When you think of Lawn Bowls what images are conjured up in your mind? Retired /elderly men and women wearing white clothing. A slow paced non- competitive sport. A sport that is only played in Summer. The facts might surprise you! Let me dispel some of these myths. Lawn Bowls is played by all ages, genders, and abilities. It is inclusive, fun, competitive and involves some strategic. Ireland has over twenty-seven clubs who are affiliated to the governing body Irish Lawn Bowls. Lawn Bowls is played on synthetic and grass rinks. There is a growing academy for children/teenagers and young adults called The Leinster Lions. It is a fun way to stay active and get fit. It is played outdoors all year round. There is a social element to the game. It can help with teambuilding as it requires co-operation from team members to win a game. It improves mental health by social interaction. Lawn Bowls is a precision sport. It requires accuracy and strategy. It is like Pétanque but uses different sized and weighted bowls. In the Southern Hemisphere the game is well represented by young adults. Most importantly Lawn Bowls is fun! At Aer Lingus Lawn Bowls club you will receive a warm welcome. We benefit from having a synthetic surface which enables us to play all year round. We play socially and competitively we take part in the ILB Summer and Winter leagues. We are undertaking a Corporate Bowls initiative for the Spring/ early summer. We will hold an Open Weekend on 11th and 12th of May. This is a great opportunity to try the sport. We are also available every Wednesday and Sunday at 11am for our social bowls sessions. Contact us on 0863114540 for more information. We hope you will accept our invitation to take part.

On the week leading up to St Patricks Day at the Shed, we crafted lucky discs, great laughs and chats. What disc did you get? Did you watch out for Swords Women’s Shed at the Swords St Patrick’s Day Parade? We hope you did and were lucky enough to get a keyring, magnet or even a car charm. We also hoped you supported Swords Women’s Shed on that day. The ladies from the Shed did us proud!

An initiative designed to enhance town centres throughout Fingal had been announced, with businesses and groups across the county being encouraged to apply for funding.

The Streetscape Enhancement funding reflects Fingal County Council’s vision as a great place to live, work, visit and do business in. It will help support façade upgrades at commercial premises and community buildings, including shopfront improvements, painting, signage replacement or removal, lighting, and green planting.Mayor of Fingal, Cllr. Adrian Henchy, welcomed the new funding programme and added: “It presents a unique opportunity for businesses and community facilities situated along the streets of our towns and villages. I would encourage businesses and community groups to avail of this excellent opportunity to enhance their town centres.” Chief Executive of Fingal County Council, AnnMarie Farrelly said: “This new funding represents a collaborative effort between the local authority and eligible town centre businesses and community facilities within Fingal. This strategic partnership aims to significantly bolster the appearance and prosperity of our town centres, underscoring the Council’s commitment to our communities. “The Streetscape Enhancement Scheme 2024 is now open and is seeking expressions of interest from qualifying commercial and community premises located within areas designated as “Major Town Centre”, “Town and District Centre”, “Local Centre” or “Rural Village” within the Fingal County Development Plan 2023-2029.Under the scheme, up to 50% of the cost of improvements, up to a maximum grant amount of €1,500 per eligible property, is available, subject to terms and conditions. Expressions of interest must be received by Fingal County Council by 12 noon on April 8, 2024. Programme terms and conditions and expression of interest form can be found at fingal.ie Completed expression of interest forms and the required supporting documents should be emailed to townregenerationoffice@fingal.ie or sent by post to Town Regeneration Office, Economic Enterprise Tourism and Cultural Department, Fingal County Council, County Hall, Main Street, Swords, Fingal, Co Dublin, K67X8Y2.

My Swords was an exciting photography competition designed by Pavilions Food Fair, exclusively for Secondary School students in the Swords area showcasing their creativity and storytelling abilities through photography. Forty-eight students from Colaiste Choilm and St Finian’s Community college embraced the competition led by their teachers Irene Doherty and David Bowe respectively. The Pavilions Food fair with its O’Brien’s Sandwich Café, Bagel Bar and Abrakebabra has been a popular eatery in the Pavilions Shopping Centre in Swords for over 15 years. It is a preferred choice for breakfast and lunch and according to the students of Colaist Choilm and St Finan’s it has the best loaded fries in town! The business is owed by husband-and-wife team Turlough Flynn & Brid Ryan, and they ran this competition as a thank you to the local community for the support they have received over the past few difficult trading years. The 48 submissions were featured in the restaurant over a weekend and customers were invited to give their public vote on their preferred choice. It generated lots of conversations and interest. The competition culminated in a wonderful exhibition evening where students, teachers’ family and friends gathered at the Pavilions Food Fair to view the submissions and enjoy the awards ceremony. The winning school received a DSLR camera to the value of €500, the overall winner received an Instax Film Printer to the value of €300, the runner up received an Instax Film Camera to the value of €200, The customer choice won restaurant vouchers. The winning submissions are currently hanging in the Pavilions Food Fair in the Pavilions Shopping centre and gaining lots of positive attention. Turlough & Brid hope to run this as an annual event and look forward to encouraging more schools to get involved. The winning school was Colaist Choilm, the overall student winner was Brian McGlade with runners up, Oisin Parks Colaiste Choilm, Grace Cooney St Finian’s Community College, Lillie Bowbrick Hand St Finian’s Community College, Josh McKinney Colaiste Choilm, Lucy McGarvey St Finian’s Community College.

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!

We in Swords Karate Club were pleased to welcome JKS Honbu Instructor Shohei Toyama Sensei recently. Ireland was his first stop on his whistle stop tour of Ireland, England and Scotland and it was his first visit to Ireland. Over the two-hour seminar we got to experience his high level of technical prowess as he brought the class through a range of kihon, kata and kumite. In kihon he emphasised correct hip and foot movements during kihon drills for gyakuzuki. He also emphasised the recovery of higiashi for mawashigeri in basics and kumite. This was rounded off with a study of Jion kata. The main emphasis of the evening across kihon, kumite and kata were the correct use of the hips. It was all very enjoyable. The course was attended by over ninety participants from Swords Karate Club and other JKS Clubs from around Ireland. It was a great turn out. We are looking forward to May, when we will have a visit by World Chief Instructor Kagawa Shihan 9 th Dan JKS.

The Club is always looking for new members (Children, Young People & Adults). Contact Dermot on 087-8073885 for details on how to join our club. You can also contact us on Facebook: JKS Swords Karate Club or on Instagram: @jks_swords_karate_club

St Colmcilles GAA club are privileged to have been chosen by the Dublin LGFA to run this fantastic 10-week programme, aimed at girls who currently do not play Gaelic Football, aged between 8-12. This is a great opportunity for young girls to get involved in a sport. It’s all about having fun, meeting new people, and learning the sills of Gaelic Football. Please contact Aaron 0863888944 for more information.

We’re also Building our Teams at present for the new season. As the Go Game season is starting soon and teams are back in full swing training each week.

We are looking to build our teams; previous Gaelic football experience is not necessary. Training takes place on various evening throughout the week at 6.30pm and Saturday Mornings at 10.30 am. We are welcoming boys and girls born 2013-2016

By Ken Duffy

There was a fantastic turn out for our annual Table Quiz Night upstairs in Peacocks Bar on Thursday Feb 8th. We wish to thank everyone who turned up on the night to support us, hope you all had as good a time as we did.The Executive Committee of Swords Tidy Towns are very grateful for the support and donations to us by local businesses for our annual Quiz Night in Peacocks Restaurant and Bar. Without the good will and community spirit of local business this much needed fund raiser would not be possible, for your support we thank you. Also, a big thank you must go to Fiona and her Peacocks Bar team for taking such good care of us all on the night.

The following is a list of those who donated :SuperValu Boroimhe, SuperValu The Pavilions, The Betsy, Indie Spice, The Arch Bar, Cupcakes and Counting, The Old Schoolhouse, Lynotts Jewellers, Pavilions Management Company, Peacocks Lounge and Bar, Wrights Bar, The Cock Tavern, The 44, Swords Shoe Repair, Platinum Barbers, Howard Studios, Paradise Nails, Coffee Works, The Breakroom, The Hair Lounge, Hairs Another Salon, The Cottage, Saks Hair Salon, Beauty Lounge, Boyles Sports, Loaf’t, Integrity Fitness, Glam Salon, Paddy Powers, Gadget Plus, Hanleys, Swords Barbers, Pure Chemist, Peter Mark Hairdressers, Gilsenans Allcare Pharmacy, Swords Eye Centre, The Pound Bar, K 67, McNamara’s Pharmacy Main St

Credit Unions are set to be a key provider of Community Banking in Fingal under new legislation. The Credit Union (Amendment) Bill 2022 will allow credit unions expand their membership and services in Fingal, a Fine Gael Councillor said. “Fine Gael is committed to ensuring more people own their own homes. It is expected that through this legislation, credit unions will be able to compete more effectively in the mortgage and SME (Small Medium Enterprises) lending market. The Legislation will enhance the ability of Credit Unions to collaborate, share resources and generate economies of scale. This will be significant for local credit unions in Fingal that service the needs of thousands of members and their families in Skerries Balbriggan Rush Lusk Swords and at Dublin Airport.” said Cllr Tom O’Leary. Credit unions like Progressive Credit Union with Branches in Balbriggan, Rush, Swords, Members First Credit Union based in Swords and Aviate Credit Union at Dublin Airport will benefit from these legislative changes. Mortgages at Credit Unions are competitive, for example €381,000 over 35 years. Repayments €1,380 per month at Progressive Credit Union. Cllr Tom O’ Leary was speaking to the people of Fingal following the official commencement of the Credit Union Amendment Act 2023.

“Credit Unions are central to life in Fingal and in Ireland, with approximately 3.6 million members throughout the country,” Cllr Tom O’Leary said. “The commencement of the Act will be phased with Phase 1 having come into effect on Thursday 22nd February 2024, while the commencement of Phase 2 will come into, effect on Monday 8th April 2024.“This Act represents a very significant piece of legislation that will have far-reaching positive implications for Fingal and Ireland overall in the years to come.” Cllr Tom OLeary concluded. The Credit Union (Amendment) Bill 2022 is the first substantive credit union legislation since 2012, which followed the Commission on Credit Unions.