Fingal County Council’s Waste Enforcement Section has taken part in a multi-agency checkpoint operation recently to tackle illegal waste activities and to ensure compliance with waste regulations in terms of movement of waste materials. Dublin City Council in its role as lead authority for the Eastern Midlands WERLA (Waste Enforcement Regional Lead Authority), coordinated yesterday’s operation on behalf of An Garda Síochána’s Dublin Metropolitan Region’s Multi-Agency Forum. This intelligence led vehicle check point was conducted in Fingal, in an area known for significant waste activity. The check points were located both northbound and southbound on a main artery within close proximity to the M1 to capture waste movements within the area and en route to other counties outside of Fingal. Representative agencies for this joint operation included An Garda Síochána, Fingal County Council’s Waste Enforcement Section, Dublin City Council’s Waste Enforcement Section, the Road Safety Authority and the National Trans Frontier Shipment Office (NTFSO). The Dublin Metropolitan Region is one out of four of the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s multi-agency regional networks, which, enable a multi-faceted enforcement approach by bringing together key stakeholders. The participation of different agencies proved to be very beneficial. Multi-agency operations such as this have a positive deterrent effect on criminality, help to raise awareness and lead to positive outcomes relating not only to waste but other offences also. Fingal County Council supports this collaborative approach and will provide any and all further assistance through multi-agency operations to help combat illegal dumping and tackle unauthorised waste collectors.

As I enter my third month as Mayor of Fingal, I am immensely proud of all we have done, as a community, to create a month filled with cultural significance and sporting success. There are so many people to congratulate, from both the Dublin ladies’ and men’s GAA teams who were successful in their respective All-Ireland Football Finals, the Irish Women’s football team, the Irish ladies’ and men’s Hockey Teams.
I had the pleasure of attending so many sporting events this month, including the TY Girl’s Mini World Cup, the Balbriggan Beach Volleyball, The Croquet Cup, St.Ita’s Mini Euros, the Morton Games, the Donabate and Swords Parkrun, the Women’s World Cup Watch Party, the Euro Hockey Championships and the Under 23 Swimming European Championships.

That’s why I was honoured to open the Rathmore Park in Lusk. This 20 Acre Town Park is within easy walking and cycling reach of the centre of Lusk and close to residential areas and local schools making it very accessible to the local community.

Another highlight of the past month was the Swords Castle concerts,with Nathan Carter and Martin Kemp each putting on a fantastic show in this amazing venue in the heart of our County Town. Part of our vision in Fingal is to make this a great place to do business in and it was great to attend the opening of Keeling’s new flower processing facility in St Margaret’s, Keelings are one of the top businesses in Fingal and it is great to see them continuing to expand. News that construction of fast-charging facilities at Drogheda Station for new DART+ trains will commence this year is a major step to improving the rail service to Donabate, Rush-Lusk, Skerries and Balbriggan. The Dart+ Service is due to commence in 2025 and Irish Rail have 95 electric carriages on order. This is going to lead to passenger capacity and improved services for residents and is extremely welcome.

Finally, I would like to remind everyone to ensure they are registered to vote! Whether you are a recent resident to Fingal, or have been living here your whole life, it is imperative to check the register and update your details when needed.

Fingal Poetry Festival returns to Skerries on the 15-16th September 2023. This year we are thrilled to launch The Big Poetry Day Out — a trail of events that showcase emerging and established poets from across the island. Our mission is to connect people with the written and spoken word in an inclusive and celebratory way. With readings, music, seaside walks, and children’s open mics, there is something for everyone. It is set to be a memorable weekend, with poetry performances from Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin, Stephen James Smith, Jessica Traynor, Paddy Bushe, Sheila Ryder, Harry Clifton, Caitríona Ní Chléirchín, Lucinda Jacob, Maeve O’Sullivan, Victoria Melkovska, Ceaití Ní Bheildiúin, Anne Tannam, Marcus Mac Conghaíl, Enda Coyle-Greene, and the winners of our regional community slams. Over the festival weekend we will also be joined by local musicians RVE, Naoise Mac Conghail, Lucy Killian, Lola Coady, Sarah May Rogers, and Oscar Churcher and Diarmuid Slattery. At the Fingal Poetry Family Festival, Jane Landy will read from ‘Claus Clamhsánaí’, the new translation into Irish of her successful children’s book ‘Gringer the Winger’.

Tickets now available to book: fingalpoetryfestival.com. Join Enda Coyle-Greene for a seaside walk punctuated by poetry from featured poets Maeve O’Sullivan, Victoria Melkovska and Ceaití Ní Bheildiúin. From 2-4pm, Floraville Park will transform into a hub of family-friendly fun. There will be something for all ages with featured poet Lucinda Jacob, art activities, games, and even an open mic for children and young adults. Local author Jane Landy will read from ‘Claus Clamhsánaí’, the new translation into Irish (by Gabriel Rosenstock) of her successful children’s book ‘Gringer the Whinger’. As the evening approaches, the Bridge Club will see readings by Jessica Traynor and Paddy Bushe, judges of the 2023 Fingal Poetry Prize and An Fiach Dubh, and the unveiling of the winning poems. If you would rather spend an hour or two chatting away, come along to The Gladstone Inn for Craic agus Comhrá, a casual Irish language conversation group that takes the old saying “is fearr Gaeilge bhriste ná Béarla cliste” to heart. Finally, we will bring our festival home to Skerries Mills — the place where it all began four short years ago. This is set to be one of our most special Poetry at the Mills events to date, with wonderful featured poets Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin, Harry Clifton, and Caitríona Ní Chléirchín.We are guided by a strong-held belief in inclusivity. Everyone is welcome at Fingal Poetry Festival. A limited number of assisted listening audio sets will be available for our Poetry Walk by the Sea. Some events include ISL interpretation. Fingal Poetry Festival is supported by Fingal County Council, Fingal Libraries, Poetry Ireland and DHL Global Forwarding.

Another busy month for the Balbriggan/North County Dublin Branch of Guide Dogs. Tom O’Neill and his Guide Dog Qeb and volunteer Maebh Mitchell had an exciting visit to Google Headquarters who invited them along to attend a cake sale in aid of Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind. Google Headquarters kindly said they would match the funds raised. Both Tom and Maebh answered a lot of questions from the international staff, one person even told Tom that Qeb was the first dog they had ever touched! It’s safe to say, a fun and most tasty afternoon was had by all and we would like to thank the Google staff and management for their support.

The Balbriggan/North County Dublin Branch of Guide Dogs has been graciously given a beautiful canvas photograph of the sunset over Balbriggan harbour by local photographer Martin McNamara and it has been suggested that we could use it to fundraise. The value has been set at €250 and the measurements are width of 90cms and depth of 60cms. If anyone is interested in buying it or has any suggestions as to how we could use it to fundraise please get in touch with us via the below contact details.

If you would like to support us, Skinny Batch Coffee Shop in Lusk Co. Dublin has recently added a new Tap to Donate machine, this means you can find our Tap to Donate machines in Oakes Pharmacy in Skerries and also Specsavers in Millfield Shopping Centre, Balbriggan. You can also come along to the open day in Balbriggan Garda Station on Saturday 9th September from 12pm – 3pm.The first hour (12pm-1pm) will be a sensory hour. We will not be fundraising but there might be some fluffy four legged friends with us that want to say hello. Make sure to keep up to date with our Facebook page as more details are to follow. If you are interested in volunteering with us please feel free to contact our Balbriggan/North County Dublin Branch of Irish Guide Dogs by phone/text 085 7663107, you can email us at GuideDogsBalbriggan@gmail.com or find us on Facebook at Balbriggan Branch of Guide Dogs.

What a successful May and June for the Balbriggan Branch of Guide Dogs. We are delighted to say that between our merchandise stand on Guide Dog Day the 26th May in the magnificent Millfield
Shopping Centre, Balbriggan and also on SuperValu, Balbriggan on 27th May, our branch raised a truly wonderful fundraising total of €1,433.78. Skerries Community College also organised a sponsored dog walk for Guide Dog day on the 26th May where the teachers and students walked and raised a wonderful €330 in aid of Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind. We also attended Summerfest festival on the 4th June, there was sunshine and smiles all around and we are delighted to say, we actually raised €337.70. On our Guide Dog funding page we also raised €355 throughout the month of May, a massive thank you to Ms Reilly and also Ms O’Neill’s class at Scoil Chormaic CNS who raised €320 of that for our Branch. We also want to say a massively big thank you to those who supported us and continue to do so. We appreciate it. There will be more events coming up over the following months, so make sure to keep an eye on our social media pages and feel free to contact us if you would like to volunteer or help out. We have a request for an old usable iPhone if anyone has one they would kindly like to donate to the Balbriggan/North County Dublin Branch. We currently have an iPhone 5 but are looking for an upgrade, preferably sim free. This is used for events which is in conjunction with the Sum Up machine, which makes it possible to tap your card at our own merchandise stands. If you have an old iPhone you would like to donate to us, you can contact us through our own Facebook page at Balbriggan Branch of Guide Dogs or indeed call us or text us on 085 7663107. If you are interested in volunteering with us please feel free to contact our Balbriggan/North County Dublin Branch of Irish Guide Dogs by phone/text 085 7663107, email us at GuideDogsBalbriggan@gmail.com or find us on Facebook at Balbriggan Branch of Guide Dogs.

Despite running a rigorous recruitment campaign over the last few months, the Council will be unable to put lifeguards at all its designated bathing areas. This shortage of available lifeguards will leave some beaches exposed during the summer, with patrols not possible on all popular beaches. Beachgoers are reminded that if there’s a red over yellow flag flying from the lifeguard station, a lifeguard is present and it is safe to swim. A red flag means there is a lifeguard on duty, but it is not safe to swim. No flag means there is no lifeguard on duty. A lifeguard is only on duty in the summer months from 11am to 7pm as follows: Every day during July & August (N.B. locations will be dependent on staffing availability), - The first two weekends in September (Blue Flag Beaches only. To maximize beach safety and minimize potential hazards, Fingal wants beach goers to keep the following tips in mind: (1) Swim in designated areas: (2) Keep a close eye on children: (3) Follow lifeguard instructions: (4) Please do not bring inflatable toys to the beach:(5) Avoid alcohol and drugs: Drinking alcohol is forbidden under Fingal County Council beach bye- laws. Remember that alcohol and drugs also impair judgement and coordination, increasing the risk of accidents in the water. Stay sober and alert while enjoying the beach. (6) Be aware of weather conditions: (7) Learn basic water safety: If you’re not a confident swimmer,please consider taking swimming lessons or familiarise yourself with basic water safety techniques. (8) Stay hydrated and use sun protection: Protect yourself from the sun’s harmful rays by wearing sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and avoid heat-related illnesses.(9) Leave No Trace: Respect the environment by cleaning up after yourself and disposing of trash in designated bins.Take your rubbish home with you, if our bins are full. Also, please do not bring BBQs to our beaches, as they can lead to serious burns if left behind. (10) Be alert: Where an area is not being lifeguarded and you get into trouble or see someone else in difficulty, dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard. By adhering to these guidelines and being responsible beach goers, we can all contribute to a safer and more enjoyable summer experience.

In his inaugural address after his recent election as Mayor Of Fingal, Cllr Adrian Henchy promised to be a “Mayor for All”. This is an excerpt from that speech: “Is mór an onóir dom bheith tofa mar Mhéara Fhine Gall inniú ag sibhse mo chuid comhghleacaithe anseo inniú inár Seomra Comhairle.Buíochas ó chroí le gach duine a thug tacaíocht dom, agus buíochas freisin le gach comhairleoir is gach ball foirne den ár gComhairle a oibreann go dian gach lá ar son na saoránaigh áitiúla.Geallaimse do mhuintir Fhine Gall go ndéanfaidh mé mo dhícheall gach lá ar bhur son, agus mar Mhéara, ní hamháín ar son muitir mo thoghcheantair féin, Port Reachrainn, Domhnach Bat, Rois Eó, Lusca, Baile Bachaille, Baile Gháire, An Seanbhaile, An Aill agus Baile Scadán, ach as son gach duine a chónaíonn, a oibríonn agus a thugann cuairt i gContae Fhine Gall.

It was both humbling and a great honour for me to be elected as the 18th Mayor of Fingal and to also receive such a strong mandate from my fellow Councillors who entrusted me with their support for this highly respected and prestigious role.

At this time I of course want to especially thank my family for their encouragement and unwavering support at all times.I also want to very much remember the last person who served as Mayor of Fingal from Donabate and that was Gerry McGuire in 2011. Sadly Gerry passed earlier this year and is greatly missed by his family, relatives, friends and wider community. It would be remiss of me not to pay tribute to the first ever Mayor of Fingal, a Portrane man Sean Ryan who went onto be an outstanding public representative and TD for Fingal. I want to welcome Seáns brother Brendan whose first meeting was the election of Mayor in his new role of Councillor within the Skerries/Balbriggan ward having replaced Seána O Rodaigh. It has been one of the privileges of my life to serve the good people of Portrane, Donabate over the last 9 years within Fingal County Council and I now look forward to serving all of the people of Fingal over the next 12 months.

I fully believe in truly been a Mayor for All where every citizen has a right to not only have their voice heard but to also achieve their dreams & aspirations. I am passionate about making our communities not only better places to live, but to be safe and wonderful to visit. Fingal is an incredible place, full of incredible people which means we can continue to build an incredible future. We have so much to be proud off and yet so many opportunities to build an even brighter future. I promise to give it my very best every day, and as Mayor, not just for the people of my own electoral area, Portrane, Donabate, Rush, Lusk, Ballyboughal, Garristown, Oldtown, the Naul, & Balscadden, but for everyone who lives, works and visits Fingal. Go Raibh Mile Maith Agaibh.

Softball Ireland and Fingal County Council have officially launched the Women’s Softball World Cup Group A, which will be held in Bremore Castle, Balbriggan from July 11th to 15th 2023. Ireland’s national women’s softball team will be joined in Group A by the United States, Great Britain, Australia, Botswana and Chinese Taipei, with some of the biggest names in the sport descending on Fingal to take part in the competition. Tickets start from €15 and can be found and purchased on softballwcireland.ie/
Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Adrian Henchy was on hand to officially launch Ireland’s hosting of the Women’s Softball World Cup Group A at Bremore Castle, Balbriggan. On the field, Great Britain and Australia will get the event underway from 11am on Tuesday July 11th, followed by the United States v Chinese Taipei from 2pm, before the hosts take on Botswana from 6.30pm.Tickets for the Women’s Softball World Cup group stage are available now and day passes are €15, weekly passes are €60 and a weekly family pass (2 Adult & 2 Children) is €145. For more information and for tickets check out our website softballwcireland.ie or tickets.ie.

Fine Gael Councillor Tom O’Leary said recently, “Extra measures agreed by Cabinet recently under the Housing for All plan will speed up home building and drive down building costs in Fingal, and these additional provisions are good news for home buyers, renters and builders.” He said, “There are three strands to these new measures, which is designed to and will make home ownership more affordable for many people again. The measures comprise of: 1. Reducing the cost of construction: by scrapping the development levies required to connect new homes with roads, water and other services, and subsidising development levies, saving up to the value of €12,650 per home on average. This will cut the cost of building a home and apply for a limited time only to act as an incentive. 2. Increasing the pace at which vacant and derelict properties are renovated for new housing by increasing grants to cut the cost of restoring empty homes and making it easier to apply. The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant will be increased from €30,000 to €50,000 for vacant properties and from €50,000 to €70,000 for derelict properties, extended to cover houses built up to 2007, and will be available for properties intended for rental as well as owner-occupied. 3. Is the Government financing of the construction of affordable apartments under Cost Rental: The current Government has agreed to commit up to €750 million via the Land Development Agency and other providers as part of this initiative to complete 4,000 to 6,000 additional affordable apartments under the Cost Rental system.

On Tuesday the 25th April the Balbriggan/North County Dublin Branch of Guide Dogs were presented with a cheque for €681 from the Tesco Community Initiative fund and a lovely presentation took place outside Tesco in Millfield Shopping Centre, Balbriggan at which a total of 7 dogs attended; 2 guide dogs Qeb with Tom and Winter with Jade, 3 Assistance Dogs; Kirby with Sarah, Quentin with Mark, Marco with Gemma and two puppies in training; Gina with Pat and Cosmo with Therese. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Lisa McEvoy, Community Champion and Tesco for their continued support.
We are happy to announce that the Tap to Donate machines continue to do well. From January to March 2023 a fantastic total of €654 was raised from the 6 machines assigned to the branch. In Ashbourne we have two locations; Chez Emily Boutique which raised €144 and Specsavers which raised €105. In Swords we have 1 location; Petstop Airside which raised €45. In Balbriggan we have 1 location; Specsavers in Millfield Shopping Centre which raised €111. In Dublin City Centre we have 2 machines in Specsavers GPO Arcade which raised €249.We are delighted with this and appreciate all your support. We also want to say a big thank you to everyone who supported us in May in the lead up to Guide Dog Day 2023 and to all those that came along and celebrated with us and donated to us on the 26th May in Tesco Millfield Shopping Centre, Balbriggan and SuperValu, Balbriggan on the 27th May.

If you are looking for ways to support us, we will be attending Balbriggan Summerfest this coming June between the 28th May – 4th June. Keep an eye on our social media accounts for a confirmed date and you can come meet our wonderful Guide Dogs and volunteers! If you are interested in volunteering with us, please feel free to contact us: Balbriggan/North County Dublin branch of Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, you can phone or text us on 085 7663107, email us at GuideDogsBalbriggan@gmail.com or find us on Facebook at Balbriggan Branch of Guide Dogs.