Active Age for All croquet players were delighted to accept the kind invitation from Anne Collins, chairperson of Newbridge House Croquet Club, to a fun croquet day in Newbridge Park.

We met on a beautifully sunny Wednesday on the well maintained, historical, croquet lawns of Newbridge House which AAfA are privileged to share with NHCC. The day was meticulously organised by Bernie Andrews ( I think she must have had a say in the weather as well !) with members of both clubs mixed to play together, and a few skills games which were great fun.

We had a wonderful afternoon with lots of laughter, great games and lovely goodies. It was great to make the connection with NHCC and we look forward to many combined events in the future.

Active Age for All is celebrating and welcoming over 35 new members and at the beginning of October had a membership of 270! Most classes are full but you can see where there are spaces on the website www.activeageforall – and if there is a space you are interested in, you can text us on 086 8806808 (TEXT ONLY) and we will contact you and give you a pro-rata price until the end of term.

We have been busy organizing classes and arranging tutors, registration days and supporting many other initiatives that all keep us active, physically and mentally for nearly 10 years now – and all done with volunteers - Everything. If you think you have some administration / organisational / web / computer skills / can-do attitude, we would love to hear from you as there are some spaces available on the committee. We have about nine meetings each year and the summer is free.

Some of our early volunteers moved on to sharing their skills to other groups who all work with the intention of improving what is available to us on the peninsula. Breda Dockrell represented us all on the recreational side on the Donabate Liaison Group and Eilish McDermott represented the cultural side and the Bleeding Pig. After their 5 years on the Liaison Group, they are stepping down and we thank them for looking after our interests… but beware – heavens knows what they will be doing next!

A new exhibit that showcases experiences faced by people from marginalised communities across Ireland has been opened in Swords, as Fingal County Council looks to continue its efforts to combat racist attitudes and behaviours.

The “Building Bridges: Forging Pathways Beyond Prejudice” exhibition is the fourth and final phase of the SALAAM project which was developed in partnership with Fingal County Council and the University of Limerick, Doras, the Immigrant Council of Ireland and the Irish Network Against Racism.

Opening the exhibition, Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Brian McDonagh, said: “Fingal is a county that not only celebrates its rich diversity but actively fosters inclusion and social cohesion. We take pride in our role as leaders in delivering on our Public Sector Duty obligations. This commitment isn’t just outlined in our strategic plans and policies—it is embedded in the very heart of everything we do. Our goal is to ensure that all who live, work, and visit Fingal feel welcomed and safe”.

Fingal is amongst the most diverse and dynamically growing populations in Ireland and Fingal County Council is committed to social integration and enhancing the quality of life for all the residents as it continues to grow.

Minister Joe O’Brien emphasised: “Fingal continues to ensure that it meets the needs of one of the country’s most diverse populations. In doing so it looks to recognise the vital contributions that non-Irish communities make to our lives every day and reminds us all of the importance of providing welcome & supports to all Fingal residents so that we can continue to build successful & thriving communities that benefit all of us living and working in the Fingal area.”

Featuring eight comics, the collection of heartfelt stories aims to share the often-harsh experiences faced by non-Irish nationals and open up a dialogue that champions diversity, equality and inclusion.
The project lead, Dr. James Carr from University of Limerick, says: “The ‘Building Bridges: Forging Pathways Beyond Prejudice’ exhibition is a poignant testament to the power of visual art as a tool for creating an understanding of our changing environment. It serves as a platform for the unheard by amplifying the narratives and lived experiences of our diverse communities through visual storytelling”.

National Women’s Enterprise Day (NWED) will take place on Thursday, 17th October, and the venue for the biggest event celebrating NWED this year is the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Blanchardstown.

The annual Dublin NWED event, organised by Local Enterprise Office (LEO) Fingal on behalf of the LEOs in the Dublin region, is a highlight in the business calendar for enterprising women across the region and offers a unique opportunity to celebrate female entrepreneurship.

The theme of this year’s National Women’s Enterprise Day is ‘Making It Happen’ and the programme includes a variety of guest speakers, female entrepreneurs, lively panel discussion, small-business case studies, an exhibition of enterprise support agencies as well as plenty of opportunities to network with other female entrepreneurs and business owners.

Celebrated TV broadcaster Mary Kennedy was announced as this year’s NWED Master of Ceremonies, while a number of inspiring speakers from several business sectors were also unveiled, including Lorraine Heskin (CEO of Gourmet Food Parlour), Oonagh O’Hagan (MD of Meaghers Pharmacy), Fiona Buckley (CEO of She Speaks Agency), and Breda McCague (CEO of Aiming4Awesome).

The ambassadors announced for their respective regions are Michelle O’Keefe, Co-founder of Platform 55 (LEO Fingal); Aisling Tuck, founder of Naked Bakes (South Dublin LEO); Alicia Garrigan, Founder of GirlGottaChange (LEO Dun Laoghaire Rathdown) and Niamh Tallon, Founder of Hersport.ie (LEO Dublin City).

The event will also provide access to valuable information and resources from representatives of key organisations such as the Local Enterprise Office, Enterprise Ireland, Revenue, Intreo, Department of Social Protection, InterTradeIreland, AwakenHub, TU Dublin, TrailblazHER, and Microfinance Ireland.

Registration is at 8.45 am with the opportunity to network over breakfast. The event kicks off at 9.30 am and will conclude with a networking lunch, which finishes at 2 pm.

Speaking at the launch of the NWED Dublin event, the Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Brian McDonagh, said: “Fingal is a thriving hub of innovation and entrepreneurship, and I’m delighted to celebrate the incredible women who are driving our region forward. National Women’s Enterprise Day is a fantastic opportunity to highlight the vibrant business community we have here, and to inspire even more women to pursue their entrepreneurial endeavours.”

The event is subsidised by the LEOs in the Dublin Region and a limited number of fully inclusive early bird tickets are available at only €25. Places are limited, so early booking is strongly advised. For further information and online bookings visit www.localenterprise.ie/fingal.

Celebrating 20 years next January, experience TradFest everywhere you go, from the Mountains of South Dublin across Dublin City and to the castles and coastline of historic Fingal.

Now in its third year in Fingal the festival will return to the many unique and historic venues across the region: Malahide Castle, Swords Castle Chapel, The Millbank Theatre, Skerries Mill, Draíocht Theatre and the iconic Seamus Ennis Arts Centre, while increasing its musical footprint in additional new venues: The Lark, Ardgillan Castle, The Abbey Tavern and Donabate Community Centre.

Fingal Acts for 2025 include: Karen Casey - The Women we will rise, Jacqui Martin & Derek Hickey, Tara Breen, Eoghan ó’Ceannabhaín, Mike Hanrahan and Eleanor Shanley, Luka Bloom, Ines Khai, Molly O’Mahony, Paudie O’Connor & Aoife Ni Chaoimh, Emma Langford, Stockton’s Wing -Voices from Fingal Mick Hanly with Anto Drennan and Eoin O’Neill, The Henry Girls, Bernadette Nic Gabhann, Frank, O’Rourke & John Feely, Molly Donnery, Brídín, Sorcha Costello, Evelyn Kallansee & Declan Sinnott
There will also be a special celebration of the actor, local resident and TradFest patron Stephen Rea. The Oscar-nominated and multi award-winning actor has for long had a global reputation for his exceptional skills on both stage and screen.

Over four nights in The Lark Theatre, Balbriggan, TradFest will honour Stephen through words and music. Joining Stephen over the 4 nights will be poet Paul Muldoon and musicians Neil Martin, Louise Mulcahy, Matt Molloy, Maighread Ní Dhomnaill, Paddy Glackin and Derek Hickey.

TradFest in Fingal will also celebrate the life of Barney McKenna, original member of the Irish band The Dubliners and Fingal resident across two days and nights in The Abbey Tavern, Howth in January 2025.
Mike Hanrahan and Stockton’s Wing will give a special concert in Donabate Community Centre where they will be joined on stage by the voices of Fingal Choir In line with its audience development objectives, TradFest also will deliver an expanded community programme later this year which will outline a series of new exciting, free community-led events in Fingal.

Whether you’re a fan of live music, or just looking for a night of Irish culture and craic, TradFest is where you want to be in January 2025.

By Jon Kavanagh

Like many great ideas it all started more or less by accident. Back in 1999 a few friends were socialising in the village of Ballyboughal when someone said, “Wouldn’t it be nice to go for a walk?” They began a fortnightly walk around the surrounding area. Word spread quickly and the idea literally gained legs, as more and more people joined the now weekly event. The meeting points expanded to cover the entire Fingal area and beyond. The members see hidden gems and pick up a bit of local history as they cast their shadow on just about every nook and cranny, from Newbridge House to Oldbridge House, from Balbriggan to Blessington and everywhere in between.

The celebration weekend included a dinner dance and a special walk, led by David O’Connor, former Mayor of Fingal, and sadly the sole survivor of the founder members. Dave retraced the steps of the first walk from Naul village to the Four Knocks Passage Tomb, which incidentally has a larger interior than New Grange. Lockdown was difficult but thankfully the gregarious lot managed to keep in touch on social media. As soon as restrictions were lifted the club sprang back bigger than ever. On an average Sunday morning around forty turn out to walk and talk whilst getting a bit of fresh air and exercise. The club has a strong social aspect and many long-lasting friendships have been formed over the years.

Independent Councillor Tony Murphy, a dedicated and experienced representative with over a decade of experience, has officially announced his candidacy for the newly created Dublin Fingal West constituency in the upcoming General Election. With a strong track record of leadership and community advocacy, Murphy is committed to building on his successful career as a Councillor to represent the needs of his constituency at national level.

Since his first election to Fingal County Council in 2014, Murphy has been a tireless advocate for the people of Fingal. He has consistently prioritised the community’s wellbeing, as evidenced by his impressive poll-topping results in the Balbriggan electoral area in both 2019 and 2024.

Having lived and worked in Balbriggan for over 40 years, Murphy has a profound understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities facing local communities in Rush Lusk Loughshinny Skerries Balrothery and the rural Fingal area. His work has particularly focused on enhancing local infrastructure, improving services, supporting businesses, and fostering an inclusive and vibrant environment. His pivotal role in securing funding and resources for major projects, notably the ambitious Our Balbriggan Rejuvenation Plan, has been widely acknowledged. This program has had a transformative impact, establishing Balbriggan as one of the most desirable towns in Fingal to live, work, and raise a family.

Councillor Murphy stated: “I am proud to announce my candidacy for the Fingal Dublin West constituency in the upcoming General Election. My focus has always been on delivering real results for the community, and I believe my experience, dedication, and deep-rooted connections to the area will allow me to continue to make a positive impact. I look forward to the opportunity to represent the people of Fingal Dublin West on the national stage and work toward a brighter future for all residents.”

Following the recent constituency boundary changes, the former Dublin Fingal five-seater constituency was split into two three-seater constituencies – Fingal Dublin West and Fingal Dublin East. Fingal Dublin West covers a number of vibrant communities, including Balbriggan, Balrothery, Skerries, Loughshinny, Rush, Lusk, Ballyboughal, Kilsallaghan, St. Margaret’s, Coolquay, Oldtown, Garristown, and Naul.

With a strong track record of effective leadership, Tony Murphy will leverage his local experience and community-first approach at the national level, ensuring the voices of Dublin Fingal West residents are well-represented in Dáil Éireann.

On Wednesday 25th September a trip to the Guide Dog Centre in Cork was organised by Tom O’Neill who was joined by a group of local Balbriggan/North Co Dublin volunteers along with some of Tom’s and his son Eoin’s friends. The group travelled to Cork and back with Irish Rail who were most helpful to all but gave additional help to those on the trip who needed the extra support.

The headquarters pulled out all the stops! Chris Bennet of the fundraising department met the volunteers and friends off the bus when they arrived, he was accompanied by Tim O’Mahony, C.E.O and Mary Terry from the office staff. Sinead and her kitchen team laid on a lovely lunch and two local volunteers, Dermot and Tom broke the group up into two separate groups and showed everybody every part of the centre. It was a joy and also a lonesome moment to see Breege’s bus again.

The volunteers got to see the work involved for the students in training their new guide dogs as Sam the guide dog trainer demonstrated to the group. The feedback on the train home was that it was a wonderful trip. The staff were amazing and what a fantastic facility. A great day was had by all and we would like to thank the Headquarters for being so welcoming and showing us around.

As Christmas time approaches, you might want to keep a lookout for our merchandise stand over the next couple of weeks as we will be out and about. Keep an eye on our social media accounts for details on where we are going to be set up. We will have car raffle tickets available for €5, with the chance to win a Citroën C4 Plus Hybrid. Our 2025 calendars and Christmas cards will also be available.

Our Balbriggan/North County Dublin branch also held a coffee morning on 22nd of October in the Senior Citizen Hall in Balbriggan. Our raffle last year was a huge success at the event, and this year was no different! We gave away some fantastic spot prizes and a great morning was had by all.

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.

Four properties in Balbriggan were chose to feature in this year’s Irish Architecture Foundation’s Open House Dublin in October. Balbriggan was at the centre of the festival, with four architecturally acclaimed venues in the locality among those throwing open their doors to the public. Among them was The Lark, the country’s newest, most innovative, entertainment venue.

The Lark is this year’s winner of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland Public Choice Award - voted the public’s favourite building.

The other featured venues in Balbriggan were Ardgillan Castle; High Street Balbriggan and Open Studios.
Meanwhile, UCD architecture students recently visited Balbriggan to view the progress and plans of the Our Balbriggan Rejuvenation Programme.

The transformational project is aimed at creating a high-quality public amenity and premier visitor destination to revitalise Ireland’s youngest town.

The €50million 2019-2030 Our Balbriggan Rejuvenation Programme aims to create a more attractive, connected place where people want to live, work, visit and do business.

Key milestones have been reached as work continues at pace on the transformational €15million Balbriggan Quay Street and Harbour project.

The students also learned of works planned for the former RNLI Boathouse, the transformation of 6a-14 Bridge Street and a creative hub at 2-4 Dublin Street.

The ambitious vision contained in the Our Balbriggan Rejuvenation Programme was the result of an historic community engagement in 2019 which saw more than 25% of residents outline their preferences for the future of the town Dr David Begg, chair of the Our Balbriggan Leadership Group, said the visit was tangible evidence of the positive impacts of the Our Balbriggan Rejuvenation Programme.

“Its purpose was to bring to life the Our Balbriggan Rejuvenation Programme,” he said.

“There was both a visual learning experience with follow up presentations on how the ambitious socio-economic and architectural rejuvenation of Balbriggan has been shaped by the community and brought to life by Fingal County Council.”

Author and podcast host Georgie Crawford has teamed up with Specsavers Balbriggan to encourage budding authors to enter their nationwide short story competition.
The competition launched to help celebrate Specsavers’ sponsorship of the Junior and Senior Children’s Book of the Year categories at the An Post Irish Book Awards 2024.
As an author and a mum to two young children, Georgie is encouraging children to get involved in the competition.
“Parents and guardians, I urge you to encourage your children to dive in – you’ll be amazed by what they create. And who knows, they might just surprise themselves (and their school!) with a win,” she said.
The winner of the junior and senior category of the Specsavers short story competition will win €500 for their school library along with all the titles shortlisted in the Specsavers Irish Children’s Book of the Year categories at the An Post Irish Book Awards 2024.
Georgie’s top tips for writing a short story:
Believe in your story magic: You have stories bursting inside you, just waiting to be told! Trust your ideas, no matter how big or small, silly or serious. Let your imagination soar and don’t be afraid to explore the unknown corners of your creativity.
Write about what you love: What makes your heart sing? Is it a day at the beach, a video game adventure, a special friendship, or maybe a dream you once had? Turn your passions and real-life experiences into stories that will resonate with readers.
Fuel your imagination: Be a reading explorer! Journey through different kinds of books – funny comics, thrilling mysteries, magical fantasies. Discover what other authors do and ask, “What if?” to spark amazing story ideas of your own.
Make it exciting: Show, don’t tell! Instead of saying “The monster was scary,” describe its slimy scales, razor-sharp teeth, and bloodcurdling roar. Use all five senses to bring your story to life and don’t forget to add a problem or challenge for your character to overcome.
Writing tips: Start small – even a few sentences is a great start! Read your story aloud to yourself to see how it sounds. Don’t be afraid to ask grown-ups, teachers, or friends for feedback. And most importantly, don’t give up! Writing takes practice, but the more you write, the better you’ll become.
Most importantly, have fun! Writing should be an enjoyable adventure! Let your imagination run wild, embrace silliness and surprise, and savour the process of bringing your unique story to life.
To enter Specsavers’ competition simply create a short story, no longer than 500 words, inspired by the carnival picture.
“The carnival had come to town, a buzz of colour and noise. But there was one stall, tucked away in the corner, that was different. It was completely silent, and the sign above it read ‘See Your Dreams - One Euro Only’. I knew what to do…
Closing date for entries is Tuesday 7th January 2025. All entries should be posted to:
Specsavers Short Story Competition, c/o WHPR, 6 Ely Place, Dublin 2.
You can also pick up an entry form at your closest Specsavers store or submit online at www.specsavers.ie/irish-book-awards

Autumn brings with it the return to school and routine after-school activities and Swords Karate Club has been busy as students returned to training after the summer holidays. All classes are working hard and refreshing their karate skills with the ai of improving enough in time for Grading examinations in December.

October promises to be a busy month with visits from two Japanese Instructors. At the beginning of the month, we will host Yamaguchi Sensei 8th Dan JKS for a two-day seminar, while later in the month we will have a visit from Watanabe Sensei for an evening seminar. Both Instructors come with a high pedigree of JKS karate, and both are Instructors in the JKS Honbu Dojo in Japan. We are looking forward to their sessions immensely and will have a short report of both in our next news.

We hosted JKS National Brown & Black Belt training recently and Dermot Sensei covered kihon, kumite and kata in the technical session. Focusing on creating dynamic power with the whole body, the visitors from other JKS Clubs from around Ireland as well as Swords members worked on techniques from the grading syllabus for brown and black belts. Everyone had a great morning training and catching up with each other since Japan.

Our Club is always looking for new members (Children, Young People & Adults). Contact Dermot on 087-8073885 for details on how to join our club. You can also contact us on Facebook: JKS Swords Karate Club or on Instagram: @jks_swords_karate_club