Balbriggan Cricket Club is delighted to announce our Kids Easter Camp.It will be a Fun Games based camp suitable for both complete beginners and kids with some experience in cricket. The camp will be held at our ground in Balbriggan Town Park, located behind St. Peter’s and Pauls Church. Each day will be hosted by our club coaches including Ireland International Lara Maritz , Tess Maritz and our other experienced coaches. All weather facilities will be used if required -To confirm places for your child/children - 1. Book and Pay Viia balbriggancricketclub.com/…/easter-summer…/ 2. And register at balbriggancricketclub.com/youth-registration/ Spaces are limited so book early to avoid disappointment.

Remember us have set up a new adult group on Mondays and Thursday mornings for adults with special needs who are not in a day service or in a community based service and looking for something to do. We are open to new people joining the group. Activities delivered to date were Woodcraft, life skills, and computer sessions. Up coming sessions are Personal Developed and cookery. If anyone would like more information or to join the group or any of our groups please contact Nora /Anne on 0860457003 or email us at hello@rememberus.ie Check out our website for more information www.remember us.ie

Two of our local Balbriggan/North Co Dublin volunteers are husband and wife Andy and Jade. They have a beautiful daughter Sádhbh who is 2 years old. Jade is visually impaired since birth due to optic nerve damage and uses a white cane when out and about. She explains ‘I have limited vision, mainly shadows, and a little colour but not enough to read a full page of print’. Andy, is blind, uses a white cane now as his guide dog Nico retired last year. He is on a waiting list to be matched and trained with a new guide dog when a suitable partnership is found. Before the arrival of Sádhbh, Jade worried if she would know when her daughter was sick or feeling unwell. She didn’t need to worry as her maternal instincts kicked in and as Jade says, ‘I just know’. When Sádhbh was teething, Jade felt that her daughter also had an upset stomach. A visit to the Doctor confirmed Jade was correct, it was a stomach bug. Before Sádhbh was born her parents worried she might be visually impaired as well. Thankfully Sadhbh ‘can see a needle in a haystack’ according to Jade and knows how to show her mother or father something by placing their hand on it. Early on Sádhbh worked out that Andy couldn’t see her and would hide under the table or chair when he called her. The past two years have been very busy for the family, and they have recently moved house. We wish them happiness and success in all they do.

Preparations for Guide Dog Day on Friday 27th May are underway. Please help us raise funds for Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind. Ask your family and friends to sponsor you and challenge yourself to walk, run, swim or dance 100k during the month of May. Or think up your own challenge, bake 100 cakes, read 100 books, write 100 letters, take 100 photographs. We’d love to hear your challenge, phone/text us on 085 766 3107 or email GuideDogsBalbriggan@gmail.com. Or please contact us on Facebook at facebook.com/Balbriggan.Branch.of.Guide.Dogs.

St Patrick’s brass and reed Band are looking for new members both experienced musicians & beginners. We need drummers, trumpeters, trombonists, flute & piccolo players amongst others. All instruments and tuition provided for €5 per week plus a yearly membership of €10. Open to all from age 9 to adult. Get in touch for more info

These Sessions (see our poster) are ideal for a child to try a new sport , are open to boys and girls and the kids are absolutely loving the fun filled sessions. Our next block of sessions will run for 4 weeks and will be €20 for the 4 weeks which are Feb 20th , Feb 27th , Mar 6th & Mar 13th WhatsApp 0860644238 to reserve a place.Places are limited and are filling up quick !!

The Leinster Women’s Committee are delighted to announce the rollout of the U20s Women’s Area programme. This games programme will not be in place of existing Leinster Branch club competitions, but will be an addition specifically for this applicable age group. Training will commence in early March with the first of matches scheduled for the end of March. The programme is open to players who have reached their 18th birthday by the commencement of the games programme, and those who are under the age of 20 on January 1st prior to the season in which the games programme is played. All training will be hosted by Balbriggan RFC with Jeff Neville and Michelle Claffey taking on the coaching duties. For any queries please email footstown@gmail.com

Balbriggan Community Council are asking for the community to come together and support us.
Planning permission was recently granted by An Bord Pleanála, for a 95-unit, 6 storeys high ‘Build to Rent’ apartment complex, on the site of the old Tesco’s, High Street Market, and car park. Balbriggan Community Council (BCC) and local residents have expressed a significant number of concerns regarding the planning process and the planned development. BCC took the difficult decision to lodge a Judicial Review of the development. This is a landmark case for Balbriggan, being the first time that Balbriggan has fought a planning decision in the courts We are not alone in lodging Judicial Reviews of SHDs, up and down the country local residents’ associations, community councils and other voluntary organisations have lodged Judicial Reviews of SHDs in their areas. In the Dublin area alone, Ballyboden, Baldoyle, Balgriffen, and Donabate have lodged appeals in the courts. BCC would like to take the opportunity to thank the community for supporting us in taking this case on their behalf and to express its sincere gratitude for all the donations that have been given. BCC stated “we do however need more donations, the Judicial review is costly at €40,000, we’re at 30% of our target to date but the first payment of €20,000 is due and we are approximately €7,000 short. BCC is asking the community if they could assist by donating to the Judicial Review fund and if they could help spread the word about the campaign.”.
Please give what you can as this is to help your community and your families now and in the future. Balbriggan Community Council needs your help urgently ! Online donations can be made on the iDonate website,.idonate.ie/bcc or lodged into our bank account

Balbriggan Community Council
Permanent TSB
BIC: IPBSIE2D
IBAN: IE45IPBS99066928031495

We can be reached at balbriggancoco@gmail.com if anyone has any further queries.

Creative Writing for Kids with Maeve Devoy (5-weeks) via Zoom

Saturday 26/02/22 - to Saturday 26/03/22 - 1pm - 2.30pm
Suitable for 8-12years - The Hero’s Journey - In this workshop/course, the author, Maeve A. Devoy will take her students through The Hero’s Journey - a classic guide to writing adventure stories. She will detail each stage of the form and provide literary examples,before the students create their own heroes and set off on their own adventures. Focused on fun and creativity, this workshop promises to leave the students with a tried and tested remedy for the stories they want to tell. You can book the course on line at
Booking Eventbrite eventbrite.ie/e/the-heros-journey-tickets-252134971487

Monthly Creative Writing Circle for Teens with Orlaith O Sullivan via Zoom -

Second Monday of each month 7.30pm-8.30pm -14 February ,14 March, 11 April, 9 May, 13 June - Take time for your writing and yourself.

This creative writing circle is a safe, kind space to: strengthen your ability to create and develop your own written work (this can be journaling, fiction, prose, poetry or spoken word).You can work on a piece of your own writing, or you can use the prompt from Orlaith to explore something new and also earn practices to care for your mind and heart, so that you have the energy and courage to keep creating, Yo will also connect with other teen writers. For full details and to register see: orlaithosullivan.com/creative-writing-for-teens.

Balbriggan and District Historical Society Committee members delighted to attend the official opening of the Irish Institute of Music & Song and sod turning for new 400 seat theatre by An Taoiseach Mícheál Martin today in Balbriggan. Wonderful to see the historical buildings including Bedford House being developed into such a wonderful resource for the town. With the college, La La cafe, the accommodation and new event space this will be a fantastic venue of local, national and international importance.

Fingal County Council is delighted to announce the completion of a new public artwork for Balbriggan. The work titled “The Banks” is by Fingal artist Sean Molloy and is located at this prominent coastal site of the same name in the town. The work has been made possible through collaboration with Iarnród Éireann, Balbriggan and the Our Balbriggan team. The project is part of the many initiatives currently underway that demonstrate how art and artists can enliven and celebrate our public spaces.Mayor of Fingal Councillor Seána Ó Rodaigh welcoming the artwork said “I wish to express my praise to great partnerships and opportunities that allow for local artists to be showcased prominently in our villages and towns and it perfectly describes how we in Fingal value the arts and we would like to extend our sincere thanks to Iarnród Éireann Building Surveyor Joy Murray and her Maintenance Team for all their care and attention applied to realise the install of this work at this unique location. Ms Murray commented: “Iarnród Éireann were delighted to support this Artwork project in conjunction with Fingal County Council which improves the Station Embankment wall presentation for the whole Community”. Sean Molloy’s work is inspired by the genre of 17th and 19th century Dutch and English paintings. Of the process Sean explains:“The original painting measures 5 x 8 ft. and took about 18 months to complete. I referenced the marine paintings of the 17th Dutch masters and also later work by19th century artists. He also cites his very own personal connection to the place: “The history of Balbriggan is an impressive one and while working on location I took the chance to study further the town’s key features. For further research I found the publication ‘Balbriggan, A History of the Millennium’ published by Balbriggan and District Historical Society 1999 a very useful source of information. The Banks is currently on view at the Banks from this month and work continues on another work for the area with another local artist and painter Dave West. Keep up to date with all activities on fingalarts.ie