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!

Thanks to Fingal County Council Events Team, Rush Tourism is delighted to bring a Christmas Market to Kenure Woods on Saturday November 29th and Sunday November 30th, creating a magical weekend filled with festive fun, family entertainment, and community spirit.

This year’s market promises something for everyone — young and old alike — with an exciting lineup of local crafters, food stalls, live music, and free children’s entertainment sponsored by Progressive Credit Union

Rudolph and his friend will make an appearance, ready for festive photos and fun. Juggling Jack Frost will amaze the crowds with his spectacular skills, while two of Santa’s playful elves hop through the woods spreading cheer and posing for pictures.

Mrs. Claus, sponsored by Carroll Estates and Bellyngham Projects, will be there each day sharing enchanting stories about how the elves are busily preparing for Santa’s big night

Don’t forget to drop your letters into Santa’s Postbox for express delivery straight to the North Pole!
On Sunday, families can hop aboard the Elf Express Train for a free, magical ride through the woods — an experience not to be missed. Get your photo taken with our hopping happy Elves as the train rambles along.

The Kenure Woods Christmas Market is more than just an event — it’s a celebration of community, creativity, and Christmas joy.

So come along and enjoy a fun-filled shopping experience surrounded by festive cheer.
And remember the local motto:

“Keep your business in Rush to keep Rush in business!

What started out as an idea by Declan (Cj) to raise €500 for the Irish Cancer Society has grown into an uplifting and inspiring month of camaraderie and fun, as we Twalked with CJ for 30 days in September.
Every day, CJ was joined by groups of people for early morning, lunchtime, and evening walks. We laughed, chatted, reconnected with old friends, and shared many happy childhood memories along the way. People who have recently moved to Rush — and who might not have been aware of its rich history and heritage — joined the walks and will now see the village in a completely new light!

We talked about pirates, the Tideway Cinema, the day Johnny Cash rolled into town, and countless other fascinating stories from Rush’s past.

CJ’s “Twalk” has truly united our community in a fun and meaningful way. The connection and friendship felt as everyone walked together each day were beyond anything he could have imagined. People battling cancer, along with friends and families who have lost loved ones, came together — walking side by side — to support Declan and to stand for a common cause.

In total, over €6000 was raised for the Irish Cancer Society — a true testament to the power of community spirit and togetherness.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined the walks, donated, and supported Declan throughout the month. Your kindness, laughter, and generosity have made this journey truly special. What began as a small idea has become a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when a community comes together. Here’s to keeping that spirit alive — one step at a time

Fingal Festival of Children’s Literature has been running for a number of years and is organised by Fingal Libraries. The festival is a fantastic celebration of children’s literature and a great chance to meet local authors such as Shane Hegarty, writer of the Darkmouth series, who is from Skerries and in 2024, Rush resident Derek Landy (of Skulduggery Pleasant fame) spoke about his writing and signed copies of the latest book in the Skulduggery Pleasant series.

This year, the festival included a new short story writing competition, ‘Every Story is Magic’. Entries, which had to be under 400 words long, were shortlisted by staff at Fingal Libraries and three winners were selected from the shortlisted entries by Eoin Colfer, legendary author of the Artemis Fowl series. Amongst the winners was Rush resident Charlotte Semple who won third place in the competition. Charlotte has recently started secondary school at St Joseph’s Secondary School, having previously attended St Catherine’s National School.

Charlotte’s story was 397 words long and described a magical evening where four friends flew over the moonlit Fingal countryside.

The prizes were announced and presented by Eoin Colfer at Swords Castle on 27th September at the Fingal Festival of Children’s Literature. Eoin was also on hand to sign copies of the first book in the Artemis Fowl series.

We would like to thank all estates who entered our Best Presented Estate competition this year. It gets harder every year to judge. Ravenswell came in first position this year as they are not only the neatest and cleanest estate we visited this year, they also added more biodiversity and sustainable features to their area. They include water butts for watering, a composter for their grass cuttings and some more berry bushes to add to their fruit trees. Each flower bed has pollinator friendly plants and they have poo bag dispensers hanging for anyone who is caught out..

Second place is St Catherine’s this year. They continue to lead the way when it comes to biodiversity within their community. Their community garden is thriving and the sunflowers are pushing to the sky. Their flower beds are stunning and their new area which has benches for people to sit and chat are a really bonus for the community. The estate has a bit of everything for everyone.

Third place this year is a newcomer. Woodland Park has proven simplicity can be just as beautiful and award winning as busier estates. Their edging cannot be beaten and their namestone is stunning with a fabulous mix of bedding and perennial pollinators. It is eye catching for all who pass by. They have a beautiful area with a lovely tribute to one of their residents and the new fruit trees are a fabulous addition.

We look forward to seeing how anyone can top this next year. Thanks again to all who entered. Thank you to Rush Community Council for sponsoring the competition.

Rush Best Presented Businesses 2025
Here are a few photos of the winners of the best presented Rush Businesses 2025.
1st Rush Community Centre
2nd The Harbour Bar
Best Newcomer Bird of Paradise

It has to be said though that so many businesses are making a huge effort to make Main Street look lovely and colourful during the Summer and we are very grateful for all your efforts. Thank you to all the volunteers who walk the Rush beaches daily and pick litter along the way. There wasn’t a whole lot to pick this evening during a walk on the South Beach.

In a quiet workshop in Rush, Co. Dublin, the sound of hammer on steel mingles with the scent of freshly worked hardwood. Here, Michael Dempsey, founder of Jarnvidr Crafts, is forging more than just tools — he is creating lasting heirlooms rooted in Irish craft and Norse mythology.

“I wanted to make items that last, that people would value and possibly pass down,” says Michael, who launched Jarnvidr Crafts in October 2024 after a long career in technology. “After years in tech, I felt the pull back to my roots in metalwork and carpentry. This is about legacy, creativity, and building something with soul.”

The name Jarnvidr comes from Old Norse, meaning “Ironwood” — a mythical forest where Troll’s and Giant Wolves dwelled in legend. It reflects the blend of myth and nature that runs through the brand. Inspired by Viking tradition, each creation — whether forged blade or hand-turned bowl — carries a sense of story as well as function.

While Jarnvidr Crafts first gained attention for its hand-forged kitchen knives — including Viking-inspired seax blades and unique Damascus steel creations — the workshop has since expanded. Michael now crafts wooden chopping boards, bowls, writing pens, and will soon have CE-certified wooden toys, all from reclaimed or recycled hardwoods.

Norse influences are never far away. Boards shaped like shields, rune-burned designs, and multi-wood patterns inspired by Viking knotwork bring myth into the modern kitchen. The Björn knife line, named after Michael’s grandson, bridges personal family legacy with Norse tradition.

Every Jarnvidr piece is meant to be used. “It’s a chopping board — a few knife marks are expected. That adds to the charm,” Michael says with a smile. His philosophy is simple: with care, each creation will last a lifetime.

Selling online via jarnvidrcrafts.ie and at craft fairs, Jarnvidr Crafts appeals to chefs, food lovers, and gift buyers alike. From bespoke knives for professional kitchens to wooden toys for Irish families, Michael’s work is carving out a reputation for authentic Irish craftsmanship with a Norse soul.

“I’m building something I hope will outlast me,” he reflects. “A craft reborn — from the heart of Ironwood.”