By Mike Power

With longer days and (hopefully) sunnier skies, this time of the year is ideal for giving you and your family the ‘walking habit’. Beginning walkers prefer to have definite starting and ending points, while making the walk a ‘heritage hunt’ gives the kids something to collect and examine later. They can collect ‘magic’ stones to examine at home. Walking and exploring is healthy, interesting and ‘bonds’ a family together. The whole Swords area is rich in interesting heritage walks. I’ve chosen these particular strolls both for their enjoyment, and to safely avoid the ever-present danger of the traffic that swirls everywhere around our village nowadays.

Walk 1. The Ward Heritage Park Walk

Most Swords folk are familiar with the ‘Jacko’ but have you ever continued your walk past the children’s playground and into the park ahead? If you do, you will be rewarded by the discovery of an area full of interest for all family members to explore, especially your dog !

This fabulous but little-known park lies to the west of Swords. If driving there, Park at the Brackenstown roundabout down from the Manor. The entrance to this park lies on your right, past some iron railings and down the hill to begin your walk. Continue to explore the area, walking around a pond which locals call ‘Ushers’ but which was actually dug out by a local nobleman Viscount Robert Molesworth in the 1710s.

You can do short, (3/4 hr) medium, (1 hr), and long ( 2hr) walks in this park. Further information at:

Walk 2: The Brackenstown Road/Swords Village Heritage Walk

Again, drive to the Brackenstown roundabout, park and walk straight ahead. This small track was the original road into Swords! Emerge onto the Brackenstown road proper and walk ahead until you see on your right a set of wooden stairs leading back down to the park. The kids will love this! Descend into the ‘Jacko’ and walk back along the path to your right. Let the kids play in the playground, before ascending the path opposite. When up this path, walk ahead to your left to rejoin your car at the Brackenstown roundabout.

Happy Walking!

Look out for Mike’s book on Swords: Swords History and Mysteries. A Community Guide, to be published in August.

Introduction: Are you looking to try something new, exciting, and full of energy? Whether you’re an experienced athlete or new to sports altogether, Gaelic football offers a fun and inclusive way to stay active, make friends, and become part of a vibrant community. We’re welcoming new players, and we’d love for you to join us!

Why You Should Join
Inclusive for All Skill Levels: Whether you’ve never played before or you’re already a seasoned player, Gaelic football is all about learning and growing together.

Get Fit and Have Fun: The sport offers an excellent full-body workout while keeping things fun and engaging.

Meet New People: Join a welcoming and supportive group where making new friends is as easy as kicking a ball.

A Unique Sporting Experience: Experience the rich history and culture of Gaelic football, a game that’s been played for generations.

What You’ll Experience
Training & Coaching: Our dedicated coaches will help you develop your skills in a positive, supportive environment.

Game Day: There’s nothing quite like the thrill of playing a match, whether you’re on the field or cheering from the sidelines.

Team Spirit: From training sessions to social events, you’ll become part of a team that values friendship and mutual respect.

Getting involved is simple! Just Call Marian 0876819540 for more information. No previous experience required—just bring your enthusiasm, and we’ll help you from there!

So, are you ready to get started? We’re excited to welcome you to our Gaelic football family. No matter your experience level, there’s a place for you here. Come see what the buzz is all about, and let’s kick off this exciting adventure together!

Also, this year marks our 90th year as a club. There are lot of special events and commemorative activities planned. Please keep an eye on our social media platforms to follow all updates.

By Ken Duffy

Swords Tidy Towns members Georgy Hughes, Rose Brennan and Matt Cullen recently accepted their National Gold Medal and our Highly Commended EPA Circular Economy Award at the Awards Ceremony in Athlone.

This Gold Medal is a well-deserved recognition of the hard work put in by so many volunteers over the past 20 years. Each volunteer has played their part in achieving this gold medal, they have all done the town of Swords proud.

Fingal County Council our local Representatives and business played their part also on this journey and for that we are very grateful, long may this partnership continue.

Swords Mens Shed Media Hub is providing a platform for local hidden talent.

Performers - the Swords Mens Shed are looking for readers of their short stories and actors for their upcoming Radio Dramas for debut Podcast and YouTube platforms.

Writers - It you have a short story, a drama script or poem that you would like performed why not make contact with me. Email: jimhawkins@eircom.net Phone : 086-0262780

Celebrating Tradition, Friendship and Generous Support. Centrally located on the Swords Road, within sight of Dublin Airport, Sportslink Bowls Club stands as a beacon of camaraderie and friendly competitiveness. With 25 years of history behind us, our club has grown to become a cherished gathering place for enthusiasts of all skill levels.

The club is thrilled to announce that they have recently received generous funding from Fingal County Council, a gesture that has invigorated our club. This support has enabled us to purchase new equipment, including special equipment for our older and less vigorous members, who are a hugely important part of our club. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Fingal County Council for their invaluable contribution which ensures that our club will thrive for many years to come.

The club story begins 25 years ago, when a group of bowlers just gathered on the Sportslink bowls green, united by their shared love of bowls. Over the years, we have expanded our membership, with limited facilities, to become the thriving friendly club that we are today.

The Bowls Club is more than just a sports facility.It is a vibrant social centre, where lifelong friendships are forged. We take part in league, cup, championship and practice sessions, with social events that bring together families and friends. Our club prides itself on its inclusive atmosphere, encouraging everyone to take part, regardless of age, ability or disability.

Whether you are a seasoned bowler, or a curious newcomer, we invite you to join our Bowls Club. Come and experience the joy of the game, the warmth of our community, and the beauty of our surroundings. Together we can continue to build on our proud history, and to create memories that will last a lifetime.

JKS Swords Karate Club is the lead JKS Dojo in Ireland, promoting, teaching and supporting the development of JKS Karate in Ireland. In February, we ran the JKS Ireland Open Championships which was attended by over 20 Karate Clubs nationally and boasting over 200 competitors and 400 category entries. A great day was had by all.

Our membership is growing but we are still looking for new members to join us (Children, Young People & Adults). Contact Dermot on 087-8073885 for details on how to join. You can also contact us on Facebook: JKS Swords Karate Club or on Instagram: @jks_swords_karate_club

By Ken Duffy

Would you like to join a National Gold Medal winning team, then why not volunteer with Swords Tidy Towns, we are always on the lookout for new members.

You may have a skill that would be beneficial to our group, Bricklaying, Painting, Carpentry, Mural Artwork, Craft Skills, etc that could contribute to our bid for a second National Gold Medal in 2025.
We always need enthusiastic volunteers to help with Litter Picking, Weeding and Planting, Graffiti Removal, Water Testing etc and help at our Swop Shops. It’s a great way of meeting new people who share a common interest, which is the ongoing improvement of Swords town.

Follow and Friend us on our Facebook, Instagram and X, keep up to date by visiting our Web page. We can be contacted on swordstidytowns@gmail.com or by contacting Ken on 086-6008313.

We kicked off 2025 with lots of new coloured belts following our Winter Grading Examinations. All students are now working on the next steps of their skills development to improve their karate basics and are learning their new Kata which will be needed for the next examination.

We also had our traditional invitational class with our students’ parents. Parents come along and tried karate beside their child and had lots of fun. It gives Parents a great idea of what their children are learning and, in some cases, encourages a Parent to join our club to learn Karate for themselves.

We hosted JKS Ireland Instructor training and Open Squad Training session recently. These proved to be very enjoyable sessions with the next ones planned for February.

We are proud to announce that we are the host club for the JKS Ireland Open Championship 2025 which will be held in February 2025. Planning and organising is underway and their will be a wide range of events to cater for beginners, novices, and more advanced students. The Championship is open to Shotokan clubs nationally and we hare hoping for a good turnout.

We are looking forward to a full and busy schedule for 2025. Along with our regular classes, we will have Competitions, Squad training sessions and visits from Japanese Karate Instructors to help us in our training. We also have the European Karate Championships to look forward to in September 2025
Our membership is growing but we are still looking for new members to join us (Children, Young People & Adults). Contact Dermot on 087-8073885 for details on how to join. You can also contact us on Facebook: JKS Swords Karate Club or on Instagram: @jks_swords_karate_club

Article by Ken Duffy

Feb 2025 - We are now into the second month of 2025 and its all systems go, but to date, 2024 has been Swords Tidy Towns most successful year. We celebrated twenty years as a voluntary group, and we won our first National Tidy Towns Competition Gold Medal.

I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of our Executive Committee to extend a big thank you to all our wonderful hard-working volunteers over the past twenty years who contributed, we would not have got here without you.

We would also like to thank Fingal County Council for their unwavering support on our journey to the gold medal and our locally elected representatives.

The support we receive from large and small local business both financially and with feet on the ground helping with projects, is as always, very much appreciated.

The many weekly messages of encouragement we receive from our 4000 Facebook followers is a great boost to our dedicated volunteers and much appreciated by them, keep them coming.

The members of Swords Tidy Towns would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a Very Happy Belated New Year.

This picture was taken at the the annual get together of Swords Meals on Wheels volunteers in the Atrium of the FCC offices in Swords, who were joined by most of the local councillors (Dean Mulligan, Darragh Butler, Darren Jack Kelly, Joe Newman and John Smyth)were in attendance along with local TD Ann Graves…. We also had the Deputy Lord Mayor Cllr. JK Onwumereh who gave a very inspiring speech in support of the work of Swords Meals on Wheels.

Swords Meals on Wheels were out every day over Christmas and have delivered in excess of 25,000 meals over the past year all over the greater Swords area, they are currently delivering in excess of 100 meals daily… a special thanks to Councillor Joe Newman for all his work in helping to organise and support for this event.