Rush Tidy Towns: Celebrating Achievements and Looking Ahead
Rush Tidy Towns continues to make a real impact on our community and coastline, with recent milestones highlighting the dedication of volunteers and the strength of local support.
National Recognition for Coastal Care
Rush Tidy Towns was honoured with the Clean Coasts Community Action Award for its outstanding efforts to protect and enhance our beaches. From planting Marram Grass to organising clean-ups and promoting sustainable beach use, these initiatives have helped preserve the natural beauty of our coastline. This award is a testament to the hard work of volunteers and the community spirit that drives these projects.
Tiny Towns – Our Future in Action
Behind every vibrant flowerbed and litter-free street is a team of young volunteers from the Tiny Towns group. These kids have been busy throughout the year. From watering plants, cleaning beaches and woods, helping at local events, and even contributing to the St. Patrick’s Day parade. Their energy and creativity remind us that the future of Rush is in good hands. A special thanks goes to local businesses, including The Salty Blonde and The Little Chip, for supporting the group with gifts and vouchers, and to the 38th Rush Scout Group for their continued involvement.
A Calendar That Captures Rush
The annual Rush Tidy Towns calendar has become a much-anticipated tradition. Launched at a festive event in the Strand Bar, the calendar showcases stunning scenes of Rush, selected from a photography competition open to all residents. The calendar is an important fundraiser that helps sustain Tidy Towns projects. Available in local shops, the calendar is a perfect way to share a piece of Rush with friends and family near and far. A big thank you to our sponsors for making this possible.
Why It Matters
These achievements aren’t just about awards or events, they’re about creating a cleaner, greener, and more connected community. Every beach clean, every flower planted, and every calendar sold contributes to making Rush a better place to live. If you’d like to get involved, whether through volunteering or supporting our initiatives, reach out to Rush Tidy Towns tidytownsrush@gmail.com. Together, we can keep the momentum going in 2026!
The boxing season kicked off in September and our young fighters hit the ground running. We entered several boxers into the Dublin Leagues and came away with great success, strong performances, and invaluable experience for the year ahead.
It was a brilliant year across all disciplines. Louis O’Riordan brought home two gold medals in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, showcasing top-level skill on the mats. In MMA, Dylan Barr and Alex Coveney both claimed gold medals, proving the strength of our rising talent.
To round off the calendar year, we entered the Louth Open Championships and finished in style. Senan Fox, Carson McCarthy, and Ryan Cowzer all won gold in their categories, and Ruby Skelly getting a Silver medal, a fantastic achievement for the club.
Roll on 2026, with even more competitions in Boxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and MMA. The future looks bright for Rush Boxing and Martial Arts club.
New members are always welcome, contact Paul Cowzer 0863799603
Search Rush Boxing club on Maps for location
On Friday 5th December the North County Dublin Branch of Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind were given permission by the proprietor of the Strand Bar Rush Joe Sherman to sell car raffle tickets, Xmas cards and 2026 calendars inside his premises for a couple of hours. €150 was raised on the day and while the figure of money was small it was money that Irish Guide Dogs did not have that morning when we set out.
All of us involved are total volunteers and we are always looking for more helpers at events like this or elsewhere in the North County so contact us on below details if you want to volunteer.
Local Labour party TD Rob O’Donoghue called to our table on the day. In the picture is Tom O’Neill guide dog owner with his guide dog qeb, Rob O’Donoghue TD and Noeleen Turner from Skerries who was volunteering alongside Tom at that time.
To Contact North County Dublin Branch of Irish Guide Dogs for the blind by phone/text 0857663107, email: GuideDogsBalbriggan@gmail.com or find us on Facebook at Balbriggan Branch of Guide Dogs
Returning for its third year, the Christmas Fair at St Catherine’s National School will be taking place on Sunday 7th December from 1pm to 5pm, where you are guaranteed to be met with a warm welcome even if the weather outside is frightful! Over 20 stalls are already confirmed, including the very popular Ros Eó Soap Company, so this is the place to find fantastic stocking fillers and other gifts. Expect to find candles, soaps, face painting, jewellery, paintings and frames and much more.
Also confirmed, Santa Claus will be at the event greeting children (and their parents) in his grotto. As well as the chance to speak with Santa, you will be able to meet his elves, write a Christmas list and watch a Christmas movie. For just €6 per child, you can visit Santa in his grotto and all children will receive a chocolate selection box. There is no charge for parents or grandparents, and the elves will be on hand to take photos of you with Santa. Slots to meet Santa will be available from the St Catherine’s Parents’ Association, on sale outside the school in the week before the fair and via their Facebook page.
The committee and volunteers from Rush Tidy Towns were overjoyed on the announcement that they had secured a bronze medal at the National Tidy Towns awards at Croke Park in October. Committee members Matt and Siobhan were at the event, again a first for this generation of committee.
To qualify for a bronze medal you have to be within 35 points of the winner of your category. This year that was Skerries who had 395 points, so on 364 points, Rush actually had four points to spare. Overall we increased by 19 points in 2025, following on from an increase of 18 points in 2024. Neighbours Lusk increased by 14 points, as did Skerries.
Gaining the medal has been the culmination of work done by the countless volunteers and committees over the years, and it is now our job to push for Silver.
The judging criteria is based on 8 categories with a total of 550 points up for grabs. Community – planning and involvement (80 marks), Streetscape and Public Spaces (80 marks), Green Spaces & Landscaping (80), Nature & Biodiversity (55 marks), Sustainability – doing less with more (55 points), Tidiness & Litter Control (90 points), Residential Streets and Housing Areas (55), Approach Roads Streets and Lanes (55 points)
The judges visited the town on Monday 16th June, and provided some really good feedback. They commented positively on the new notice board advertising many upcoming Tidy Towns events, the mural on the Scout Den, the new landscaped area in front of Tayleurs Point, the new hedging at the side of St. Catherine’s School and the planting on the Whitetown Road. Some feedback was also provided such as, we should use more perennial plants in the hanging baskets and three tiered planters, to remove redundant stakes from trees, to not cut the grass as low in the summer, and some weeds were observed.
Irrespective of the result, residents and visitors get to reap the benefits of our work all year round, and we will continue to work with that objective in mind. Thank you to everybody who has contributed however small to enable us to achieve what we do.
A brand-new housing development for north Dublin has officially been opened, marking an important milestone in the delivery of housing to the local area. The opening of The Paddocks located at Ballygossan Hill, Skerries was celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Tom O’Leary, Chief Executive of Fingal County Council, AnnMarie Farrelly, Minister for Housing, James Browne, Minister of State with responsibility for Local Government and Planning, John Cummins, and representatives from Tuath Housing.
The Paddocks, a collaboration between Fingal County Council, Tuath Housing, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Housing Finance Agency, and the Housing Agency, is a 111 home development in the popular seaside town of Skerries, made up of 97 social homes and 14 Cost Rental homes.The Cost Rental homes provided at The Paddocks will be the first of this tenure type in Skerries, offering an affordable solution to rising rents and supply pressures.
Mayor of Fingal County Council, Cllr Tom O’Leary, said: “The completion of these exceptional new homes highlights Fingal County Council’s commitment to meeting its ambitious housing targets. It is thanks to strategic collaborations with trusted partners like Tuath Housing that we can meet the diverse housing needs of our growing population. The Paddocks is another great example of what can be accomplished by working together. As a long-time resident of Skerries, I know just how appealing the town is. With its beautiful coastline, its vibrant community, and expanding infrastructure, it’s no wonder that developments like The Paddocks have attracted such strong interest.”
The 111 new homes are made up of a mix of one, two, and three bedroom apartments, along with one and two bed duplexes, each with a private balcony. Residents have access to landspaced open spaces, communal gardens as well as excellent transport links.
Sonya Meekel, Tuath Voluntary Board of Directors, added: “We are proud to help deliver this high-quality, affordable housing. It’s an exciting moment for the community and the residents who are settling into their new homes by the sea. It is very gratifying for everyone at Tuath to see the result of the strong collaboration of all stakeholders.”
The Balbriggan\North County Dublin branch of Irish guide dogs for the Blind on December 5th Friday in the Strand Bar rush will be selling Xmas Cards, 2026 calendars, Merchandise and car raffle tickets costing €5 each, from 11am to 5pm.
Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind is dedicated to enriching the lives of blind and visually impaired people, and children with autism, by providing them with the freedom to travel safely, thereby assuring greater independence, dignity, and new horizons of opportunity.
On Tuesday morning 4th of November in skinny batch Coffee Shop Lusk a fundraising coffee morning will be held to raise money for the Balbriggan\North County Dublin Branch of Irish guide Dogs for the blind.
Running from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm, there will be guide dogs Xmas cards, 2026 calendars for sale and a car raffle ticket costing euro5 each to win a Ford Puma later in the year
All money raised goes for the training of guide dogs for blind people and assistance dogs for children with Autism. All involved in this fundraiser are total volunteers and we wish to thank Sharyn Hayden of Skinny Batch Food Ltd Lusk and her team for organizing this lovely event.
Should any reader of this article wish to volunteer with the branch or indeed become a puppy raiser from the readership of this article please contact us on below details. We can never have enough volunteers and without puppy raisers no guide or assistance dog can be trained. We need you.
More details on www.guidedogs.ie To contact our branch of guide dogs’ email guidedogsbalbriggan@gmail.com or call 085-7663107.
Tom O’Neill, guide dog owner and co-chair of the branch
On Friday the 10th of October Rush Tidy Towns held their 2025 Volunteer of the year awards at a lavish ceremony at Rush Golf Club. Fingal Mayor Tom O Leary was the guest of honour and he presented all the awards to the deserving recipients culminating with the announcement of Neil McKeown as Volunteer of the Year. Other award winners included project of the year which went to Carl Jones and Chris Rooney for their Vintage Pump refurbishment project, and the Clean Coasts award which went to Paul Moore and Richard Spenser for their river cleaning pursuits. In all 9 awards were presented to 16 different volunteers. The awards meal was kindly sponsored by Rush Community Council.
Commenting on the occasion, Brendan O’Reilly, Chairperson of Rush Tidy Towns said, “it is very important we recognise the dedication and commitment displayed by so many loyal volunteers, as they are the lifeblood of our group, and without them the committee would not get though a fraction of the work done for the betterment of the town which we are all so proud of”
If you would like to become a volunteer and be involved in the community, please contact tidytownsrush@gmail.com for more information.
Xmas Jumper Swap
Rush Tidy Towns are delighted to announce the annual Christmas Jumper Swap held in Rush Community Centre. This is your opportunity to bring your preloved jumpers and swap them for a different one for the festive seasons. See flyer for further detail.
The magic of Christmas is returning to Rush! Join us on Saturday, 29th November 2025, from 4–6pm in Echlin Court for the Rush Christmas Lights Switch-On — a festive celebration that marks the true beginning of the holiday season in our town.
This much-loved annual event brings our whole community together for an evening of sparkle, song, and smiles. Expect joyful music, plenty of festive treats, and a special visit from Santa himself as we light up Rush for Christmas 2025! Families, friends, and neighbours are all invited to gather in Echlin Court and share in the warm, welcoming spirit that makes Rush so special at this time of year.
But we need your help to Keep Rush Lit. Each year, it becomes more challenging to raise the funds needed to power, maintain and safely install our beautiful Christmas lights. These lights don’t just brighten up the streets — they brighten up hearts, bringing festive cheer to residents, visitors, and local businesses alike.
The truth is, without enough donations, we won’t be able to put up the lights this year. We know times are tough, but every contribution - big or small - truly makes a difference. Your generosity keeps the spirit of Christmas shining bright across our town.
So, mark your calendars, wrap up warm, and bring your Christmas spirit to Echlin Court on November 29th. Let’s make this year’s light switch-on the brightest one yet — and help us Keep Rush Lit!
