Swords Local V9I6-AUG 2024 by Irish Media Group

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The past two months of summer haven’t given us too much to write home about weather-wise, however there has still been lots going on in Fingal thanks to the wonderful local organisations who continue in their tireless work to make our communities such vibrant areas to live in!

The month of August will see lots of events taking place in the county and hopefully the weather will play ball! Nevertheless, pack a bag with all the essential gear to combat whatever the weather throws at us and get out to enjoy your local area. Whether its attending events or visiting the many wonderful sights in Fingal, there is plenty to do before the end of summer.

We in Fingal are so lucky to have so much to do on our doorstep; throughout the towns and villages in the county local people are spoiled for choice when it comes to spending their free time in their respective areas. We don’t have very far to travel to find something to make great memories from. We have some of the most beautiful beaches in the country; the sheer number of public parks, castle grounds and gardens accessible all year round is unrivalled; the community centres, state of the art libraries, music venues, cafés, restaurants, bars, the list goes on and on. There is so much to do in such a short distance.

So, no matter what you are planning for the last few weeks of the summer, be sure to reserve some time to take in all the wonderful amenities on your doorstep, we don’t have to hop on a plane every time we want experience something new. Don’t let the weather prevent you from enjoying our wonderful county!

STRICT DEADLINE FOR NEXT EDITION: Submissions by the 14th for inclusion in next months edition

The Locals Team

Fingal’s Forgotten Heritage - The Ward Valley Heritage Park Swords

While the ‘Jacko’ park leading from Sword’s village is very familiar to local walkers, did you know that there is a continuation of this walk leading right up to Knocksedan Bridge, ie the Ward Valley Heritage Park? An un-sung part of Fingal’s extensive park portfolio, this most attractive area adjacent to Swords is ideal for hiking, dog-walking and adventuring.

Like many, I only got to know this fabulous part of Swords during Covid19. Going up there with our grandchildren was indeed a revelation. This park has abundance of heritage, from pre-historic remains, fine 17th cent follies, landscapes and walks; unrivalled scenic views, and lots of industrial archaeology from the 19th cent. It’s biodiversity, plants, trees and nature are unrivalled, the area having been left untouched by man for many years.

The Ward River itself is most scenic within the park, with many accesspoints for fishing, paddling or just ‘chilling out.’ The Park is one of easiest places to enjoy this river’s many attractions. Many local Swords folk would

have had their first swimming lessons up here! The park also offers an abundance of walking trails, ideal for dog-walkers. The unspoiled biodiversity on offer here provides interest for all the family, of whatever age.

Children love exploring new places and this park certainly lots of exciting places for this. Walks can be short (30mins),longer(90mins) or 2 hrs for the longest. I’ve recorded some guided heritage walks in the park which can be found at: Mike Power/ Guided Walks/Youtube.

The Ward Valley Heritage Park has something to offer everyone, whether history-buff, hiker, nature-enthusiast, dog-walker or those just looking for a pleasant ramble in the great outdoors.

Getting There: By car, drive to Brackenstown roundabout. By bus, take the 41 to the Manor Inn and walk across to the Park. Walker’s access is continuing on past the Children’s Playground in the ‘Jacko’ into the Park. Not suitable for prams of buggies.

Highly recommended!

Plans unveiled for new Swords Civic and Cultural Centre

Fingal County Council are planning to build a new Civic and Cultural Centre in the heart of Fingal’s county town. As part of the rejuvenation of Swords town centre the building, designed by renowned architects O’Donnell Tuomey, will include: a new County Library that will cover 3,000m2; a new theatre with seating for 165 people; a new art gallery exhibition space; a new Maker Space to encourage creativity; new studios and rehearsal rooms for the Arts; new archive and reference library and a new Café.

Outside the building the Council will open up Town Park by extending the grassed and landscaped area around the castle. The road and pedestrian spaces will be repaved and public access to the park at the Council Offices will be improved with the removal of railings and the installation of steps that will create a new open space incorporating County Hall, Swords Castle, Town Park and the Cultural Centre building.

The Council has opened public consultation on the plans for the Swords Cultural Centre on 7th

July and has urge the public to have their say.

‘This is a major community development for Swords and everyone in Swords should take the opportunity to inspect the plans online or at the Council offices in Swords or Blanchardstown, Swords Castle and Council Libraries. Make a submission at www.consult.fingal.ie to give your thoughts and views. The Consultation will run until 22 August, so please let us know what you think.’

Swords Tidy Towns Member Mat Cullen marks 50 years of Volunteering!

By Ken Duffy

Our long time Swords Tidy Towns member

Matt Cullen who is one of the founder members of our group twenty years ago along with myself recently celebrated Fifty Years of volunteering. He has volunteered with many different organisations over those years. There are two groups I know that hold a special place in Matt’s heart, Swords Tidy Towns which he helped to found and (ILFA) the Irish Lung Fibrosis Association to which Matt has given much of his time since he was diagnosed with the decease himself a number of years ago.

What we all admire most about our friend Matt besides his commitment to his community is that he has never allowed his illness to get in the way of his voluntary work. His constant smile and upbeat attitude have served as an inspiration to all the group over many years, even through the ups and downs he has suffered over the years since being diagnosed.

Matt was the winner of the 2015 All Ireland Volunteer of The Year Award, Swords Tidy Towns nominated him in recognition of all his hard work over many years and for his ability to always turn negative situations into a positive ones.

To celebrate Matt’s Fifty-Year milestone and recognise his contribution to the group, we organised a party in his honour in the Whiskey Room at the Old Schoolhouse where a wonderful time was had by all in attendance.

MaXXXine: A Bloody Good Time in 1980s Hollywood

By Jack Shanley

Ti West caps off his deranged horror trilogy with a bang in “MaXXXine,” the most entertaining and violent entry yet. Mia Goth continues to shine as Maxine Minx, the tenacious survivor of the Texas massacre in “X” who now sets her sights on Hollywood stardom in the neon-drenched, cocaine-fuelled landscape of 1985.

West’s love letter to the era is impeccable. The grime, the synth soundtrack, and the lurid excess are all meticulously recreated, with a dash of “video nasty” aesthetics thrown in for good measure. Los Angeles transforms into a dangerous playground, with the Night Stalker real-life murders casting a long shadow and a copycat killer emerging from the darkness.

Goth is a revelation. She embodies Maxine’s ambition and vulnerability with equal intensity. We see her navigate the sleaze of peep shows and B-movie auditions with a steely resolve, all while haunted by the trauma of her past. The supporting cast is equally impressive, with Elizabeth Debicki as the demanding director who

sees potential in Maxine, and a trio of detectives (Bobby Cannavale, Michelle Monaghan, and Kevin Bacon) adding a layer of suspense.

“MaXXXine” is a genre mashup, blending classic slasher elements with a dash of dark humour and a surprisingly poignant exploration of female ambition in a cutthroat industry. The kills are brutal and creative but in sense not all that necessary sometimes, they showcase West’s mastery of practical effects. However, the film doesn’t shy away from exploring the emotional toll of violence, particularly on Maxine.

The film isn’t without its flaws. The plot can be predictable at times, and some might find the constant barrage of 80s references a bit overwhelming. The film lacks a bit of a drive sometimes but is arguably one of the best in the trilogy.

In all truth I’d recommend checking out “MaXXXine” and see what you think of it, I shall give it a score of Three stars. You can watch it at your local cinema today. Director: Ti West– Rating: R – Genre: Horror/Suspense – Run Time: 1h 44m Language: English. For more film content please follow @movies4fanatics on Instagram.

Swords Schoolchildren Perform an Orchestral Oddyssey

Fingal County Council, Creative Ireland and the Irish School Orchestra presented ‘Orchestral Odyssey’ for children and families in Swords in June. The magic of a full orchestra was brought directly to children in school settings and families in the newly refurbished Carnegie Library Swords Educate Together National School, Gaelscoil Bhrian Bóroimhe and Scoil Chrónáín Senior National School responded to the invitation issued by Fingal Arts Office. Musicians Niall O’Sullivan, Shóna Henneberry and Denice Doyle visited each school over three weeks to mentor children in carefully selected songs about inclusivity, diversity, and resilience, alongside the intricate art of ensemble performance. Children were encouraged to explore the layers

of orchestral compositions in preparation for performing in front of their peers accompanied by the 35 professional musicians forming the Irish School Orchestra.

Children got acquainted to the instruments of the orchestra and to the classical masterworks, memorable film scores, beloved TV themes and captivating opera & contemporary arias.

AnnMarie Farrelly, Chief Executive of Fingal County Council commented, ‘Fingal Arts Office is committed to the enhancement of children’s music education and strives to establish educational partnerships that underscore the pivotal importance of music in a child’s development’.

Niall O’Sullivan, Musical Director said, ‘Highly

skilled professionals are at the heart of the Irish School Orchestra, which serves as a catalyst for the development of young minds, inspiring audiences, and musicians alike’, he continued, ‘In an era defined by constant stimulation, this project offers children an oasis and an opportunity to witness the transformative magic of live music’. Cruinniú na nÓg , Creative Ireland’s annual day of free creative activity for children and young people, has gone from strength to strength since its launch in 2018. This event is unique to Ireland and is the flagship initiative of the Creative Ireland Programme’s Creative Youth Plan, which aims to enable the creative potential of children and young people.

Planning Cover For Different Life Stages

By Dave Kavanagh

There are very different cover requirements in terms of what stage of life you are at. This is primarily based on the financial loss that may occur in certain eventualities. For those in their 20’s or 30’s, they may have recently purchased their first home, maybe started a family, and are settling into a career. This is the stage with potentially, the biggest financial loss, as their mortgage may still be quite substantial, children are young (so will remain dependant for longer) and savings may not be built up yet (or were used to buy their home.) Planning is so important at this stage, to make sure their is sufficient life cover, serious illness cover and income protection. The good news is that the younger you are and the earlier you plan, the cheaper these types of protection are. The next stage, possible 40’s or 50’s, as children are older or grown up, mortgage balance is lower, and some savings have been built up. At this stage, it is a good time to “future proof” cover, while it is still relatively affordable and also, possible to be accepted for cover. It may be that health issues have occurred, needing you to avail of conversion options that are already in place with existing cover (if you don’t know if your cover has such an option, now is the time to check!) The financial loss may not be as potentially high as the earlier stage so lower

amounts of cover are more appropriate. At the stage when people are coming close to, or have reached retirement, it will very much depend on their own, specific circumstances, as some may be mortgage-free and have good pension and savings in place. Others may still have a mortgage to clear and may not have made the same provisions for pension and savings. Either way, the specific, potential financial loss needs to be examined to make sure sufficient planning is in place. This could range from simply making sure things like funeral costs would be covered, up to planning that inheritance tax is cleared from any estate you may leave behind, by commencing a section 72 plan. Whichever stage you’re at, make the time to plan.

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.

Fingal aiming to be Ireland’s premier agri-food and culinary tourism destination

Personality TV host and food writer Donal Skehan has welcomed a new Fingal Food & Drink Policy which looks to create a sustainable and vibrant food community in the County, celebrating local food provenance and positioning Fingal as a premier culinary tourism destination. The well-known Fingal native was at Newbridge House and Farm in Donabate ahead of Flavours of Fingal - Ireland’s largest county show - for the launch of the new policy which has a strong focus on sustainability and tourism development.

Fingal boasts a thriving food and drink sector encompassing diverse culinary traditions, local producers and a flourishing hospitality sector. Recognising the ongoing importance of fostering a long term, sustainable and thriving food sector, the policy was developed following an extensive process of consultation and research.

Speaking at the launch, Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Brian McDonagh, said: “Food and drink are significant sectors within Fingal, and it is vital that we have in place a co-ordinated, proactive, and sustainable approach to their ongoing development. The launch of this policy is positive step that will help make Fingal a leader in the agri-food sector nationally and further develop our food tourism potential.

“By adopting an innovative piece of work like this, we will be able to showcase our thriving local food culture, promote artisan produce and highlight wonderful food experiences, thereby ensuring that Fingal can be put firmly on the map as a premier culinary tourism destination.”

Along with a focus on sustainability, the new policy will look at helping support businesses and economic growth, develop greater food tourism experiences, engage the community on the benefits of their local food provenance, celebrate Fingal’s horticultural history and celebrate culinary excellence across the county.

Attending the event, Darragh O’Brien TD, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, said: “As a local resident I am delighted to see a focus on the promotion and enhancement of the food and drink sector in the region. Fingal is home to an impressive number of heritage attractions where food is of paramount importance. What’s more, it is a place that gives visitors and locals alike access to some amazing experiences like Flavours of Fingal, the Howth Maritime and Seafood Festival, craft beer and whiskey tastings and so much more. I look forward to seeing the impact this policy will have on enhancing Fingal as hub for culinary excellence.”

Through strategic partnerships, innovative programmes and effective communication, the Policy aims to create a thriving and resilient food community that contributes to the economic, social and cultural well-being of Fingal.

John Quinlivan, Director of Economic Development and Tourism, commented: “For many years Fingal’s food and drink sector has played a significant role in the local economy. We want to encourage further development of the sector in a way that is not only sustainable but is done in close collaboration with the many communities and stakeholders across the county. By working together, we can boost tourism, generate employment opportunities, and ensure that Fingal plays a crucial role in shaping the growth and future of the Irish food and beverage industry.”

The Policy, commissioned by Fingal County Council, is a collaboration between the Tourism and Economic Development Departments and the Local Enterprise Office Fingal. The launch event at the historic Newbridge location included a lunch and showcase marquee from the members of Fingal Food Network who have been supported by Fingal County Council since their inception.

TV personality and food writer Donal Skehan, with Mayor of Fingal Brian McDonagh and Chair of the Fingal Food Network Breda Leonard

Enjoying the last of summer while getting ready for Back to school

It’s that crazy time of year when we’re trying our best to entertain the kids through summer break while getting prepared for back to school!

Some wonderful events are happening at Theatre Of Light in Dublin, including the Lego Bricktionary and Dream Today Tomorrow exhibitions. Perfect for getting the kids imaginations going!

Funtasia Theme Park in Drogheda has lots to do, from bowling to skyclimb to water activities perfect for all ages and especially good when the weather is not great as its all indoors.

As Mammies scramble to sort uniforms, bags, shoes and all the other Back to school essentials, one of our top tips is to LABEL EVERYTHING!! If you’ve ever seen the lost and found box in a school, you’ll know how important it is to label everything your child brings to school. My daughter once lost her shoes, yes shoes! so now we label absolutely everything. MyNametags is our go to for labels and stickers. You can personalise MyNametags them with your child’s name and your contact number so if something goes missing, you’re more likely to get it back once it’s labelled! We have some sets of labels/stickers

to give away, head over to mams.ie or our FB page to enter!

With uniforms being so expensive, look out for offers. Tesco sometimes run 25% off uniforms for Clubcard users. ALDI has a full uniform for under €5. Penney’s are excellent value for coats, bags and shoes. Dunnes have great quality jumpers and cardigans that you can add the school crest to yourself –which is a great way to save money. For teens who don’t converse in the mornings, earbuds are essential, and Gadget Geek in Ilac Shopping Centre has an excellent range at competitive prices. Hoco in Ilac SC has really good value iPad covers, to help keep your child’s school technology safe if (and inevitably when) it is accidentally dropped! Regatta has superb raincoats with reflective strips to keep kids visible on dark mornings and gloomy evenings as autumn approaches.

For more tips and competitions for back to school and summer days out, follow us on:

https://mams.ie/ https://www.facebook.com/ mams.ireland

https://www.instagram.com/ mams.ie/?hl=en

https://twitter.com/mams_ie

Sweephead Release New SelfTitled

EP

Swords based band Sweep Head have recently released their self-titled album and since the 5th of July, the album has become available to download online.

Their Debut EP has three new songs and is the first music released by the group. The songs where recorded in the start of 2024 in sonic studio. These three new songs are a blend of classic rock and roll and more psychedelic sounds. The new EP is released by Moltesanti records and is distributed worldwide by DistroKid.

“We spent a large part of this year and last year working on our sound and now we are finally ready to release our music to people,” said Sweep Head’s bassist and Vocalist Sean Walsh. He went on to say, “people can expect to hear a blend of a variety of genres and can expect more of this sound in the future”.

Traffic Chaos Concerns over Balbriggan Wind Farm says Community Forum

Malahide & Swords residents are facing an unprecedented level of traffic chaos in the coming two years, according to David Greene, Chair of the Malahide Community Forum. The Forum is the umbrella group for over 20 residents’ associations in Malahide and they have been monitoring plans for bringing huge electrical cables from an offshore wind farm near Balbriggan through Swords and Malahide to join up with the national grid at Balgriffin.

“The recently lodged planning application by the wind farm operators seeks full road closures for months at a time along Estuary Road, the Swords Road and the Malahide Road into Balgriffin”, says Greene.

“The wind farm operator held public consultation meetings but never mentioned the extent of these full road closures. Diversions

Seeing the light

In January 1947 Tommy White’s pub and grocery shop, in my native Oldtown, North County Dublin, became the first premises in Ireland to be lit up under the Rural Electrification Scheme, which brought electricity to around 1.75 million people. Although not far from Swords or the airport, and only around twenty miles from where Nelson’s Pillar then stood, the area was quintessential countryside. Speaking on a documentary about the scheme the muchlamented Micheal O’Muircheartaigh said “Oldtown was as rural as Kerry”. Incidentally, Micheal’s brother Paddy Moriarty served a chief executive of ESB. Getting connected took time and could be expensive depending on the distance you lived from the nearest pole. Some of the older generations were sceptical, fearing the cost and disruption. Others worried the new-fangled yoke was the spawn of a dark force, capable of

are planned but that only makes the situation worse as it forces all traffic (buses, lorries, cars, bikes and pedestrians) onto smaller roads and residential estates” according to the Malahide Community Forum who have analysed plans lodged with the planning application.

With residents of both towns already complaining about the extent of traffic gridlock throughout the day, these plans will have a huge detrimental impact on all residents.

“Imagine trying to get kids from Seabury to Malahide Community School -it could take up to an extra hour to complete that journey.

Thinking of going from Malahide to the airport? You’ll probably need to allow an extra 45 minutes to complete that journey at the latest, and possibly more at peak times” notes Greene.

frying them or burning their house to the ground. Following years of persuasion my grandmother eventually agreed to allow “the light” into the kitchen and one bedroom. The shadeless bulbs were turned on an off by pulling a string – a temptation this mischievous kid could not resist. Apart from a dangerous two pin connection on the bulb holders, there were no sockets, which was immaterial, given that granny’s most up to date gadget was a hand turned churn, she used for making her trademark unpalatable, butter which could be smelt in the next parish.

Meanwhile, our branch of the family lived in an antiquated gate lodge, lit by a paraffin oil lamp until we moved into a new house in 1968. At last, we had entered the twentieth century with sockets aplenty but nothing to plug into them. Suspecting we were close relatives of the Flintstones, one of new neighbours kindly gave us an electric kettle. Overjoyed, my mother no longer had to rise at the crack of dawn to coax a reluctant fire into life, in order to make tea for the breakfast and fill my

The Forum say they have identified an alternative route that avoids road closures by going cross-country, which is considered standard operating procedure in the UK. It would be a shorter route, cost less and lead to lower carbon emissions because of less traffic jams. Whilst the wind farm operator did meet the Forum to discuss their proposed route, Greene feels that the operator was too far advanced in their plans to fully consider the alternative route.

The Forum say they are appealing to An Bord Pleanala to force the operator to give proper and full consideration to their proposal. They are also engaging with local councillors, seeking to get Fingal County Council to also compel the operator to take into account the alternative route proposal.

father’s flask before he headed to his day’s toil. Later we purchased more “mod cons” including a primitive washing machine with a mangle dryer on top. Today our homes are the stuff of science fiction; equipped with technology to preform every conceivable task. But occasionally it’s interesting to remember the pre-electric era when drudgery was rife, but paradoxically, we had more time.

News from St Colmcilles GFC

We at St Colmcilles are looking to grow our teams. If you are interested in playing Gaelic football, please come along. Training will resume for this programme Thursday 29th August

Save the date 24th August. For the community of Swords, we are holding our annual Family Fun Day. All welcome!

Are you new to area. Looking to meet more people. Gaelic for Mothers and others is a great way for women of all ages to meet new people. Call Deirdre on 087-9309962 if you are interested.

Next year, 2025, St Colmcilles will mark its 90th year, we are looking to create a book of memories. If you have a story to tell or photos of years gone by, please email them into usstcolmcillesswords@gmail.com

Sunny Skies and Super Times at Fingal 10k

The Fingal 10k took place in Swords on Sunday 14th July in what was a superb event that saw a very large entry list taking to the roads in fantastic weather conditions.

The streets were lined with supporters attending the event that is part of the 2024 Irish Life Dublin Race Series that attracts entrants from Fingal, the Greater Dublin area and from around the country.

Hugh Armstrong was the first man home in a time of 29:39 making it back-to-back victories in the event for

the Ballina AC member. There was also jubilation for Michelle Finn of Leevale AC who was the first woman across the line in a time of 34:35.

The top 3 men were: Hugh Armstrong Ballina AC 29:39; Jamie Fallon Craughwell AC 30:45; Peter Somba Ratoath AC 30:57

The top 3 Women were: Michelle Finn - Leevale AC 34:45; Caitlyn Harvey - Roadrunners AC 35:39; Kate PurcellRaheny AC 35:46

The Fingal 10k gets underway

Mens Winner Hugh Armstrong makes it back-to-back victories at the Fingal 10k

Michelle Finn is the first woman to cross the line

Top three men Hugh Armstrong Jamie Fallon and Peter Somba

Top three women Michelle Finn Caitlyn Harvey and Kate Purcell

Swords Karate Club News

Members of Swords Karate Club gathered recently in their final preparations before travelling to Tokyo Japan for the JKS World Karate Championships 2024.

They attended an early morning training session on Portmarnock Beach where they trained solidly for an hour covering the required Kihon, Kata and Kumite that will prepare them for the Championships. Following this, the Squad braved the 13C water for some team building exercises. Great fun was had by all!

Later the Squad convened for another, more technical training session in which Dermot Sensei brought them through the finer elements of competing in karate. The session was rounded off with the Squad being presented with their official Squad Kit for the trip.

The Squad is looking forward to representing their Club and Country at the JKS World Karate Championships and would like to thank everyone in the community who supported them in their fundraising efforts to get the Squad to this point. A full report of the trip and results of the Championship will be in the next edition.

Our Club is always looking for new members (Children, Young People & Adults). Contact Dermot on 087-8073885 for details on how to join our club. You can also contact us on Facebook: JKS Swords Karate Club or on Instagram: @jks_swords_karate_club

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

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