This Valentine’s Day will be yet another one unlike others in the past, whether we are teenage lovers or more mature partners. That is obviously because of the continued threat of the new variant of Covid 19 and the new threat posed by the current virulent flu which is doing the rounds at present. However that does not mean that we cannot show love to those who mean the most to us. Remember, chocolate shops, jewellers shops, florists, restaurants and hotels are all still open. Unlike any other period in history we now have the means to stay in touch and communicate without meeting in person, whether that be through a mobile phone call or Face time or Zoom or whatever technology we have at hand. The worldwide communications structure is so vast now that we need never feel alone and we can send messages of love and support to those we care most about. Mind you, its still nice to get Valentines cards with their quirky rhymes. However,.we should also remember to all shop locally and ensure the local jobs of our neighbours and friends. We all know the dangers of not wearing face coverings, not regularly washing our hands thoroughly and not keeping our distance when meeting others. We all also know how boring our lives were during lockdown so lets continue to meet our family and friends and especially those we love on the 14th but lets be careful and safe. Simply put, we all want this to decrease again as soon as possible. We all want to reduce the number of people in hospital and worse, so lets all pull together once again as we did before and turn this around quickly, get back to as near normal a society as soon as possible and stay safe and enjoy our lives while being responsible. So please stay safe, lets pull together and keep supporting our HSE workers, our local shopping outlets. Our neighbours and most of all our families and those we love.
Have a happy and safe Valentine’s Day from all of us in the Locals team.
One Voice SingersSwords, the new community singing group based in St Colmcille’s GAA are starting back on January 10th from 7.30pm-9pm. New members are welcome to come down and sing! The group welcomes adults of all nationalities, bringing people together with a special emphasis on community integration, diversity, and respect. It’s a great chance to meet new people and learn new songs, promising to be plenty of laughs, entertaining and above all fun. If you would
like to sing your heart out, please register online at eventbrite.com/e/one-townone-voice-singers-swordstickets-486869137697 or come along to St. Colmcille’s GAA in Swords on Tuesday 10th January 2023 at 7.30pm. For more information contact Jacinta at community@ fingal.ie The One Voice Singers are supported by Fingal Community Development Office and the One Town One Voice initiative. More information at onetownonevoice.ie.
By Dave Kavanagh
So, February 2023. The time when many “New year, new me” changes may have faded into memory. So many great intentions of life improvements were planned: get healthier, spend more wisely, have more money, relax more, stress less, start a new hobby. All noble intentions, with one thing in common – they require you to make some changes and make time for those changes. For some aspects, this is easier than it is for others. Relax a bit more? Sure. Spend some “Me Time” in the gym? Absolutely. Do some work on planning the finances? “Errrrr…maybe I’ll start on that next week”! Without realising it, many people subconsciously view dealing with financial planning as “negative”. Understandably, who wants to sit discussing the potential loss in the event of a fatality, or a serious illness, or not being able to work, or thinking forward to the last third of your adult life? If any of these type of events would cause a financial loss to you or those dependent on you, making some time to at least establish what options are available, is the least you should consider. There are so many other benefits to reviewing your finances, not least of which, it can leave you with more money! Two of the tips I constantly tell people is to examine 3 months’ bank statements and to do a monthly spending exercise. Going through the bank
statements can help identify things that maybe you should no longer be paying for, or that you are duplicating. Keeping a spending diary for a month will give you a clear picture of detailed outgoings, allowing you to identify spending that you could possibly do more efficiently and permit you to make any changes necessary. The end result of making the time for such an important topic, will not only usually leave you better off financially, but put you more in control of your finances, thereby reducing the stress/anxiety often associated with money. One hour is 4% of your day. Make the time.
Dave Kavanagh QFA has been advising people financially for over 25 years. For quotes or information (with no cost or obligation) he can be contacted by emailing him at 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.
‘8½’ is a strange title but one appropriate for the 1963 classic. Approaching its 60th anniversary, we look back as fondly as ever at the Federico Fellini masterpiece. Gaining its title simply from the number of films in which the Italian maestro had made to date, it really is a must-watch movie. It follows a troubled Italian filmmaker, Guido (Marcello Mastroianni), who struggles with the creative stasis of his next project. Overwhelmed by his struggles, he retreats into a world of fantasy, both past and present, resulting in his next project being very autobiographical. This bonafide classic is a study of male fantasy and fear of the creative mind. Throughout, we are constantly struck with wonderful dream-like imagery from Guido’s mind overlooking the past and present, most of which involves his association with women, the impact of women on his life and his true feelings for them. We also study the true horror of one suddenly losing their creativity for their craft. Fellini at his very best tended to bond a balance between fantasy and reality and never has it
been more evident than in ‘8½’. The film is a messy ball of confusion as our hero (Guido), a self-regarding man, finds himself lost and utterly empty as the film itself. Midway though, a friend of Guido turns to him, speaking the true essence of the film when saying: ‘I’ve figured out what your story is about. It’s a man’s inner confusion.’ This speaks volumes not just for ‘8½’ but for the majority of Fellini’s filmography, films like ‘La Dolce Vita’, ‘La Strada’ and ‘Nights of Cabiria’ which all fall into the themes of fantasy, dreams and desire. ‘8½’, still regarded as one of the finest films ever made, is on many lists and polls as one of the greatest and most influential films of all time. It is truly an astonishing, masterful and electrifying spectacle of optimism as we step into the dreams and world of Fellini. As the material is still so fresh, it’s only right to give it a score of FIVE stars.
•You can watch ‘8½’ on Prime Video or buy it on Blu-Ray for €21.37 on Amazon. Director: Federico Fellini
– Rating:15 – Genre: Fantasy/ Drama – Run Time: 2h 18m –
Language: Italian English. For more film content please follow @ movies4fanatics on Instagram.
Contractors have moved on site recently to commence the next phase in Fingal County Council’s development of the Swords Cultural Quarter, the refurbishment of the Carnegie Free Library on North Street. The Council have appointed Kelbuild Ltd as main contractors to carry out the refurbishment and conservation works at the building including the construction of a new two-storey extension to the side of the building to facilitate new services and improve universal access. The works are expected to be completed by the end of this year. The project is within the Swords Cultural Quarter and will provide workspaces and a creative hub with flexibility for a range of community and arts activities including rehearsal and performance uses.The works to Carnegie Free Library will cost €1.5m and is being partially funded through a grant issued under the European Regional Development Fund for the Swords Cultural Quarter.The Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Howard Mahony, said: “The Swords Cultural Quarter is a flagship project for Fingal
County Council and it is great to see work on part of it commence. When complete the Carnegie Free Library project will bring vibrancy and urban regeneration not only to North Street but also to the surrounding urban centre of Swords and will complement
the other works planned for this area.” The original Carnegie Free Library building dates from 1908 and is owned by Fingal County Council and recorded as a Protected Structure. Councillors approved planning for the project
in September 2021.The Local Studies and Archives section of Fingal County Council’s Libraries Department, which was located in the Carnegie Free Library, has already been relocated to an adjacent building on North Street.
In partnership with the UCC School of Law, The Glucksman Gallery commissioned seven Irish picture book authors to respond to different themes within the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Artists Mary Murphy, Róisín Hahessy, Niamh Sharkey, Peter Donnelly, Fatti Burke, Chris Haughton and Chris Judge created seven new illustrations focusing on family and identity, education, creativity and play, justice and the right to be heard, equality, climate change and the environment, and migrants and refugees. Fingal Libraries is delighted to host the Viewpoints art exhibition from January to June as it tours around each library, culminating on 10th June at Cruinniú na nÓg, Creative Ireland’s annual day of free creative activity for children and young adults. Viewpoints is part of the Art Library initiative, a loan collection of artworks for sharing to community hubs across Ireland, and is funded by the Arts Council of Ireland. The exhibition was launched in Malahide Library on Saturday 28th January at 11.00am and was a fun morning for all the family. Exhibition tour dates: - (28th January – 19th February -
Malahide Library) - (20th February – 3rd March
- Baldoyle Library) - (6th March – 19th March
- Balbriggan Library) - (20th March – 2nd
April - Rush Library) - (3rd April – 16th April
- Donabate Library) - (17th April – 30th April
Swords & Skerries Libraries) - (1st May – 14th
May - Howth & Garristown Libraries ) - (15th
May – 4th June - Blanchardstown Library) - (5th
June – 10th June Cruinniú na nÓg 2023. A fun
and interactive programme of creative workshops will take place for children and their families as the exhibition tours each library so watch out for more details!
By Ken Duffy
We trust everyone had a joyous festive season as we look forward to the new year ahead. The Swords Tidy Towns team took a well-earned Christmas break, we had a very enjoyable night at our Xmas Party in Peacocks, pictures were posted on our Facebook page. Yep, the crew worked very hard all through 2022 and have come back rejuvenated after spending Xmas with family and friends. Our team will continue on the hard work this year in an effort to retain our National Silver Medal status, hopefully it turns to gold. You, the residents of Swords can play a big part in helping us to achieve this by disposing of your litter responsibly, which we know most do. Another way to help is by educating family and friends as to the benefits to both physical and mental health a colourful clean
Swords can be to all. When our planters are full of colour and life, and our streets are clear of graffiti and litter, it’s a wonderful place to take a leisurely stroll and smell the aroma of coffee wafting from our many wonderful cafes and bars, Swords Tidy Towns are always very welcoming to all new volunteers, if you have been contemplating doing some volunteering work this year, please drop us a line. You can always contact us on our email address at swordstidytowns@gmail.com or by phoning Ken on 0866008313. STT is a very diverse multicultural group, we even won a national award for our inclusiveness, an award of which we are all very proud. Oh and please support our fundraiser upstairs in Peacocks , River Valley on Feb 9 at 7.30pm
Every day, every week and for the last 40+ years, Swords Meals on Wheels have been delivering hot meals to whoever needs them in the greater Swords area. Currently the number of meals delivered daily is in the region of 90/95 meals. Each day there are seven individual runs covering all areas of Swords and the immediate locality. We have nearly 60 active volunteer drivers involved who collect and deliver these meals, but not just deliver, they also will ensure everyone is safe and has anything they need. Without these volunteers it would be impossible to provide this essential service. And then you have Joan, organising lists, meals and donations, she starts at 7.30 each morning ensuring that volunteer drivers are available to cover all runs and have latest information on who needs meals and whatever else is required and arises throughout the day and sometimes at weekends. As well as delivering to people in their homes we do also provide meals
to some homeless in the area. We were out all over Christmas ensuring everyone who for whatever reason had a hot meal and a visit. A very important part of our ethos is that all meals are free to whoever needs them. Swords Meals on Wheels is possibly the last service of this type countrywide that doesn’t charge and we never will. Nobody in Swords Meals on wheels is paid; all are volunteers and will continue to be. We get terrific support from a number of local factories and facilities in the area and without them and all our brilliant volunteer drivers and supporters we would be unable to continue. We are seeing increasing demand for our service and we do need more local businesses to come on board to support us with excess meals from their canteens. We do foresee our daily numbers increasing to 100+ in the coming year. We were delighted to be chosen in FCC Lord Mayor’s awards last year for our work during the Covid emergency.
Valentine’s is a popular time for engagements and while weddings can be hugely expensive, with some savvy shopping and careful planning, you need not go bankrupt!
I was recently helped my sister plan her wedding. She shopped local as much as possible, but unfortunately still got scammed on a dodgy wedding website ‘claiming’ to be Irish. It had a .ie Irish domain and looked legit. She spent €200 but after a few days without updates, she discovered this company was fake. Thankfully, her bank was able to refund her the money but the best advice when ordering from a company you have not used before is to research them first. Check Trustpilot, Irish wedding chat boards or our wedding section on mams.ie. For wedding dresses, Alexander Bridal, Parnell St Dublin are wonderful. Tina is professional and experienced, and the dresses are bang on trend without hefty price tags. Our family has bought 3 wedding dresses, 2 bridesmaids dresses and 3 Communion dresses there over the years. Highly recommended for the fellas, Bestwear, Shop St. Drogheda is well known for stylish, affordable suits for men and boys. Excellent quality and superb value, like the one in our
picture. Aisling and Kieron are very helpful and can arrange alterations if necessary. The difference in price between them and some shops we perused in Dublin is drastic. Well worth a visit and to get a further 10% off in store, use promo code Mams.ieBest23 WeddingCreations. ie make personalised products like Bridal Planner boxes, wedding invites and keepsake gifts. Caroline is so helpful and every month she runs a different discount offer. The wedding day personalised bridal robes, as pictured, are beautiful. Another wonderful Irish company is karenedellmillinery.ie for hair accessories and fascinators. We picked a beautiful Mother-of-thebride fascinator from Karen for €79 and it’s very similar (but even nicer) than one we spotted in another store for €400!!! For wedding guest style, the website MyKindOfDress. com is fantastic. Get 20% off when you join their newsletter and check their sale section, its jammed with fabulous items at bargain prices, like wedding guest dresses from €10 and faux fur jackets from €25.Keep an eye on mams.ie and our socials for wedding related competitions including Tan Organic sets, iGlow nail & lash products, Carter Beauty make-up, Belleek Living Gifts and lots more!
In 2022 we held 11 events throughout the year from which a fantastic total amount of €7,602.49 was raised. We would like to thank all who supported us and all the volunteers for their work throughout the year. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank Specsavers, Balbriggan for sponsoring the Santa Grotto in Millfield Shopping centre during November and December, of which a total of €1,119.95 was raised. Would you like to support our local Balbriggan/ North County Dublin Branch of Irish Guide Dogs this February? Why not attend the Balbriggan Feis being held in Clann Mhuire GAA Hall, Naul, Co. Dublin on the 11th and 12th February with musician Kevin Warren.
Pre-registration through WeFeis is €5 or €8 per family (siblings only) and pre-registration is open on Monday 23rd January until Friday the 3rd of February. Or you can pay on the day for all dances with solos being €5 and Championships, confined and cup competitions being €10. A great time will be had and all proceeds go to our Balbriggan/ North County Dublin Branch of Irish Guide Dogs. You can also support us by using our ‘Tap to Donate’ machine in Specsavers, Millfield Shopping Centre, Balbriggan, where a tap of your card donates €3 to us. Since July 2022 we also have a new machine in Oakes Pharmacy, Skerries. This one is slightly different than Specsavers, as in it allows for a minimum donation of €2 by the
tap of a phone but when you tap, it prompts you to open an app and select the amount you would like to donate.We are also involved in the current round of Community Fund at Tesco, Millfield Shopping Centre and we would appreciate if you would vote for us using your blue token. We appreciate all your support. If you are interested in volunteering with us please feel free to contact our Balbriggan/North County Dublin Branch of Irish Guide Dogs
Phone/text: 085 7663107Email:GuideDogsBalbriggan@gmail.com or Find us on Facebook: Balbriggan Branch of Guide Dogs
With Wintry weather and the season for colds and flu, the below recipe is a simple way to help achieve ‘ 7 a day’ for fruit and vegetables and boost intakes of the all important nutrients for our immune systems including Vitamin A and Vitamin C. Make a big batch and use leftovers the following day or to make a ‘veggie’ tasty soup!!! Please feel free to use whatever vegetables you like or are available/in season.Although as the saying goes “Variety is the spice of life”!!!
• 3 Sweet potatoes
• 2 Carrots
• 1 Courgette
• 2 Red onions
• 4 Cloves of garlic
• 1 Green pepper
• 1 Yellow pepper
• 1 Red pepper
• 10 Cherry tomatoes
• 1 Chilli (or 2 depending on if you want it hot!)
• 4 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons dried Basil or other herbs
of your liking
• Black pepper to season. Method:
1. Preheat oven to 200’c.
2. Prepare all vegetables by washing, peeling and chopping as appropriate. I diced, sliced and roughly chopped my vegetables into chunks as in the image.
3. Place the sliced sweet potatoes with x2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar onto a large and long baking tray. Bake in the oven for 20minutes at180’c (160’c fan oven) Gas mark 4.
4. Remove tray from oven. Turn the sliced sweet potatoes around on the tray and add the carrots, red onions, garlic, chilli, herbs, spices and the other x2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar. Ensure all the vegetables on the tray are coated in the herbs, spices and Balsamic vinegar
5.Place tray back in the oven for another 15minutes.
6. Remove tray from oven. Turn vegetables around to ensure even cooking. Add the
remaining vegetables left (peppers and tomatoes). Place back in the oven for another 15minutes or until the vegetables are cooked how you like them!
(Tip: Some vegetables take longer to cook than others hence the different lengths of baking time for the different vegetables)
Please follow’Biabites’Facebook for other food ideas especially in the ‘Fun food’ and ‘Recipes’ albums.
Please follow @BiaBites on twitter. For nutrition talks/workshops at events or in schools/workplaces/ community groups= please email: niamh@biabites.net.
Niamh Arthurs BSc, Msc
Registered Dietitian
We have returned to our regular training session after the Christmas and New Year break. Our first event of the year was to host JKS Ireland
Brown & Black Belt training alongside Open Squad training. 43 students from all over Ireland trained for 2 hours covering a wealth of knowledge from Dermot Sensei.We are looking forward to several other competitions and seminars this year and the highlight will be when we host our World Chief Instructor, Kagawa Shihan 9 th Dan JKS, in May for a weekend seminar.Congratulations to Mehert Gebremichael and Faye Devine Riley who have won Student
of the Month. Both Merhert and Faye train on a regular basis, participate well in class and arevery interested in learning more karate. Well done both!
We take new members (Children, Young People & Adults) throughout the year. Contact Dermot on 087-8073885 for details on how to join. Contact us on Facebook: JKS Swords Karate Club or on Instagram: @jks_swords_ karate_club
This is easy… we are offering you the chance to win €50. All you have to do is correctly fill in the crossword and discover the name of an area in Fingal spelt out in the coloured squares. Then send the completed crossword and your answer by email, with your name, address and telephone number to communitylocals@ gmail.com before 5pm on the 16th of this mnoth. The first correct entry to be drawnwill win €50..Good luck
1. Make a high-pitched, screeching noise, as a rat. (6)
5. Cold seasoned vegetable dishes. (6)
10. Eastern is closest. (7)
11. Suggests something forgotten. (7)
12. Few and far between. (4)
13. Further down. (5)
15. A collection of facts from which conclusions may be drawn. (4)
17. Not worn or used. (3)
19. The colour between green and orange. (6)
21. Made noises like a pig. (6)
22. People who guide and inspire, (7)
23. Worthy of religious veneration. (6)
25. Pass or go by, like time. (6)
28. Social insect who lives in a colony. (3)
30. A list of names showing the order in which people should work. (4)
31. Sweet stuff. (5)
32. Small fragments. (4)
35. A relatively flat highland. (7)
36. Put something back where it belongs. (7)
37. Constituent of concrete and mortar. (6)
38. Vocal artiste. (6)
2. Argue with a crossbow bolt. (7)
3. The original garden. (4)
4. A young domestic cat. (6)
5. Great sadness.. (6)
6. A young sheep. (4)
7. North European country. (7)
8. It’s needed to get up and go.. (6)
9. A land mass that is surrounded by water. (6)
14. Occupying the front in a race. (7)
16. Openings on a golf course. (5)
18. A passage between shelves in a supermarket. (5)
20. Dew get married. (3)
21. A metal-bearing mineral valuable enough to be mined. (3)
23. Discarded food from a kitchen. (6)
24. Quaint Irish dwelling. (7)
26. The lowest rank in the army. (7)
27. Happens as a result. (6)
28. Month named after the first Roman Emperor. (6)
29. The second sign of the Zodiac. (6)
33. An outdoor fundraiser. (4)
34. Peon is a tournament for amateurs and professionals. (4)
