‘Rush job’ to be done properly this time

February 1998

Residents of High Street in Wexford are facing more disruption as the cobblestones outside of the Theatre Royal are to be reset, less than six months after being laid.

The cobbles, which have caused some consternation amongst locals because of their uneven surface, have to be taken up and replaced by the contractor as the original work was ‘unsatisfactory’.

According to a spokesperson for Wexford Corporation, the cobbles were put down in a hurry last October to meet a deadline before the opening of Wexford Festival Opera.

However, since then a number of stones have become dislodged, and are hazardous to pedestrians.

‘ They were not satisfactory. They were put down in a hurry for the Festival, but they need to be sorted out now,’ she said.

Wexford Corporation last week advertised the closure of High Street while the work is being carried out, however, the contractors are doing tests with quick drying cement, which if successful, will mean that the road can remain open.

‘We don’t know if we’ll have to close the road or not. But the Corporation has to advertise the road closure just in case it needs to be closed for even an hour or two,’ she said.

It is still unclear whether the contractor will put down the same type of stones outside of the Theatre, or will opt for ones with a smoother surface.

A number of local people have complained about the rough surface of the existing cobbles, claiming they are dangerous to walk on.

However, it is certain that whatever stones do go down will be a different colour to those on the rest of the street. This will also be the case in other parts of the town which have been earmarked for cobble-locking.