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Local News

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Louise Hogan – 0862249299 louise@irishmediagroup.ie

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Lusk Local Magazine www.Facebook.com/LuskLocal Communitylocalseditor@gmail.com

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Fingal is Looking Fine in Spring

While the first buds of spring have started to appear, and warm(ish) conditions have returned, Fingal as burst into a sea of wonderful green. The extra hours of daylight don’t hurt either, giving locals more time to resume a lot of their outdoor activities.

The efforts of so many people to make Fingal look so beautiful, not only for spring but all year round, can fly under our radar somewhat but we should take the time to appreciate these things that we take for granted.

There’s never a better time of year to get back into the swing of things and there are so many local sporting clubs and social groups right on our doorstep. We once again have to thank the vast number of local people who volunteer to ensure that these services are available to us.

We are constantly amazed by the sheer volume of volunteers in the many areas of Fingal that give their time and energy so selflessly to make their area’s look as beautiful and welcoming as possible. Tidy Towns groups, Men Sheds, scouting troops and so many other groups made up of local people should all be given huge praise for their work and the best praise they can be given is by their fellow residents with a simple thank you.

We simply wouldn’t have such beauty in our areas if it wasn’t for volunteers so if you have some hours to spare get in touch a local volunteer group and ask if they need help. And if you can’t give your time at least give your thanks to them when you see them on the street and show them their work is appreciated.

As a community-based magazine group we really do deeply appreciate all of our contributors and advertisers without whom the magazines would not be possible. But we also appreciate all the great work that is being done in Fingal by the community/voluntary and charitable sector.

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Lusk ICA Ladies enjoy a Busy Month

We enjoyed a very interesting talk from our local Solicitor Liam Fitzgerald, who attended our recent Guild meeting giving us a very interesting talk on the importance of drawing up a Will and a power of attorney among other topics.

Caroline O Malley and Rosanna Darby had a lovely time in the Cultural Centre to celebrate International Women’s Day, a really nice morning with talks by Patricia Langton and Dr Taaffe.

The Lusk ICA Drama ladies did us proud and enjoyed taking part in the ICA Drama Competition, which was held on 9th March in An Grianan, the play “The Big Surprise” was written and directed Anne

Smithers.

Frances Devane from Lusk, was proud and honoured to be presented with the 1st prize by the National President Mary Darcy, (out of 25 entries), in the ICA National final of the Dundee Cake Competition, held in An Grianan on 10th March and sponsored by Gempac Food.

The ladies meet everyday Monday to Friday at 10 AM for a brisk walk, and everybody’s welcome.

The Lusk ICA Guild meet on the First Thursday of every month in the Scouts Den (after beavers)at 8:15 PM and we would be delighted to welcome new members to come along.

Maria O_Sullivan organized a fun night in the Cinema to see Bridget Jones “Mad about the Boy”

Back row - D.Wilson M. Hicky F Devane A. Farrell. Front Row - M. Baird, M Bermingham M Clinton Mary Darcy (National President) C. Hagan, E. O Donoghue and T. Kilmurray

Productive Spring for Lusk Action Group

LAG held its annual general meeting on 11 March in the Cottage Community Centre. The AGM was well represented by members of the community and local political representatives, TDs: Robert O’Donoghue and Grace Boland, Councillors: Eoghan Dockrell, Corina Johnston, Cathal Boland and Mark Boland and Senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee.

LAG would like to thank everyone who attended for their participation. If there are members in the community who would like to get involved in whatever capacity you can to help make a positive difference to our community, please do contact us: luskactiongroup@gmail.com

LAG also had its first committee meeting to commence preparing the next summer festival scheduled to take place on 21 June. The Committee would also very much welcome new members to join the committee to help organise the event. It would also like to invite local businesses to get involved in sponsoring

this year’s festival. Contact details for both: lusksummerfestival@gmail.com

A meeting of the Town Centre First Team took place on 13 February. It was agreed that individual community groups within Lusk will commence work to implement some of the individual projects contained within the Lusk town plan, Lusk for Life. As work progresses, we will publish more details of these over the coming months.

In the meantime, full details of the town plan are available on the following Fingal County Council webpage: https://www.fingal.ie/news/ lusk-town-centre-first-plan-launched Hexahydrocannabinol, known as HHC, is a man-made drug chemically similar to the active ingredient in cannabis, THC. It is a new cannabis substitute that can cause severe psychosis, and its harms have led to an “explosion” of addiction presentations in Ireland, according to the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland. HHC is already illegal

in a number of countries including the UK, France, Germany, Poland (while legislation to ban this is being currently being drafted in Ireland).

We have received information that HHC vapes are easily available to minors in Lusk. This has been reported to the HSE. Given the dangers involved, we are sharing this information to help build awareness.

Plenty of Awards and Residencies on offer for Fingal Artists

The Fingal County Council Arts Office has announced that there are now a number of awards and residencies available for 2025, providing welcome support for professional artists across a range of career stages and disciplines.

To help artists prepare their submissions in advance, a new calendar has been produced which showcases the various organisations that Fingal has partnered with and provides a time stamp for the opening and closing dates for each award.

Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Brian McDonagh said: “Art cultivates a community’s sense of belonging and pride, which is why we want to support artists as much as possible so they can share their passion and creativity with the public. For over

20 years Fingal has been celebrating the amazing contribution of artists across the county, and we know that these awards and bursaries have really helped develop the careers of local talent in different disciplines.”

The awards and residencies include: The Performing Arts Forum; The Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts; The Ardgillan Castle Studio Award; Tyrone Guthrie Centre and Age & Opportunity; The Graphic Studio Dublin Fine Art Print Residency; The Draíocht Studio Award and The MART Gallery and Studios Graduate Award.

Fingal County Council Arts Officer, Sarah O’Neil remarks: “This showcase detailing our

upcoming awards and residencies is essential for professional artists, as it offers both space and time in order to expand and strengthen their practice. These awards also offer a nurturing environment allowing artists to connect with their peers, which is one of our strategic goals of the Fingal County Council Arts plan 2019-2025, ‘Connecting People and Ideas.”

To view the awards calendar go to: https:// ow.ly/EW6B50VftuW. More information on each of these awards and residencies will become available on our website and online closer to the time of applications opening. To find out more about current and previous awards, please see: www.fingalarts.ie and www.fingal.ie/arts

CommunityLocals.ie

The Ardgillan Castle Artist Studio

Raising Funds for Fingal Additional Needs

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

Egg Hunts and Family Breaks for Easter!

If you are planning an Easter hunt, here are some clues for hiding spots you can use to make it a fun treasure hunt style game for the kids!

1. When you sit against it, its comfy but with an egg behind it, its bumpy! (Cushions on sofa)

2. We close them to keep out the light….but today behind them is an egg in sight ( behind curtains)

3. Behind the seat….is a chocolatey treat (behind the chair in living room)

4. Look behind the books….in the crannies and nooks (in a bookshelf)

5. We use them to dry the plates… today the treats inside are great (hidden in the tea-towel drawer)

6. It’s what we use for stew.…but today, it’s for chocolate too (the big stew pot)

7. This box is full of fun….but today inside are things yum (inside their toy box)

8. When the sun is in the sky, we use these to shield our eyes…..but today there’s some eggs inside (the drawer where we keep sunglasses)

9. Flowers are pretty and sweet – look in the vase for something to eat (in our dry flower arrangement)

If you’ve got teens and want to treat them to something other than chocolate this Easter, the new make-up collection from Sabrina Carpenter, ‘Sweet Tooth’ has beauty products shaped like chocolate bars. Fab treat for teens along with some yummy Easter eggs.

For Mammies, Irish brand Mervue Organic has a beautiful range of skincare including body oils, serums, as well as soy candles and diffusers which all smell amazing!

If you are planning a family break this Easter, Bracken Court Hotel Balbriggan is an ideal spot. Close to buses and trains for easy access to Dublin, right beside the beach and just up the road from Flynn Park which is now open for 2025. Flynn Park is a wonderful spot for families with loads of activities both on and off the water, including paintball and the Aqua Lough!

Another fab spot for a family break is Silken Thomas in Kildare town. We’re heading down over Easter with our kids. It’s close to Irish National Stud and near Kildare Village, so all our kids will be happy! The food, music and atmosphere in Silken Thomas is fantastic – if you haven’t been, we highlight recommend!

Consider More Than Just Life Cover

By Dave Kavanagh

At times when the topic of insurance cover comes up, it’s usually Life Cover that springs to mind. Something that pays out a sum of money in the event of death is not everyone’s favourite topic over a coffee. But other types of cover, sometimes referred to as Living Benefits, should certainly be considered by anyone that would suffer a financial loss in certain eventualities. Firstly, Income Protection. If someone cannot work due to any illness or injury and suffers a loss of income, they can be paid up to 75% of their usual salary, either until they can return to work or up to a chosen retirement age if they can never return to work. Consider what the impact would be if your current salary dropped to the current state illness benefit for a couple of years. Next, Serious Illness Cover. This pays out a tax free lump sum on diagnosis of any of the illnesses that are covered. While companies in Ireland cover approximately 50-60 different illnesses (as well as many more minor events that pay partial payments) the vast majority of claims in Ireland, are for “The Big 5”, Cancer, Heart Disease, Stroke, Multiple Sclerosis and Loss of Independence. The key is to get cover in place while you are relatively young and in good health, not just because there is a much higher chance of being accepted for cover but because the premiums are so much cheaper.

At present, a 29-year-old putting a convertible term plan with €250,000 life cover and €100,000 serious illness cover for a 30-year term, would cost €48.78 per month. A 49-year-old doing the same levels of cover but for only a 10-year term (both finishing at age 59) would cost €128.74 per month. Lastly, introduced in recent times is Multi Claim Protection Cover. Similar in many ways to Serious Illness Cover, this option allows people to claim for more events on a needs basis. For example, if someone has a heart attack, a percentage is paid out. If they were required to stay in hospital for a certain period, a further percentage is paid out, and again if follow up treatment is required, another payment. While everyone’s needs are different, it’s worth taking time to see what is right for you.

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.

Cllr Boland takes up seat in Rush-Lusk LEA

Labour Councillor Mark Boland is one of two new councillors who have been co-opted to Fingal County Council to help fill vacancies created in the Rush-Lusk and Castleknock Local Electoral Areas.

Labour nominated Cllr Boland to fill the new vacancy created by the departure of Kevin Humphries. He will represent the Rush-Lusk area. Endorsed by Cllr Brendan Ryan, Cllr Boland said it was a huge honour and privilege to accept a role as local councillor.

Saying that he was immensely proud to call Fingal home, Cllr Boland said that having worked within the Irish media industry for a number of decades that he has been taught the value of collaboration, creativity, perseverance, and dedication. Alongside his professional career, he said that he has been deeply involved in the community, whether that is playing, coaching, or leading local football and soccer clubs or serving on the various community committees. Becoming a Councillor in the region, he said, would allow him to help amplify the voices of the local people and help build a thriving and inclusive community.

Meanwhile, Solidarity nominated Cllr Helen Redwood following last year’s General Election that saw Deputy Ruth Coppinger move to Dáil Éireann in the Castleknock constituency. Cllr John Burtchaell supported her nomination.

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& Events

Lusk AC Athletes Going the Distance

The Lusk 4 mile road race took place in early March and was a huge success with over 1,000 entries for the 4 mile as well as hundreds more for the Thomas Ashe Dash. Many thanks to all sponsors , club members and the local community who helped in any way.

The men’s race was won by John Travers of Donore Harriers in a time of 18:43 with Annemarie McGlynn of Letterkenny AC winning the women’s race in a new course record of 20:30. The Lusk AC winners were Conor McGuirk and Emma Przymusinska.

There was also success for the club in the recent Leinster Indoor Championships and Nationals. Club members continue to clock up the miles with Half Marathons in Lisbon and Marathons in Brescia, Italy as well as events closer to home. The 40-day 6am 5k challenge started on 5th March and is open to everyone in the community from Lusk NS each morning.

Garret and the girls at the Lisbon Half Marathon

Laura and Neil at the Brescia Marathon

A few of the Bohermeen Half Marathon finishers

Annemarie McGlynn set a new women’s course record at the 4 mile

Conor in action at the Leinster Indoors

Some of the army of Lusk 4 mile volunteers

Robyn on her way to another club 400m record at the Nationals

Well done to our latest Fit4Life group and coaches

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