Man killed in County Waterford plane crash

One man has died following an air accident in Co. Waterford this evening around 7pm.

Emergency services are currently at the scene.

The dead man is believed to be in his sixty’s and was the sole occupant in the plane.

Reports this evening say that a light aircraft came down close to Bridie Terries near Dungarvan.

The Irish Coastguard Helicopter Rescue 117 based at Waterford Regional Airport is assisting at the scene of the accident.

Its understood that Shannon Air Control received a May Day Call from the aircraft this evening.

The aircraft is understood the light aircraft took off from Waterford and was heading towards Shannon.

The man is understood to have been travelling to an air show in the Limerick area tomorrow.

Early reports suggest that the pilot in his May Day call reported a fire on board the place before crashing.

Locals have reported that the aircraft was seen flying very low before it hit the ground

Units of Waterford City and County Council Fire Brigade Service as well as Gardai and an Ambulance were called to the scene and some are expected to remain there for some time.

The scene of the crash has been preserved, and the Air Accident Investigation Unit attached to the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport is believed to be on their way to the scene.

The pilot’s remains are reported to have been now brought to University Hospital Waterford.

The man’s identity will not be released until next of kin are informed.

No Waterford voice on Committee set up to look at Two Mayor Systems in Waterford and Limerick

A committee set up by Local Government Minister Alan Kelly to look at two-mayor system in both Waterford and Limerick has no representation from the City or County in either county.

In 2012, then Local Government Minister Phil Hogan brought together a programme to the Cabinet which was passed seeing the unification of Town Councils across Ireland into the County Councils as well as both Waterford and Limerick City Councils merging with the County Councils in the two respective counties, after the local elections which were to be held in 2014.

Tipperary North Riding and Tipperary South Riding Councils also merged to form one Council.

The move to merge Town and County Councils as well as Waterford and Limerick City and County Councils came on the back of recommendations made by a committee set up by Phil Hogan to examine the feasibility of such a move.

When then Minster Hogan introduced his plan it was announced that the merger of Waterford City and County Councils would save between Five and Nine Million Euro a year following the removal of duplication. The merger of the two councils in Limerick it was reported at the time would save up to fifteen million euro a year while the merger in Tipperary it was envisaged would save up to six million euro a year.

The Limerick Leader’s Website is reporting that Fine Gael TD Patrick O’Donovan raised the issue of Limerick having both a Metropolitan Mayor and an overall City and County Mayor. Minister Alan Kelly the report says “has said he had initiated a review into this”.

The group set up to look at Duel Mayoralty contains representatives of local authorities in Carlow, Kildare, Tipperary, Donegal and Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, there is no-one from Limerick, or indeed Waterford, where there is also a two-mayor system in place.

The website report goes on to say that Limerick Councillor Jerry O’Dea has called on current Minister Alan Kelly to include a Limerick Representative on the committee.

The report says that Fine Gael council leader in Limerick Council John Sheahan met Minister Kelly this week and urged him to “desist” from making any changes to Limerick’s dual mayoralty system, at least for the time being.

Councillor Sheahan added that “The power was given to us in the Local Government Reform Act to decide on roles. We have done so, and are putting a protocol around the pecking order of the Mayors and the Chairs. We would be hoping this will solve any confusion around the system.”

Councillor Sheahan is PRO of the Local Authority Members Association.

Metropolitan Mayor of Limerick Jerry O’Dea in the report says that he “would be calling on the Minister to make sure there is representation from both Limerick and Waterford on this committee so the unique positions and the history of both cities could be represented.”

Labour Councillor in Limerick Joe Leddin who saw a motion to abolish the Metropolitan Mayoralty in Limerick defeated last month has said: “I’m just delighted this review group has been established. It shows intend on behalf of the minister that this issue of a dual Mayoralty, be it in Limerick, Waterford, or anywhere else, is not sustainable going forward.

“It might be a problem in Waterford and Limerick today, but who’s to say it won’t be a problem if they decide to merge Cork city and county, or Galway city and county? The same issue will arise. The mettle needs to be grasped.”

Bishop Phonsie calls for end to Church Gate Collections for Political Parties

The Bishop of Waterford and Lismore, the Most Very Rev. Aphonsus Cullinan has added his voice to that of the Bishop of Elphin, Most Very Rev. Kevin Doran calling for political parties to put an end to Church Gate Collections.

Speaking to ‘The Irish Catholic’ Newspaper this week, Bishop Cullinan urged politicians to be “consistent” and not to “pressurise” mass goers and called on political parties to “find alternative sources” for fundraising.

The Countries newest Bishop told the newspaper that many people were annoyed at political parties collecting money outside churches despite holding views which directly oppose Church teaching on such vital and basic matters as the right of life and the nature of marriage.

Bishop Cullinan’s call for political parties to end to Church Gate Collections comes after Bishop Doran questioned why some parties are fundraising at local church gates.

In this weeks Irish Catholic, the front page report by Cathal Barry states that a statement from the Elphin Diocese lead by Bishop Doran adds that “While noting that there is “no obligation” on any political party to support the Church or to legislate in accordance with Church teaching, the statement said it was “rather lacking in respect” for people’s faith “that political parties which have consistently advocated policies and introduced legislation which undermine marriage and the right to life of the unborn, should turn up outside our Church gates, Sunday after Sunday to ask Mass-goers to fund their activities”. Acknowledging that political parties are legally entitled to do so, the diocese suggested that “common decency would suggest that they go and collect somewhere else”.

While Fine Gael would not comment specifically on the Diocese of Elphin’s stance, a spokesperson told The Irish Catholic that local constituencies and branches arrange Church gate collections “with the civil authorities and use their own discretion in liaising with local Churches”.

A Fianna Fáil spokesperson said that wherever the party conducts collections, “it does so with the relevant permits issued by An Garda Síochána”.

Meanwhile, Bishop Cullinan will officiate at his first Ordination mass on Sunday afternoon.

Knockanore man Rev. Shane O’Neill will be ordained as a priest for the Diocese of Waterford and Lismore at the Church of the Sacred Heart.

Rev. O’Neill will become only the fourth man to be ordained as a Diocesan Priest in Waterford and Lismore since the turn of the Millennium.

Waterford City man Colm O’Brien was ordained in 2000. He died in 2009 at the age of 36 following an illness. Fr. Richard O’Halloran from Carrickbeg was ordained in 2001 and currently is Curate in Portlaw and Ballyduff. Clonmel man Fr. Michael Toomey was ordained in 2009 and is currently Curate of Tramore and Carbally and in 2012 Ballyduff Lower man Fr. John Harris who is currently Curate in Dungarvan was ordained.

Bishop Cullinan recently ordained Clonmel man Dr. Lazarus Gidoff as the first ever permanent deacon in the Diocese of Waterford and Lismore at Saint Oliver’s Church in Clonmel. Last weekend Brendan Gallagher, a former Chairman of the Waterford Ladies Football County Board was accepted as a candidate for the Permanent Diaconate programme in the Diocese of Waterford & Lismore.

Dominicans could be set to stay in Ballybeg for a while longer

The Dominican Friars could be set to continue to serve the people of Ballybeg in Waterford City for sometime to come after Dominican Friars in Drogheda vowed to resist plans to move away from the parish after putting their hope in a technical loophole which would reverse plans to see Friars leave the Parish.

Last September it was announced that the Dominicans were to close centres in Dublin, Drogheda, Athy, Limerick and Ballybeg due to a decline in numbers in the Order and an ageing membership. The Dominicans however at the time said they would be retaining a presence at Bridge Street in Waterford City.

Last September a statement from the Dominican Order said that the decision by the Dominicans to close smaller centres will see them instead focus on having communities with at least six friars.

At the time a passionate protest campaign was launched in Drogheda by the Friars as well as the local community as the order had a presence in the town for almost 800 years.

It has however now been learned that the decision to close the five centres as no formal effect as the decision to close the five centres was made by decision of a Provincial county and that under the orders internal rules, a full Chapter meeting of the entire province was necessary to make a decision to close any community. There is no meeting planned of the Full Chapter until the summer of 2016.

The Dominicans have been in Ireland since 1224. They also have houses in Dublin, Cork, Tallaght, Newry, Dundalk, Newbridge, Waterford, Kilkenny, Tralee, Galway and Sligo.

The Dominican community at Ballybeg was established in 1976 although the parish of St Saviour was established and entrusted to the Waterford Dominicans the previous year.

Senior British Royal to visit West Waterford

West Waterford is set for a Royal Visit at the end of July.

Zara Phillips, Queen Elizabeth’s eldest Grand Daughter and currently 16^th in line of succession to the throne is set to take part at this year’s Campire International Horse Trials outside Cappoquin which take place from 22 to 26 of July.

Zara Phillips who is married to former England Rugby International Mike Tindall, shares the same love of horses as her Grandmother and is understood to be taking three horses to the event which this year has record numbers taking part.

The Royal visitor to West Waterford three years ago took part in the 2012 Olympic Games in London where she won a Silver Medal. She has also won individual and team medals at the European Eventing Championships as well as medals at the World Equestrian Games in the past.

Entries for this years event at Campire have now closed, but the visit of a Senior Royal to the area could well swell the number of spectators at the event.

Royal Visits to the area are not new.

Zara Phillips Uncle Prince Charles and his current wife Camilla visited nearby Lismore in 2004 when he stayed at Lismore Castle for the weekend.

The current Duke of Devonshire Peregrine Andrew Morny Cavendish, the owner of Lismore Castle is a distant cousin of Prince Charles and Zara Phillips mother Princess Anne.