftedChristmas bauble shaped information cards to accompa-ny the wrapping paper. The seventeen SustainableDevelopment Goals were listed on the festive informa-tion leaflets.

To continue their efforts in 2020, the class have deco-rated a box in the classroom for toy donations that willbe donated to local charities throughout the year. Theyoung students submitted their entry to GOAL via asong they composed themselves.

Third-class teacher, Breda Dunleavy, said: "The classloved getting involved in the GOAL ChangemakersAward as they are all so passionate about this topic.

They worked together and displayed fantasticteamwork where they all treated each other equallyand showed each other respect which in turned con-tributed to global goal 10: reduced inequalities. Theaward is wonderful because the project was drivenby the students and it inspired me to watch themdiscover how the tangible changes they make willhelp tackle global issues."

The students discussed their entry and said: "Weknow that metallic wrapping paper is not recyclableand a more sustainable option should be available.We wrote the notes about the global goals becausewe want to share what we know with other people.We know about the global goals but not everybodydoes so we wanted to share our knowledge."

The judging panel, comprised of Newstalk pre-senter Jonathon McCrea, children's author SarahWebb, activist and founder of Flossie and theBeach Cleaners, Flossie Donnelly, and GOALdeputy-CEO Mary Van Lieshout, were blown awayby the quality of the entries.

Jonathan McCrea said: "It was great to see sucha variety of entries and innovative ideas fromyoung people committed to helping achieve GlobalGoals. The high quality of entries made judgingdifficult, and it is clear we have some amazingchangemakers among our young people."

GOAL Deputy CEO, Mary Van Lieshout, said:"The judges were in awe of how children are mak-ing a difference at home and in their schools everyday. Young people are the future and it is impera-tive that they believe in and promote a sustainable,fair future. We must equip them with tools to makethat happen. We want a planet earth that's sustain-able and here for future generations and it is inspir-ing to see our young people taking the lead onthis."

Let’s Get Buzzing Members of community groups and interested individuals in County Wicklow are invited toa one-day ‘Let’s get Buzzing’ workshop on Saturday, 22nd February, in AshfordCommunity and Heritage Centre.

Organised by Wicklow County Council, the aim of the event is to support community led actions for biodi-versity and climate action. The four workshop themes are: The County Wicklow Swift Recording Project; TheAll-Ireland Pollinator Plan; Biodiversity and Climate Change; Exploring (and recording) your local river.

The focus will be on practical “hands on” actions under each theme. The event will be of interest to TidyTowns groups, Residents’ Associations and other community groups and will provide a valuable opportunityto network and share knowledge and experiences.

Co-ordinated jointly by Wicklow County Council’s Heritage Officer and Environmental Awareness office,there will be additional inputs from the National Biodiversity Data Centre and the Local Authorities Waterand Communities Office, as well the East Wicklow Rivers Trust and Ashford Tidy Towns group.

The programme runs from 10am to 3pm and includes a field visit to the nearby Vartry River to take a ‘kicksample’ and examine the aquatic invertebrates present and what they tell us about water quality.

The event is free, but booking is required to secure a place as there is a limited capacity. To book [email protected] or [email protected] . For further information and to access the full programme see www.wicklow.ie.

Wicklow schoolstake part in Safer

Internet DaySafer Internet Day 2020 takes place this week on Tuesday, 11th February, and hundreds ofstudents from across Wicklow are taking part in school-based events.

Safer Internet Day is anEU initiative to promote asafer internet for all users,especially young people.It was first marked in2004, has grown beyondits traditional geographiczone, and now takes placein approximately 150countries worldwide.

In Ireland, SaferInternet Day is co-ordinat-ed by Webwise, part of theProfessional DevelopmentService for Teachers(PDST). It is co-fundedby the Department ofEducation and Skills, andthe European Union'sConnecting EuropeFacility.

Many schools acrossWicklow have organised

events this week to pro-mote Safer Internet Day,including the followingschools: MoneystownNational School,Roundwood; EastGlendalough School,Wicklow Town; StBrigid's National School,Greystones; St Fergal'sNational School, Bray;Blessington CommunityCollege, Blessington

Nationwide, almost 700schools and organisationshave registered SaferInternet Day events on theWebwise website.Webwise estimates thatmore than 170,000 stu-dents will take part inactivities that will helpraise their awareness of

online safety. Registeredactivities include schoolassemblies, student men-toring, positivity weeks,online safety talks andworkshops addressing top-ics such as online consent,digital wellbeing, socialmedia use and respectfulcommunication.

According to NationalDirector of PDST, CiaraO'Donnell: "Digitalmedia is rapidly changingand continues to providenew opportunities foryoung people to engage,connect, create and learn.It is vital for young peo-ple to develop digitalskills and an understand-ing of how these newtechnologies work. I com-

mend the schools - andparticularly - the SaferInternet Day StudentAmbassadors, who willplay a leading role sup-porting awareness-raisingcampaigns in their clubs,schools and communi-ties."

On Safer

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