Fingal County Council will move immediately to complete detailed design of the public realm changes to New Street in Malahide following a recent High Court decision to dismiss a challenge to the scheme
At last night’s monthly meeting, councillors welcomed the High Court decision and were told that the Council will now engage with all stakeholders to complete the detailed design as quickly as possible before going out to tender for the €6m project which will take around 16 months to complete. A detailed timeline for the project is being drafted and will be circulated to councillors when completed.

The Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Brian McDonagh, said: “Councillors past and present have supported the plan to pedestrianise New Street and they will be delighted to see the project finally getting the green light to move ahead. The public realm improvements will enhance New Street and create much needed space in the centre of the village for people.”

AnnMarie Farrelly, Chief Executive of Fingal County Council, said: “Planning permission for the New Street project was granted in January 2024, so it is our intention now to complete the detailed design, allocate the funding, and go to tender as soon as possible. The New Street project links in with both the Broadmeadow Greenway and the Sutton to Malahide Greenway and is a key competent of our active travel plan for the area.”

David Storey, Director of Environment, Climate Change, Active Travel and Sport, said: “We continued to work on the detailed design over the last number of years, so we have a lot of the work done. The funding will come from the active travel allocation given to us each year by the NTA who have been strong supporters of the project.”

The New Street project, which was commenced in 2020, is designed to bring an open air, European-style feel to the heart of Malahide village.

View a 3D visualisation of the reimagined New Street in Malahide: https://fingal.live/3kscfecv
Further information on the New Street project is available at: fingal.ie/newstreet

When Brazilian indie folk artist Jean Lone returned home after spending a year in Malahide, the area captured his heart so much that he decided to write and record a new song titled ‘Sweet Malahide’.
Based in Mossoró, Brazil, Jean’s new track blends warm acoustic textures with nostalgic storytelling, capturing the beauty and emotions tied to the place.

“The production, recording and mixing of the track were carried out in my home studio, and the cover of the single is a watercolour painting handmade by my partner, Bruna Medeiros, visually capturing the poetic essence of the song,” Jean explained.

To listen to Sweet Malahide please visit: https://onerpm.link/103214560540

The introduction of annual perpetual awards by the Club in 2024 marks a significant milestone in recognizing and honouring the outstanding contributions of its members. These awards not only celebrate individual achievements but also build a lasting legacy of excellence and community spirit within the club. Here’s a breakdown of the five distinct awards and the 2024 winners:

SylsCC Spirit Award: This award is presented to the member who has inspired and positively influenced others throughout the year. The 2024 recipient is Deirdre.

SylsCC Good Shepherd Award: Given to the ride leader who consistently goes above and beyond to support fellow cyclists. This year’s recipient is David.

SylsCC Leader of the Pack: Awarded to the member who has shown remarkable improvement in their performance over the year. The 2024 recipient is Seamus.

SylsCC Rookie of the Year: This award recognizes a first-year club member who has demonstrated exceptional enthusiasm for cycling. The winner for 2024 is Tracey.

SylsCC Community Award: Awarded to the member who has made a meaningful impact on the broader community. The 2024 recipient is Phillip.

At the Gala Awards Ceremony, each of these deserving members was presented with a silver salver to commemorate their achievements. The club is proud of their diverse accomplishments, which include significant personal feats like completing the Mallorca 312 and conquering the Australian Munda Biddi Trail, as well as contributions to the club’s social program, providing exceptional care during rides, and new members who embrace the club cycling and social ethos. The recognition of these achievements further strengthens the club’s sense of community and shared values.

This annual awards program will surely continue to inspire future members, creating a rich history of celebrated excellence over the coming decade.

Malahide Lions Club was delighted to recently present a cheque for €960 to Aoife’s Clown Doctors. The donation will pay for four visits of the Clown Doctors to either Temple St. or Crumlin Children’s Hospitals in Dublin.

Aoife’s Clown Doctors was set up to provide visits to hospitals by professional clowns, using humour as a form of healing joy to sick children, the staff who care for them and the children’s families. This is done by professional actors working in pairs, meeting the individual children at their bedside and in the waiting rooms and corridors of the hospitals. The clown doctors parody the hospital routine with jokes and antics involving the children, staff and the children’s families.

The charity relies solely on fundraising events, charity partnerships and donations to pay for the clown doctors’ visits.

As well as visiting Temple St. and Crumlin hospitals in Dublin, the clown doctors also visit Galway University Hospital, Portiuncula University Hospital in Ballinasloe, Co. Galway and Mayo University Hospital. Nearly 2,000 children in these hospitals were visited by the clown doctors in 2024.

The charity was set up in 2005 in memory of Aoife Hendrick from Malahide who sadly died of leukaemia, having spent periods of time in Crumlin Hospital’s St. John’s Ward. Aoife’s parents set up the charity so that Aoife’s legacy would live on through the smiles and laughter of other children.

The students of Portmarnock Community School went ‘Back to the 80s’ over four nights last month with students from all year groups within the school community taking part in the production.

Some familiar faces from previous award-winning school productions featured along with a host of new faces making their stage debut. First year Grace Flanagan of Drama House Ireland took on the role of teacher Sheena Brannigan, while returning to the cast this year were 2nd year Trystan Bruen of Billy Barry fame, 5th year Sarah Brady, and 5th year Ryan Mc Hugh from the Gaiety School of Acting while taking part for her final year was Kate Shalvey of 6th year who has previously starred in the school’s productions of Mamma Mia and Grease.

Director Amy Fidgeon proposed this jukebox musical for its upbeat floor-fillers. She commented that the classic tunes from the 1980s were “nostalgic, yet current because they are so ubiquitous on our radio stations.” She also felt that the storyline was “a classic tale of the troubled teen years” and she is very excited to see this come to life on the stage in Portmarnock Community School. The show featured choreography by Leanne Downey of Showtime and the musical direction of Lauren Gaffney who recently debuted her very own show off Broadway.

Back to the 80s told the story of a group of high school friends as they navigate the ups and downs of teenage life, love and friendship and was narrated by Corey Palmer.

The audience were also treated more than 20 hit songs from the 80s including “Material Girl,” “Wake me Up Before you Go Go,” “Don’t stop Believing,” “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” “Man in the Mirror,” “Eye of the Tiger,” “Time of My Life,” and many more, Back to the 80s is a musical for the grown ups: a toe-tapping, hand clapping trip down memory lane.

As St Patricks Day approaches people’s minds turn to the annual parades. Pipe bands are synonymous with these parades, where the sound of the pipes and drums add to the spectacle and atmosphere. But many may be surprised at the origins of the bagpipes and how easy it is to join and play in a pipe band.
Today bagpipes are usually associated with Scotland. In fact the instrument traveled from Ireland to Scotland. Studies suggest it was introduced to Scotland around 470 by the invasion of Scotland by Fergus Mor the Great. The first bagpipes are mentioned in Chaldean scriptures 4000BC. The Egyptians, Persians and Romans all had bagpipes. Many European countries have their version of bagpipes too.

While the sound of the bagpipes is impressive, to start learning is more modest and inexpensive. Beginners start with a practice chanter (tin whistle size) where they learn to hold the chanter, play notes and simple tunes. The chanter is not loud, so families and neighbours are not disturbed by practice! As the beginners advance, the big pipes are later introduced at band practice. A wide variety of tunes can be played on the pipes from traditional to more modern compositions.

Joining a pipe band is much like joining a football team and training for matches. The band members practice together each week culminating in a parade, event or competition. It combines learning an instrument, music theory, being part of a team and making friends too. Learning to play builds confidence, especially for young people, and offers the opportunity to travel and compete against your peers.

If you or a son or daughter or grandchild would like to find out more, just email for information. It could be the start of a rewarding hobby. No previous musical experience necessary. Learn to play tunes like Raglan Road, Amazing Grace, Waltzing Matilda or Scotland the Brave. Once competent on the bagpipes, players can also try the small pipes, best suited for indoor music sessions.

The first marching band in Malahide was started over 100 years ago. To help maintain and be part of this musical tradition, just reach out to the Malahide Pipe Band today. Beginners welcome.

Huge congratulations to our U16 Girls Basketball team who came out on top as the best team in Ireland when they were crowned All Ireland Champions, U16 Division A after a thrilling final against St Mary’s, Mallow in the National Basketball Arena, Tallaght yesterday.

The girls were amazing throughout the game and held a strong St Mary’s team to a 41-33 win.
Special word of thanks to their Head Coach, Christian McDonnell who has worked so hard for the girls. Christian is a former MCS Student who also won some All-Ireland medals in school!

We could not be prouder of the girls for their achievement!

To read a full write-up of the match from Basketball Ireland and a gallery of photos taken by our Malahide CS’s roving photographer, Dan Clohessy (6th Year) visit www.ireland.basketball.com.

The Malahide Lions Club held its annual Christmas appeal over the weekend of 13th and 14th December last. The appeal was strongly supported by the people of Malahide and raised the impressive sum of just over €10,000. This was immediately used to provide food vouchers for local families and individuals in need. The large amount raised will enable the Malahide Lions Club to continue their support for families and individuals in need into the leaner New Year period.

Malahide Lions Club are incredibly grateful for the continuing generosity of the community in donating to our annual Christmas appeal. It may have been a cold weekend but the warmth and generosity of the people of Malahide kept the Lions going during the appeal.

Many thanks also to the members of the CORus choir who braved the conditions and joined the Lions at the Diamond on Saturday to sing seasonal favourites which brought a very festive feel to the village and provided such great entertainment for the crowd.

Malahide Musical & Dramatic Society are proud to present Urinetown The Musical! This will run from Tuesday 18th February to Saturday 22nd February 2025, nightly @ 7.30pm.

Urinetown is a wickedly funny, fast-paced, and surprisingly intelligent comedic romp. In the not-so-distant future, a terrible water shortage and 20-year drought has led to a government ban on private toilets and a proliferation of paid public toilets, owned and operated by a single megalomaniac company: the Urine Good Company. If the poor don’t obey the strict laws prohibiting free urination, they’ll be sent to the dreaded and mysterious “Urinetown.” After too long under the heel of the malevolent Caldwell B. Cladwell, the poor stage a revolt, led by a brave young hero, fighting tooth and nail for the freedom to pee “wherever you like, whenever you like, for as long as you like, and with whomever you like.”

Tickets available here - malahidemusical.com/tickets

Fingal County Council in partnership with An Garda Síochána, the NTA, Dublin City Council, Northside Partnership, Dublin Fire Brigade, the HSE and other community stakeholders, hosted a magical inclusive Christmas event for community groups in Malahide Demesne on Wednesday 11th December.

The event was a huge success, with over 1,700 children from different areas attending.

All the children got to attend the Wonderlights experience, followed by a meet and greet with Santa, goodies, and a stroll through the Stakeholder Village, which included interaction with all the community stakeholders, a fire tender, Garda motorbike, Garda horses and special Elf DJ!