North County Leader - 3rd February 2015

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A registered newspaper at the G.P.O. 3rd February 2015 • Volume 22, Issue 03 • Leader House, North Street, Swords, Co. Dublin. • Tel: 8•400•200 • [email protected]

ALAN TDFARRELL

Working For You InDublin Fingal

For details on constituencyclinics go to www.alanfarrell.ie

Dáil ÉireannLeinster House

[email protected]

01 618 4008

With the sale of Aer Lingus dominatingthe national airwaves in the past week,we asked some prominent local politi-cians and others for their opinions onhow the sale of Aer Lingus will affect theNorth County. It is clear that there is a growing level ofresistance to the Government selling it’s 25per cent share in the company. Local TDs,including Labour’s Brendan Ryan and FineGael’s Alan Farrell, view the sale of theGovernment’s share as a red line issue, andone that may well have negative implica-tions at the doorsteps, come general elec-tion time. The clear consensus is that this is not adeal which finds favour with people in theNorth County, with all of the respondentshaving grave reservations about the futureof employees at the company. Aer Lingusretiree, Flan Clune, who retired in 2002,was very definite that any sale of AerLingus would have a very detrimental effect

on the North County, in terms ofthe knock-on to the local

economy, should job lossesoccur, which he believes will

be the case.See full report on pages 6 & 7

North County Says

Let The Battle Commence: Pictured at the Battle of the Books launch at County Hall, Swords onThursday last, are Emma O'Shaughnessy and Clodagh Carroll (both from St Colmcille's GNS, Swords),Lola Coady and Karl Johnston (both from St Patrick's SNS, Skerries) and Patrick Mitchell from St. Mary's National School, Garristown. See story on page 9

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RUSH:• Credit Union• Tesco• Community Centre

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21 Years Serving The Community Of North County Dublin 03.02.2015

Website www.taxassist.ie/swords68 Main Street, Swords • Phone 01 9011191

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Fianna Fáil Leader Micheál Martin pictured with Emma Bodiu and Ciara Gilsenan fromFingal Community College Swords, with their project titled MATHLETES : Male Vs FemalePrimarty Vs Secondary' at the BT Young Scientist Exhibition at the RDS

French airline Europe Airpost is tooperate a new direct scheduledsummer service between Dublinand Halifax, Novia Scotia thissummer.The new route, which will operatefrom the beginning of July until midSeptember, will boost Canadiantourism to Ireland and also offer anew direct destination in NorthAmerica for Irish consumers.Europe Airpost, which is the Frenchsubsidiary of Dublin-based ASLAviation Group, has an existingcharter operation at Dublin Airport,but the new weekly Halifax servicewill be its first scheduled servicefrom Dublin.The company has been operatingat Dublin Airport since 2010 and isthe only charter airline that has anaircraft based year-round in

Ireland. Europe Airpost’s new routewill operate weekly from ParisCharles de Gaulle to Dublin andthen continue to Halifax, NoviaScotia with a Boeing 737-700aircraft.“We are very pleased to launch anew scheduled route departingfrom Dublin,” said Europe AirpostChief Executive Jean-FrançoisDominiak. This new route meetsEurope Airpost’s strategy of diver-sification into scheduled flights.Five years ago Europe Airpostsuccessfully started a newpassenger business in Ireland withits chartered operation and I amconfident that our scheduled oper-ation from Dublin will register thesame success.”Dublin Airport Managing DirectorVincent Harrison said the airportwas delighted to welcome the newEurope Airpost service to Halifax.The new service will operateweekly from July 9th untilSeptember 11th with flightsdeparting Dublin on Thursdays andfrom Halifax on Fridays.

More NewRoutes ForDublin Airport

Quinn Concerned Over Escalation OfNorth County BurglariesLocal Sinn Féin coun-cillor Malachy Quinn,has expressed seriousconcern atthe spike inbreak-ins andb u r g l a r i e sacross theNorth County. “The reduc-tion in Gardam a n p o w e rhours in theNorth County area is ofhuge concern, due tothe recent rise in thenumber of burglaries,”he told the CountyLeader . “My majorconcern is the reducedservice in Lusk andSkerries, the closure ofRush Garda Stationand the extra burdenon Balbriggan at nighttime from a policingpoint of view.”The population hasdoubled in these areasin recent years and isset to double again in

the next ten to fifteenyears. Balbrigganstation has not got

s u f f i c i e n tmanpower toservice allthese areas atpresent. Sochange musthappen now.The overallstrength of theGarda force

has fallen well belowthe “red line figure” of13,000. Themanpower crisis willget even worse earlythis year with the

approach of theGovernment’s f inaldeadl ine for ear lyretirements from thepublic service. Newsquad cars simply isnot enough. Re-openour stations and giveus suff ic ientmanpower,” he said. “ I mysel f am amember of the jointpolicing Committeeon the County Counciland will fight to getresources restoredfor the people of theNorth County,” Quinnconcluded.

Balbriggan Fáilte Isteach PraisedBalbriggan Fáilte Isteach volunteers have been praised by a Governmentminister for contributing to almost 40,000 hours of free tuition in theeducation of migrants annually.Minister of State, Aodhán O’Ríordaín, speaking at the Third Age FáilteIsteach event that celebrated the commitment and dedication of its 650volunteers including those from Fáilte Isteach in Balbriggan, praised thevolunteers, saying: “I don’t think you realise the power of what you aredoing as volunteers. If you suffer from inequality, if you are a member ofa minority, inequality sucks itself into your bones. It can shape your life.The great liberator is education, and you have it for life.”Fáilte Isteach, a project which involves volunteers welcoming migrants tothe community through free conversational English classes, was firstestablished by Third Age in late 2006.Since then, it has grown from a single local, rural project into a nationalinitiative, with a presence in 22 counties and 68 branches nationwide.Volunteers deliver almost 40,000 hours of free tuition annually to a totalof 2,100 migrants of all ages.Áine Brady, CEO of Third Age added: “This event is a well-deservedrecognition of the tremendous commitment of our volunteers throughoutthe North County and beyond. Through their dedication and enthusiasm,they help migrants improve their English language skills, they arehelping to build stronger, more integrated communities and are makinga real and lasting difference to community cohesion in the areas in whichthey live,” she concluded.

Cllr Quinn,

Additional SeatingScheme For DonabateThe County Council have said they plan to roll outthe seating plan currently in Donabate. Initially, aseating scheme was rolled out last year and twopublic seating benches were installed at TheHand, Donabate. This followed engagement withresidents of Ballisk, in advance of installation ofthese benches. The County Council was in favourof this development, as they have signed up to theAge Friendly initiative, to try and make the townsin the North County as accessible as possible fortheir senior citizens. At a recent council meeting, aquestion was then put to the Chief Executiveasking to further roll out this seating scheme instrategic locations around the Donabate/Portranepeninsula after consulting the local senior citizensand other key groups. There was a positiveresponse from the Council on this, as they saidthat a third bench is to be installed in the comingweeks on the open space next to the Church inDonabate. “The work will commence as soon aslocal schedules allow,” said the Council. “TheOperations Department are more than happy toliaise with local groups such as the senior citizens,Tidy Towns and Community Council to identifyfurther sites suitable for the installation of publicseating that would contribute towards Donabatebecoming an age friendly town,” they added.

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Triumph For DonabatePortrane CommunityCentreThe Local Authority Members Association (LAMA)Community and Council Awards 2015, took place atthe Crowne Plaza Hotel Northwood on Saturday 24thJanuary last. The awards recognise and celebratecommunity and councilstogether, and provide agreat opportunity to high-light and celebrate thework done within commu-nities and to rewardunsung heroes.This year, the NorthCounty produced a winner,when the Local SportsClub of the Year was wonby Donabate PortraneCommunity Centre.Speaking about the win,Shay Barker, SeniorExecutive Officer from theCounty Council Housingand CommunityDepartment told theCounty Leader, “TheCouncil are delighted withthe success of theDonabate Portrane Community Centre in winning therecent LAMA award for best Sports Centre. The awardis a recognition of the fantastic work done by the staffand Board of the Centre, with support from CommunityCulture and Sports Division of the Council.”

“It further recognises the quality of the facilities avail-able at the Centre. I wish them continued successgoing forward,” he added. First held in 2006, theLAMA Awards were created to recognise innovativelocal and national projects in the areas of infrastruc-ture, community development, recreation and socialimpact initiatives. Councillor Mags Murray, Chairmanof the LAMA Association, said: “The 2015 awardssaw an increase in the community based project cate-gories and the judges felt the standard of entries was

very high. The LAMA Community & Council Awardsare a great opportunity to highlight and acknowledgeexcellent projects and initiatives at local, county andnational level” she concluded.

LAMA Community and Council Awards 2015, in association with IPB Insurance, wereheld at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Northwood, recently. LAMA is the Local AuthorityMembers Association and Donabate Portrane Community Centre, won the Local SportsClub of the Year Award. Pictured at the award presentation are Cathal King, Paul Reid(County Council Chief Executive), Jacinta Lowndes, County Mayor, Cllr Mags Murray(Chairperson of LAMA) and Pascal Henchy

Biodiversity Day At Rush SchoolLast Wednesday was avery special day for thepupils of St Catherine’sNational School in Rush.It was the day the entireschool held theirBiodiversity Day, as partof their attempt to landa sixth Green Flag. The County Leaderspoke to GráinneMcDermott, Green

School Co-ordinator atSt Catherine’s, whosaid, “This is our day ofaction for biodiversity,where there’s an infor-mation hub and some ofthe sixth class pupilshave undertakenprojects and powerpointpresentations aboutbiodiversity. We alsoran a whole school art

exhibition, and wedecided that we hadenough stuff in thegarden to do with biodi-versity, so this year wedecided to transformpart of our forest into anenchanted forest.” “This involved the chil-dren being asked tomake little things forfairies from biodegrad-

able materials, such aswood and clay. Whenthe weather gets a bitbetter, the children canuse the garden for morecreative things, likestorytelling, drama andthings like that. This is awonderful opportunityfor the children to usetheir imagination, aswell as learning aboutbiodiversity,” she said.Already, the schoolgarden is a wonderland,with hens and a pond,where the children canwatch tadpoles. There isalso a bird box with acamera in it, where thechildren can watch thenew chicks beinghatched and fed. “Wealso have the local Growit Yourself group, whoplant material in thegarden. Our owngardener, Mary Ryandoes a great job here,and organises naturewalks for the pupils,”concluded Gráinne, whois very hopeful of theschool landing it’s sixthgreen flag.

Pictured are St Catherine's NS Rush pupils, Alan Nowasad, Jakub Kalanarz, SarahDempsey and Conor Armstrong, with some of the items they created, all from recycledmsterial for the Enchanted Forest, as part of the Biodiversity Day at the school lastWednesday

Local councillor Gráinne Maguire (Ind) has asked theCounty Council to provide a park area at the canalarea in Balbriggan for people to visit. She also askedthem to place special emphasis on the area wherethe new water pumping station is being built. Therewas some good news for local residents in thisregard, as the Council responded by saying that theywere about to prepare plans to revive the open space.“The Operations Department is currently preparingplans for this long linear open space, which willinclude additional footpaths, tree planting andboundary improvements,” they said. “There is a basic

landscaping plan for the open space adjacent to thepumping station which is included as part of thepumping station construction project, and we will beliaising with the contractor to ensure that the newoverall landscaping plan will link with this area,” thelocal authority added. The Council also said they would be working with the

local Tidy Towns group duringthe design process. “Balbriggan Tidy Towns will beconsulted during the designprocess as there are hugeopportunities to create a dedi-cated biodiversity area withinthe town at this location.” “The pumping station will notbe complete until late summer2015, so we will use the

coming months to prepare a master plan for theentire area and works can be carried out in a phasedbasis as finances allow,” the Council concluded.

Canal Area InBalbriggan To Be Revived

Cllr. Maguire

04 Your No.1 Local Newspaper 21 Years Serving The Community Of North County Dublin 03.02.2015

We asked the question,"Do you think that AerLingus should be sold?"

Q:

No, it shouldn't be sold, because it is Irish. AirLingus should stay in Irish hands.

I think it should not be sold because I think theworkers will suffer in the long run, because there is aproblem there at the moment in relation to theirpensions. Some people at the top of Air Lingus willget a huge windfall of millions if it is sold. So only abenefit for a few at the top.

Eva Breitwieser

YOURVIEWWith reporter

Eva Breitwieser

No, because I just think it is Irish and I wouldn’tgo with Ryanair. I just like Air Lingus.

It’s probably a bad thing. There wouldn’t be AirLingus anymore. It’s an identity thing where we'dbe losing our national symbol

John O’Reilly, River Valley

No, because I think it is part of our heritage and I'djust prefer if it stays in Irish hands.

Yes, why not? It's a private company. If the share-holders think it's worth selling, then it should besold

Yes, because they’ve got too much money, andthe people are getting too much in pensions.

I don't mind either way, just as long as they keep thefares down

It really depends, it isn’t a yes or no answer.Progress says it needs to be sold, but thenthey may sell all the routes, and let staff go.On balance I'd would say no.

Catherine O’Reilly, Swords

John Horgan, Swords

Joe O’Reilly, Kinsealy

No, because it is Irish. and we need to hold on toit. It is part of our identity and it belongs to us.

Pat Long, Swords

Derek Fox, Castleknock

Jason Byrne, Swords

Pat Conlan, Finglas

Marie Phelan, Swords

Margaret Scanlon, Swords

Everything is being shifted now. Air Lingus is theflagships of Ireland, so it shouldn’t be sold

David Bernie, Swords

Yes, it should be sold. Because if they’recomplaining about a bad job being done, lets givesomebody else the opportunity to make it right.

David Cullen, Swords

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North County May Benefit FromThe Central Bank’s decision to impose new restrictions on mort-gage seekers, will come into play in the next few days. Therestrictions include a 20 per cent deposit requirement for allmortgage seekers, with the exception of first time buyers. Theywill be required to stump up 10 per cent on a mortgage up to€220,000, and 20 per cent on amounts above that number.News of the new regulations have been met generally with apositive reaction from estate agents in the North County, butmany local people will see them as good news for the area. Thefact that many first time buyers,who wanted to buy a house inan area, where prices areprohibitive, may well view theNorth County as a more afford-able location in which to set upresidence. Such a developmentwould be seen as bringing anew vibrancy to the area,providing a boost to the localeconomy.Traditionally, house buyers hadbeen able to get a 90 per centloan, which rose to up to 100per cent in the bubble years.The Central Bank’s decision toreduce this to 80 per cent, andto require lenders to impose anincome threshold of 3.5 timesearnings, means that buyers, other than first time buyers, will beadversely affected by this move. Swords based auctioneer, Alan Redmond from RedmondProperty Consulting said, “First time buyers will still have to takea lot of time to come up with their deposits. On a house worth€220,000, they will still have to come up with a deposit of€22,000. However, we find that many first time buyers nowcoming to buy properties, will already have a good lump sumsaved, simply because they have been out of the market for thepast five years, or so. I don’t think it will affect people trading up,as the majority of them will have good equity in their properties,

resulting in good deposits. Redmond feels that the regulationsare good overall, however tampering with the property market isnever a good idea, as we’ve seen many mistakes in the past. Theinitial proposals were too stringent, so this is a good move. Theshortage of property remains a real problem, as it is driving theprices of houses upwards, and may force people to relocate toother areas in the future,” he said.Shea Kelly, Managing Director of Kelly Auctioneers in Skerries,was largely in agreement with Redmond and, while welcoming

the new regulations on thewhole, still felt that a fewtweaks were needed. “Iwelcome the relief for first timebuyers. However, the goodnews is that the new regula-tions indicate that someone isat the helm of the ship. I wouldlike to see the regulations morenuanced towards peopleemerging from negative equity.They have endured a horridtime,” he said.We also spoke to Balbrigganbased estate agent, EdelMcGuinness of EMGAuctioneers, who told theCounty Leader, “We welcomethe new lending limits and rules

for first time buyers. The banks will be able to lend 90 per cent ofthe cost of a property, up to a value of €220,000. This will helpfirst time buyers to get onto the property ladder, and will reducethe amount of a deposit which first time buyers have to savewhen buying a home,” she said.The original proposal would have had a very damaging effect onlocal families, and the chances of their children getting on to theproperty ladder. The good news is that now, first time buyers,who wish to live close to their loved ones and the areas theygrew up in, are in a position to be able to stay in, or near theircommunities and families.

• 10pc deposit will be allowed for first €220,000 of borrowings for first time buyers

• This figure has been picked in the hope that most first-time buyers will escape theworst effects of the new lending limits.

• For amounts being borrowed over €220,000 a 20pc deposit will be required forthat portion of the mortgage.

• All other borrowers will have to have 20pc deposit.

• Borrowers will be restricted to borrowing only three-and-a-half times their income.

• Banks will be allowed issue 15pc of mortgages outside the deposit limits

• The new limits will not apply to those who are in negative equity and are tradingup or down

THE NEW CENTRAL BANKRULES AT A GLANCE

DEPOSIT RATES FORFIRST TIME BUYERSPRICE DEPOSIT€220,000 €22,000€250,000 €28,000€275,000 €33,000€300,000 €38,000€325,000 €43,000€350,000 €48,000€375,000 €53,000€400,000 €58,000€425,000 €63,000€450,000 €68,000€475,000 €73,000€500,000 €78,000

VolunteersNeeded InMalahideMalahide BethanyBereavement SupportGroup are looking fornew volunteers. TheBethany teamprovides support andassistance to familiesto prepare the funeralliturgy. They alsofacilitate monthly andweekly support groupmeetings for thebereaved in theparish centre. Newmembers arerequired to attend a10 week t r a i n i n gsession. The nexttraining sessioncommences onTuesday, 17thFebruary. If you areinterested or wouldlike more informa-tion, please contactAlan on 087 7587511.


New Property RegulationWhat €220,000 gets you

around the North County

This impressive home which was recently sold ispositioned in a cul de sac location within the maturedevelopment of Chapel Gate. Spacious family homeoffers the peak of modern living, comfort and style.This property is overlooking an open green area andhas a mature front and a sunny south faced reargarden with car parking to the front of the property.This property created a stir given its bright and well-proportioned accommodation along with its loca-tion within the popular area of Balbriggan in NorthCounty Dublin. From the beginning you will not failto be impressed by this superb property.Selling Agent: EMG Properties, Balbriggan

22 Chapel Gate, Balbriggan

No 105 Lioscian is a bright and spacious threebedroom end of terrace townhouse ideally locatedin a quiet traffic free cul de sac overlooking a largegreen area just off Rathbeale Road close to JC’sShopping Centre, Lidl, national and secondaryschools and within a short walk of Swords towncentre and Pavilions Shopping Centre.Accommodation briefly comprises, hall, kitchen /dining room, living room, 3 bedrooms, bathroom,master bedroom with en-suite.The property has a host of many quality featuresand really should be viewed to be appreciated.Selling Agent: Redmond Property Consulting

105 Lioscian, Swords

€220,000

Delightful, beautifully kept and extendedbungalow in small, quiet, well kept, cul desac development just off the Main St inRush. The house is in superb conditionthroughout and has a ground floor bedroomand Guest W.C. To the front it overlooksopen space and has off-street car parkingspace. Most town amenities in Rush arewithin a few minutes walk including thebeautiful beach and harbour. Selling Agent: Kelly Auctioneers

8 Ceol Na Mara, Rush

€189,000

Very centrally located cottage right in theheart of Skerries town centre.Good size walled rear garden with southeasterly orientation.Will need modernisation but ample room toextend. See drawings proposals. €219,000Selling Agent: Kelly Auctioneers

57 Thomas Hand Street, Skerries

€219,000

€210,000

Redmond Property Consultants bring to themarket this highly impressive three bedroommid terrace townhouse with a south southfacing rear garden. Accommodation is brightand spacious which comprises entrance lobby,hall, lounge, kitchen / dining room, utilityroom, three spacious bedrooms, bathroom andmaster bedroom en suite. Features includenatural gas heating, uPVC double glazedwindows to name a few. The property is notoverlooked at front.Selling Agent: Redmond Property Consulting

Chapel Farm Avenue, Lusk

€210,000

Airside Retail Park, Swords(beside The Premier Inn)

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Contact Virgoe McEnery LandscapingFairways, Balheary, Swords, Co. Dublin

When Willie and Marie Scully, from Greenlawns inSkerries decided to give their back garden acomplete makeover last October, they were uncer-tain about which company would be the best tocarry out work on their dream garden.In the end, they secured the services of well knownlocal company, Virgoe McEnery Landscaping, a deci-sion which both Willie and Marie describe as one oftheir most inspired. Willie told the County Leaderabout how they settled on Virgoe McEnery to under-take the job. “We saw their advertisements and weliked what we saw, and when they came to give usideas, we were highly impressed with theirattitude and professionalism, and theirprice was competitive,” he said.Willie and Marie decided on aMayfair Sandstone and Slabs,with Tequila Bracken border andsunken lights. They had acertain budget and they wereimmediately taken by thetimely manner in whichMichael and his team set abouttheir work. “They were veryprofessional, courteous and veryclean and tidy, especially consid-ering the amount of muck involvedin clearing the site. They wereextremely knowledgeable about all aspectsof the work. Their equipment was very impressiveand nothing was beyond them, even when theyencountered a nasty problem with the side wall,which they sorted with ease. Another companywould have refused to tackle that problem.”Willie and Marie had previously tried to employ theservices of other landscaping companies, but lookingback, they hadn't the attitude, nor the willingness toundertake the job, which would have turned out tobe more expensive in the long run. These companiesnever returned when they saw the size of the job.

There were no shortcuts taken,and Michael worked very

closely with me,” said Marie,who had very specific require-

ments for the job. The couple alsohad the height of praise for the

foreman, Hughie and his crew, whowere excellent. Indeed their after sales

service was brilliant, and Michael kept intouch with us afterward to see if we were satisfiedwith everything.”Another piece of imagination by Michael and histeam, was the building of a wooden casing aroundour existing shed, where they relocated the unsightlyoil tank to. “We would have no trouble in recom-mending Michael and his team, to anyone who isconsidering having a garden makeover. Indeed,many of our neighbours have commented on thebeautiful work, of which we're very proud. It was anexcellent job all round,” they said.

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NORTH COUNTY SAYS NOContinued from page 1Government TDs were also reluctant to givetheir backing to the Government selling it's25 per cent shareholding. Local Labour TD,Brendan Ryan said that he is instinctivelyagainst the selling of the State's 25 per centstake in Aer Lingus, noting that the risksinherent for our connectivity, tourist

numbers andworkers conditions,are too much for theState to consider, aswe move towards adelicate recovery.His Governmentcolleague, DeputyAlan Farrell also has

reservations, citing the probable job lossesas a huge concern. He feels that now is notthe time for the Government to considerselling its share in Aer Lingus.Left wing TD and former airport employee,Clare Daly was very definite about the threatto jobs, and cited IAG's axing of 4,500 jobsin Iberia Airlines, when it was taken over. Shemaintains, if they adopted the same principleat Aer Lingus, it would mean the loss ofaround 1,200, mostly North County jobs.Fianna Fail senator, Darragh O'Brien wasequally scathing in his criticism of the deci-sion to sell off Aer Lingus, and mentionedconnectivity with a main hub like Heathrowbeing essential for our economy. He main-tains the people in North County Dublin

have too much pride in Aer Lingus to see ittaken over by the parent group of BritishAirwaysThis week, the County Leader conductedthe weekly vox pop, and we asked people inSwords if they agreed with the sale of AerLingus. The majority of people said that itshould not be sold, for a variety of reasons.See page 4 for the results of the vox pop.The verdict seems very clear, that this is ared hot topic for people and representativesin the North County. It is clear that, fromconnectivity, economic issues and the fearof job losses, the sale of Aer Lingus shouldnot go ahead, and the effect of such a dealgoing through, will have enormous conse-quences on the entire region.

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“I would be very concerned if the sale wentahead, because we're an island nation andwe need to control air access into and out ofthe country. The Government needs to lookat this very seriously. The reason theGovernment held on to 25 per cent of thecompany, was to retain the slots atHeathrow. IAG are unlikely to have theeconomic or tourism interests of Ireland atheart. Politically, it would be very difficultfor the Labour Party. If we lose control to our access into and out of thecountry, from a strategic and tourist point of view, we would lose a lot. The effect on the North County would be enormous. I meet people all thetime who were employees of Aer Lingus. The impact of any loss ofservices would be very substantial. I just can't see sentiment or ournational interests being served, It's all about the stock market.Industries here in North County Dublin will definitely suffer, where theywill struggle to get their products and services out of the country

quickly. The impact of job losses in this area,will be immense. no matter where you go, be itto a pub, a restaurant and taxis, the majority ofpeople using them locally, have some connec-tion with the airport. I'm just one of severalpeople, who moved to Swords because Iworked for Aer Lingus. The present management of Aer Lingus havereduced pensioners' income, as well as thoseof deferred members. If that's what happenswith the current regime, I don't think AerLingus pensions would be to the forefront inthe boardroom in London.”

FLAN CLUNE CLARE DALY TD“As a shop stewardand worker in AerLingus, the impact ofthe proposed IAGtakeover bid on staffat the airline wouldbe absolutely devas-tating and is some-thing which shouldbe resolutelyopposed. This moveis being made in theinterest of Englishand Spanish shareholders and offersnothing to workers and the community. The experience of IAGs takeover of Iberiawill send tremors down the backs of AerLingus workers, given that Willie Walshsucceeded in axing 4,500 jobs from thatairline. A similar figure in an Aer Linguscontext would result in the loss of 1,200jobs. These are jobs in most instanceslocated in North County Dublin, which serveto contribute to local businesses and thelocal economy. Previously it was said thateach airport job sustained another three inthe local community through purchasingpower and so on. Clearly any move in this direction wouldhave far reaching effects, not least the lossof some Heathrow slots to other interna-tional locations would result in an erosionof the number of people travelling directlyfrom the UK to Dublin, in order to access theUnited States as a result of our veryfavourable US pre clearance deal. This willinevitably have an impact on passengernumbers inside Dublin airport affecting theDAA workers also.As the CEO of South-West Airlines said "anairline should look after its workers first,then its passengers, then its shareholdersbecause a happy work force delivers a satis-fied customer which generates returns forthe shareholder". The IAG proposal is completely the otherway around and should be stronglyopposed.The amount of money which the govern-ment would yield is only equal to the last 5years profits at the airline, profits which arecontributing a dividend to the tax payer. Iwill be doing everything I can to standbeside my colleagues and oppose thismanoeuvre in the interests of big business.”

ALANFARRELL TD“Having been effec-tively privatised in2006 by Fianna Fáil; itbecame inevitablethat Aer Lingus wouldbe subject to takeoverbids. However, interms of the consider-ation of any takeoverbid, we must notunderestimate thestrategic importanceof Aer Lingus’Heathrow slots, thenecessity of safeguarding both competitionwithin the airline industry and the connec-tivity afforded to Ireland by Aer Lingus, andthe need to protect the jobs of its staff. AerLingus is a lean airline and, having under-gone restructuring programmes; it iscertainly not overstaffed. On that basis, it isof great concern to me that IAG is proposinga takeover, which would most likely result ina number of job losses.” “Aer Lingus is a profitable airline and itsvalue to Ireland, as an island nation, andindeed to the local economy here in theNorth County, cannot be discounted. WhileIAG may provide guarantees that it will not

touch the Heathrow slots or implement anyjob cuts, the fact is that if the takeover wereto proceed, such guarantees would effec-tively be worthless, as there would be nomeans by which to prevent IAG fromreneging on them. With this in mind, it is myview that now is not the time for theGovernment to consider selling its share inAer Lingus”.An Equal Opportunities Employer

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NORTH COUNTY SAYS NOBRENDAN RYAN TD“I am instinctively against the selling of theState's 25 per cent stake in Aer Lingus. Therisks inherent for our connectivity, touristnumbers and workers conditions, are too muchfor the State to consider as we move towardsdelicate recovery.First of all, this is not about privatisation,Fianna Fáil ensured Aer Lingus was more orless privatised when they were in Government.The 25 per cent stake held by the State isvitally important, to ensure we have some sayover how our national airline is run, to thebenefit of Ireland. It does not make sense for the government tosell its stake, as Aer Lingus is an importantstate asset and critical to the development ofour economy. Aer Lingus is crucial for connec-tivity through our slots in Heathrow Airport,which is a benefit for both business people andtourism. This is vital for the economy of boththe North County and the national economy.Any potential sale of Aer Lingus may see someof these vital services put at risk, as they maynot be viewed as beneficial for a wholly private

company tooperate. Also, Iwould find it diffi-cult to accept anyguarantees givenfrom IAG aboutsafeguards forslots or staff. Iwould be nervousthat any guarantees would not survive achange in management of the parent company.We also cannot risk any threats to jobs.IMPACT trade union has warned that up to1000 jobs could be lost if the airline is sold.Many of these job losses will be from workersliving in the North County. SIPTU, which repre-sent over 50 per cent of the workers in AerLingus, has also expressed real concerns overpotential changes in the conditions for workersshould the company be sold. As our economyrecovers and we look to grow jobs, we alsoneed to act as a State to protect the jobs wehave. Aer Lingus is a strong company with agood workforce. This needs to be protected.

“Aer Lingus is more than anairline for the communities inthe North County. It is as Irishas can be. Our community hasgrown up around this nationalbrand and when it has pros-pered, so too has our localeconomy. Thousands ofpeople have been employedin Aer Lingus down throughthe decades since the airlinewas launched in 1936. The fact is Aer Lingus is partof the fabric of the entireNorth County area. Wholefamilies have had peopleemployed in the airline, frommaintenance, to air stewards

and pilots. Thereis also a hugesocial elementthat has devel-oped in NorthCounty Dublin, asa direct result ofhaving Aer Lingusfounded here.Having the ALSAAsports and socialassociation hasadded greatly to our commu-nity. I f irmly believe theGovernment must retain the25 per cent shareholding inAer Lingus. The airline, which

d e s p e r a t e l yneeded privateinvestment 10years ago, hasflourished inrecent years, but itremains crucial toour strategicnational interests.Connectivity witha main hub likeHeathrow is

essential for our economy andpeople in North County Dublinhave too much pride in AerLingus to see it taken over bythe parent group of BritishAirways.”

SENATOR DARRAGH O’BRIEN

TONY LAMBERTCEO FINGAL DUBLIN CHAMBER“Any successful bid for Aer Lingusmust include a clear commitmentto retain the 24 slots that AerLingus controls for connectivitybetween Ireland and HeathrowAirport. The connectivity betweenDublin Airport and HeathrowAirport is vital for the continuedeconomic development of theNorth County region. The Dublin/Heathrow route iscurrently the second busiest in theworld, which clearly proves that local busi-nesses, local travellers and incoming touristsrely heavily on the take-off and landingsslots at Heathrow, currently held by AerLingus. While there are a number of chal-lenges with any takeover of Aer Lingus, thereare also great opportunities to grow moreroutes and to grow Dublin Airport as a major

hub for long-haul internationaltravel to the United States andthe Middle East and Asia. This issomething that should be keptin mind in looking at the futuredevelopment of Dublin Airport.Dublin Airport, which is at theheart of the North County Dublinregion, is and has been for manyyears, a major provider of a widerange of high quality jobs forlarge numbers of people in the

local area. The airport is the country'slargest single employment base with over14,000 people currently directly employedthere. By 2022, passenger numbers atDublin Airport can be expected to grow fromover 21 million to over 29 million and thenumber of staff is expected to increase toover 19,000”.

Tell us what you think?@TheCountyLeader

Have your say on theAer Lingus Sale

Last Sunday, 1st February was St Brigid's Day, andNewgrange Willow Design provided demonstations onhow to make the St Brigid's Cross, at County Hall inSwords. Pictured displaying the crosses they made, areCllr David O'Connor, Council employee, Bridget Maguireand Cllr Joe Newman

Fundraising Event ForDonabate Tidy TownsDonabate Tidy Towns are organising afundraising event on Thursday, 19th February toraise much needed funds for further improve-ments to the area. The group are holding a RaceNight in Keelings Pub in Donabate. If anyone cancontribute to the event in any way, the groupwould really appreciate it. Volunteers are also currently sought in Donabateto get involved in an exciting new youth initiativefor 10-12 year olds, which will be supported byForóige. If you want to volunteer locally and havean interest in working with young people thiscould be just the thing. Please get in touch withthe group if you are interested.


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Fun CompetitionFor SkerriesGroupThe Stand By Me commu-nity group in Skerries areholding a a Mr & MrsCompetition on 13thFebruary in Ollie’s Place inSkerries. The StandbymeCommunity is a non-profitgroup and all donationswill fund events for theSkerries community. Ifyou would like to find outmore about being asponsor, or enter our Mr& Mrs Competition pleasecontact by email: [email protected].

FundraisingEvent InDonabateThe Donabate / PortraneFestival Committee aredelighted to announcethat the band Santoria willbe playing in Keelings Barand Dome Lounge, onFriday, 27th February.This is a fundraising event,so there will be a covercharge at the door. Allfunds raised on the doorwill be solely used for therunning of the upcomingSummer Festival inAugust. Feel free to comeand join in what is sure tobe a fantastic night, all insupport of the localcommnity. Support actsand times will beconfirmed at a later date.

Night Out ForBalbrigganVolunteersThe volunteers fromBalbriggan Meals onWheels had a muchdeserved night in theBracken Court Hotel lastweek. The volunteersprovide a much neededservice of deliveringmeals to people. Thevolunteers had a greatnight out together,complete with a raffle,prizes and entertainmentprovided by The Tulips.


Newman GetsCommitment On Anti-Social BehaviourThe situation regarding anti-social behaviour byteenagers in River Valley in Swords, has led alocal councillor to call on the County Council totake action.Residents of River Valley View are beingsubjected to regular nightly disturbances,caused by kids partying in the area. They alsosteal refuse bins and set them on fire. LocalIndependent councillor Joe Newman wascontacted by a number of residents in the area,pleading for help with this problem.Newman told the County Leader, ‘“We have hadanti-social behaviour in this area for the past fewyears. where kids have been partying there, lateinto the night. The problem with robbing resi-dents’ bins and setting them on fire, is particu-larly worrying and I have spoken with the ParksDepartment and they have carried out a thinningof some bushes in the area, near the footballpitches. Residents in this area feel intimidatedand are very concerned about this, which isaffecting their quality of life.”

Newman continued, “Last December, I wrote tothe Garda Commissioner about this problem andlast week, I received a phone call from Sgt KevinToner from Swords Gardai, and I had a goodmeeting with him afterwards, where all issuesrelating to anti-social behaviour in the area werediscussed. Sgt Toner assured me that theGardai are committed to stamping out anti-social behaviour in the park, and I feel confidentthat this will be addressed as a matter ofurgency,” he said.

Councillor, Joe Newman (Ind) is pictured at the entranceto the park from River Valley View

Campaign For Balbriggan Skate ParkGathers Momentum

The campaign to build a Skate Park inBalbriggan is gaining momentum. The issue ofgetting Balbriggan its own skate park has beensomething the local community, and variousother local representatives have vigourouslycampaigned for, and the BalbrigganCommunity Council are just one of the groupsthat are putting the topic high on their list ofpriorities. “We have a meeting coming upshortly in February with members of theCounty Council to discuss the project further,”said Brigid Dervan, Chairperson of BalbrigganCommunity Council. She also explained that itwas the youth in the area that spearheadedthe campaign.

“Our sports sub-committee have beenworking hard to produce a well thought outproposal as well as liaising with the youngpeople of the area who started the originalcampaign. They currently have to travel allover the North County and beyond to be ableto practice and enhance their skills,” sheexplained. “We have support from MinisterJames Reilly, who signed the petition for aSkate park at Balbriggan Community CouncilOpen Day in November, a well as the supportof our local councillors. We are continuing tocollect signatures in a concentrated effort togain as much momentum as possible,” sheconcluded.

Pictured here is Minister James Reilly with some youths in Balbriggan, who are eager to get their own Skate Park in thearea.

Battle Of TheBook BeginsThe County Councillaunched it’s thirdreading initiative, at aceremony which washeld at County Hall,Swords on Thursdaylast. Nora Finnegan ofFingal Libraries, toldthe County Leaderwhat the initiativeinvolves. “We arelaunching this initia-tive, in conjunctionwith DAA and FingalCounty Libraries,where libraries pay forthe books, and we getfifth class pupils fromsix schools from allaround the NorthCounty to read them.”She continued, “Thenin May we will have agiant battle in the

form of a quiz, whichwill produce an overallwinner. The launch,which was performedby deputy Mayor, CllrTed Leddy, wasattended by KevinToland, ChiefExecutive of DAA,Maura Cassidy, alsofrom DAA, and PaulReid, County CouncilChief Executive. The launch was called,‘Battle of the Book’and this is the thirdyear it has been held.The book to bestudied is called, ‘TheHistory Mystery. Theparticipating schoolsare, St Colmcille’sGirls School, Swords,St Mary’s NationalSchool Garristown, St

Patrick’s SNS,Skerries, BrackenEducate Together,Balbriggan, RushNational School andScoil Mhuire, Howth.Two or three represen-tatives from each ofthe participatingschools also attendedthe launch, as well asteachers, who trans-

ported boxes of books,to bring back to theirschools, in prepara-tion for the upcoming‘battle’. Every monththere will be an event,which relates to atopic in the book,which is set in modernday Brazil. The deputyMayor spoke aboutthe importance of

reading, particularly inthis day and age ofsocial media. DAAChief Executive, KevinToland said, “We’redelighted to be part ofthis exciting project.Lots of people workingat the airport are fromthe North County, soit’s good to be associ-ated with it,” he said.

Pictured at the launch of the Battle of the Books at County Hall, Swords are, NoraFinnegan (Fingal Libraries), Maura Cassidy (DAA), Paul Reid (Council Chief Executive),Yvonne O'Brien (Fingal Libraries), Deputy County Mayor, Cllr Ted Leddy, Betty Boardman(Fingal Libraries), Susan Lovatt (Fingal Libraries), Kevin Toland (DAA) and Grainne Clear(Little Island Publishers)

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Lusk National School is currentlya i m i n g t o a c h i e v e t h e H e a l t hPromoting School Flag, and to gainrecognition as a healthy and physi-cally educated school. To this end,the school has introduced some newinitiatives, in an effort to encouragechildren to become healthier. Bothparents and pupils decided to trial anew Breakfast Club programme,called ‘Lusk’s Sunshine BreakfastClub’.

Teacher, Joe Gleeson spoke to theC o u n t y L e a d e r a b o u t t h eprogramme. He said, “A group ofteachers , inc luding Aoi fe Ta l ty .C o l i n L y n c h a n d m y s e l f c a m etogether to do something that hadn e v e r b e e n d o n e b e f o r e i n t h eschool, to see how it would affectoverall performance in class. Westar ted the Breakfast C lub on asmall scale, with just 40 pupils, butwe soon received 120 applications,out of 800 pupils in the school. Ourprincipal, Paul Comiskey has beengreat , and we now have 75 k idsbroken into two groups, with aboutfour parents helping out.”Local businesses have responded to

t h e B r e a k f a s t C l u b w i t h g r e a tg e n e r o s i t y , a n d J o e w i s h e s t oacknowledge this. “We approachedthem with the v iew to providingfood for free, and the response hasbeen outstanding. Even the milkmangives milk for free, and the breadman gives us five loaves of bread forfree every day. On Fridays, there isone hot food option available. Theprogramme runs every day for amonth. All our staff do this on avoluntary basis, and already, wehave seen an increase in attendancea t s c h o o l , w h i c h s h o w s t h a tp r o g r a m m e i s a s u c c e s s , ” h econcluded.

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Last week, the CountyLeader gave you plentyof helpful tips to helpyou prepare for yourbig day. We’re contin-uing that again thisweek and hopefullyhelping you to tie upall those last minutedetails to ensure youhave everything tickedoff the checklist so thatyou have the weddingyou’ve always dreamedof.

Planning andPreparation

Planning and plenty ofpreparation is key tohaving the weddingyou always dreamedof. Firstly, if you aregoing to have a tradi-tional wedding in achurch, you wouldneed to see if the dateyou want is available.This is crucial and youneed to be really doingthis as early aspossible. The big day issomething that somepeople might plan for afew years, howeverothers in different situ-ations may decide toget married within afew months. Whateverway you decide to dothings, make sure youkeep your plan ofaction at hand. Here’sa tip, place a poster ofyour to-do list in yourkitchen. You spendtime there every day

and when you arewaiting on the kettle toboil, you’ll bereminded into aboutmaking a few phonecalls and so on.

A Day At The Fair

Wedding Fairs are alsoa great idea forcouples planning theirwedding, whethernewly engaged orfinalising details.Plenty of hotels andvenues around theNorth County hostsuperb wedding exhi-bitions and fairsthroughout the year.There is something foreveryone at a weddingfair, plus you get topick up lots of littlehints and ideas tomake your special daya great memory foreveryone involved.Wedding fairs take thetrouble out of going tolots of different places,as they are a type ofone stop shop.

The Venue

This is one that shouldbe looked at andbooked well inadvance of the big day.Luckily, the NorthCounty boasts manybeautiful venuechoices, all of whichwill have weddingexhibitions onthroughout the year soyou can meet the staffand get a true idea ofwhat each possiblevenue has to offer. Thestaff will be on hand totake care of all yourneeds and will ensurethat the day runssmoothly and is asstress free as possible.

Don’t Forget ThoseInvitations

Invitations are a mustfor a wedding. It’s likethe preview of a film, ifit looks the part,people will expectgreat things. So muchthought goes intoevery little detail of theinvitations, even thefont, colour andwording is all carefullythought out in order tomake it as perfect as itcan possibly be, butremember you can beas creative as you likewith this. Here in theNorth County, thereare a range of optionsavailable to you, sowhether you want tobuy from a certainshop or get yourinvites custom made,your needs will becatered for.

Last week, the Governmentappointed eighteen membersof Local Authorities to TheCommittee of the Regions(CoR). Nine of which are fullmembers and nine alternativemembers who may act in theabsence of a full member. TheCoR is the EU’s assembly ofregional and local representa-tives drawn from all 28Member States. Itsmission is to involveregional and localauthorities and thecommunities theyrepresent in theEU’s decision-making process andto inform them aboutEU policies. The European Commission,the European Parliament andthe Council are obliged toconsult the CoR in policy areasaffecting regions and cities.The CoR can appeal to the EUCourt of Justice, if its rights areinfringed or it believes that an

EU law infringes thesubsidiarity principle, or failsto respect regional or localpowers. The Government dividedIreland into three RegionalAssemblies with Dublin fallingwithin the Eastern andMidland Regional Assembly.

Of those appointed byGovernment to the CoR,

three full and threealternate membersare from this region.One of which is fromthe city, but

strangely two arefrom Dun Laoghaire all

appointed for five years tofull membership. Yet there isno Fingal representativeappointed to either panel.Now it has to be accepted thatwith a limited number ofplaces, it is impossible tosatisfy all, but it does seemstrange that of these limited

places two are given to onelocal authority.I spoke to some local council-lors to get their view. JoeNewman (Ind) councillor forSwords was surprised when Icontacted him and came backto me having made someenquires to say the appoint-ments were political and hewas disappointed that theNorth County was excludedfrom a voice on this strategiccommittee, noting also thatnone of the MEPs are localresidents. David O’Connor(Ind) councillor for Balbrigganexpressed his concern, statingthat it was difficult to under-stand how appointmentswhich should reflect thegeographic makeup of thelocal assemblies could beignored. He made the pointthat the North County coversboth urban and rural areas andas such, is particularly wellpositioned to comprehend andunderstand the complexities ofthe issues faced by theCouncils which comprise theEastern and Midland Regional.

None For FingalBy Cathal Boland

Lynam Vows ActionOn Graffiti In SwordsLocal Sinn Fein councillor, Philip Lynam has beencontacted by a number of residents, all over Swordsabout the rise in graffiti in their areas. One suchexample is in Glasmore Park in Swords, where resi-dents have complained about racist graffiti, whichhas appeared in the estate.Lynam contacted the County Leader, and spoke ofhis anger at the disgusting content of the graffiti. Hesaid, “This graffiti is very disturbing and is pointed atnon-nationals. Other areas in Swords are alsosubject to graffiti in a similar vein. We have to feelfor the local Tidy Towns group, who put in endlesshours volunteering, to make sure the area looksclean and tidy. To come back after a weekend and

find something like this, is verydisheartening and disgusting,” hesaid. “I have a two tier motion and aquestion to be submitted to the nextCouncil meeting, where anyone whois caught doing this, will be subjectto a higher fine, depending on theage of the culprit. We also need to

interact with the local hardware shops to increasethe price of spray paint, in an effort to make it harderfor them to get hold of the paint.”The second tier of Lynam’s motion will include thepossibility of providing a workshop area for people,who view graffiti as an art form. “However, my mainconcern at the moment is for residents, who have tocome home to such a disgusting sight each evening,and I will be doing my utmost to bring this activity toan end,” he said.

Progress has still to be made onthe all-weather pitch inDonabate, but according to theCounty Council, works shouldproceed in the coming weeks. Local councillor Paul Mulville(Ind), asked the Chief Executiveto provide an update onprogress towards carrying out ofrepairs to Donabate All-Weather,and also asked when the repairworks would be completed.Mulville is just one of manycouncillors who are anxious to

see the pitch repaired and avail-able for community use. Theunused pitch has been a sourceof controversy, ever since it wasclosed in 2011 due to flooding. Just two days after the pitch washanded over, there was aserious flooding problem here,which has not been resolvedsince. Former councillor GerryMaGuire also fronted thecampagin to get the pitchrestored and said that the pitchinitially cost €1.2 million to

build, which was funded by thelocal authority, was intended foruse by Donabate CommunityCollege, Donabate PortraneEducate Together School, ScoilPhadraig na Cailini and StPatrick’s Boys School duringschool periods, and would thenrevert to community use in theevenings and at weekends. TheCouncil responded by sayingthat the “procurement of thenecessary works is nowcomplete and the works willproceed as soon as approval todo so is received from the DublinDun Laoghaire EducationTraining Board. It is anticipatedthat the works will take two tothree weeks to completefollowing commencement,” theyadded.

Still AwaitingProgress On DonabateAll-Weather Pitch

Farrell WantsPlayground In LuskLocal councillor Ken Farrell (Lab), has askedthe Chief Executive to identify a site inLusk for the provision of a playground.This fol lows on from successfulcampaigns in both Swords and Rush,which saw both towns secure sites forplaygrounds for their areas. Lusk residents will be happy to knowthat the County Council respondedpositively to the request, saying thatCouncil Officials have been in discussionswith local residents to determine a suitablelocation. “The Parks and Green Infrastructure

Division of the Council has had discussionswith local developers in respect of the provi-sion a playground on land adjoining the reliefroad, which would best facilitate usage byresidents of Orlynn Park, The Forge, RemountEstate as well as other residents of the

village,” the local authority explained.They also added that a precise identifi-cation for a site would be determinedin the coming weeks, following furtherdiscussions with local residents. “Theproposed location would offer thewidest availability and the excellentpassive supervision. The precise even-tual location will be agreed following

consultation with the Operations Department,local representatives and local residentsgroups,” the Council added.

Cllr. Lynam

Cllr. Farrell


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Have A Solid Speech

The wedding speechesform a major part ofthe meal and thosewho have to stand upin front of a hundred ormore people may notbe that used to doingthis and will naturally,be feeling a littlenervous. So, to helpthose pre speechnerves why not get ahand from an expert?The North County hasa number of servicesand experts who canteach you to overcomeyour anxiety byhelping you shape aspeech that’s right foryou.

Delicious Cake

These days, aside fromthe traditionalwedding cake ideas,your local baker isprobably well used togetting eccentricrequests! Some mightopt to go for smallcupcakes or twosmaller sized cakes,these are ideal ifyou’re having a moreintimate stylewedding, whereas thelarger sized cakes willwork for larger parties.Here in the NorthCounty, we have anarray of talentedwedding cake bakerswho will make you

your exquisite cake,any way you choose. Ifyou’re unsure of whattype to go for, the localfriendly experts will beon hand to help you

make that tough deci-sion.

The Honeymoon

After all the excite-ment and (slight!)stress of your big day,most newly-weds willbe dying to get awayand let their hairdown. The NorthCounty has many localtravel agents who willhelp you plan thatperfect trip away.Whether you’relooking to travel to anexotic location, or areplanning an exciting

city break, your localtravel agent will helpyou plan it down toevery last detail. Don’tforget to really take abreather, enjoy yourbreak and adjust tothe joys of newlymarried life. You can make your bigday very different thaneverybody else’s bychanging a few littlethings. Many coupleshave boxes of matchesplaced in front of eachguest with their nameon it. There are lots oflittle things like thisthat can make a differ-

The Rings

The rings are just asimportant as anything inthe wedding. There are awide range of jewellers inthe North County with avast variety of beautifulrings that you and yourloved ones will adore. Therings symbolise the bondyou and your partner areabout to make and thereshould be as muchthought and effort putinto that just as much asthe rest of the day.

ence. Some couplesput disposablecameras on the tables,these are collectedwhen the wedding isover and the bride andgroom get to see thephotographs theirguests have taken ontheir special day.Getting married is ahuge step in thejourney of any coupleand it’s also a greatevent for any family toexperience. Thereforeenjoy the experienceand take it all in yourstride. Nothing runssmoothly, so allowroom for some littlemistakes to happen.Thinking everythingwill run perfectly andsmoothly is a bit of ahigh risk, so when onlythe minimal goeswrong it won’t be sobad and the day willbe remembered by all.


Call Us Today For More Details.Tel 01 843 6346 • [email protected] • www.donabategolfclub.com

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• Applications are invited for membership of one of North County Dublin’s most warm and friendly links course golf clubs

• With golf available 7 days a week and open all year round, Rush Golf Club is a true haven oftranquillity, yet the idyllic sea views can mask a demanding links test when the wind picks up.

• Facilities are what you would expect from a top class club, from our own PGA professional providing lessons and equipment, to the spacious dining facilities and welcoming clubhouse.

For information on the club or membership, contactthe club professional on 01 843 8177

or see www.golfeveryday.ieTimesheet can be booked online at www.rushgolfclub.com

NEW MEMBER BENEFITS INCLUDE:• Warm friendly atmosphere• Links course open 365• Full membership: €1,195• 5 day membership €895• €200 to spend in the bar**• 10 free green fees***• 6 month beginner trial scheme available for €375****

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SWORDS OPENGOLF COURSE

Balheary Avenue, Swords, Co. DublinPhone: 8409819/8901030

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In recent times, theancient game of Golfhad long been viewedas the preserve of ther ich and pr iv i legedthat smacked ofelitism. It was playedby middle- aged menand women in privateclubs around thecountry.This image had asemblance of t ruthabout it up to about30 years ago, but inthe intervening time,golf has changed outof all proportions tobecome probably, thefastest growing sportworld-wide and one

of the most sought-after leisure activitiesaround. During thist ime, gol f courseshave sprung up al l

over the place and thegame reached a peakin popularity amongmost people. Much ofthis popular i ty has

come about, due toextensive TVcoverage, and theemergence of stars,on a comparablefooting with top filmstars and pop stars.During the Celt ic

Tiger era, member-ship of gol f c lubsbecame very expen-sive, as demand wasvery high. That wasall about to changedramatically, as therecession caused

people to re-evaluatetheir pr ior i t ies andgolf membershipsdipped. But, as theysay, some good willalways emerge from arecession. In golfingterms, that meant


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that suddenly, golfbecame affordableand clubs offered allkinds of membershipdeals that were, hith-erto, unthinkable.With competition forgreen fees, manyclubs now offer veryattractive Early Birdspecials, where youcan avail of golf and ameal at very afford-able prices.Luckily, the NorthCounty is blessed withhaving some of themost desirable golfingreal estate anywherein Ireland, resulting insome of the marqueegolf courses locatedhere. There is awonderful mix of topclass links courses, alldotted along ourbeautiful coastline, aswell as well mani-cured championshipstandard parklandcourses, al l wel lworthwhile sampling.Memberships at theseclubs are now at avery competit ivelevel, and they offermany extra benefits,besides golf.Many golf courses inthe North County areahave hosted majorinternational competi-tions, where golfersfrom al l over theworld, have heapedpraise on the qualityof these courses.

Gone are the days,when bumpy greensand poor fairwayswere the order of theday. Nowadays, ourcourses comparemore than favourablywith the finest to befound anywhere.Golf has now becomemore affordable, withclubs vying for new

members, resulting inincredible value fornew members. Thereis a wonderful mix oftop qual i ty l inkscourses and beauti-fully manicured park-land courses thathave hosted majorinternational competi-tions. These coursesprovide a stern test

for the best profes-sionals, but are alsofair and can beenjoyed by the enthu-siastic amateur.However, not al lpeople were drawn togolf . Teenagersseemed to be immune

to the attractions ofthis great game. Itwas considered as‘fuddy duddy’ and not‘sexy’ to be seencarrying golf clubsaround. Football andother tradit ionalsports were seen as

the popular pursuits.This was all about tochange in a dramaticway. The tremendoussuccess of Ir ishgolfers, includingPadraig Harrington,Darren Clarke andGraeme McDowell, all

Major winnerspropelled Ireland tothe forefront of worldgolf. The contributionof Paul McGinley tothe success of Europein the Ryder Cup lastyear, has alsopropelled Ireland’s

status on the golfstage worldwide.Another star who hascaught the eye, isShane Lowry, who isalso destined formajor honours. Thecontinuing Continued on page 14


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Continued from page 13contr ibution of ourgolfers to successfulRyder Cup teams hasbeen immeasurable,and has been acontributing factor tothe growth of thegame here.Enter a certainIr ishman, RoryMcIlroy and now youhave a completelydif ferent scenario.The World Number 1,has given golf the

impetus it so badlyneeded. This affableyoung man was aboutto send golf into orbit.Now, young boys andgirls regard it as sexyto play golf and to beseen to play. Younggirls see him as a pin-up and young boysview him as a rolemodel to be copied.Similar ly, Cavantwins, Lisa and LeonaMaguire have addedglamour to the game,

particularly for younggirls.In recent years,Ireland has hostedthe Ryder Cup and it’sfemale equivalent, theSolheim Cup and thishas put Ireland to theforefront as a golfingdestination.With the influx of newjuvenile and juniormembers, both boysand gir ls, and thenew-found interestamong this agegroup, most localclubs conduct clinicsfor young membersmost Saturday morn-ings all year round.Top class profes-sionals are availableat each club toprovide lessons andimpart their vastknowledge of thegame to newmembers. Wellstocked pro shopshave the latest clubsand equipment toensure that you arewell togged out toenjoy your game. Herethe professional willcustom fit you for theclubs that suit your

size and physique. Fornewcomers to thegame, it is very advis-able to get lessons,only from your localprofessional. Manywell meaningamateurs will be onlytoo willing to imparttheir ‘knowledge’about the game, andgive impromptulessons. These shouldbe avoided at al lcosts, and theservices of a ful lyqualified professionalshould be used.Getting lessons fromyour local profes-sional before takingup the game on aserious level, wil lensure that you learnthe basics of thegame, which wil lstand to you in thefuture, thus ensuringthat you have thenecessary skil ls toenjoy your game.The 19th hole hasbecome a very impor-tant part of any golfclub and most clubshave top class restau-rant and catering facil-ities, where memberscan bring their guestsafter the game. Hereyou also hold partiesand other specialoccasions. Among theadvantages of being amember of a golf club,is that you have anofficial GUI handicap.This entitles you toplay in open competi-t ions on other golfcourses across thecountry, by producingyour GUI membershipcard. Other benefitsinclude meeting newfriends and being ableto invite your familyand fr iends to yourclub, where they canalso avail of superbfacilities. Al l in al l , golf haschanged out of al lproportions and, byjoining one of our topof the range localclubs, your life is setto get a whole lotbetter.

Farrell EncouragesStudents To EnterAll-Island HistoryCompetitionLocal TD Alan Farrell (FG) hasencouraged primary and secondarylevel students in the North Countyto consider entering the ‘Decade ofCentenaries’ history competition.“The period between 2012and 2022 is being definedas the ‘Decade ofCentenaries’ and, to markthis, a history competitionhas been opened for alllocal primary and post-primary level pupils. Iwould encourage eligiblepupils to consider enteringthis competition,” he said. There are four categories to whichprojects can be submitted with thefirst category being entitled‘Decade of Centenaries’. Projects

for this category are those whichare related to Irish history between1912 and 1922 and take the form ofa bibliographical study of an indi-vidual, event or development thatrelates to this era. Other cate-gories focus on projects whichfocus on the study of an individual;the study of a historical eventwhich affected your local orregional area; and those whichfocus on issues and events which

affected the island ofIreland.“Projects can be submittedby a class as a whole, agroup of students together,or by an individual studentand there will be prizes forthe winning entry in eachcategory from both primarylevel participants and

secondary level participants,”Farrell explained.The closing date for entries is April3rd and projects can be sent [email protected].

Lynam: “Holy Family Should BeIncluded In School Building Projects”Local Sinn Féin councillor, Philip Lynam has welcomed the recentannouncement from Department of Education and Skills confirming thata number of school building projects will commence within the nexttwelve months in the North County. “Any increase in funding towards the expansion anddevelopment of our children’s schools is to bewelcomed. However I was disappointed to note thatHoly Family primary school in Swords would not benefitthis time around,” he said.“I put a question to the Department of Education andSkills back in May on the issue of Holy Family. I soughtfunding for an additional junior infants teacher to caterfor growing demand due to the ongoing increase inclass sizes. The increased demand for places has resulted in parentshaving to go elsewhere for their other children starting school whichsplits up the catchment area. It is tough on the parents who find it diffi-cult to bring their children to different schools which both have 9amstarts,” Lynam explained. The response from the Education Minister atthe time alleviated the problem temporarily, however parents will befacing this problem year after year as class sizes swell. Holy Family is indesperate need of an extension and needs a permanent solution to itsclass size problem,” he added.

Anam CaraInformationEvening In SwordsAnam Cara, the national organisa-tion that provides support servicesto bereaved parents and families, ishosting a Bereavement InformationEvening in Applewood CommunityCentre, Swords on Wednesday,18th February from 7:30pm –9:30pm.This event gives parents an oppor-tunity to hear an experiencedbereavement professional talkabout the many challenges familieshave to face into after the death oftheir son or daughter.For the bereavement talk onWednesday 18th February, Anam

Cara’s guest speaker is PeterHanlon and the topic for theevening is “A Parent’s Grief andLoss”.Peter is a Bereavement Therapistworking in private practice. Hefacilitates the family bereavementcamps at Barretstown and hasextensive experience working withbereaved parents. His work alsoincludes training of volunteers andsupervision of the support team forA Little Lifetime Foundation.As Anam Cara will need to confirmnumbers for room set up, theywould appreciate if you could RSVPto 01-4045378. All Anam Caraservices are provided free of chargeto parents. They hold ParentEvenings on the 3rd Wednesday ofeach month, except during July andAugust.

Well known entrepreneur, and local man, Senator Fergal Quinn, paid a visit to BurrowNational School, Sutton to give a talk to the pupils, who are competing in the JuniorEntrepreneur Programme. He is pictured here with the pupils and Kim Harris, actingschool principal

Alan Farrell TD

Cllr. Lynam

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Emmaus, Ennis Lane, Lissenhall, Swords, Co. DublinTelephone: (01) 8700050 Fax: (01) 8408248

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Programmes, Courses & WorkshopsAt Emmaus for February

Contact us on: 01 8700050 For further information or log ontowww.emmauscentre.ie

7th Feb – A Day of Empowerment for WOMENOne day Workshop

Facilitator: Una Murray Cost: €65.00 Light Lunch Included

7th Feb – Mindful Eating – One Day WorkshopFacilitator: Deirdre Kavanagh – Cost: €60 Light Lunch Included

11th Feb – Tai Chi – 8 Wednesday Morning ClassesFacilitator: Mary Hayes Cost: €80 in total for 8 Weeks

13th – 15th Feb – Women at the Well- Art Therapy WorksFacilitator: Jean Gascoigne

Cost: €220 Residential or €155 Non residential

21st Feb – Loving Kindness: Compassion and ContentmentFacilitator: Fidelma Farley Cost: €55.00 light Lunch Included

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Venue: St Colmcilles GFC, Holybanks, Swords, Co. Dublin Date: 5th Feb 2015 • Time: 7.30-9.30pm • Cost: €120

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Have you ever wondered, are you on the right path, are you going in theright direction, are you fearing change, or would you simply like to learnto live in the present moment.? Would you like to adapt a positive mentalattitude and learn how to stay motivated as you go through life.?

A life coaching course is a great way to reflect and review how your life isgoing and if it is going in the direction you want. From doing a life-coaching course, you will gain a Positive Mental Attitude, along with moreconfidence. You will gain the ability to find career opportunities, improveyour relationships, and improve your health and well-being.Dee Farrell is a life coach, who inspires people to make positive change intheir lives. In this course, Dee will work with you to create a targetedaction plan to reach your goals. You will learn the tools to get the mostout of life. A 10 per cent discount applies for low waged or unemployed.For more information call Time 4 U. For more information call 0860673831

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Pictured is Store Director at Specsavers Balbriggan, BrianBrodigan presenting a cheque in the amount of €1,289 toCorporate Development Manager at Our Lady’s Children’sHospital Crumlin, Sarah O'Suilleabhain.

Specsavers Balbriggan isdelighted to announce thatthey have raised almost€1,300 in aid of Our Lady’sChildren’s Hospital, Crumlin.The funds came following acollection with Mr. Claus, andfunds received from glassesrepairs throughout the busyshopping weekends inDecember.

Brian Brodigan, Store Directorat Specsavers Balbriggancommented, “We are thrilledwith the success of our recentfundraising events, in aid ofOur Lady’s Children’s HospitalCrumlin. We would l ike tosincerely thank the localpeople of Balbriggan for theirgenerosity and support, and Iwish to thank the staff for

their efforts in putting such asuccessful fundraisertogether. Furthermore, I wishto thank the managementteam at Millfield ShoppingCentre for their organisationin bringing Santa Claus to thecentre and getting ourcustomers into the spirit offestive giving,” he said.This fundraiser is part of acommitment by SpecsaversIreland to raise €100,000 inaid of Our Lady’s Children’sHospital Crumlin.

Specsavers Balbriggan RaisesFunds For Crumlin Hospital

Balbriggan CommunityCrèche is a very uniqueand homely childcaresetting, located inTankardville House,Brecan Close inBalbriggan.The crèche is locatedin a thatched cottagewith plenty of outdoor

space for children.They provide freshlyprepared meals forfull-time and after-school children. Theyopened in September2009, and have beengoing from strength tostrength. The crèche ismanaged by a

Manager and a Boardof Management; andthey employ fully qual-ified staff full-time andpart-time with FAS andTUS participants also.The staff have first aidand child protectiontraining. They also offer theCCS subvention ratesfor parents on socialwelfare and lowincomes with medicalcards, also the TECprogramme forparents returning to

training and educationand the ECCE freePreschool places. Theycater for children from1-12 years. The crècheservice comprises aWobbler Room (1-2yrs), Toddler Room (2-3 yrs) Full-Timepreschool (3-5yrs)ECCE(3-5yrs) andSessional (2.10mths-4yrs) and an afterschool service. They also use theAistear/Siolta frame-work and Curriculum.Their aim is to providea warm homely envi-ronment and an excel-lent quality childcareservice. To enquire for places,please call 01 8417104or [email protected] orvisit their website:www.bccg.ie.

Top QualityChildcare AtBalbriggan Crèche

Pictured here is Senator Darragh O'Brien and Des Tyrrell, BT Ireland with students CiaraGilsenan and Emma Bodiu from Fingal Community College Dublin and their project'MATHletes: Male vs Female, primary vs secondary' at the BT Young Scientist Exhibitionat the RDS.

Exciting WorkshopsAnd Courses AtEmmausThe Emmaus Centre inSwords has anexciting line-up of oneday workshops andcourses taking placethroughout February.On the 7th FebruaryUna Murray willpresent a one dayworkshop entitled ADay of Empowermentfor Women. ThisEmpowering WomenWorkshop focuses onBuilding confidenceand Self Esteem. Onthe same day, DeirdreKavanagh will be inEmmaus for a one dayMindful Eating work-shop. During thisworkshop, you willexplore a mindfulapproach to eating.Then on Wednesday,11th February, theWednesday morningTai Chi classes forbeginners willcommence and run foreight consecutiveWednesday’s from10.30am to 12 nooneach Wednesday.Following this, on theweekend of 13th –15th February, JeanGascoigne from Art

On Wednesday, 4th February,Esquires Coffee in Airside RetailPark, Swords, as part of the localcommunity, will make a contribu-tion from the proceeds of everycoffee purchased, to help supportWorld Cancer Day. Tony Tynan,proprietor of Esquire commentedthat, by rais ing awareness ofcancer, it will help to encourageits prevention, detection, andtreatment. The primary goal ofthe World Cancer Day is to signifi-cantly reduce illness and deathcaused by cancer by 2020. Anysupport is welcome in the battleagainst this deadly disease. If

you wish to support this excellentcause, why not drop down toEsquires on 4th February, andhave a cup of coffee.

Esquires Coffee SupportsWorld Cancer Day

Therapy Works willpresent a weekendprogramme entitledWomen at the Well.Women are invited toattend this firstweekend programmein a unique threeWeekend series. Emmaus will also behosting an Open Dayon 8th February from2pm – 5pm. During theevent, they will beshowcasing everythingthey have to offer in2015. There will betaster sessions avail-able for you to enjoyfrom some of theirmost popular facilita-tors and light refresh-ments will be served.This is a free event andall are welcome.These are just some ofthe courses which willtake place at Emmausduring February. Thecentre has lots morecourses andprogrammes takingplace throughout theyear and full detailsare available on:www.emmauscentre.ieor call Emmaus on 01-8700050.

Esquires Coffee House, Airside RetailPark, Swords

Naul Gardening and Flower Club AGM and talk ondaffodils, in preparation for the Spring Show, willtake place on Wednesday 4th February at 8pm.The venue is Three Gates, Naul and everyone iswelcome. New members are needed.

Naul Flower Club AGMNew Members Needed For Skerries ChoirThe Adult Church Choir in Skerries are recruiting new members! If youwould like to sing at 9.30 Mass on Sundays and can attend 8pm practiceson Tuesdays in the church, please contact Ann on: 0862333424.


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This bitterly cold weatherthat is currently upon uscan wreak relentlesshavoc on our homes.Remember to considerthe preparations you canbegin to put in place fromnow to spread out thosenecessary additionalcosts, as well as keep outthe cold. Below are some

more tips to make sureyour home is ready andresilient in the midst ofthese hard winter months.

Cleanliness

Coughs and colds areubiquitous at this time ofyear. It is actually intouching the same

surfaces or objects asthose who are infectedthat you are most likely tocontract their illness, soit’s essential to alwaysthoroughly wipe downsurfaces, keep everythingclean, and keep your-selves healthy. Also, dostock up on your fruit andvegetables from yourlocal market, as well asvitamins from yournearest pharmacy to keepany bugs at bay.

Damp

Do you often see patchesof damp in your home? Agreat item to purchase isa dehumidifier. It effec-tively absorbs the mois-ture in the air, causing anoticeable reduction inthe effects of damp.These will be readilyavailable in many localdepartment stores,supermarkets andspecialist shops.Also, if you tend to sufferfrom a leaky roof more atthis time of year, makesure it gets sorted beforeit ends up causing longerlasting disrepair. Callyour local handymanwithout delay and get theproblem resolved to savelong term costs.

Garden sheds/ furniture

It’s fairly unlikely youwil l want to bespending much t imeout in the garden overthe coming weeks andmonths, so it is there-fore very advisable toprotect what can beprotected. Sheds areoften used for storageof many articles, mostof which would benefitf rom the chance ofsome type of covering.A thick plastic sheet ortwo should be protec-t ion enough for thechange in season.The same appl ies inthe case of gardenfurniture, however acloser f i t is moreimperative as they’remuch more exposed tothe elements. Yourlocal garden centre islikely to be your bestbet for those necessaryextras.

Floors

Replacing worn carpetis a s imple way toinstantly increase thecomfort in your home.Threadbare carpetloses i ts colour andwarmth, but thereplacement processdoesn’t actually taketoo long. Hardwood orlaminate floors can beinstantly lifted by rugsor mats, and can alsobe used to hide scratchmarks too.

Local councillor DarraghButler (FF), has asked theChief Executive to haveadditional securitymeasures installed at theRidgewood dressing roomsin Swords, fol lowing anumber of vandalismattempt in the area. Speaking at a recentCouncil meeting, Butlerposed the following ques-tion: “There has been anumber of vandalismattempts and as this area

(and the playing f ields)have become popular forlate night anti-social behav-iour, could the Councilinstall security cameras andadditional security?”The Ridgewood dressingrooms have been subject tonumerous vandalismattempts in the past.The Council responded bysaying that there was aproblem with the maingates, which has since beenrepaired and they added

that they wouldconsider addi-t ional securitymeasures shouldthe issues of anti-social behaviourpersist.“A problem withthe receivingbolts of the maingates of Ridgewood wasbrought to the attention ofthe Operations Departmentafter the last incident at theplaying fields. The gates

could be forced apart, evenwhen locked allowingaccess for youths. This hassince been repaired,” thelocal authority explained.

“If such vandalismand f ire damagepersists in theopen space,consideration willbe given to thetemporary installa-tion of hidden cctv.Such cameras arenot monitored butcould act as a

deterrent and might recordfootage of the next incidentof vandalism,” theyconcluded.

Butler Wants More Security ForRidgewood Dressing Rooms

Cllr. Butler

Mulville Wants Urgent ReportOn Portrane Beach Local councillor PaulMulville (Ind) hasasked that the ChiefExecutive report onprogress regarding theBeach ProtectionProgramme at theBurrow, Portrane. Healso asked that a datebe agreed as a matterof urgency for the nextmeeting between

the OperationsDepartment, local resi-dents, councillors andthe National Parks andWildlife Service aspreviously agreed.A high powered dele-gation recently visitedthe highly eroded areato access, first hand,the damage caused bycoastal erosion in

recent years to theBurrow beach, and tolisten to worried homeowners, whose homesare in imminentdanger from the sea. The visit came on footof a report, whichrecommends thatthere should be ashort term, mediumterm and long term

solution to theproblem. The reportalso called for a dunem a n a g e m e n tprogramme, includingengineering works andthe planting of maringrass and staking outthe area. Mulville was oneamong many council-lors to stress thatprogress on this issueshould move asquickly as possiblebefore further damageis caused to the homes

of residents.“A meeting will takeplace later in Januarywith representativesfrom NPWS andCouncil officials,” theCouncil responded.“As was highlightedto councillors at thelast Area Meeting weare more than happyto meet with resi-dents and the electedrepresentatives forthe area following onfrom this meeting,”they added.

Pictured (right) at the CIETours InternationalAwards of Excellence, atwhich Shannon Heritagepicked up awards for KingJohn’s Castle andMalahide Castle &Gardens were: (l to r)Joanne Pollard MarketingManager, Malahide;Aodhagan Behan,Operations Manager,Shannon Heritage; JohnRuddle, CEO ShannonHeritage; GeraldineBrooks, Visitor ExperienceManager, MalahideCastle; Brian Nevin,Marketing Manager,Shannon Heritage.See story on page 9.

Long serving county councilofficial, Peter Caufield has saidhe is to step down from hisofficial Council duties in March.Peter Caulfield has ledseveral departments anddivisions of the CountyCouncil over the years,including a County Managerpost in the period betweenthe departure from the

Council of its former countymanager and the appoint-ment of the current CouncilChief executive, Paul Reid.He announced his decisionto retire at a recent Councilmeeting, saying he had a“wonderful and variedcareer over 35 years inpublic service.”He also added that he had

made the decision to retireafter a lot of reflection on hispart. “I decided that I wouldstep down from the Councilwhile I’m still fit enough andhealthy enough to divert my energy into other fields,”he said.Several councillors in atten-dance paid warm tributes toCaulfield after his announce-ment, including the currentCounty Mayor, Mags Murraywho thanked him for hismany years of service to theCounty Council.

Caufield To Step DownFrom Council In March

Peter Caulfield

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New Residential AreaFor MalahideThe County Leader met recently with members of Malahide TidyTowns to discuss the development plans for the Grove HotelMalahide. The once fine hotel, located beside the Grand Hotelfell into disrepair since its closure a few years ago, becomingan eyesore in the town. The redevelopment of the site will nodoubt come as a relief to local residents. The hotel had beenboarded up since 2006 when the controversial MaudePlunkett’s bar was forced to close down due to local conflicts,and then was subsequently destroyed in a fire in 2011. Thealways active Malahide Tidy Towns helped in the efforts toclean up the derelict site, and the group said that a residentialproperty will reside there in the near future. It was thought for

some time after the closure of the hotel, that the site may beredeveloped for apartments, and after years of the site lyingempty, this project is now on the cards. No further details havebeen released on the project as of yet.The new residential area should add further life and enhance-ment to the area, as another Tidy Towns competition looms.“We’re gearing up for another busy season as we prepare forthis year’s Tidy Towns competition,” said Malahide Tidy TownsChairman, Gerry Rafferty. “We always welcome any enhance-ments to the town,” he added. Local councillor, Anthony Lavin(FG), also welcomed the redevelopment: “I very much welcomethat the previous chapter regarding the Grove Hotel is at an endand things are finally moving forward - there was a long saga ofproblems in the past,” he said. “There was obviously aestheticproblems when the Grove Hotel came and went, it was a realeyesore in the area. With the new redevelopment, it shouldincrease footfall into the area. It will also enhance the GrandHotel further, as the hotel is one of the prominent landmarks inthe town,” Lavin added.

By Rachel Wallace


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Spring Fundraising Events ForBalbriggan GroupBalbriggan CancerSupport Group (BCSG)recently announcedtheir SpringFundaising Events for2015. These are veryexciting times for thetown of Balbrigganand surrounding areaswith three Majorsporting events takingplace in February,March and April.Theinitial event, a first forBalbriggan is a

Cheltenham Previewon Thursday 19thFebruary in BrackenCourt Hotel at 7.30pm.For all racing enthusi-asts from near and farit offers the chance tomark your card for thebiggest racing festival‘ C h e l t e n h a m . ’Organisers haveassembled a first classpanel from horseracing circlesconsisting of Gary

O’Brien from At theRaces, who willcompere the event onthe night, TrainingDuo, Tony Martin andShark Hanlon, JockeyAndrew Lynch, andKevin Ryan agent andAt The Races Pundit.The event is beingsponsored by PaddyPower Bookmakerswho will provide apanel member for thenight and the videos

for the panel toreview. For all racingenthusiasts, this anight not to bemissed. There will bea raffle on the nightwith many prizesincluding Race raceday tickets fornumerous race meet-ings. Admission is €20and tickets are avail-able from BCSG: 018410116 or from theBracken Court Hotel.

The Donabate PortraneSummer Festival is back inAugust this year. “The pastsummer festivals are remem-bered locally with great joy,”said the Donabate PortraneCommunity Council.A new committee was

recently set up, especially forthe festival, and they wouldlove would love to help people ofDonabate Portrane maketheir own memories andinvite all to make suggestionsto their Facebook page -

Donabate Portrane SummerFestival 2015. “I f anyone would l ike tovolunteer to help, it would bemuch appreciated,” addedthe Community Council. Thefestival will take place fromAugust 7th to the 9th. Wehope to see as many peopleenjoying our festival of musicand arts.”

Summer Festival In DonabateLusk National School teachers, Colin Lynch and Joe Gleeson are pictured with pupils, at the school's Breakfast Clubmorning last Thursday. See story on page 9.

New Production FromRush Dramatic Society Rush Dramatic Society will be performing theirlatest production ‘The Accused’ by Jeffrey Archerat the Millbank Theatre from now until toFebruary 14th, Wednesday to Saturday inclusive,at 8.30pm.The play is a taut, tense, psychological thriller,with a cast of twelve, set in the Old Bailey. Dr.Patrick Sherwood (Ray Langan) is on trial for themurder of his wife. He is represented by the

brilliant barrister Barrington (Oisín Molloy) butthe crown’s formidable prosecutor Kersley (JulieConlan) has a strong case. A succession ofwitnesses is called, evidence is presented toMiss Justice Cartwright, played by EthnaMcQuillan, rules her courtroom with an iron fist. Directed by Paschal O’Sullivan, this playpromises to entertain and enthral with its twistsand revelations. And then, the audience (playingthe jury) decide on the verdict. This interactiveplay will keep you glued to your seats and willhave you arguing for days after. Please contactthe Millbank Theatre for bookings.

Balbriggan Dramatic Societywill present the world premierof “Michael Coll insMessenger” by local authorPaddy Boyle in the BrackenCourt Hotel from Wednesday11th February, and runninguntil Saturday 14th February2015 inclusive.The performance will begineach night at 8.30 pm andtickets will be available fromthe hotel or payable at thedoor. Tickets are 10 euro eachor two for 15 euro.This is a great honour forBalbriggan Dramatic Society instaging this wonderful play,which depicts Balbrigganbetween the years 1914 –

1923, and will provide aninsight into what people’slives were like during thoseyears of the Great War, andindeed the Irish War ofIndependence.Cast member, and local countycouncillor, Gráinne Maguiretold the County Leader, thatthe production is generatingmuch interest in the town. Shesaid, “The story is narrated inthe present by Donal, agrandson of Josie Lynch andportrays the story of the Lynchfamily during the years 1918and 1923 during the Irish Warof Independence, which wasfought between the IrishRepublican Army and the

British Crown Forces. Thesetting is the Lynch familyhome in Bridge Street,Balbriggan and includesscenes from the GPO duringthe 1916 rebellion, and a snugin a public house in ParnellSquare used by GeneralMichael Collins,” she said.Rehearsals had been ongoingsince October, and the play isproduced by Barbra Seery.The cast includes GráinneMaguire, Derek Kenny, GlendaHayden, Luke Delaney, SeanCarey, Kevin Lenehan, IanDuff, Mick Cassin, AdamCasey, Lorraine O’ConnorBarry, Aoife Mc Elvaney, BrianHoward, Greg Casey and SallyPower. The back stage creware Mark Keogh and ToniGeoghegan.

World Premiere In Balbriggan

Local Schools Asked To ParticipateIn Irish Aid Awards T h e M i n i s t e r f o rDevelopment, TradeP r o m o t i o n , a n dN o r t h S o u t h C o -o p e r a t i o n , S e á nS h e r l o c k , T D , i sc a l l i n g o n N o r t hCounty schools top a r t i c i p a t e i n t h eOur World Irish AidAwards 2015.This year marks the1 0 t h y e a r o f t h eA w a r d s w h i c h a r ed e s i g n e d t o h e l pc h i l d r e n i n t h eN o r t h C o u n t y t ounderstand globalissues and Ireland’srole in working tom e e t t h e U n i t e dNations’ MillenniumDevelopment Goals(MDGs).

T h r o u g h t h e I r i s hA i d O u r W o r l dA w a r d s , p u p i l sbetween the ages ofe ight and 13 learna b o u t t h e l i v e s o fc h i l d r e n i n d e v e l -oping countries andthe work of Irish Aid,t h e G o v e r n m e n t ’ sprogramme for over-seas development.Pupils then create amulti-media projectt o h i g h l i g h t t h ec h a l l e n g e s f a c i n gc h i l d r e n i n d e v e l -oping countries andthe progress whichis being achieved.This year’s theme,‘ C a r i n g f o r o u rWorld’, relates to alleight MDGs, with a

particular focus onprotecting the envi-ronment.Speaking at Award’sl a u n c h , M i n i s t e rS h e r l o c k s a i d : “ Iw o u l d e n c o u r a g eschools from aroundthe loca l i ty to geti n v o l v e d i n t h i sg r e a t p r o g r a m m eand look forward toseeing their projectslater in the year.”Projects that i l lus-t r a t e s t r e n g t h sacross these threeareas will receive an‘Our World Irish AidAwards ’ p laque atthe regional awardsceremonies in May,a n d a s e l e c t i o n o fthe top entries will

win a place at thefinal awards cere-m o n y i n J u n e . A tthis ceremony, thejudging panel wil lt h e n s e l e c t o n eoutstanding projectt o a c h i e v e t h eoverall ‘Our WorldI r i s h A i d A w a r d s ’trophy.Over 1,000 primaryschools throughoutt h e N o r t h C o u n t yand beyond partici-p a t e d i n t h e O u rW o r l d I r i s h A i dA w a r d s l a s t y e a r .Registration for theprogramme is nowopen and the dead-l i n e f o r e n t r i e s i sFriday, March 13th2015.


LEDDY, Liam (Portrane, Co. Dublin) - Jan. 2015,(suddenly) at home, beloved husband of thelate Eileen, and fther of the late Richie. Deeplyregretted by his loving sons, Eddie and Leo,daughter-in-law Jona, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, brothers, sisters, relatives andfriends. Rest in peace

MCKEOWN, Denis (Skerries, Co. Dublin) 25thJanuary 2015. Peacefully at Bon SecoursHospital, surrounded by his loving family.Denis, sadly missed by his loving wife and bestfriend Ann, children Brian, Connor, and Niamh,grandchildren Áine, Lara, Caira, Brian andJames, daughters-in-law Anna, Sharon andNiamh’s fiancée Cathel, his late brother Niall,relatives and large circle of friends and neigh-bours and the emotionally loving car of thestaff at Bon Secours. May he rest in peace

DAVIS, Kate (Lucy) 24th January, 2015, (late ofWesley Road, Rathgar), Peacefully at OurLady’s Hospice, Harold’s Cross. So missed byher loving daughter Jeanne and grandchildrenJack, Edgar and Katie, son-in-law Philip, rela-tives and friends. May she rest in peace

DERHAM (Skerries, Co. Dublin, late of IonaDrive, Glasnevin) 28th January 2015 (peace-fully) at Beaumont Hospital, surrounded by hisloving family, Tom, sadly missed by his lovingwife and soulmate, Eleanor, his children, Kevin,Anne, Trisha, Janette, Stephen and Lynda,brother, Noel, sisters, Breda and Marie, adored11 grandchildren, nieces, nephews, relativesand a large circle of friends. Rest in peace.

Recent published deathsfrom the North County

Miracle PrayerDear Heart of Jesus inthe past I have askedyou for many favours

I now ask Thee for thisvery special one:-

Take it dear heart ofJesus amd place itwithin your own

broken heart whereyour Holy Father seesit, then in His merciful

eyes it will becomeyour favour, not mine.

Never known to failJ.B

To have a prayer published inNorth County Leader simply:

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Mulville Seeks UpdateFor Portrane Cliff Walk Local councillor Paul Mulville (Ind) wants tosee the Portrane Cl i f f Walk repaired. Herecently asked the Chief Executive for anupdate on progress with necessary repairs tothe cliff walk in Portrane, and also enquired asto whether the Structural Engineer has maderecommendations for the repairs. There was a posit ive response from theCouncil, as they informed Mulville that thematter was referred to the Engineer and thereport is expected shortly. “As soon as therecommendations are received arrangementswill be put in place to affect the repairs,” theCouncil added.

Action Plan for JobsTo Boost Local JobCreationLocal TD Alan Farrell (FG), has stated that the ActionPlan for Jobs 2015 will boost local job creation andprovide important supports to businesses in theNorth County.“When the Action Plan for Jobs was first launched in2012, the Government aimed to create 100,000 jobsby 2016. We are now on track to deliver on thiscommitment over 12 months early. As this is thecase, the Government has now set the even moreambitious target of delivering an additional 40,000jobs by the end of this year and reaching full

employment by 2018, two yearsahead of schedule,” he explained tothe County Leader. Farrell continued: “Since 2012, over1000 actions have been imple-mented by the Government tosupport job creation and assistpeople in getting back to work. The

Action Plan for Jobs 2015 lays out a further 382measures which will be implemented this year tofurther boost job creation in our domestic economy.”“SMEs are the biggest job creators in our economyand we must provide them with the assistance theyneed to grow and to become job creators in our localcommunities. Much work remains to be done toensure the positive impact of our economic recoveryis felt in every home in the North County,” Farrellconcluded.

Vegans TackleChild ObesityWith PlantsIn this day and age, childhoodobesity is a major health issue forall, including here in the NorthCounty.The Vegan Society have come upwith a solution to the problem.“Healthy weight as a vegan is notexclusive to adults. Plant-baseddiets can help children too,” sayshe Vegan Society. Vegans on average have a healthierweight than health-minded meat-eaters. According to two largestudies in the UK and US, veganobesity rates are under 2 per centcompared to over 5 per cent inhealth-conscious meat-eaters.Obesity significantly increases therisk of serious health conditions,

such as heart disease and type 2diabetes.Vegans also claim to have thelowest body mass index (BMI) ofany group, ranging between 22 and23.5. This compares to BMI of 23.5to 29 for health-conscious meat-eaters. Meat and dairy and otheranimal products tend to be moreenergy-dense than fruit, vegeta-bles, grains and legumes. Thesestaples of a plant-based diet arerich in nutrients UK childrencurrently lack, such as vitamin C,good Omega 6 fats and fibre. Thereis no dietary fibre in animal prod-ucts.It is claimed that “vegan childrentend to form excellent eatinghabits, and make better foodchoices through to adulthood. Weall teach the children in our carenot to harm animals unnecessarily,so it makes sense to put thiscompassion into practice at thedinner table.”

Lusk Odour HasBeen Resolved,Claims CouncilLocal Councillor Ken Farrell (Lab),recently asked the County Councilabout the status of a filling station inLusk, after they receivedcomplaints of odour emis-sions. In response to the ques-tion, the council has claimedthat since weekly contactbegan between the localauthority, Irish Water and theowners of a filling station inLusk, a problem with odouremissions from the site of the fillingstation seems to have been resolved.Since that process began, the Councilresponded that they had had received

no more complaints from local resi-dents about odours escaping from thesite. Responding to a request for anupdate on the issue from CouncillorKen Farrell (Lab), theyl explained:“There is weekly contact betweenIrish Water, the County Council andthe representatives of Applegreen inLusk to confirm that the necessarymaintenance work is carried out on

the drainage network inApplegreen to ensure thatthere are no odour issues inMinisters Road.“Since this commenced, nocomplaints have been receivedon this matter to the CountyCouncil. The foul sewer in DunEmer has been taken in

charge, but the drainage pumps andrising main are not in charge.Theissue will be kept under review,” theyadded.

Singing GroupIn MalahideCÓRUS is a new type ofsinging class open toanyone who wants tolearn to sing. No audi-tions are needed, andthere is no need to beable to read music. Youcan join with friends orjoin and make friends.Come and learn to singyour heart out to yourfavourite in Pop, Rock,Country, Irish andGospel. Join thefriendly Malahidegroup from 8pmMonday evenings inthe MalahideCommunity School. Allare welcome.

Local At Risk GroupsUrged To Get Flu JabThe HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre(HPSC) urged people in high-risk groupsaround the North County to get vaccinatedagainst influenza, as the number of reportedcases of influenza-like illness (ILI) in Irelandhas increased recently.“Although flu is starting to circulate, flu levelscurrently remain relatively low. Despite this,we have had a number of confirmed influenzaoutbreaks, mainly in residential facilities forthe elderly and disabled. Influenza isexpected to increase over the coming weeksand circulate for at least the next 6-8 weeks.Prevention is better than cure, and theincrease in flu activity means it is even moreimportant to get your flu jab if you are in an at-risk group,” said HPSC director, Dr DarinaO’Flanagan. The vaccine is available free of charge fromGPs around the North County for all people inat risk groups, and from pharmacists foreveryone aged 65 and over. An administrationcharge may apply to people who don’t holdmedical cards or GP visit cards.“The symptoms of influenza usually developover a matter of a few hours and include a hightemperature, sore muscles, dry cough,headache and sore throat. This is differentfrom the common cold, which tends to comeon more gradually and usually includes arunny nose and a normal temperature,” shecontinued. Anyone who gets flu should stay at home, rest,drink plenty of fluids and use over-the-counterremedies like paracetamol to ease symptoms.Anyone in one of the high-risk categoriesshould contact their GP if they developinfluenza symptoms. “Covering your nose and mouth with a tissuewhen you cough and sneeze, disposing of thetissue as soon as possible and cleaning yourhands as soon as you can are importantmeasures in helping prevent the spread ofgerms and reducing the risk of transmission,”added Dr. O’Flanagan.

Cancer SocietyUncovers NewAvenues ForTreatment Of LungCancerTo mark Lung Cancer AwarenessMonth, the Irish Cancer Societyreleased research, which uncoverspromising new avenues that maylead to novel therapies to improveoutcomes for lung cancer patientsaround the North County. Theresearch, which was funded by theIrish Cancer Society also exploredthe incidence of certain geneticmutations in lung cancer patients.This finding suggests that treat-ments targeting this gene, whichare currently in development, maybe of particular benefit to Irish lungcancer patients in the locality. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)accounts for 80 per cent of lungcancers and despite advances inanti-cancer therapies, the overallsurvival rate for lung cancerpatients remains poor. Theresearch study investigated a genepathway called the ‘P13K pathway’.This pathway is known to play akey role in the control of cellgrowth and heightened activity ofthis pathway is associated with amore aggressive disease andpoorer outcome for patients. Theresearch identified that a targeteddrug called DHMEQ was highlyeffective at reducing growth ofchemotherapy-resistant lungcancer cells. Further work isrequired to investigate this finding

and the group has successfullyreceived international funding fromthe International Association forthe Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) tocontinue this work.Dr. Heavey said of the research:“Lung cancer has overtaken breastcancer as the biggest cause ofcancer death in women in the NorthCounty and Ireland, and has thehighest mortality rate of allcancers. It is therefore vital that weinvestigate new strategies forfighting this disease, such as PI3Kpathway targeted drugs. To datethere have been no clinical trials inIreland for PI3K pathway targeteddrugs in lung cancer but we believethe data generated during thisproject supports this new treat-ment approach,” she saidAn additional finding from thisstudy uncovered another tumourpromoting gene which is highlyactive in lung cancer cells resistantto PI3K pathway targeted drugs.Drug resistance is a major thera-peutic challenge which must beovercome in NSCLC in order toimprove the current survival rates.The gene examined in this studycould be successfully targeted bydrugs which are currently inpreclinical development meaningthat there may be a viable strategyfor treating patients who havebecome resistant to PI3K pathwaytargeted drugs in the future. Thisfinding is currently being furtherinvestigated as a 3 month feasi-bility study funded by EnterpriseIreland in collaboration with Irishdrug development company,Inflection Biosciences.

Garristown Cross Country RunGarristown Cross Country Run for horses, ponies and lead rein will be heldon Sunday 8th February at 1.00pm. This is a fundraiser for the CommunityCentre and the local primary school. This has always proven to be a greatfamily day out. So make sure to support this great cause, and have funalong the way

Farrell TD

Cllr. Farrell


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The Dublin Well WomanCentre has launched itsnational ‘TimeToTest’campaign to raise awarenessof Cervical Cancer and to high-light the importance and avail-ability of free smear tests forwomen around the NorthCounty. The campaign iscalling on businesses in theNorth County to get behindcervical cancer prevention,and allow their female stafftime off to take a smear testduring working hours, making

it even easier for women toattend cervical screenings.Getting tested only requiresten minutes every three or fiveyears depending on thewoman’s age but could savethe life of an employee.Cervical Cancer is caused bythe abnormal growth of cellswithin a woman’s body. Thesecells can take years to becomecancerous making CervicalCancer highly preventable.Despite this, one in every fiveIrish women do not attend a

cervical screening wheninvited – often due to timeconstraints. Over 320 Irishwomen are diagnosed withcervical cancer every year,with as many as 100 dyingfrom the preventable disease.Alison Begas, CEO of theDublin Well Woman Centre,urges local women to attendcervical screening. “Cervicalsmear tests are the mosteffective method of reducing awoman’s risk of developingcervical cancer. Getting testedonly requires ten minutesevery three or f ive years -depending on the woman’sage - but these ten minutescan save lives!”

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Sunday game three ball 27 hole scramble was wonby Tommy McCann, Eddie Madden and Bridget Ingwith a G71 a fantastic ten under par game of Pitchand Pitch. The Sunday game will resume at thenormal time of 11am from next week 8th February.With spring now approaching, the club has a regularadult game on Sundays Tee 11am. New members arealways welcome.

Ballyboughal PitchAnd Putt

1916REMEMBERING OURVOLUNTEERSREMEMBERING OURVOLUNTEERS

By Cathal Boland & Una O’Brien

The seventieth annual conventionof the Fingal Old IRACommemorative Society wasrecently held in Naul. The Societyformed in 1944 was set up to assistVolunteers and their familymembers who were adverselyaffected by their participation inthe events of Easter Week 1916and the subsequent War forIndependence.This week’s profile, is on FrankLawless from SaucerstownSwords who was Quartermaster ofthe Fingal Brigade during EasterWeek.Frank Lawless SaucerstownSwords who was Quartermaster ofthe Fingal Brigade during EasterWeek was tragically killed in aroad traffic accident on the 16thApril 1922. Lawless who was well-known in Republican circles was afarmer and had a butcher’s shopon the Main Street in Swords. Hewas married with nine children.The accident occurred when thepony and trap in which he wastravelling, with his son Colm, over-turned when the pony took fright.Frank was elected to the first Dáilin 1918 and played an importantpart in the management ofnational affairs. He was buriedwith full military honours atKillossery Cemetery, Rolestown,the funeral was attended bymembers from across the SinnFein divide. Frank and two of his sons turnedout on Easter week. All three wereinterned following the Raising. Hewas sentenced to death followingthe Rising but this was commutedto ten year penal servitude from

which he was released in 1917. Hisson, Joseph became a Colonel inthe Irish Army. Joseph’s account ofhis part in the Rising and War ofIndependence may be read atwww.bureauofmilitaryhistory.iewere he tells of how, confrontedon (Easter) Saturday with theproblem of thawing frozen gelig-nite, he tried spreading it out inthe sun. When that failed hepacked it around his body, so thathis body heat would help thethawing process. Finally, decidingto take a chance he spread, bythen, the oozing glycerine near thekitchen range and sat therewatching over it. His statementsays “Perhaps I was lucky, but atany rate, it appeared to be all rightby tea time,” Frank’s daughterEveleen joined the Sinn Fein staffin 1918 and worked as secretary toMichael Collins. She resigned herposition in 1920 to enter religiouslife. While holidaying beforeentering the convent, she acted asa courier for Collins, transfer ofdocuments between London andDublin. Eveleen’s witness state-ment is also available on thebureau website.The Fingal Old IRA 1916-21Commemorative Society have aprogramme of events planned tomark the centenary of the Raisingand the special contribution madeby the Volunteers of Fingal. TheSociety has honoured the volun-teers in both practical andcommemorative ways since 1944.They invite all those who are inter-ested in joining with their work inthis centenary year to contactthem at [email protected].

Easter Week SurvivorKilled In Road TrafficAccident

Black RavenPipe BandThe weekly Whist Drivecontinues in the ParishCentre Lusk everyWednesday evening at8.30pm. This is animportant fund raiserin order to continue toteach the aspiringyoung pipers anddrummers in the club.The Whist drive is anideal opportunity tomeet old friends andmeet some new ones.So all you card loversmake your way to theParish Centre anyWednesday evening.

Garda Visit ForBalbriggan SchoolThe Garda horses visited Bracken EducateTogether School last week, as part of the prizewon by Nik Kolomiets in the Balbriggan GardaíChristmas Card Competition. Nik’s entry wasmade into the official Christmas card sent out bySuperintendent Noel Carolan of BalbrigganGarda Station last Christmas.

PresentationFor LocalGroupThe Balbriggan LionsClub presented a chequeto Balbriggan Meals onWheels for €1,500 after avery successfulfundraising effort. A verybig thank you toeveryone at BalbrigganLions Club, BalbrigganMeals on Wheels arevery grateful for yourcontinued support.

ICA MeetingsIn LuskICA meetings will beheld on the firstWednesday of eachmonth at 8.30pm inLusk Scout Den.Newcomers welcome.

Volunteersneeded ForLollipop DayThe Oesophageal Cancer Fund (OCF)needs the help of the people of theNorth County this February. With justtwo months to go until the 14th annualLollipop Day, the OCF is calling formore volunteers around the locality onFriday, 27th and Saturday, 28th ofFebruary to help raise vital funds foroesophageal cancer.Lollipop Day involves thousands ofpeople selling lollipops (€2) nation-wide, in an effort to raise vital funds foroesophageal cancer. Without the

generosity and support from localvolunteers, the OCF would not be ableto provide the vital role it does in termsof awareness, research and betteroutcomes for patients and their fami-lies with this cancer in Ireland. If youhave a few hours to spare on Friday,27th and Saturday 28th of February,pop down on your own or with friends,have some fun and help the OCF! “Weare very fortunate to have an everincreasing number of dedicated volun-teers, all of whom make Lollipop Daypossible and a success every year,”said Noelle Ryan, OCF chairperson.“But we still need more volunteers so ifanyone or any group from around theNorth County is interested in helpingout, please contact us onwww.lollipopday.ie.”

Swords MealsOn WheelsThe Swords Meals OnWheels group are urgentlyseeking volunteer co-ordi-nators and drivers toassist in the running of thegroup and the distributionof meals. The co-ordina-tors are needed tooversee the smoothrunning of all the differentroutes, and more driversare needed to ensure thedelivery of meals. Thegroup can deliver as muchas 80 meals per day tothose who need themaround the Swords area. If you could spare an houror two, please contactPaul on: 0860341818.


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PUBLIC NOTICEPUBLIC NOTICEEVENT LICENCE APPLICATIONCricket Ireland hereby gives notice of the intent to applyto Fingal County Council within the forthcoming twoweek period for a licence to hold a public cricket match,in accordance with Part XVI of the Planning andDevelopment Act 2000.

The event will comprise of a One Day InternationalCricket Match to be held at Malahide Cricket Ground,Malahide, Co. Dublin on the 8th May 2015. It is antici-pated that the number attending will be approximately8,000 people.

The licence application may be inspected at the officesof Fingal County Council during office hours for a periodof 5 weeks from the date of receipt of the application.Submissions or observations may be made to FingalCounty Council within the same period.

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Fingal County CouncilI Seá¡n Ahearne seek planning permission forthe following works at Casa Blanca,Milverton, Skerries, County Dublin. Thedevelopment will consist of elevationalchanges on the north, south and east facadesto incorporate new window opes and someminor internal works including the removal ofan existing boiler room and the addition of anensuite bathroom. No additional floor area tobe created as part of the development. ThisPlanning Application may be inspected orpurchased at a fee not exceeding the reason-able cost of making a copy at the offices ofthe Planning Authority during its publicopening hours and a submission or observa-tion may be made to the Planning Authority inwriting on payment of the prescribed feewithin the period of 5 weeks beginning on thedate of receipt by the authority of the applica-tion.

Fingal County CouncilPermission sought to build a 4 bed dormertype bungalow with waste water treatmentsystem and percolation area adjacent toexisting family home with shared roadsidevehicular entrance, at Cahill family farm,Kilcrea, Donabate, Co Dublin for Brendan andMandy Cahill.The Planning Application may be inspected orpurchased at a fee not exceeding the reason-able cost of making a copy at the offices ofthe Planning Authority during its publicopening hours and a submission or observa-tion may be made to the Planning Authority inwriting on payment of the prescribed feewithin the period of 5 weeks beginning on thedate of receipt by the authority of the applica-tion

Fingal County CouncilPermission is sought for a new single storeyextension to side and rear of existingdwelling at 50 Holywell Avenue, Feltrim Road,Swords, Co. Dublin by Patricia Davey. The Planning Application may be inspected orpurchased at a fee not exceeding the reason-able cost of making a copy at the offices ofFingal County Council during its publicopening hours. A submission or observation in relation to theApplication may be made in writing to thePlanning Authority on payment of a fee of€20, within the period of 5 weeks, beginningon the date of receipt by Fingal CountyCouncil of the Application.

Fingal County CouncilFURTHER INFORMATION / REVISED PLANSName of applicant: James Shaw (Senior)Coolfores, Naul, Co. Dublin.Reference No: F14B/0274The development will consist of an extensionto side of existing dwelling, waste watertreatment system and all associated siteworks.Significant further information/revised plans,in relation to the application have beenfurnished to the Planning Authority, and areavailable for inspection or purchase at a feenot exceeding the reasonable cost of makinga copy, at the office of the authority during itspublic opening hours.Submissions or observations in relation tothe further information/revised plans may bemade in writing on payment of a prescribedfee, no later than 2 weeks after receipt of thenewspaper notice and site notice with theplanning authority.

Fingal County CouncilPlanning Permission is sought for the demoli-tion of the existing prefabricated buildingsaccommodating 7 no. classrooms, and S.E.T.classroom, the single storey building accom-modating the staffroom, S.E.T. classroom andwater storage tank over, to the north west ofthe existing school and the construction of anew single and 2 storey extension to thenorth west of the existing school to accom-modate 4 no. classrooms, principals office,administration office, disabled w.c., circula-tion corridor, stairs, and lift at ground floorlevel and 3no. classrooms, circulationcorridor, stairs, lift, cleaners store, w.c. and2no resource rooms at first floor level,

external canopy at new entrance, replace theexisting wall along the western boundarywith a 2mt. high wall of similar design and insame location, construct new pitched roof toreplace existing flat roofs over and adjacentto existing school entrance, replace existingexternal dashed finish with smooth plasterfinish with selected colour finish, provide newentrance gates for emergency vehicles alongthe Yellow Walls Rd., and associated siteworks, at St. Sylvester's Infant School, YellowWalls Rd., Malahide, Co. Dublin.The planning application may be inspected orpurchased at a fee not exceeding the reason-able cost of making a copy at the offices ofthe planning authority during its publicopening hours and a submission or observa-tion may be made to the authority in writingon payment of the prescribed fee (€20)within the period of 5 weeks beginning on thedate of receipt by the authority of this appli-cation.

Fingal County CouncilMichael & Brid O’Herlihy intend to apply forplanning permission for construction of a new2 storey detached dwelling with 2 no parkingspaces to front, alterations to existingboundary wall to include a new vehicularaccess exiting onto River Valley Drive, all tothe side/rear of 17 River Valley Drive, Swords,Co Dublin. The Planning Application may be inspected orpurchased at a fee not exceeding the reason-able cost of making a copy at the offices ofthe Planning Authority during its publicopening hours and a submission or observa-tion may be made to the Planning Authority inwriting on payment of the prescribed feewithin the period of 5 weeks beginning on thedate of receipt by the authority of the applica-tion.

Fingal County CouncilI, Mark Walsh, intend to seek retention plan-ning permission to retain the 1st floorbedroom window at the gable side, and plan-ning permission for a front living room & frontporch extension and a ground floor windowinto the side passage at the gable side at 36AGrange Road, Baldoyle, Co. Dublin. ThePlanning application may be inspected orpurchased at a fee not exceeding the reason-able cost of making a copy at the offices ofthe planning authority during its publicopening hours and a submission observationin relation to the application may be made tothe authority in writing on payment of theprescribed fee of 20 euro within the period of5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt bythe authority of the application.

Fingal County CouncilJ & K .Bracken seeks retention of planningpermission for Retention of modifications tothe as constructed house under plan refF09A/0305 to consist of modified fenestra-tion’s and roof barge details on site locatedat Ballykea ,Loughshinny, County Dublin .The planning application may be inspectedor purchased at a fee not exceeding thereasonable cost of making a copy at theoffices of the planning authority during itspublic opening hours Monday to Friday atFingal County Hall,Main St,Swords ,co.Dublin. a submission or observation in rela-tion to the application may be made inwriting to the planning authority onpayment of the prescribed fee (€20 Euros),within the period of 5 weeks beginning onthe date of receipt by the planning authorityof this application.

Fingal County CouncilJohnny Woodlock and Breda Brennan seekplanning permission to demolish existinggarage and build a new two storey detachedhouse with widened existing car entranceonto Shenick Drive ,similar to previous plan-ning permission F07A/1222 , on site to sideof existing house at corner of nr 24 ShenickDrive and Shenick Avenue ,Skerries,Co.Dublin.The planning application may be inspectedor purchased at a fee not exceeding thereasonable cost of making a copy at theoffices of the planning authority during itspublic opening hours Monday to Friday atFingal County Hall,Main St,Swords ,co.Dublin. a submission or observation in rela-tion to the application may be made inwriting to the planning authority onpayment of the prescribed fee (€20 Euros),within the period of 5 weeks beginning onthe date of receipt by the planning authorityof this application.

Fingal County CouncilPlanning Permission is requested for a newindoor training facility / 'Futsol' court' to belocated to southeast of existing clubhousealong with all associated siteworks at :Martello Fields, Bath Road, Balbriggan, Co.Dublin. signed:- The Executive Commitee ofBalbriggan Football ClubThis planning application may be inspectedor purchased at a fee not exceeding thereasonable cost of making a copy, at theoffices of Fingal County Council, County Hall,Main Street, Swords, Co. Dublin between thehours of 9.30am – 16.30pm Monday-Friday. Asubmission or observation in relation to theapplication may be made in writing to FingalCounty Council on payment of a fee of €20within the period of five weeks beginning onthe date of receipt of the application byFingal County Council.

Fingal County CouncilPlanning Permission is requested for a newbungalow (140sq/m) with proprietary waste-water treatment system & percolation area

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

Farrell Congratulates NorthCounty’s Young ScientistsLocal TD Alan Farrell(FG), has congratu-lated the NorthCounty’s young scien-tists who representedtheir schools at thisyear’s BT YoungScientist andTechnology Exhibitionin the RDS.“I would l ike tocongratulate thestudents from theNorth County whoparticipated in the BTYoung Scientist andTechnology Exhibition2015. Al l of the

students, teachersand schools involveddeserve a greatamount of credit fortheir hard work, theirtalent and their inge-nuity in creating theirprojects and gettingthem to this stage ofthe competition,” hetold the CountyLeader. “Students fromMalahide CommunitySchool, F ingalCommunity College inSwords, Skerr iesCommunity College,Ardgillan CommunityCollege, and LoretoSecondary School inBalbriggan were theentrants in thecompetition from theNorth County. I t isencouraging to seeyoung people devel-oping such innovative

and creative projectsand it is testament tothe work they, andtheir teachers, havedone over the lastnumber of years,” hesaid. “Encouraging innova-tive and independentthinking among ourstudents is essentialas they wil l be ourfuture leaders, entre-preneurs and jobcreators,” hecontinued. “TheYoung Scientist andTechnology Exhibitionprovides a platformfor local young peopleto showcase theirtalent and providesthem with the oppor-tunity to get hands-onexperience, outside ofthe classroom, in thediscipline related totheir project.”


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along with all associated siteworksincluding forming a new vehicularentrance onto roadway at Dermotstown,Ring Commons,Naul, Co. Dublin. Signed :-Sarah Evers.This planning application may beinspected or purchased at a fee notexceeding the reasonable cost of making acopy, at the offices of Fingal CountyCouncil, County Hall, Main Street, Swords,Co. Dublin between the hours of 9.30am –16.30pm Monday-Friday. A submission orobservation in relation to the applicationmay be made in writing to Fingal CountyCouncil on payment of a fee of €20 withinthe period of five weeks beginning on thedate of receipt of the application by FingalCounty Council.

Fingal County CouncilPlanning Permission is sought by MeghanReilly for dwelling at Hynestown, Naul, Co.Dublin. This planning application may beinspected or purchased at a fee notexceeding the reasonable cost of making acopy at the offices of the planningauthority during its public opening hoursand a submission or observation may bemade to the authority in writing onpayment of the prescribed fee 20 eurowithin the period of 5 weeks beginning onthe date of receipt by the authority of thisapplication.

Fingal County CouncilWe, Board of Management of ColáisteChoilm CBS, intend to apply for PlanningPermission for a single storey extension toexisting school including a SpecialEducational Needs Unit and associatedsite works at Coláiste Choilm CBS, DublinRoad, Swords, Co. Dublin. The PlanningApplication may be inspected orpurchased at a fee not exceeding thereasonable cost of making a copy at theoffices of the Planning Authority during itspublic opening hours and a submission orobservation may be made to the PlanningAuthority in writing on payment of theprescribed fee within the period of 5weeks beginning on the date of receipt bythe authority of the application.

Fingal County CouncilPlanning permission sought by StephenLennon for construction of a dormer exten-sion to the rear at 21 Joyce Street, Lusk,Co. Dublin. The planning application maybe inspected or purchased at a fee notexceeding the reasonable cost of making acopy at the offices of the planningauthority during its public opening hoursand submission or observation may bemade to the authority in writing onpayment of the prescribed fee (20Euros)within the period 5 weeks beginning onthe date of receipt by the authority of thisapplication.

Fingal County CouncilPlanning permission sought by DerekCrowley for demolition of existing struc-tures and construct a new 2 storeydwelling at the site located between 15and 16 The Square, Skerries, Co. Dublin.The planning application may beinspected or purchased at a fee notexceeding the reasonable cost of making acopy at the offices of the planningauthority during its public opening hoursand submission or observation may bemade to the authority in writing onpayment of the prescribed fee (20Euros)within the period 5 weeks beginning onthe date of receipt by the authority of thisapplication.

Fingal County CouncilWe Mr. & Mrs. John Conway intend toapply for Planning Permission at No. 8Carrickhill Drive, Portmarnock, Co. Dublin.To extend sitting room and porch attachedto front of house with pitched and hippedroof finish. This planning application maybe inspected or purchased at a fee notexceeding the reasonable cost of making acopy at the offices of Fingal CountyCouncil, County Hall, Main St. Swords Co.Dublin during the public opening hours 9-30am 15-30pm Monday to Friday and asubmission or observation in relation tothe application may be made to the plan-ning authority in writing on payment of afee of €20.00 within the period of 5 weeksbeginning on the date of receipt by FingalCounty Council of the application.


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North County Leader - 3rd February 2015