Cllr John Hegarty, Minister Brendan Howlin and Cllr Malcolm Byrne are pictured at the signing of contracts for works to be carried out in Courtown Harbour. Pic: Christy Farrell

It is expected that Courtown Harbour will remain open for use by all craft up to mid-May and then close while specialist repair works necessitated by storm damage are undertaken, and the works will be completed at the end of October.

The official contract for the much anticipated Courtown Piers Storm Damage Repairs Project  was signed at a ceremony in the Civic Centre, Gorey, when Wexford County Council appointed local contractor, Stephen Byrne, Plant & Civil Engineers Contractors, to carry out the €1.5 million programme.

Among those attending the contract signing last Friday were Cllr Malcolm Byrne, Cathaoirleach, Wexford County Council, Cllr John Hegarty, Cathaoirleach and members of Gorey Municipal District, Brendan Howlin, T.D., Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, and Mr. Stephen Byrne, Stephen Byrne Plant & Civil Engineering Contractors.

Also in attendance were Mr John Carley, Director of Services, and Ms Annette O’Neill, Gorey District Director and other officials of Wexford County Council, together with representatives of Malachy Walsh and Partners, who designed the remedial works.

Wexford County Council will also take the opportunity to dredge the harbour basin itself during the course of the works.

Both piers at Courtown Harbour suffered extensive damage during the 2013-‘14 winter storms.

Full report in THE GOREY ECHO this week.