Courtesy of Malahide Historical Society

At this time of year in the 1830’s, it was popular in the past to take ‘the pledge’ after the Christmas excesses. The Pledge was a commitment not to take alcohol and was inspired and promoted by The Total Abstinence Society founded by the famous Fr Theobald Matthew in 1838. He paid a high profile visit to Malahide as part of the celebrations for the opening of St. Sylvester’s Church in July 1846, as recounted in the Freeman’s Journal:

“We perceive that the new Catholic church of Malahide will be dedicated upon Sunday next. The ceremony—the most interesting, perhaps, of all those by which the Catholic church stimulates—and elevates the piety of her children, will be performed by the venerated prelate of this diocese, the most Rev. Dr. Murray. The dedication sermon will be preached by the Very. Rev. T. Matthew. We understand that the completion of this holy edifice depends in a great degree upon the amount of the contributions which the congregation on this occasion may be pleased to bestow.The district of Malahide is far from wealthy, and the people have contributed already to the full extent of their means. The Right Hon. Lord Talbot De Malahide, with great liberality, as well of means as of mind, generously contributed one hundred pounds to the building fund, and we understand his Lordship has promised a further subscription at a future period. We have no doubt that the appeal of Sunday next will enable the excellent Catholic rector, the Rev. Mr. Fleming, to proceed in his good and pious work, and to complete a beautiful edifice dedicated to the service of the Almighty Father of all.

A Select Choir will attend, under the management of Mr. Gormley, of Saints Michael and Johns’ Church. Admission to the Sanctuary for a family of Five is £1; Individuals are 5s. each Admission to the body of church, 2s/6d each. The Very Rev. Mr. Matthew will administer the Pledge after the ceremonies of the day. Increased accommodation will be afforded on the Railway”. It is not recorded how many took the pledge in Malahide that day but at its height, just before the Great Famine of 1845–49, his movement enrolled some 3 million people, or more than half of the adult population of Ireland.

Caves Marsh is a very special area in Malahide on the Estuary Road beside the Malahide Dinghy Club. It is an example of a ‘Raised bog’ and very few have survived in Europe. It takes an extra few thousand years for a ‘Bog’ to develop into a ‘Raised Bog’ and most of them have been drained for use in farming etc. Our Caves Marsh is part of a Special Protection Area (SPA) because of the birds that can be found there. Every year the Tidy Towns judges tell us off because we’re not protecting this precious habitat and they are right to do so. We’ve asked the Council to help us to put in measures to better protect this area so that it’s still there for future generations. Unfortunately, that might mean that it is no longer available as a place for walking dogs (or people). The path at the top though is used a lot by pedestrians, especially kids getting to the national school, so we’ve asked that this is kept open. It will mean putting fences around the areas that need protecting - especially near the water. We would beg people to support these changes and respect the need to protect this area from further destruction. We hope to hold some talks over the summer with more information on the rich biodiversity of this small area. We plan to survey it to establish a baseline, compare it to previous surveys with a plan to survey it again in a couple of years to monitor any changes. We are blessed in Malahide with so many beautiful areas, we hope it will be possible to leave this small area aside for nature. As Tidy Towns volunteers, we feel an obligation to attempt to protect this area, people are welcome to disagree but I would ask that they resist the urge to attack members. Thank you.

The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and local Fingal TD Darragh O’Brien recently granted approval to Fingal County Council for a foreshore licence, foreshore lease and foreshore consent, paving the way for the full development of the Broadmeadow Way. Enabling works are underway at the Broadmeadow Way, a new greenway between Malahide Demesne and Newbridge Demesne via the railway causeway across the Malahide Estuary, and the Ministers consent concludes a detailed application process by Fingal County Council ensuring the shared footpath and cycleway can be developed. Commenting Minister O’Brien said, “This coastal greenway has been a priority for Cllr Eoghan O’Brien, Cllr Ardian Henchy and I for many years. I’m delighted to see it progressing. “Each of us have seen the potential for this project and having recently visited the site and talked through the plans with Fingal County Council I know it will be a magnificent amenity for locals and tourists alike when completed. “Today’s approval is another boost for the project and follows a detailed application by Fingal County Council who must be commended for all their work on this project. “I look forward to the day when I am walking this greenway alongside the families and individuals from our communities,” he concluded.

By John Moore Deputy Principal.

We were delighted to be the first school to be featured on RTE’s Operation Transformation which aired on Wednesday. Ms. Rachel Flynn and her Transition Year Home Economics students featured and cooked a healthy and delicious Tofu Pad Thai dish. The girls spoke really well and did a fantastic job cooking the dish. Our new Home Economics kitchen, recently opened by celebrity chef, Donal Skehan, looked great as did the new St. Mary’s aprons. Everyone did St. Mary’s proud! Attached are behind-the-scenes photos of the filming process which took place in December. Also, we would like to remind you that our Transition Year students are continuing to run Free Log On Learn classes for Senior Citizens on Tuesdays from 11 am to 12.10 pm. Senior Citizens are welcome to drop in for a tea/coffee and then brush up or learn new IT skills whether on your phone, computer or tablet. Absolute beginners welcome. Learn about emails, social media, buying online, booking flights, WhatsApp etc.For further details, contact Joey Ryan at 01 832 5591 or email him at j.ryan@stmarysbaldoyle.org

Malahide is a coastal town situated on the east of Fingal County. It is a busy town that is a sought-after residential location due to its beach location, Malahide Marina, Malahide Castle Demesne and views overlooking Broadmeadow Estuary. Natural biodiversity features in Malahide include the Gaybrook Stream which is bordered by woodland habitat, Caves Marsh wetland and Dublin Bay. Man made biodiversity features include Malahide Demesne which has important woodland and semi natural grassland habitats. Embryonic sand dunes are forming along Malahide beach and Robswall Park supports hedgerows and meadows. Internationally protected Light bellied Brent Geese (Branta bernicla hrota) feed on grasslands in Robswalls Park each year. The Tidy Towns group in Malahide is very active and involved in biodiversity initiatives locally. It has already implemented many useful biodiversity actions and identified a number of locations that should to be conserved and interpreted. The primary aim of Tidy Towns Malahide is of course to enhance the appearance of Malahide making the town a more attractive place to live work and do business in. Currently the Tidy Towns volunteers meet every Saturday morning at 10.30am in the car park at Malahide Train Station.

Based on the cult classic John Water’s film of the same name, Cry-Baby the Musical is a rebellious teen comedy musical that, as book writer Mark O’Donnell said, is “edgier than Grease, funnier than West Side Story” and full of rockabilly tunes that keep the audience dancing in their seats. The delinquent Drapes and the squeaky-clean Squares can’t see eye to eye on anything. But when Drapes leader Cry-Baby and Square member Allison meet at the Anti-Polio Picnic, their star-crossed love story begins to blossom. Allison longs to shake off her Square identity and join Cry-Baby’s rock n’ roll lifestyle. With rock rhythms and dancing delinquents, Cry-Baby the Musical brings the 1950’s to life with a rockabilly good time. This fantastic musical will be on stage at Malahide Community School from the 13th until the 17th of February. Tickets are on sale now so don’t miss it.

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!

Our volunteer Scouters make an incredible and incalculable commitment to youth development and the outdoor activity programme, supporting our young people to learn lifelong skills, make new friends, overcome challenge and positively contribute to the community. Once a year Malahide Sea Scouts get an opportunity to recognise their contribution with; Meritorious awards - for outstanding commitment to Scouting.

Service Awards – recognising their commitment and many years of service to Scouting.
Malahide Sea Scouts is lucky to have so many passionate and talented volunteers with decades of scouting experience to best serve the programme and safe activities in the outdoors. Recently, the Group Leader was delighted to present some notable service awards to some exceptional Malahide Sea Scout stalwarts, a few f whom are pictured here, those were - 25 years of service - Alan Johns, Pat Moyne & Ivan Barrett. - 40 years of service - Stephen Taylor - 50 years of service - Kevin Rowan - The Group Leader also took the opportunity to present the ‘Bosuns Whistle’ to some of the new Section Leaders. A nautical symbolism as they prepare to ‘pass commands to the crew’ and deliver an exciting Sea Scouting youth development programme. Thank you to all the volunteers.

An upcoming soccer training camp is being held in the home of Malahide United, Gannon Park for two days on January 4th and 5th 2024.This camp is for boys and girls aged 8-14. The Camp will run 10am-1pm daily and all coaches are FAI accredited and have Garda vetting, If you wish to book a place for your child contact 086 247 7076 , The cost per child is €55.

St Sylvester’s GAA are and were delighted to continue to support GAA games in our local schools with a visit to one local school on December. The club and Executive really appreciate the partnership and were delighted to supply new hurleys, helmets and footballs to St Oliver Plunkett’s School for its football and camogie games! The presentation was held in early December at the school.