Balbriggan Cricket Club is delighted to announce our Kids Easter Camp.It will be a Fun Games based camp suitable for both complete beginners and kids with some experience in cricket. The camp will be held at our ground in Balbriggan Town Park, located behind St. Peter’s and Pauls Church. Each day will be hosted by our club coaches including Ireland International Lara Maritz , Tess Maritz and our other experienced coaches. All weather facilities will be used if required -To confirm places for your child/children - 1. Book and Pay Viia balbriggancricketclub.com/…/easter-summer…/ 2. And register at balbriggancricketclub.com/youth-registration/ Spaces are limited so book early to avoid disappointment.

A new network of leaders were presented with Certificates of Achievement at the She Leads Fingal Awards recently by AnnMarie Farrelly, Fingal County Council Chief Executive and Cllr Karen Power, Chairperson of Fingal County Council Women’s Caucus.The Awards Ceremony was held at Fingal County Council, County Hall, Main Street, Swords.The programme explored the achievements, challenges and opportunities that women experience in community action. Selected participants - all women in Fingal involved in their local communities - were supported to discover the leadership skills, resources and approaches already successfully used in Fingal. Certificates were awarded to Helen Galgey, Michelle Griffin, Sandra Losty, Carmelle Keane, Ginta Bezdeliga, Hanan Kaaoiss, Akvile Simanskiene and Alison Herlihy.Participants are interested in a wide variety of areas for community change. Sandra Losty is the founder of Recovery Hour, an online self-help community founded during the Covid-19 restrictions to aid people in recovery from addiction. Akvile Simanskiene is a Balbriggan artist creating murals with the community in public spaces. Helen Galgey is a coach and committee member at Baldoyle FC. Alison Herlihy leads a team supporting youth representation at Donabate Portrane Tennis Club. Carmelle Keane leads a mentoring programme for women in local radio at Phoenix FM.A networking event held at the end of the programme saw guests with national influence meet with participants to provide opportunities for mentoring and connection with national and regional networks. Guests included the Mayor of Fingal Seána Ó Rodaigh, Louise O’Reilly TD, National Women’s Council of Ireland, Sport Ireland, and Empower as well as influencers in the worlds of food, film, arts and wellbeing. She Leads Fingal was co-designed with Shelly Gaynor, a disability advisor and former Chair of the Independent Living Movement Ireland, Bridie O’Reilly, an experienced community activist and former Chair of the Older People’s Council of Ireland, and Dr Lucy Michael, an experienced lecturer in community leadership. She Leads Fingal is supported by the Community Development Office of Fingal County Council. A new one-day leadership programme for Fingal women is currently being planned.

By Siobhan O’Neill White

Thinking of organising an Easter egg hunt for your little ones? It doesn’t have to be EGG-stravagant
but with a little effort, you can make it really fun!We like to create riddles for our children to solve, to find the eggs and treats we have dotted around the house and garden. And if it rains, don’t worry because you can do it all indoors! All you need is chocolate and imagination! Here are a few ideas for riddles and hiding places:• In the place you sit down, look for chocolate upside down (under the sofa!) • Where you lay your sleepy head, find a yummy treat instead (inside their pillowcases) • Inside the pots and pans, rummage around with your hands (choc eggs in pots/pans) • Where we block the daylight out, is a treat for you to scout (behind the curtains) • School is out for 2 whole weeks but check your schoolbag for scrummy treats • Where dirty clothes are made clean, look near the washing machine! (laundry basket)Dealz have easter eggs from €1.50, ideal for egg hunts. They also have Easter decorations to pop up around the house. Dunnes Stores have fab Easter decorations too, such as pastel coloured wreaths. The Works stores have ‘Colour your own’ Easter egg hunt bags and Easter eggs kits, which are ideal for rainy days for keeping kids busy whilst using their imagination. Dealz, The Works and Dunnes are all in Ilac SC if you fancy a trip to get ‘Easter’ ready! As we are still dealing with Covid, we may not be able to get together with family this year. If you are unable to see someone you love, All Ireland Foods delivers wonderful chocolate hampers, which would cheer up anyone stuck at home with Covid over Easter! And if you are getting over Covid or suffering with colds and coughs, which are so common at this time of year, check out Salt Cave and Salt Cave Paradise in Balbriggan. Our daughter is asthmatic,and we take her there to inhale the salt in the air. It is so good for clearing out her sinuses. It’s helpful for anyone who has sinus issues or is getting over a cold. There are toys for the children to play with and massage chairs for the adults to lay back in and relax. We’ve been hit by Covid recently and found this helpful for recovery.As always, stay safe this Easter and if you need inspiration for activities at home, or places for a family day out, check out www.mams.ie

Fingal County Council`s Community Office, were delighted to be joined by Cllr Mary McCamley, deputising for Mayor of Fingal and Chief Executive AnnMarie Farrelly, in Millennium Park Blanchardstown to Celebrate International Women’s day on March 8thand Shine a light on Gender Bias and Safety Issues for Women. Also in attendance at the commemorative tree planting and symbolic walk event were local councillors and Director of Housing and Community Robert Burns with participants lighting the way as they walked in solidarity with women.Speaking at the event Cllr Mary McCamley said “While International Women’s day is an opportunity to Celebrate Women it’s also an opportunity to highlight challenges and issues that effect their lives.” Cllr McCamley spoke of the struggles of all girls and women in Ukraine at the moment and asked that they be remembered during the walk saying the walk was an opportunity to shine a light on issues and challenges women in society face so, “lets shine a light for women going forward”.Chief Executive AnnMarie Farrelly echoed Cllr McCamley’s sentiments for the women of Ukraine and said: “I am delighted to be here to mark this day with all of you and it is great to see so many local residents and groups along with so many local councillors which shows their commitment to their local constituents.” Over 100 people registered for the ‘Shine a Light’ event and many more people engaged in all of our International Women’s day events this week which is great to see. The Community Development team has been working hard on getting back out and engaging with local communities and groups and developing community initiatives. We look forward to opportunities for working with communities in the coming months.”

Remember us have set up a new adult group on Mondays and Thursday mornings for adults with special needs who are not in a day service or in a community based service and looking for something to do. We are open to new people joining the group. Activities delivered to date were Woodcraft, life skills, and computer sessions. Up coming sessions are Personal Developed and cookery. If anyone would like more information or to join the group or any of our groups please contact Nora /Anne on 0860457003 or email us at hello@rememberus.ie Check out our website for more information www.remember us.ie

Two of our local Balbriggan/North Co Dublin volunteers are husband and wife Andy and Jade. They have a beautiful daughter Sádhbh who is 2 years old. Jade is visually impaired since birth due to optic nerve damage and uses a white cane when out and about. She explains ‘I have limited vision, mainly shadows, and a little colour but not enough to read a full page of print’. Andy, is blind, uses a white cane now as his guide dog Nico retired last year. He is on a waiting list to be matched and trained with a new guide dog when a suitable partnership is found. Before the arrival of Sádhbh, Jade worried if she would know when her daughter was sick or feeling unwell. She didn’t need to worry as her maternal instincts kicked in and as Jade says, ‘I just know’. When Sádhbh was teething, Jade felt that her daughter also had an upset stomach. A visit to the Doctor confirmed Jade was correct, it was a stomach bug. Before Sádhbh was born her parents worried she might be visually impaired as well. Thankfully Sadhbh ‘can see a needle in a haystack’ according to Jade and knows how to show her mother or father something by placing their hand on it. Early on Sádhbh worked out that Andy couldn’t see her and would hide under the table or chair when he called her. The past two years have been very busy for the family, and they have recently moved house. We wish them happiness and success in all they do.

Preparations for Guide Dog Day on Friday 27th May are underway. Please help us raise funds for Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind. Ask your family and friends to sponsor you and challenge yourself to walk, run, swim or dance 100k during the month of May. Or think up your own challenge, bake 100 cakes, read 100 books, write 100 letters, take 100 photographs. We’d love to hear your challenge, phone/text us on 085 766 3107 or email GuideDogsBalbriggan@gmail.com. Or please contact us on Facebook at facebook.com/Balbriggan.Branch.of.Guide.Dogs.

St Patrick’s brass and reed Band are looking for new members both experienced musicians & beginners. We need drummers, trumpeters, trombonists, flute & piccolo players amongst others. All instruments and tuition provided for €5 per week plus a yearly membership of €10. Open to all from age 9 to adult. Get in touch for more info

Staff at the HSE Contact Management Programme, in Dublin, celebrated its diverse and multicultural team through Holi, the Hindu festival of colours on our St Patrick’s Day . This year Holi was observed on sundown of Thursday, March 17th ending at sundown on Friday, March 18th.

St Colmcilles is your local GAA Club, offering Gaelic Football to the community of Swords. We have fully trained coaches, who are all garda vetted and ready and waiting for the coming season.Based just on Glen Ellan Rd, close to Applewood Village, Millers Glen and Glen Ellan area, we are close by for everyone.We offer Gaelic Football to children aged 4 years +. Also junior football for men and Gaelic for Mothers and Others. Our Club Lotto Jackpot resumed online (clubforce.com) Monday, January 17th. 2022. If you or any member of your family are interested in joining the club then call Marian 0876819540. We also want to notify you that Training recommenced for the juvenile players over 6 yrs on Saturday 22nd January at 10.30am and continues each and every Saturday. Follow us on Facebook for further updates “Naomh Colmcille CLG”

Fingal County Council is delighted to announce that full planning permission has been granted to the R132 Connectivity Project by An Bord Pleanála. Fingal County Council is working in conjunction with the National Transport Authority to improve connectivity for the town of Swords and this includes a renewed focus on safe facilities for pedestrians and cyclists on the R132.The R132 Connectivity Project will improve the connectivity and safety of pedestrians and cyclists moving along, and across, the R132 and enhance facilities for all road users with particular benefits for those choosing sustainable modes of transportation such as bus users, cyclists and pedestrians.Works will focus on the section of the R132 which runs east of Swords Town Centre, from Pinnock Hill to the Estuary Roundabout. A public consultation was launched in November 2020 and, following submissions from the public, detailed designs were submitted for planning permission to An Bord Pleanála in May 2021. On January 20th of this year An Bord Pleanála announced their decision to grant permission for this very important project.The Mayor of Fingal Cllr Seána Ó Rodaigh says the project is key for Swords. ‘This connectivity project will make getting to work, school and the shops by walking and wheeling an easy choice for people in Swords.” The project is comprised of: (A) Carriageway changes from north of Pinnock Hill Roundabout to north of Estuary Roundabout including the establishment of designated bus lanes, cycle lanes and pedestrian walkways along each side of the carriageway, with a new reduced speed limit of 50km/h; (B) Conversion of three existing roundabouts along the R132 (Estuary, Seatown and Malahide Road roundabouts) to signalised intersections with pedestrian and cyclist crossing points; (C) Reconfiguration of the Drynam Road arm of the Malahide Road Roundabout to link directly to Malahide Road as a one-way road; (D) Three new signalised crossing points at:- North of Pinnock Hill Roundabout, - Adjacent to existing Chapel Lane/Ashley Avenue overbridge, and - North of Estuary Roundabout. This will also entail the Installation of turning areas at two separate points along the R132; Those who wish to view plans for the scheme can find them on the Consult Portal at consult.fingal.ie/en/consultation/application-bord-pleanala-fingal-county-council-r132-connectivity-project