To mark UNESCO’s World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, the third Multicultural Day was celebrated at St Catherine’s National School on Friday 22nd May. This event has been run previously in 2018 and 2024 and this year’s event brought new countries and cultures to the exhibition.
The following countries were represented with a stand in the hall: Australia, Brazil, Central African Republic, Congo, France, Great Britain, India, Ireland, Mauritius, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.
Many of the stands displayed traditional artefacts and offered food from the country on display but the interpretation by some country’s representatives was quite broad. The Great Britain table featured a spotlight on Bristol and featured a model of Concorde and a large Darth Vader figure (played by Bristolian actor David Prowse in the original trilogy). The Australia table featured a Bluey playset which was complemented by the more traditional boomerang. Other sights included a mini Eiffel tower and a Christ The Redeemer statue displayed on France and Brazil’s stands respectively. One feature from the 2024 event that returned for 2026 was the long queue for food at the stand for Nigeria!
In addition to the exhibition stands, visitors to the event took part in an interactive Multicultural quiz to test their knowledge of flags, capital cities, patron saints and the world’s biggest rivers!
The atmosphere in the hall was wonderful, helped in no small part by musical accompaniment from CeltAfrik, a musical quartet that performs a fusion of African and Irish music, led by Dr. John Nutekpor. Dr. Nutekpor is a performing arts teacher who regularly visits the school to give music lessons to groups of pupils.
Hundreds of people came into the school hall to sample the sights, sounds and tastes of the various countries and cultures. It was fantastic to see many people from around the town, including past pupils and their parents, coming together to celebrate our diversity as well as the things that we all love and have in common.
Minister for Education and Youth Hildegarde Naughton today (Friday) officially opened the new school building at Rush and Lusk Educate Together National School, marking a significant milestone for pupils, staff and families in one of Dublin’s fastest-growing communities.
The state-of-the-art facility provides modern classrooms and specialist educational supports, creating a high-quality learning environment designed to meet the needs of current and future generations of pupils.
The opening marks the culmination of years of commitment, planning and collaboration between school leadership, the Board of Management, parents, Educate Together and the wider school community, whose shared vision has helped bring the project to fruition.
Speaking ahead of the official opening, Minister Naughton said: “It is a great pleasure to join the school community today to celebrate the opening of this wonderful new building for Rush and Lusk Educate Together National School. This is a landmark day for the school and for the wider community it serves.
“This modern facility will provide pupils with an excellent environment in which to learn, grow and thrive. It will support high quality teaching and learning while also creating a space where friendships are formed, confidence is built and young people are supported to achieve their full potential.”
The Minister acknowledged the work of all those involved in delivering the project and paid tribute to the school’s strong inclusive ethos.
“I want to thank everyone who played a role in making this day possible, from school leaders and staff to parents, Educate Together as patron and the wider school community. Their commitment and determination have helped deliver a fantastic facility for local children and families.
“Educate Together schools are built on principles of equality, inclusion and respect and those values are clearly evident in Rush and Lusk Educate Together. Every child is welcomed and supported to be themselves.”
Minister Naughton wished the entire school community continued success in their new surroundings and thanked pupils, staff and families for the warm welcome extended during the visit.
There’s a great sense of pride around Rush this month as volunteers with Rush Tidy Towns gear up for the annual judging visit. Across the town, dedicated teams have been busy with litter picking, planting, painting, and general upkeep, ensuring Rush is presented at its very best.
The strong community spirit has been evident everywhere, with residents and local volunteers working together to enhance the town’s appearance. These efforts highlight not just the beauty of Rush, but the shared commitment to maintaining it.
A standout initiative this month is the introduction of a toy library on Rush South Beach. Aimed at families, it provides shared beach toys while encouraging a “leave no trace” approach and promoting sustainability among younger visitors.
As judging approaches, Rush Tidy Towns extends sincere thanks to everyone who has contributed. The ongoing support and enthusiasm continue to make a real difference in keeping Rush a place we can all be proud of.
Ryan Cowzer took gold at 54kg in the Neilstown Box Cup, putting in three strong performances and finishing the final with a first-round stoppage.
Mark Quinn claimed gold at 55kg after an exciting, hard-fought final.
Senan Fox earned silver, battling his way to the final and losing a very close decision to a quality opponent.
Christopher Lawrence secured silver after a strong semi-final win, but was unable to contest the final due to family circumstances.
Ruby Skelly showed real dedication to make 48kg, and with no opponent in her division, was awarded gold.
A strong weekend overall, finishing with 3 golds and 2 silvers.
Rush Community Council has announced a new student bursary to support eligible students from the Rush electoral district who are pursuing third-level studies in journalism, photography and media-related fields.
The bursary is funded through remaining funds associated with Rush Community News, which is no longer in publication. Rush Community Council has approved the use of these funds to continue supporting education and the development of community-focused media skills.
The bursary is open to students residing in the Rush electoral district who are entering their second year or above of an eligible course.
Commenting on the launch, Erin Cartlidge, Chairperson of Rush Community Council, said:“This bursary has been established to ensure that the remaining funds from Rush Community News are used in a way that supports education and recognises the importance of media and communication skills within our community.”
Full details of the application process will be announced shortly.
For further information, please contact Rush Community Council at manager@rushcoco.ie
Monday April 27th: The sun shone for the first RUSH FESTIVAL OF WRITING, which took place on Saturday, April 25th and saw some of the country’s best writers descend on the seaside town for a day of conversations and workshops.
The day began with two workshops for children at the beautiful Rush Library, which was formerly the town’s 18th century church, where former Children’s Laureate na nÓg Niamh Sharkey held a workshop based around her latest picture book Penguin TV before encouraging attendees to take to the floor and share their own drawings by joining her infamous giant ‘doodle’.
Alan Nolan brought his unique energy to his Draw Your Own Superhero workshop with a hilarious presentation on his own work, as well as talking readers and writers aged 8-12 on how to design their own comic book creations.
The day continued at the nearby festival hub at Rush Community Centre, where festival co-founder Lauren Murphy quizzed celebrated authors Sinéad Gleeson and Anna Carey on their creative practices in an illuminating conversation about how and why they write - as well as practical advice on how to get your work published. On a similar theme, acclaimed author Belinda McKeon led a two-hour afternoon workshop for adults on Creative Writing, with one attendee saying it was “particularly beneficial” for developing character and story.
At The Strand Bar & Restaurant, Irish cultural icon and raconteur Eamon Carr regaled a captive audience in an enthralling conversation led by journalist Pat Carty, which took in his work as a poet, songwriter and journalist. The Horslips man also shared some amusing stories about his first time in Rush many years ago!
The evening events took place in front of capacity crowds at the Millbank Theatre, where at 5pm crime fiction writers Catherine Ryan Howard and Andrea Mara proved as entertaining in conversation as they are in the written form. The world-beating duo discussed the pros and cons of the big-budget TV adaptations of their work, how they stumbled upon the genre of crime fiction, their sources of inspiration and more in a lively discussion led by Sinéad Cuddihy of Tired Mammy Book Club.
Finally, following a short speech by Mayor of Fingal Cllr. Tom O’Leary, who spoke of the importance of the creative arts and the particular abundance of talent in North County Dublin, the festival’s headline event began at 8pm with one of Ireland’s greatest writers, John Banville in conversation with author Kevin Curran.
Their hugely entertaining discussion was both profound, enlightening and humorous as Mr. Banville noted the importance of imagination in writing, his experience of winning the Man Booker Prize - noting how “all prizes are just like the big red toy fire engine you get at Christmas” - and how all of his books are “reserved sins”, while playfully threatening to direct the hordes of tourists that have descended upon his locality in Howth towards Rush.
The Rush Multipurpose & Youth Facility have received new sensory kits from Fingal which is available to use in our facility! The following is available:
A pop-up tent that can be placed in a quiet area, to be used as needed by a child seeking a calm and comforting space.
A sign-in sheet will be provided for individuals to complete when borrowing the kit, to help us track usage and ensure it remains accessible to all. The sensory kit will remain in the facility at all times and returned to reception after use.
A backpack containing a variety of sensory toys and lights.
On Saturday April 11th the first ever Rush Cultural Extravaganza took place. Organised by Rush Tidy Towns the event showcased the wide range of musical, sporting, social and leisure groups in the town.
Rush Multi-Purpose Youth Facility hosted an Expo of seventeen local sporting and social groups including St. Maur’s GAA club, Rush Athletic football club, budding astronomers were thrilled with the huge telescope set up by Rush Astronomy club and the Scouts organised a magnificent display of their camping skills in the outdoor area. Face painters and live music added to the festival atmosphere as families explored the many groups and societies that run in the town.
Over in the Millbank theatre a selection of three performance musical events allowed the impressive talents of Rush residents to be displayed. The ‘Open Mic’ section was an opportunity for newer artists to perform where acts included singing and poetry readings. The ‘Meet me at the Millbank’ section saw eight well established musical groups and individuals perform to a delighted audience. The highlight of the night was the Gala Concert, which saw glorious performances from the Rush Folk Group and Rush Traditional Irish Music Group and the award-winning vocal group, Rush Musical Society Singers.
Special guests in attendance were Fingal Mayor Tom O’Leary, Senator Lorraine Clifford Lee, TD Rob O Donohue, Cllr Eoghan Dockrell, Cllr Mark Boland, LEA Brian Dennehy, Aoife Sheridan from Fingal County Council and Sean Sheehan, CEO of Scouting Ireland. The day’s events which were sponsored by Creative Ireland were a resounding success. Chairperson of Rush Tidy Towns Brendan O’Reilly said, “The feedback we have received from the exhibitors, performers and visitors has been phenomenal. We were delighted to be able to bring all these local groups, clubs and performers together in one day across two venues to show just what Rush has to offer. And a big thank you to all the volunteers from Rush Tidy Towns, Rush Community Council and Rush Scouts for making the day happen
The Rush Daff Day committee are honestly overwhelmed by the incredible support this year. The whole community showed up and turned Rush into a sea of yellow
We kicked off at a very questionable 6am on Friday and somehow kept going until 3pm Sunday… powered mostly by tea, community spirit, with our motto keeping us going “we wont give up till cancer does”
It all started back in December with the legendary Christmas Swim, festive busking from the Macks (who sacrificed Christmas Eve for the cause), a swimming twalker, sea swimmers braving icy waters, and a whole lot of generosity. Thanks to Rush Sailing Club for hosting this event and supporting Irish Cancer Society again in 2025/26
Our newly re-energised committee met five times (yes, actual meetings), plotted, planned, and delivered a jam-packed weekend. A huge thanks to Debbie and team at Rush Community Council who support us year on year with the use of their premises and a willing staff who help to set the day up and continue to work with us before and after the event. This year we had a Sunday Twalk with Declan, Aaron and Antoinette and again a huge thanks to Laura Emma and Joe in the Strand for hosting the event on the Sunday – what a perfect way to finish off the weekend.
Thanks to all the business who made donations, both cash and flowers – your support year on year is amazing.
Now… onto the stats you didn’t know you needed; 114 volunteers (basically superheroes in disguise); 810 fifty-cent pieces (we checked… twice ); 1,600 daffodils (no bees were harmed); 65 DAFFS in the Garden of Hope ; 79 Dolmio jars reborn as fancy vases; 100s of cups of tea & coffee (keeping Ireland going strong); 76 twalkers; 58 runners; 48 swimmers (built different );1 traditional band – the Macks; 1 hidden kitchen legend – Maeve.
From Friday to Monday, we laughed, cried, and turned the town gloriously yellow Friendships were rekindled, support was shared, and we stood together for those fighting cancer and those we’ve lost.
And together… we raised over €30,000.00 this is online donations and cash at Christmas and on Daff Day events (drumroll pending)
Finally, a very special moment…
This year’s Irish Cancer Society Community Champions are:
Maise O’Dowd & Declan Costelloe
Two absolute legends – one a fresh force of inspiration, the other a long-time hero (years undisclosed for safety reasons). From the bottom of our hearts – thank you, Rush. You smashed it
Fingal County Council has commenced work on the redevelopment of the GAA and soccer pitches at Skerries Town Park, with a €1.3 million investment designed to enhance sports and recreational facilities for local clubs and the wider community.
The start of the project was officially marked with a sod turning ceremony, attended by the Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Tom O’Leary, Local Community Groups, Skerries Town FC, Skerries Harps GAA Club and Senior Parks and Landscape Officer at Fingal County Council, Kevin Halpenny.
The major upgrade will significantly enhance the quality and usability of the pitches through the installation of enhanced drainage systems, enabling increased year round play.
Mayor of Fingal, Councillor Tom O’Leary, said: “It is fantastic to see this important investment in Skerries Town Park finally getting underway. These pitches are at the heart of the community, used by local clubs such as Skerries Harps, Skerries Town FC, and Skerries Athletics Club , as well as by families and young people from right across the area. This much needed upgrade will make a real difference, providing high quality facilities that the people of Skerries can enjoy all year round.”
Beyond the pitch upgrades, the project will also enhance the overall park environment. New landscaping works will be undertaken, while improved pathways will support better accessibility and connectivity for walkers, families and spectators using the space. Skerries Athletics Club are very much looking forward to utilising the new 3m Pathways for training. These enhancements ensure the redevelopment delivers wider community benefits, making the park more welcoming for all users, not just sporting clubs.
The project represents a significant investment in local sports infrastructure, supporting grassroots sport and encouraging greater participation in outdoor activity across all age groups. Importantly, the improved drainage will help reduce overuse damage, extending the lifespan of the pitches and reducing maintenance disruption, particularly during wetter months.
Kevin Halpenny, the Senior Parks and Landscape Officer at Fingal County Council, added: “This €1.3 million investment responds directly to the growing demand on sports and recreational facilities in Skerries. These works will significantly enhance the quality, reliability and longevity of the pitches, ensuring Skerries Town Park continues to meet the needs of the community for many years to come.”
Construction of the new pitches will take approximately five months and will be followed by a 12-month maintenance period during which the new pitches will be developed to achieve GAA and FAI standard playing surfaces.
Access to Skerries Mills, the Community Centre, all-weather hockey pitch and tennis courts will be maintained throughout the project, while the new paths through the park will be open for use during the 12-month maintenance period.
