As we approach year end, Balbriggan Meals on Wheels would like to thank, most sincerely, all those who supported the service throughout 2021. Huge thanks to all the volunteers and staff who enabled Meals on Wheels to continue providing meals despite the continuing challenges of Covid 19.In the run up to Christmas Balbriggan Meals on Wheels is seeking donations to help with the continuation of their service. You can help by making a monetary donation through the Balbriggan Meals on Wheels Facebook page or you can send your donation to Balbriggan Meals on Wheels, 14 Hampton Street, Balbriggan.

You can also assist in the annual Food Drive in order to prepare hampers of food and essential items for distribution within the wider Balbriggan community. Donations of non-perishable foods and essential hygiene items can be brought to Balbriggan Meals on Wheels from Monday to Saturday from 9am to 1pm.Balbriggan Meals on Wheels is looking forward to continuing to provide meals for those in need in our community throughout 2022. They would like to wish all their service users and supporters all the very best wishes for Christmas and hope 2022 will be an easier year for everyone. Stay safe everyone over the festive period!

Balbriggan Meals on Wheels,
14 Hampton Street, Balbriggan.
Tel : 01 8416743
Email: mealsonwheelsbalbriggan@gmail.com

Balbriggan Woman Kathleen Byrne has written a wonderful book about her life growing up in Balbriggan , her experiences of entering a religious order and how it’s impacted her life since. A brilliant read and an insight into the life growing up in Balbriggan in the 40’s and 50’s. Born into an Irish Catholic family, Kathleen entered a religious order in France when she was 17 years old. Working and living in the prison of La Roquette, she was thrown into the Parisian underworld of crime, drugs and prostitution. Without any training and very little knowledge of the language, she struggled with homesickness, despair and loneliness. She found consolation in her faith and in knowing that she was doing God’s will. But was this enough to sustain her mental and physical strength? How did this experience affect her future? Years of living with low self-esteem, fear of God and authority, together with doubts in faith and religion took its toll. However, hoping and praying for better things to come, love found a way” The Book is available to buy online from Amazon and the Book depository.

Our Christmas cards, 8 in a pack of 4 different designs, (suggested donation) €6, 2 packs €10, calendar (suggested donation) €10, can be found in Balbriggan; Baxters Butchers, and Donal Hayes Chiropodist, Clonard St; Suds Laundrette, Drogheda St; Cuddles Pet Shop, Millfield Shopping Centre; Java the Hut, Balbriggan Business Campus, Harry Reynolds Road and Balbriggan Train Station; Jill’s Garden Centre, Barnageera. Skerries; McMeels Pharmacy and Oakes Pharmacy, Strand St; Skerries Hardware, Thomas Hand St; Stacks Pharmacy, Holmpatrick. Swords; Lissenhall Vets; Petstop, Airside Retail Park. Corduff; Irish Rosettes Pet Shop. ‘Yarrow’, puppy raised by local volunteer Anne Mulligan, is featured for May in our calendar with his temporary boarder Padraig Sheehan. Padraig tells us ‘My Grandfather lost his sight at 76. I witnessed first-hand the challenges facing visually impaired people. I’ve volunteered since 2015 and a dog stays with me during their training. On my way to work I leave the dog into the Training Centre and pick them up on my way home. Each dog has an unique personality. My last lodger was Yarrow, a gentle giant who is working wonders in his new home as an assistance dog. He is perfect for this role, so well behaved, placid and calm. He gives and loves cuddles. My latest lodger Nell, is half his size but twice the energy. A real pocket rocket who follows me everywhere around the house. Yarrow was happy to watch me pottering about until he thought food was involved! Though different they share many of the same traits, well behaved, obedient, attentive and calm on the lead. Nell is going to be an assistance dog too. During training each dog’s character is assessed and matched with a child and family which compliments both the dog and family, creating a perfect partnership. I love seeing their development throughout their training. Though sad and a little teary eyed, seeing them leave, I’m always so proud of them when they go on to change someone’s life. Both Yarrow and Nell benefitted from the love and attention their puppy raisers gave them.’Phone/text: 085 7663107. Email: GuideDogsBalbriggan@gmail.com Facebook Balbriggan.Branch.of.Guide.Dogs

Everyone at Balbriggan Cricket Club was saddened to hear of the recent passing of Karl Birch after a long illness which he quietly fought with incredible strength and dignity. Karl was a regular at our ground watching games and supporting his son Eoin who plays with our 1st team and has played for several Leinster and Ireland underage teams. Karl was a genuinely funny and generous man who always had a smile and a joke. He was someone you loved to meet at the ground and a brilliant bloke to chat and spend time with. The club would like to send our sincere condolences to Karl’s beloved wife Antoinette and their twins Eoin and Emma who Karl was so incredibly proud of in every way. May Karl rest in peace

We at Balbriggan Rugby hosted our first home Youth Leinster League match of the season lin mid October, when our U16’s played Lansdowne OB/DLPSP. It was a tough match, against very good opposition, with Balbriggan holding out for a win. Well done to all the team coaches and mentors.

Balbriggan and District Historical Society would like to thank Anthony McMahon who presented the Society with the Medal awarded to his brother Terence for his part in the Siege of Jadotville in the Congo 1961. The medal was presented to us following the unveiling of a memorial plaque on Terence’s grave. The Society looks forward to the time when we can display the Medal with our other artefacts in a Museum in Balbriggan. Also the society recently presented a Sack of Balbriggan commemorative medal to President Michael D Higgins at Aras an Uachtarain. The society is this year celebrating its 40th Anniversary following its foundation in 1981. Last year the society organised a number of events to mark the centenary of the Sack of Balbriggan which occured on the night of 20th September 1920.

Fingal County Council has appointed Leah Walshe as the new Community Development Officer assigned to the Balbriggan area. She succeeds Mick Dunne who had held the post for several years.Leah, who has worked for Fingal County Council for the past five years, had been based in Dublin 15. She has over 20 years’ experience of working with a broad range of communities in the Philippines, the Caribbean, Australia and in Ireland and has a social justice background with an emphasis on upholding standards of honesty, ethics and integrity.She has academic qualifications in International Community Development, Journalism and Housing and has extensive experience in the social sector with a focus on vulnerable migrant families and children as well as having a firm understanding of the asylum system internationally and the situation of migrants in Ireland.Speaking, following the announcement of her appointment, Leah Walshe said: “Balbriggan is the youngest and one of the fastest growing and most diverse communities in the country. This brings with it many strengths, but there are also many challenges that come with rapid change over a short period of time. As the Community Officer in Balbriggan I want to create opportunities for meaningful interaction between people from all backgrounds. I want to mitigate prejudice whilst increasing constructive attitudes. I want to support the process for building trust and understanding and I want to help create a common identity.”Leah has commenced her role in recent weeks and is currently preparing for the full easing of COVID-19 restrictions by Government on 22 October with plans being drawn up for a reopening reception and launch of the Fingal Community and Sports Hub in Balbriggan which will include a series of open days showcasing a range of community groups, and community support services.

Our TIdy Towns project “Turning Grey to Green” began yesterday as part of FCC’s Anti-Litter; Anti-Graffiti initiative.With the help of TYs from Loreto, phase one involved painting over a lot of unsightly graffiti. The next phase will involve planting pollinator friendly ivies and other climbers to increase the biodiversity of this sterile wall. Changing graffitied walls to green walls, which provide food and habitats for our pollinators, is a much more environmental and sustainable way of dealing with this anti-social problem. We plan to implement this idea at other locations too.
Thank you to our wonderful Loreto team, their teachers, our own volunteers and FCC for the necessary funding

Ballyboughal Pitch & Putt Club are Fingal and East Meath Champions for the second year in a row. The competition held at Ring Common Pitch & Putt Club recently, was closely fought out throughout the Competition and up until the evening of the Final. East Meath opposition, Bellewstown, had a narrow half-point lead coming into the Final, in front of Ballyboughal Team A, with Skerries/Laytown following closely with only a point and half in the difference from the table toppers But it was Ballyboughal with three wins and a draw that rose up the table so unlike previous years in this competition, no play-off was needed.Ballyboughal and Ring Commons had entered two teams into the Competition, allowing for more players to take part and following Covid Guidelines for the Safe Return to Sport. It was Bllyboughal’s Team A that were victorious. Their Captain Jimmy Browne was delighted to accept the trophy from Fingal Mayor Councillor Seána Ó Rodaigh, who gave her support to the competition on the night.“It’s great to have teams from Fingal and East Meath taking part and for the Fingal Sports Office to provide support” said the Mayor “the social aspect of this competition is so important for all participants”. The competition, now in its sixth year, was created by Ballyboughal Stalwart Ronnie Delaney, with the support of the Fingal Sports Development Officer, Caitriona Geraghty. The Fingal & East Meath Pitch Putt Championship was established back in 2015 to promote the game of Pitch & Putt in Fingal.“It has become a permanent fixture in the Fingal Sports Calendar, and this is in no small effort to the great work done by Ronnie Delaney”, said Caitríona Geraghty, Fingal Sports Development Officer” stated “even a Global Pandemic wouldn’t stop him from holding this competition”.

Balbriggan & District Historical Society are delighted to celebrate this significant milestone however all celebrations are restricted of course at this time. Jim Walsh Librarian at the time and his colleague Don Griffin worked were joined on the first committee by Michael Banim, Antonia Cassin, Pauline Corcoran, Marion Crane, Bernie Healy, Eileen McKenna and last but not least May and Pat McKeon.Our society was inaugurated on Thursday 16th July 1981 with the name of Balbriggan Historical and Cultural Society – Cumann Stair agus Cultúir Bhaile Brigin and the main aims were to promote an interest in the local history of the area through lectures, publications and exhibitions and also to establish a Museum in the Balbriggan District. The first ever presentation was ‘The Gaelic Placenames of Fingal’ by Brendan Scally and was followed by Bob Browne- The building of the Dublin-Drogheda Railway –1838-1844. Next was Christy Geraghty with an illustrated lecture of Local Shipwrecks with particular reference to Sarah of Runcorn (1873) and Bell Hill (1875). In 1982 the Committee decided to hold an exhibition in the Grand Hotel and exceeded all expectations in terms of both participation and also attendance. We were delighted by the generosity of the populace who gladly donated many items of historical and familial interest. . May McKeon remembers with fondness some of the talks on the ‘Balbriggan flyer’ Harry Reynolds, Balbriggan’s daughter Sinead Bean De Valera nee Flanagan and several talks covering the 1916 events in Fingal.Of particular pride to May is also the event organised in 2017 to commemorate the hugely important Siege of Jadotville in the Congo in 1961 and the heroic efforts of Balbriggan native Pte Terence Joseph McMahon. One particular source of pride to Chairperson Brian Howley is the enormous effort that the Committee undertook to ensure the Centenary of the Sack of Balbriggan last year 2020 would have a fitting and appropriately respectful commemoration and there are still a small amount of the beautiful Commemorative Medals available. We are still very determined to find a Museum building to house our significant artefacts and historical items – who knows somewhere on Bremore Castle site may yet be an option? To anyone who has attended our talks and seminars, our historical walkabouts, our summer tours, our school’s programmes Brian says that we thank you most sincerely for all of your support and we look forward to the next 40 years with great positivity and enthusiasm.Balbriggan Historical Society can be contacted at Balbrigganhistsoc@gmail.com