Fingal County Council has honoured 49 Transition Year Students from across Fingal for their participation in the groundbreaking Football and Fitness Transition Year (TY) Course.
Ran in conjunction with the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) the students received their certificates in a ceremony attended by outgoing Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Adrian Henchy, the FAI’s Assistant Technical Director Shane Robinson, and Fingal County Council Director of Sport David Storey. Also present were Republic of Ireland Under-21 Manager Jim Crawford and Republic of Ireland Women’s National Team player and Swords native Jamie Finn.
While the joint initiative has heavy focus on football and fitness, it also helps equip students with valuable life skills. Participants gain a full Fitness Instructor’s qualification from Litton Lane Training and complete the FAI’s Coach Education pathway, earning PDP1 and PDP2 qualifications alongside a gym instructor qualification. The students also undertake modules covering maths and English, as well as learning about topics such as sports psychology and nutrition, and there’s even cooking lessons involved on how to produce high-performance meals for athletes.
This year saw 19 of the graduates represent Ireland in both the boys and girls underage international teams. Previous graduates from the course are also now playing for Ireland’s Men’s National Team, as well as seeing many making their own mark across all tiers of football in Ireland, England and Scotland.
Highlighting the introduction of the girls’ TY course this year, Jamie Finn said: “It’s amazing to see a programme like this coming out of Fingal, particularly as it helps open up new opportunities for young women passionate about football and fitness. Along with nurturing talent it also helps prepare students for future challenges in sports and in other fields.”
FAI President Paul Cooke said: “On behalf of the FAI, I would like to congratulate all the boys and girls who have completed this course and graduated today. The TY course is innovative and a great benefit to all these young players as they look to a career in football at home or abroad. Fingal County Council are again to be congratulated for their commitment to this course and for their commitment to introduce a first TY Football and Fitness Course for girls this year.”
Notable awards were given to standout students on the course. Among the female graduates, Aoibhe Brennan was honoured as Player of the Year, and Ruby Broderick Kinsella was recognized as Student of the Year. For the boys, Chris Conlon was named Player of the Year, and Oscar Shubar Keely received the Student of the Year award.
The annual Blue Flag and Green Coasts awards were announced recently with sandy stretches in both Portmarnock and in Donabate being recognised this year.
Balcarrick Beach in Donabate, with its 3.4km stretch of sand, vibrant rockpools, and healthy sand dunes, has received both a Blue Flag and a Green Coast Award for the third consecutive year, making it one of the few locations in Ireland to achieve this distinction. Only 10 such beaches have been given double recognition.
Further south in Fingal, Velvet Strand in Portmarnock has once again been honoured with a Blue Flag, having first received one in 2014 and maintaining it ever since. Across Ireland there were 94 Blue Flag and 65 Green Coast award sites that have met the stringent criteria set by An Taisce.
The Blue Flag scheme, now in its 37th year in Ireland, is an esteemed international award assuring beachgoers that a beach meets high standards in water quality, facilities, safety, environmental education, and overall management. To earn a Blue Flag, Irish beaches must satisfy these rigorous standards.
The Green Coast Awards highlight beaches with excellent water quality and management practices that protect the natural environment, emphasizing community involvement. These beaches must be managed by local authorities in cooperation with local clean coast groups.
Director for Operations at Fingal County Council, Mary T Daly said: “The Blue Flag and Green Coast recognition we received this year showcase our ongoing efforts to maintain all our natural assets along the 88km of Fingal coastline. Now, as we come into the busy summer months, we hope that everyone who visits a beach this year will play their part in helping to keep them beautiful by bringing their rubbish home or using the bins provided. Litter left on beaches poses a risk to the environment and wildlife and can have a negative impact on water quality.”
Presenting the 2024 awards, Minister Hildegarde Naughton TD said: “We all know just how lucky we are to have such beautiful water quality and natural beauty across our shores and this year’s recipients are testament to just how exceptional and rich in diversity that our beaches are. Congratulations to everyone involved and I want to wish a very happy and safe bathing and swimming season to everyone for 2024.”
For more information about Fingal’s beaches go to: https://www.fingal.ie/visitor/trips/find-beach.
Over €220,000 in funding has been allocated to 130 community groups and organisations across Fingal at an event held ringside at Phoenix of Ballyboughal Boxing Club.
The Department of Rural and Community Development’s Local Enhancement Programme (LEP) 2024 is administered by Local Community Development Committees, with support from the Local Authority, in each area. The funding provides capital supports essential for the many small community groups and organisations, particularly those who serve disadvantaged areas in rural and urban areas.
This year also saw additional funding allocated towards many Women’s Groups in Fingal, helping to support the growing number of Women’s Sheds located in the county, as well as providing a welcome boost to local groups which provide much needed social networks for women.
Announcing the successful projects for Fingal, Minister Joe O’Brien TD said: “The Local Enhancement Programme 2024 provides vital support to community groups in order to help them improve their facilities. It supports small-scale funding for projects which range from purchasing IT equipment to minor renovations to buildings. Ultimately the Programme responds to local needs. These investments allow community groups to carry out the invaluable work they do on behalf of others in local areas throughout the country. The impact of the Local Enhancement Programme is considerable.”
John Quinlivan, Director of Economic Development at Fingal County Council, said: “The LEP represents a substantial funding source that complements other support from Fingal County Council. We deeply value the essential work of volunteers and community groups who are out there actively making Fingal a better place to live, so it is thanks to Government funding like the LEP that groups can continue to play an important role within our communities.”
LEP funding was made available to support small capital works/improvements, the purchase of equipment for community use, including tables and chairs, tools, signage, laptops and printers, lawnmowers, canopies and training equipment. A full list of groups is available here: LEP Recipients 2024
The Local Enhancement Programme 2024 was launched in December 2023 with funding of €6 million available nationally, which included €1 million in funding ring-fenced specifically to support Women’s Groups.
The 40 newly elected members of Fingal County Council have met for the first time today as the council’s Annual Meeting was held at the County Hall in Swords.
There were 12 new faces in the council chamber, with the Annual Meeting coming exactly two weeks after the local elections took place. They will join the 28 returning Councillors as the public representatives of the people of Fingal over the next five years.
The AGM saw the election of Cllr Brian McDonagh (Labour, Howth-Malahide) as the new Mayor of Fingal, with Cllr JK Onwumereh (Fianna Fáil, Blanchardstown-Mulhuddart) being elected as Deputy Mayor.
A happy resident of Portmarnock, Cllr McDonagh was first elected to the council in 2014. With a professional background in IT & politics, he is fluent in Irish. The new Mayor of Fingal said his priorities would include the issues of housing, community services, active travel and the delivery of community infrastructure.
Mayor McDonagh said it was an honour to be elected as the first Mayor of this Council’s five-year term.
“I am extremely proud to represent a County as culturally diverse as the one we have, particularly as it continues to be one of the fastest growing regions in the country in terms of population and the economy. As a group of Councillors, we all bring different life experiences and a healthy mix of professional backgrounds and skills to the table. I am looking forward to now getting to work to help ensure we are delivering the services that the people of Fingal deserve.
“I’d like to also say how delighted I am to have Cllr JK Onwumereh as Deputy Mayor as he represents the best of a new Ireland.”
At the meeting, the incoming Councillors thanked previous Councillors for their commitment to the community over the past five years.
Fine Gael and Labour with seven councillors each are the largest parties in the new Council and there are also seven councillors with no party affiliations. Fianna Fáil have six councillors, Sinn Féin have four and both Aontú and the Social Democrats have two each. Three parties, Independents4Change, the Green Party and the National Party have one councillor each.
Firstly I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who came out and voted for me in the local elections, while my overall vote was down on 2014 and 2019, I am still truly humbled that over 900 people gave me your Number One vote. Serving my local community as an elected member on Fingal County Council for the past ten years has been the honour of my life.
As always I really appreciate all the messages of support over the last few weeks, and, even more, so the many, many kind messages since the result and losing of my seat on Fingal County Council. I know from the messages, so many of you appreciate the work that I have carried out in our area both before my time as a County Councillor and since my first election in 2014. Although I have not secured a seat this term, I know I have given my all, gained a huge amount of experience and I have really enjoyed the honour and privilege of being your Councillor for the last ten years. While making progress on so many matters can be frustratingly slow, I am proud of advancing so many projects and indeed look forward to seeing many of the projects I have been working on in more recent months and years as they continue to filter through. This year 2024 saw the 3 year Fingal County Council Capital programme of works adopted and contained within that plan are a number of multi-million Euro projects specifically for Donabate Portrane that I worked on very hard over the last 10 years to get into the plan.
When first elected in 2014 the local and central government investment into the Donabate Portrane peninsula was paltry, however I take real pride in more recent years that this investment has risen well into the millions and I earnestly hope this level of deserved investment into our local community will continue into the future.
For me, some of my own personal highlights over the 10 years include seeing the return of the Blue Flag and Green Coast award to Balcarrick beach, Donabate, the opening of the Donabate Distributor Road, the establishment of the Fingal Coastal Liaison Committee,the first of its kind in the country to address coastal erosion and the success of both the Flavours of Fingal and our own local Donabate Portrane Summer Festival are real highlights, that I fought and worked hard on and was glad to see make real and substantial progress over my 10 years.
Going forward, I also am well aware from the years of preparatory work of so many new and upcoming projects including the Broadmeadow Greenway connecting Donabate to Malahide,the upgrade of the Hearse Road, Donabate from the Lissenhall Interchange, ongoing major investment and improvements at Newbridge House and Park and the delivery of the world class Sporting and Recreational Campus at Ballymastone which I have worked so closely on with our 3 local anchor clubs, St. Pats GAA, St. Ita’s AFC and LSA Athletics club since 2014. A segregated Greenway connecting Portrane Village to Donabate village should also be delivered by the Council’s Active Travel team. A new Library including a major expansion at Ballisk House Donabate is also imminent which will also allow for significant additional space at our fantastic local Donabate Portrane Community Centre. While I absolutely would have preferred quicker progress on these projects, it is still reassuring to know these projects have certainty of delivery and will be delivered for Donabate in the upcoming years.
I am also proud to have worked on increasing permeability and accessibility throughout Donabate, with two new pedestrian entrances to Newbridge House and Farm, the improved footpath works at Turvey Avenue, the recently introduced increasing hours of opening at Ballisk Gate and the vastly new upgraded footpaths at Corballis with further improvements to come. Without doubt the project I worked hardest on in collaboration with both Scoil Phadraic Cailini, St. Patrick’s Boys National School, local residents and businesses is the long overdue proposed new footpaths and safety improvements on the approaches to both schools along the Portrane Road. Progress has been painfully slow but I have carefully monitored this and the coming months should finally see these works get underway. My thanks to both Schools especially Ms. Greene and Mr. Horan for their perseverance and patience in awaiting these much needed infrastructural improvements. My gratitude to local residents also for your cooperation and understanding.
As a public representative, I worked extremely hard to build relationships and alliances across the County, to represent and fight hard on so many issues on behalf of my local community and to build proper plan-led frameworks such as the Fingal County Development Plan, the Donabate Local Area Plan and the recently adopted following many years of work and consultation, Donabate Urban Framework Plan which are now in place to ensure the ongoing phased and sustainable development of Donabate. For me, it is essential that these Plans acknowledge the unique contribution the Peninsula makes to the wider Fingal area and that all future development on Donabate Portrane greatly adds to our beautiful peninsula while taking nothing away. I am very proud to now have these plans and frameworks in place to underpin future development across Donabate and Portrane.
I also want to take this opportunity to sincerely thank my family, friends and team, my supporters, and the Fianna Fáil Party members who spared no effort, and left no stone unturned in my re-election bid, and ran a really positive campaign. While losing my seat is very disappointing on a personal level, I fully respect it as a strong supporter of democracy and local government. Donabate Portrane is an incredible place, full of incredible people and has an incredibly bright future.
Fingal County Council faces a challenging five years balancing the need for growth alongside the social, environmental and climate issues that exist. I wish our incoming elected members, Cllr. Boland, Cllr. Dockrell, Cllr. Johnston, Cllr. Mulville and Cllr. O Donoghue every success and goodwill during their term. I hope that they can work constructively together to ensure that Donabate Portrane remains an incredible place to live and secure the delivery of the new levels of physical and social infrastructure that will be needed in tandem with the new housing and developments that are on the way.
By Jon Kavanagh
These days it’s all too easy for our homes to become a twentieth century fortress; surrounded by a digital moat, rendering it necessary to make an appointment – preferably by text, when we wish to visit family or friends. The times when people walked in, using the password “Anyone at home?”, belong in the annuals of social history.
Yesteryear, the door was on the latch and the kettle on the hob. Scarcely a day would pass without someone dropping in for a cup of tea and a chat. Now, we drive SUV vehicles along the motorways at speeds that would scare Jeremy Clarkson, as we rush from one crisis to the next. Then, we leisurely travelled along the byroads of Fingal on high nelly bicycles, stopping off to socialise along the way. On seeing a familiar, if unexpected figure approaching, my mother would issue her call to arms, “Run to the shop and get a pound of cooked ham, a loaf and a fruit cake”.
Those delivering goods played an important role in more ways than one. The coalman, milkman, and postman/woman doubled jobbed as town criers; bringing news of births, deaths and marriages. And yes, the odd bit of gossip and scandal (guess who had one too many and lost his dentures on the way home from the pub on Sunday night) were exchanged. The coalman once took on the additional role of peace envoy, carrying messages of reconciliation between my mother and my aunt who were on non-speaking terms. Wielding the iconic case the local GP made house calls.
Lest I paint a picture of Utopia, visitors were not always awarded the fatted calf. I recall my father speaking a language I can’t repeat in a family magazine, on hearing the incoming footsteps of a local resident, who held a master’s degree in the art of making a nuisance of themselves. But by in large, those crossing our threshold were a welcome distraction to our day. Life has changed, we can’t, nor would necessarily we want to go back. But at a time when people can pass away, and not be discovered for months or even years, perhaps we all should be just a little more vigilant in our neighbourhoods.
It was a very proud day for Balbriggan, North Co. Dublin and the Arts in general as The Lark Concert Hall at The Irish Institute of Music & Song was voted as Ireland’s Favourite New Building in the RIAI People’s Choice Award.
“We could not have won this award without the support of everyone who voted for us. Thank you, thank you, thank you,” reads a statement from The Lark.
Two new learn 2 cycle tracks are being installed by Fingal County Council, at Millennium Park, Blanchardstown and in the park adjacent to Brackenstown Road, Swords.
These new cycle tracks will be used for cycling practice by local schools, for group cycling classes arranged by Fingal County Council and will also be open to the public for their use. These tracks will provide a safe learning environment for cycling students of all ages, from small children learning to cycle for the first time to those returning to cycling in their older years, and everyone in between. By learning on a flat surface with correct road markings people will learn to cycle safely obeying the rules of the road. This will later help them to feel confident and safe when using the road in reality.
Mayor of Fingal, Councillor Adrian Henchy, says ‘The learn 2 cycle track in Millennium Park was fully completed last week. It was created on top of the concrete area that is used for the skating rink in the festive period each year. By choosing this location this space has now become a useful feature all year-round, providing cycling opportunities when the ice rink is not in situ.’
Chief Executive of Fingal County Council, AnnMarie Farrelly says ‘Following the successful installation of the new learn 2 cycle track at Millennium Park, the active travel unit will shortly begin installing the second track in the park adjacent to Brackenstown Road, Swords. . This track will be located just off the Brackenstown Road, next to the playground and very close the local senior and junior national schools at St. Cronan’s. It’s an ideal location where people of all ages, including local pupils, will get great use out of it.’
David Storey, Director of Environment, Climate Action, Active Travel and Sport says ‘These new learn 2 cycle tracks will provide perfect locations for our cycling education programmes. Our cycling and walking officers will offer courses for adults, children and schools programmes in both spaces and we look forward to seeing lots of people using the tracks to practice their own safe cycling skills and teach their children those same skills. Off-road cycling on a course like these ones can really build your confidence and help you understand the safe behaviours needed when cycling on the road while also providing a fun experience in the parks.’
The learn 2 cycle track at Millennium Park is open to the public and the Swords track is expected to be complete and open to the public before the end of May.
Over €220,000 in funding has been allocated to 130 community groups and organisations across Fingal at an event held ringside at Phoenix of Ballyboughal Boxing Club.
The Department of Rural and Community Development’s Local Enhancement Programme (LEP) 2024 is administered by Local Community Development Committees, with support from the Local Authority, in each area. The funding provides capital supports essential for the many small community groups and organisations, particularly those who serve disadvantaged areas in rural and urban areas.
This year also saw additional funding allocated towards many Women’s Groups in Fingal, helping to support the growing number of Women’s Sheds located in the county, as well as providing a welcome boost to local groups which provide much needed social networks for women.
Speaking at the announcement, Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Adrian Henchy, said: “This funding is particularly important as it brings significant investment to the many groups and organisations working in communities across Fingal, especially those in disadvantaged areas. Not only is this level of support from the LEP crucial for carrying out necessary repairs and enhancements to facilities, but it will go some way to helping assist groups in providing invaluable community initiatives locally.”
Announcing the successful projects for Fingal, Minister Joe O’Brien TD said: “The Local Enhancement Programme 2024 provides vital support to community groups in order to help them improve their facilities. It supports small-scale funding for projects which range from purchasing IT equipment to minor renovations to buildings. Ultimately the Programme responds to local needs. These investments allow community groups to carry out the invaluable work they do on behalf of others in local areas throughout the country. The impact of the Local Enhancement Programme is considerable.”
John Quinlivan, Director of Economic Development at Fingal County Council, said: “The LEP represents a substantial funding source that complements other support from Fingal County Council. We deeply value the essential work of volunteers and community groups who are out there actively making Fingal a better place to live, so it is thanks to Government funding like the LEP that groups can continue to play an important role within our communities.”
LEP funding was made available to support small capital works/improvements, the purchase of equipment for community use, including tables and chairs, tools, signage, laptops and printers, lawnmowers, canopies and training equipment. A full list of groups is available here: LEP Recipients 2024
The Local Enhancement Programme 2024 was launched in December 2023 with funding of €6 million available nationally, which included €1 million in funding ring-fenced specifically to support Women’s Groups.
With an 88km coastline stretching from Howth to north of Balbriggan, three large protected estuaries and a large number of major beaches, our natural heritage has a strong conservation and amenity value.
Each year, local authorities must identify official bathing areas in their area every year so that they can be monitored for safety, water quality and their level of use. To help with this process, Fingal County Council would like to hear from people who swim at beaches, lakes and rivers to tell them if they think they should maintain existing bathing waters designations or give a new official bathing area designation to areas that are commonly used for swimming but are not identified at the moment.
Under European and Irish law, Irish local authorities must identify bathing waters annually so that these areas can be monitored to ensure they meet stringent microbiological water quality standards. In some cases, the official bathing areas are also the areas where local authorities focus their resources providing lifeguards during the summer season.
These laws also require that the local authority prepares detailed descriptions or profiles for each of the identified bathing water sites that describe not just the bathing area but also areas in the surface waters catchment area that could be a source of pollution. The profiles include an assessment the risk of pollution and what action would be taken if pollution occurs.
Fingal has no shortage of stunning swimming spots to enjoy, with current identified bathing areas as follows: Claremont Beach, Howth; Burrow Beach, Sutton; Portmarnock Beach; Balcarrick Beach, Donabate; Brook Beach, Portrane; South Beach, Rush; North Beach, Rush; Loughshinny Beach; South Strand, Skerries; Balbriggan Beach.
Please note that Malahide Beach, while not identified as a bathing area, is lifeguarded as required by a Water Safety Ireland Risk Assessment (Constant Red Flag).
If you are a regular swimmer and want to help decide which bathing areas should be identified for the 2025 season, it may be helpful to consider the following: How your swimming area has been used up to now? How many people use the site? What facilities (e.g. signage, parking, toilets, picnic area etc) exist at the site and how accessible it is? Any safety issues?
If you wish to propose your favourite beach/river etc as a new bathing water site, or would like to comment on an existing site, please make your submission through our consultation portal or post your written submission to: Operations Department (Bathing Waters), Fingal County Council, Grove Road, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15.
The bathing water quality results and annual classification of bathing waters can be viewed at www.beaches.ie. The latest available EPA report Bathing Water in Ireland Report can be viewed here: https://www.epa.ie/publications/
Closing date for submissions is Thursday, 26th September 2024.