Get together with your neighbours to share food and enjoy some conversation and camaraderie this summer. Annual weekend of street parties and communities’ lunches. It doesn’t matter if you live in an apartment or house, all you need is a space to bring people together. Fingal County Council say people have had feasts organised in front gardens, on streets and greens, in car parks, laneways, local parks and community centres and can’t wait to see what you come up with! Registrations with Fingal County Council opened in February 2024. Once you have registered, you’ll receive your FREE Street Feast party pack, complete with bunting, posters, invites and a brilliant DIY guide! Fingal County Council ask that you host your Street Feast on the weekend of 25th – 26th May. So contact the Council now!

Speaking after his selection to run in the Local Elections on 7th June, in the Balbriggan Local Electoral Area, Councillor Brendan Ryan reflected on the past year since he was co-opted to Fingal County Council to replace his party colleague, Councillor Seana O’Rodaigh. “It has been a very busy year which has just flown by.” he said. “But it has been so enjoyable” he added. “We are now just approaching one year since I took the decision to accept the co-option and return to local politics. I have enjoyed engaging again with old friends and organisations. I am thankful for the encouraging feedback that I have received, and I have enjoyed the busy schedule.” He said “In the past year I have pushed for: Balbriggan Town Hall to reopen to the public; Balbriggan beach water quality improvement; supports for small business in Balbriggan; need for local shopping in Balbriggan. I have highlighted road safety concerns; dangerous junctions; need for Improvement in footpaths; lighting of footpaths; accessibility of footpaths; improved bus services to and from Balbriggan.” He added. “Derelict sites, dumping, right sizing Housing provision, swimming pool campaign, beach condition, facilities for groups and engagement with Gardai are all matters that I have been actively engaged in during the past year.” “Balbriggan Community events that I have really enjoyed during the year are the St Patricks Day parade, the St Brigid’s Festival of Light. poetry and music events at the Warehouse, and the Town Awards night. Balbriggan people have always been great for coming out in such numbers for community events.” “Being a Councillor has given me the opportunity to be a member of the URBACT local leadership group for the Development of Stephenstown Industrial Park, in Balbriggan, the North Dublin Regional Drug and Alcohol Task Force, the Community Development, Heritage, Culture and Creativity Strategic Policy Committee, and the Comhairle na N’Og Steering Group and I am really enjoying my participation in all of them.” “But most of all I have enjoyed getting back to my clinic work which I had been doing in Balbriggan since 2007 and which I really missed for the short period that I was off the pitch. Friends aften say to me that I am mad when I say this, but I really enjoy the individual contacts, the efforts to find solutions and the genuine gratitude of people when a solution is found.” “I am optimistic about the future of Balbriggan with lots of positive and exiting things coming down the tracks and looking forward to being part of it with the will of the people. It’s great to be back on the pitch!”

The State Choir LATVIJA is one of Europe’s most prolific choirs and has collaborated with world-renowned symphony orchestras including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra, The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and The Singapore Symphony Orchestra. The State Choir LATVIJA is internationally acclaimed and has participated in recordings produced by Warner Brothers as well as numerous recording projects by both Latvian and foreign music publishers. If you like classical, choral or orchestral music the State Choir LATVIJA will be performing on the 4th of May at the Lark Concert Hall in Balbriggan, Dublin.

Throughout July and August, the Irish Institute of Music & Song in Balbriggan hosts their Sounds Good Music Camps for kids 4-7 and 7-12. The camp runs in Balbriggan (IIMS) and Malahide (St. Sylvester’s) and is a fun, open environment for children to explore music. The camp runs for a week and siblings receive 10% off.

No previous music experience is necessary as camps focus on enjoying music through songs and games. Kids also get to try out new instruments, experiment with rhythm, and percussion, partake in music workshops and make lots of new friends. Each camp ends with a showcase performance in The Lark Concert Hall where the kids get to show their family and friends what they have learned during the week.
During the week, the children get involved in a mixture of musical activities, songs and instruments. These are taught through group activities and musical games. Everything has an educational goal which is fulfilled through fun activities. The team at the Irish Institute of Music and Song are very passionate about providing children with fun-filled musical experiences and each camp is staffed by specialists in various aspects of music. If you are looking to keep the kids entertained during the summer then this is the perfect place for them. Sounds Good Camps also run during Easter and Halloween.

We had our fundraising Race night recently to support our club members who will be competing in the World Karate Championships in Japan this July. A great night was had by all and we raised a good amount for the club members travelling for this big event.

We also had Squad training this month. A good mix of kihon, kata and kumite which pushed all attendees to their limits over the two hour session.The 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.

When you think of Lawn Bowls what images are conjured up in your mind? Retired /elderly men and women wearing white clothing. A slow paced non- competitive sport. A sport that is only played in Summer. The facts might surprise you! Let me dispel some of these myths. Lawn Bowls is played by all ages, genders, and abilities. It is inclusive, fun, competitive and involves some strategic. Ireland has over twenty-seven clubs who are affiliated to the governing body Irish Lawn Bowls. Lawn Bowls is played on synthetic and grass rinks. There is a growing academy for children/teenagers and young adults called The Leinster Lions. It is a fun way to stay active and get fit. It is played outdoors all year round. There is a social element to the game. It can help with teambuilding as it requires co-operation from team members to win a game. It improves mental health by social interaction. Lawn Bowls is a precision sport. It requires accuracy and strategy. It is like Pétanque but uses different sized and weighted bowls. In the Southern Hemisphere the game is well represented by young adults. Most importantly Lawn Bowls is fun! At Aer Lingus Lawn Bowls club you will receive a warm welcome. We benefit from having a synthetic surface which enables us to play all year round. We play socially and competitively we take part in the ILB Summer and Winter leagues. We are undertaking a Corporate Bowls initiative for the Spring/ early summer. We will hold an Open Weekend on 11th and 12th of May. This is a great opportunity to try the sport. We are also available every Wednesday and Sunday at 11am for our social bowls sessions. Contact us on 0863114540 for more information. We hope you will accept our invitation to take part.

On the week leading up to St Patricks Day at the Shed, we crafted lucky discs, great laughs and chats. What disc did you get? Did you watch out for Swords Women’s Shed at the Swords St Patrick’s Day Parade? We hope you did and were lucky enough to get a keyring, magnet or even a car charm. We also hoped you supported Swords Women’s Shed on that day. The ladies from the Shed did us proud!

An initiative designed to enhance town centres throughout Fingal had been announced, with businesses and groups across the county being encouraged to apply for funding.

The Streetscape Enhancement funding reflects Fingal County Council’s vision as a great place to live, work, visit and do business in. It will help support façade upgrades at commercial premises and community buildings, including shopfront improvements, painting, signage replacement or removal, lighting, and green planting.Mayor of Fingal, Cllr. Adrian Henchy, welcomed the new funding programme and added: “It presents a unique opportunity for businesses and community facilities situated along the streets of our towns and villages. I would encourage businesses and community groups to avail of this excellent opportunity to enhance their town centres.” Chief Executive of Fingal County Council, AnnMarie Farrelly said: “This new funding represents a collaborative effort between the local authority and eligible town centre businesses and community facilities within Fingal. This strategic partnership aims to significantly bolster the appearance and prosperity of our town centres, underscoring the Council’s commitment to our communities. “The Streetscape Enhancement Scheme 2024 is now open and is seeking expressions of interest from qualifying commercial and community premises located within areas designated as “Major Town Centre”, “Town and District Centre”, “Local Centre” or “Rural Village” within the Fingal County Development Plan 2023-2029.Under the scheme, up to 50% of the cost of improvements, up to a maximum grant amount of €1,500 per eligible property, is available, subject to terms and conditions. Expressions of interest must be received by Fingal County Council by 12 noon on April 8, 2024. Programme terms and conditions and expression of interest form can be found at fingal.ie Completed expression of interest forms and the required supporting documents should be emailed to townregenerationoffice@fingal.ie or sent by post to Town Regeneration Office, Economic Enterprise Tourism and Cultural Department, Fingal County Council, County Hall, Main Street, Swords, Fingal, Co Dublin, K67X8Y2.

My Swords was an exciting photography competition designed by Pavilions Food Fair, exclusively for Secondary School students in the Swords area showcasing their creativity and storytelling abilities through photography. Forty-eight students from Colaiste Choilm and St Finian’s Community college embraced the competition led by their teachers Irene Doherty and David Bowe respectively. The Pavilions Food fair with its O’Brien’s Sandwich Café, Bagel Bar and Abrakebabra has been a popular eatery in the Pavilions Shopping Centre in Swords for over 15 years. It is a preferred choice for breakfast and lunch and according to the students of Colaist Choilm and St Finan’s it has the best loaded fries in town! The business is owed by husband-and-wife team Turlough Flynn & Brid Ryan, and they ran this competition as a thank you to the local community for the support they have received over the past few difficult trading years. The 48 submissions were featured in the restaurant over a weekend and customers were invited to give their public vote on their preferred choice. It generated lots of conversations and interest. The competition culminated in a wonderful exhibition evening where students, teachers’ family and friends gathered at the Pavilions Food Fair to view the submissions and enjoy the awards ceremony. The winning school received a DSLR camera to the value of €500, the overall winner received an Instax Film Printer to the value of €300, the runner up received an Instax Film Camera to the value of €200, The customer choice won restaurant vouchers. The winning submissions are currently hanging in the Pavilions Food Fair in the Pavilions Shopping centre and gaining lots of positive attention. Turlough & Brid hope to run this as an annual event and look forward to encouraging more schools to get involved. The winning school was Colaist Choilm, the overall student winner was Brian McGlade with runners up, Oisin Parks Colaiste Choilm, Grace Cooney St Finian’s Community College, Lillie Bowbrick Hand St Finian’s Community College, Josh McKinney Colaiste Choilm, Lucy McGarvey St Finian’s Community College.