Fingallians G.A.A. club in Swords hold a weekly Irish language conversation group that recently celebrated its 10thbirthday. Irish Language promotion is central to the ethos of the G.A.A. and particularly Fingallians G.A.A. club.The Grúpa Comhrá was established by the club’s Irish language and Culture Officer Liam Ó Culbáird. Liam said “we felt we needed to create our own opportunity where we could use, practice and improve our Irish. We wanted something different from a classroom setting so we established a relaxed, welcoming and encouraging environment that was supportive of all levels. The emphasis has always been on enjoyment of the language and nobody is overly concerned about intricate grammar or ultra-precise pronunciation. Our group has always been a setting where everybody is learning from everybody else.”The Grúpa Comhrá has seen hundreds of people come and go through the years and the fact that it is still going strong ten years down the road is, according to Liam, as a result of the emphasis on fun while learning. “We have seen hundreds of people from all sorts of backgrounds, some came for two or three weeks while others have stayed for years. Because there is no cost involved and it is a bar setting we have people that come for a pint, others will have a coffee or whatever takes their fancy. We ‘shoot the breeze’ about whatever is going on at home, at work, what is happening in the news, plans for the weekend, etc… The conversations can go in any direction and this exposes us all to new vocabulary and ways to phrase sentences.”C.L.G. Fhine Ghallainn (Fingallians G.A.A.) would like to say “Go raibh míle maith agat” to all that attended and supported the group through the 10 years and we hope that you benefited from the service. The group meets every Wednesday night at 9pm. Further info is available from Liam-086 3814422.

The first in-person fundraiser for Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind since restrictions were lifted took place on 4th September and was a great success. The Portmarnock-Malahide branch of IGDB held its first Par 3 Fundraiser at the Malahide Castle Sports & Leisure Hub on 4th September, raising €5,520 in total through golf entries, donations, and raffle ticket sales.Event organiser Frank Kelly said “We are delighted that our first Par 3 event went so well, thanks to all of the golf teams who took part. We are very grateful for the support from local businesses who donated raffle prizes, and of course everyone who donated and bought raffle tickets on the day.”Pat Harney, Chair of Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind Portmarnock-Malahide, said “It was fantastic to be able to get out and meet people locally again, and especially to see so much generosity and support for Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind. Congratulations to the Par 3 winners and everyone who took part!” New volunteers are always welcome to get involved with Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind. If you are interested in learning more, you can find the Portmarnock-Malahide branch on their Facebook page at IrishGuideDogsPortmarnock/Malahide.

Erica will be teaching a 6 week online yoga course aimed at beginners but all are welcome. She will guide you through a 1 hour class each week aimed at introducing you to the benefits of yoga through breath work, yoga postures and relaxation. Each week she will incorporate different postures and techniques helping you to feel more at ease in your body and mind. The postures or movements will be open level with modifications for those working with injuries and tightness to help you get the best from the class.You will need a yoga mat, and possibly a pillow and blanket for relaxation.If you are interested in starting something new for you or would like to join in to stretch out and feel good in your body, then join Erica on November 2.Course runs Tuesdays: November 2/9/16th at 10am for 6 weeks..All welcome.Registration is via the link yogasanctuary.ie/book-online/. Or contact the library direct. You will receive a zoom link in your booking confirmation email.

A super successful half-centenary Sea Scout Sailing Regatta took place recently on the Broadmeadows Estuary, Malahide. Well done to the x16 teams from Malahide, Howth, Dun Laoghaire, Dollymount and Arklow who all put in a fantastic effort under very testing and breezy conditions! Big thanks to the race officers (Roger and Sean from MYC) who managed to provide x46 safe and exciting races under two fleets which made for an excellent day of sailing! We’re very proud of our MSS sailors who displayed some excellent teamwork and sailing to take almost a full house of podium positions!Well done and thanks all for organising and participating.Team Racing:1st - 9th Port Malahide (Néala), 2nd - 9th Port Malahide (Wed), 3rd - 9th Port Malahide (Lír) Seamanship Challenge:1st - 9th Port Malahide (Fri), 2nd - 9th Port Malahide (Wed), 3rd - 9th Port Malahide (Néala) Scouters/ Rovers Race: 1st - 9th Port Malahide (Fri), 2nd - 9th Port Malahide (Néala), 3rd - 9th Port Malahide (Wed), Albatross Race: 1st - Arklow Sea Scouts, 2nd - 9th Port Malahide (Néala) 3rd - 7th Port Howth (Tues)

For each of the past nineteen years the talented students of the Catherine Lawlor School of Art have been holding an Art Exhibition to raise funds to support local charities in the Dublin area, including an online exhibition, in November 2020, in the midst of the Covid Pandemic.This year, Catherine is delighted to be hosting the Catherine Lawlor School of Art – Juliette Gallery Art Exhibition. This exhibition is close to Catherine’s heart as it will be held in memory of her dear mother, Juliette. The Juliette Gallery Art Exhibition will be held on 12th – 14th November, 2021 in Malahide Tennis Club from 10am to 6.00pm. This promises to be a most exciting and entertaining event. It will include an exhibition of a wonderful selection of over 60 pieces of art work on show. It will offer a great opportunity to meet the artists, talk to them about their work and possibly commission an original piece for yourself or as a gift.All paintings on display at the event will also be available to view on Catherine’s website at dublinartclasses.com in the online Juliette Gallery.Check out the website too for the calendar of events, classes, workshops, guided gallery visits, students’ art work and details regarding trips at home and abroad. All levels are catered for in a relaxed and supportive atmosphere online on Zoom and face to face in Balgriffin Hall, Malahide Road. Catherine is an inspiring teacher who provides numerous opportunities for all students to develop. This dynamic school of art is the largest on the northside of Dublin.

Fingal County Council and ubitricity, a member of the Shell Group, have partnered to test new EV charging options for motorists in Fingal. As part of the joint pilot scheme, ubitricity has recently retrofitted two lamp posts in Malahide village with its EV chargers that are stored inside the post. Fingal County Council will cover the costs of using the chargers during the initial trial, later moving to pay-per-use model. Ubitricity is the largest public EV charge point operator in the UK, and the two lamp posts located next to Malahide Garda Station and Train Station are its first charge points in Ireland. By offering a public charging solution for residents without access to off-street parking like a private garage, ubitricity’s objective is to charge EVs when and where they park: overnight and on the street right at their doorstep. Drivers can charge without the need for a subscription by simply scanning the QR code and following the instructions.An amendment to the Planning and Development Act in March 2020 extended the use of street lighting poles to include EV charging, enabling the lamp post charging pilot project. To make the transition towards more sustainable transportation easier for Fingal residents, the Council decided to test solutions that would allow on-street parking EV-drivers to charge right where they are parking. The participation and feedback of the local residents will be key to defining the future strategy for rollout of charging infrastructure across Fingal.Fingal County Council is committed to finding the best solution for its residents and expects testing of the ubitricity solution to be very successful.

We are delighted to announce that work commenced on the construction of our second full size all weather pitch in Gannon Park recently. Weather permitting we will be training and playing games on the new pitch by December.

Recently Junsa Taekwondo have found themselves a new training venue in the Scout den in Lusk , and what a fabulous venue it is too. After a long wait because of all the restrictions we can now train indoors with the correct protocols.You could actually see our students faces light up when we opened the doors of our new training hall Fabulous! Please take a look at our pics of our guys and girls Taekwondo training at the Scout den. Junsa Taekwondo are always inviting new students to take part in their training sessions whether they want to train for fun , fitness, confidence or want to become an Olympic hopeful please contact Junsa Taekwondo on Facebook or Master Stuart Russell on 087 777 5202.

A summer of focused training plans came to fruition for 20 of our athletes who competed in the National Marathon Championships in Belfast recently. There were some fantastic performances with lots of PB’s on the day. Congratulations to all and well done to the big group of supporters who travelled North to cheer you on. A special mention for Richard Foy who followed up Belfast by running the Manchester Marathon only 7 days later. Well done also to all who completed the London and Dublin Virtual Marathons during October. Our Juveniles have been enjoying Cross Country action and our Fit4Life group have made great progress.

And this is exactly what seems to be happening in Lusk! In the past few months more and more children are joining the Lusk United ranks with additional U8 boys teams emerging and a 3rd U12 team also being formed and competing . A true testament to all the hard work being carried out by coaches, instilling the love of the game and inspiring others to want to play. Our Ladies Kick Fit team, determined not to be outdone, have competed and enjoyed a tournament in Malahide as well as in their first competitive match in Swords. The ladies did themselves and the club proud! As Lusk United thrives we continue to become an integral part of the community. Our ladies Kick Fit team hosted a tea evening and a coffee morning raising almost €700 euro for St Francis’ Hospice, while our underage players collected trick or treat bags to donate to Fr Peter McVerry Trust. It is hoped these bags helped some children have a Happy Halloween. Our pictures show our players enjoying themselves and our thanks to Paul Maguire for the photos.