On Saturday, August 2nd, the heart of Balbriggan will beat a little louder as the community gathers at Glebe North Football Club for the Fran Malone Memorial Cup — a charity football match that’s more than just a game. It’s a tribute, a celebration, and a rallying cry for support, all rolled into one.

This year’s match is in proud support of CRITICAL CFR Balbriggan, (https://criticalcharity.ie/), a volunteer-led emergency medical response group that’s redefining what it means to serve. These are the people who drop everything when a call comes in — trained responders who act as an extension of the National Ambulance Service, racing to the scene of cardiac arrests, heart attacks, strokes, and choking incidents. Their mission is simple but profound: to save lives.

The volunteers of CRITICAL CFR Balbriggan are community locals. They’ve undergone rigorous training, Garda vetting, and are preparing to launch August 2025.

Leading up to the CRITICAL CFR Balbriggan launch, the most ambitious and largest scale community project in the town’s history, COMMUNITY HEARTS, a masterclass in grassroots community action with the installation of residential defibrillators for every estate in the town. Ensuring all residents of the second most densely populated town in Ireland are within 3-5 minutes of their nearest accessible defibrillator.

The Fran Malone Memorial Cup, just like Fran, is dedicated to helping others, the football match for charity carries forward Fran’s legacy of compassion and generosity. Last year’s match raised over €8,000 for hospice care. This year, every euro raised will go toward equipping CRITICAL responders with the tools they need to save lives.

So come down to Glebe North on August 2nd. Cheer on your local legends, meet the volunteers, and be part of something bigger than football. Whether you donate, volunteer, or simply show up — your presence matters.

Let’s make this match one to remember. For Fran. For Balbriggan. For all of us.

Dedicated fund-raising page: https://criticalcfr.enthuse.com/cf/fran-malone-memorial-cup. Facebook Page for CRITICAL CFR- Balbriggan. www.criticalcharity.ie/

The Balbriggan Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce the appointment of Jude O’Sullivan as its new president. The transition took place during a recent gathering where Councillor Tony Murphy provided a brief history of the Chamber, highlighting the significance of the Chain of Office and the motto engraved on it. “Mollain an obair an bhaile”

During the event, Chris Harmon from Country Crest expressed gratitude to the outgoing president, Richard Berney of UHY Farrelly Dawe White, Accountants, Balbriggan for his dedicated service to the Chamber, and a Richard ‘s contributions were acknowledged. Unfortunately Richard sadly passed away on the 24th May and our thoughts are with his family. May Richard RIP.

In his acceptance speech, Jude O’Sullivan thanked everyone for their support and expressed his enthusiasm for collaborating with Chamber members, the community, and local authorities to advance the Rejuvenation Plan. He emphasized the importance of this initiative in revitalizing the area and enhancing local business opportunities.

Jude also welcomed the recent upgrades to the Harry Reynolds Road, which now features a new Pedestrian & Cycling Route. This project not only connects local businesses, schools, and sports facilities but also significantly improves safety for pedestrians and cyclists, promoting active travel within the community.

As the Chamber moves forward under Jude’s leadership, there is a shared sense of optimism about the future and the potential for positive change in Balbriggan.

The second annual Balbriggan LGBTQ Pride was held on George’s Square on June 7th 2025. Local musicians from the Sceal Collective played on a rainbow stage outside the Our Balbriggan hub from 2pm to 6pm. MC Eddie McGuinness kept the day going smoothly. There were also street performers from Circusful, entering the crowd with juggling and dancing.

Community gardai, local politicians and representatives of many local groups attended the day. There was the chance to learn about services in Balbriggan on the information stalls, such as the Outcomers social meet up for LGBTQ adults in Flemington Community Centre and the LGBTQ Book and Film club in Balbriggan Library.

The Balbriggan LGBTQ Committee group is a member of Fingal PPN and received funding from Fingal County Council for the day. The committee was set up with the assistance of Outcomers LGBT Support Services.

To get in touch please email: balbrigganlgbtq@gmail.com.

GuideDogsBalbriggan@gmail.com or find us on Facebook at Balbriggan Branch of Guide Dogs

What a summer it has been so far for the Branch of Guide Dogs. The branch has been busy and enjoying all the wonderful support, especially on Guide Dog Day where a fantastic total was raised on Friday the 23rd May in Millfield Shopping Centre of €1,126.11 and on Saturday the 24th May at SuperValu, Balbriggan a total of €698.64 was raised. We want to once again say thank you to all our volunteers and to everyone who supported us.

At the end of May, the Skerries Community Choir held a summer concert and a fantastic sum of €1,000 was donated; €400 collected on the night and a further €600 later from the choir. Tom O’Neill and guide dog Qeb were in attendance with some of our volunteers and a brilliant evening was had by all. A big thank you to Jane Carroll and all the Skerries Community Choir for supporting our branch. If you didn’t spot us at the Choir, you might have seen our wonderful volunteers who attended the Balbriggan Summerfest on the 1st June where merchandise and raffle tickets to win a luxury holiday were sold, with €324.30 raised. We still have raffle tickets available so be on the lookout for our next event which will be in Skerries Mills at the farmers market on Saturday 16th August and make sure to come get yourself one.
Tom and guide dog Qeb have also been busy, giving talks about what a guide dog does and also visual impairments. Tom and Qeb recently attended Buíon Peade ragus Pòh Brigins Junior Girl Guides, who did a sponsored walk for Guide Dog Day, with €320 raised. They also attended Tyndall College in Carlow and Ballinalee National School in Co Longford to give a final school talk for 2024/2025 and of course once again Qeb was the star of the show.

If you would like to keep up to date with our upcoming events, make sure to follow 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

There were two events over the last month to celebrate Swords Tidy Towns Gold Medal win and to recognise the enormity of us achieving it.

The first celebration event was hosted by the Old Schoolhouse in the Whiskey Room where food was provided free of charge for which we are very grateful. A thank you must go to Willie and his hard-working team for looking after us on the night. It was a very special evening spent with fellow volunteers who share the same community passion and love of Swords.

The second celebratory event was a Civic Reception with our local Councillors, the Mayor and the CEO of Fingal County Council. We were first seated in the main council chambers where the business of Fingal takes place. The Mayor gave a very complimentary speech as did our local councillors and our Chairperson. Afterwards we adjourned to the Atrium where we were treated to a sandwiches, wraps, cakes, coffee and tea provided by The Gourmet Food Parlour where we mingled.

A big thank you to Ann Marie Farrelly CEO who chatted with our members listening intently to their wants and needs for retaining the Gold Medal in 2025. Those in attendance were in complete agreement of the prestige that Swords has now being a national Gold Medal winner.

A special mention must go to our invited sponsors for their unwavering support over many years, we would not be gold medal winners today if wasn’t for their generosity.

By Mike Power

With longer days and (hopefully) sunnier skies, this time of the year is ideal for giving you and your family the ‘walking habit’. Beginning walkers prefer to have definite starting and ending points, while making the walk a ‘heritage hunt’ gives the kids something to collect and examine later. They can collect ‘magic’ stones to examine at home. Walking and exploring is healthy, interesting and ‘bonds’ a family together.

he whole Swords area is rich in interesting heritage walks. I’ve chosen these particular strolls both for their enjoyment, and to safely avoid the ever-present danger of the traffic that swirls everywhere around our village nowadays.

Walk 1. The Ward Heritage Park Walk
Most Swords folk are familiar with the ‘Jacko’ but have you ever continued your walk past the children’s playground and into the park ahead? If you do, you will be rewarded by the discovery of an area full of interest for all family members to explore, especially your dog !

This fabulous but little-known park lies to the west of Swords. If driving there, Park at the Brackenstown roundabout down from the Manor. The entrance to this park lies on your right, past some iron railings and down the hill to begin your walk. Continue to explore the area, walking around a pond which locals call ‘Ushers’ but which was actually dug out by a local nobleman Viscount Robert Molesworth in the 1710s.

You can do short, (3/4 hr) medium, (1 hr), and long ( 2hr) walks in this park.

Walk 2: The Brackenstown Road/Swords Village Heritage Walk
Again, drive to the Brackenstown roundabout, park and walk straight ahead. This small track was the original road into Swords! Emerge onto the Brackenstown road proper and walk ahead until you see on your right a set of wooden stairs leading back down to the park. The kids will love this! Descend into the ‘Jacko’ and walk back along the path to your right. Let the kids play in the playground, before ascending the path opposite. When up this path, walk ahead to your left to rejoin your car at the Brackenstown roundabout.

Happy Walking!
Look out for Mike’s book on Swords: Swords History and Mysteries. A Community Guide, to be published in August.

St Colmcille’s will host their annual GAA Summer camp the week of 22-25th July.

Fun and laughter will be at the heart of this year’s Summer Camp. We have a schedule that will keep your kids entertained to the max! Join us for Gaelic Football Summer Camp – the ultimate experience for young athletes eager to learn, grow, and play the fast-paced game of Gaelic football! Whether you’re a beginner or have played before, our camp is designed to improve skills, foster teamwork, and most importantly, have a blast!

Children will experience
Expert Coaching by certified coaches with years of experience in Gaelic Football

Skill Development sessions: Master the fundamentals or elevate your game to the next level!

Team Building Activities: Meet new friends and create lasting memories while working as a team
Fun & Fitness: Improve fitness levels through drills, friendly competition, and games

Spaces are limited! Register online at https://colmcillesgfc.clubforce.com/pages/summer-camp-2025 or text 0876819540 for more information.

Rush is stepping up for a cleaner future with the Fingal Reusable Cup Campaign, launching in local cafés on Saturday, 17th May. In partnership with Vytal and supported by Fingal County Council, the scheme offers free-to-borrow reusable cups—just return them within 14 days.

We were delighted with the warm response from the community during our information morning on Saturday, 10th May! Huge thanks to all the volunteers, and to VOICE, Vytal, and Fingal County Council representatives for making it possible.

Look out for posters in local businesses and join us in making Rush a compostable cup-free town. Bring your own cup, sit in, or borrow a Vytal cup—simple, free, and better for the planet.

Love your Dog, Love Rush, Bag it, Bin it! : Tackling Dog Fouling in Rush
Dog fouling is one of the most common concerns raised by residents in Rush. While most dog owners clean up after their pets, a small minority are leaving a mess on our footpaths—and it’s affecting everyone.

To help raise awareness and offer a simple solution, Rush Tidy Towns recently took to Main Street, handing out free dog poop bag dispensers and bags to local dog walkers. A big thanks to Fingal County Council for supporting this initiative.

Dog waste isn’t just unpleasant—it’s a health risk, particularly for children. It can spread harmful parasites and bacteria, and pollutes our shared spaces.
Let’s all work together for a cleaner, safer Rush.
Love your Dog. Love Rush. Bag it. Bin it.
Rush Tidy Towns Needs You!

Rush is looking fantastic thanks to the hard work of Rush Tidy Towns volunteers, and there’s always more to be done. We need YOU to help keep it shining!

From repainting bollards and cleaning road signs to planting flowers and tackling weeds, volunteers have been busy across different areas of Rush. We invite all residents and businesses to get involved, take pride in our town, and help us impress the judges for both the Best Kept Town and Tidy Towns competitions.
Whether it’s picking up litter, clearing a mess, hanging flower baskets, or ensuring your area stays tidy, every action counts. Let’s work together to make Rush a place we’re all proud of.

Rush Tidy Towns needs you—let’s make our town shine!
Courtesy of Rush Tidy Towns

Portmarnock Community School had its annual Sports awards Ceremony on Thursday 8th May. Our guest speaker was David Gillick who is an Olympian, author and sports commentator. He spoke to our students of the importance of writing down a plan, talking and asking for help if you feel like you need it.

The sports awards ceremony is an annual event and it is to recognise the positive impact that sports can have on a young person’s life, which we all value and wish to acknowledge here in PCS. The awards ceremony is a celebration for all our students who participate in sports throughout the year - not just the athletes receiving awards.

Fingal County Council is taking a stand against disposable culture by launching the Fingal Reusable Cup Project in two of its most vibrant communities. This will see residents in the coastal towns of Malahide and Rush being asked to go disposable cup free by November 2025 and to join a bold new chapter in sustainable, waste-free living.

The Fingal Reusable Cup Project is more than just a council-led plan; it’s a cross-sector collaboration that’s bringing together public and private players, local volunteers, environmental advocates, community groups and retailers. Think: baristas, tidy towns volunteers, parish councils, sports clubs, schools, chambers of commerce, all working side-by-side toward one shared goal: no more disposable cups.
Fingal is kicking off the six-month pilot powered by reusable cup tech experts and not-for-profit social enterprise VYTAL. Participating cafés in Rush and Malahide will offer free reusable takeaway cups for those who don’t already own one of their own. Customers can simply borrow a VYTAL cup to enjoy their drink and then return it at any participating location within 14 days, for free.

Launching the initiative, the Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Brian McDonagh said: “We’re incredibly proud to launch this in Fingal. By working directly with local communities, volunteers and retailers, we’re building something sustainable and scalable. This is climate action that feels good — and tastes like good coffee.”
Welcoming the approach, Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy, Darragh O’ Brien TD, said: “Changing the culture of disposables in Ireland will take time and effort, but initiatives like this demonstrate a strong appetite for climate action from local government, retailers, communities, and customers alike. This project is a leading example of circularity in action, and I commend Fingal County Council for its leadership and commitment to reducing unnecessary waste.”

“We have been looking for a feasible solution that works for us as a business and for our customers to reduce our carbon footprint. We are delighted to take part in this project and encourage all businesses to get on board”, said Alan Purcell, owner of Seomra Tae in Malahide.

“As a local tidy town representative, I am proud of Rush and how enthusiastic our retailers have been. We are very excided to get started and will continue to promote this project over the pilot period to local businesses and customers”, said Vanessa Hetherington.