Balbriggan Local V8I12-OCT 2023

Its Halloween – and the Clocks change this month too!

Halloween will be here at the end of this month and as many of us know it is based on the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. This is about halfway between the Autumn Equinox and the Winter Solstice when the Celts believed the boundary between this world and the next could be more easily crossed. All very scary, but those definitions have long been confined to history and today it is a time for the smiles on our children’s faces to replace the apprehension or fear of olden times. Also, remember our clocks go back on October 29, just two days before Halloween so the evenings will be darker. Today our local shops benefit from the sale of Halloween costumes, all kinds of nuts and sweets and fruit and make up materials as the young people go ‘trick or treating’. Today the Christian churches celebrate those days (31 October – 1 November) as the feast days of All Souls and All Saints Days which are religious festivals. These days, Community organisations such as charities, sports clubs and voluntary organisations use this holiday period to raise vital funds with Halloween parties, or a properly supervised and licenced fireworks display, or functions and other fundraising events. However also at this time of let us remember it is an offence to possess unlicensed fireworks (other than low hazard fireworks, such as party poppers, sparklers and so on), with intent to sell or supply. Fines of up to €10,000 and/or 5 years imprisonment can apply. All too often we hear of people, young people in particular, being injured by unlicensed fireworks so let us be careful and use only the legal fireworks in a proper manner. This year we would urge you to support your local retailers who sell licensed sparklers and party poppers and costumes, support your local community organisations and charities and remember to stay safe. In this country we love to celebrate, we invented the craic and nobody parties like we do, so let us enjoy the old Celtic festival. Oh, and remember to support your local shops and don’t forget to change your clocks!

The Locals Team.

STRICT DEADLINE FOR NEXT EDITION:

Submissions by the 15th for inclusion in next months edition

€41,491.69 raised by DARKNESS INTO LIGHT Balbriggan

For many years the people of Balbriggan and its surrounds have been travelling to Skerries and other locations to support Pieta House in their fundraiser “Darkness into Light” and it would have been nice to see the event in Balbriggan. So many people in our community have been affected by Suicide and Mental Health and over the years I have contacted Pieta House with a view to having the event in Balbriggan. Unfortunately, as there was already one close by it made no sense to have two in such close proximity. However last year after again many telephone calls and discussion, it was agreed that Balbriggan would host its very first “Darkness into Light” and would I be able to get a committee together. I jumped at the chance and knew exactly the people that I could call on to get involved.

From the very first announcement that it was happening in Balbriggan, the whole community got behind us, everyone from local shops, coffee shops, pubs, schools and Nursing homes. With support from Fingal County Council, we were able to run the event without any cost to Pieta House so that all the money raised would go directly to the services, which was very important to us. After many weeks of planning the morning of 6th May was

upon us and a wonderful bunch of volunteers including the scouts from 89th Bremore and 34th /161th meet to help the committee with the support of our local Garda and Order of Malta. To say we were overwhelmed with the amount of people who showed up was an understatement…..it was just amazing. The crowds of thousands all came together to walk and talk along a loop of Balbriggan and ending up to a wonderful sunrise on our lovely beach whilst listening to the sounds of the “Balbriggan Gospel Choir. It was very emotional to see so many out to support this worthwhile cause and the atmosphere was very special. We waited with bathed breath for the total amount raised and was blown away when we were advised that we raised 41,491.69 and which will go a long way to support those that need it most. Also, this year it was announced that Pieta was setting up a local service in Balbriggan for 12–25-year-olds who may be struggling with suicidal feelings, self-harm or who have lost a loved one to suicide and can be contacted on 0818 111 126. Editors Note: Congratulations to Cllr Maguire, the hardworking Committee and all who took part.

Committee Members – Cllr Grainne Maguire, Brian Creighton, Shannon Marry, Wayne Lacey, Fiona Kavanagh, Gary Tolan, Wendy O Melia Kelly, Niamh Dunne, Paul Bissett, Amy Dunne, Padraig O Reilly and Kara Bissett.

Why Do We Put Off Planning Cover?

By Dave Kavanagh

When it comes to the important task of making sure that you have the most appropriate life and serious illness cover in place, many people often keep putting off making time to arrange it, (it’s not the most fun exercise!) despite the fact it can give them peace of mind, knowing that in the event of a fatality or a serious illness, their family do not suffer substantial financial loss. But what are they really saying? “I’ll have a look at that after Christmas”. Often replaced with “after Easter”, “after the holidays”, “after the kids go back to school” and a few others. What is actually being said is “I’ll name sometime in the future so that I don’t have to deal with it now” (a bit like “I’ll start the diet on Monday/in January”). Let’s face it, you can easily find 30-60 minutes once a year to deal with something this important. You’ll be glad you took the time. “We have cover in place already”. Great. That is if it’s been reviewed in the last few months, but on closer examination, it often hasn’t been looked at in years and circumstances have changed, it may no longer be suitable. It’s important to keep things relevant to your current personal circumstances. “Our bank sorted everything for us”. Your bank may have sorted a few things, but in most cases, banks are tied to one life company, so a fair comparison cannot be made, meaning you could be paying

way over the odds for whatever the bank has put in place for you. Dealing with an advisor who is not tied to one company and can compare other options is the only way to make sure you get the best value. “I’m busy at present, I’ll give you a shout in a few months”. But the fact remains, if there is an activity that you like you will make time for it. Burying your head in the sand is rarely a successful solution to most problems. Someone once told me that they had no time and in the same conversation told me they had queued for over an hour in a drive-through for doughnuts. (They were also up to date on all the soap storylines!) If it’s important, make the time.

Dave Kavanagh QFA has been advising people financially for over 25 years. For quotes or information (with no cost or obligation) he can be contacted by emailing Dave at info@ financialcompanion.ie or use the contact form on financialcompanion.ie or @Davekav_advice on Twitter and Instagram. Combined with his previous role of gym/nutrition adviser, he regularly gives talks and workshops at seminars and events for groups, companies and government departments on financial well being, positivity and motivation. As heard on RTE 2FM , LMFM and TV3.

Balbriggan Meals on Wheels Christmas Fair -Saturday 25th November

A Date for your Diaries! Balbriggan Meals on Wheels is holding its ever popular Christmas Fair on Saturday 25th November from 12.30pm to 2.30pm. This will be a great opportunity to get your Christmas shopping started whilst supporting a good cause! In advance of the Christmas Fair, Balbriggan Meals on Wheels will be accepting donations of new, unused items that we can sell. So now might be the time to go through your cupboards and clear out any unwanted gifts that you might have. Donations can be left to 14 Hampton Street, Monday to Saturday between 9am and 1.00pm. All proceeds raised go towards the work of Balbriggan Meals on Wheels.

Remember us - Special needs group urgently requires volunteers

Remember Us is an integrated social youth group for young people/adults with special needs and caters for members aged 4 and upwards. We cater for members From the North Fingal and surrounding areas. The club is mainly based in Balbriggan - for in house activities see our website at www.rememberus.ie Volunteers are required to assist and supervise young people/adults

with special needs in a group setting at their various activities/ outings. The following are the days and times we require help: Monday 10 – 1pm Adult group - Wednesday 4pm to 6pm 4 – 12 year olds - Thursday 10 – 1pm Adult group - Saturday 2 to 4 if in house - All Ages Volunteers play a vital role in Irish society. Across Ireland, volunteers are engaged

in delivering services and programmes that improve and enhance the life of our communities. Volunteers are people just like you. If you have an hour or two to spare and would be interested in volunteering please contact Nora/ Hayley on 0860457003 or e mail hello@rememberus.ie for more information.

CommunityLocals.ie

The Exorcist shocks our screens once again

By Jack Shanley

A raw terrifying film, said to be the scariest film ever made, but does it live up to those 50 years on from its original release? The answer well for me at least is yes. It is such a well-directed film...so patient in its pacing flawlessly acted, with brilliant editing and cinematography that really add to the eerie atmosphere of the film. Every shot, every cut is deliberate. The composition of each shot is perfect. Every element of each scene is utilized to its full capacity in each shot, and nothing in a shot lingers for too long, or too short of a time. It gives you just enough to make you feel uneasy.

The Exorcist isn’t just a typical ‘girl is possessed’ film. It is much more involved and deeper than that. For much of this film you question if Regan is just crazy or if she is actually possessed. Even during the exorcism scene, the priests are fully convinced she is even possessed. Which gets to the heart and core of the film: it is a film about faith. Despite the religious nature of the film, there is quite a bit of science

and psychology involved to make even the most religious people question how realistic their beliefs really are. And despite all this doubt and questioning of faith during the film, the exorcist puts all their conceived notions, beliefs, and logic aside, taking a leap of faith to try to save Regan in one of the greatest climaxes in all of cinema. It didn’t feel like an exorcism just for the sake of an exorcism, it felt earned. With a new Exorcist film on the horizon ‘The Exorcist: Believer’ and the sad recent passing Exorcist director and cinema great William Friedkin, now is a great time if any to watch the horror masterpiece. The Exorcist is being screened for its 50th Anniversary in the Light House Cinema in late September into early October. In all truth I’d recommend checking out The Exorcist and see what you think of it, I shall give it a score of five stars. Director: William Friedkin – Rating: 18 – Genre: Horror/Thriller – Run Time: 2h

12m – Language: English. For more film content please follow @ movies4fanatics on Instagram.

Ardgillan College Leaving Certificate Results and Open Night

All at Ardgillan College were thrilled for the Class of 2023 on their exceptional exami-nation results recently. A remarkably large number of students achieved in excess of 500 and indeed 600 points. The talent and commitment of this group of students was rightly rewarded. Principal Nuala Ní Mhúrchú was delighted to welcome students and their parents into the College to celebrate together and was excited to hear about the many college courses on the horizon. She wished to extend her sincere congratula-tions to the entire class

of 2023 and a heartfelt thank you to the parents for all of their support over the years. All at the College wish them a lifetime of success and happi-ness and hope that they enjoyed celebrating this very momentous achievement with their families. Also, Ardgillan College’s Open Evening took place on Thursday the 7th of September and it was a fantastic event. Thank you to all of the families who visited to learn more about our school. Thank you to all of the wonderful students who helped out on the night.

Congratulations

Thank you, Aidan, for your service and we hope you get to enjoy your retirement and spend many happy and healthy years with your family. You are indeed a true professional who is always on hand to help people and no doubt your colleagues will miss you. The turnout was well deserved and it was great to see so many appreciative people there wishing you well in your retirement.

Photos courtesy of Gary Tolan

Have a spooktacular Halloween staycation this year!

By Siobhan O’Neill White

The pumpkins are out, it’s getting chilly, and Halloween is fast approaching. If you’re looking to spook up your home, we love the cheap and cheerful Halloween decorations at Penney’s. Perfect for creating spooky vibes. The squishy, velvety pumpkins and butternut squashes are especially cute! After the awful summer of torrential rain, you may be craving a fun-filled family break. We’ve picked some of our favourite spots to give your staycation inspiration this Autumn!

The Farnham Estate is a beautiful sprawling country estate in Cavan. Fab food, spacious rooms and beautiful grounds. We recommend a stroll through the woods to look for squirrels and collect conkers and helicopters! Our children love it there. Another wonderful family friendly place is the Pillo Hotel Ashbourne. Close to Emerald

Park and Dublin, its ideally located. They have kids chill out rooms, family friendly pool and a spa for parents who need a break. This Halloween, Emerald Park has lots planned, including the return of the Tricky Trail for daytime fun and spooky After Dark for night-time thrills! Why not plan a trip to Emerald Park and then head over to Pillo hotel for a swim, yummy dinner and comfy stay! Carlingford is fantastic for family breaks with outdoor activities and water sports. We recommend staying at the Four Seasons Carlingford, it’s always decorated beautifully for Halloween. The hotel is across from the beach and a secret garden that kids will love to explore and is only 2 mins walk to the village. Our kids love it!

This Autumn and Winter, the National Concert Hall has lots going on. Check out their website for family friendly events and follow mams.ireland on FB for NCH giveaways! The Wax Museum is another wonderful spot;

always something cool to see, especially around Halloween! The Irish National Stud is wonderful, with loads of space for children to run around and a cosy café for yummy bites. The horses are beautiful too. October weather is great for outdoors. Not too cold but still, nice. Make sure to pop on sunscreen though. Even if its cloudy, we still need SPF. Elave is our favourite Irish brand, excellent coverage for all ages and skin types. To help parents a little this midterm, we’re giving away Shake Dog vouchers. To enter to win dinner on us, go to: www.mams.ie or indeed contact us at facebook.com/mams.ireland.

Shortlisted for Golden Spider Award & Infant & Maternity Award

As seen on RTE and Virgin Media Ireland & Weekend AM

As heard on Today FM’s Ian Dempsey & Dermot & Dave; RTE’s Ray D’Arcy Show, 98FM, LMFM Late Lunch, WLRFM & Shannonside FM

CommunityLocals.ie

Balbriggan Rugby Men’s team won the Beachy Cup

Balbriggan Men’s team won the Beachy Cup making it three in a row in the North East Blitz Competition, on Sunday. Balbriggan beat Navan, Ashbourne, lost to Ratoath and drew with Boyne. Ciaran Hannigan, a former youth player with the club, made his senior debut along with our new overseas player Jamie Kinninmont. Well done to them both.

The Seniors went to Spain in recent weeks on tour where they played Gernika Rugby Club. Meanwhile please remember -Training continues every Tuesday and Thursday at 7.30pm.

Ryan calls for Balbriggan

Council offices to reopen

Cllr Brendan Ryan, Labour Party, is calling for Fingal County Council to reopen its council offices in the Town Hall, Balbriggan. Cllr Ryan said; “the closing of Fingal County Council offices in Town Hall, Balbriggan, has had a devastating impact on the people of the town with no direct local access to council services, particularly housing services, which are located in Blanchardstown.” Ryan continued;” Given there is no direct public transport route to Blanchardstown for the people of Balbriggan it is a challenging commute to access these services. I submitted the following question to a recent council meeting on this issue: “To ask the Chief Executive if consideration can be given to reviewing any formal decision made in the past to close the Council Offices at Balbriggan Town Hall, depriving the people of Balbriggan of local access to Council services, particularly housing services which are located at Blanchardstown, as this is a challenging commute by

public transport?”

This is the Council’s reply:

“The Customer Care Unit is the subject of on-going review and evaluation in relation to improving and enhancing performance and customer satisfaction. A more in-depth review is currently being considered regarding the services being provided in our buildings. Members will be kept informed regarding the outcome of this review in due course.” Ryan concluded;

“I am pleased that Fingal County Council are considering an in-depth review of services provided and believe this review should be carried out without delay. Re-opening the Balbriggan offices has got to be included in the review and I can only conclude from the reply that it will be. Given the population increase in Balbriggan I believe it is imperative that the council reopen its offices in Balbriggan, and I will continue to pursue this much needed service for the people of Balbriggan vigorously. “

TRICK OR TREAT

‘Fangtastic’ recipes for Halloween

It’s that time of year again. But we don’t have to wait until October 31 to sink our teeth into some ‘Fangtastic’ foods.

Try out these WICKED ideas to ‘creep’ the fun into every bloody meal!

CREEPY CARROT FINGERS

Peel raw carrots. Cut a flat, shallow notch in the tip of the carrots.

Dab some hummus/dip into the tip and stick on an almond as the finger nail!

GHOSTBUSTERS PEASY POTATO

Cook and mash potatoes with a drop of milk.

Cook peas. Keep a few for eyes aside and blitz the rest in a blender. Add a few drops of water to make a thick green paste.

Melt in some cheddar cheese to make tasty cheezy peas.

Spoon a puddle of the blended peas onto a plate.

Assemble a tablespoon of potato into a mountain shape and place on top of the green pea slop!

Add two peas as eyes onto the potato stacks.

SPOOKY ‘SANDWITCH’ SNAKE:

Chop a cheese string into even sized round chunks.

Place cherry tomatoes in between cheese chunks.

Chop top and tail off cucumber and use as the head and tail of snake.

Place a pea on top of a piece of sweetcorn and use cream cheese/hummus to make them stick to each other and to the cucumber head as eyes.

Chop a carrot into the shape of a tongue and place sticking out of the cucumber head.

For more ‘Spooktacular’ ideas, visit www.biabites.net or Follow:

@Biabites on Twitter

Niamh Arthurs

Public Health and Clinical Nutritionist

Balbriggan 2nd Team are League Champions and promoted!

Congratulations to Balbriggan Cricket Club’s victorious 2nd Team after their recent win which sealed the League Title. It was a team effort on the day, Shak Ir was the pick of the bowlers with 4 for 15 off his 4 overs, Skipper Samad took 3 and there was 1 each for Syed Haris and the evergreen Duane Harper to bowl out Phoenix for 84. With the bat, after a little early wobble, Cian Rooney and Bilal Iqbal batted superbly to bring us within a few runs of the target, Cian with an excellent 43 and 32 for Bilal. Fittingly it was the skipper who hit the winning boundary to settle the contest. Skipper Samad’s side have been unbeaten in the league all summer and sealed the title recently at home in The Jack Harper MCG. It’s 2 promotions in 2 years for this team and they are now up to the 2nd XI Premier League, the highest league a 2nd team can compete at in Leinster. Congratula-tions again to all the players and mentors.

Glebe North FC – Very proud of our very own Hannah!

Recently, a record was broken in the UEFA Champions League by a young girl from Ireland. Former Glebe North Player Hannah Healy played for Shelbourne Football Club in their Champions League game in Lithuania vs Glasgow City. At the age 15 and 262 days, Hannah Healy is the youngest ever player at the UEFA Champions League, women and men. Hannah played for Glebe North Football Club for nearly 7 years. After some time in the academy, at age 8 she joined the Under 10 Girls teams to compete in the MGL and start an unbelievable winning streak with the Under 11 Premier League & cup, Under 12 League and Cup, the under 13 League, and trophies from various tournament, regional and national level. The Pandemic stopped a potential U14 League & Cup winning with only a couple of games remaining while leading the table and a Cup final never played...Hannah joined Shelbourne after a season with Bohemians, reaching different achievements and awards, national and international recognitions. We at Glebe North FC are all so proud of Hannah’s achievement more than ever before! Well done Hannah.

This is easy… we are offering you the chance to win €50. All you have to do is correctly fill in the crossword and discover the name of an area in Fingal spelt out in the coloured squares. Then send the completed crossword and your answer by email, with your name, address and telephone number to communitylocals@ gmail.com before 5pm on the 16th of this mnoth. The first correct entry to be drawn will win €50..Good luck

Across

1. Go up. (6)

5. A business that serves other businesses. (6)

10. Formally put an end to something. (7)

11. Ill at the seaside. (7)

12. Drive someone out from a position or place. (4)

13. A separate part of a whole. (5)

15. Norse god of evil and strife. (4)

17. Industrious insect. (3)

19. Having average intelligence or development. (6)

21. Handkerchief of lies. (6)

22. Type of palm which provides edible flesh and milk. (7)

23. Wood for a cricket bat. (6)

25. Won something through one’s efforts. (6)

28. To stake on the outcome of an issue. (3)

30. Desire strongly or persistently. (4)

31. Walked through something heavier than air. (5)

32. Metal used in galvanising iron. (4)

35. Time for vespers. (7)

36. Compose the letter again. (7)

37. A constituent unit of a nation having a federal government. (6)

38. Marker of personal opinion. (6)

Down

2. Provide funds for a project of activity. (7)

3. Prepare for publication. (4)

4. Flower of the daisy family. (6)

5. Someone who is physically dependent on a substance. (6)

6. Not difficult, requiring little effort. (4)

7. A soft suede leather ideal for carwashing. (7)

8. Stretch of salt water separated from the sea by a coral reef. (6)

9. A red the colour of ripe cherries. (6)

14. Derived pleasure from. (7)

16. Smoked or salt pig meat. (5)

18. Urgently needed, absolutely necessary. (5)

20. Down, as in spirits. (3)

21. The powerful boat to pull you abruptly. (3)

23. Advanced by steps. (6)

24. Having the greater length of two. (7)

26. Ironies just get louder. (7)

27. Knocked down like a pack of cards. (6)

28. Emblems of allegiance to a club or group. (6)

29. A very troublesome child, sometimes holy as well! (6)

33. A thin fog with condensation near the ground. (4)

34. Travelled through water. (4)