Events that happened in 2014.
January
3 January: Thousands of homes throughout the country were left without power after overnight storms. Several areas throughout County Wexford were affected.
16 January: Wexford General Hospital temporarily banned visitors in an effort to curb the spread of the winter vomiting bug.
18 January: A Wexford person won €588,000 on the National Lottery after purchasing a ticket at Dunnes Stores in Redmond Square.
28 January: 47 jobs were lost when manufacturing company Irish Driver-Harris announced the immediate closure of its facility in New Ross, County Wexford.
28 January: Two men were arrested at Rosslare Europort after they were caught trying to smuggle over €60,000 worth of drugs.
28 January: Wexford hurler Eoin Quigley called time on his inter-county career. Quigley was a member of the last Wexford side to win a Leinster title.
February
2 February: New Ross in County Wexford was flooded after heavy overnight rainfall.
5 February: CCTV footage emerged of an armed raid that was carried out at a scrap metal dealership in Ballycarney, County Wexford.
6 February: Sinn Féin held its annual Ard Fheis in the Wexford Opera House. In response, the family of Detective Garda Seamus Quaid, who was murdered by the IRA in 1980, requested that his plaque be taken down from display at the venue.
6 February: A 70-year-old Wexford man was jailed for 12 years after he was found guilty of raping and sexually abusing his two daughters. The abuse, which began when the girls were four and six years old, spanned 13 years.
8 February: Raiders in Enniscorthy made off with an undisclosed amount of money after they managed to blow open an ATM on Rafter Street. Two uniformed Gardaí confronted the suspects, who fired a shot before escaping in an Audi A6.
11 February: Reports surfaced that a 15-year-old schoolgirl was stabbed with a broken Benylin bottle at Clonard Village in Wexford Town. The girl, who was on her way to a friend’s house at the time, had been accosted by two men who demanded she give them a cigarette. The teenager did not suffer any serious internal injuries.
18 February: Gardaí arrested five men and two women in Dublin and Wexford in connection with the sexual assault of a young girl.
22 February: Gardaí announced that they were investigating a series of break-ins in North Wexford after several homes were burgled in the area.
25 February: Wexford woman Georgina Steele set a new Irish record at the National Irish Pool Lifesaving Championships in Limerick.
26 February: Wexford teenager Sarah Ryan received national media attention for her portraits of celebrity figures.
March
11 March: County Wexford-based company Scurri secured €1.2m in seed funding for a UK expansion.
17 March: Wexford man Michael Hunt was found beaten to death in Croydon, London. A suspect was arrested in connection with the murder.
18 March: A minor earthquake occurred in County Wexford. Although readings from the Irish National Seismic Network were inconclusive, a station in Wales picked up the faint tremor, which generated significant discussion on social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter.
18 March: A man died in a fatal accident at a farm in the Newbawn area of County Wexford.
24 March: A High Court judge ordered the arrest of former Wexford hurler Paul Codd for his “ongoing refusal” to cooperate with his bankruptcy.
April
2 April: A 34-year-old man was arrested after Gardaí found cannabis with a street value of €95,000 at a premises in Gorey.
3 April: A cannabis growhouse was discovered in Lee Heights in Wexford Town. €45,000 worth of cannabis plants were seized during the search.
5 April: A Wexford man was awarded €70,000 for the injuries that he sustained at Dunnes Stores in Redmond Square, Wexford.
6 April: A 30-year-old man died in a single-car collision on the Newtown Road in Wexford Town.
7 April: Two people escaped injury when a gunshot was fired at a house in George’s Street in Wexford Town.
19 April: A 63-year-old woman died following a fatal road accident in New Ross.
22 April: The 92nd ASTI conference was held in Whites Hotel in Wexford Town. Labour TD and Minister for Education, Ruairi Quinn, was heckled and booed by those attending the conference.
24 April: Two men were arrested after they attempted to carry out a bank robbery at the Permanent TSB bank in Gorey.
28 April: Wexford businessman Martin Quigley, 48, received a two-year suspended sentence for sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman.
May
6 May: Insurance company Ecclesiastical announced its partnership with the Wexford Opera House and the Wexford Opera Festival.
7 May: The Competition Authority approved the controversial sale of Wexford Creamery to Glanbia.
12 May: Two Wexford businessmen were forced to pay €18 million to the Bank of Scotland because of unpaid loans.
13 May: Labour Cllr. Joe Ryan’s retort on Twitter received media attention:
15 May: A 60-year-old man was arrested after a man was stabbed at a house on Grange Road in New Ross. The man’s condition was described as being “serious, but stable.”
16 May: 10-year-old Niall Kehoe became one of the youngest people in the world to publish a smartphone application. His app, called “Kehoe’s Crazy War of the Worlds”, was published on the Apple App Store.
17 May: A 35-year-old man was arrested following the robbery of a supermarket on Coach Road in Gorey.
19 May: A 40-year-old Wexford man was sentenced to 12 years in prison for the rape of his ex-partner’s daughter.
22 May: A Wexford postman was arrested following a sting operation. He was arrested for the alleged theft of cash from letters.
23 May: Glanbia increased its cash payment to Wexford Creamery members from €3.7m to €10m.
23 May: Local elections took place across County Wexford. Independent candidate Ger Carthy topped the poll in Wexford, Fianna Fáil became the largest party on Wexford County Council, and former Wexford hurler Martin Storey failed to win a seat for the Labour Party in Enniscorthy.
June
3 June: Local businessman Nigel Hamilton launched an appeal against the decision to allow TK Maxx to open a store at the Stonebridge development in Wexford.
10 June: Gardaí appealed for information after a charity shop on Henrietta Street in Wexford Town was burgled.
11 June: A report by the Health Information and Quality Authority into Wexford General Hospital found issues that pose “a high risk to the health or welfare of patients.”
11 June: A man in his late twenties was hospitalised after he was found bloodied and unconscious at St Michael’s Place in Gorey.
20 June: A Wexford woman was found not guilty by reason of insanity for the murder of her partner, Walter Plunkett, 84, which occurred in 2012. The court heard that the woman had a long history of schizoaffective disorder, a mental illness that causes “abnormal thought processes.” The court also heard that she had not been taking her medication in the lead-up to the attack, as it had been making her feel unwell.
22 June: Irish musician Damien Dempsey saved a man from drowning in Enniscorthy. He had arrived to perform at the annual Strawberry Festival and sprang into action when he noticed that a man was struggling to stay afloat in the River Slaney.
24 June: Wexford native Declan White won the 2014 Telstra Western Australian Business of the Year award. The 30-year-old Irishman, who had travelled to Australia on a holiday visa, established the construction company Monford Group in 2010.
27 June: Two men were arrested when “Ralph the Rosslare customs dog” discovered €534,280 worth of heroin, ecstasy, and cannabis resin at Rosslare Europort.
27 June: The Wexford Maritime Festival began on Wexford Town’s quay-front.
July
3 July: A man died a day after he was found in a critical condition on Duncannon Beach in County Wexford.
8 July: Swimming bans were applied to four beaches in County Wexford after water samples showed high levels of E. Coli. Prohibitive warning signs were erected at Culletons gap in Curracloe, Morriscastle, Cullenstown, and Oldbawn.
10 July: A 25-year-old New Ross woman was awarded €1.5 million in damages by the High Court. The woman had received brain damage after an uninsured drunk driver struck her and several other pedestrians on John Street in New Ross.
12 July: Wexford pulled off an upset when they defeated reigning champions Clare in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship.
15 July: A former Wexford garda was sent to prison for a year after he pleaded guilty to stealing more than €50,000.
16 July: A Wexford man was found guilty of the manslaughter of his brother at Belvedere Grove in Wexford on 8 July 2011.
19 July: Wexford defeated Waterford 3-15 to 2-15 in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship.
19 July: Wexford progressed to the semi-finals of the Liberty Insurance Senior Camogie Championship after a 5-19 to 0-13 win over Dublin.
22 July: Wexford TD Mick Wallace and independent socialist TD Clare Daly were arrested while attempting to search two US military planes at Shannon Airport.
22 July: Reports emerged that a 60-year-old woman with broken ribs had to wait 14 hours at Wexford General Hospital before being able to see a doctor.
27 July: Wexford were defeated by Limerick in the quarter-final of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship.
30 July: Murder accused James “Chuck” Connors was released on bail after the High Court reduced the amount of surety required for his release. He stood accused of the murder of Jason Ryan, which occurred in January 2012.
August
2 August: A reenactment of the Battle of Vinegar Hill took place in Enniscorthy.
4 August: A man was arrested at Rosslare Europort after he was found in possession of €40,000.
11 August: Aidan O’Brien stepped down as the manager of the Wexford Football team. He had managed Wexford for two years and cited personal reasons for his resignation.
11 August: American TV network CBS announced that it would be airing a new television series about Wexford-born “genius” Walter O’Brien, who reportedly hacked into NASA computers at the age of 13. The show is called Scorpion and he is portrayed by actor Elyes Gabel.
16 August: €25,000 worth of cannabis plants and drug paraphernalia were discovered at an apartment in Abbey Court in Wexford Town.
19 August: Reports emerged that four houses in Rathangan and Ballymitty were burgled as the families attended a funeral.
20 August: Fr. Jim Fegan, Mayor George Lawlor, and Fr. Aodhan Marken took part in the Ice Bucket Challenge:
21 August: Figures released by the Department of Transport revealed that County Wexford had the highest rate of motorists being given penalty points for drink-driving.
23 August: Wexford progressed to the All-Ireland U21 Hurling Final after defeating Galway 1-21 to 1-19.
September
2 September: One man was arrested following the discovery of a brothel on Parnell Street in Wexford Town.
9 September: Hamilton’s objection to the chosen location of TK Maxx in Wexford Town was rejected by An Bord Pleanála.
11 September: 20 new jobs were created when ALDI opened its third store in Wexford Town.
13 September: Reports of a suspected abduction on High Street in Wexford Town led to a nationwide Child Rescue Alert. According to an eyewitness, 15-year-old Sait Canbullu was set upon by two men wearing balaclavas before being driven away in a black saloon car.
14 September: The Child Rescue Alert was called off after Gardaí announced that they no longer believed Canbullu was abducted. He was found safe and well in Sligo.
18 September: Wexford County Council announced plans to reopen John Redmond’s mausoleum.
24 September: A serious assault occurred on Wexford’s South Main Street when a 38-year-old man was attacked in broad daylight. A 24-year-old man was arrested at the scene.
28 September: Wexford won the All-Ireland Ladies JFC final after defeating New York 1-12 to 1-10.
October
5 October: Local businessman Erdie Murphy passed away after an illness. He had operated the Crossroads Foodstore on Hill Street for many years.
9 October: A “historic yet viable” grenade was rendered safe in Enniscorthy. The device had been discovered during a garden excavation.
10 October: Fiona Nalty, 25, and Arry Green, 22, were sentenced to life for the murder of Hunt. Judge Stephen Kramer QC ruled that the couple must serve a minimum of 19 years in prison before being considered for release.
11 October: A man in his twenties was seriously injured after a road crash in Enniscorthy.
12 October: A man was hospitalised after a fall from a ferry in Rosslare.
14 October: Reports emerged that the man who had fallen from a ferry in Rosslare had escaped from Wexford General Hospital.
15 October: Hotel operator Dalata announced its acquisition of Whites Hotel.
17 October: An attempted armed robbery occurred at the Post Office in Barrack Street. Nothing of value was taken in the raid.
20 October: A missing Wexford teenager was found safe and well.
21 October: A man was killed in an accident on the Rosslare rail line in Wexford Town.
22 October: American retailer TK Maxx agreed rental terms for its usage of the Stonebridge retail unit on Wexford’s quay front.
22 October: The 62nd Wexford Opera Festival began with a fireworks display.
22 October: The Spiegeltent Festival began in Wexford.
22 October: Minister for Arts, Heritage, and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys, announced that the Wexford Opera House was to be renamed the National Opera House.
30 October: Reports emerged that the image of a deceased Wexford woman had been used in a Hollywood horror film without her family’s consent.
November
1 November: Thousands of people took to the streets of County Wexford to protest against the upcoming water charges.
5 November: Enniscorthy company ClearStream Technologies announced the completion of a 50,000 sq. ft. extension, which could lead to the creation of 200 jobs.
13 November: Enniscorthy was hit with heavy floods.
14 November: A team of rescuers saved 17 horses from the flood waters in Enniscorthy.
22 November: A local Wexford man died in an accident in Wexford Harbour.
23 November: A 32-year-old man was charged with the robbery of a newsagent’s in Enniscorthy.
24 November: 50 new jobs were announced at Danone after its Wexford facility was expanded.
27 November: A high-voltage cable caught fire before falling to the ground on Anne Street in Wexford Town. Nobody was harmed during the incident, and emergency services cordoned off the location.
29 November: The Wexford Winterland Festival began with the Santa parade in Wexford Town.
December
1 December: The body of missing 21-year-old Paul Davey was discovered in New Ross. He had been missing from the area for a number of weeks.
11 December: A baby boy was discovered unresponsive at a creche in Castlebridge. The 19-month-old boy was taken to Wexford General Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
12 December: Selskar Under The Stars began in Selskar Square.
15 December: Well-known local businessman George Bridges passed away after a fatal road collision. He had operated a successful toy shop on Selskar Street for many years.
17 December: A syndicate of 17 nurses from Wexford General Hospital collected a €2.8 million Lotto jackpot.
20 December: The body of a woman was found in the River Slaney at Bunclody.
23 December: A local man in his early 50s died after a quad bike accident in Curracloe.
29 December: A Wexford man discovered that he had been carrying a €350,000 Lotto ticket for a month. He only discovered his winnings after the ticket scanning machine informed him that he needed to contact the National Lottery.
29 December: A new gas pipeline to County Wexford was approved by the energy regulator.