Local Solicitor has moved but still a great service!
Local Solicitor has moved but we are still in your corner. Our bright spacious modern office is located on the Top Floor of the Town Centre in Lusk. The office is wheelchair accessible via the lift from the lobby. There is also plenty of free parking nearby. You can find us when you scan the QR code. As a general practice law firm, Local Solicitor provides legal service in relation to a wide range of legal matters including: - buying and selling property, Landlord and Tenant
matters, Personal Injuries, Wills and Probate, Contract Law, Debt Collection, Family Law, Criminal Law, Employment Law and general legal advice. With more people on board, we can provide a broader range of services in a more efficient manner. Talk to us about your legal matter. You can contact us when you scan the QR Code.We look forward to hearing from you soon. Best wishes to you all.
Liam Fitzgerald
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Christmas: A Time for Giving
When we were young and full of wonderment, the magical image of Santa Claus and all the gifts under the tree was all we could think of, with some of us thinking about it for months in advance of the big day.
When we are young, we largely think about what are we going to get, how big will the present be, who will have the best bike on the street? Or nowadays kids will be waking up to brand new TV screens, the latest video game consoles or the newest smartphone or tablets.
When we’re older and are lucky enough to have kids of our own to treat at Christmas time it’s all about the giving, we get such satisfaction, and sometimes massive relief, that we have been able to give our children what they wish for.
But isn’t the giving what Christmas is all about? Yes, it is amazing to get lovely presents but isn’t the feeling of giving infinitely better than receiving. And it doesn’t have to be the giving of gifts either. It would be giving your time to visit elderly relatives, or volunteering at the many wonderful community events taking place throughout the festive seasons.
The act of giving is such an important thing for us. The joy of seeing the look of amazement and excitement of a child opening a present, or an old friend or relative answering their door on Christmas day to greet visitors is a feeling that is unmatched in this world.
You can have all the material goods in the world and still not be happy, the real gift of Christmas is giving to others, we should try to remember this over the next few weeks as we are flying around the place doing last minute shopping or on the many Christmas parties or social gatherings.
The Community Locals team hope that the Christmas season is a wonderful and peaceful time for our readers and we wish you all the best for 2025!
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The Penguin (2024) Series review
By Jack Shanley
The Penguin series kicked off back in September but as it ended last month, I felt why not do a review of a series as appose to a movie for a change. The series for me from start to finish was absolutely fantastic. It slowly unfolded into an edge of your seat gangster series with an extraordinary set of characters. One of our own in Colin Farrell reprised his role as the titular character, delivering a tour-de-force performance that is both menacing and captivating. His transformation into the Penguin is nothing short of remarkable, with his physical appearance and mannerisms perfectly capturing the essence of the character. The supporting cast, including Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone and Rhenzy Feliz as a young Edward Nygma, also deliver very strong performances.
The series excels in its dark and atmospheric tone, immersing viewers in the seedy underbelly of Gotham City. The cinematography
is stunning, capturing the city’s bleak beauty and the characters’ descent into darkness. The writing is sharp and engaging, with plenty of twists and turns to keep viewers hooked. The make-up and costume design is also spectacular with a wonderful score by the great Mick Giacchino.
However, “The Penguin” is not without its flaws. Some will argue the pacing can be uneven at times, with some episodes feeling slower than others, whereas I feel the first couple of episodes are just setting the tone before it kicks off into a big ball of chaos. Additionally, the series can be quite violent and disturbing, which may not be suitable for all viewers.In all truth I’d recommend checking out ‘The Penguin’ and see what you think of it, I shall give it a score of 4 stars. You can watch it today on Sky Atlantic. Creator: Lauren LeFranc–Rating: 15 – Genre: Drama/Crime – Run Time: 55 min per episode. Language: English, Italian. For more film content please follow @ movies4fanatics on Instagram.
Lusk Wins big at Pride of Place Awards
It was with huge pride, privilege and pleasure that we accepted the 1st place Pride of Place award in the population over 5000 category on the 2nd of November in Monaghan. This was received by Brian Arnold of Lusk Community Council, Lynne Barker of Lusk Action Group and Mark Boland of Lusk Tidy Towns. This was the culmination of many months of preparation for judging day in September, and the collaboration of many community groups.
These annual All-Ireland community awards are about the best of community, how we come together to shape and change our community and strive to improve the quality of life of our community. Lusk has this in spades. The work that has been done for many years by well established groups, coupled with the extraordinary work that has been done in more recent years, makes us shine as a community. The award that we received was for every club and group, for every volunteer who gives so generously of their time and energy week after week, year after year. None of what
we achieve is possible without volunteerism. Strong communities are rooted in volunteerism.
We have had enormous challenges in recent years due to the rapid growth of our population, and we are very proud of how our community has pulled together to meet these demands. It is sometimes overwhelming, but the commitment of our volunteers to bring their visions to fruition and to enhance the quality of life for our community, drives us forward in respect and cooperation, and we very much look forward to witnessing the positive changes that are coming to our town.
We would like to once again congratulate the Black Raven Pipe Band for their great success, winning the world championship title. For a “little” town, it has been a hugely successful year! Finally, we hope that you enjoy the Christmas lights, erected by Lusk Action Group, and we wish you all a very happy and peaceful Christmas.
You can get in touch with Lusk Action Group at luskactiongroup@ gmail.com
Well Done from Lusk ICA
Fantastic news on winning the Pride of Place award, great job from all in Lusk and all the hard work of our President Rose Anna Darby and her team representing ICA. An invitation was sent to all community groups to celebrate our win for a reception in the sports hall in the national School.
Lusk ICA we’re delighted to host a very enjoyable Ramblers Night, an event of singing and story telling organized by Anne Smithers and sponsored by #FingalInclusionWeek in Murray’s of Lusk. The Guest speakers were as follows:Pat McGeeney -winner of Bard of Armagh. Jim Monks local story Teller was Mary Bermingham local story teller Jim Finnegan local story teller Paul Redmond singer song writer
Our Guild held a remembrance Mass celebrated by father Kevin Moore, for the deceased Members in the Scouts Den on the 14th November. All the past members were read out by Margaret Finnegan in the presence of their
family members.
The Lusk Choir sang and were accompanied by their young organist Johan Joby who also plays for the children’s choir.
The ladies continue to enjoy their weekly Aqua Aerobics classes in ALSAA on Thursday mornings supported by Fingal Co Co Age and Opportunity.
We are very busy now preparing for our annual Christmas Market for the community which will be held on SUNDAY 1st DECEMBER in the Scouts Den and we look forward to another successful day. Thanks to Tesco Rush, we have secured a Tesco Community Funding using the Blue Tokens, It will start on Thursday 28th November lasting for 12 weeks. It was great to apply for this funding for Lusk ICA and we would much appreciate your support.
The Lusk ICA Guild meet on the First Thursday every month in the Scouts Den (after beavers)at 8:15 PM and we would be delighted for a new members to come along.
Fingal Volunteer Expo Highlights Dublin 15 Opportunities
This month, Fingal Volunteer Centre hosted a Dublin 15 Volunteer Expo during which people interested in volunteering chatted with their local charities.
This public gathering in Blanchardstown Library, provided 12 not-for-profits organisations the chance to chat with the public about their missions and what volunteering with them looks like.
Set up in 2007, Fingal Volunteer Centre is an independent charity that promotes the value of volunteering. Events like the Expo offer an opportunity for individuals thinking of volunteering to meet directly with local organisations and have a quick chat about their roles, facilitating the first steps into their volunteer journey.
Everyone can be a volunteer. Most of the roles do not require any specific skills and when necessary, training is provided. Some roles do require specific knowledge and people who have experience in any area are valuable. Roles include befriending, administration, arts & crafts, event stewarding, fundraising, IT, mentoring and tutoring, board positions, coaching and many more.
Dublin 15 hosts over 100 not-for-profits organisations
Childhood Christmas Past
Hard to believe its December once again. When I was struggling through my tender years Christmases seemed further apart, less hassle and more local. No shopping online or visiting European Christmas markets for us. Months in advance the neighbourhood shops would open their Christmas club; enabling their customers to lodge a few bob every week so that when the time came they had saved enough to cover the extra cost. Our highlight of the season was a trip to the annual sale of work in the local hall, where ladies (who looked ancient to me) wearing hats, and adorned by broaches and string of pearls necklaces, sold homemade jam, sponge cakes and willow pattern delph, whilst exchanging the latest goings on in the parish. Men sometimes fresh from the pub sold bags of potatoes and operated the Wheel of Fortune. The Christmas play and school concert brought stardom to some and a lesser role to others. Unable to see the blackboard due to need of glasses, and doing daily battle with a cocktail of neurodiversity that wasn’t recognised back then, I was considered not to be the sharpest pencil in the case, and so I was allotted the not so prestigious role of
which focus on promoting positive mental health, supporting youth / the elderly / people with disabilities, taking environment & climate actions, encouraging sports, radio broadcasting and much more. Groups at the Expo represented this diversity of causes and roles: Avista, B.C.I.L., Blanchardstown Village Tidy Towns, Castleknock Tidy Town, Children for World Children, Cycling Ireland, Empower Local Development Company, Foroige, Home-Start Blanchardstown, Millennium Community Garden, and 92.5 Phoenix FM Radio.
On the night, we spoke with one of the local organisations that partners with Fingal Volunteer Centre to find volunteers.
Empower Local Development Company is an organisation that offer free services in areas such as English lessons for beginners, quit smoking support, ‘Healthy Food Made Easy’, LGBTQ+ inperson support groups, and social prescribing plus much more. They serve people in Blanchardstown, Mulhuddart and Balbriggan. Empower rely on volunteers to be able to deliver conversational English classes and have opportunities on offer on ivol.ie regularly.
Louise from Empower told us
the Expo helps them in several ways: it introduces potential volunteers to the organisation and its aims; it makes local people aware of Empower’s services. The Expo also provides helpful networking opportunities with other Dublin 15 groups. It really is a win-win for not-for-profits and volunteers alike.
Did you miss the event? That’s ok. Fingal Volunteer Centre is part of a nationwide network of 29 Volunteer Centres who share a website www.i-vol.ie. Here, you can search directly for hundreds of volunteer opportunities that may interest you.
If you would rather have a chat, you can ring or email the volunteer centre about the type of roles that would interest you. Or you can drop in at one of the “Fingal Volunteer Centre Library Pop-Ups” events happening in libraries across Fingal to meet with the team. Dates and times are listed on their website. So, whether you are interested in once-off or regular volunteering, or part of an organisation that needs volunteers, Fingal Volunteer Centre is the place for you. www. volunteerfingal.ie 01 899 1921 or email info@volunteerfingal.ie for more information.
stage curtain puller. What could possibly go wrong? Surly it would be alright on the night. Well not quite; just as a man who say himself the local Pavarotti, struck the first note of his second number I accidently brought the curtain down, inadvertently turning his polished performance into a comedy act.
In the 60s a light aircraft (maybe a weather plane?) flew over Swords and the surrounding area at night. My mother informed me that the pilot was none other than the man from the north pole himself “keeping an eye out”, so I had better “behave myself”. Thankfully, the spy plane failed to spot anything untoward and I woke up on Christmas mornings to find nice presents including a tricycle, a farm set and a fire engine. The sock I hung on the end of the bed contained a bar of chocolate and an orange that somehow always tasted much nicer than ordinary oranges. But a low inevitably follows a high and on Stephens Day tradition dictated that my mother, father and I (an only child) HAD to visit our relatives. Oh, how I longed to be at home playing with my newly acquired toys, as they took turns giving a detailed description of their health issues, ranging from chronic heartburn to back pain and dry eyes. Having well and truly exhausted their medical records they moved on to their second chosen subject – end of the world predictions. Good old Spot, their playful dog who had not been infected with the malaise of his humans, just about made the day bearable. The years have flown, the relatives are long gone and this Christmas I shall be the one munching on the indigestion tablets.
New Public Access AED for Lusk
153rd Lusk Scout Group with the help of funding from Fingal County Council Activities Fund, recently installed a brand new public access AED at their Scout Den on Chapel Road in Lusk. This new AED has been registered with the National Ambulance Service. It is accessible 24/7 in a heated cabinet. You can access this AED by giving the location of the AED by calling 999/112 and giving the Eircode (noted on the cabinet) and you will be given the PIN code. Lusk Community First Responders are delighted to have supported 153rd Lusk Scout Den with this project. This now brings the total number of Public Access AEDs in Lusk to 5. Centra Lusk, Dun Emer Avenue (K45 XC65); Lusk United Soccer Club, Rathmore Road (K45 RC80); Cottage Community Centre, Church Road (K45 VE83); Round Towers GAA Club, Hands Lane (K45 PY79); 153rd Lusk Scout Den, Chapel Road (K45 PX99).
On Sunday 8th December, the Round Towers GAA Ladies
team will host a bake sale with all proceeds going to Lusk Community First Responders. A member of their team Meghan Kiely, who recently suffered from a blood clot leading to a heart attack, is organising this event to raise awareness of heart health and to ensure that people know the signs and symptoms to look out for. Lusk Community First Responders will be joining Meghan and her team on the day and will be giving demos on CPR and recognition of symptoms. Free Blood Pressure and pulse checks will also be available on the day. See you there from 11am. Thank you to everyone who has supported Lusk Community First Responders this year. Wishing you all a very happy Christmas and New Year.
If you would like to learn more about Lusk CFR, please check out our website www.LuskCFR.ie or find us on Facebook and Instagram. We look forward to welcoming new volunteers.
Can You Reduce Your Christmas Costs?
By Dave Kavanagh
December is the time of year where traditionally we spend the most, is there a way to soften the impact? Of course there is. Firstly, manage expectations: Most people can’t remember what they got 2 years ago, so don’t put yourself under too much pressure for “big” presents. Next, leave the credit card at home: At about 20% interest, adding debt for things you don’t need to overspend on, only starts the new year off in a negative. Be realistic with food shopping: The shops are only closed for 1-2 days, do you really need to stock up so much? In the days/weeks after Christmas, make a list of all the things you bought but didn’t really need or through out, and keep it for next year, so you don’t repeat the same mistakes. Kris Kindle: Talk to family and close friends to agree to pick one person and buy them a present for a set limit, to ease the burden.
There are things you can also do all year round that can save you enough to cover the cost of Christmas: Switch utility providers, the savings can be quite substantial. Compare before you shop for larger items: Just because one store has a sign saying the fridge you want is reduced from €799 to €699, doesn’t mean that another store that does not have a sale on, isn’t selling the same fridge for €649. Take the time to
shop around when your car or house insurance renewals come in, it can be well worth the effort. Review premiums that you pay regularly, such as mortgage protection or life cover, especially if they were taken out directly with a bank who could not compare. Finally, go through a few months’ bank statements: we regularly find people paying for things like subscriptions or gym memberships, that should have been cancelled years before or that they simply no longer require.
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 info@financialcompanion. ie or use the contact form on www. 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 wellbeing, positivity and motivation. As heard on RTE 2FM , LMFM and TV3.
Shop local & Buy Irish this Christmas!
While the children wish for snow and Santa, parents work frantically behind the scenes to make Christmas happen!
For the day itself, Dunnes Stores has a fantastic range of home and cookware to help prep and serve dinner. The Nevin Maguire collection has charcuterie and cheese boards, roasting tins and knives to slice that turkey perfectly! Check out Dunnes selection of Sheridan cheeses – delicious with crackers, chutney and grapes.
Cooking a big family dinner? Nisbets Moore St Mall, Ilac SC is brilliant. Crockery, glasses, food warmers and our favourite tableware item, the Lazy Susan! These clever turntables allow the gravy boat and condiments to be easily shared around the table. Much better than someone (i.e. kids & teens!) chucking things across the table!
When decorating the table for Christmas, Tipperary Crystal have beautiful glasses, place mats and cutlery.
Brooke & Shoals candles and diffusers smell incredible, creating Christmas vibes with their festive scents.
For gifting, we like to keep things Irish! Hampers & Co have hampers to suit everyone and they start at only €14. Nyrah beauty have divine mini skincare sets for only €25
and their hat box sets are really eye catching.
National Concert Hall gift vouchers are a wonderful present. They have fantastic shows and the acoustic are amazing.
SoSu have gorgeous make-up, brush, Dripping Gold tan and Bahama Skin gift sets. Check their website for great offers!
Cocoa Brown has beautiful gift sets, including a cracker with tan and a mitt inside. This could go on the dinner table as an extra surprise!
Ziaja skincare gift sets for babies, kids, women and men are available in Dunnes, Tesco and Chemist Warehouse are lovely and affordable.
On Black Friday, we picked up great value Secret Santa gifts in Town Centre Pharmacy, Dealz & Card Factory in Drogheda Town Centre. So many things for under a tenner! Arc Cinema have gift vouchers offers, buy 2 x €25 gift cards for only €40!
Acapulco Mexican Restaurant is great for get-togethers this festive season. Amazing food, and their flavoured Margaritas are yummy!
One Dame Lane Irish jewellery store make gorgeous pieces, ideal for gifting.
The Lark Panto, Cinderella, is on from 5th December, so still time to book tickets!
Fingal volunteers to be recognised at national awards
Fingal Volunteer Centre is delighted to announce that 3 nominees from Fingal County have been shortlisted for the 17th annual Volunteer Ireland Awards. Those shortlisted will be honoured at the national awards ceremony in Dublin in December, which celebrates the commitment and dedication of volunteers across Ireland.
With 33 nominees across 11 categories, the shortlist includes volunteers aged 20 right up to 75 and showcases the remarkable impact of volunteering across all sections of society.
Garry Wiley from Donabate Sea Scouts has been shortlisted in the Children and Youth category. Kids of all ages look to Garry to provide a safe and exciting environment to learn about outdoor skills and have a bit of fun!
Garry is known to go out of his way to make parents and scouts, of any ability, feel confident and comfortable in scouting. There is hardly a weekend that he is not on camp, running or attending events or at training to keep improving on the high level of scouting he already delivers. Deborah McArdle from Donabate/Portrane Special Olympics Club has been shortlisted in the Sports and Recreation category. Deborah has been with the club since its inception over 8 years ago. She recruited the volunteers needed to form the club and now is the Young Athlete Lead and Head Coach. Donabate/ Portrane club has opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities to participate in Basketball, Gymnastics and Athletics. Volunteering has brought Deborah all over the world from America
to Abu Dhabi and most recently Berlin, and she is always encouraging athletes and volunteers to expand their horizons.
Children 4 World Children has been shortlisted in the Small Group category. Children 4 World Children is a group dedicated to the integration and experience of people from different cultures. The group hosts various events for culture sharing, including their Sports Across the World event that exposes young people to fun new ways to exercise and build community. They celebrate the music and dancing of cultures across the globe and this year’s Waka Waka Africa event highlighted the food and games important to different cultures in Africa, complete with hair braiding and beautiful traditional dress.
Merry Christmas from Lusk AC
We would like to wish a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all in Lusk AC. 2025 registration is now open though the membership link on our website and we are delighted for new members to join us. The 2025 Lusk 4-mile date is set for 2nd March so why not sign up now.
Spooky Halloween training
Derek O’Brien had a great run at the New York City Maratho
James, Deirdre and Carol were in Dublin for ‘Run in the Dark’
Lusk 4 mile registration is now open
Adam and Gareth enjoying some cross country action
The enjoyment of completing the Dublin Marathon
Well done to our DCM class of 2024
Rodrigo Lara ran the Amsterdam Half Marathon Chicago Marathon runners and supporters
WIN €50 !!! WIN €50 !!! WIN €50 !!! WIN €50 !!!
Blakes Cross, North, Co Dublin Contact: 0892138043 info@dollace.com www.dollace.com
Caroll BSc (Hons)
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 month. The first correct entry to be drawn will win €50..Good luck
Across
1 Holds someone responsible for wrongdoing. (6)
5 Ornamental band worn round the arm. (6)
10 Type of cherry. (7)
11 Reports that are circulating but of doubtful truth. (7)
12 A prolonged dull pain. (4)
13 More than enough, plentiful. (5)
15 Spend time doing nothing. (4)
17 Nervous or timid in the company of other people. (3)
19 A place where dead bodies are kept before burial. (6)
21 A type of light, feathery cloud, (6)
22 A pert toe hides the highest point of a tall woody plant. (7)
23 A tilt built into a road at a bend or curve. (6)
25 A less direct route to somewhere. (6)
28 Concealed something. (3)
30 Decorative container without handles used for displaying cut flowers. (4)
31 Annoyed or frustrated. (5)
32 Edible European mushrooms. (4)
35 The Yellowhammer State. (USA) (7)
36 “Call me ...” (Moby Dick) (7)
37 Cut down a tree. (6)
38 Nests for eagles. (6)
Down
2 Sounds like a dog with a stagger. (7)
3 The offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. (4)
4 Agnes, Ciaran, Debi. (6)
5 Only just; almost not. (6)
6 Deprived of feeling through cold or shock. (4)
7 Wash money illegally. (7)
8 Preserve a corpse from decay. (6)
9 Poplar trees known for trembling. (6)
14 Mythical bird that rose from the ashes. (7)
16 Toned down. (5)
18 An animal with two feet. (5)
20 “To ... is human, to forgive divine” (Alexander Pope) (3)
21 Hoax the fish. (3)
23 The roe of the sturgeon. (6)
24 Blunder, error, slip. (7)
26 Control the functioning of a machine. (7)
27 A consequence or outcome. (6)
28 This newspaper could be a sign that something is about to happen. (6)
29 A piece of electronic or mechanical equipment. (6)
33 Make a long, high cry because of pain or sadness. (4)
34 Hammer-wielding Norse god. (4)
