Many of you will know me, or my family. A proud Rush man since birth, you’ll see me around the town now either running the streets with Lusk AC, or running after my young son Colton. You might have even heard me recently on RTE’s Liveline sharing our journey and telling listeners why I’ll be running this year’s Dublin City Marathon, in complete silence.
Why I’m Running in Silence
Two years ago, I ran the Dublin City Marathon when my son was only 6 days old. Weeks later, we learned he was profoundly deaf. We had no family history of hearing loss, and we knew nothing about what this journey would look like. We had so much to learn, but from day 1 we were guided - on his hearing technology, on medical checks, on resources, and on early language techniques and strategies - to build a strong foundation which would shape his whole life. We were shown a path, to give our son the very best start and to help him reach his own potential. Where he would be able to hear, learn and thrive among his peers. Long before we arrived into the deaf world, people had fought tirelessly - for technology, education, access and recognition. So that children like our son would face an entirely different future.
So this year, I’m back. But this time - in silence. To raise awareness of the deaf experience and funds for the services that support this lifelong journey.
Our son received his first hearing aids aged 2 months and had cochlear implant surgery in March 2025. Today, he is thriving - laughing, learning, and growing into his fullest potential, one determined little step at a time.
Wearing strong noise-cancelling headphones, I’ll run DCM 2025 without sound in symbolic recognition of the deaf experience, and to champion my son - and every deaf child, parent and person navigating a world not always built with them in mind.
Why This Campaign Matters
Early hearing screening and support are more than medical checks – they are gateways to opportunity. The resources and support provided through the early intervention programme and other deaf services including by Chime (Ireland’s national Deaf charity) are invaluable. The advocacy, early tools, and expert guidance gave our family not just resources - but a path forward. Without these services, Colton’s journey would have started much later - and looked very different.
Funds raised through this campaign will go directly to Chime, to continue their advocacy and services for deaf children and families, and to other key deaf supports including Our New Ears, that help children develop language, identity, and confidence from the start.
Laying the Foundations: The Vital Role of Early Screening and Support
We also recently wrote a thank-you poem to the maternity hospital where Colton was born, expressing our deep gratitude for the newborn screening service. Without that screen, and with no family history or visible signs of hearing loss, we would have had no reason to look for further assessments until much later. The simple test changed the course of his early life - and ours. We were incredibly moved when the hospital shared our message more widely - and even more touched by the responses from early screeners and staff who said how rarely they hear about the long-term outcomes of their work. We even connected with the screener who had run Colton’s first checks! She shared her reaction with us: “You have no idea the power of your words, they have lifted our spirits. We don’t ever look for praise, but your recognition has been a tonic for us all and lifted us knowing what we do is vital in changing lives. Thank you for sharing your son with us, we will speak to many new parents about him, when they need it most.”
The poem is now framed in their offices, where it can remind the team daily of how important their work is.
Breaking the Silence Around Deafness
Beyond fundraising, we hope to shine a light on what it means to be deaf or hard of hearing, or to have a deaf family member, friend, classmate, colleague or acquaintance. To take the mystery out of it, and spark a conversation from curiosity, acceptance, and openness.
Our son is perfect, exactly as he is. Born wholly complete and fully himself. And we would not change a single thing about him.
And we want him to grow up in a world that understands this part of him.
Ask questions, stay curious, and help build a more inclusive world for deaf children like my son.
Help me run this marathon in silence - so more deaf children can be heard, supported, and celebrated.
very step counts. Every share helps. Every discussion matters.
https://www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/MunroRuigrok
Rush Men’s Shed - A big thank you to Tony Hickey and Tony Brennan from Rush Men’s Shed who revarnished the 3 benches at the South Beach Car Park over the last week.
Estate Clean Up - Well done to the residents of Brookford Estate who planted some lovely flowers and plants today. They look fantastic. Special mention to Stephen from Rushbrook Plants, who helped them out with plant selection and placement.
The Rush Community Council Events Committee is proud to celebrate the success of the Rush Harbour Festival and Fingal Rush Air Display 2025, which took place over the August Bank Holiday weekend. This year was a special milestone as it was the first time the Community Council Events Committee had the honour of organising the festival – and it proved to be a weekend to remember.
Rush Harbour was alive with colour, music, and activity from morning to night. Families enjoyed children’s amusements, funfair rides, and workshops, while the harbour front bustled with food stalls and a harvest & craft market. Each evening ended on a high with fantastic live performances, bringing people together to celebrate Rush’s vibrant culture.
The Fingal Rush Air Display was once again the standout attraction, drawing huge crowds to the shoreline. Against the stunning backdrop of Rush North Beach and Lambay Island, visitors were thrilled by daring stunts, precision flying, and breathtaking aerobatic displays from some of the world’s finest pilots.
The Events Committee extends heartfelt thanks to everyone who made the festival possible: our generous sponsors, the many local businesses and community groups who contributed their time and expertise, and the incredible volunteers whose hard work ensured everything ran smoothly.
Speaking after the festival, Erin Cartlidge, Chairperson of the Rush Community Council Events Committee, said: “We are so proud of what was achieved this year. Taking on the organisation for the first time was a big challenge, but the support from the whole community was amazing. We want to thank our sponsors, contributors, and especially our volunteers, who gave so much of their time and energy. Without them, this festival simply would not have been possible.”
The 2025 Rush Festival & Fingal Rush Airshow was more than an event – it was a true celebration of land, sea, sky, and the community spirit that makes Rush so special, we are looking forward to building on the success of this year and working with everyone again to make the festival even more fantastic next year and for the future.
Credits to Photographers: Leo Bissett & Ray Watts, Valeta McCormick (Corvenieos Entertainment) & Darragh Butler (@feetwetaviation)
Rush-based director Dave Byrne is anticipating the release of his latest film ‘Sunphlowers’ on 26th September and it will be on general release in cinemas around the country.
Sunphlowers follows Catherine, a middle-aged mother of three embarks on a journey of self-discovery, against the backdrop of secrecy and devastation her late husband left behind, changing the course of her grief forever.
Set against an agricultural backdrop, Catherine, [played by Anne McCrudden] finds her husband dead in one of their glasshouses. In putting his affairs in order, the extent of secrecy and destruction her late husband Michael has left in his wake, forces Catherine to take a long hard look at the direction of the remainder of her life. In the days that follow, Catherine must deal with very real-life issues such as rural isolation, organised criminals targeting vulnerable people and financial ruin. Catherine initially struggles to deal with the overwhelming responsibilities that lay ahead, whilst also providing emotional support to her three adult children. Pride and determination bring out a strength of character beyond Catherine’s own expectations, as she deals with each problem head on, resulting in a newfound sense of freedom and the power to forgive and move on with her life
Skerries, May 20, 2025 — The Confidence Clinic is proud to announce the return of its Best Life Summer Camps, now running in 10 locations across Greater Dublin and Meath. Due to overwhelming demand from parents, the camps have expanded into areas like Castleknock, Skerries, Lusk, Swords, Beaumont, Stamullen, Rathfarnham, and Templeogue. All camps will run throughout July.
Our Best Life Summer Camps offer a unique and empowering experience for children aged 6–13. They use Life Coaching and Mentoring techniques developed over 11 years of coaching children. Each camp explores age-appropriate life lessons, from building friendships and handling tricky people to speaking up for yourself and developing emotional resilience.
In addition to engaging life discussions, children take part in outdoor games, arts and crafts, yoga, and guided meditations — helping them relax, express themselves, and build confidence in a fun, supportive space.
From our 2024 feedback, 92% of children reported learning something useful, and parents regularly describe noticeable improvements in their children’s communication, behaviour, and mindset. Thanks to these lasting, positive changes, the camps have grown in popularity since launching in 2018.
Caoimhe Tegart O’Grady, Owner of The Confidence Clinic, shares:
“One mother told us that after her children attended our camp, there was no fighting in their household. Her children were getting along and not bickering — something she thought was impossible. I explained that we’d covered topics like ‘water off a duck’s back’ and choosing your battles — tools that really stay with kids.”
She continues:
“Another mother asked on the last day, ‘What magic did you perform at your camp?’ Her anxious child had slept in her own bed for the entire week — something that hadn’t happened in years.”
We do guided meditations each day to help children to relax their body and mind, creating a calm space where they can reset and feel more grounded.
At our camps, the emphasis is always on fun and kindness. Children are encouraged to be themselves, step outside their comfort zones, and grow friendships in a safe, supportive environment. Our only rule? Be kind to each other.
As we expand across Greater Dublin, we aim to help children thrive socially and emotionally through meaningful learning and joyful play.
Book a place now: https://theconfidenceclinic.ie/summer-camps
OLIO is a free app dedicated to reducing food waste by connecting people with surplus food made available through local volunteers. Rather than letting good food go to waste or end up in landfill, OLIO helps ensure it’s shared within the community—for free.
In Rush, the fight against food waste has taken root thanks to the efforts of local volunteers, supported by Rush Tidy Towns. Every Thursday, a dedicated volunteer—registered with the HSE—collects surplus food from TESCO and redistributes it through the OLIO app. This ensures that perfectly good food is rescued and enjoyed, not discarded.
This initiative is more than just a practical solution to food waste: it’s a way to strengthen community ties and support environmental sustainability. Thanks to OLIO and the active participation of local residents by collecting surplus food, Rush is playing a positive role in the fight against food waste.
To take part, simply download the OLIO app and check what’s available in your area. Best time to check in Rush is Thursday from 8PM. Together, we can make a real difference.
STATS Since July 2022 until End of May 2025
Rush is stepping up for a cleaner future with the Fingal Reusable Cup Campaign, launching in local cafés on Saturday, 17th May. In partnership with Vytal and supported by Fingal County Council, the scheme offers free-to-borrow reusable cups—just return them within 14 days.
We were delighted with the warm response from the community during our information morning on Saturday, 10th May! Huge thanks to all the volunteers, and to VOICE, Vytal, and Fingal County Council representatives for making it possible.
Look out for posters in local businesses and join us in making Rush a compostable cup-free town. Bring your own cup, sit in, or borrow a Vytal cup—simple, free, and better for the planet.
Love your Dog, Love Rush, Bag it, Bin it! : Tackling Dog Fouling in Rush
Dog fouling is one of the most common concerns raised by residents in Rush. While most dog owners clean up after their pets, a small minority are leaving a mess on our footpaths—and it’s affecting everyone.
To help raise awareness and offer a simple solution, Rush Tidy Towns recently took to Main Street, handing out free dog poop bag dispensers and bags to local dog walkers. A big thanks to Fingal County Council for supporting this initiative.
Dog waste isn’t just unpleasant—it’s a health risk, particularly for children. It can spread harmful parasites and bacteria, and pollutes our shared spaces.
Let’s all work together for a cleaner, safer Rush.
Love your Dog. Love Rush. Bag it. Bin it.
Rush Tidy Towns Needs You!
Rush is looking fantastic thanks to the hard work of Rush Tidy Towns volunteers, and there’s always more to be done. We need YOU to help keep it shining!
From repainting bollards and cleaning road signs to planting flowers and tackling weeds, volunteers have been busy across different areas of Rush. We invite all residents and businesses to get involved, take pride in our town, and help us impress the judges for both the Best Kept Town and Tidy Towns competitions.
Whether it’s picking up litter, clearing a mess, hanging flower baskets, or ensuring your area stays tidy, every action counts. Let’s work together to make Rush a place we’re all proud of.
Rush Tidy Towns needs you—let’s make our town shine!
Courtesy of Rush Tidy Towns
Thank you to all the volunteers who helped at our Marram grass event on the South Beach in April. It was also great to meet Heidi from Malahide Tidy Towns and Catherine from Donabate Tidy Towns, both of whom helped out. We also got a great talk from Aidan Clean Coasts representative on the importance of the dunes and the unique properties of Marram grass, and finally the kids were transfixed our by Liane, Clean Coasts biodiversity officer who showed them how to identify mermaids, purses and other examples of marine life.
Let’s Play Easter
Thank you to everybody who came along to our free Let’s Play Rush Easter Event in Kenure Woods today in conjunction with Rush Tidy Towns, 38th Rush Scout Group, Rush Community Council and funded by Fingal County Council & Progressive Credit Union Ltd. In particular thank you to all the volunteers with special mention for the Scouts who were fantastic. This is yet another circular economy event as all the props used for the trail, and all the toys are reusable.
Best Kept Town
Rush has a unique opportunity to shine on the National stage. We are one of only 3 towns nominated in the large town category of the national Best Kept Town competition. See the flyer to see how you can contribute to the efforts to put our best foot forward. Judging happens during May.
Courtesy of Rush Tidy Towns.
River Clean Up
Super job today and unprecedented. Marcus, Richard and Paul under the guidance of committee member Matt with support from adjacent site developers Barrymore and Meegans cleared 4 skips of rubbish from the river between Kenure Woods and the Skerries Road. 5 hours of hard graft walking the river in waders. The river is flowing freely this evening, and bear in mind, this flows into the North Beach. Thank you gents, and to Ger for the photos
Swift Boxes
Our first big biodiversity project of 2025 was completed today with the installation of 2 triple entry swift boxes at St. Catherine’s primary school. We would like to thank all who helped get this off the ground, our local volunteer Linda Mellon, who is part of the Fingal branch of BirdWatch Ireland, Mary Ryan, our friends in St Catherine’s primary school and Stephen for helping with the location choice and installation. Swifts are an endangered species and need all the help they can get. Did you know a swift will not land once between its migration from Africa to Ireland and vice versa?
Kenure Park Light
We are delighted to see the decorative lights going up at the entrance to Kenure Woods today. This was a bug bear of ours through personal experience, so we put a formal request into the lighting section in Fingal County Council last year citing health and safety concerns on a path which has so much footfall. The 38th Rush Scout Group also put their weight behind the request.
Local man Ian Cortina is currently in training to run a 130km ultramarathon in under 24 hours at the Waterville Trail Running Festival in Waterville, County Kerry on May 3rd, in aid of Fingal Additional Needs.
The challenge is very personal to Ian who explained, “My mother sadly passed away on 7th May 2024 from complications of dementia. A cruel, vicious disease for which there is no cure. One of the last things I promised to her was to complete an endurance event and try to fundraise for a worthwhile cause. The Waterville 130km ultramarathon is held close to the anniversary of her passing, which I feel is a prominent event to aim for and commemorate her memory.”
“As a parent to a child with additional needs, initiatives such as Fingal Additional Needs are invaluable and do so much good for local children and young people who I believe ALL have the right to thrive and grow with equal support and opportunities in life and their local communities,” he added.
The race begins at 4pm on Saturday 3rd May and Ian will have 24 hours to finish the race by running 3 laps, continuously across the Kerry Way. Cut off times are 8 hours per lap - so a 4pm start with the first cut-off at 12 midnight. The second lap cut-off is 16 hours (8am Sunday) and the final lap is to be finished before 4pm on Sunday 4th May.
Fingal Additional Needs offers afterschool programs, camps, and sports activities designed to create safe, fun, and structured environments where kids can thrive, while giving families much-needed support.
“By chucking a few bob in to my fundraiser, you will be helping to cover the cost of equipment, rental spaces, and materials that make their sessions engaging and so beneficial. Thank you so much for taking the time to visit my fundraiser. I hope you can help me by donating whatever you can. Simply click the Donate button above. All donations are processed securely,” Ian added.
You can find more information about the race here: https://www.runwtf.com/130km and to donate please go to https://www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/wtf130