Monday 19th May, between 3-6pm, you are invited to the Volunteer Expo at the Grand Hotel Malahide, which promises to be an informative, exciting and inspiring event.
Hosted by Fingal Volunteer Centre, the Volunteer Expo is a unique opportunity to explore volunteer roles with 30+ local / national charities and not-for-profit organisations throughout Fingal and North Dublin, which all rely on volunteers to help them make a difference in our communities.
Whether you’re new to volunteering or would like to try something different, this Expo is the perfect place to start. You will have the opportunity to speak directly with representatives from organisations about their various volunteer roles.
As an active volunteer himself, the Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Brian McDonagh will be visiting to show his support to volunteering.
There will be a wide variety of organisations ready to answer your questions. Among them, the Irish Cancer Society, Dog Trust, Mental Health Ireland, ALONE, Pieta, the Irish Red Cross, Meals on Wheels, RNLI, Age Action, Irish Girls Guides, Foróige, Howth & Sutton Autism Friendly, Portmarnock Integrated Arch Club, Skerries Community Association, and many more.
Visitors will also have the opportunity to learn and practice CPR with Malahide & Portmarnock Community First Responders.
The Malahide Lions Club will be raising public awareness on their ‘Message in a Bottle’ project aimed to encourage people to keep their medical information easily accessible.
Phoenix FM Community Radio will be doing an Outside Broadcast, speaking to volunteers and organisations about their experiences.
For the visitors interested in volunteering their skills with organisations that have board vacancies, Boardmatch will be giving information on this particular type of volunteering that is critical to the running of organisations.
The landscape of volunteering has evolved significantly in recent years. You can find one-time opportunities like stewarding at Flavours of Fingal, monthly commitments like driving patients for the Irish Cancer Society, joining a charity’s board member, or more regular roles like befriending for an hour every week. There is something for everyone!
The Volunteer Expo will mark the beginning of National Volunteering Week which runs from the Monday 19th to Sunday 25th of May.
For more information visit the Fingal Volunteer Centre www.volunteerfingal.ie, email: info@ volunteerfingal.ie or call 01 8991921.
The rich heritage of Fingal’s textile industry is currently being celebrated with a new exhibition at Ardgillan Gallery inspired by unique embroidery and lace patterns that originated from the area nearly 250 years ago.
This project aims to preserve and celebrate Fingal’s rich textile manufacturing legacy through a collaborative arts and local heritage initiative. Our project involves a group of artists who are in the process of creating original artworks inspired by the area’s history, particularly a number of unique artefacts originating from the Smyth & Co. hosiery factory formerly based in Balbriggan.
These artefacts, a set of three unique embroidery and lace pattern sample catalogues, serve as direct witnesses to Balbriggan’s vibrant social history spanning two centuries. Between the 1780s and the 1980s the work and social life that revolved around the town’s textile factories dictated the pace of life. This still resonates in Balbriggan’s identity today, evoking memories and inspiring new artworks and enterprises.
The exhibition opened on Saturday 12th April with an engaging speech by the artist David Newton and it was very well attended. The exhibition will continue until Sunday 11th of May and there are a number of accompanying events taking place.
Pharmacies need to come on board en masse to deliver the free HRT that women need, a Fine Gael TD has said. Grace Boland, Fine Gael TD for Dublin Fingal West, said that while details of the free HRT scheme will come as a relief to women around the country, pharmacists may be reluctant to engage.
Deputy Boland said: “I am grateful to Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill for engaging with all stakeholders including the Irish Pharmacy Union to ensure this scheme was rolled out. Implementing the free HRT scheme announced by her predecessor was always a priority for the Minister since she took office.
“Minister Carroll MacNeill is committed to supporting each participating community pharmacy by paying them a €5 dispensing fee per HRT product dispensed to all eligible patients, including those existing patients under the GMS/DPS Schemes and for all other patients prescribed HRT (“private patients”) and a €1,000 once-off grant to every participating community pharmacy.
“The implementation of the scheme should focus on the women in need of this medication. The symptoms women encounter during perimenopause and menopause are varied and women’s lives are hugely impacted by these symptoms. We need to focus on why HRT is such an important medicinal regime for women and how it can positively impact their lives and make daily living more bearable.
“I would urge all pharmacies including those the Irish Pharmacy Union represent to engage with the scheme proposed today by the Minister. It is essential that women have the support of their local trusted pharmacist when embarking on any medication; in particular, if any changes are needed during their treatment. Women will no doubt contact their own pharmacies to encourage them to engage with the scheme so they can be provided with the free medication they are now entitled to.”
In what is believed to be a first in Ireland, Fingal County Council has launched an ambitious new project that aims to reimagine housing estates as thriving spaces for both people and wildlife.
To help deliver a vision for greener and more vibrant communities, the council is now inviting local resident associations to nominate their area for a biodiversity makeover. The aim is to help transform underused or uncared for areas within a housing area into biodiversity-friendly space, creating areas that are more welcoming for nature, more engaging for locals, and more attractive for residents and visitors alike.
Urban areas offer great opportunities for wildlife. However, it is not always clear how to create the ideal urban habitat for a wide range of species. To help breathe new life into our urban spaces, making them greener, more beautiful, and more connected to nature, Fingal wishes to undertake a biodiversity makeover of three housing estates across the county to identify the most cost-effective way to make a housing estate more biodiversity friendly.
The makeover will cover the open spaces and front gardens of those residents interested in making their own gardens more biodiversity friendly. The species groups being targeted are breeding birds, bats, amphibians and insects. Biodiversity improvement measures include meadows, tree and scrub planting, ponds and wetlands, log piles, bird and bat boxes, no pesticide use and pollinator friendly garden planting.
Once the three housing estates are selected, a landscape architect will work with the local residents to re-design their open space and an ecologist will carry out a baseline survey to see what wildlife is there at the moment. The design is to be done over the summer months and we hope to carry out the improvement works in early autumn.
The ecologist will be monitoring the wildlife in the housing estate over the five years of the project to see which measures have the most beneficial impact on wildlife. The Council wants to involve the residents in the monitoring so that they too can get a good understanding what wildlife lives on their doorstep.
Resident Associations can learn more about the concept and find application details via: https://fingal.live/2p9czpmx. The deadline for submitting applications is 2nd May 2025. Any queries regarding this initiative can also be sent to biodiversity@fingal.ie.
Labour Councillor Mark Boland is one of two new councillors who have been co-opted to Fingal County Council to help fill vacancies created in the Rush-Lusk and Castleknock Local Electoral Areas.
Labour nominated Cllr Boland to fill the new vacancy created by the departure of Kevin Humphries. He will represent the Rush-Lusk area. Endorsed by Cllr Brendan Ryan, Cllr Boland said it was a huge honour and privilege to accept a role as local councillor.
Saying that he was immensely proud to call Fingal home, Cllr Boland said that having worked within the Irish media industry for a number of decades that he has been taught the value of collaboration, creativity, perseverance, and dedication. Alongside his professional career, he said that he has been deeply involved in the community, whether that is playing, coaching, or leading local football and soccer clubs or serving on the various community committees. Becoming a Councillor in the region, he said, would allow him to help amplify the voices of the local people and help build a thriving and inclusive community.
Meanwhile, Solidarity nominated Cllr Helen Redwood following last year’s General Election that saw Deputy Ruth Coppinger move to Dáil Éireann in the Castleknock constituency. Cllr John Burtchaell supported her nomination.
Fingal County Council have been allocated €20m funding from The National Transport Authority for the ongoing delivery of active travel schemes in 2025.
With a total of €294m being awarded to local authorities, this funding will support a range of walking and cycling schemes including improved pedestrian environments, new segregated cycling lanes, pedestrian and cycling bridges and pedestrian crossings.
Welcoming this announcement, Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Brian McDonagh said: ’’ We are very happy to have received this funding from the NTA. It is a significant support and endorsement for our commitment to Active Travel in Fingal. Active Travel has many benefits for the entire community, it is an essential tool to fight global heating and will deliver a healthier environment for everyone. We want to push harder and do more so we will happily take all the funding we can get.’’
This funding has been awarded to 48 different projects in the Fingal area and includes a variety of Active Travel investments such as Fingal Coastal Way, Donabate Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge, Harry Reynolds Road Cycleway in Balbriggan, Feltrim Road Cycling Infrastructure and Skerries Active Travel Plan.
16 Schools will receive funding under the Safe Routes to School Programme which aims to improve ongoing issues of safety and congestion at the school gate. It also focuses on improving routes to school by improving walking and cycling infrastructure.
To learn more about active travel and strategic infrastructure projects in Fingal visit www.fingal.ie/activetravel
Fingal County Council has announced updated charges for its non-recyclable and green household waste at its Recycling Centres located at Estuary in Swords and Coolmine in Dublin 15.
Charges for disposing of household recyclable waste at the centres is free and remains unchanged.
The Council stated that, “The changes reflect a balanced approach to maintaining and improving this vital local service while addressing the expanded expenditure costs. A review of the service by the council found that there had been a significant rise in the use of the recycling centres resulting in a deficit of costs for managing and maintaining the facilities. This has risen from €0.8m in 2015 to more than €2m for the current year.”
Locals will now have to pay €12 for a car boot containing General Waste (e.g. bulky waste such as carpet, mattresses, wood, metal, etc., with full cars, jeeps and SUVs charged €30; Small vans or cars with a trailer will now be charged at €50 while
Vans (Transit size) will now see a cost of €128.
Car boots of Green Waste (e.g. grass clippings, leaves, tree branches and trimmings, etc.) are now charged at €6 with a full carload, Jeep or SUV priced at €10 while Small vans and cars with trailers charged at €35 and vans (Transit size) at €80.
The council also stated, “While the access costs will rise for the domestic non-recyclable and green waste service at the Fingal facilities, it is important to note that there remains no charge for disposing of recyclable items at the Swords and Coolmine centres. This would include items such as paper, bottles, clothes, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), tins and discarded cooking oil.”
A detailed list of items that are accepted at the two facilities can be found on the Council’s website: https://www.fingal.ie/recycling-centres
Celebrating 20 years this month, experience TradFest everywhere you go, from the Mountains of South Dublin across Dublin City and to the castles and coastline of historic Fingal.
Now in its third year in Fingal the festival will return to the many unique and historic venues across the region: Malahide Castle, Swords Castle Chapel, The Millbank Theatre, Skerries Mill, Draíocht Theatre and the iconic Seamus Ennis Arts Centre, while increasing its musical footprint in additional new venues: The Lark, Ardgillan Castle, The Abbey Tavern and Donabate Community Centre.
Fingal Acts for 2025 include: Karen Casey - The Women we will rise, Jacqui Martin & Derek Hickey, Tara Breen, Eoghan ó’Ceannabhaín, Mike Hanrahan and Eleanor Shanley, Luka Bloom, Ines Khai, Molly O’Mahony, Paudie O’Connor & Aoife Ni Chaoimh, Emma Langford, Stockton’s Wing -Voices from Fingal Mick Hanly with Anto Drennan and Eoin O’Neill, The Henry Girls, Bernadette Nic Gabhann, Frank, O’Rourke & John Feely, Molly Donnery, Brídín, Sorcha Costello, Evelyn Kallansee & Declan Sinnott
There will also be a special celebration of the actor, local resident and TradFest patron Stephen Rea. The Oscar-nominated and multi award-winning actor has for long had a global reputation for his exceptional skills on both stage and screen.
Over four nights in The Lark Theatre, Balbriggan, TradFest will honour Stephen through words and music. Joining Stephen over the 4 nights will be poet Paul Muldoon and musicians Neil Martin, Louise Mulcahy, Matt Molloy, Maighread Ní Dhomnaill, Paddy Glackin and Derek Hickey.
TradFest in Fingal will also celebrate the life of Barney McKenna, original member of the Irish band The Dubliners and Fingal resident across two days and nights in The Abbey Tavern, Howth in January 2025.
Mike Hanrahan and Stockton’s Wing will give a special concert in Donabate Community Centre where they will be joined on stage by the voices of Fingal Choir In line with its audience development objectives, TradFest also will deliver an expanded community programme later this year which will outline a series of new exciting, free community-led events in Fingal.
Whether you’re a fan of live music, or just looking for a night of Irish culture and craic, TradFest is where you want to be in January 2025.
Fingal County Council’s annual budget for 2025 has risen to €389m after Councillors voted for the 7.5% increase shortly before Christmas.
The increased budget will allow Fingal County Council to continue providing a high level of service to its 330,506 residents and represents an expenditure of €1,181 per head of population.
The overall objective of the 2025 Budget is to sustain and enhance quality services and to increase the funding to deliver the required infrastructure projects in the county.
The Housing budget has increased by €18.5m to €135.7m and this includes €16m of additional expenditure on housing delivery through Approved Housing Bodies and long-term leasing. The funding for housing adaptation grants has increased by €1m and the Council’s contribution to the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive has also increased by €1.5m.
The Operations budget has risen by €1.4m to cover increased expenditure on road maintenance, public lighting, recycling centres, parks, pitches, open spaces, public conveniences and burial grounds.
Capital projects in community centres, libraries, heritage properties and corporate buildings will see an increase of €1.25m in funding.
An additional €500,000 has been allocated towards the detailed design and planning of a swimming pool in Balbriggan. Increased funding will be required in future budgets to fund the construction and operation of a pool.
The library book fund has been increased by €325,000 which will bring the spend per head of population to €4 in line with the national target.
There is also an additional €150,000 allocated to funding of events run by community groups while an additional €240,000 will be spent on the development of the arts within Fingal.
At the Council meeting in October councillors voted to retain the rate of Local Property Tax at minus 7.5% for 2025 which provided €3.5m for housing, operations, community, and libraries.
The Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Brian McDonagh, said: “This is the first budget passed by the new Council and it is extremely positive that we have been able to increase it by 7.5% at a time when there are a lot of challenges. It will ensure that the Council continues to deliver a high-quality service to the residents and businesses of Fingal.”
The budget includes allocations to the following key areas:
€136m - Housing & Building (35%); €44m - Road Transport & Safety (11%); €19m - Water Services (5%); €36m - Development Management (9%); €55m - Environmental Services (14%); €74m - Recreation & Amenity (19%); €2m - Agriculture, Education, Health & Welfare (1%); €23m - Miscellaneous Services (6%)
Councillors also agreed to leave the Annual Rate on Valuation (ARV) unchanged for 2025. The Budget comes on the back of Fingal’s three-year, €1.57billion Capital Programme which was approved by councillors in October and consists of 331 projects.
Fingal County Council is delighted to announce the Fingal Sports Club of the Year Awards 2025, an initiative designed to celebrate the remarkable achievements and contributions of sports clubs throughout the county.
These awards shine a spotlight on the vital role sports clubs play in fostering community spirit, promoting inclusivity, and encouraging sustainable practices. With over 100 awards available this year, the competition offers clubs a unique opportunity to be recognised for their dedication and hard work.
This is a wonderful opportunity to honour the diverse array of sports that are making a meaningful impact on local communities across Fingal. The county boasts a proud tradition of sporting excellence, with athletes and teams achieving success on local, national, and international stages.
A number of categories are open for nominations. This includes:
Green Club of the Year
This award celebrates clubs that have demonstrated a strong commitment to environmental sustainability. The winning club will have taken significant steps such as reducing their carbon footprint, promoting recycling, and encouraging sustainable transport. They may also lead environmental education and awareness initiatives that benefit their community.
Club of the Year
Honouring a club that has excelled in community engagement and governance, this award recognises efforts to foster social inclusion, support volunteerism, and promote physical activity. The winning club will have demonstrated best practices in governance and collaborated with local organisations to make a positive impact.
Sports Inclusion Club of the Year
Recognising clubs that break down barriers to participation, this award celebrates those who create accessible and inclusive opportunities for people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. This may include programs for people with disabilities, outreach to underrepresented groups, and ensuring affordability for members.
Along with an award, winning clubs will also receive a €500 sports equipment voucher to further support their growth and success.
Fingal Sports Office are hosting the exclusive awards ceremony on Monday 27th January 2025 at the Carlton Hotel in Tyrrelstown to honour and recognise outstanding clubs in Fingal. The event will also see the announcement of the Fingal Sports Volunteers of the Year.
Clubs are encouraged to submit their nominations by 5pm on Monday, 6th January 2025.
Nominations can be made via: https://bit.ly/sportscluboftheyear2025
