By Lusk Community Network

On our Facebook and Instagram pages ILoveLusk, we put up quick posts in relation to available grants and then point you back to our main website – lovelusk.ie. Even within the ‘Community Grants’ page, we provide a summary of the grants and a link to the full information. While our web page lovelusk.ie/home/community-grants/ may only give a brief description of the grant, don’t be put off by the wording. Click on the link supplied by us, bringing you to the relevant section of the grant providers’ website. If you need examples of how this grant was used by other groups, most websites provide a list of recipients in prior years and give brief descriptions about their projects. These descriptions are brilliant as you now have examples of accepted projects. You can decide if any of these projects would or could apply to your organisation. If you feel you need extra clarity, most groups have either a website or a Facebook page and so if you need to, you can contact them and from our experience, they are more than happy to talk. On our Facebook and Instagram page, we posted about the Community Water Development Fund, which is currently open. Examples of previous local recipients were provided – Balbriggan Tidy Towns, OWLS (Children’s Nature Charity) and Swords Tidy Towns, as well as the possibility of applying for this grant for a feasibility study into rain water harvesting systems, showing how St. Maur’s GAA received funding from LEADER to help with harvesting rain water from the roof of their clubhouse. In other words, this grant could be a stepping stone for further available grants. It would be very easy to miss this wide ranging grant. So, get into a habit of looking at the grants page on our website, clinking into the links provided and reading the extra information contained there. Don’t be put off by the wording and, with the examples provided of prior approved projects, think within and outside the box. Then don’t forget to apply! Check out our website lovelusk.ie, our Facebook & Instagram pages - iLoveLusk

It’s the most wonderful time of the year and one of the busiest times for our Balbriggan/North County Dublin Branch of Guide Dogs. Our merchandise stand was in SuperValu, Balbriggan on both Friday the 10th and Saturday the 11th November and also up in Millfield Shopping Centre on Friday the 24th and Saturday the 25th November for the arrival of Santa, where we had car raffle tickets, Christmas cards and calendars, all of which are still available and if you missed us at any of the events in November and would like to get the above merchandise, our Balbriggan/North County Dublin Branch will be at the Bremore Castle Crafts Fair on the 10th December so you can come along, get your goodies and say hello. If you are not in North County Dublin however and find yourself in Co Cavan at the Ballinagh Tractor Run on the same date, you just might run into Tom O’Neill and his guide dog Qeb who will be attending. Another way to support us this Christmas season is to donate any old Irish coins, old sterling and any other coins and notes from around the world, along with old postage stamps that you might have lying around, as our branch receives the money from everything that comes in.Finally, our counter boxes and large dogs are a very steady fundraiser throughout the year and we want to thank all the premises holders that allow these containers to be placed on their premises. We would love more help to empty these boxes and large dogs especially in the Rush, Lusk and Skerries areas of North County Dublin. If you would like to help, please contact us on the details below. We would also like to say a massive thank you to everyone who has volunteered, donated and supported our Branch throughout the year. We wish you a happy Christmas and a fantastic new year! If you are interested in volunteering with us, please feel free to contact us: Balbriggan/North County Dublin branch of Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, you can phone or text us on 085 7663107, email us whenever you can at GuideDogsBalbriggan@gmail.com or find us on Facebook at Balbriggan Branch of Guide Dogs.

National League iSecure Swords Thunder, the formidable local ladies’ basketball team, has roared back to life this season, demonstrating an astonishing turnaround from their previous year’s performance in the Basketball Ireland MissQuote.ie National League. Last year, they achieved a modest record of 4 wins and 14 losses, but this season, they are emerging as a force to be reckoned with. The turning point for Swords Thunder has been the strategic acquisition of pro-player, Jensen Caretti, hailing from Ohio State. Caretti has proved herself as a scoring machine, consistently delivering a stellar performance with an impressive average of 20 points per game. Her exceptional skills and experience have breathed new life into the team and positioned them as competitors this year. Adding to the excitement, Jasmine Walker, originally from New Jersey, but who has dedicated her last five years to Irish basketball, has been an invaluable addition for the team. Her strong presence on the court and her unwavering dedication have further fuelled the team’s resurgence. iSecure Swords Thunder’s remarkable journey back to the top has been highlighted by their exceptional start to the season. They kicked things off with a thrilling victory over Phoenix Rockets, the reigning League Cup Champions setting the tone for the season. Their remarkable momentum continued with a resounding win over the National Cup Winners, Dublin Lions. Excited fans and supporters can stay up-to-date with the latest scores, highlights, and game information by following the Swords Basketball Club on their social media channels. Swords Thunder is eager to continue their incredible journey through the National League, and their recent successes suggest that they are well on their way to becoming a formidable force within women’s National League basketball. As the season unfolds, expect more thrilling games and a continued display of excellence from iSecure

By Ken Duffy

Swords Tidy Towns attended the National Tidy Towns Awards in Croke Park on the 6th Oct where we were successful in retaining our Silver Medal status making it six in a row, just like the Dubs. There were only three tickets made available to each Tidy Towns group as the venue as it only caters for 600 seated invited guests. Naturally there was indeed a little disappointment within the group as we only lost out by one point to Drogheda for the Gold Medal, so close and yet so far. (well done, Drogheda) We organised a special celebratory get together after the awards for our members, the Old Schoolhouse was the venue. We gathered in the Whiskey Room which was kindly made available to us by management to celebrate in private, they also provided us with complimentary food platers for which we are very, very grateful. We held our Annual Tidiest Estate Competition in mid-September. The standard this year was very high which made our independent judge’s job that much more difficult. We are very grateful to the sponsors of this year’s competition Redmond Property Estate Agents and Hennessy Perrozzi LLP Solicitors for their generous contributions and for their participation in presenting the winners with their awards: Tidiest Estate Winners Were Joint First Place: Carlton Court and Highfields Second Place: The Nurseries – Third Place: Hilltown Enviro Awareness Group River Valley Rise and the Special Bio Diversity Award: Comyn Manor Again, a big thank you to our independent judges Ann O’Meara, Micheal Connolly from the Fingal Horticultural Society and Martin Nulty of Nulty Landscaping. Well done to everyone who took part. Next year we hope to introduce new categories and broaden the scope of our competition, so keep up the great work and we will see you all again next year.

Fine Gael has selected 21-year-old Luke Corkery to contest next year’s local elections in the Swords electoral area, which includes the town of Swords as well as parts of Santry, Kilsallaghan and Dublin Airport. The party’s selection convention was held in Applewood Community Centre on Tuesday night, and attended by Ministers Simon Harris and Jennifer Carroll-MacNeill, as well as local representatives Alan Farrell TD, Senator Regina Doherty, Cllr. Tom O’Leary and Cllr. Anthony Lavin. Despite his relatively young age, DCU graduate Corkery says he has experience in politics, having worked in Leinster House and having been involved in local campaigns and student activism since his school days. In his address, Corkery said: “I’ve never been more optimistic for my hometown and its future. If elected next June, I promise to bring new energy to the Council Chamber to stand up for the things that really matter to people right across what is one of Ireland’s fastest-growing towns. “I’m a commuter, dependent on unreliable bus services to get me to and from work each day amid traffic chaos. I understand the frustrations of so many others like me. We need to fast-track frequent, reliable public transport that people can depend on. “I’m a young person for whom the prospect of renting, yet alone buying a home locally, seems practically out of reach. We need more homes here in Swords, particularly the large-scale development of affordable housing like we have seen elsewhere in Fingal. It’s an absolute priority for me. “Anti-social behaviour, from break-ins to vandalism, has become all too common, and people want to see more Garda patrols out on the beat in their communities. We can by building stronger, safer communities through investment in local infrastructure and a focus on community, neighbourhood policing. Higher Education Minister Simon Harris, who chaired the convention, said: “Luke is a great new candidate; we need young people and energy in politics. We’re going to work to deliver a third-level campus for Swords – a College of the Future. It’s not right that we don’t have a third-level presence in such a large area like this one. I hope everyone gets behind Luke and his campaign.” Corkery concluded: “I’m looking forward to taking my message to people across this huge town; the town I’ve grown up in and lived in my entire life. I’m ready to double down, and I’m only getting started.” Corkery hopes to win a seat on Fingal County Council in the seven-seat Swords electoral area in next year’s local elections, which take place in June 2024.

Congratulations to our Senior ladies who are Senior Football Shield Champs after the tightest of games v Ballyboden St Enda’s recently! Point for point, the teams battled it out until the final whistle showing grit and great determination. Commiserations to the Boden ladies who made it such a hard-fought game. Well done to Olivia & Clara from the U12’s who did a fantastic job as mascots too! Thanks to Peter @gaapics_ireland for photos.

We were delighted to welcome renowned celebratory chef, food writer, and television presenter, Donal Skehan, to St. Mary’s to launch our new Home Economics Kitchen. Donal was met by Dr. Edel Greene, Principal, Mr. John Moore, Deputy Principal and Home Economics Teacher, Ms. Rachel Flynn. To celebrate the occasion, we held a Creative Tasty Cupcake Bake-Off Challenge. Donal met the contestants and discussed ingredients, presentation and cooking tips with each of them. While the cooking got underway, Donal then viewed the many new improvements throughout the school. A visit to the principal’s office was arranged so that Donal himself could test our new intercom system! Once tested, it was off to the new Kitchen where Donal was met by all the Home Economics students and Senior Prefects. Following fanfare and drumroll, Donal cut the ribbon to launch the new kitchen. Recently retired home economics teacher Mrs. Bernie Donnelly, who had spent her entire teaching career in St. Mary’s, attended with current Home Economics Teacher, Ms. Rachel Flynn. Donal then dropped in on the Bake-Off Contestants to examine progress and was clearly excited by what he saw and was looking forward to savouring the delights later.

Following tea and coffee with the staff, Donal then returned to Judge the Bake-Off Competition. There was very strong competition between the candidates and following some serious examination and tasting of the cupcakes with an emphasis on creativity, culinary skills, presentation, and taste, Lauren Bannon was declared the eventual winner. Well done Lauren.

Donal signed school books and a presentation was made to him. Looks like we have an annual Bake-Off Challenge agreed and we were delighted the next day when Donal had arranged for a fantastic supply of Cook Books, many signed by his friends, were dropped down to St. Mary’s for the Home Economics Library.

Get ready for an unforgettable weekend at the many ParkRun Ireland locations in Fingal County Council! Lace up your running shoes or take a leisurely stroll with our amazing Walk at Parkrun participants. No matter your pace, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

Register now at //parkrun.ie and be part of the action-packed fitness event supported by Sport Ireland. Join our vibrant community and connect with like-minded individuals who share your passion for an active lifestyle. Get inspired, make new friends, and conquer personal milestones together. Don’t miss out on the excitement!

“Thank you to all the people of Malahide for your donations of sewing machines and tools for Solidarity. This is an update of progress to date”: The Malahide Lions Club campaign in support of the Belfast based voluntary charity Tools for Solidarity (TFS) has so far yielded 240 unwanted sewing machines and 250 various other tools as well as some larger industrial machines. These have been collected by TFS and will be fully refurbished before shipping to projects in various parts of East Africa which provides training and supports artisans to create employment opportunities and help local communities become more self-reliant. The larger industrial machines can be used for group training in Tanzania. Once a van load has been gathered and assembled, TFS will organise collection of the machines and tools. Any club considering the launch of a collection campaign in its area can of course get more detail from the Tools For Solidarity website, and is very welcome to email the Lions Club at malahidelionsclub@gmail.com or to call Damian on 089 4585 090 for further information or advice. The donated items collected by Malahide Lions Club are stored by Swords Men’s Shed until a van load has been assembled for collection by TFS. The provision of this facility for the temporary storage of these heavy and bulky items is a key element of the project and we are grateful to Swords Men’s Shed for their vital assistance.”

What better way to train than indoors in these winter months, while still reaching your fitness goals, learning a new skill, learning to possibly become an Olympic champion and become disciplined than at Junsa Taekwondo. We have been busy taking on new students all the while our older students are honing their skills for tournaments and the upcoming club grading. We have also had a visitor form Brazil who brought loads of knowledge to the club.