Eight men left out in the cold and rain

March 1982

An overtime dispute in Wexford County Council meant that a wreath-laying ceremony did not go ahead as planned on Sunday morning, and the eight men who were due to perform it were instead left standing out in the cold and rain.

Members of the Wexford branch of the National Graves Association were scheduled to carry out the annual wreath-laying ceremony at Hill Street in Wexford, at the execution site of Parle, Creane and Hogan three Republicans who were shot in March 1923.

They arrived on time at 12.15 p.m., but one hour later, they were still standing outside the locked gates of the County Hall.

Arrangements had been made earlier in the week with County Council officials for access to be allowed, but eight angry men ended up going home wet and cold with no wreath laid when nobody arrived with the keys.

It transpired during the week that the situation had arisen because of the fact that the Council had failed to come to a Sunday overtime payment arrangement with the person who was designated to open the gates.

The crux has since been sorted out and the ceremony will now instead go ahead next Sunday morning.

Members of the National Graves Association are anxious that the execution site and memorial at the jail be cleaned up and preserved, and there was a discussion at a recent meeting of Wexford Corporation on whether the NGA or the County Council should take over the project.

Further discussions between Association officials and officers of the Council will take place after Sunday’s event.