North County Leader - 01st December 2015

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1st December 2015 • Volume 22, Issue 42 • Leader House, North Street, Swords, Co. Dublin. EirCode: K67 P5W4. • Tel: 01 8•400•200 • [email protected] • www.northcountyleader.ie

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Milverton Off Road MotorCycle Club Awards night was held in the Milestone Inn Balbriggan recently. The event provedto be a great success. Pictured here are all the local winners on the night

Calls ToMake YourVoices HeardTransport Minister, Paschal Donohoe hasannounced changes to the rail and Dartservices, which is claimed will have a benefi-cial effect for North County train commuters.

Plans for earlier trains and extra services areamong the proposals that have been published,as part of a public consultation process, geared

towards overhauling some of the busiest railservices, much of which operate in the NorthCounty region. The new proposals for 2016 are specifically fortimetables of services that use Connolly Station,and also include plans to run Dart trains every10 minutes on weekdays.The proposed move will see an earlier start forthe Malahide line, beginning at 5.50am, asopposed to its current starting time of 6.30am.People from the commuter areas of the NorthCounty however, feel that the changes onlybenefit Malahide, Portmarnock and the Dartstations towards the city.Services from Dundalk will also be increased infrequency, and a new express service is beingproposed which would depart from Dundalk at7.55am and serve Drogheda 25 minutes later enroute to the capital. The morning train to Dublin from Belfast willalso stop in Dundalk at the earlier time of7.30am and in Drogheda at 7.54am.

The minister said this move came “in responseto the greater demand that is there for publicservices,” and would be made possible by Dublin’s new signalling project which was announced as part of the Government’sCapital Plan.Balbriggan based General Election candidate,Tony Murphy was not impressed by theGovernment’s plans. He highlighted key points on service toBalbriggan and other North County stations. “There will be no increase in frequency inservices, despite the current inadequatecapacity at off-peak times, both travelling toand returning from Dublin. There will be longergaps between times of trains going and thetime between trains home around 4pm iscurrently 30 minutes. This will increase to onehour,” he said.He also highlighted changes to evening peak

trains would mean even greater overcrowding,i.e. the 17.13 train from Pearse Station will run10 minutes later, and the 17.28 will run 15minutes later. These changes will increasenumbers on the earlier train and delay depar-ture times of both trains.Continued on page 8

Lusk Tidy Towns launched their Christmas Card and Calendar at Murray's Top Shop, Lusk on Friday, 20th Novemberlast. The launch was performed by local senator, Darragh O'Brien. Pictured on the night are, Albert Cruise, Paul Bird,Doris Steinbatz, Senator Darragh O'Brien, Pat Kelly, Chairperson of Lusk Tidy Towns and Cllr Brian Dennehy

By Patrick Finnegan

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Christmas Bonus Will Boost Local EconomyThe Tánaiste andMinister for SocialProtection, Joan Burtonhas announced detailsof the Christmas bonusthat will directly

benefit 1.2 millionsocial welfarecustomers and theirdependants. This Christmas bonus,which was already

announced in theBudget, is planned tobe implementedduring the first week ofDecember. Pensioners,people with disabili-

ties, carers, singleparents and peoplewho are long-termunemployed willreceive a bonus of 75per cent this Christmasseason. Being abol-ished in 2009 by theprevious Government,the Christmas bonus

was partially restoredby the Tánaiste lastyear and is beingincreased this year.The Tánaiste said:“The bonus is notaimed at retiredpeople at a verystressful time of theyear , it is supposed tohelp a range of othervulnerable people. One

very important point tobe highlighted is thatthe bonus is spentwithin the localeconomy. This way itprovides a boost notonly for the individualsand families whoreceive it, but also forlocal businesses andthe community,” sheconcluded.

Old Borough School Christmas Fair In SwordsThe Old Borough National School in Swords is having their ChristmasFair on Saturday the 5th of December from 11am to 2pm. Come along toenjoy festive bakes, treats, gifts and prizes that can be won. The event,organised by the Parent Teacher Association (PTA), is the biggest eventof it’s kind for the school and aims to raise vital funds for educationalsupports for children including a new projector and financial support forafter-school activities and school events.

BucketCollections ForRemember UsThe lead up to Christmas is alwaysa very busy time for Remember UsSpecial Needs Support group.They always have a numberof Christmas themed activi-t ies happening duringNovember andDecember. Last weekthey held a Sale of Workand Cake Sale in theCombined Clubs,Balbriggan, while on Tuesdaylast, 24th November, the groupheld a Christmas Food and Wine

Fare in the Bracken Court Hotel,Balbriggan. Nora Roban,Founder/Group Co-ordinator said,“Our next fundraising event will beon Saturday 5th and Sunday 6thDecember, with a BucketCollection in the Pavil ionsShopping Centre, Swords. Then onFriday 11th and Saturday 12th

December, another BucketCollection will take place in

Millfield Shopping Centre,Balbriggan.”“We would like to takethis opportunity to thank

everyone for their supportduring 2015 and wish each

and every one of you a veryHappy and Peaceful Christmas,”she concluded.

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Skerries Man ChosenAs Bord BiaAmbassador

Following a competitive recruitment process, BordBia have selected three Dublin natives to becomeglobal Bord Bia Origin Green Ambassadors.

Included among the three is DavidHagan from Skerries, along withOwen Keogh and CliodhnaghConlon from Dublin.They were each chosen for oneof just ten positions. In their newroles, they will relocate over-

seas to promote the Irishfood and drink industryand in particular, buildawareness of its commit-ment to sustainabilityunder the Origin Greenprogramme. Bord Bia’sOrigin Green is theworld’s first sustain-ability programmefor a country’s entirefood and drinksector.

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Cliodhnagh will undertake a two-year programmewhich aims to develop expertise in the area ofBusiness Sustainability specific to the Irish foodand drink industry. Following an intensive induc-tion, involving study at the UCD Michael SmurfitBusiness School and industry briefings, they willbe assigned to overseas markets and internationalcompany placements to promote Origin Green andcommunicate the benefits of sourcing food anddrink from Ireland to key global customers. Theywill also gather insight into trade strategies and feed this back to the industry at home here in Ireland.Speaking about the Origin Green Ambassadors,Michael Murphy, a director with Bord Bia said,“The people we have selected are professionalswith high potential who have aspirations tobecome future leaders in the Irish food industry.We welcome our new Origin Green Ambassadorsand wish them luck as they begin their importantjourney, helping us share and develop the OriginGreen story internationally.”The County Leader spoke to David Hagen, who hadthis to say of his new venture; “I’m from a farmingfamily myself from a farm just outside Skerries,and this is an unbelievable opportunity. Being froma farming family, and being able to promote whatmy friends and family in the farming sector do is anamazing thing. My goal now is to make sure thatthe agricultural sector remains sustainable inIreland. You couldn’t buy this opportunity, we willbe taught sustainability techniques by some worldclass organisations. I’m really excited at theprospects that lie ahead.”

By Aoife Read

David Hagen from Skerries

Three girls fromRivervalley, Swords haverecently won the Irish GirlGuide’s Gold Award inrecognition for theiroutstanding service fortheir local communityamongst othersuccessful accomplish-ments in the run of thecompetition. The competition aims toteach young girls cruciallife skills that will helpthem become leaders intheir communities andneighbourhoods and tolive up to their potentials.This year, 140 girls agedbetween 14 and 15 yearshave launched their owninitiative and shown self-motivation, commitmentand enthusiasm to gainthis award. They havefaced challenges and up-to-date issues such aspublic speaking, wood-work, renewable ener-gies, Fairtrade andcultural awareness.Commenting on the

competition, Irish GirlGuides (IGG) presidentMaureen Dillon said:“We in Irish Girl Guides

are extremely proud torecognise the achieve-ment made by ourmembers receiving theirGold Awards. It is a cele-bration of their hardwork and commitment totheir local communities

and to becoming confi-dent and responsible citi-zens of the wider world.”The delighted winnersNaoise Sweeney, JodieBermingham andKathryn O’Flaherty said:“We have thoroughlyenjoyed doing the chal-lenges and have gainedgreat confidence fromtaking part in the award.We are really proud ofourselves and our

achievement.” Theirleaders, who accompa-nied them through thewhole experience, haveexpressed their pride aswell. “They pushed them-selves out of theircomfort zone while devel-oping their team-workingand leadership skills.They are excellent rolemodels for the youngerGuides who now aspireto be like them,”Rivervalley Guide LeaderCarol O’Brady said.

Swords Girls Receive Gold Award

Pictured at the Irish Guides Gold Awards ceremony are Councillor Janice Boylan andleader Mary Clooney with the winners Naoise Sweeney, Jodie Bermingham and KathrynO'Flaherty with leader Marian Mulvey and Irish Girl Guides' President Maureen Dillon.

By Olivia Leth

Local councillor,Duncan Smith (Lab)has expressedconcerns about alarge site off GlenEllan Road in Swords,which has been sold18 months ago, withno information forth-coming as to whatwill be built there.Smith spoke to theCounty Leader aboutconcerns which resi-dents in neighbouring estates haveabout the site. “I have received anumber of queries regarding thesite on the Glen Ellan Road, whichhas been bought by a companycalled Argentum Holdings TwoLimited There is a lot of concern

and disquiet as towhat the plans are forthis site, which isquite large. There hasbeen no activity orpre-planning meetingwith the CountyCouncil. This wasconfirmed at the lastCouncil meeting,”said Smith.“We have had thislarge SOLD sign over-looking residents in

nearby Southbank estate and Ihave received calls from residentshere, as well as some in Glen Ellan.The concern is that this is a verybusy road, particularly in themorning and we want to know whatimpact plans for this site will have

on the local community. Further upthe road, we have the MooretownOldtown Development Plan that iszoned for further housing.”“Local residents are genuinelyconcerned over plans for this siteand the impact it will have on localtraffic. This has been rumbling onfor much too long now. I placed aquestion to the Council and theyconfirmed that no contact has beenmade with the owners. I havewritten to the owners on a numberof occasions, but there has been noresponse,” he said.“This is a prime site in the middle ofa young vibrant community and weneed to know what’s happening.I’m calling on the Council to findout from the owners what the plansare for this site. We have a CountyDevelopment Plan coming up inJanuary and I will be looking at thisarea of Swords in particular to try tomake it as good and sustainable aspossible,” he concluded.

Vacant Swords SiteCausing Concern

Cllr Duncan Smith is picturedbeside the vacant site.

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NursesCall ForActionIt has been reported that 99 per centof nurses at Beaumont will servestrike notices after members of theINMO voted in favour of industrialaction. The move comes as dissatis-faction grows due to increasinglyunsafe conditions, for both patientsand staff, that continues to plague thecountry’s hospitals.

The strike comes off the back of newsthat there are currently 45 vacanciesacross medical and surgical direc-torates in Beaumont Hospital. Nurseshave warned that the severe under-staffing is impinging on their ability toprovide even the most basic care totheir patients. The County Leader contacted localrepresentative of the INMO, LorraineMonaghan who told us; “The situa-tion in Beaumont A and E is unsafe.Patients are left on trollies, it’s over-crowded, noisy and chaotic. It can bevery frightening for elderly patients ofwhom we have a lot of in Beaumontas we have a larger number of elderlypatients than any other hospital inthe area. We are unable to provideadequate care for them, they are lefton chairs and trollies for hours and itis totally unacceptable.”She went on to tell us that this is aproblem the INMO have been tryingto address for many years. “We havebeen highlighting our fears for a longtime now. We have been left with no

other option but to engage in workstoppages. For the past 10 years wehave been highlighting the issues wehave regarding A and E over-crowding, and in those 10 years wehave seen patient numbers rise andstaffing levels fall. It’s unsafe forpatients as they are receiving suboptimal care and our memberssimply cannot tolerate it any more.” It’s not just the patients who aresuffering from the chronic situationand Lorraine explained that the staffare feeling desperate and exhaustedbecause of the current state ofaffairs. “Members are spread toothinly on the ground and it is not onlyhaving an impact on the patients buton the staff too. We have membersreporting sleepless nights due to high stress levels. It’s not something you can just leave at workand go home and not have it followyou home.”She went on to say that, “We havebeen left with no other choice but totake action.”Senator Darragh O’Brien (FF), hascome out in support of the action. Hehas said that it is no surprise givenrecent reports and statistics onworking conditions. “It is worryingwhen the INMO says that staff areclose to burnout as they are facedwith impossible workloads day inday out. They have been highlightingtheir serious concerns with manage-ment for some time now. However,the situation has continued to dete-riorate as nurse staffing levelscontinue to fall,” he said. He has called for the vacancies to befilled immediately, saying that this issomething that needs to beaddressed by the Minister for Healthand the HSE with urgency in order toaddress the concerns of the INMO.

Each year, Balbriggan branch of St Vincent de Paul Society launch a Christmas Giving Tree at Millfield Shopping Centre.The idea is that members of the public can take a tag from the tree, which can be for an adult or a child and purchase agift for them, then drop the gift into the collection point beside the tree. Pictured at the launch on Saturday, 21stNovember last are, Peter Carey (Millfield Centre Manager) with St Vincent de Paul members, Robert Cullen, Agnes Troy,Mary Murray (President), Sharon McGann and Deirdre Barry

Pictured with one of Santa's elves at Millfield Shopping Centre recently were Liam andDanny Finnegan

Knitted ChristmasTree In SkerriesA unique Christmas tree has been designed bythe ladies of Skerries Knitters, who meet everyWednesday at Skerries Mills. What makes thisChristmas Tree so special is that it was knittedby the ladies of the club. One of the knitters,

Margaret Cribben told the County Leader abouthow the idea came about. “One of the ladies inthe group saw a photograph on the internet lastsummer of a similar tree and when she brought itin, we decided that we would start knitting some-thing similar for Christmas.” “The knitted Christmas tree has a wooden basewith two pieces interlocked. It was then boundedwith plastic netting to give the tree its shape. LastMonday week, we started stitching the squares

from the bottom up, sothat they overlappedlike leaves. One of ourladies, Geraldine Clarkedid all the intricate lacework, with other deco-rations were done byother members.Originally we thought itwould be a goodfundraiser for charityand we hope to put itup for sale for the IrishCancer Society, prob-ably after Christmas. Atthe moment, we justwant people here inSkerries Mills to enjoyit,” said Margaret.

Pictured beside the knitted Christmas Tree at Skerries Mills are members of SkerriesKnitting Club, Judi Hopkinson, Margaret Cribben and Geraldine Clarke

Average House Price DroppedThe price of theaverage three-bed semidetached house in theNorth County has fallenby 1 per cent to€247,500 in the lastthree months. This wasfound by a nationwideproperty survey.According to JohnCumisky from RealEstate Alliance (REA)Cumisky in Balbriggan,the property market

has softened in recentmonths with a declinein enquires but interestin entry-level proper-ties around €150,000remains strong.Spiralling rents will cutoff mortgages as anoption for many youngcouples unless theCentral Bank revisit therules, raise exemptionlimits and includesecond-time buyers,

according to REA. Justas many couplescannot afford to get onthe housing ladder,second-time buyerscannot move and freeup cheaper propertiesfor new entrants andcausing a logjam in thecapital.“Our agents on theground are reporting agrowing withdrawal ofcouples aged between

25-40 from the marketdue to the new mort-gage deposit regula-tions,” REA ChiefExecutive Philip Farrellsaid. “When theCentral Bank intro-duced the new rules,they stated that theycould revisit them, andwe believe that they

need to do so as amatter of urgency,” headded. The REA proposed thatthe price ceiling for firsttime buyers should beextended to €330,000.Second-time buyersshould be assisted byallowing them toborrow 90 per cent upto €220,000 as thecurrent requirementsare too prohibitive. Theaverage three-bed semiprice rose by 0.71 percent to €206,676 incommuter counties andthe larger cities overthe three month period.

By Aoife Read


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‘A Portrait Of Connemara’ - A Review‘A Portrait ofConnemara’ is the firstpublication of theprofessional photogra-pher Mark Joyce, anative of Connemara.The book which is bothprofessional andpersonal, canonly be called aphotographicdiary of the lifethat he hasspent there.Being a visitor toIreland, I couldnot help butnotice that Irishpeople tend toforget how beau-tiful the land-scape is thatsurrounds them.How lucky they are to bea part of what is referredto as ‘the green island’,that is shrouded in

legend and whose cultureis admired by the rest ofthe world. ‘A Portrait of Connemara’is more than a reminderto the Irish people, it is atribute to the author’s

home using a very visuallanguage that does notneed words to communi-cate the message.

Between green hills,sandy beaches along theIrish west coast andlonely roads, leadingthrough the both meagreand rich landscape of

Connemara, theauthor tells storiesfrom his childhood,shares traditionsfrom and usefulfacts about thearea and invitesthe reader to jointhe journey acrossone of the mosti m p r e s s i v eregions of thecountry.Photographs ofwild landscapes

are intertwined withthose of small details thatadd a very interestingcontrast and a child’sperspective that oftenreminds us of the little

things in life and theirimportance. “As a child, Ispent many happy hoursdrawing maps. Thesemaps included both realand imaginary places.This was my method ofrecording time, my cartographic diary,” itsays in the book, giving avery personal insightinto how a childhood inConnemara must havebeen like. But one thingis for sure, whilebrowsing through thephotographs, theirbeauty will make youdoubt if some of theplaces are real or if theyare imaginary.

By Olivia Leth

Mystery Over Future OfThornton HallMany people will wonderwhat happened to thesite of the proposedsuper prison, which was

due to be located atKilsallaghan in ruralNorth County Dublin. Thesite was purchased foralmost €30 million in2005 at the height of theboom, but plans fordelivery of the country’sfirst super prison were

scuppered by theeconomic collapse in2008.The site now stands idle,with a half developedroadway going nowhereand street lighting insitu. The site is now esti-mated to be worth amere €2.4 million.A report in a nationalnewspaper recentlysuggests that plans areafoot to locate a newgarda base on the vacant

By Aoife Read

site at Thornton Hall.The idea of locating agarda headquarters hereis one option underconsideration. Around800 gardai attached tothe Garda NationalSupport Services will berequired to move out oftheir current headquartersat Harcourt Street inDublin by the end of 2016.The Harcourt Streetbuilding is currently hometo the Criminal Assets

Bureau, Garda Bureau ofFraud Investigation andthe National Bureau ofCriminal Investigation.Noel Waters, the actingsecretary general of theDepartment of Justice,said the Thornton Hallsite is now a possiblelocation for the new garda

base.However, the proposalhas received a mixedreaction from officers. Asource said: “There arethose who would prefer tokeep the national units ata location in Dublin CityCentre or at a locationclose to the centre, wheremany of the major investi-gations are taking place.But there are those whobelieve Thornton Hallwould be suitablebecause it has greataccess to the motorways.With rural crime a bigissue at the moment,many believe that havinga Garda HQ at this loca-tion would be a goodoption.The County Leadercontacted the Departmentof Justice and aspokesperson told us

that; “In January 2015 aworking group was estab-lished by the Departmentof Justice and Equality toexamine options for thefuture use of theThornton site. The workof the group is ongoing.As part of its work thegroup, which includes arepresentative of theOffice of Public Works, ismeeting with other rele-vant State agencies toconsider future useoptions.”Many localtaxpayers willwonder why somuch moneywas spent on asite, to thensimply allow itto lie dormantfor the bestpart of 10 yearsand what, ifanything, isgoing to bedone to try and salvage it.We spoke to local TDClare Daly about thecontroversial develop-ment. “We know from aComptroller and AuditorGeneral report that theState paid “at least twicethe market price” for theland, which cost around

€200,000 per square acreat a time when land in thearea was selling forbetween €20,000 and€30,000. So Irish citizenswere saddled with payingfor yet another whiteelephant without anyconsultation” she said. She warned against theidea of revisiting originalplans for a super prison;“From the beginning, theidea to site a ‘superprison’ there was ill-conceived – the location

is absolutelyinappropriate,and the wholeidea of ‘superprisons’ is adreadful onethat interna-tional evidenceshows doesnothing toaddress over-crowding, andjust works to

increase the prison popu-lation. On that basis,prison plans shouldn’t berevived.”When asked what shethought of future ideasfor the ill fated site, shesaid that; “it’s beyondunacceptable thatanything owned by the

State should be under-utilised. A portion of thesite is currently beingused for the ThorntonHall Horticultural Project,and that’s great.” Shewent on to highlightsome possible ideas forthe site, includingexpanding the horticul-tural project to providemore allotments forDublin, other horticul-tural uses such asbeekeeping, fruit andvegetable production or acombination of thosethings. She went on toadd that; “If the Stateengaged in consultationswith the HorticulturalSociety, the Departmentof Agriculture andTeagasc a plan could bedrawn up that wouldmake good use of theland, while also providinga visitor attraction andlocal amenities.”People who spoke to thisnewspaper believe it tobe an absolute travestythat a site with suchpotential should remainso criminally underused.The mystery of the futureof Thornton Hall seemsset to go unsolved forsome time to come.

Clare Daly TD


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Continued from page 1He pointed out that there is still no train fromthe city at a convenient t ime on Sundayevening, e.g. no train runs between 17.15 and19.15.He concluded by saying, “One of the majorproposed changes relates to frequency ofDART services which are changing from 15minute intervals to 10 minute intervals. Whilethis change will be welcomed by DARTcommuters, it will have a significantnegative impact on commuter trains.”Green Party General Election candidate,Joe O’Brien was in agreement with hisfellow Balbriggan based candidate andwas less than impressed with the newproposals and he reacted with disbeliefthat Balbriggan, Skerries, Rush, Luskand Donabate are being overlooked inIrish Rail’s expansion proposals. He said, “This government seems to be totallyunaware of the pressure that North CountyDublin commuters are enduring on a dailybasis. As it stands, the current rail service isinadequate for Balbriggan, Skerries, Rush,Lusk and Donabate. Indeed Balbriggan had amorning service cut two years ago, which hasnot yet been reinstated. All these towns aregrowing and indeed the North County as awhole will be growing significantly in theyears ahead.”

“This inadequate proposal from Irish Railshows that now, more than ever, we needbetter oversight of how North County Dublindevelops in the years ahead.The decision to exclude Balbriggan, Skerries,Rush, Lusk and Donabate from the expan-sion of services is hard to believe, but whatis outrageous is the fact that all these townare actually having their rail service reduced

by losing a service on Saturdays.In addition, we have an M1 and M50that are increasingly overloaded anddangerous. We need to be trying topull motorists off the roads and intopublic transport where possible, notvice versa. It also says a lot abouthow deceiving government spin is. Ihave not iced government sourcespublicising how great this ‘proposed

expansion’ is for the North County, whenactually it is a reduction in services for thetowns mentioned! Voters should be verywary of promises of projects and spendingthat are going to be announced between nowand the election. Both Murphy and O’Briena r e u r g i n g t h e p e o p l e o f B a l b r i g g a n ,Skerries, Rush, Lusk and Donabate to makesure their voices are heard, as there is apublic consultation opened on the proposedn e w t i m e t a b l e u n t i l 8 t h D e c e m b e r v i awww.irishrail.ie

Calls To Make Your Voices Heard

Thousands of shoppers availed of early Black Friday offers at Blanchardstown Centre'sDazzling Discount Night on Thursday, 26th November. Over 100 stores offeredcustomers exclusive discounts including Dunnes Stores, Superdry, River Island, H&M,BT2 and many more stores at Blanchardstown Centre. Dublin All-Ireland winning GAAstars, Bernard and Alan Brogan and Michael Darragh MacAuley switched on theBlanchardstown Centre Christmas Lights and launched their annual Giving Tree Appealin aid of St. Vincent de Paul. They are pictured here with MC on the night, Ray Shah

Swords based company, One4all, have launched a national search in a bid to find facesthat radiate joy. The official Christmas campaign launch event took place at the GPO onWednesday 25th November last. The response was overwhelming, with thousands ofhopeful entrants submitting their selfies in a bid to appear in One4all’s Christmasadvert. From laughing toddlers to gleeful grannies, the best of the nation’s beamingfaces appeared on social media to take part.Pictured at the launch are Peter Quinn and Michael Dawson, founder of One4All

SEAI Launches AnnualSchools Competition The Sustainable EnergyAuthority of Ireland(SEAI) is calling on allprimary and postprimary students in theNorth County, to puttheir minds to the testand come up withcreative ideas to tackleclimate change andenter this year’s compe-tition titled ‘One GoodIdea’. The competition encour-ages students to runenergy awarenesscampaigns to changebehaviour and improveenergy efficiency in theirhomes, schools andcommunities. Since it was firstlaunched in 2008, over5,000 students havecreated energy savingcampaigns whichtargeted almost 100,000children, teenagers andadults in the locality andbeyond. Students areencouraged to researchand plan their energysaving campaign, runthe campaign in theirhome and school andthen create a pitch videoof their results. If thecampaign is successfulthey will be chosen totake part in the nationalfinal which takes placein 2016.“We are the first gener-ation to understand thatclimate change isamong the most impor-tant issues for ourplanet, and we may alsobe the last generation tobe able to address it.We all have a responsi-bility to reduce theenergy we consume andthe harmful carbonemissions wegenerate,” Alex WhiteTD, Minister forC o m m u n i c a t i o n s ,

Energy and NaturalResources said. Tom Halpin, Head of

Information at SEAIexplained that everyyear they are inspired

by the creativity shownby competitors in ‘OneGood Idea’. “I’d like toencourage students toget involved so they canstart shaping a greenerenergy future for us all,”he concluded.

Blanchardstown Giving Tree Launched

Joe O’Brien


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Credit Unions MustBe SupportedLocal senator, Darragh O’Brien (FF) hasdescribed last week’s Dáil debate on the futureof credit unions as a last chance to ensure thatthe sector can operate on a level playing pitchagainst the interests of the big banks.O’Brien said, “As banks close branches andrestrict in-branch services, credit unions provideimportant competition and choice toconsumers. In many parts of the countrythey are now the only local provider offinancial services. However, creditunions are now about to be hit by a waveof new restrictions on their activitiesbefore the end of the year,” he said.The most serious of these is theimpending €100,000 limit on savings.“This is an unnecessary limitation oncustomer choice. It will send out the signal thatcredit unions are less safe than competitor finan-cial institutions.”“Fianna Fáil has put down this motion to give theDáil the opportunity to force the Minister forFinance to press the pause button on these newregulations, which threaten the ability of creditunions to compete with the banks. It is our viewthat a working group involving representatives ofthe industry should be initiated immediately toexamine the appropriateness of the regulatorystructure. No further red tape should be imposedon credit unions until such time as thishappens.”“These regulatory measures were conceived at atime when the Government was convinced thatsignificant funds would be required to supportand resolve the sector. However a prediction byMinister Noonan that there would be a cost of up

to €1 billion to support the credit union sectorhas proven entirely inaccurate. The measures canno longer be considered fit for purpose. TheMinister needs to go back to the drawing boardon this issue.“The current regulatory structure does notsupport credit unions developing additional

products and services and not a singlecredit union has received approval foradditional services since the bankingcrisis began. Credit unions need to beable to offers services such as debitcards if they are to be able to attractyounger customers and compete withbanks. They also need to be able to offermore products online. We need to recog-nise that credit unions have massively

improved their regulatory framework in recentyears with professionally qualified peopleamongst its employed and voluntary staff.Against a background of massive public concernabout the housing shortage, it is worth remem-bering that there is up to €8 billion in un-lentdeposits held by credit unions which could beutilised to stimulate the domestic economy. Thesector has significant potential to provide fundsfor mortgage lending for both social and commercial housing in Ireland if it is permitted todo so. This is a vital moment in the history ofcredit unions in Ireland. The members havespoken loudly to their public representatives thatthey want their credit unions nurtured andsupported. It is imperative that the Minister forFinance listens to them and calls a halt toimposing another layer of bureaucracy on them,”he concluded.

St Doulagh’s Church, Balgriffin will hold their annual Carol Service by Candlelight” featuringcarols old and new as well as stories at St Doulagh’s Church, Malahide Road, Balgriffin onSunday 13th December at 4pm. The venue is within easy reach of Swords, Malahide andPortmarnock Music will be provided by the 1st Dublin Coy. Boys’ Brigade Brass. and every-body is welcome to attend what promises to be an uplifting evening for all the family.

Carol Service by Candlelight

Senator O’Brien

Rush Excels AtCouncil Awards The County Council hosted their annualCommunity Group of the Year Awards on 24thNovember last.Rush groups were well represented and managedto take home four awards. Rush Heritage Arts andTourism Committee (formerly the Rush HarbourFestival Committee) were delighted that theirnominated groups wonawards. Angela Byrnesaid the committeenominated both RushSenior Citizens andMen’s Shed groupbecause of their invalu-able help with theHarbour Festival andwith St Partrick’s Dayand other events in thetown, as well as beingamazing groups in theirown right.In the Older PersonsCategory, Rush SeniorCitizens received firstprize. The group is runby Kathleen O’Brien and a team of volunteers.Rush Senior Citizens is a vital service in the town.It helps a sometimes forgotten group, gives thema purpose every week, the weekly club can be theonly companionship they see for days. Theservice ensures that the needy and vulnerable in

Rush are cared for and looked after not just withcompanionship and holidays, but through theinformation provided by the Network Forum.Rush Men’s Shed received second prize in thiscategory, the group are going from strength tostrength, with their own premises and a growingmembership the future looks good for them. Rush Harbour Festival received second prize inthe Arts Culture and Heritage nomination for itsHeritage Train Trail. The trail around Rush wasdesigned to showcase the unseen history of ouramazing village. Over 2000 people boarded thetrain and took part in the Heritage Trail.

Rush Community Council also came second in theRepresentative organisation. The CommunityCouncil is the representative group of the town,with 19 Directors who come from various othergroups and organisations to represent the townon the Community Council Board.

Rush Senior Citizens received first prize in the Older Persons Category at the CountyCouncil Community Awards 2015. Co-Ordinator of Rush Senior Citizens, KathleenO’Brien accepted the award from Deputy County Mayor, Cllr Jack Chambers. Picturedare Margaret Geraghty (Fingal County Council), Kathleen O'Brien, Deputy CountyMayor, Cllr Jack Chambers, Sean Byrne (Rush Senior Citizens), Vera Dempsey (RushSenior Citizens) and Paul Reid ( Chief Executive Fingal County Council)


Corinne Oprey, Anne Oprey and baby Tristan Oprey

Young Adam Butler is pictured turning on the Christmas lightsin Swords, with his father, acting County Mayor, Cllr DarraghButler and Santa himself

Billy, Jean and Jane Byrne-Doheny

Tadhg Dolan and Erin Dolan

Abbie McGonagle, Erin Farren, NoahMadden and Ethan Madden

Brendan Farren, Ella Farren, John Farren and Orla Kane Andrea and Sophie Ferran

Anne Harrington and Ruby DelaneyClaire Ralph, Michael McEnery, Tracy Virgoe and Sean Ralph

Emily Donnelly, Kyle Donnelly,Lee McGrath and Lily McGrath

Terri Burke, Jovia Burke, Sarah Murtagh andGabby the dog

Vicki Campbell, Niamh Butler, Finn English and AdamButler

Robbie and Erica Masterson with their children, Harryand George

Dublin GAAstar, DarrenDaly withhis childrenTadhg andCaolán Stephen and Kaitlyn O'Toole

Santa is pictured with acting County Mayor, CllrDarragh Butler and his son, Adam Butler

Colin Mulligan, Leah Mulligan, Jacqueline Dunham, Myah Dunham,Erica Mulligan and Karen Lynch

Ger Evesson, Hayley Prendergast and TeganPrendergast

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On Thursday 19th and Friday20th November last, FingalSenior Citizen’s Forum (OlderPeople Council) in associationwith the Fingal Age FriendlyAlliance and the CountyCouncil, hosted the NationalConvention of Older Persons’Councils in the Clayton HotelDublin Airport.The event was officiallylaunched by Minister forEnterprise, Trade andEmployment, Richard BrutonT.D. and County Mayor, CllrDavid O’Connor.Delegates came from acrossIreland and included represen-tatives of Older PeopleCouncils, Local Authority Age

Friendly County programmemanagers, Older PeopleCouncil support workers andAge Friendly Ireland.The Chairperson of the FingalAge Friendly County Alliance,Nora Owen expressed her plea-sure at being able to supportthe Convention, commentingthat her role as Chair of theAlliance is to ensure that thevoice of older people is heardat local and national level. Shesaid, “The key to an agefriendly county is collaboration,my job is to facilitate conversa-tions and develop partnershipsbetween agencies and organi-sations, who provide servicesfor older people, which allows

actual implementation and realchange to take place. Todaywas just another way of facili-tating this process,” she said.County Mayor, Cllr. DavidO’Connor said, “I am delightedto have been asked to openthis event, it is great to see somany delegates from acrossthe country representing thevoice of older people and I amdelighted we are hosting thisevent in Fingal”Chief Executive Fingal CountyCouncil, Paul Reid added, “I amdelighted to be part of thisevent to support our SeniorCitizen’s Forum in bringingforward their issues and recog-nizing the challenges ahead. Iam also delighted that theMinister for Jobs, Enterpriseand Innovation, Richard Brutoncould take time of our his busyschedule to be part of thisevent with us”

Council Hosts OlderPersons’ Convention

Pictured at the National Convention of Older Persons' Councils, at the Clayton Hotel Dublin Airport, are Louise Edmonds(County Council Senior Community Officer), Margaret Geraghty (Director of Services Fingal County Council), Paul Reid(Chief Executive Fingal County Council), Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton, County Mayor, Cllr.David O’Connor, Robert McAlpine (Chair of Fingal Senior Citizens Forum), Eithne Mallin (Age Friendly Co-OrdinatorFingal County Council) and Ide De Bairtiséil (Senior Executive Officer – Community Culture & Sport Division FCC)

Training For Tourism AndHospitality Jobs In Swords Are you long term unem-ployed and ready to starta new career in Tourismand Hospitality? If so, theCpl Institute are currentlyrecruiting people to starttraining for jobs inHospitality and Tourismunder the MomentumProgramme. The Cpl Institute havedelivered programmesunder the MomentumInitiative nationally since2012 and to date, havebeen successful inachieving jobs for inexcess of 520 partici-pants, with more to come. Training providedincludes, confidencebuilding, full Health andSafety training requiredby the sector and alsopractical skills, includingCustomer Service, FoodHygiene & HACCP, MealService - Food & BeverageServices, Plate and TraySkills, Legislation,Responsible Service ofAlcohol/ Theory of Coffee. These courses are deliv-ered by private compa-nies on a payment forresults basis, so if youdon’t succeed, thecompany doesn’t either.

What you can expect fromthese courses is to workhard, learn new skills,gain certificated on theNFQ at Level 5, beassisted in achieving realwork experience to

develop your skills andassistance in gaining fulltime paid employment. The Maldron Hotel inDublin Airport hassupported this initiativeand has employed fiveprevious participants inthe programme. PamelaKavanagh, HR Manager at

the Maldron DublinAirport said, “We recentlyparticipated in theMomentum Programme,placing seven trainees invarious departments atMaldron Hotel Dublin

Airport.” “The calibre ofthe trainees was strong,and they had been verywell prepped for employ-ment by CPL, having beentrained in ManualHandling, Food HygieneTraining and Health &Safety. I have been veryimpressed with the co-

ordination of themomentum programmeand would welcome theopportunity to participateonce again in the future,”she said.This course starts onMonday, 7th Decemberand places are limited. Ifyou have been unem-ployed for more than ayear and are in receipt ofJobseekers benefit or

Jobseekers Allowance,you may be eligible.Please ask your localIntreo office about The CplInstitute MomentumCourse - Training for Jobsin Tourism andHospitality, or contactValerie Murphy by [email protected].

Donabate ManHeads UpSky-Dive TeamH40 is Irelands National Skydive Team and willbe representing Ireland at the World SkydiveChampionships in Chicago in September 2016.The category that they will compete in againstthe elite skydiving teams in the world is 4-wayFormation Skydiving. The team consists of fivemembers,with local man Tony Higgins ofDonabate on Point position. Joining him will beteam mates; Gavin Brookfield, CiaránMcCartney, Ronan Whelan and Stephen Ross.

The competition is based on building certainformations which are randomly selected from apool of 38 different formations. Each competi-tion round will last for 35 seconds whereby theteam must repeat the selected 5 or 6 formationsand repeat this as many times in the allocatedtime, showing complete separation betweeneach configuration. The competition is judgedbased on the video of the camera man who exitswith the team and then is handed to the judgeswhen the team lands safely on the ground.As H40 are not a professional skydive team, allcosts are self-funded but they intend to raisesponsorship funds through different avenuesand are always on the look-out for new spon-sors. You can follow their training and progresson their Facebook page – H40 Irish NationalSkydiving Team

Pictured at Fingal Ravens GAA Club's fundraising Festival Race Day at Fairyhouse Racecource on Saturday last are, IvanDonoghue, Glin Donnelly, Senator Darragh O'Brien, Joe Kettle and Cllr. Adrian Henchy.

Malahide Bereavement SupportThe Malahide Bereavement Support group meets everyMonday morning at 10.30am and every second Mondayof the month at 7.30pm in the Parish Centre.

Children’s Liturgy In RushThe Children’s Liturgy for children aged between 5 and12 years in Rush would be delighted to welcome somenew children along with those who have attended theliturgy previously. Parents are welcome to accompanytheir children. Adults who are interested in becominginvolved, please contact the office.

CPL instructor Pamela Kavanagh is pictured with four recent CPL Learners who are nowemployed at the Maldron Hotel Dublin Airport.


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Women’s Pensions Must Respect their Social ContributionLast Tuesday saw the change of Government inPortugal as the President Silva named Socialistleader Antonio Costa as prime minister. Thisfollowed the collapse of the minority centre rightgovernment which had secured the most votes inthe October election, while failing to win a majorityof seats.

Before appointing Costa as Prime Minister, thePresident had requested written assurances fromhim that his government would honour Portugal’scommitments to EU budget rules. While Costagave such assurances, the minority group-ings on the extreme left did not.The Socialists have committed to endausterity and regenerate theeconomy by putting more money inpeople’s pockets which they say willallow them to maintain Portugal’scommitments to the EU. It will beinteresting to see how this plays out. Indeed people here in Ireland may facesomething of a similar situation following ourgeneral election next spring. This will not be a newexperience as we already experienced in generalelections during the early ‘80s in the space of 18months. It is important to the country and NorthCounty that a stable government is elected what-ever it’s leaning. But it seems that across Europepolitical instability is becoming the norm. Sinn Fein’s Lynn Boylan has recently spoke of howthe austerity policies here in Ireland have nega-

tively impacted on women’s pensions. Whenspeaking at the EU parliamentary session inStrasbourg she said: “The gender pension gap inthe Irish state has increased since the economiccrisis began.“ This is no accident but a result ofdeliberate policies. The result is that many womenare denied economic independence and the dignitythat comes with it in their retirement.“We know the pension gap results from the cumu-lative impact over the life-courses of women of avariety of factors including the pay gap and breaksfrom work for caring responsibilities. “But we also need to acknowledge when we talkabout ‘preventive measures’ in tackling the genderpension gap that austerity policies are exacer-bating rather than reducing this inequality.“Policies implemented by successive Irish govern-ments since 2008 have worsened the situation forwomen. Women struggle to build up sufficientcontributions across both the private and publicpension systems as a result of the pay gap, precar-

ious and low-paid work, carrying out unpaidcaring and being excluded from the

labour market for long periods over thecourse of their lives as a result of theprohibitive cost of childcare in thisstate.”Some radical change is required to

recognise the contribution of thosewho stay at home to look after children.

The majority of these people are women.Here in the North County we have a growing popu-lation with young families, many of whom will, dueto child costs, opt out of the conventional work-force and thereby lose out on pension entitlement.The contribution made to the welfare of their fami-lies and the wider community must be recognised,currently it is ignored when calculating contribu-tory pension entitlement.Whatever Government we elect in 2016 this mustsurly deserve their immediate attention.

By Cathal Boland

Deputy County Mayor, Cllr JackChambers, in the presence of AnTánaiste, Joan Burton, Fingal ChiefExecutive Fingal County Council,Paul Reid and LouisePhelan, Global VicePresident ofOperations at PayPal,welcomed guests tothe official launch ofthe Dublin EnterpriseZone at the CrownePlaza Hotel,Blanchardstown.The Dublin EnterpriseZone project seeks tobrand the area as adestination of choicefor both ForeignDirect Investmentand indigenousenterprises.The zone is one ofthe single largest economic entitiesin Ireland. The area providesemployment to over 17,000employees working in 780 compa-nies.As a local elected representativethe Deputy Mayor spoke about the

potential for future growth andfurther employment opportunitiesin the zone: “As a Council we aredetermined to work collaboratively

with local business leaders, rele-vant State Agencies, Chambers ofCommerce, Third Level Institutesand other local stake holders tobest leverage the significantstrengths of the area so that weprovide for the needs of our future

generations. By working closelytogether we can ensure that we allcan benefit, including ultimatelythe Citizens of Fingal.”

Council ChiefExecutive, Paul Reidemphasised theCouncil’s commit-ment to the futuredevelopment of theeconomy inF i n g a l , “ T h eapproach of FingalCounty Council hasthree parts. Wecollaborate closelywith state agencies,the private sectorand others inpromoting Fingal asa prime location forinward investment.We also work hard to

put in place the conditions andstructures necessary to supportlocal indigenous businesses.Finally, we also actively support,foster and encourage our smallenterprises and entrepreneurs,”he said.

Launch Of Dublin Enterprise Zone

Pictured at the official launch of the Dublin Enterprise Zone at theCrowne Plaza Hotel, Blanchardstown are, Louise Phelan (Global VicePresident of Operations at PayPal), Deputy County Mayor Cllr JackChambers, An Tánaiste Joan Burton and Chief Executive of FingalCounty Council, Paul Reid

The Irish HeartFoundation has urgedlocal people to have aregular pulse check todetect an irregularheartbeat that oftengoes unnoticed. TheFoundation, thenational charity fightingheart disease andstroke, warns that AtrialFibrillation (AF) is themost common heartrhythm disorder whichcarries a five-fold addi-tional risk of stroke.

According to theFoundation, more than40,000 people over 50years old in Ireland,including those of theNorth County, sufferfrom Atrial Fibrillation.Although, the vastmajority are unaware ofit with only 26 per centof the populationhaving heard of thecondition. Furthermore,there are about 8,000cases of stroke inIreland annually, a third

of which can be associ-ated with AtrialFibrillation. While thedecease often has nosymptoms, there can bewarning signs includingpalpitations, tiredness,dizziness and shortnessof breath. TheFoundation furtherwarns that the causesof AF are not alwaysclear but it can increasealong other medicalconditions such as highblood pressure,diabetes and heartdisease. Dr. Angie Brown,Medical Director of theIrish Heart Foundation

and consultant cardiol-ogist said: “AlthoughAtrial Fibrillation isgenerally not life-threatening, it is aserious condition andcan lead to complica-tions such as strokeand other heart prob-lems.” She furtherexplained that greaterrecognition and treat-ment of AF can reducestroke risk by 65 percent. “Having a regularpulse check is the firststep to help detect thecondition which canthen be diagnosed withyour local doctor,” sheconcluded.

Irregular HeartbeatCan Lead To Stroke


The award winning restaurant hasrecently undergone an extensive renova-tion, as well as a change to their businessmodel. They were recentfinalists in prestigious YesChef Ireland awards for BestRestaurant award, as well asbeing nominated for anaward in the Fingal DublinExcellence Awards.Supporting local business hasalways been front and centreof the ethos of MastersonsSteakhouse and proprietor,Robbie Masterson emphasised this whenhe said, “All of our staff are locals, or areliving in the locality. We place a huge

emphasis onsupporting localproducers, whichgoes a long way tosecuring jobs forthe area. “Keeling’sfrom St Margaret’sprovide us withfruit and vegeta-bles, while our fishcomes from

Wright’s in Marino. Our butcher is inMalahide and we regularly visit farms inRush, where we can source fresh vegeta-bles straight from the farm. Our meat is100 per cent Irish and is fully traceablefrom farm to fork.”Santa will pay a visit to Mastersons onSunday 20th December between 2pm and3pm. He will arrive in a horse and cart andwell-known entertainer, Roy Taylor will bethere to sing carols and entertain guests.It all adds up to a family fun day, withspecial treats for the kids.

“This is a great opportunity for families tocome together. Sometimes it can be verydifficult to get everybody together underthe same roof, so this provides the ideal

opportunity for the entire family to cometogether and enjoy great food in awonderful atmosphere,” said Robbie.

A great line up is in placefor New Year’s Eve. An a-la-carte menu is available.To entertain the diners,Two Time Polka, a bandwho were a great success atthe recent Oktoberfest atSwords Castle, will bethere. This is certain to be anight to remember atMastersons.

“We are fully committed to investing inpeople locally, be it the recentOktoberfest or the awarding of the PurpleFlag to Swords. Our dedication to ourlocality is unrelenting and we are alwayslooking to bring our service to the next

level. We are very proud of our interiors,which were just pipped at the post by the3 Arena at a recent awards ceremony,”

said Robbie. The changes to Mastersons arenot just confined to the interiorand exterior of the restaurant.Award winning Chef BenMorrison, has brought someexciting and invigorating menuideas to the restaurant. Ben spokeabout his own specialities, whichdiners can look forward to. “Allour steaks are 100 per cent primeHereford beef and my preferenceis to slow cook them, which drawsout the intense flavours.Another speciality is our steak ona stone, which is a signature dishof Mastersons. All of our fish iscaught in the waters off the localcoast and we never deal in frozenfish. It all comes from Irishwaters,” said Ben.Another important issue for Ben isproviding a kids’ menu that ispacked with healthy food, whichhe is in the process of completing.“The ethos on Sundays will be to

feed the kids good healthy honest food,”said Ben, who has two children himself.Sunday Jazz brunch is another addition tothe December calendar at Mastersons and

is proving to be very popular. It runs up toand over the Christmas period and it is

accompanied by jazzmusic, starting at3pm until 5pm everySunday. Mastersons can alsoprovide for corpo-rate lunches andcorporate meals inthe run up toChristmas. TheChristmas mid-weeklunches started on1st December, whichare very keenlypriced at €20 fortwo courses, plustea or coffee.However, avail-

ability is limited and booking is essential.For corporate Christmas lunches,

Mastersons can cater for groups from twopeople, right up to 80 people, withprivate dining also available.“This is a very high quality restaurant andthere are very few establishments of thisquality and class. Enjoy 5 star cuisinewhen you visit Mastersons,” said AdriennePeers, Marketing Manager of MastersonsSteakhouse.

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No Bus Is Big FussFor GarristownJoe O’Brien, GreenParty General electioncandidate, has calledfor Fingal CountyCouncil to press BusEireann to bring backa bus service to thevillage of Garristown. The call comes aheadof a meeting that willbe held on 2ndDecember to gatherinformation on ruraltransport needs. Speaking to theCounty Leader EileenNeylon, PRO ofG a r r i s t o w nCommunity Councilsaid; “We haverecently been incorrespondence withBus Eireann who wereabsolutely no help.We were then told togo to the NationalTransport Authoritywho said that whilethey do acknowledgethat Garristowndesperately needs abus service, unfortu-nately there is nomoney to provideone.”

She went on to tell ushow important itwould be to the localsfor Garristown to havetheir bus service backin place. “A busservice wouldmean so muchto the peopleof the area.They would beable to link upwith bus routesto and fromA s h b o u r n e ,meaning people couldget to work andcollege much easier.At the moment even ifyou just need to get toAshbourne, to do yourshopping you need torely on the kindness ofneighbours if youdon’t have your owncar. As soon as theteenagers are oldenough to drive theyare getting any carthey can get theirhands on in order tobe able to get places.Which is not ideal as

this is causing morelocal traffic, and alsokids that are may notbe mature enough todrive yet are doing soanyway.”She ended by sayingthat; “This is really anunacceptable state forus to be in.” As an already ruralcommunity the fact

that there is nobus runningthrough thevillage has left alot of localsfeeling isolatedand stuck. Thepeople of thearea areoutraged that

they are being contin-ually overlooked forsuch a basic andimportant publicservice. We contacted JoeO’Brien directly aboutit and he had this tosay; “The vil lage ofGarristown lost its busservice a few yearsago. The people herefeel they have beenforgotten about eversince. We tried to rallysupport two years agofor it, and at the timeBus Eireann were

enthusiastic about it.They even did a testrun and it wasentirely doable atthat time. What I’msuggesting now isvery doable too, thatthey run a smallnumber of 103’sthrough the village. Itis an existing busroute, so it’s just amatter of thinkingoutside the box alittle bit and it’s aproblem that is easilysolvable. With themeeting coming up, ifthere is going to be apush on solving ruraltransport problems itreally is somethingthat can’t stayforgotten.”Despite numerouscalls for a bus serviceto be reinstated inthe area, no set planhas been put inplace.They remainwithout any intercon-nectivity with any oftheir neighbouringtowns. This just goesto further compoundtheir fears of being aforgotten town, asthey have beenwithout a bus servicesince 2010.

By Aoife Read

Joe O’Brien

Students of Malahide Community School put on a Variety Show at the school on Wednesday last, 25th November, which waswell received by students and teachers alike. Pictured getting ready to entertain are students, Odin O'Sullivan, ChrisSheridan, Isobel Shakleton, Joshua Goyenechea, Sadbh Duffy, Sara Rose Gilmartin, Jessica Moriarty and Leon Doyle (at front)

Swords IrishDance GroupIs CompetitionWinnerA local community Irish dancing school fromApplewood has recently achieved a majorsuccess as they won the An Coimisiun LeinsterIrish Dance Championships in Swords. Run byqualified dance master Joey Comerford, theDance Hall Academy has sent their best dancersto compete against the finest in all of Leinsterover the weekend of the 13th to the 15th ofNovember. Saoirse Hammondcollected the top prizein individual Irishcompetitive dance bywinning the underseven age group andimpressed the jurythrough combining herknowledge of Irishdance and music struc-tures that she haslearned in the DanceHall Academy.Following her success,Saoirse was invited bythe organisers of thecompetition to performwith all the otherawarded winners of theChampionship in adisplay of Irish step dancing champions from allages in what is referred to as ‘The Parade ofChampions’. The Dance Hall Academy also collected anotherprize during the weekend as four of theirdancers Jamie Caffrey, Sean O’Rourke, LeiaClooney and Saoirse Hammond received firstprize in the under ten category for theiroutstanding performance, the mixed four-handreel. Performing the two-hand reel, dancersRobyn Caffrey and Alison Scanlan were the

winning team in the under 12 category. “As an upand coming Irish dance class in Swords we weredelighted that the dancers represented us, them-selves and the Applewood Community Centrewith such aplomb,” dance teacher Miss Lori Hallsaid on behalf of Dance Hall Academy. “Theyused their dance knowledge that we haveinstilled in them and they performed as best theycould. We are delighted with the County Leadersupport of the dance, their achievements andDance Hall Academy,” she added. Commenting on the dancers’ success, JoeyComerford told the County Leader: “The dancersput so much time and effort into their prepara-tions for the championships. As part of ourteaching philosophy of Dance Hall Academy wecommunicate to the dancers to dance for a causeand not the applause and they did. However,after their performances and when the resultswere called out they deserved all the applauseand accreditation that they received on the day.”

By Olivia Leth

Christmas Gifts Support People Living In PovertyThe charity organisa-tion Trocaire hasstarted their gift appealand has welcomed atotal of €178,332 thatwas spend by localpeople for families andindividuals that areaffected by long-termpoverty. Now in it’s 16thyear, the Trocaire GiftsCampaign raises over€1 million annually foroverseas developmentprojects. Each giftcontains a Christmascard which can bepassed on to a friend orfamily member, givingthe recipient informa-tion about how their giftwill benefit a familyoverseas. “Our Christmas gifts area very important wayfor people here at hometo help those in thedeveloping world,”Eamonn Meehan,Executive Director ofTrocaire said. “Theyreally do make a hugedifference to the lives ofpeople who just want ahand up and not a handout.” He further stated that

donations coming fromlocal people towardsTrocaire’s Christmasgifts have resulted infamilies being able toearn an income to fundschooling. Manywomen in Somalia are

having healthy babiesin Trocaire medicalclinics. Their childrenare given the chance toreceive proper educa-tion and all the schoolkits and fees that aredesperately needed in

developing countriesaround the world. “Ihave seen the differ-ence these gifts makeon the ground. It is noexaggeration to say thatthey are life-changing,”Mr. Meehan concluded.

The Parish Christmas Fair inMalahide will take place on the6th of December in the GaffneyHall in the parish centre from10.30am to 5pm. Come and enjoyhome-made jams and chutneys,

cakes, fresh fruit and vegetables,donated clothes, bric-a-brac, amonster raffle, tea and coffee andmuch more. If your want to donateunwanted gifts, you can drop offitems at the parish office fromMonday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.Volunteer helpers are alsowelcome, leave your contactdetails at the parish office.

MalahideChristmas Fair

Funding ForBalbriggan Youth Service Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Dr James Reillyhas announced the allocation of capital grants to 121youth projects and organisations throughout thecountry for small to medium scale equipmentand upgrade projects. Included in theannouncement was an allocation of €15,000for Balbriggan Youth Service.The aim of this capital funding scheme is toprovide much needed assistance to youthprojects to improve the facilities and equip-ment available for their work with youngpeople in their communities. The grantsawarded will provide for the upgrade orreplacement of equipment or for the purchase ofessential equipment to support the running of theproject/organisation. Examples of the projects

funded include purchase of minibuses, IT and multi-media equipment, sport and outdoor pursuit equip-ment and other essential pieces such as furniture andkitchen upgrades.Minister Reilly stated: “I am very pleased to be in aposition to announce the allocation of these grants tothe 121 successful applicants. These youth services dovital work in some of the more disadvantaged commu-nities in our society. I am confident this grant will assistin improving the quality of the services and their facili-ties to the benefit of young people involved. The provi-

sion of the funding underscores theGovernment’s commitment to enhance the quality of services which add such value toour communities.”The Minister particularly recognises thecommitment of the many volunteers involvedin assisting and managing youth projectsthroughout the country. “This voluntary effort,combined with the professionalism and dedica-tion of youth service employees, makes a

significant contribution to ensuring the lives of youngpeople are enhanced and improved through theservices offered by youth projects,” he said.

Dr. Reilly TD

Pictured at the Leinster Irish Dance Competition are the four winners Sean O'Rourke, LeiaClooney, Saoirse Hammond and Jamie Caffrey from the Dance Hall Academy inApplewood.


CollegeAwarenessWeek Launched College Awareness Week 2015 wasrecently launched by Tánaiste JoanBurton to highlight the benefits ofeducation for young people in thelocality and beyond. The nationalcampaign is supported by overtwenty organisations including theHigher Education Authority (HEA),the National Association ofPrincipals and Deputy Principals(NAPD) and the Institute ofGuidance Counsellors. A new study executed by the

Higher Education Authority (HEA)has revealed that many margin-alised groups show low participa-tion in higher education. Thefigures further indicate that only 24per cent of young people frommarginalised socio-economicgroups participate in higher educa-tion, compared to 52 per cent of all18 to 20 year olds. Speaking at thelaunch, the Tánaiste Joan Burtonsaid: “I am delighted to launchCollege Awareness Week for thesecond year running. This is a veryimportant campaign, aiming toinspire people of all ages and back-grounds to acquire new knowledge,meet new people and fulfil theirpotential.”

Ireland Is Leader OfSchool CompletionA new report entitled ‘Education at a Glance 2015’ from the Organisation forEconomic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has shown that Ireland isone of the best performing countries in the world in terms of the number ofstudents completing second-level education. People living in the North County might be interested that according to thereport, Ireland has a 98 per cent completion rate at second level compared tothe OECD average of 85 per cent. This makes Ireland third in the ranking out of18 countries for second-level school completion and leader in terms ofpercentage of students who progress to third level.Furthermore, the report has demonstrated the outstanding performance ofsecond-level teachers in the locality and beyond. According to the research,Irish second-level teachers spend an average of 735 hours in the classroomteaching each year, compared to the OECD average of 669 hours. Commenting on the findings on behalf of Ireland’s main second levelteacher’s union ASTI, General Secretary Pat King said: “Completing second-level education is highly correlated to employment status, lifetime earningsand the well-being of individuals. A country’s completion rates for second andthird-level education are vital to the development of a workforce which cancompete in a global knowledge economy and a society that supports andempowers its citizens.”

Local UnemploymentRates DropLocal TD Alan Farrell(FG) has welcomed thelatest QHNS figuresreleased by the CentralStatistics Office (CSO)that show a drop in thenational unemploy-ment rate to 8.9 percent with the Dublinregion seeing a 36.8per cent drop in thenumber of unem-ployed people.“Since the Action Planfor Jobs was launchedby this Government in2012, over 135,000extra jobs have beenadded to the economy.In fact, the number of

people who have arelong-term unemployedhas declined from204,300 nationally inFebruary 2012, to109,800 today. This isan overall decrease of46 per cent and giventhat the number ofpeople emigrating isalso falling, this is positive news for communitiesthroughout the NorthCounty,” he said.He further commentedthat in Swords and itssurrounding areas,including Malahideand Donabate, the

number of people onthe live register hasfallen by 39.3 per centsince its peak in July2012. In the same timeperiod the figures fromthe Balbriggan office,which also servesSkerries, Rush, Luskand the communitiesnearby, the amount ofpeople on the liveregister has decreasedby 31.4 per cent.“These figures, fromthe CSO, confirm thatour economic recoveryis deepening and thatreal progress is beingmade. I am sure thatwe will see furthersustainable growthacross the NorthCounty,” Farrellconcluded.

Milverton Off Road MotorCycle Club Awards night was held in the Milestone InnBalbriggan recently. Pictured is Pearl Finnegan accepting a cheque from Paul Brangan,on behalf of the Lusk Senior Citizens Committee on the night

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December has alreadystarted and Christmas isless than a month away.As we are busy withorganising Christmasparties and the rightpresents for our lovedones, we need to makesure that our houses andgardens are winterproofed and ready forthe cold season ahead.To begin with, get rid ofyour light summercurtains. Thicker curtainswill help you keep thewarmth in and to reduceany drafts from leakingwindows. Furthermore, itis always a good idea toget your warm and thickblankets out of your atticand to use bed linen thatare made of a warmermaterial such as flannel.This way, you can saveenergy by turning downthe heating at night. Thiswill definitely keep youwarm without having theheating turned on allnight long. Check your roof for gapsaround the chimney.Contact professionalhelp in the locality if thedamage is evident andneeds some restoration.Be especially watchful ofareas around windows,doors and your founda-tion where water mightintrude or ice could form.Stores across the NorthCounty offer a lot ofproducts on discountright now. There you canpurchase new curtainsamong other usefulfeatures for your housein winter. People with a fireplaceinstalled in their homesare lucky as they cansave some energy thiswinter. As electricity billsare usually higher duringwinter than during therest of the year, it doescome in handy to reduceyour heating costs alittle bit. In order to getyour fireplace sorted it isimportant to get yourchimney checked. Make sure it isclean and that no birdshave made themselvesat home there. Hire achimney sweep toinspect you chimney andto get it clean. Manybusinesses across thelocality provide servicesthat will assist you withthat. When it comes to yourgarden, don’t forget thatgardening is not only amatter of spring andsummer but also impor-tant to look after beforeand during winter. Checkwhich of your plants andflowers thrived in yourgarden. These plantshave a lot of under-ground activity going on


Craft Fair Organisers, Marie Madden, Anne Brady, Jo Hannigan before the fair started.

Swords SeniorCitizens Craft FairThe Swords SeniorCitizens Club held theirannual craft fair lastweek. This is the mainfundraiser for the clubin the year. Stallsranged from homebaked goods to handpainted pictures andhand made crafts andknitwear. Each stall wasbeautifully presentedwith amazing goods atvery reasonable prices. The County Leaderspoke to some of themembers who werebusy at work sellingtheir goods andengaging in friendlyconversation with thelocals. Treasa Byrne, Chairperson of the club said:“It’s our mainfundraiser for the yearand a lot of hard workgoes into it. It’s organ-ised by everyone hereand all the stalls areeither our members’home crafts or somestalls are rented fromus by artists.”One of the rentedstalls, run by MaudeKeogh, was a charitystall. “It’s for theChildren of Chernobyl”said Maude. “All

proceeds are going tothe charity and I will behaving another one inOldtown on 6thDecember. That isgoing to be a lovelyone, a bigger one andit will be held in thevillage. Again, all theproceeds of that onewill go to the charity” There was a constantflow of people comingin with money in their

hands ready to buysome of the lovelycrafts on offer and allwere met with thehappy welcoming facesof the club memebrs. A lot of effort had goneinto the organising ofthe event and it was aroaring success, withraffle tickets being soldand even a lucky dipfor €2 on sale at thedoor.

Bernie Power and Bridget Doherty, happily selling somehome baked goods at the senior citizens craft fair.

Call For Re-openingOf Rush GardaStationWith the introduction of OperationThor, and the general acknowledge-ment that rural crime is becoming abigger issue than ever before, ques-tions are arising surrounding the deci-sion to close many local and rural gardastations. An example of this is theGarda Station in Rush which, to theoutrage of residents and local businessowners, has been closed. This decisionhas come under fire from local council-lors, Cllr Malachy Quinn (SF) who hascalled on the Garda Commissioner tomeet with local Councillors from theBalbriggan and Swords areas todiscuss the closure of the Rush GardaStation. He has also called for the

commissioner to address the issue ofthe reduction in Garda numbers in theNorth FIngal area. When contacted byThe County Leader Cllr Quinn said; “Weran the figures, and it turns out thatthere is only a saving being made of€4,000 by closing Rush Garda station.As I’ve said before it is a very high pricefor the people of Rush to pay for such asmall saving. Operation Thor wasannounced and with that will come theinjection of €27,500 into each district.While this is very welcome, it can’t bejust left at that. There needs to be aserious look taken at how policing ispractised in the North County. “He went on to say that he expects toenter into talks soon and said “Whenwe do enter into talks with the gardacommissioner I will be looking for RushGarda Station to be reopened.” Hewent on to point out that; “There areplenty of properties on the main streetin Rush that would be suitable as abase of operations.”

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as they are preparing forwinter by growing rootsand sucking up waterand nutrients from thesoil before it freezes. Besure to water thembefore the soil freezesand put a thick layer oforganic mulch. Sort outplants that won’tsurvive winter and planttulips, trees and shrubs.Speaking of trees andshrubs, some of theplants in your gardenneed a little extra treat-

ment in winter. Set fourstakes around cold-sensitive shrubs andwrap a protectivebarrier around thestakes. Fill in anisolating layer ofshredded leaves toshield the roses fromcold winter winds.Reseed your lawn. Thisis important as thelawn may has stoppedgrowing, but the rootsare growing deeper

into the grounds as apreparation for winter.This extra feeding willhelp to boost the grassimmunity. Apply a layerof mulch to keep thelevel of soil tempera-ture even. Gardening in Winter isalso a matter ofcleaning up. Clear outthe stems of annualflowers and vegetables

to prevent the possi-bility of themharbouring insect eggsor diseases over thewinter. Recycle leavesthat fell in Autumn intosoil conditioner. It willhelp the soil maintainmoisture by absorbingrain and helps to keepthe soil warm in winterand cool in summer, sorenew the mulch layer

whenever it gets toothin. The North Countyprovides everything thatis needed to properlyprepare your homes andgardens for winter.When you’re done withthe hard work you canlay back and enjoy thefestive Christmasseason in the localitywith a hot chocolate or agood hot cup of tea.


HOROSCOPES

AQUARIUS Jan 20 - Feb 18This is your week. Everyone seems to love you,offers abound and you’re feeling more opti-mistic than you have for ages. However, certainissues will have to be addressed involving olvedones or associates.

PISCES Feb 19 - Mar 20Being something of a daydreamer, you’reseldom short of ideas. But what is ushered inthis week will be so abrupt and intense thatyou’re at a loss about what to do. Have no fear,all will become clearer with time.

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20You’ve decided how you’ll respond to recentexciting ideas or offers. Others, however, areuncertain. Consequently, while you’re ready totake action, the week will be spent in winningthem over to your ideas.

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 20Accept the fact that nearly every day of thisweek brings surprise developments, both withcolleagues and loved ones. You will have to bewide awake to deal with all, but by keeping yourpriorities in tact will help.

Gemini May 21 - Jun 20Surviving this week’s dilemmas requires you toremain open-minded about alternatives. Othersmay insist on commitments, but circumstancesand others’ priorities change frequently - and beat completely different odds.

Cancer Jun 21 - Jul 22An opportunity for change. By the week’s close,both you and those around you realise thatmuch of what you’ve viewed as reassuring, wasreally keeping you from exploring certainthrilling, if intimidating, offers.

Leo Jul 23 - Aug 23You’d like to settle certain differences peaceably- but that’s unlikely. In fact, everyone has some-thing to say - and mostly it’s about having theirown way. What you can do is keep your cool forthe present - until later.

Virgo Aug 24 - Sep 22Nobody is more thorough about details thanyou, which means you’re rarely caught out byevents. But there’s no way you could have fore-seen this week’s developments - which couldbring overwhelming changes.

Libra Sep 23 - Oct 22You’re already under pressure from others tomake decisions. However, these don’t neces-sarily serve your best interests. The time mightjust be right for a fresh approach - that wouldappear to satisfy all concerned.

Scorpio Oct 23 - Nov 22Golden opportunities aren’t always initiallyrecognisable for what they are. This is well-illus-trated by your reaction to this week’s excep-tional events. So much so, that you’re unsure ofwhat is wise and what is not.

Sagittarius Nov 23 - Dec 21Certain individuals are anxious either to shirktheir responsibilities or blame you. However,confronting them just now might not be wise.The emphasis is on strategy, and it might bebetter to await another day.

Capricorn Dec 22 - Jan 19You’ve been examining various elements of yourlife, considering whether any attitudes or beliefsare holding you back. Now you find what theyare. However difficult, talking them over withsomeone close will help.

Christmas time is here again. It canbe easy to get caught up in theholiday spirit and festive cheer.While it’s great to lose yourself infairy lights and sleigh bells, wemust remember that Christmas canalso be a time for caution. Themerriment of the season can causesome of us to forget both ourpersonal and home safety routines. We’ve all heard the horror storiesof the influx of pick-pockets thatcirculate the over crowded bars andshopping centres during the festiveseason. Or Christmas Eve homebreak-ins can leave whole familiesdevastated on Christmas Day. Sowhat do we do? How do we keepourselves safe from Yuletidemishaps and misadventures? TheCounty Leader spoke to Sgt. TerryFerguson of Swords Garda Stationto find out some of the best waysto keep safe in every way thisChristmas. We first asked her for some tips on

personal safety while going out onthe town over the party season.“With regards to staying safe on anight out, there are a few thingsyou should always make sure youdo. Tell someone where you aregoing and when you expect to behome. Make sure you carry yourmobile phone and that it is fullycharged” she said.

“If you are drinking, if one of thegroup has too much to drink - ensurethey get home safely and If you areout with a group, make sure youwatch out for one another. Alwaysremember there is safety innumbers,” she added. She told us that it is always a goodidea to try to arrange a lift, “If youhave to walk home use well litroutes”. She warned about thedangers of drink driving, “Remembernever drink and drive and if you’rethe designated driver, park your car

in a well lit area and don’t leaveproperty visible.” She stressed the importance ofstaying vigilant, “If you see someonein trouble call 999, 112 or the localGarda Station”We then discussed Christmas shop-ping and the pitfalls and dangersthat surround it. “When you’re out spending money,be aware that thieves are out too,looking for opportunities to commitcrime,” she said. She told us that it is a good idea totake extra care when using a cashpoint or chip and pin. “Don’t letanyone see your pin number, neverwrite down your pin number and ifyou carry a handbag, keep yourpurse at the bottom.” She pointed out that it is thesimplest of slips in awareness thatcan lead to a crime being perpe-trated on you. ensuring your bag isalways zipped, and wallets arenever kept in back pockets are basicbut vital safety tips. When asked about home securityshe told us that; “In winter,

burglaries increase by 25% withover 40% of burglaries occurringbetween 5pm and 11pm. Jewelleryand cash are the most common arti-cles stolen. 29% of all burglars gainaccess to the home through thefront door with 26% though a rearwindow” She advised the County Leader of

the five key tips for preventingburglaries:1. Secure all windows and doors2. Light up your home, use timerswitches when out3. Store keys safely and away formletterboxes and windows4. Record all details of valuables andplease don’t keep large sums ofmoney at home5. And finally use your alarm, evenwhen at home.These simple and effective safetytips should ensure that you and yourloved ones are able to truly make themost of the season by staying bothhappy and safe. Any person who hasany question in relation to crimeprevention should please feel free tocontact their local Garda station.

Stay Safe This Christmas

By Aoife Read

Swords Author PublishesSecond Novel In The USA

Frank Sullivan fromSwords has recently hadhis second novel titled‘Savage Crossing’published in Florida,USA. Frank is a graphicdesigner and illustratorwho works in thelocality. He has alwaysbeen a keen writer andartist who has lived andworked in various loca-tions around the world.After his first novel ‘Deadly Shore’ was receivedso well both in the North County and in the US,Frank has successfully completed his secondnovel, ‘Savage Crossing’, a crime thriller withDetective Isabella Garcia as it’s main character,solving a mysterious case. When a young mother is brutally murdered infront of her new born baby, and a policemanslain in the subsequent pursuit, DetectiveIsabella Garcia finds herself on board an oldwooden yacht with it’s captain Patrick Brophy.Together they try to catch up to the killer whoseems to have escaped among the crew of theWild Rover, a large training catamaran captainedby Brophy’s unsuspecting son, Marcus. With theclock ticking and the killer’s identity a mystery,both vessels race across the Caribbean towardan explosive showdown on the Virgin Islands.

Swords author FrankSullivan

The Futsal Team fom Malahide Community College proudly holding their winners medals and trophy.

Malahide School Win Leinster Girls Futsal TitleIt was a celebratory time lastweek for Malahide CommunitySchool when their Girls Futsalteam won the Leinster Finalsagainst Scoil Mhuire of Trim. Thematch took place n the NationalBasketball Arena in Tallaght. This was a fantastic achieve-ment for the team, not only wasit their first time taking part inthe regional games, it is also the

schools first ever futsal team.Talking to the County LeaderPrincipal of the School, Jean-Marie Ward, said: “We are ofcourse delighted with the result.It’s the first taste of success forthe girls and we hope to seemore success’ from them in thefuture.”She also added that; “ A lot ofother teams have one or two

girls on the team who are greatand almost play the game bythemselves. Our girls reallyworked together as a team. Itwas great to see such goodteamwork from them all.”The team will now startpreparing for the All Irelandfinals under the encouragingguidance of CS Teacher, EimearFeerick.

Pictured at Millfield Shopping Centre in Balbriggan are General Manager of Millfield PeterCarey, Branch Secretary of Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind Marie Deegan and Tom O'Neil.

The Balbriggan branch of IrishGuide Dogs for the Blind will havea merchandise table on the 6th ofDecember in the Millf ieldShopping Centre in Balbrigganfrom 10am to 6pm. The event thatis organised by volunteers only,aims to raise funds for the IrishGuide Dogs for the Blind organisa-tion in Cork. Items on the table will be the 2016calendar, Christmas cards, toys,rulers, pencils, key rings and much

more. All of the funds are used tohelp train more guide dogs forblind people and assistance dogsfor children with autism.“It is 30 years this year since I gotmy first guide dog Frank. He andthe following four guide dogs upto my current one Gatsby havechanged my life,” guide dogowner Tom O’Neil said. “It hasgiven me wonderful freedom andmobility to go where and when I want to,” he concluded.

Irish Guide DogsMerchandise Stand

Tidings Of Joy With The Lambay SingersThe well known local choir The Lambay Singers have a special Christmas concertcoming up on Friday 11th December at 8pm. The concert will take place in St. Patrick’sParish Hall, Donabate. The ‘Tidings of Joy’ concert, with musical director George Riceat the helm, promises to be a magical evening full of festive wonderment. A second concert will be held on Sunday 13th December in St columba’s Church ofIreland, Swords also at 8pm. This event, as the first promises a truly magical evening.

Offering help for those affectedby someone else’s drinking, thegroup meets every Wednesdayfrom 8.15pm to 9.15pm in theFlemington Community Centre

i n B a l b r i g g a n . N o f e e s a r e c h a r g e d . F o r m o r e information please contact theDublin Information Centre at 01 8732699.

Alcohol Support Group In Balbriggan


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Ming; MercilessOn Super -Trawler DebateLast week, the County Leaderreported that Irish fishermen werelosing out foreign trawlers. They

were reported to be fishing in theherring rich waters of the Celtic Seaoff the Southeast coast, despitelocal boats being tied up due toquota levels.In response to thisarticle, well known MEPLuke ‘Ming’ Flanagan,contacted this news-paper and had this tosay on the matter:“Let’s get some factsright in the super-trawler debate, thebiggest single fact of allis that Ireland gaveaway its fishing rights in1974. The Departmentof the Marine must do one, or,preferably, all three things: Putobservers on board the super-trawlers. Currently it is up the the‘flag’ nation, (the nation where thesuper-trawler is registered), tosupply observer; this needs tochange, install observers fromIreland. The second thing is, require

the super-trawlers to dock at an Irishport for inspection before they leavefor their landing port. The third thingis, send inspectors to the super-trawlers’ landing port to inspect thecatch as it’s landed. We know from experience thetrawler operators break the rules,and the Irish courts have alreadyhanded out large fines in two cases.We know also they can evade theNavy and that in any case boardingin the high seas is a dangerous task.Monitoring, then, is where it’s at,but monitoring is not where our

Department of theMarine is at. Bottomline, Minister Coveneyand his staff in theDepartment of theMarine need to get ontop of this.Immediately, as inright now, he mustintroduce proper moni-toring; in the meantimehe can- he must - takethe case and make thecase, very strongly, for

national observers to the EU fish-eries meeting in December.”Here at the County Leader we aredelighted that Europe have takennotice of this. The fact that an MEPfrom a Midlands constituency haspicked up on this story, shouldreally give the Irish Coastal MEP’ssomething to think about.

Luke Ming Flanagan MEP

By Aoife Read

Whilst doing our research forlast week’s story, ‘IrishFishermen Lose Out’ some-thing else rather peculiar

came to our attention.Currently patrolling the CelticSea is a French fishing patrolvessel called Thalassa. Thisis a research vessel, which isdoing a job that apparentlycould be being carried out byour very own fisheries

research vessel, the CelticExplorer. The County Leader contactedthe Sea Fisheries ProtectionAssociation and challengedthem as to what the Frenchvessel was doing in Irishwaters. We received a response fromthem which read, “Thisvessel is the French FisheriesResearch vessel, Thalassa. Ithas been undertaking asurvey since 17th October

last which encompasses anextensive area of Spanish,French, UK and Irish watersfrom southern Biscay to theCeltic Sea. The Departmentof Foreign Affairs was noti-fied of this survey underinternational protocols inMarch 2015.”The Celtic Explorer is basedin Galway and is the larger ofthe two state ownedresearch vessels run by theMarine Institute. It is capableof accommodating 35personnel, including 20-22scientists. Its location andsize means that it is ideal tofacilitate both national and

international research andexploration. Many North County residentswho are familiar with the seafishing business will wonderwhy, if we have our ownexceptionally capable vessel,should any research projectsbe handed over to a Frenchvessel? Furthermore, what isthe nature of the surveybeing carrying out by them? Local fishermen haveexpressed to a us a deepinterest in getting to thebottom of this deep seamystery. We will keepreporting on any new devel-opments.

French Research VesselIn The Celtic Sea

By Aoife Read

Many Students Suffer From Depression A recent survey hasshown that more thana third of Irishstudents feel downevery day and most ofthem find comfort infood. This wasreleased by the Unionof Students in Ireland(USI). “More than a third ofstudents regularlyfeeling down is analarming percentage,”Kevin Donoghue, pres-ident of the Union ofStudents in Irelandsaid. “It shows thefragility of the mindwhen it’s faced withmultiple strains suchas exam and financialstresses. We are

urging students to talkabout their problems,anxieties or strains tosomeone,” he added.He further stated thatpeople should beconscious of how theyreact to their friends’mental health,because belittling theproblem is extremelydamaging to thosesuffering from anxietyor depression.Donoghue continuedthat while 393 youngpeople under the ageof 30 committedsuicide last year, 43per cent of studentssaid the worst part offeeling down is feelingisolated and hopeless

with low self-esteem.“We want to changethese feelings. TheChats for Changecampaign aims tochange the stigma

around mental healthand encourage anyonefeeling down to getinto the habit oftalking about it,” heconcluded. Kevin Donoghue

Majority Of Student NursesEmigrate For JobsA new report publishedby the Union Of Studentsin Ireland has shown that93 per cent of studentnurses have consideredemigrating when theyfinish college. Out of 600surveyed student nursesacross the country, 564said they have thoughtabout emigrating whenthey qualify as a nurse. Commenting on the find-ings, USI President KevinDonoghue said: ”If thevast majority of studentnurses emigrate, Irelandwill be deporting essen-tial skills, talent andfinance. It’s easy to seewhy so many student

nurses have consideredemigrating once they’requalified. A lot of thosewho move to England tostart their careers havetheir flights, first month’saccommodation andpostgraduate paid for.”Furthermore, the surveyhas highlighted anotherproblem as more than1,000 nurses are set toretire from the healthservice by next June. IrishNurses and MidwivesOrganisation (INMO)General Secretary LiamDoran explained how thehospital overcrowdingsituation is affected bythe amount of staff.

Despite their demand forextra beds to be opened,hospitals across thelocality and beyond donot have adequate staffto look after the addi-tional beds as they arehaving difficultiesdealing with the bedsthat are alreadyprovided.“Many student nursesfeel a better life awaitsthem abroad,” USIPresident KevinDonoghue continued.“Countries with a hugeshortage of nurses suchas England, America andAustralia are activelyrecruiting Irish nurses.”

Balbriggan ChristmasDay SwimThe BalbrigganChristmas Day Swimwill be held at 12pm atBalbriggan Beach. Theevent is growing everyyear as hundreds ofbrave people dashdown the beach intothe freezingly coldwater for a charity oftheir choice. Make sure to come

along and build up theappetite for your Christmas dinnerlater on !

SaintSylvester’sSeniorsSocial GroupThe St. Sylvester’sSeniors Social Groupin Malahide meetsevery Wednesday at10.45am in the ParishCentre to enjoy asocial get togetherwith chats, readings,music and a cup oftea. For more infor-mation contact 0872865946

Pictured is the Irish Research vessel, The MV Celtic Explorer

Pictured is French fishing patrol vessel MV Thalassa, whic has beenpatrolling the Celtic Sea


Miracle Prayer

Dear Heart of Jesus in the past I have askedfor many favours, this time I ask for a very

special one (mention request). Take it dearHeart of Jesus and place it with your broken

heart where your Father sees it.Then in his merciful eyes it will become your

favour and not mine.Say for 3 days, promise publication . Never

known to fail. M.G

DARCY James (Jim) (formerly of Turnapin Cottages,Cloghran, Co. Dublin) 26th November 2015, peace-fully in the devoted care of the staff of Tara WinthropNursing Home, Swords surrounded by his lovingfamily. Beloved husband to Mary and very sadlymissed by his children Jim, Ciaron, David, Dominicand Suzanne, grandchi ldren, s isters , brothers,extended family, friends and neighbours. Rest inPeace.

DUFFY Cornelius (Corney), (Rush, Co. Dublin and lateof Lettermacaward, Donegal) Nov 25, 2015, (peace-fully) at St. Francis Hospice, Blanchardstown, after anillness borne with tremendous courage, dignity andgood humour, Cornelius (Corney); Sadly missed byhis heartbroken wife Lara, daughter Aoife, parentsJosephine and Cathal, brothers Paul, John and Gerard,sister Caroline, uncles, aunts, extended family andfriends. Rest in Peace.

GUILDEA Edward (Jnr) (Clonard Court, Balbriggan, Co.Dublin). He is sadly missed by his loving partnerF l o r e n c e , s o n E d w a r d , f a t h e r E d w a r d , m o t h e rKathleen, sisters Helen and Catherine, brothersD a v i d , M a r t i n a n d J o e , a u n t s , u n c l e s , n i e c e s ,nephews, extended family, neighbours and friends.Rest in Peace

O'DONOGHUE (née O'Kelly), Sheelagh (Malahide andformerly of Winton Road, D6) - Nov. 26, 2015 (peace-ful ly) , in the excel lent care of the staf f of TaraWinthrop Private Clinic, loving and loved mother ofGwen (O'Connor) and Eavanne; sadly missed by herson-in-law Danny, grandchildren Shane, Niall, Hugh,Colm, Aoife and their spouses, great-grandchildrenEmily, Matthew, Ben, Liam, Donagh, Zoe, Grace,A i l b h e , C i a r á n , M a d e l e n e a n d N i a m h , n i e c e s ,nephews, relatives, neighbours and friends. Rest inPeace

CRADDOCK , (née Cox) , Carmel - Nov. 24, 2015,(Malahide, Co. Dublin) , (peacefully, after a longillness), surrounded by her loving family at BeaumontHospital. Beloved wife of the late Joe; sadly missedby her sons and daughters, Josephine, Suzanne, John,Maria and Paul, sons-in-law Phillip Tony and Michael,daughters-in-law Patricia and Angela, grand-childrenHayley, Sian, Rhys, Michael , David, Glenn, Joe,Shauna, Eoghan, Jennifer, Amy, Lisa and Daniel,brothers, Rev Fr Noel, Paddy and her twin Tom,nieces, nephews, extended family, neighbours andfriends. Rest in Peace

MCGRANE (Beaumont, Dublin and Swords, Dublin),23rd November 2015, peacefully, after a long illnessfought with dignity and courage, Eamon, belovedhusband and best friend of Edel and son of the lateEllen and John. He will be sadly missed by his lovingwife Edel and his adoring children Cal, Theo and Ava,parents-in-law Dan and Sheila, sister-in-law, cousins,relatives, extended family, and his many friends andneighbours. Rest in Peace

BRUEN, Declan (Swords, Co. Dublin and formerly ofWestport, Co.Mayo) - Nov. 22, 2015, (peacefully), inthe diligent care of the staff of the Blackrock Clinic;he will be sadly missed by his loving wife Anne, chil-dren Jenny, John, Bernadette, Frank and Brendan,brother Séamus, his 10 grandchildren, relatives andfriends. Rest in Peace

DOWLEY Frank (Garristown, Co. Dublin) Suddenly,beloved husband of Alison (nee Mackey), dear fatherof Karen and Simon and partner Solongo, lovinggrandfather to Lilie, loving brother of Gillian, Leslie,Raymond and Peter, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law,nieces, nephews, neighbours and friends. Rest inPeace

MELEADY Carmel (née Domican) (Fancourt Heights,Balbriggan, Dublin) Peacefully at Beaumont Hospital.Carmel (wife of the late Barney Meleady) . Sadlymissed by her loving sons John and Brian, brotherGeorge, daughters-in-law, grandchildren, nieces,nephews, extended family and friends. Rest in peace.

MONAGHAN Clai re (née McEvoy) (Skerr ies , Co.Dublin). Nov 22, 2015, passed away peacefully atM o o r e h a l l L o d g e N u r s i n g H o m e , D r o g h e d a ,surrounded by her loving family. Dearest mother ofAlan, Cora, Neil and Ralph. Deeply regretted by herfamily, daughters-in-law Terry, Catherine and Olivia,grandchildren Shane, David, Jill, Clodagh, Neil, Sam,Lauren, Conor and Charlie, (predeceased by hergranddaughter Denise), extended family, relativesand friends. Rest in peace

LACEY, Anne, (Skerries Co. Dublin), (suddenly) in theRoyal Infirmary hospital Aberdeen, 20th November2015, leaves behind her beloved son, Dean, fatherTom, mother Noeleen, brother Tony, sisters Noelle,Caroline, Michelle and Paula, nieces and nephews,Rebecca, Danie l , Mia , P ippa, Thomas and Ava,brothers-in-law Paul and Craig, sister-in-law Hermine,relatives and a large circle of friends. Rest in peace.

MALONE, Patricia (Elizabeth) (Pat), (Ex HSE). (RiverValley, Swords and formerly of Mount Temple, Moate,Co.Westmeath.) Died 20th November 2015 peacefullyin the kind care of the Staff of Parke House NursingHome, Kilcock, Co.Kildare. Dearly beloved sister ofPat Joe, Michael, Olive, Bernadette and Anne. Deeplyregretted by her brothers-in-law Christy and Greg,sisters-in-law Agnes and Mary, nieces, nephews, rela-tives and many good friends, neighbours and formerwork colleague. Rest in peace.

Recent published deathsfrom the North County

Miracle PrayerSacred heart of Jesus,in

the past I have askedyou for many favours.

This time I ask you for avery special one

(mention favour). Take it dear

heart of Jesus and placeit within your own

broken heart, whereyour father sees it. Then

in his merciful eyes itwill become your favour

not mine. Say thisprayer for three days

promise publication andfavour will be granted.

Never known to fail. M.P

Miracle PrayerSacred heart of Jesus,in

the past I have askedyou for many favours.

This time I ask you for avery special one

(mention favour). Take it dear

heart of Jesus and placeit within your own

broken heart, whereyour father sees it. Then

in his merciful eyes itwill become your favour

not mine. Say thisprayer for three days

promise publication andfavour will be granted.

Never known to fail. G.M.

Miracle PrayerSacred Heart of

Jesus, in the past Ihave asked you formany favours. Thistime I ask for a very

special one (mentionit). Take it dear Heartof Jesus and place it

within your ownbroken heart, whereyour Father sees it.Then in His mercifuleyes it will becomeyour favour and not

mine. Say this prayerfor 3 days, promise

publication andfavour will be

granted.Never known to fail.

L.H

Attention Home Owners, Architects & Builders

Fingal County Council Planning Application Adverts are

FREENorth County Leader, Your No.1 Local Newspaper

are happy to announce that we are now accepting Planning Application Adverts for the following areas:

Balbriggan, Balrothery, Skerries, Lusk, Rush, Loughshinny,Ballyboughal, Naul, Portrane, Donabate, Swords, Kinsealy,

Malahide and PortmarnockAdverts must be supplied by email [email protected] by visiting:www.northcountyleader.ie/planningyou can also post your advert on a disk toNorth County Leader, Leader House, North Street, Swords, Co. Dublin

Architects based outside our distribution area can pick up the paperfrom our offices or at pick-up points listed on page 2.

Alternatively we can post a copy of the paper at a charge of €10

Fingal County Council I Festus and Catherine Aneke, seekplanning permission at 16 MartelloWalk, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin foralternation to the side boundary wallto include new door to the gardenarea.The planning application may beinspected or purchased at a fee notexceeding the reasonable cost ofmaking a copy at the offices of theplanning authority during its publicopening hours and a submission orobservation may be made to theauthority in writing on payment of theprescribed fee (20Euros) within theperiod of 5 weeks beginning on thedate of receipt by the authority of thisapplication

Fingal County Council Planning permission sought forconversion of a loft space into ahabitable space with three roof lightsfitted into the common shared roof,at Block 5, No 61 Ballisk Court,Donabate, Co Dublin for M. McNulty.The Planning Application may beinspected or purchased at a fee notexceeding the reasonable cost ofmaking a copy at the offices of thePlanning Authority during its publicopening hours and a submission orobservation may be made to thePlanning Authority in writing onpayment of the prescribed fee (20Euros) within the period of 5 weeksbeginning on the date of receipt bythe authority of this application

Fingal County Council Mary Boylan seeks planning permis-sion to extend the existing singlestorey extension to rear of existingcottage and raise the proposed roofto form dormer roof accommodationand also to remove and relocate theexisting shed to facilitate proposedredevelopment on site to the rear ofthe existing extended cottage at 5rose cottage ,Rogerstown lane,Lusk,County Dublin .The planning application may beinspected or purchased at a fee notexceeding the reasonable cost ofmaking a copy at the offices of theplanning authority during its publicopening hours Monday to Friday atFingal County Hall, Main St, Swords,Co. Dublin. a submission or observa-tion in relation to the applicationmay be made in writing to the plan-ning authority on payment of theprescribed fee (€20 Euros), withinthe period of 5 weeks beginning onthe date of receipt by the planningauthority of this application.

Fingal County Council Permission is sought for new revisedreplacement signage on the westelevation of existing office building at39 Main Street, Rush, Co. Dublin.Signed: D. McNamara.This application can be inspected orpurchased at a fee not exceeding thereasonable cost of making a copyduring the public opening hours of09.30 -16.30 Mon.-Fri. at the officesof Fingal County Council, County Hall,Main Street, Swords, Co. Dublin . Asubmission or observation in relationto the application may be made inwriting to the Planning Authority on

payment of €20, within the period of5 weeks beginning on the date ofreceipt by Fingal County Council ofthe application and such submissionsor observations will be considered bythe Planning Authority in making adecision on the application. ThePlanning Authority may grant permis-sion subject to or without conditions,or may refuse to grant permission.

Fingal County Council We Breda and Cathal Collins,seek planning permission at 15Carrickhill Close, Portmarnock,Co. Dublin for single storeyextensions to the rear and frontof an existing dwelling to includea new entrance porch and allrequired siteworks. The planning application may beinspected or purchased at a feenot exceeding the reasonablecost of making a copy at theoffices of the planning authorityduring its public opening hoursand a submission or observationmay be made to the authority inwriting on payment of theprescribed fee (20Euros) withinthe period of 5 weeks beginningon the date of receipt by theauthority of this application

Fingal County Council I Joseph McNally Junior intend toapply for development atRowans Little, Lusk, Co.Dublin.The development will consist ofrevision of house type from aBungalow as granted underplanning ref: F14A/0238 to astorey and a half 3 bedroomdwelling.The Planning Application may beinspected or purchased at a feenot exceeding the reasonablecost of making a copy at theoffices of the Planning Authorityduring the public opening hoursof 9.30 - 16.30 Monday - Fridayat:Fingal County Council, FingalCounty Hall, Main Street,Swords, Fingal, Co. Dublin A submission or observation inrelation to the Application maybe made in writing to thePlanning Authority on paymentof a fee of €20, within the periodof 5 weeks, beginning on thedate of receipt by Fingal CountyCouncil of the Application, andsuch submissions or observa-tions will be considered by thePlanning Authority in making adecision on the application.

Fingal County Council Sinead Price seeks planningpermission for a detachedstorey and half dwelling withassociated site works andservices and for extending thepreviously approved road accesswith vehicular entrance ontopublic road on site to the rear ofexisting house at Channel Road,Rush, County Dublin.The planning application may beinspected or purchased at a feenot exceeding the reasonablecost of making a copy at theoffices of the planning authority

during its public opening hoursMonday to Friday at Fingal CountyHall,Main St,Swords, Co. Dublin. asubmission or observation in relationto the application may be made inwriting to the planning authority onpayment of the prescribed fee (€20Euros), within the period of 5 weeksbeginning on the date of receipt bythe planning authority of this applica-tion.


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Fingal County Council Planning permission sought byMaeve O’Malley to construct a firstfloor extension to side over existingsingle storey structure, extend tothe rear with a single storey exten-sion, new porch to front entranceand rooflights to front at 46 ShenickGrove, Skerries, Co. Dublin. Theplanning application may beinspected or purchased at a fee notexceeding the reasonable cost ofmaking a copy at the offices of theplanning authority during its publicopening hours and submission orobservation may be made to theauthority in writing on payment ofthe prescribed fee (20Euros) withinthe period 5 weeks beginning onthe date of receipt by the authorityof this application.


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North County Leader - 01st December 2015

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Transcript of North County Leader - 01st December 2015