A north county Dublin woman, who did not complete the Leaving Certificate, is studying to become a fully qualified accountant. Former stay-at-home mum Angela Comerford Lynch (45), from Balbriggan, says a funded accounting technician apprenticeship programme made it possible.
She said the two-year Accounting Technician Apprenticeship, offered by Accounting Technicians Ireland (ATI), gave her the foundations to build a career. Angela was apprenticed to locally based business advisory service, UHY Farrelly, Dawe, White (FDW), one of the largest audit, tax and advisory firms in the northeast. She praised the flexibility offered by the work, earn and learn programme which sees locally placed apprentices earn at least the national living wage.
“I left school at 17 but did not complete the Leaving Certificate. I worked in various roles, from bartender to quality controller in a printing company. I was a stay-at-home mum for 13 years. But I always wanted to return to education. So, in 2022, I finally decided to see what was available. I was not sure anything was possible, but the Balbriggan Adult Guidance and Information Service was a tremendous help. It recommended ATI’s Accounting Technician Apprenticeship,” she said.
Following completion of her apprenticeship, Angela earned a trainee accountant role with UHY FDW. She is now studying to become a Chartered Certified Accountant.
“The Accounting Technician Apprenticeship saw me attend Coláiste Íde, Finglas one day a week, and work for the other four. From day one, I loved the team at UHF FDW and ATI gave me the core foundations to build a career and was always supportive. The biggest benefits were being able to earn and learn while gaining two years’ valuable experience. I would recommend the ATI Apprenticeship to anyone looking to get into accountancy. Trying to get back into the workforce can be overwhelming for a mature student who must juggle work and family. But I have been able to maintain a healthy work-life balance. The programme has given me the confidence and work experience I needed to pursue a career in a field I came late to but adore.”
For more information on the ATI Accounting Technician Apprenticeship see accountingtechniciansireland.ie
On Saturday the 30th August, with many thanks to Irish Rail under their Corporate Responsibility, forty people, mostly volunteers with the Balbriggan/North County Dublin Branch of Guide Dogs travelled to the open day at Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind headquarters in Cork. Forty seats were booked on the train, which also included six guide dogs
When the Branch arrived in Cork H.Q, a tour was the centre was organised and ran by local volunteer, Dermott and two volunteers from the branch received ‘A Long Service Award’ for their volunteering, both Anna Keane and Maebh Mitchell. Volunteer Anne Mulligan also had her name engraved in a plaque in the gardens of the centre for training her 10th puppy. We want to congratulate, Anna, Maebh and Anne, who is now on her 12th pup in training Lulu, and thank them for their many years of contribution to The Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind.
After 2pm on Saturday, the holiday raffle took place with nearly four hundred people present with a Sligo person winning the raffle. An online quiz was held on Guide Dogs while travelling to the centre to get everybody thinking about the work of the organisation. One of the volunteers who came along on the day, was a staff member of The Harvest Inn in Balbriggan and on her return, asked Anthony Reilly, owner of The Harvest Inn to do fundraiser which will be held on 10th October with more information to follow. As always, a fantastic day was had and a big thank you to Tom O’Neill for organising it, to H.Q. for having us and the wonderful staff at Irish Rail for all their help and assistance. Our Branch will also be back at the Skerries Mills Market on 18th October. We have some upcoming events in November, the 14th and 15th November we will be in SuperValu for our annual Christmas merchandise and again on the 28th and 29th November in Millfield Shopping Centre. Make sure you are following our social media pages for more information.
You can contact Balbriggan/North County Dublin Branch of Irish Guide Dogs by phone/text 0857663107, email: GuideDogsBalbriggan@gmail.com or find us on Facebook at Balbriggan Branch of Guide Dogs.
By Ken Duffy
July was a very busy month for our Swords Tidy Towns team of volunteers. We held the awards presentation for our Best Presented Estates competition and our Best Business Fronts competition.
Swords Tidy Towns Best Presented Estates awards 2025: 1st prize Rivervalley 500 euro; 2nd prize Seatown Terrace 300 euro; 3rd prize Carlton Court 200 euro. Most Improved Estate award: Lissenhall 50 euro; Best upcycled feature awarded to The Nurseries 50 euro
Wonderful community efforts evident all around Swords. Well done one and all. A special thank you must go to the Best Presented Estate committee and judges George Mongey, Mary Maxwell, Matt Cullen, Micheal Connolly and Martin Nulty of Nulty Landscapping chaired by Grace Dunne, fantastic work you guys. The generous prizes awarded would not be possible without the continued sponsorship of Members First Credit Union for which we are very grateful. Finally, not forgetting the tremendous support we receive from John Halford and his Fingal Horticultural Society team who put on a fantastic show each year, can’t wait for next year’s competition. We look forward to visiting your Estate in 2026.
This year’s winners of the Swords Tidy Towns Best Business fronts were as follows.
The Old Schoolhouse – Gold; McNamaras Chemist Dublin rd. – Silver. The Pound Bar - bronze.
Vincents Charity Shop. Castle shopping Centre. - most improved.
Well done to all our winners and to our Swords Tidy Towns volunteers Georgy Hughes and Matt Cullen for putting in the footwork.
After all that hard work it was time to let our hair down and there is no better bunch of people to do that than the Swords Tidy Towns team. A fabulous night was had by one and all at the Nathan Carter gig in Swords Castle. A massive thank you to Paul Barnes and his wonderful team at Fingal County Council for putting it all together, you did Swords proud. We dropped off at the 44 for a tipple after the concert and bumped into the Boomtown Rats who happened to be staying there, all in all, a very enjoyable night.
It seems there’s something in the Dublin mix this year as three local bakers have risen to the challenge and secured their places in the semi-finals of the National Brown Bread Baking Competition.
Helen Walker from Swords will be among the eight talented contestants competing at the National Ploughing Championships semi-finals in Screggan, Tullamore, Co. Offaly, on September 16th and 17th. The top four will go forward to the final on September 18th.
Speaking on the achievement, Helen said, “It’s my first time entering the National Brown Bread Baking competition and I’m delighted to be representing the Dublin ICA. I’m also absolutely petrified but bring it on!”.
The champion will take home €5,000 in cash and a NEFF Slide & Hide oven. Three finalists on the 18th will win €500 Euronics gift cards, while all other finalists will receive a €250 Euronics gift card and a Neff hamper.
Supported by Euronics in association with the National Ploughing Association and the Irish Country Women’s Association, the competition is set to be a feast for the senses with the Dublin bakers hoping to be crowned with the finest loaf.
The following is an extract from Mike Power’s forthcoming book - Swords: History and Mysteries… A Community Guide
Despite being situated solidly within the ‘Pale’(‘Pallium’ latin=A Fence) the spirit of Irish nationalism was never quite extinguished in Swords and Fingal…Swords folk contributed to every insurrection in Ireland, most notably in 1916, when the Fingal brigade of the Irish Volunteers led by Captain Richard Coleman of Main St. fought bravely in the engagement in the Mendacity Instit, Dublin.Swords folk can be very proud of it’s long and honourable tradition of nationalism, often carried out in the face of great opposition from the authorities. Fingal Abu !
‘Fingal has done more than its share in Ireland’s republican cause…’
Eamonn de Valera 1940
Easter Monday 1916 in the village of Swords dawned fine and dry. The Taylor brothers Tom, Joe and Christopher left their home in Taylors’ pub, Main Street, and headed out toKnocksedan bridge, half-an-hour’s walking at their brisk military pace. While confused by Eoin Mc Neill’s letter in the Sunday Independent to stand down, they still held to Captain Richard ‘Dick’ Coleman’s order:
‘We meet at Knocksedan Bridge on Monday, Ok?’
Their new boots chafing their feet as they strolled, going up the Brackenstown Road, they met Christopher ‘Kit’ Moran.
‘Is it still on?’ he asked, the others, saying nothing, walking stolidly ahead.
Kit Moran’s Mauser rifle slapped rhythmically on his hip, ‘damn blunderbuss,’ he spoke as he walked, knowing well the horrid mess its 57 mm. rounds could make of something as fragile as the human body. Seventy men were already waiting on the bridge, most smoking and cooling their heels, their mood black, disappointed with the poor turnout.
Some peered over the parapet at the black pools of water 60 feet below, pondering what lay ahead.
Finally, Captain Richard Coleman arrived, his Sam Browne belt and brass buttons shining in the shafts of sunlight scattering on the bridge. Pointedly, taking each man in with his eyes he said: ‘Right then, a Oglaigh, this is what we did all that hard training for – this is the day!’
Dublin writer George Fitzgerald is no stranger to putting pen to paper and with firm roots in Swords, George fondly remembers his relative Ned Stafford who was an integral part of the Nationalist movement and an active participant in the 1916 Rising.
Ned Stafford from Swords, County Dublin. His mother, Brigid Stafford, described as “a lady,” was supportive of his nationalist beliefs. The Stafford parents and their nine children are buried in Swords Cemetery. Ned became involved in nationalism after hearing Thomas MacDonagh speak at a gathering in Swords. Once he had made his decision, his mother supported him, and the family was aware of the key figures involved. Ned Stafford was present at Boland’s Mills during the 1916 Rising.
Boland’s served as a crucial strategic location for the Irish Volunteers. The mill, along with other buildings in the area, became the headquarters for the 3rd Battalion, which was tasked with controlling key approaches to Dublin from Dún Laoghaire, then Kingstown, a port where British reinforcements were expected. The Volunteers engaged in fierce fighting, particularly at Mount Street Bridge, and successfully held their ground against British forces until the order to surrender was given.
Ned subsequently enlisted in the Free State Army. However Private Edward Stafford died due to tuberculosis acquired during active duty in 1926. In a letter from his mother, she expressed her pride in stating that her son fought during Easter Week under Risteard Mulcahy’s command.
Ned Stafford’s dad, Patrick, was employed as a gardener. Three of his sons enlisted in the Irish Army. George Stafford was a member of the Irish Army from 1927 until 1960. The Black and Tans, or perhaps British troops, during the War of Independence, while they were looking for Ned Stafford, who was fleeing. He was informed that the plans for Ashbourne were concealed within the house, intended to prevent the train from transporting soldiers into the city. One of his brothers was Tom Stafford, who in the 1930s lived in a tenement in Gardiner Street, Dublin, in the 1930s. He and his family later moved to Ballyfermot. His daughter, Maria, married a local man, George Fitzgerald. In 1966, the young couple got a new flat on the tenth floor of the newly developed Ballymun flats.
George Fitzgerald is the author not only of the Ashley Brown series but the 9-book audiobook series about growing up in Ballymun in the 60s and later his life in Finglas South. There were four brothers in the family: George, his twin Joseph, Pat, and Wesley. The twins were champion boxers in the 70s. And band members in the 80s and 90s with the famed D11 Runners. The audiobooks can be listened to on YouTube or Facebook.
Many of you will know me, or my family. A proud Rush man since birth, you’ll see me around the town now either running the streets with Lusk AC, or running after my young son Colton. You might have even heard me recently on RTE’s Liveline sharing our journey and telling listeners why I’ll be running this year’s Dublin City Marathon, in complete silence.
Why I’m Running in Silence
Two years ago, I ran the Dublin City Marathon when my son was only 6 days old. Weeks later, we learned he was profoundly deaf. We had no family history of hearing loss, and we knew nothing about what this journey would look like. We had so much to learn, but from day 1 we were guided - on his hearing technology, on medical checks, on resources, and on early language techniques and strategies - to build a strong foundation which would shape his whole life. We were shown a path, to give our son the very best start and to help him reach his own potential. Where he would be able to hear, learn and thrive among his peers. Long before we arrived into the deaf world, people had fought tirelessly - for technology, education, access and recognition. So that children like our son would face an entirely different future.
So this year, I’m back. But this time - in silence. To raise awareness of the deaf experience and funds for the services that support this lifelong journey.
Our son received his first hearing aids aged 2 months and had cochlear implant surgery in March 2025. Today, he is thriving - laughing, learning, and growing into his fullest potential, one determined little step at a time.
Wearing strong noise-cancelling headphones, I’ll run DCM 2025 without sound in symbolic recognition of the deaf experience, and to champion my son - and every deaf child, parent and person navigating a world not always built with them in mind.
Why This Campaign Matters
Early hearing screening and support are more than medical checks – they are gateways to opportunity. The resources and support provided through the early intervention programme and other deaf services including by Chime (Ireland’s national Deaf charity) are invaluable. The advocacy, early tools, and expert guidance gave our family not just resources - but a path forward. Without these services, Colton’s journey would have started much later - and looked very different.
Funds raised through this campaign will go directly to Chime, to continue their advocacy and services for deaf children and families, and to other key deaf supports including Our New Ears, that help children develop language, identity, and confidence from the start.
Laying the Foundations: The Vital Role of Early Screening and Support
We also recently wrote a thank-you poem to the maternity hospital where Colton was born, expressing our deep gratitude for the newborn screening service. Without that screen, and with no family history or visible signs of hearing loss, we would have had no reason to look for further assessments until much later. The simple test changed the course of his early life - and ours. We were incredibly moved when the hospital shared our message more widely - and even more touched by the responses from early screeners and staff who said how rarely they hear about the long-term outcomes of their work. We even connected with the screener who had run Colton’s first checks! She shared her reaction with us: “You have no idea the power of your words, they have lifted our spirits. We don’t ever look for praise, but your recognition has been a tonic for us all and lifted us knowing what we do is vital in changing lives. Thank you for sharing your son with us, we will speak to many new parents about him, when they need it most.”
The poem is now framed in their offices, where it can remind the team daily of how important their work is.
Breaking the Silence Around Deafness
Beyond fundraising, we hope to shine a light on what it means to be deaf or hard of hearing, or to have a deaf family member, friend, classmate, colleague or acquaintance. To take the mystery out of it, and spark a conversation from curiosity, acceptance, and openness.
Our son is perfect, exactly as he is. Born wholly complete and fully himself. And we would not change a single thing about him.
And we want him to grow up in a world that understands this part of him.
Ask questions, stay curious, and help build a more inclusive world for deaf children like my son.
Help me run this marathon in silence - so more deaf children can be heard, supported, and celebrated.
very step counts. Every share helps. Every discussion matters.
https://www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/MunroRuigrok
Rush Men’s Shed - A big thank you to Tony Hickey and Tony Brennan from Rush Men’s Shed who revarnished the 3 benches at the South Beach Car Park over the last week.
Estate Clean Up - Well done to the residents of Brookford Estate who planted some lovely flowers and plants today. They look fantastic. Special mention to Stephen from Rushbrook Plants, who helped them out with plant selection and placement.
The Rush Community Council Events Committee is proud to celebrate the success of the Rush Harbour Festival and Fingal Rush Air Display 2025, which took place over the August Bank Holiday weekend. This year was a special milestone as it was the first time the Community Council Events Committee had the honour of organising the festival – and it proved to be a weekend to remember.
Rush Harbour was alive with colour, music, and activity from morning to night. Families enjoyed children’s amusements, funfair rides, and workshops, while the harbour front bustled with food stalls and a harvest & craft market. Each evening ended on a high with fantastic live performances, bringing people together to celebrate Rush’s vibrant culture.
The Fingal Rush Air Display was once again the standout attraction, drawing huge crowds to the shoreline. Against the stunning backdrop of Rush North Beach and Lambay Island, visitors were thrilled by daring stunts, precision flying, and breathtaking aerobatic displays from some of the world’s finest pilots.
The Events Committee extends heartfelt thanks to everyone who made the festival possible: our generous sponsors, the many local businesses and community groups who contributed their time and expertise, and the incredible volunteers whose hard work ensured everything ran smoothly.
Speaking after the festival, Erin Cartlidge, Chairperson of the Rush Community Council Events Committee, said: “We are so proud of what was achieved this year. Taking on the organisation for the first time was a big challenge, but the support from the whole community was amazing. We want to thank our sponsors, contributors, and especially our volunteers, who gave so much of their time and energy. Without them, this festival simply would not have been possible.”
The 2025 Rush Festival & Fingal Rush Airshow was more than an event – it was a true celebration of land, sea, sky, and the community spirit that makes Rush so special, we are looking forward to building on the success of this year and working with everyone again to make the festival even more fantastic next year and for the future.
Credits to Photographers: Leo Bissett & Ray Watts, Valeta McCormick (Corvenieos Entertainment) & Darragh Butler (@feetwetaviation)
Rush-based director Dave Byrne is anticipating the release of his latest film ‘Sunphlowers’ on 26th September and it will be on general release in cinemas around the country.
Sunphlowers follows Catherine, a middle-aged mother of three embarks on a journey of self-discovery, against the backdrop of secrecy and devastation her late husband left behind, changing the course of her grief forever.
Set against an agricultural backdrop, Catherine, [played by Anne McCrudden] finds her husband dead in one of their glasshouses. In putting his affairs in order, the extent of secrecy and destruction her late husband Michael has left in his wake, forces Catherine to take a long hard look at the direction of the remainder of her life. In the days that follow, Catherine must deal with very real-life issues such as rural isolation, organised criminals targeting vulnerable people and financial ruin. Catherine initially struggles to deal with the overwhelming responsibilities that lay ahead, whilst also providing emotional support to her three adult children. Pride and determination bring out a strength of character beyond Catherine’s own expectations, as she deals with each problem head on, resulting in a newfound sense of freedom and the power to forgive and move on with her life
