This year’s International Men’s Health Week was marked by Fingal County Council with a number of different activities taking place around the county with various sports clubs including a ‘come and try’ Aikido event hosted in Balbriggan by Takemusu Aikido Society.
International Men’s Health Week took place from Monday 10th until Sunday 16th June. It was a reason to remind the public that regular physical activity helps to improve overall health and prevent heart diseases, strokes, diabetes and even cancer.
Aikido is the art of unbalancing the aggressor making him so weak that even people beyond their prime can do it without applying excessive power. But it is only possible when a person maintains his own physical and mental balance.
Therefore aikido focuses on self-balance, awareness and body coordination enabling one to execute techniques without relying on physical strength. This idea seems attractive to older people as about 70% of aikido practitioners worldwide are over 40-years-old. Balbriggan’s men became no exception.
Speaking about the discipline and of its benefits, Raman sensei of Takemusu Aikido Society explained, “Middle-aged people who haven’t exercised for years may be sceptical about it and won’t dare to try. Well, football or rugby is not an option for them, but can they do something else during several decades of active life ahead? An unexpected answer could be traditional martial arts, such as aikido.”
“Many never considered the discipline because martial arts are associated with aggressive fighting, only suitable for young strong men. However, aikido focusing on self-development and self-improvement differs from this stereotype,” he added.
The free come-and-try aikido session saw a few local men in their 40s from Balbriggan and Naul even brave and curious enough to show up at the dojo. The class focused on exploring the core elements of the aikido curriculum and its potential health benefits.
Raman sensei, who spent a decade learning aikido in Japan, began the class with warming-up and core strength exercises, which are essential for maintaining healthy muscles and joints, as well as for developing body balance, stability and coordination. Then he explained safe falling techniques that can prevent injuries caused by slips, trips and falls accidents, which are among the main causes of musculoskeletal injuries in Ireland.
After that, participants delved into Aikido techniques. They tried to replicate basic forms and apply their newly acquired safe-falling skills. After each basic technique, Raman sensei demonstrated how the basic form can evolve into more advanced forms and practical applications.
At the end of the class, all attendees were tired but extremely excited. They enjoyed every second on the mats and hopefully, found their lifelong passion!
The members of Balbriggan ICA had a wonderful trip to Brussels on 17th April and were treated to a tour of the European Parliament while they were there. The ladies met up with members from Lusk ICA who also went on the trip, which was kindly organized by Lorraine Clifford-Lee.
The ladies were looked after very well by Darragh Gallagher and Wilfred King on their visit and Darragh brought them to the European Parliament where they were given a talk on all the MEPs and how the Parliament operates.
They also got the opportunity to try out the interactive floor map that takes visitors on a virtual tour around Europe, highlighting more than 100 stories on the diversity of the continent. The ladies also visited the very impressive parliamentary chamber building where we posed for photos.
Following some time for shopping and the many delicious Chocolate shops they relaxed and had dinner in the lively Irish bar Kitty O’Shea’s.
St. Mary’s Baton Twirlers have had a productive and impactful first quarter of the year with 12 athletes qualifying at the ABTI National Trials to be part of a 46-strong Irish Squad that will compete in the EFBT European Championships in Czech Republic in July.
The club also hosted a Thrive Connect Cafe facilitated by Aoife from Thrive Balbriggan in the Bracken Court Hotel. “It was lovely for different generations from the club to get together and discuss the importance of girls and women to be involved and stay in sports. There were also discussions on issues around the fast pace of changes in technology for the older generation. Thanks to Fingal Community Development Office for supporting this event for International Women’s Day,” a spokesperson for the club said.
Additionally, coaches from the club were present at the launch of Fingal County Council’s guide to becoming an anti-racism organisation and they took some time to chat with Deputy Mayor of Fingal Councillor Grainne Maguire.
The club stated its commitment to not only excel in their sport but also engage in meaningful discussions and community initiatives reflects the values of teamwork, leadership, and social awareness within the organisation.
The Hello, How Are You, mental health awareness event took place in Balbriggan on 7th April. Hello, How Are You is a new mental health promotion campaign by Mental Health Ireland.
The campaign asks individuals, communities, workplaces, friends & family to say ‘Hello’ and ask the question ‘How Are You?’ in a meaningful way! The campaign is about tackling the lack of connection or belonging that people experience. It aims to inspire people to ask how others are feeling, opening up a conversation to allow people to listen and encourage action by directing people to any local supports and services in their area.
Balbriggan is unique in being the only town in Ireland with its own Thrive organisation and our very own ‘Thrive Balbriggan’.
During the event, representatives from the Thrive Balbriggan committee were at numerous different locations throughout Balbriggan meeting with the public at places.
During the day there was singing in the square at Ardgillan Community College and the Mayor was also present to mark the day and say a few words.
Check out the Hello How Are You website for more information and further resources. https://hellohowareyou.info
Skerries €109,709
Currachaí na Sceirí Boat Trailer, Racks, Safety Equipment and Currach Rowing €24,124
Skerries Sea Scouts New canoes, boats & equipment. Canoeing / Kayaking €41,985
Mourne Celtic Football Club Sports Battery Power all weather lighting kit Soccer €7,600
Man O’War GFC New Mower Gaelic Games €36,000
Balbriggan €133,832
Balbriggan Table Tennis Club Replacement Table Tennis Tables Table Tennis €3,000
Fingal Rowing Club Coastal Rowing Equipment Rowing €29,450
Balbriggan & Skerries Angling Club Improve facility/grow membership. €8,225
Balrothery Football Club Sports Equipment Soccer €23,583
North County Cricket Club Ltd Roller & Cricket equipment Cricket €69,574
Lusk Rush €44,458
Lusk Ravens Basketball Club Electronic Scoreboard Basketball €4,458
Rush Cricket Club Rush Cricket Club outfield mower Cricket €40,000
The announcement that 11 sporting clubs in Dublin Fingal West will receive €288,000 in Lotto Equipment Sporting Grants has been warmly welcomed by all clubs involved.
The funding is part of a package of over €26m has been approved in equipment grants to 900 sporting organisations nationwide, the largest-ever funding for sports equipment under the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme.
The financial assistance will be of practical benefit to the 11 clubs, their members and athletes in the Dublin Fingal West Constituency said Cllr Tom O’Leary.
“I have lobbied the Department of Finance to substantially revise upwards the allocations under the National Development Plan for sports grants. We need to address the growing need for sports facilities as we are set to build 50,000 new Homes per annum Ireland and Fingal. In my opinion the fund needs to double or grow 100% to meet demand for new and upgraded sports facilities for our young vibrant population,” he said.
The 2023 Programme has generated 3,210 applications and total funding applied for is €359 million representing an 80% increase over the amount applied for in the 2020.
“The voluntary work done by club members needs to be supported by an increase in funding to this sector particularly in a year when we will celebrate Irish Athletes competing in the Olympics in France,” Cllr O’Leary added.
Work will now commence on assessing the “Capital” (all weather pitches, clubhouses etc…) and applications with the allocations to be announced later this year.
Balbriggan Meals on Wheels will be holding a bucket collection at various locations in Balbriggan on the weekend of Friday 14th to Sunday 16th June. Please give generously when you meet their collectors. Please note all official collectors will hold the relevant permit. All money donated goes towards Balbriggan Meals on Wheels work in our community. If you wish to make an online donation to Balbriggan Meals on Wheels, you can do so by copying the following link into your browser https://www.idonate.ie/cause/BalbrigganMealsonWheels or by scanning the QR code.
Balbriggan Meals on Wheels has been providing meals to the most vulnerable members of our community since 1975 and was awarded the Community Heros of the Year Award at the 2023 Balbriggan Town Awards.
An exciting milestone in the €50million Balbriggan Regeneration project has been reached, with the appointment of a design team to redevelop the De Bruns site.
Fingal County Council has appointed Dublin-based architects McCullough Mulvin to lead the multi-disciplinary Integrated Design Team (IDT) for the transformation of 6a-14 Bridge Street.
The Integrated Design Team model, which employs local stakeholder engagement to progress plans, has already been successfully deployed on other ‘Our Balbriggan’ projects, including the Quay Street and Harbour development and creative hub at 2-4 Dublin Street.
Fingal County Council has proposed that the 10,000 square metre site be used as a mix of commercial, community and residential development, with the River Bracken at its heart.
The plan is to link Millpond Park to a new park entrance at 14 Bridge Street to facilitate a pedestrian and cyclist route down to the transformed Quay Street and Harbour area.
Building facades on Bridge Street are to be maintained to preserve the existing street line as De Bruns is located in an Architectural Conservation Area while the biodiversity, environmental, archaeological and ecological impact of the development will also be keenly assessed. Demolition work has already taken place adjacent to and at the rear of the De Bruns site.
According to Dr David Begg, Chairperson of the Our Balbriggan Leadership Group, the process will be marked by intensive engagement. “There will be significant and intensive consultation and engagement through workshops and meetings with a wide range of local stakeholders,” he said.
Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Adrian Henchy, said when complete, the development will provide a new main street experience for Balbriggan. “It will prove a focal point for economic, social and leisure opportunities in the town,” he said.
It is envisaged planning permission for the redevelopment of the De Bruns site will be sought in 2025, with the project completed in 2028.
Every year the month of May brings fun and exciting fundraisers for the arrival of Guide Dog Day. In the lead up to this year’s Guide Dog Day, which fell on 24th May, Balbriggan/North County Dublin Guide Dogs branch member Tom O’Neill and Guide Dog Qeb attended the final of the blind soccer tournament organised in Swords Community College to fundraise after Tom and Qeb gave a talk to the transition year students.
The teams were made up of boys and girls, along with teachers who were all blindfolded when the games went on and used a ball that had a bell in it.
“We want to thank Vision Sports Ireland for supplying the footballs. A great afternoon was had and awareness for blindness and guide dogs was raised. We also want to give a special thanks to teachers Katie and Sarah who coordinated the talk and fundraiser,” a spokesperson for the branch said.
The branch were busy fundraising outside Tesco in Millfield Shopping Centre Balbriggan for Guide Dog Day on Friday 24th May and they will be there once again on Saturday 25th
“A big thank you to everyone who came and said hello and supported us. If you missed us, not to worry, as our Branch will be attending Balbriggan Summerfest this year, held in Bremore Castle and grounds over the June Bank holiday weekend. If you would like to support us or potentially meet some of our wonderful Guide Dogs come along and say hello! Hopefully the sun will be shining. Keep an eye on our social media pages for more information on dates and times,” the spokesperson added.
If you are interested in volunteering with us please feel free to contact us at Balbriggan/North County Dublin Branch of Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind. Phone/text: 085-7663107; Email: guidedogsbalbriggan@gmail.com. Find us on Facebook: Balbriggan Branch of Guide Dogs
Hosting the Leinster Rugby Women’s Finals Day was a huge undertaking for our club. A lot of work went on behind the scenes to ensure that the day would be the success that it deserved to be, showcasing women in sport and what community clubs do best.
The event would not have been possible without the support and assistance of Cllr Tony Murphy who helped secure funding from Fingal County Council and Our Balbriggan for the event. Thanks also to Breffni O’Rourke of Our Balbriggan and Gerry Reardon of Fingal Sports Office for their support of this major event. The day epitomised that when clubs and community come together, we can achieve great things. Thank you to our neighbours North County Cricket Club for the use of their dressing rooms to help facilitate the 12 teams taking part in Leinster Women’s Finals Day. North County Cricket Club could not have been more helpful to us. Thank you to Marc Hynes at Java the Hut Artisan Coffee Roasters who went to great effort to set us up with an outdoor coffee dock. Marc and his team were also busy preparing for the London Coffee Festival, which they attended at the weekend. Well done Marc and the Java the Hut team. Thank you to Donogh McGowan at Gerrard L.McGowan Solicitors who put in a lot of hours in helping us to secure the one day licence for the bar. A big thank you as well to the Moriarty family and The Bracken Court Hotel for their support of the Leinster Rugby Women’s Finals Day at Balbriggan RFC. The Moriarty family and the Bracken Court Hotel have helped Balbriggan RFC as well as other clubs in our Community for many years. Without their support, Sunday’s festival of rugby at Balbriggan RFC could not have happened. They pulled out all the stops ensuring that the bar on the day and catering for all the teams was run in the most professional manner. Thank you from everyone at Balbriggan RFC. All of these things coming together helped the day run smoothly and successfully.
