Congratulations to our Swords Celtic 11 Premiers who won the Kells Cup recently. They beat St.Kevins in the last 16 and Cherry Orchard in the Semi Final on their way to victory. Well done boys! Here are a few pics taken on the day of the brillant victory.
‘An Ghaeltacht’ came to Swords between the 9th and 13th of August 2021 when Fingallians GAA hosted their inaugural Irish language summer camp or ‘Club Samhraidh C.L.G. Fhine Ghallainn’ (Fingallians GAA Summer Club). 124 primary school children participated in the sports camp that was conducted exclusively through the medium of the Irish language.The club’s Irish language officer Liam Ó Culbáird said “We were taken aback by the demand that was there. All available places on the course were taken up very quickly. We had 124 youngsters playing football and hurling go h-iomlán trí Ghaeilge. The demand shows the success and popularity of Irish language education and Fingallians GAA are very happy to be able to support that by providing services through Irish. We had a mix of kids from both Gaelscoileanna and non-Irish language schools. This added to the camp in that some participants were learning through immersion and others were delighted to share their knowledge. The camp’s popularity reflects the surge in recent years of interest in the Irish language in Dublin. All the coaches and helpers on the course were Gaeilgeoirí from within the club. For 2022 we intend to expand the Club Samhraidh to cater for children across the Fingal region.”Coaching supervisor Donagh Williams said “As an Irish language speaker, it was a privilege to be able to offer this service to the young athletes of Swords. It was a great achievement to run the Club Samhraidh with such large numbers in our first year. We are grateful to the coaches, helpers, parents and of course the participants themselves. Next week is ‘Heritage Week’ and our sport and language are central parts of Irish heritage. We look forward to being “níos mó agus níos fearr” (bigger and better) next year.Fingallians GAA have received clú agus cáil (fame) within the GAA and further afield for their promotion of the language and sports areas of Irish Heritage.
The Town of Swords has grown a lot in the past few years and Swords Tidy Towns has grown along with it. We were lucky at the start to have had such great mentors to guide us on our way who have sadly since passed, Margaret Thorpe, Joan Hunt, Des Becton, Margaret O’Reilly to name but a few.We have managed over the years to knit together a fantastic enthusiastic bunch of people who are eager to get stuck in and share their particular skill sets. Individuals have even taken on particular Liaison Officer positions in the areas of Resident Associations, Bio Diversity, Schools and Clubs, Planting Planning, Fund Raising, Poly Tunnel Maintenance etc.For a number of years, we have worked with the Fingal Leader Partnership and The Valley Project on their back to work job experience initiatives. We currently have two from each scheme working with us at the moment, our chairperson was invited to sit on both boards which he does in a voluntary capacity. Swords Tidy Towns has over the years worked closely on local projects with Fingal County Council (particularly the Operations Dept), Dublin Airport Authority, SuperValu Boroimhe, Nulty Landscaping, SK Biotek, MSD Biotech, Hertz, The Pavilions SC, The Castle SC, Peter O’Brien Landscaping, Swords has benefited greatly from each of these joint initiatives and will do so we are confident into the future.We would ask people to respect the trojan voluntary work our members put in keeping your town looking as beautiful as it does by binning your rubbish or taking it home if bins are full or unavailable. The judges are watching, we are seeking our first gold medal in the National Tidy Towns Competition, you don’t have to be a member to be a part of the Swords Tidy Towns team.
Have a look at our pictures which show some recent events at which we have been providing/assisting with event medical cover. If yo are involved in any organisation and need medical cover for an event, email us swords@stjohn.ie or call 0830943324 or 0872559417.We can provide: Ambulance, First Aid Tent (Small), Cycle Response Unit, First Aid patrol, EMT, Paramedic and Nurse. Why not make a note of our contact details in case your group needs medical cover in the near future.
We at Malahide United are hoping to create a new Girls Under 10’s and Under 9’s team in September to take part in the MGL League. Contact Simon @ 0879744498 or email simononeill@malahideunited.ie
We were delighted to visit the Wednesday troop summer camp this evening in Cavan. Although slightly different to normal summer camps with Covid tests on arrival, individual tents and separate pods it is fantastic to see them all in such good form enjoying a great camp. Well done to skipper Cameron and his team of leaders for putting in all the extra effort to run a camp in the current circumstances.
Fingal County Council has welcomed a recent High Court decision to refuse an application for an injunction to reverse the pedestrianisation of New Street in Malahide. The judicial review proceedings are to be dealt with at a later date.The Council pedestrianised New Street to provide a safe outdoor space which facilitated social distancing and outdoor dining in line with Government policy and NPHET recommendations around living with Covid-19. The result was a safe environment for the community to enjoy and go about their daily business, an opportunity for local businesses to operate under Covid-19 conditions and a Pedestrian Friendly, Age Friendly, Family Friendly and Cyclist Friendly Zone.The Council is currently considering permanent public realm enhancements at New Street for the benefit of the community and business. The Council has already committed to further consultation in this regard.
by Ewan Snow
On the 3rd of August; Myself, Mark Matthews and Mark Mitchell set off on our quest to cycle from the most southern point of Ireland (Mizen Head, Co. Cork) to the most northern point of Ireland (Mallin Head, Co. Donegal). We decided to set ourselves this task over one of the previous lockdowns as we became aware of the difficulties The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre were facing with fundraising. The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre over the years have had many fundraising events which help greatly towards the funding of their work but due to covid restrictions such events were cancelled and The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre are now relying on donations to help them keep up their great work. We set off on the 3rd of August, getting the train to Cork City and then a bus to Skibbereen. From Skibbereen we ended up cycling 50k to Mizen Head and then we were at our starting point. By day 8 we set sights on Derry, cycling through the beautiful city and eventually arriving in the quiet village of Muff just at the Donegal border. Day 9, Mallin is only 50k away, the morale is at a high, we leave early and just as we leave the rain clears up and sun comes through. As we entire Mallin Head Village it’s nice and warm for the first time all week and we are in awe of the beautiful landscape. Eventually arriving at Mallin Head we get a new lease of life and cycle up the final climb to be rewarded with the feeling of accomplishment. We arrive at our destination with no accidents and no mechanical issues. All our hard work has paid off and as we arrive we reach €1,000 on our iDonate page for the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre. Without doubt the most exhausting week of my life but worth it. Knowing we are helping such a great cause and all the support from people kept us motivated. A week we will never forget. Our iDonate page isn’t finished yet, it will remain open till September 10th and we would really appreciate any donations to help the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre fund their marvellous work. More information on the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre can be found on their website and to donate you can find it as Ewan Snow’s Fundraiser on the iDonate website, thanks so much.
Here at St. Benedicts, we have been working hard to improve the overall appearance of the complex. We have recently invested in some window boxes, hanging baskets and plants and we have a dedicated an area for wildflowers to attract bees and butterflies. With some help from volunteers and our residents, we planted up the boxes and hanging baskets. A lovely couple from Seabury donated an outdoor sofa for our residents to enjoy. This really brings enhances and brings our new space together. In other news, going forward we will be able to invite our tenants back to our lovely community centre. We will continue to follow government guidelines but our tenants are delighted to be able to call up for a coffee for the first time since March 2020.
What an amazing achievement for our club, 3 young athletes selected to represent Ireland at the Under 21s and Cadet European Championships In Estonia. Robbie will fight in Under 21s while Nicole and Tosia will fight In the cadets. Our thanks to everyone for sticking with us over the hard times of Covid and everything is starting to look a bit brighter. Junsa is always welcoming new members , so if you want to train for fitness, fun or become an aspiring athlete you are welcome to try your hand or should I say foot ! at our great martial art and sport.
