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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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Rush Community Council Presentations
Nifty
Music is in the Air
Music and song were in the air on Tuesday 5th and Wednesday 6th November at The Lark, in Balbriggan, as many local school choirs performed in the Fingal Festival of Schools’ Voices. Schools from Lusk, Rush, Loughshinny and Balbriggan were joined by the The Lark’s own resident school The Irish Institute of Music & Song who played traditional Irish music on the harp.
The festival has its originated in 2017 as St. Catherine’s Choral Festival in Rush, so it was fitting that on Tuesday 5th November both the St Catherine’s School Choir and the Ukulele Orchestra performed several songs at the venue. During the evening the audience heard renditions of many popular songs by acts as The Rolling Stones, Coldplay and the Pixies. Additionally, two schools performed songs by Oasis – no doubt reflecting the recent revival in interest since the announcement of their reunion tour. The good news was that two different songs were chosen, Live Forever and Wonderwall!
Rush Musical Society Concert at St Catherine’s National School
Later the same week, with barely time to rest their voices, the St Catherine’s School Choir and Ukulele Orchestra performed again on Friday 8th November in the St Catherine’s School Hall with The Rush Musical Society. The audience were delighted with performances by all three groups, including songs from the 1970s, 80s and 90s performed by the Rush Musical Society.
The highlight of the evening was the collaborative performance when the adults’ and children’s voices joined forces to perform Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Vaults of Heaven.
A Big Thank You from Rush Community Council
Game starts at 7.00 pm and usually finishes before 10pm every Thursday in the Community Centre, Main St Rush. For info contact 086-3339152.
A big thank you to St. Maurs. GAA for their very generous donation towards this years Christmas Lights. There’s still time to donate, every little helps
Rush Locals Thanked for Lifeboat Fundraiser
We’d like to say a huge thank you to Jim and Jean Doyne and their team of helpers (with a special mention to Harriet Byrne for all her wonderful baking), and also to all the staff and patrons of The Harbour Bar in Rush. For over 20 years now, they have held a fundraiser for a Christmas hamper raffle, selling tickets in The Harbour Bar and all around Rush. They recently visited us at the lifeboat station with friends and family and presented us with a cheque for €2,330. Incredible support for their local lifeboat.
That’s the Spirit!
Our Foróige young people who took part in a community spirit award. They undertook this project wanting to raise money for SVP. They created their brand which promotes sustainability and self-care while also raising awareness
for the work SVP do in the community. Theu made homemade soy wax candles out of refurbished jars and teacups from SVP. they raised almost €140 for SVP and we can’t thank the community of Rush enough for supporting them on the day!
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 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.
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.
The Penguin (2024) Series review
Wishing the Rush Community a Merry Christmas
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By Jack Shanley
Your Trusted Vet in Lusk
Located on the Main Street next to The Top Shop Pub, we’ve been proudly serving the local community for over 25 years.
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.
Rush Tidy Towns Winter News
Let’s Play Halloween
Despite the weather, we had a large turnout at our Let’s Play Rush Spooktacular event today in Kenure Park. Thank you to all the performers and volunteers who made a huge effort to make the event a success. Thank you to Fingal County Council and Creative Ireland for the funding and thank you to the Mayor of Fingal Brian McDonagh for paying us a visit. Special thanks to the 38th Rush Scout Group who allowed us use all of the facilities in the scout den for the day.
Rush Tidy Town Calendar 2025
Our Rush Tidy Towns 2025 Calendar has gone to print. Congratulations and thank you to all the photographers whose photos will feature on one of the 12 months. We will be announcing a launch day very soon, from which time the calendars should be on sale in several shops around the town. The price stays at €10 and it makes a great Christmas present. Please remember this is an important annual fundraiser for Rush Tidy Towns. We would also like to sincerely thank four local sponsors for contributing to the printing costs, they are Bird of Paradise, P&N Butterly, Kilbush Nurseries & WBD Farm Machinery.
Volunteer Work
Some of the jobs done around the town recently by volunteers and resident groups. Sheena painted the fence at the Old Mill opposite Spout Road and Paul led a team in Golden Ridge and did a great job edging. Well done all
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 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 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, HomeStart 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+ in-person 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 PopUps” 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.
Time to nominate your Sports Club Volunteer of the Year
Entries are being sought for the inaugural “Fingal Sports Club Volunteer Awards” which aim to recognise and honour the huge community of volunteers who give their time to provide sport and physical activity opportunities across the County.
The Fingal Sports Office is hosting the gala event on Monday 27th January 2025, at the Carlton Hotel in Tyrrelstown, Dublin 15. It is estimated that some 450,000 people across Ireland volunteer in sports clubs every week, tirelessly giving their support to clubs and communities from dawn until dusk, and never seeking glory or reward for doing so.
Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Brian McDonagh, said: “I welcome the launch of these inaugural awards and look forward to seeing the nominations that pay tribute to those unsung heroes who are out there making a difference across the county. We have an amazing range of sporting clubs that are bringing communities together and encouraging people of all ages and abilities to participate in activities such as athletics, tennis, rugby, GAA, soccer and so many more. A key part of making this a success
comes from all those inspirational volunteers who should be deservedly recognised for their dedication and hard work.”
Each sports club in Fingal can nominate a volunteer from within their ranks who they feel goes above and beyond in helping to make a real difference to others, and who demonstrates the very best of what being an invaluable team member means. After nominations are received, an independent jury panel will select those they feel are worthy of the accolade of sports volunteer of the year.
Volunteers are the very heart of our sports community in Fingal; their selfless contributions of time, energy, and passion play a vital role in sustaining a wide range of sports activities and help everyone from grassroots to elite professionals. Recognising and celebrating these volunteers is crucial to acknowledging their impact and inspiring continued support.
The closing date for nominations is 5pm on Tuesday 17th December 2024. Nominations can be made via: https://bit.ly/ fingalsportsvolunteerofyear25.
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.
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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)
SUDOKU
