Cllr Jim Codd has sharply criticised Wexford County Council for what he described as the unjustified and poorly communicated removal of local festival signage across the district in recent weeks.
The Independent councillor said that signs for several community events — including the Bannow Rathangan Show, the Kilmore Quay Seafood Festival, and the Rathangan Country Fair — were taken down without any prior notice to organisers. Adding to his frustration, Cllr Codd revealed that signs promoting the Phil Murphy Weekend were also removed just hours after he raised the issue in a council meeting. Speaking to South East Radio News he said:
“Have we any common sense left?” “People work very, very hard in this district to carry out these wonderful events, to bring people into the locality, and to keep the rural Wexford economy going.”
Cllr Codd acknowledged the need for safety when it comes to sign placement but argued that the current approach is damaging and disrespectful to local volunteers and organisers.
“If the signs are in dangerous places or blocking the line of sight, fine — take them down. But at least leave them on the ground and tell the organisers where to collect them. Don’t just remove them without a trace.”
He described how organisers are left frustrated and confused, sometimes out in the evening “driving stakes into hard ground” trying to replace signs that had been removed without explanation.
The councillor has called on the council to adopt a more cooperative and transparent approach moving forward. He urged the council to work with communities, not against them, in supporting local festivals that are vital to tourism, culture, and economic life in rural Wexford.
“We need to be supporting these groups — not creating extra barriers for them,”
