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Martin Russell and his bass drum

Photo by: Christy Russell

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Getting Back into the Swing of Things

Summer has sadly come to an end and it’s time for the regular daily routine to return! However, it’s not all doom and gloom - even though the weather may not have been wonderful, Fingal still shone in the Summer and there’s plenty on offer this Autumn!

We have been very lucky over the past three months to have had so many wonderful events and festivals to attend throughout the county. There was something to do for all ages and all of it taking place on our doorsteps.

We now are looking to Autumn, and it is the season that aways has something in store, and more times than not we are treated to some decent weather! It’s the season where everything jumps back into life after a well-earned break and let’s face it, it’s good to get into the swing of things again.

School is back, and so are the early mornings of school runs and the daily commute, and while it can take some time getting used to the routine, we in Fingal are at a significantly higher advantage of having fantastic transport services and routes on our doorsteps that can relieve a lot of that stress.

There’s never a better time of year to get try something new with so many local sporting clubs and social groups reopening after the Summer and once again, we are spoilt for choice in what is on offer right on our doorstep. We once again have the vast number of local people who volunteer to ensure that these services are available to us.

So even though Summer may not have been everything that we wanted it to be when it comes to the weather, it sure did deliver in many other ways and as we move into the Autumn here’s looking forward to many more entertaining experiences all ready to be sampled in wonderful Fingal!

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Lusk Black Raven Pipe Band Crowned World Champions!

The Black Raven Pipe Band from Lusk travelled to Glasgow in Scotland to compete in the World Pipe Band Championship in midAugust.

The Raven’s competition season started in May of this year and competed and won the Leinster Championships, United Kingdom Championships, East of Ireland Championships, All Ireland Championships, Ulster Championships, Heart O’ Down Championships Newcastle Co. Down, leaving the band travelling to Glasgow full of confidence.

With an early start on the Saturday morning the Band were in the competition park at 8am to prepare for their heat at 10am. At 1pm it was announced that the band had qualified for the final which was around 3pm. The band played their best performance of the year and then the agonising wait for the results began. It is worthwhile to mention that in the qualifying round there are four adjudicators and all gave the band first place. Furthermore, in the final al four adjudicators gave the band fist place.

That’s eight different adjudicators giving the band first place, such was the quality of their performance. At approximately 7pm it was announced that Black Raven Pipe Band were World Champions overall as band and World Drumming Champions and so the celebrations began late into the night.

The band’s home coming parade took place on Monday 19th August through the streets of Lusk in front of hundreds of people and that gave them a tremendous reception. The band treated the crowd to selections of their music including their competition selection.

The band was founded in 1910 by the late Thomas Ashe and local man John Rooney and has been active ever since. They have competed in sixteen World Pipe Championships, and this is the first time they won the World Championships.

Black Raven welcome new members and in particular young people who wish to learn the art of piping and drumming and can be contacted at blackravepipeband@ gmail.com

Black Raven Bass Drummer Martin Russell celebrates as the results are announced

Photo by: Christy Russell

Black Ravens celebrate after their win

Photo by: Christy Russell

Black Raven Drum Corps

Photo by: Christy Russell

Black Ravens Pipe Band World Champions 2024

Photo by: Christy Russell

Black Raven Pipe Band Performing

Photo by: Christy Russell

Black Ravens on the way to compete

Photo by: Christy Russell

What Retirement Planning Have You Done?

By Dave Kavanagh

Among the things that people in their 20’s, 30’s and 40’s are not over-enthusiastic about considering, is retirement planning. It’s too far away and they don’t want to visualise being in retirement. However, it is a simple fact, that the earlier someone starts planning for retirement, the better financially prepared they will be when it comes. The tax benefits alone should encourage people to get started. For example, someone on the 40% tax band that pays €200 per month into a pension, only actually pays €120 per month as they have full tax relief. The reverse way to consider that, is your €120 each month, instantly grows by over 66%!! (And that’s before any investment growth on your fund). If your future self in their 60’s could give you wise advice, it would be to get into the habit of having a regular deduction to plan for the future, in the same way you get used to having PAYE, PRSI or USC deducted.

With “Auto Enrolment” expected to come into force in early 2025, an estimated 800,000 workers in Ireland who do not currently have a pension arrangement, may find they will be compelled to participate in a scheme. While all details of the scheme are not yet finalised, it is likely that employees and employers will both contribute with possibly an additional contribution from

Government. It is likely that any employees that pay for any form of pension through their payroll (whether the employer adds a contribution or not) will be exempt from having to join the new scheme. For most companies, it is relatively straight forward to offer a payroll deduction facility to their staff, which means the employee gets used to the deduction before their net pay and doesn’t think of it as an extra expense that they must pay for when they receive their salary. Whatever stage you are at, it is well worth making the time to consider your own retirement planning.

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.

New Youth Facility to open in Rush

The Rush Multipurpose Youth Facility (RMYF) will be reopening soon. Located at the Millbank, just across the road from Rush National School, this newly refurbished facility brings fantastic opportunities for local youth and community groups. The whole building has been upgraded to a very high standard. The facility is bright, spacious and warm. The ground floor of the premises is accessible for people with disabilities.

The facility is a newly refurbished building that is committed to fostering a positive and inclusive environment where everyone can thrive. It is run by the RMYF voluntary board, whose members are delighted to see the facility reopen for the benefit of the people of Rush.

Speaking about the facility reopening Declan Murray, Chairperson of RMYF Voluntary board said, “Discover the newly revitalised Rush Multipurpose Youth Facility a beacon of community spirit and growth in our area. Committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment, RMYF stands as a cornerstone for positive youth development and community engagement. Our new facility and resources cater to individuals, organizations, and groups alike, fostering a culture of collaboration and support. RMYF is poised to enrich lives and empower our

community.”

The large multipurpose room downstairs is suitable for larger groups, for dance and physical activities and for a homework club. Other rooms are of varying sizes to meet the needs of different groups. There are spaces suitable for music, dance, pilates, youth work, group activities, one to one counselling, for older groups, training and development.

Three Foróige groups will be active in the facility and Millbank Theatre will be running an extensive Drama programme for young people.

The voluntary RMYF Board consists of: Declan Murray, Des Burke, Fintan Price, Margaret Dobinson, Valerie Croghan, Nicole O’Keefe and Brian Dennehy.

Representatives of Fingal County Council, the owners of the building, also attend Committee meetings.

The refurbishment was funded by Fingal County Council, the Leader Programme and RMYF.

The Community Department of Fingal County Council provides ongoing management assistance funding and support.

The board is keen to hear from more groups that want to rent rooms in the facility and they can do so by phone on 018439349; Email manager@rushcoco.ie or via the website www.rmyf.ie

Rush Man’s Life Saved by 14-Year-Old Polish Boy

Rush locals were stunned by the quick actions of a 14-year-old Polish boy who rushed to save the life of a man whose arm was trapped in a car jack underneath a car.

Filip Szauer was on his holidays visiting relatives in Ireland when he and his cousin heard screams near Rush Community Centre and saw the man trapped under the car with several locals already trying to help.

Filip rushed to help the locals who had called the emergency services and had a basic first aid kit. The group managed to free the man’s arm, but he began to bleed heavily and that’s when Filip’s instincts kicked in and he quickly made a tourniquet to stem the flow of blood and dressed the man’s wound while waiting for the emergency services.

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas?

You might be forgiven for thinking that Christmas has come early in Rush over the coming months but don’t be alarmed, we haven’t all skipped a few months on the calendar - it is instead an early kick off for the annual Christmas Lights funding appeal!

Every year the Christmas Lights Committee, which is a sub-committee of Rush Community Council, fundraise across the town to pay for putting up and taking down the Christmas lights on the main street and also organise the switching

on of the lights event which takes place in Echlin Court.

This year the Committee are kicking things off early. A spokesperson for the Christmas Light Committee explained, “As we all know, things have been getting more expensive year on year and the Christmas Lights Committee have been under pressure to fundraise enough to cover all the costs associated with the lights. The people of Rush and our local businesses always dig deep but this year we’re starting our fundraising early

to give us the best chance possible to raise as much as we need. People can expect to see our volunteers waving collection buckets on the main street, we’ll kick off our annual GoFundMe page and there will be raffles across the next couple of months including a raffle to win the chance to switch on the Christmas lights with the big man himself. It would be great if everyone could support the efforts to light up Rush at Christmas.”

CommunityLocals.ie

Rush Tourism are delighted to partner with Rush Local and take this opportunity to say a sincere ‘Thank You’ to everyone who helped to make our Rush Harbour Festival & Air Show 2024 event such a huge success.

We are so grateful to each of our amazing Sponsors & Volunteers for their support without which our Festival and Air Show would not be possible: Fingal County Council /Dublin Airport D.A. / Dermot Mc Namara Solicitors / Progressive Credit Union / SuperValue / Rush Community Council / Adrian DunnePharmacy/ St.John’s Ambulance/ Rush Sailing Club / Rush Community First Responders / Ros-Eo Preschool / Rush Tidy Towns / Rush MusicalSociety / Specific Gym / St. Maur’s Pipe Band / Ros-Eo Art Group / Yoga in Rush / Rush Local Newspaper / Eamon Price / Des De Burca / Brian Delaney /Brenda King & our own families & friends who gave their time and assistance on so many occasions. We also thank our many loyal traders, crafters, entertainers & participants. We also wish to express our thanks to you, our reader & to all your friends & families who came out in your thousands to partake in our event. We were overwhelmed with the support from everyone, making this year’s festival a huge triumph for all involved.

This year’s airshow was the biggest and best aeronautical display to date brought to us by our aforementioned sponsors & Millennium Promotions.Our festival provided the perfect location to embrace Fingal’s motto of Fluirse Talaimh is Mara (rich in land and sea). This year’s Harbour Festival facilitated our local growers, artisan food producers, local eateries and a myriad of additional local businesses to showcase their produce to a new audience. Our celebrity chefs were suitably impressed with the variety and quality of food produced by our local growers.

We will be sending lots of beautiful photographs to the editor of Rush Local over the coming months in addition to sharing some fabulous recipes created by our celebrity chefs; Ian Rankin Harford, Catherine Fulvio, Whitestown House & The Salty Buoy, so watch this space!!

The voluntary committee of Rush Tourism operates as a sub-committee of Rush Community Council Ltd.

Yours sincerely

Rush Tourism

What a Month, What A Summer!

Hello everyone! What a whirlwind of a month we have had! Our long-awaited community trip to Carlingford and Newry finally took place, and despite the weather’s best attempts to dampen our spirits, the atmosphere was brighter than ever. Laughter echoed through the streets, friendships were strengthened, and unforgettable memories were made. It was such a success that we are seriously considering another community adventure soon—so keep an eye out for updates!

Just a week later, we embarked on another incredible experience—this time, a visit to Dáil Éireann. We were honored to be invited by Senator Lorraine Clifford Lee, who not only joined us on the tour but also shared her

personal insights and stories about the Dáil and Senate chambers. The tour was a perfect blend of history, politics, and fun, leaving us all a little more knowledgeable and a lot more inspired.

After the tour, we headed to the visitors’ bar for some well-deserved tea and coffee. Lorraine, being the gracious host that she is, stayed on to chat with everyone, pose for photos, and make sure we all felt truly welcome. But the surprises did not end there! Each of us received a copy of the Proclamation, a meaningful memento that I am sure is now proudly displayed in homes all around Rush and the surrounding areas.

A huge thank you to Lorraine for her warm invitation and for making our day at the Dáil one we will never forget.

Rush Tidy Towns News

Tayleurs Point Landscape

Our latest project for the community is now complete. We have created a new flower bed in front of Tayleurs Point Estate. This involved Rushbrook Plants who advised us on the plant selection and placement, Orby Landscaping who did the stone and ground works for a very community friendly fee and the hours and hours of planning and planting work that our committed volunteers and committee did. Thanks to everyone who was involved, this is a great addition to the town.

If anybody would like to help water part of the new landscaped area please get in touch

at tidytownsrush@gmail.com. Any help is appreciated.

Rush Bygone Days Book

The Rush Bygone Days Book is now available to access for free from anywhere across the globe as an e-book. See flyer for details. Thanks to Fingal Libraries for facilitating this. The two links you will need are below.

1. To register for Rush Library, go to www./ fingal.spydus.ie/cgi-bin/spydus.exe/MSGTRN/ WPAC/HOME

2. To access Borrow Box visit www.fingal. borrowbox.com/login

Far from the catwalk

I smiled wryly when a friend asked if the ring I was wearing belonged to my late father. Given a choice between donning anything vaguely resembling jewellery, or having a wisdom tooth extracted by Mr Bean wielding a rusty pliers, he would have opted for the latter.

The Kinks would not have found their Dedicated Follower Of Fashion amongst the adults I grew up around. In matters sartorial they were dyed in the wool (pun intended) conservatives. Clothes were purely functional; to keep out the elements, and very importantly, preserve modesty. Even on the hottest day of the year layers were shred with great reluctance. As he reached the point of near expiration, my father would finally remove his jacket, as he toiled in a sweltering glass house. But the Donald Duck style waist coat, containing his pocket watch, remained steadfast in place.

The first time I saw an open neck shirt was when a man appeared on television, uttering the immortal words: “Hello I’m Johnny Cash”. Impressed with the new role model. I grabbed my little guitar, undid my top shirt button and hopped up on the kitchen table. My grandiose ideas of fame in Nashville were soon dashed as my mother cried out: “Button your shirt or you’ll catch your death of cold!”, quickly returning me to the reality

of life in rural Fingal in the late 1960s. Before large chain stores made shopping a leisure activity, local drapery shops like Taylors (long gone) on the main street in Swords, provided good quality clothing at reasonable prices. The management and staff were on first name terms with their customers, knowing their style and size as they came through the door. Head cover was mandatory. By in large working men wore flat caps, while the bosses preferred felt hats with brims. Protocol dictated where and when head gear should be worn. For example: failure to remove one’s cap at the dining table could result in being awarded the title of a “bowsie”.

The ladies had a range of head scarves and hats that hadn’t changed much in centuries. In a moment of grave misjudgement my mother purchased a navy-blue pill box hat for my confirmation. Said hat caused great embarrassment to her, and unbridled hilarity for the rest of us; when dislodged by a rouge gust of wind, it hit the ground rolling and broke the land speed record for a piece of millinery, as I gave chase to the cheers of onlookers. Who could have predicted the era of the designer label and selfie? But then, I guess the pendulum of life seldom settles in the middle.

Families are enjoying the last of the summer season at CityNorth Hotel where it has been a record year, with visitor numbers exceeding expectations. Domestic tourists seeking a family “staycation” have broken all records at the hotel during the months of July and August, visiting attractions in the area including Emerald Park, Flynn Park and Funtasia Waterpark.

Director of Sales and Marketing, Suzanne Mulvey says that destination marketing of the East Coast of Ireland by Fáilte Ireland, Tourism Ireland, and locally Discover Boyne Valley and Fingal Tourism, has helped to create awareness of the abundance of things to do in the area.

Ms Mulvey commented, “We are lucky with our location on the border of Fingal and the Boyne Valley. Our guests have access to activities, garden and food trails, heritage sites, golf courses and vast stretches of stunning coastline. Families staying at CityNorth Hotel can head off for the day with a picnic, and even on a low budget can enjoy nearby amenities like Ardgillan Castle, Newbridge Demesne or a day at the beach”.

“There are more reasons now for tourists to stay longer in the area, and as a result we are seeing an increased average length of stay. The addition of the award-winning Lark Theatre is very exciting, as are the plans for a €25.4million rejuvenation of Balbriggan Town. The food culture here is booming and CityNorth Hotel guests can visit distilleries in Slane and Listoke, pop up to Carlingford to visit the oyster farm and enjoy unique experiences like beekeeping with Beewize in Drogheda.”

As a member of Boyne Valley Flavours, a network of local food growers and producers in the region, CityNorth Hotel features ingredients from members including farmers and food producers on their seasonal menus. Food tourism is booming, and CityNorth hotel is introducing Sea and Land cookery classes in the Autumn, for guests and locals to experience the food provenance of the area.

Keep an eye on their website, www.citynorthhotel.com for seasonal events and offers.

Nine Magical Months

Pregnancy is a wonderful but it sure ain’t easy, so it’s important to treat mums-to-be. Making sure she has a comfortable chair, bringing her a cuppa; little things make a difference!

Better Health Therapies, Hampton St. Balbriggan offer gorgeous treatments for pregnancy, including massage and reflexology. See www.instagram.com/better.health.therapies, The second trimester is wonderful for a ‘babymoom’. Nausea from first trimester is gone and tiredness of third trimester hasn’t kicked in! Farnham Estate Co Cavan is a beautiful spot, with a stunning indoor/outdoor pool, fabulous spa, woodland walks and scrumptious restaurants. We went for a ‘Babymoon’ and loved it! Book at www.farnhamestate.ie/Mothers-Day.html.

Afternoon Tea at Bracken Court is a lovely treat for mums-to-be. Packed with sandwiches, brioche, cakes and served on decadent china! Book at www.brackencourt.ie.

Four Seasons Hotel Carlingford is also fab for

‘Babymoons’. A two min stroll to the village, the hotel has a pool, spacious rooms and relaxed vibe. www.4seasonshotelcarlingford.ie/

Irish skincare brand, Nyrah Beauty is perfect for sensitive skin, making it ideal for mums-to-be. www.nyrahbeauty.com.

Irish brand, Freddy has maternity jeans that stretch throughout pregnancy and also are good post birth, when Mammies need some extra stretch. www.freddy.ie.

Irish brand, Powercut Clothing pregnancy leggings stretch as bumps grow, are super soft and look great on www.powercutclothing.com.

Irish company Stitch-a-name make personalised baby gifts like blankets, pram snugglies, baby comforters etc. www.stitchaname. com/

Swollen feet are a common problem in pregnancy, which is why we love Thomp2Socks. Their wide fit socks won’t leave marks on swollen pregnant ankles and a portion of sales goes

towards Down Syndrome charity. www.thomp2. com/.

Cosmic Baby Ireland make colourful, personalised baby soother holders, which double as trolley tokens! So cute and clever www. instagram.com/cosmic.baby.ireland Irish company Hampers and Co. have launched a range of adorable baby hampers, in pink, blue and neutral colours. A fab gift for someone going on maternity leave or a new Mammy www. hampersandco.com

For nursery furniture, buggies and baby essentials, we love Pitter Patter in Nenagh, and they also ship nationwide. We cannot praise Michael enough for their wonderful customer service. www.pitterpatter.ie

We know Christmas is still a bit away but Elf Town RDS bookings are now open, including personalised gift options! Book here: www. elftowndublin.ie

WIN €50 !!! WIN €50 !!! WIN €50 !!! WIN €50 !!!

WE WANT YOUR LOCAL NEWS!!

• Do you run a Local Sports Club or Team?

• Are you a new business or a business celebrating an anniversary?

• Are you running or hosting a Local event or Fundraiser? • Do you have a story to tell?

• A Special Birthday, Christening, Communion.. Send us your pics.. We Want it ALL.. Contact us today: communitylocalseditor@gmail.com Be Part of Your Community News

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. Rushed about on public transport. (6)

5. Ancient vessel propelled by oars. (6)

10. Exploit the power of with stable gear. (7)

11. Punishment intended as a warning to others. (7)

12. Signal with the help of a sea ridge. (4)

13. The stuff of commerce. (5)

15. A German Mrs. (4)

17. A secret watcher. (3)

19. It’s ruled by Putin. (6)

21. Once every 12 months. (6)

22. It keeps you warm at night. (7)