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!

Malahide Lions Club had an excellent response from local primary schools to its international peace poster competition for 2024 with the presentation of prizes taking place recently. The theme of this year’s competition was Peace without Limits. One hundred and ten entries were received. The posters were very colourful and the entrants clearly engaged with the theme of Peace without Limits. It was a tough decision for the judges to choose a winner considering the quality of the entries.

The overall winner of the competition was a pupil from Ms. Farrelly’s class in Pope John Paul’s Primary School. The poster depicted peace written in sign language which greatly impressed the judges. The winning poster will now go forward to the Lions International peace poster competition. All the winners received their prizes from Malahide Lions Club President Stephen MacDonagh.

It was clear that all these young people have strong ideas about what peace means to them. Malahide Lions Club is very proud that we have been able to provide them with the opportunity to share their vision of peace.

Malahide Historical Society has recently unearthed wonderful images of ‘Hogan’s Top Shop’ Hogan’s grocers, wine and spirits merchants stood for many years on Main Street at what is now Malahide Credit Union premises. Locals called it Hogan’s Top-Shop to distinguish it from Hogan’s Bottom-Shop, their other premises on New Street (now Fowler’s pub).

Two of these three fascinating images have just recently come to light showing deliveries in the early 1900s. The truck is a Guinness lorry outside the premises circa 1910. (photo courtesy of Richard McAllister)

The third image, also from about 1910, shows a cart with the name ‘Bewley & Draper, Ink Makers’. This was a business owned by a branch of the famous Bewley coffee family which imported chemical and ink supplies as well as, unusually, mineral waters. It is likely the cart was being used to deliver not ink but mineral waters to Hogan’s as indicated by the crates on the footpath under the awning into which a worker appears to be peering.

Thanks to Malahide Historical Society.

Work on the 6km off-road walking and cycling greenway route at the Broadmeadow Estuary will be built jointly by Fingal County Council and the National Transport Authority (NTA) and facilitated by Irish Rail. A spectacular 280 metres long bridge crossing the Broadmeadow Estuary on the Malahide Railway Viaduct is set to become an iconic feature along the Fingal coastline.

The Greenway will travel from Malahide Castle to Newbridge House through varied and scenic landscapes including demesne and parklands, estuarine landscapes, rural farmlands and village environments with the coastline a constant companion on the journey. It will become a destination greenway for local residents, tourists and day trippers while also playing a role in the developing network of sustainable transport routes in Fingal.

With the Baldoyle to Portmarnock Greenway complete, the Broadmeadow Greenway along with the proposed Fingal Coastal Way and Sutton to Malahide Pedestrian and Cycle Scheme, a high quality, safe cycling route along Fingal’s coastline will be provided from Sutton to Balbriggan.

The construction of the Broadmeadow Way Greenway, adjacent to a live railway and within an estuary that is designated as a Special Protection Area (SPA) and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) presents a unique set of technical and environmental challenges which must be managed carefully. Due to environmental sensitivity, works in the estuary can only take place from May to September each year.
Enabling works will begin shortly to accommodate the construction of the bridge across the weir. The contract for the construction of this bridge has been awarded to Jons Civil Engineering and work is due to begin in May.

Malahide has taken another top award at the annual Super Valu Tidy Towns awards and when they visited, the judges were heavily impressed with the overall presentation of the village and the local Tidy Towns committee’s vision for the village in years to come.

Speaking about the village in their report, the judges commented: “Malahide has long been a lovely place to live and to visit with a handsome stretch of coastline and the wonderful Malahide Castle at its doorstep. The village centre is packed with an eclectic selection of independent boutiques, coffee houses and restaurants. Like most other villages and towns in Ireland, the suburbs are expanding with the construction of housing developments and this provides not only opportunities but challenges in terms of ensuring the village retains its heritage, it’s green spaces and it’s unique character.”

The judging panel was also very complimentary of the Malahide Tidy Towns committee adding, “You have a great committee and support of many volunteers in the community including newly arrived residents and visitors to our shores. This is an excellent sign of inclusivity and a whole village working together.

Your support from local businesses and agencies is excellent. The forming of sub-committees to carry our specific tasks is a good and efficient way of delegating projects and this is clearly working as evidenced by the excellent results seen on adjudication day.”