North County Leader - 24th February 2015

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A registered newspaper at the G.P.O. 24th February 2015 • Volume 22, Issue 06 • Leader House, North Street, Swords, Co. Dublin. • Tel: 8•400•200 • [email protected]

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Pictured here, Alex Stimpson (aged 3) from Swords was on hand to support‘Bumbleance’ the children’s ambulance service, which plans to increase its fleet fromtwo to five units. Bumbleance units will be fitted out with décor and interactivefeatures needed to entertain and reduce stress on sick children when travelling to andfrom treatment centres. The ‘child-friendly’ ambulances play an important role ineasing the stress on sick children when being brought for treatment, and this is some-thing we want to make available more widely," said Bumbleance founder, TonyHeffernan.

Those looking to join the ‘Men’s Shed’ move-ment in Portmarnock and surrounding area,have been given some hope that a suitable‘shed’ facility may be made available to them inthe coming weeks. The County Councilconfirmed that they were currently working withthe group.

At a recent area meeting,the local authorityrevealed that staff fromits community, cultureand sports division havebeen working with thegroup for the last coupleof years.A Men’s Shed is a dedi-cated, friendly andwelcoming meetingplace where men cometogether and undertake avariety of mutually

agreed activities. Men’sSheds are open to allmen regard-less of age,backgroundor ability. It isa place whereyou can shareyour skillsand knowl-edge withothers, learn

new skills and developyour old skills. An objec-tive of the group is toenhance or maintain thewell-being of the partici-pating men.Local councillor, BrianMcDonagh (Lab) is asupporter of the move-ment, and he told theCounty Leader that there

was a realneed for thegroup to havea permanenthome in thelocality.“The Men’sShed groupsare verypopular here

in the North County, asthey provide anotheroutlet for men that isn’tnecessarily to do withsports or involves goingto the pub,” he said. “There are a few groupsscattered around thelocality, but there isn’t asyet a permanent place

for any of the groups,”he said, adding thatmany other local council-lors supported thegroup. In a motion to theCounty Council lastmonth, it was noted thata men’s shed groupalready exists in Continued on page 12

Brave little Molly McNally, the inspirational six yearold Balbriggan girl, who has undergone a bonemarrow transplant operation at Our Lady’s Children’sHospital in Crumlin, is recovering very well from herordeal.Her parents, Gerry and Emma have been constantlyat her bedside, providing her with the love andsupport she needs. Gerry spoke to the County Leaderabout the courage and resilience that Molly hasshown, since she entered hospital on 25th Januarylast to have her vital transplant operation. He said,“We’re delighted with the progress Molly has shown,and her consultant, Cormac Owens is very pleasedwith how she is progressing. The first week was allabout chemotherapy, where she underwent 17rounds of chemo in her first week in hospital,” hesaid.When Molly got her stem cells back, that is calledDay zero, and after 10 to 15 days, they expect to seewhite cells developing. Molly is now making her ownwhite cells and her own nutrifils (good white cells).These repair damage done to her mouth, throat andgut and they also repair her immune system.

Gerry said that Molly’s energy levels are good andher weight is improving. “She is sitting up and is ingreat form, playing with her DS. The main concernwith such a transplant is with the liver, and doctorsare keeping a close eye on her fluids. If the livertakes in too much fluids, it can swell, but thank-fully everything is good so far,” said Gerry.Molly’s courage and fortitude in how shehas borne such a serious illness, is an inspi-ration to all. Gerry explained, “The medicalteam say she is ahead of schedule. Shehad a rough time, but fair play to her, shenever complained ; she just gets on with itand is always smiling and good humoured.With any luck, she could be out in as little astwo weeks, providing there is no infection.”Gerry and Emma have been fulsome in theirpraise for Crumlin Hospital, and how theytreated Molly. “Crumlin Hospital is second to none.Their attention to detail with children is fantastic, andboth Emma and I couldn’t praise them enough.

Nothing is left to chance and they cover every option.As I’ve said before, we wouldn’t let Molly goanywhere else in the world for her transplant opera-tion. She is in great hands and has a great relation-ship with her consultant and all the nurses. LastSunday marked 16 months since she was first diag-

nosed with Neuroblastoma. It’s been a long, hardroad, and hopefully there is light at the end of

the tunnel,” said Gerry.Meanwhile the fundraising campaign forMolly continues, with the much antici-pated, ‘Bust Up For Molly’, a charityboxing event, which will take place in theBracken Court Hotel in Balbriggan on 2ndMay. This is expected to be the biggest

fundraiser to date, and preparations arebeginning already.

Another way to help is to sign up to The MollyMcNally Miracle Trust, which is eagerly

seeking runners in the Women’s mini-marathon inJune to sign up for the charity, by going to the MollyMcNally Miracle Trust facebook page, if you wouldlike to support this excellent cause.

Inspirational Molly Battles On

Molly McNally

By Patrick Finnegan

By Jennifer McShane

Hope For ‘Men’sShed’ Group InPortmarnock

Cllr. McDonagh

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Swords-based banana importers Fyffes has announced it will continue its sponsorship ofSSE Airtricity League champions Dundalk FC for the forthcoming 2015 season.The partnership, which is entering its fourth year, will see Fyffes support the club at localand national level. Pictured at the announcement of the deal is Fyffes Managing Directorfor Ireland and life-long Dundalk FC fan Gerry Cunningham with Dundalk FC captainStephen O'Donnell.

Impacts Of Climate Change CanBe Seen In Local CommunitiesLocal TD Alan Farrell(FG) highlighted thefact that the negativeeffects of climatechange have alreadybeen seen in localc o m m u n i t i e sthroughout the NorthCounty.

“Climate change hasalready been havingnegative impacts inlocal communitiesthroughout the NorthCounty. Over recentyears, we have seenfirst-hand the damagecaused to our local

towns and communitiesby the small stormswhich have damagedbuildings, causedflooding and knockeddown trees,” he said.“The fact that coastaltowns and villages likeMalahide have to dealwith flooding, and thepotential of the issue ofwater scarcity to detri-mentally affect theeveryday lives of manyfamilies and individ-uals, particularly infast-growing communi-ties such as Swords, isdisconcerting. Climatechange can directly,and indirectly, impactupon our local commu-nities, our daily lives,and the amount ofmoney we have in our

Dublin AirportWelcomes ExpansionOf Toronto RouteDublin Airport has welcomed AirCanada rouge’s decision to signif-icantly expand capacity on itsDublin-Toronto route this year.Air Canada rouge, which onlylaunched its year-round service toDublin last May, will add extraflights through the summermonths this year, and will operate the route twice daily four days perweek from June until September. “We are delighted to see this significantexpansion of the Air Canada rouge service so quickly after its launch,”said Dublin Airport Managing Director, Vincent Harrison. “There has beenvery strong demand for this route and this announcement is welcome asit will allow more Canadian visitors to enjoy a holiday or business trip inIreland and also provides greater choice and flexibility for Irishcustomers planning on travelling to Canada.” The new daily Air Canadarouge service between the two cities will operate four times per weekfrom June 13th until September 16th 2015, in addition to the year roundDublin-Toronto service which goes daily from June 28th. The additionalDublin-Toronto flights will be operated by 280-seat wide-body Boeing767-300ER aircraft featuring stylish and modern cabin interiors. AirCanada rouge offers a two-cabin configuration with 24 Premium rougeseats in the front cabin offering both additional legroom and enhancedservice, and 256 rouge seats – including 35 rouge Plus seats with addi-tional legroom – in the main rouge cabin.

Lions Hosts ‘Holiday’For Local MembersMore than 700 senior citi-zens from around theNorth County and beyondwill be among the guestsof Lions Clubs on a week-long Summer holiday thisyear. Details of the 35thAnnual Lions Holiday,which takes place from5th to 12th June, wererecently announced at a function in Howth, which wasattended by Pat O’Brien, District Governor of LionsClubs in Ireland. The holidaymakers, who are drawnfrom all around the locality and Ireland, are spon-sored by local Lions Clubs and are accompaniedthroughout the week by a team of Lions volunteers aswell as specialist medical and support staff. Guestsare given an opportunity to avail of health checksduring the week, and there is a full programme ofactivities and entertainment. The first Lions Holidaywas organised in 1981 by Dublin Lions Club to cele-brate the 25th anniversary of the founding of theClub. The venue then was the Mosney Holiday Centreand it grew into an annual event organised by theLions Clubs of Ireland. Events scheduled for the 2015holiday include dancing competitions, supervisedaqua aerobics, a daily walking challenge, bus toursand shows each evening. Minibuses and buggies areon hand to transport those with walking difficultiesand medical assistance, including an Order of Maltamobile unit, which is on hand 24 hours a day. LionsDistrict Governor Pat O’Brien paid tribute to thevolunteers from all over the country who make theannual holiday possible. ‘Lions Club members haveshown great enthusiasm, over 35 years in organisinglocal groups for the holiday, accompanying gueststhroughout the week and fundraising to meet the costs involved. We are particularly grateful to the public who support our fund-raising activities’, he said.

pockets,” Farrell added. “The Climate Action andLow CarbonDevelopment Bill 2015is currently before DáilÉireann and, if enacted,it will become Ireland’sfirst piece of climatechange legislation. “Itis about time that policyis enacted to tackleclimate change and,while we may askwhether this Bill goesfar enough, it is positivethat we will, at last,have a piece of legisla-tion upon which we canbuild,” Farrellconcluded.

21 Years Serving The Community Of North County Dublin24.02.2015 Your No.1 Local Newspaper 03

Great Boost ForDonabate /Portrane Tidy TownsThe Donabate / Portrane Tidy Towns committee held avery successful Race Night fundraiser on Thursdaylast in Keelings Pub in Donabate. The new committeehave made great strides in improving the village ofDonabate, and will continue this work, which includesplanting in Portrane also, and all monies raised on thenight will help with their efforts to make the peninsulaa more pleasant place to live and visit.Already great work has been done, with yellow rosesplanted and railings and bollards painted in the

village. Tidy Towns chairperson, Stephen Owens spoketo the County Leader about plans for the upcomingseason. “There are great plans afoot, with more yellowroses to be planted at the Hand area, as well asplanting at the entrance to Donabate Village andFairways estates. We also intend to plant cherry treesat the Credit Union and to have more public seating inDonabate, as well as in Portrane facing the sea at thegreen,” he said.“Another addition will be the exercise equipmentprovided by the County Council, as part of the TidyTowns project, and we extend our thanks to them forthat. Al l the local businesses have been verysupportive and generous in providing sponsoredprizes. We got a good crowd in the end and managedto raise €2,000 for the tidy towns kitty. This is a greatstart to the new season, and is a great boost for theyear ahead, and we’re delighted,” he said.

Pictured at the Race Night for Donabate/Portrane Tidy Towns are committee members, MichaelCollins, Adrian Carney, Catherine King, Stephen Owens (Chairperson), Carol Rankin, Fiona Casey,Darren Delaney, Clara la Combre (Secretary) and Tony O'Reilly

Róisín Malone, a singer/song-writer from Skerries is startingto make a name for herself in noless a place than San Diego,California. It all came aboutwhen the song she penned, waschosen to soundtrack a new SanDiego tourism advert.Róisín, who also writes much ofher own songs was on a J1 toUSA, when she landed herdream job.She told the County Leader,“After long dreaming ofbecoming a singer-songwriter, Itook the opportunity of a J1 Visaafter graduating from DIT andset off to LA to make it happen.“After taking a trip to San Diegowith some girls I met at thehostel, and it was amazing howmuch at home I felt there, andhow much I loved the place, thatnow I’ve written and sang thesong to only welcome everyonethere,” she said.She continued, “When I gotback to LA, I found a job withAudi and signed up for my J1internship with them. It was agreat experience and I had a lot

of fun there. But, I was out herewith a dream and so, once I hadthe means to pay the bills andeat, I went in search of people tocreate with That’s when I foundMophonics in Venice beach. Iwould cycle to them and hangwith Steph Altman, a composerwho loved my songs and wantedto develop more with me.”“It wasn’t until I returned homefrom my visa that my songsstarted getting pitched fordifferent commercial spots andwinning!! It was incredible Icouldn’t believe it. SinceOctober 2014 it’s all just sort oftaken off, life is one big roller-coaster at the moment reallyand I am so grateful for it all,”she said.Her track, ‘Don’t Stop’ is nowavailable on itunes and shehopes to have an EP to followshortly, before summer. “The support from home hasjust been so beautiful and I feelso proud to be out here and sayI’m Irish. We may be small inthis world, but we’re mighty,”she concluded.

Ballyboughal Pitch And PuttSunday pairs scramble very closely battled with three teams on Net 45,one on Net 44 and the winners by the closest margin of one stroke wereNick Savage & Ronnie Delaney Net 43 after putting in a five under par backnine. R/up Bridget Ing & Eddie Madden Net 44. The regular adult gametakes place on Sundays with tee off at 11am. New members are alwayswelcome.

Free Recycling Collections In Rush And BalbrigganThe European Recycling Platform (ERP) will hold a free electrical recyclingdays on Friday 27th February at Tesco Car Park in Rush and Sat 28thFebruary Tesco Car Park, Balbriggan from 10:00am to 4:00pm.Householders are encouraged to bring along their electrical waste andused batteries, where they will be responsibly recycled free of charge. Therecycling team will be on hand to help with the unloading of items.

04 Your No.1 Local Newspaper 21 Years Serving The Community Of North County Dublin 24.02.2015

Erin O'Connell from St Cronan's SNS, Swords made her Confirmation atSt Cronan's Church Brackenstown, Swords. She is picrured here withher parents, Lorraine and Mark and her grandparents, Helen and DesHoward

Ben McDermott from St Cronan's SNS made his Confirmation at StCronan's Church, Brackenstown, Swords. He is pictured here withLorna Murray, Eimear Kinsella, Karen McDermott, Deirdre Gammell,Paul McSweeney and David McDermott

Aaron Howard from St Cronan's SNS ispictured with his mother, Jackie, after makinghis Confirmation at St Cronan's Church,Brackenstown, Swords

Pictured after making his Confirmation at StCronan's Church Brackenstown is Sean Delaneyfrom Swords ETNS, with his mother, Karen andbrother, Thomas

Pictured after making her Confirmation at StCronan's Church Brackenstown is Aimee Cumminsfrom SSt Cronan's SNS, with her mother, Deirdreand sponsor, Kayley

Pictured after making his Confirmation at StCronan's Church Brackenstown is HarryKeating from St Cronan's SNS, with hismother, Anne-Marie

Pictured after making his Confirmation at StCronan's Church Brackenstown is AimaUgbiyobo from Holywell ETNS, with Izzi,Pauline, Tony and Olis Ugbiyobo

Lucy Blacker from St Cronan's SNS is picturedwith her sponsor, Hannah Connolly, aftermaking her Confirmation at St Cronan'sChurch, Brackenstown, Swords

Mark McDermott from St Cronan's SNS,Swords made his Confirmation at St Cronan'sChurch Brackenstown, Swords. He is picruredhere with his parents, Suzanne and Ian

Dylan Creagh from St Cronan's SNS, Swords made his Confirmation at St Cronan'sChurch Brackenstown, Swords. He is picrured here with his mother, Karen Creagh,Christopher Daly, Rosanna Creagh and Anthony Daly

Carl Hand from St Cronan's SNS, Swordsmade his Confirmation at St Cronan'sChurch Brackenstown, Swords. He ispicrured here with his parents, Derek andGillian Hand

Jordan O'Reilly from St Cronan's SNS, Swords madehis Confirmation at St Cronan's ChurchBrackenstown, Swords. He is picrured here with hisparents, Liam and Natasha O'Reilly

Jack Donnelly from St Cronan's SNS made his Confirmation at St Cronan's Church,Brackenstown, Swords. He is pictured here with Vera Donnelly, Robert Donnelly, HarryDonnelly, Susan Donnelly, Trevor Donnelly and Helen Hickey

Zuby Obireke from St Cronan's SNS,Swords made her Confirmation at StCronan's Church Brackenstown, Swords.She is picrured here with Zibi Obireke andSabrina Ada

Pictured after making his Confirmation at St Cronan's ChurchBrackenstown is Charlie Monroe from Holywell ETNS, with hisfather Mark, mother Nicole Fitzpatrick and Nicky Monroe

Caitlin Ellis from St Cronan's SNS, Swords made her Confirmation at StCronan's Church Brackenstown, Swords. She is picrured here with herparents, Michelle and Keith

Pictured after making his Confirmation at St Cronan's Church Brackenstown isAlex McDonagh from Swords ETNS, with his grandmother, Brigid Johnson,mother Barbara and sponsor, Cian Johnson

Katie Hanratty from St Cronan's SNS, Swords madeher Confirmation at St Cronan's Church Brackenstown,Swords. She is picrured here with her parents, Sandraand Paul and sponsor, Mary Vaughan

Weronika Lesniak from St Cronan's SNS, Swords made herConfirmation at St Cronan's Church Brackenstown, Swords. She ispicrured here with Agnieszska Lesniak, Tomasz Lesniak and AmeliaLesniak

Kian O'Connell from St Cronan's SNS ispictured with David Mooney and his dad,Fergal O'Connell, after making hisConfirmation at St Cronan's Church,Btackenstown, Swords


Wedding Fair Open Evening12th March. 5.00pm - 8.00pm

Maguire Disappointed No FundsAvailable For BalbrigganLighthouse

Local councillor Gráinne Maguire(Ind) has said she is “disappointed”that there are no funds available forthe proposed restoration ofBalbriggan Lighthouse.

In particular, she asked the CountyCouncil to source funding this year,so that the dome might be reinstatedon the Balbriggan Lighthouse. Sheput forward the motion at a recentCouncil meeting. The Council responded by saying thatpart of a planning process wasapproved last year in relation toworks to the Lighthouse, however theproject has now reached a standstill,as lack of funding remains an issue.The local authority explained thatthey had approved a number ofrestoration works to the lighthouse, afunding application they submittedwas unsuccessful. No alternativeplans or source of funding has yet tobe put in place, according to Maguire. “I understand that funding is tight,but this project is very important tothe people of Balbriggan, so I will

keep pushing for it,” she told theCounty Leader. An unsuccessfulapplication was made to theDepartment of Agriculture, Food andthe Marine (DAFM) in 2014 to fundthese works,” they continued. “In theevent that submissions are soughtunder this programme the Councilwill make an application. Wecurrently have no other fundingsource in place to allow the worksapproved by the Members toproceed,” the Council said, by way ofresponse. The Balbriggan-basedcouncillor said that she plans toorganise a meeting with the localauthority to discuss getting adequatefunding. It’s not just that we have nofunds, we have no source of funds atall,” she explained. “So I want to organise a meeting withthe Council and sit down and look atall the options. Surely some source offunding must be available from some-where. So, I’ll be looking at all theoptions and will be keep this projectas a priority. Even if we could sourcefunds in next year’s budget, it wouldbe a positive step,” she concluded.

Pictured here iscouncillor, GrainneMaguire standingnot far from thelighthouse.

Swords StudentsGet Creative ForTidy TownsA Swords Tidy Towns project, which has beenplanned for the past few months, is set tobecome a reality. It’s all thanks to studentsfrom Youthreach in Swords, and Fingal LeaderPartnership, who will use their wood workingskills to build bird boxes, to be located underbridges in the town.Swords Tidy Towns chairperson, Ken Duffy wasdelighted with the factthat the students werehelping out. He toldthe County Leader ,“It’s great to see all ofthese groups comingtogether. Tidy Towns isno longer abouthanging baskets andwindow boxes, but isnow about biodiver-sity,” he said. “I would like to espe-cially thank HansVisser, BiodiversityOfficer with the CountyCouncil, who providedus with all the informa-tion regarding theareas where birdhabitat is very scarce,like kingfisher, bar owls, dippers, river bats andwagtails. Fingal Leader Partnership have alsoprovided TUS workers, who will also beinvolved in making the boxes,” he said.Eddie Manning, Youthreach Centre co-ordinatorand Maths teacher told the County Leaderabout how the students got involved in the

project. He said, “Ken Duffy contacted us acouple of weeks ago and asked if we would beinterested in getting involved with the project.It was something we considered doing lastyear. The lads here are really good at wood-work, so we are really looking forward toworking with the Tidy Towns group here inSwords.”Brendan Black from Birdwatch Ireland waspresent to instruct the students about where tolocate them. He said, “Any help in this area ismuch appreciated and it encourages people tobecome involved in wildlife in the area, whichencourages respect and responsibility andprovides a new interest for the kids,” he said.The students will be making boxes for grey

wagtails, dippers, and tit boxes which will belocated under the various bridges and throughthe town, as well as around schools. There are atotal of 15 bridges from the top of Ward RiverPark, down to the estuary, and the students willbe working on boxes for different species, toput under each bridge.

Pictured in the woodwork classroom at Swords Youthreach, are students, MilenaDabrowska, Declan Cullen, Dean Cullen, David Browne (woodwork teacher), EddieManning (Youthreach co-ordinator), Ken Duffy (Swords Tidy Towns), Brendan Black (BirdWatch Ireland) and student Brendan Green

Brave TracySheds Her HairFor CharityTracy Brady, an employee of BootsPharmacy in the PavilionsShopping Centre, Swords had herhead shaved, as part of a Shave orDye or Oh My initiative at the storeon Friday last.Event organiser, Maeve Kelly toldthe County Leader ,“We’re partnerswith the IrishC a n c e rSociety andevery yearwe rune v e n t st h r o u g h o u tthe year, andlast Friday, wehad our Shave or Dyeor Oh My and Tracy decided shewould have her hair shaved off forthe event. Already we have €2,000raised for Tracy on the day, and

that will bring us up to €8,496since last June for the Irish CancerSociety. The shops here in thePavilions have been outstanding,with donations and their support,”she said.Tracy was very excited and a littlenervous prior to the head shave,and she told us her motivation forgetting involved. “None of us areimmune from cancer and we allhave family members affected bythe disease and I dyed my hairsome years ago. Unfortunately, I

lost my uncle tocancer on St

Stephen’s Day,and anotheruncle passedaway 12years ago. I

just want togive some-

thing back tohelp make life

easier for those affected by cancer.Unlike my deceased familymembers, my hair will grow backagain,” said Tracy.

Tracy Brady, before and after

Local Pipe Band ChampionshipsIn LuskBlack Raven Pipe Band is delighted to announce thereturn of the Fingal Pipe Band Championships. Afteran absence of also most fifteen years, Pipe bandsfrom all over Ireland will descend on the LuskVillage on 2nd May.

Ladies Bowling Club InSkerriesAn on-going Monday morning competitionfor Ladies in the Skerries bowling club hasrecently started. Sign in each Mondaybefore 10.45am (entry fee per session costsjust €1.00) in the clubhouse in Skerries.

Great Event For Local GroupRecently, a poker classic took place in Whites Pub of Stamullen in aid ofGuide Dogs Balbriggan\North county Dublin branch. Kay and GabrielHoward gave Maureen and her wonderful team help every year, but thisyear, they were 45 years married on the quiz night, but still took thetime to support and organise the evening. The local guide dogs groupwant to congratulate them The night raised €1,170 and all money will go to the training of more guide dogs for blind people and moreassistance dogs for families that have children with Autism around theNorth County.

By Jennifer McShane


Fingal Counselling Service

Training Course in Humanistic Counselling3 years part-time course

Wednesday MorningsCommencing September 2015This course is IACP recognised.

For Application Form and Course details contact:Fingal Counselling Service

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Meet with the course team at our open daySaturday 18th April between 10am and 1pm

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Fingal Counselling Service is a division of BASE

Nessa Childers, IndependentMEP for Dublin, has a recordof challenging big tobaccocompanies. As a member ofthe Public Health Committeein the European Parliament,she reacted strongly againstJoint Tobacco IndustryIreland’s possible legal threatof a High Court case fordamages, if the Irish govern-ment fails to kill the PlainTobacco Packaging Bill. In a press release, Nessa said“The threat of court actionagainst Ireland from theowners of cigarette brandsshows how dangerous it is togive multinational corpora-tions legal fora to challengegovernments over publicpolicy decisions. She went onsay “This goes to show thatmultinational corporations,will hold any available legalguns to the taxpayers’ headsto stop public policy-making

in its tracks, whenever it risksharming their profits”. The MEP continued: “I haverecently asked the EuropeanCommission, through anumber of parlia-mentary questions,to clarify a numberof points thatrelate to thesespurious claimsthat plain packagingis an appropriation ofcopyrights, and how theprotection of public health canbe protected in the context ofinternational trade deals.”“Big tobacco companies makemuch of how many theyemploy and the taxes theypay. Now, not only do theykeep their eyes closedregarding their products’ tollon individuals and society as awhole, they want to pick our

pockets for taking prettymodest measures to protectour health against them.”We also note this week thatthe European Commission hascommissioned excise dutyexperts to prepare a report onhow taxation might beapplied, to provide equal

fiscal treatment betweenboth tobacco and E-

cigarette products.The application ofsuch equality oftaxation might bequite difficult to

have the publicaccept, be they

smoker or non-smoker.There is no clear research

to support the view, but itwould appear to be one gener-ally held that E-cigaretteshave less detrimental effectson health than the tobaccoproduct. Nessa Childers may find thatshe has a “brand” of followersall her own, as a result of suchtaxation equality should it beapplied.

Taxation Equality By Cathal Boland

Pictured is local boy, Daniel Kelly Carr (11), and Rugbylegend, Shane Horgan at the official opening of KBCBank's newest hub in Swords on 14th February last.

HSE Welcomes NewLegal Controls OnUse Of SunbedsThe Health Service Executive haswelcomed Minister Varadkar’sannouncement that the second phase ofthe Public Health (Sunbeds) Act 2014 isto come into force from the 2nd March2015.Over recent years, there has been agrowing body of evidence that the use ofsunbeds should be restricted because ofthe associated increased risk of skincancer and other health problems. In2003, the World Health Organisation(WHO) published guidance wherein itsuggested that Governments shouldconsider comprehensive legislation togovern the operation of sunbeds andthis legislation, “should be legallybinding and be capable of local enforce-ment”. The new legislation will be enforced by

the Environmental Health Service of theHSE and introduces a wide range ofmeasures related to the sale, hire anduse of sunbeds including: prohibition onpermitting use or hire of sunbed tounder 18’s, prohibition of unsuperviseduse of a sunbed, notification of sunbedbusinesses to the HSE and prohibition ofcertain marketing practices, amongother things. These controls are welcomed by the HSEas an important measure to both protectyoung people around the North Countyfrom a high-risk carcinogen, and topromote more informed choice amongstadults in relation to the use of sunbeds. Dr Maurice Mulcahy, Regional ChiefEnvironmental Health Officer with theHSE said: “This suite of regulations willnow require sunbed users around thelocality to be properly informedregarding the health risks related tosunbed usage, to be provided withprotective eyewear and to be protectedfrom any marketing practices which mayencourage excessive use.”

ApplicationsOpen ForLottery HealthGrantsLocal TD, Alan Farrell (FG) hascalled on community groups andorganisations in the North Countyto consider applying for the 2015National Lottery Health grants. He said, “The National LotteryHealth grants are allocated eachyear to health groups, whoprovide an important local servicefor people with specific needs, inaddition to providing funding tocommunity groups and voluntaryorganisations who provide vitalhealth, support and informationservices.”“Local health related services areessential to our communities andthere are many groups whoprovide such services throughoutthe North County. Thanks to theirwork, and their dedication toassisting those who need a

helping hand, our communitiesare better places in which tolive,” he said.He went on to say,“Organisations fromPortmarnock, Swords, Donabate,Rush and Balbriggan have previ-ously received National Lotterygrants from the Department ofHealth, and I am sure there aremany more worthwhile recipientsacross the North County. After all,these groups and organisationplay a pivotal role in improvingthe quality of life in our localities,and I am pleased that theDepartment of Health is againlooking to invest in such groupsand recognise the valuable workthey do. “The National Lotterygrants from the Department ofHealth will be awarded on twoseparate dates this year, one inJune and another in November.The closing date for applicationsis 12 noon on 1st May. I wouldurge health focused communitygroups and voluntary organisa-tions in the local area to considerapplying,” he concluded.

Mother And BabyHomes CommissionEstablishedLocal man and Ministerfor Children and YouthAffairs, Dr James ReillyTD, announced that hehas appointed threecommissioners to leadthe Commission ofInvestigation intoMother and Baby Homesand certain relatedmatters.The Minister confirmedthe appointment ofJudge Yvonne Murphy asC o m m i s s i o nChairperson, with inter-national legal expert onchild protection andadoption, Dr WilliamDuncan, and historianProfessor Mary E. Daly

being appointed asCommissioners.He reiterated his appre-ciation to the threecommissioners foragreeing to take on thisimportant investigation.Their wealth of experi-ence and knowledge willbe critical to asuccessful examinationof these complexmatters with all possiblethoroughness, sensi-tivity and speed. Theestablishment of theindependent commis-sion comes followingmonths of preparationand the recent approvalby both Houses of the

Oireachtas, of the draftOrder and Statement ofReasons for the estab-lishment of theCommission. TheGovernment Order toestablish theCommission was signedby the Taoiseach. Minister Reilly said:“This is a significantmoment, as theCommission can nowstart the process toensure that what wasonce hidden andcovered up in thesehomes, and in widersociety, can be revealedand openly acknowl-edged. This investiga-tion is an opportunity forIrish society to addressthe often harrowingmanner in which vulner-able women and chil-dren were treated inmother and babyhomes, how they cameto be there in the firstplace and the circum-stances of their depar-ture from the homes,”he said

Rejection Of Comments OnAer Lingus TakeoverThe ongoing controversy at Aer Lingusregarding the company’s proposedtakeover by International AviationGroup (IAG) has taken another twist.A row has broken out at Aer Lingus over comments by the secretary of thecompany’s Central Representative Council. Myles Worth who suggested that staffwere broadly in favour of the IAG bid for the airline. However, a number of unionsimmediately moved to disassociate themselves from the comments, saying theyremain seriously concerned about the bid. Since the IAG bid was mooted beforeChristmas, unions have voiced serious concerns about it, particularly regardingjobs and connectivity.The controversy arose when Mr Worth told RTÉ’s ‘This Week’ programme thatstaff were broadly in favour of the IAG bid spearheaded by former Aer LingusCEO, Willie Walsh.The response to his comments was immediate, when IMPACT, which representsover 1,700 employees including pilots and cabin crew, wrote to incoming AerLingus Chief Executive, Stephen Kavanagh, saying that Mr Worth’s commentswere not authorised by the union.IMPACT National Secretary, Matt Staunton said: “The union still asserts that thistakeover is bad for Aer Lingus staff, threatens their jobs, and the connectivityassurances stated publicly are bad for Ireland.”It is understood that the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association has also disassociateditself from Mr Worth’s remarks.SIPTU said it has not yet adopted a position pending clarification of assur-ances on direct employment and connectivity. Unions are due to meetmanagement later this week.The comments from Mr Worth come at a time when former Labour Partyleader, Pat Rabbitte said that the proposed takeover by IAG would be goodfor Aer Lingus. “If we don’t take this opportunity, when will another onecome along,” he said. Local Labour TD. Brendan Ryan, who has voiced strong opposition to the sale,was quickly out of the blocks, when he said that Rabbitte’s comments “hold nomore weight that his own, as he is now a backbencher.”


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Eoghan Murphy and Cristian Roscafrom Coláiste Choilm in Swordswere among those receiving thisyear’s DCU Junior CertificateBusiness Studies Award. Theaward, presented by Dr AnneSinnott, Dean of DCU School ofBusiness Studies, is given to thetop 50 scoring ‘A’ students in JuniorCertificate Business Studies fromDublin. This is no small achieve-

ment considering that in 2014, over26,000 students took the HigherLevel Business StudiesExamination and just 9.5 per centof these students achieved theillustrious ‘A’ grade.Eoghan and Cristian joined theirfamilies, Business Studies teacherMr. Foster and Coláiste Choilmprincipal, Mr. Neville for the specialceremony held in DCU.

Swords Students Excel InBusiness Studies

Pictured here is student Cristian Rosca, Business Studies Teacher Mr Foster and ColáisteChoilm Principal, Mr Neville with Dr Ann Sinnott.

Pictured here is student Eoghan Murphy, Business Studies Teacher Mr Foster andColáiste Choilm Principal, Mr Neville with Dr Ann Sinnott.

Pictured here are Martin MacEntee, Dublin and Dun Laoghaire Education Training Board, Oisin Geoghegan, Head ofEnterprise, Fingal County Council, Mayor of Fingal, Cllr. Mags Murray, Paul Reid, Chief Executive, Fingal County Councilwith students participating in the Student Enterprise Awards.

Local Entrepreneurs Countdown To FinalHundreds of enter-prising students fromprimary and secondaryschools across theNorth County aremaking final prepara-tions for the annualFingal StudentEnterprise Awards,taking place onThursday, March 12th.Organised by theFingal Local EnterpriseOffice (LEO), over2,000 students from31 primary andsecondary schoolshave been taking partin the programmesince last September,making it the biggestprogramme of its kindin the country. It stimulates thecreation of real-l ifebusinesses in primaryand secondaryschools, by encour-aging students toresearch and managetheir own business,with the support fromlocal businessmentors. Announcing thedetails for this year’sCounty Final, OisinGeoghegan, Head ofEnterprise with theCounty Council, said:“The StudentEnterprise Awardsprogramme in Fingal isthe largest and mostsuccessful programmein the country withrecord numbers ofstudents, from primaryand secondary schoolsacross the regionsetting up and runningtheir own businesses.” Fingal’s Student

Enterprise Programmeis part of the NationalStudent EnterpriseAwards competition,which annually seesover 17,000 studentscompete on thenational stage.Category winners fromthe Fingal CountyFinals will advance tothe National Final, tobe held in Croke Parkin April.Geoghegan added:“With the support ofthe schools, the localbusiness community,sponsors and Dublinand Dun LaoghaireEducation andTraining Board, Fingalstudents are gaininginvaluable experiencein the world of busi-ness. The lessons theylearn on thisprogramme will helpthem become theentrepreneurs andbusiness leaders oftomorrow.”Paul Reid, the Chief

Executive of FingalCounty Council, will beannouncing thewinners of the inter-mediate category and

County MayorCouncillor MagsMurray, will presentthe senior categoryprizes this year, which

includes an educa-tional trip toBarcelona, as El Prat inBarcelona is twinnedwith Fingal.

Lynam Praises QuickResponse Of LocalAuthorityLocal Sinn Féin councillor, Philip Lynamhas thanked the County Council for theirrole in making Glasmore Park in Swordsa safer place, after they took steps insecuring a hazardous area for local resi-dents.Lynam told the County Leader:“Recently, I contacted the CountyCouncil on behalf of concerned residents inGlasmore Park, who wanted a ditched area

fenced up as there has been a few incidentswith dumping and fires in the past fewmonths,” he said.“There was also a danger with the ditch, as ithad a drain at the bottom and held over a foot

of water which posed a serious risk tochildren in the area,” he added. Lynamhad put a number of motions to theCounty Council, requesting thatdumping around Swords and othertowns in the North County be takencare of. “I am delighted to now havethis area fenced off and made safe, andI would like to thank the County Council

for its rapid response on this matter,” Lynamconcluded.

Cllr. Lynam

Skerries RNLI Say ThanksSkerries RNLI would liketo say a huge thank youto everyone whosupported their volun-teers on their recentSOS day bucket collec-tions. The collectionraised almost €3,000 forthe l ifeboat station.Skerries RNLI volunteercrew responded to 19emergency call outs in2014, bringing 23people to safety. Gerry Canning , VolunteerLifeboat Press Officer for Skerries RNLI told theCounty Leader: “The RNLI is funded entirely bycharitable donations so fundraising really iscrucial. We are very grateful to all of the localcommunities for the tremendous support wereceive,” he said.

Skerries RNLI member AJHughes pictured during arecent collection

BereavementGroup MalahideMalahide BethanyBereavement SupportGroup are looking for newvolunteers. The Bethanyteam provides supportand assistance to familiesto prepare the funeralliturgy. They also facilitatemonthly and weeklysupport group meetingsfor the bereaved in theparish centre. Newmembers are required toattend a 10 week trainingsession.


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Text Alert Programme Launched In GormanstonGormanston CommunityAssociation launchedtheir Community TextAlert programmerecently, in the companyof the neighbouring TextAlert groups forBalscadden and beyond.A detailed presentationon Community Text Alertwas given byGormanston ProjectLeader Brendan Regan,by sponsor Conor O’Learyand by Laytown Garda,Trevor Dooley.A large number of localhouseholds signed up onthe night and the TextAlert leaders at thelaunch said that theyexpect over a hundredhouseholds to be signed

to the scheme in thecoming weeks. A big emphasis inaspects of CommunityText Alert is care for theelderly, especially thoseliving alone. As part of

the Gormanston launch,it is planned to havespecial services for thevery elderly, includingvisitation services andpersonally-worn panicalarms, according to the

organisers. TheGormanston Communityis now actively seeking torecruit volunteers, espe-cially youth volunteers,who will assist with thiswork. “Research hasclearly shown thatCommunity Volunteerismis not only beneficial tothose like the elderly andothers who need assis-tance, but is equallybeneficial, in mind andbody, for those whovolunteer to give thatassistance,” said SeánCrosson of GormanstonCommunity Association. Please contact BrendanRegan on 0872556385 ifyou want more informa-tion on signing up to thescheme.

Pictured here are Frances Fitzpatrick, Michelle Morgan, AngelaMcQuillan and VivienneDonnelly at the launch of the Gormanston Text Alert programme.

BalbrigganMen Win InNationalAthleticsCompetitionBalbriggan was verysuccessfully representedrecently in Tuam in TheNational Masters CrossCountry Championships ofIreland. Local postmanMick Traynor who was 6thoverall in the race got thegold medal in the Over 50category. Chris Keelingalso came third in theOver 55 category securingthe bronze medal. Chrisruns with the localBalbriggan Roadrunnersand is a member ofBalbriggan and DistrictAthletic Club. Mick is amember of RahenyShamrocks and they camesecond team today also.The Dublin team also wongold with Mick and ChrisKeeling counting on thewinning team.

LocalBereavementSupportThe local BethanyBereavement Support ispresently recruiting newvolunteers around theNorth County - ongoingtraining and support isprovided. They are avoluntary parish-basedministry and their objec-tive is to support thebereaved through thegrieving process. Theservices are free of chargeand confidential. Pleasesee the group’s websitefor further details of thetraining.


New Masterplan For CulturalCentre Of Swords UnderwayNew Masterplan For CulturalCentre Of Swords Underway

The County Council is in theprocess of commissioning anArchitectural Masterplan forSwords Castle and thesurrounding area. This processhas been ongoing for the pastnumber of months; the Councilhave been working with localCouncillors and residents todevise a thorough plan that meetsall the needs of the area. After some months of planning,the Council have decided that the Masterplanwill cover the following key objectives:Environmental improvements to the publicspaces in the area to reinforce its identitywithin the town of Swords, works to SwordsCastle (as identified in the recently completedconservation plan), development of morecultural events within and around the castleand a space for artists and cultural tourismand looking at the potential to relocateSwords public library and develop a civictheatre.The Council told the County Leader that theyaim to “further all these objectives to increaseand support business activity in the area.”Commenting on the plans for Swords Castle,Chief Executive of the County Council, PaulReid said: “The County Council will invest€3m over 3 years to begin the process of

transforming the area around Swords Castleand this investment will continue in thecoming years.” “Overall the Council wants to provide a civicand cultural place around Swords Castle forvisitors, local residents, the business commu-nity and other stakeholders that recognisesthe historical and civic importance of Swordsas our county town,” he continued. “Swords like other parts of the North County,has faced challenges during the downturn andthe commissioning of this masterplan recog-nises the need to direct the recovery that isbeginning in a sustainable way,” heexplained. “The Swords Castle Masterplanwill respect the long term strategic objectivesfor the town as a whole but will also allow usto deliver a new social and cultural destina-tion around Swords Castle with links back intothe retail heart of the town,” he concluded.

The long-standing issue ofcoastal erosion in The Burrowin Portrane has caused muchgrief to local residents. Aseries of meetings hastaken place betweenfrustrated residentsand the CountyCouncil to try and alle-viate the issues, butthis has been draggedout over the past fewmonths. Seeking an update onthe issue, CouncillorAdrian Henchy (FF) asked foran update on discussionsbetween the County Counciland NPWS in relation to theprogramme of works interven-

tions in relation to the coastalerosion at the BurrowPortrane.“A meeting took place with the

National Parks andWildlife Service(NPWS) on the 20thJanuary 2015. Inadvance of themeeting the Councilforwarded the BECConsultants Report“Survey of sand dunehabitats at Portrane,Co. Dublin” dated

October 2014 to NPWS,” theCouncil explained.“The meeting considered theBEC report, a habitat survey ofthe sand dunes undertaken to

establish the current situationin terms of the habitatspresent on the site and toexamine the impacts theproposed works could have onthese habitats.” “The report indicates that theproposed works would resultin habitat loss across all threehabitat types. There is also thepotential for indirect impactsto result from the proposedworks (arising inter alia fromthe removal of sand fromlower down the beach and theintroduction of the revetment)including the possibility thatthe works will lead to newareas of erosion,” the Councilcontinued.The Council havenot yet said what alternativeproposals might work best,should those outlined in theoriginal report not proceed.

Henchy Seeks Update OnCoastal Erosion In Portrane

Cllr. Henchy

Lusk Pilgrimage To Lough DergLusk Parish one day pilgrimage to Lough Derg, the Sanctuary of St Patrick. Pettigo, County Donegal, willtake place on Saturday, 23rd May. Pilgrims will arrive between 9:15am and 10:00am for registration.Opening Prayers will begin on the Island at 10:20am. Tea/coffee will be served on arrival and a lightlunch of soup and sandwiches served at lunch time. The pilgrimage allows for pilgrims to take part instations around the basilica, (traditional station beds are not accessible on One Day retreats)Reconciliation, reflection time and concludes with Mass. Shoes are worn at all times. The cost is €40 plustransport. Please give your details to the parish office on 8438421 as soon as possible.

Quinn Blasts Fine GaelOver BeaumontFiguresLocal councillor, Malachy Quinn (SF) isoutraged by the latest hospital trolleyfigures, drawing specific attention to hislocal hospital in Beaumont, which acts ashospital of choice for most North Countyresidents.Locally, in Beaumont hospital, the numberof patients on trolleys has remained highin recent months. This has already led tonurses serving industrial action last month.“The hospital overcrowding problem is a directresult of government austerity policies,” saidQuinn.

“We all know someone who has been in thiss i tuat ion, inc luding mysel f and my ownf a m i l y . T h i s g o v e r n m e n t h a s f a i l e d t oresource our public health system. This isunacceptable,” he said.

He continued, “There was great expec-tation within the local community, thatwhen local politician, Dr James Reillywas chosen as Minister for Health,there would be a discernible improve-ment in health services.T h e n e w M i n i s t e r f o r H e a l t h , L e oVaradkar, has provided no adequatesolution to deal with the capacity prob-lems in our local hospitals, which is the

main contributor to safety concerns. I amurging the Minister for Health to act now,and work to remedy th is s i tua t ion ,” heconcluded.

Cllr. Quinn


HOROSCOPES

AQUARIUS Jan 20 - Feb 18Keep in mind that this week’s developments areonly the beginning of a cycle of change, andyou’ll feel less impatient. Instead, you’ll allowothers to consider their options while you thinkabout your own future.

PISCES Feb 19 - Mar 20A week to tackle awkward issues. In some cases,you’ve already raised these, in others guilt orworry have prevented you from acting. Now youcan address them, but circumstances are likelyto acquire a tough stance.

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20While this week’s dramas stimulate your coura-geous streak, others are rattled by suddenchanges in arrangements involving business.You will have to deal with swift changes, whilesoothing numerous upsets.

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 20There’s little you can do to halt the quibblesover finances or decision-making triggered thisweek. What you can do, however, is to takeadvantage of the resulting forthright mood toaddress these - and other issues.

Gemini May 21 - Jun 20Until you examine the facts in the cold light ofday, it is only then that you accept that you can’tdo everything this week, and focus on the rele-vant and important activities - and leave foranother day all the remaining ones.

Cancer Jun 21 - Jul 22While you can’t entirely avoid the bickering overissues that really aren’t your responsibility, asindicated by adverse planetary activity thisweek, you can state your positions clearly - andleave others to it.

Leo Jul 23 - Aug 23Your instinct this week is to fight all changes.However, you’ll soon realise that behind evenham-fisted offers lie opportunities to end onelong and troublesome cycle and begin a fareasier one - whatever about the changes.

Virgo Aug 24 - Sep 22Only you are easily able to untangle the morassof misunderatandings indicated by adverseplanetary activity. Your duty will be to guideothers gently into facing facts about the issuesin question - and deal with them.

Libra Sep 23 - Oct 22The facts are simple: if you don’t make up yourmind about certain matters over which you’vebeen justifably indecisive, others will do it foryou. Actually, this may not be a bad thing - andin your best interests.

Scorpio Oct 23 - Nov 22The trick to dealing with the numerous conflictsduring the week is to assess the issues in ques-tion carefully before becoming involved. You willfind that in many cases, things can - and should- be left to others.

Sagittarius Nov 23 - Dec 21When you look back on this week, you’ll recog-nise it as a time of new beginnings. But whileyou’re dealing with the changes - many of whichwill be out of your hands, things may not lookquite so rosy.

Capricorn Dec 22 - Jan 19Recently you’ve been examining elements ofyour life, focusing not on the practicalities thatare usually on your mind, but on creative andemotionally rewarding activities. If confused?Now all will become clear.

New Lights ForRush To Lusk Road

Local councillor, Brian Dennehy (FF) haswelcomed the announcement that funding of€50,000 has been made available by theCounty Council , for street l ighting fromWhitestown in Rush, as far as Rush/Luskrailway station.The new lights will extend from John Martin’sLane near the train station, all the way as faras Bow Hill, which is a particularly busy anddangerous stretch of road. Dennehy told theCounty Leader, “Public lighting for this areahas been sought for many years, with amotion submitted as long as 12 years ago. Atthe second meeting of the new Council lastSeptember, I tabled a motion, asking the ChiefExecutive to consider the partial implementa-tion of the public lighting required on theroute from Rush/Lusk Train Station toWhitestown Cemetery. The Council report

read, “The provision of l ighting on theRush/Lusk Road from John Martin’s Lane tothe bottom of Bow Hill would cost in theregion of €50,000. There is currently no provi-sion for this expenditure.”The good news is that the €50,000 has beenallocated for the project, and luckily, ducting isin place, since the pathway was built. Dennehyconfirmed that the project will be completed init’s entirety, rather than in sections. “I want toapplaud the Council for their professional atti-tude to this very important work. I also wish tothank Chief Executive, Paul Reid and area engi-neer, Paul Smith, who have been very positiveand helpful in ensuring that this project goesahead,” he said.The intention is that the work will start and becompleted this year, which would see theroute from Rush to the train station fully lit upin time for next winter.Dennehy is also seeking traff ic calmingmeasures to be installed at the entrance tothe train station, due to the additional dangercreated to motorist and pedestrians exitingthe entrance to the Rush side of the Rush /Lusk train station. This, he asserts, “is due to

improvements of the new bridge, which hastraffic passing the entrance at increasedspeeds, as the danger of the narrow bridgehas now been removed.”

Councillor Brian Dennehy is pictured on the Rush toLusk Road, where street lighting will be installed laterthis year, on foot of a motion submitted by him at lastSeptember's Council Area meeting

By Patrick Finnegan

Malahide Lad BecomesOfficial Mascot For A DayJust recently, Malahide resident Fionn Henry got achance of a lifetime, and was chosen as the officialmascot for Manchester City in their home game against Hull. Fionn plays for Malahide Unitedunder 9s. This was a truly exciting day for the local nine-year-old as on the day, Fionn visited the dressing roombefore the game, and he got to meet all the team(who also signed his jersey).Fionn’s Dad, Mark Henry told the County Leaderabout Fionn’s standout moment, when he accompa-nied the team on to the pitch before the game: “Fionnled out the team in front of a full stadium and shockhands with the referee and all the Hull City playersbefore getting to take a shot against the Englishnational squad goalkeeper Joe Hart, and he managedto score!” said a delighted Mark.“The game took place on Saturday, February 7th andFionn’s 9th birthday was the following day, so all-in-all it was a real treat for him,” he added. Pictured is is Fionn Henry from Malahide proudly holding his ballas he walks alongside Manchester City Captain VincentCompany onto the pitch before the game.

Call For Removal Of Swords Telephone KiosksLocal councillor Darragh Butler(FF), recently sought an updatefrom the County Councilregarding the disused Smarttelephone kiosks located onSwords main street.A number of local groups andcouncillors have raised the issueof the phone kiosks in the past,saying they had become a realeyesore on the street. In partic-ular, Butler asked the ChiefExecutive: “Will the disusedSmart telephone kiosks beremoved before the Swords St.Patrick’s Day parade, as theyremain an eye sore along theroute?” The local authority respondedpositively, saying that they weremaking every effort to ensurethat the phone boxes wereremoved prior to the paradenext month.“The Council is currently making arrangements for the removal of all Smart Telecom phone kiosks in Swords. Everyeffort will be made to have this work completed before the 17th March, subject to contractor availability,” they said.

Cllr. Darragh Butler at one of thephoneboxes on Swords Main Street

Balbriggan Group Needs Your SupportLocal group, Remember Us (based in Balbriggan) are looking to the localcommunity in the North County for support in their aim to buy a “Home”for their very special members. They are looking to all local companies,business, groups (for example bridge clubs, cycle clubs, ICA etc ) tobecome Patrons or Friends of Remember Us or run an event to supportthem. “This year, Remember Us are determined to buy a ‘home’ for thegroup, for our special young people in the community. A home where wecan have a small sports hall, a much needed sensory room, a games

room, activity rooms, kitchen, storage, office. When we have this facilitywe can offer our members so much more. We have raised almost€270,000 to date,” said a spokesperson for the group. If you would liketo help, you can do so by participating in The Skerries Weight loss chal-lenge. The event is now up and running in aid of Remember Us andSkerries Rugby club. Twenty-two people are participating in the event.Please support the nine brave people who are taking part on behalf ofRemember Us – Best of Luck to each and every one of you. If you wouldlike to sponsor one of the participants please contact us on0860457003,” added the spokesperson.

Airport PensionersBring Protest To DáilFormer aviation workers at Dublin Airport,w h o h a d t h e i r p e n s i o n e n t i t l e m e n t ss l a s h e d , m o u n t e d a p r o t e s t o u t s i d eLeinster House last week, in an effort tosecure €50 million, as compensation.Around 50 former Aer L ingus and DAAstaff, who took early retirement took parti n t h e p r o t e s t . P e n s i o n e r s d r a w i n gi n c o m e s f r o m t h e I r i s h A i r l i n e S t a f fSuperannuation (IASS) retirement plan,had their benefits cut at the end of lasty e a r , a s p a r t o f a d e a l t o t a c k l e t h escheme’s short fa l l o f more than €700million. A spokesperson for the group saidtat around €40 million to €50 million wasneeded in a top-up to offset the cuts.Transport Minister, Paschal Donohoe saidthat, while he understood the disappoint-m e n t a n d u p s e t f e l t b y t h e d e f e r r e dpensioners, he was unable to intervene,for fear of causing even greater r isk tothem and everyone else who are depen-dent on the pension fund.”

New Jobs And Grants Ten new jobs and over €112,000 in financial supports havebeen announced for six start-up businesses in the NorthCounty, in the latest announcement of job-creation grantsby the Fingal Local Enterprise Office (LEO). The six localbusinesses come from the food, drinks and water conser-vation industries and were approved for business priminggrants and innovation grants by the Evaluation Committeeof the LEO this month. Oisín Geoghegan, Head ofEnterprise with the County Council, confirmed that thesmall businesses approved for funding are creating atleast ten new jobs immediately and this figure is expectedto double within the next 12 months. Announcing thelatest series of grant approvals for the County this week,Geoghegan said: “Financial supports provided by the LEOcan be crucial in helping start-ups to flourish in their firstyear of operation. This month we have a great crop ofexciting new small businesses and these businesses havestrong prospects to create further jobs in the North Countyin the coming years.” Paul Reid, Chief Executive of theCounty Council added: “With the North County’s infra-structure, transport links and its highly educated youngpopulation, more entrepreneurs are choosing to start-uptheir new ventures here, bringing economic growth andjobs to the area.” “The County Council, through the LEO, isactively encouraging new start-ups across a wide varietyof business sectors. By supporting small start-ups we areenabling them to become the big employers of thefuture,” Reid concluded.


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Running or Walking TheVHI Women’s Mini Marathon?

WE RECEIVE NO GOVERNMENT FUNDINGContact Linda/Margaret for mini marathon pack

on lo call: 1850 217017 orEmail: [email protected]

The upcoming VhiWomen’s Mini Marathonoffers a wonderful oppor-tunity for local womenaround the North Countyto get fit and give some-thing back to the count-less fantastic charitiesaround the North Countyand all of Ireland. All ofthe many charities, whowill be looking for yoursupport, are so in need ofextra funds and a helpinghand to ensure they cankeep going. The past few years havebeen tough for charities,with some negative

publicity, but we shouldnot forget how muchgreat, tireless work thatgoes on in these charities,who are for the most part,simply trying to do theirbit for those who are lessfortunate than us.It’s really so vital thatwomen come on board, asthese charities rely on thegood will of the public inorder to survive, as moreoften than not, govern-ment funding is just notsufficient, and some chari-ties may or may not getsome of this funding, sothey rely more than ever

on the goodwill of others.With this in mind, whatbetter way to get involvedin fundraising than partici-pating in the biggestcharity event of the year,the Women’s Vhi MiniMarathon. This 10kwomen’s race is the mostsignificant charity event ofthe year, and grows inpopularity and supportyear in, year out.This major event is sovery important as withoutit, some outstanding char-ities would struggle toprovide their services tothose who need it themost. So, don’t waitaround, apply today andbecome a part of thisfantastic event, all whileknowing you’re doingyour bit for a good cause. Taking place on BankHoliday Monday, 1st Junethis year, the VhiWomen’s Mini Marathonis the biggest event of it’skind, with thousands ofwomen taking to thestreets to help raise fundsfor many super charitiesaround the North Countyand throughout Ireland.For those that don’t know,here is some historybehind what started it all.The event started in 1983and has since had over800,000 women enter,now making it the biggestsingle day event in thecountry. Not only doparticipating womenbenefit health-wise, butthey will also help raise aremarkable amount ofmoney for their chosencharities. It is estimatedthat the total raised sincethe race started is approx-imately €150m. It really isan amazing event whichcan help many charitiescontinue on with the ster-ling work they are doing.It would be fantastic toraise the same amount orhigher this year, so ladies,why not get involved in

2015? Pick a charity, enlistthe support of your friendsand family and provideyour cause with the fundsthey so desperately need.If you’re unsure aboutwhere your raised fundswill go to, check if thecharity is officially regis-tered. You may decide tosupport a local charitythat is not registered, butyou know the peopleinvolved and that may bea great choice for you. If indoubt, check the registra-tion number. Many women will have nocharity in mind whenapplying to participate inthe Vhi women’smarathon, and some maybe surprised at just howmany are looking for thatbit of extra help. You maybe extremely keen to be apart of the event, but maybe struggle to choose theright charity to raisemoney for, but don’tworry, this is where wecan help you out. TheNorth County has manyprominent charities,which will benefitimmensely from your

donations, big or small.These charities offer somany excellent services inthe North County, but canonly remain afloat thanksyour help. So, onceyou’ve applied to takepart in this year’smarathon, take a look atsome of the charities onthis page and contactyour chosen one as soonas you can. Many charities will needyou to register with themas early as possible, inorder for you to donate,once you have completedthe race, so makingcontact with them soonerrather than later is a greatidea. Contact details canbe found on this page, soyou can contact any ofthem for more informa-tion. The day can be a fantasticday out for everyone.Many women taking partdon brilliant fancy dressoutfits, or a wacky maskto wear while running (orwalking!), making forquite the sight as they allpass through the streetsof Dublin city centre. So if

you have applied toparticipate in this year’sevent, suggest to yourrunning partners a groupfancy dress idea to giveyour friends and familyon the sidelines a goodlaugh as you run by them.It is also very common forwomen to label them-selves with their chosencharity. Be sure to do thisas well, so onlookersknow exactly what causeyou’re running for. Some charities may havea campaign or drive thatmay interest you. If youwant to find out aboutcampaigns that charitiesare running, simply ringthem and ask. If you likethem then you cansupport something that ismotivating to you to raisemoney. It is also awonderful way to get fitand is a reason to get outtraining and have fun atthe same time with abunch of your friends.So go on, get yourrunning or walking shoeson and sign up and takepart in the mini marathontoday.

Call 01-8092161 or Email [email protected] todayfor your fundraising pack

Help us to make it better by taking part inthe Women’s Mini Marathon on June 1st

And if you can’t take partplease sponsor our runners or

make a donation on www.bhf.ie

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We asked, “Do youthink that plain packaging of cigaretteboxes will stop people

from smoking?”

Q:

No, because I think when you are addicted to ciga-rettes, you will smoke. The plain packages won'tmean anything to anybody.

I don’t think so. I think if people want to smokethey're going to smoke regardless of the packaging.

Eva BreitwieserCiaran Butterly

YOURVIEWWith reporters

Eva Breitwieser & Ciaran Butterly

Yes, because of less advertising. I think that couldchange something.

I wish to God that mine would give it up. This won'tstop them.

Jenny Tierney, Swords

If they want to smoke, no chance. But it might stopyounger people from starting to smoke.

No, it won't stop people from smoking. If people wantto smoke they're going to smoke they don't careabout the packaging.

No, but it is a good idea. I don't think it will stoppeople smoking, but anything that tries to stop peoplesmoking is a good thing.

They're a packet of cigarettes no matter what is onthem. It wont stop people who have been smokingall their lives. It should stop the younger crowd. Ithink they're better with the picture on them.

Conor O’Kelly, Swords

Marian Burke, Swords

Michelle O'Shea, Swords

No, because they're already addicted, They'regoing to smoke anyway.

Caroline Clifford, Donabate

Rita Brown, Swords

Eamon Gargan, Swords

Frank Doran, Swords

Clive O'Reilly, Raheny

Jessica Fitzsimons, Swords

No, I don't think so. If they are already addicted, Idon't think anything could happen.

Kasia Kohet, Swords

No, I don’t think so. I hope not, I own a shop. It willnot make them stop smoking.

Malachy Campbell, Banbridge

I just gave up smoking eight months ago, but it had nothingto do with advertising. They have plain packages inAustralia, I have friends in Australia, and they still smoke.

Continued from page 1Baldoyle, but is seeking a perma-nent home, which might poten-tially also cater for men interestedin the movement from nearbyPortmarnock. “A permanent homeis needed as members need a suit-able place to do things like craftwork, and to store their pieces -you can’t do things like that out inthe open,” he added. He said that the introduction of asecure base for the group wouldinject it with a new lease of life,and hopefully encourage moremembers to join. “Men are alwaysasking me if there is an opportu-nity for them to do somethingdifferent with their time, and aMen’s Shed group is ideal, hencewhy the group is so popular,” hecontinued. According to the Council, they are

“supportive of the Men’s Shedmovement and will continue towork with the group in theirfurther development.” “Assistancehas been, and will continue to beprovided to them in their searchfor a suitable premises and anumber of potentials have beenexplored and discounted so far,”the Council said. While McDonaghacknowledged that it was verypositive that the Council wereworking with the group, he saidthat it was important to keeppressing the issue. “As of yet, nosuitable home as been found forthe group, so I will keep pressingahead to see that we can find asolution and a home for them. Weare taking positive first steps, butwe won’t start celebrating until wehave found suitable premises,” heconcluded.

Hope For ‘Men’sShed’ Group InPortmarnock

Carrying DangerousSubstances - Are You Legal? All drivers carrying dangerous substances inany vehicle (car, van, rigid or articulated truck)must have an ADR/HazChem VocationalTraining Certificate. To obtain this qualification,a driver must attend a Basic (DangerousSubstances) Packages course and, if driving atanker, a Specialised Tanker course and passthe prescribed Multiple Choice Exam. ThisCertificate must then be renewed every fiveyears, by attending a refresher course andexam. Holding this qualif ication not onlyensures you are legal to carry dangerous chemicals, but it also enhances your career prospects, job opportunities and incomepotential. Due to the phenomenal demand from thou-sands of their students, CPC.IE (who is Ireland’sLeading Transport Manager and Driver CPCTraining Company) are now delivering thesecourses nationwide. To mark the launch of theirnew ADR/HazChem courses, CPC.IE have specialreduced course fee introductory offers, and theyare also offering a Free Driver CPC course whenbooking their ADR/HazChem courses. To find out more information, or to book acourse online, you can visit www.CPC.ie orcontact [email protected]; 1890-374837; 087-6363003

Malahide cartoonist, Tom Cassidy hastaken a unique and humorous approachto depicting Dublin’sNorthside and it’s diverseresidents in his latest bookof cartoons - Dublin Daze (acomic look at the Capital),Of A Manky MondayMorning: Volume 1.Cassidy brings a lighthearted and quirkyhumour to his colourfulcharacters, as his sketches depict themdiscussing various topics extremely rele-vant to an Irish audience; water charges,

property tax, dubious politicaldecisions and the Garth Brooks

controversy all get a mentionin the diversecollection of cartoons.Indeed, this cartoonistcertainly seems toknow the Irish to a tee;his sketches are frank,often insightful, veryfunny, and are full ofthat special brand ofhumour (and slang) that

the Irish do so well. It’s worth noting thatthis view of Dublin’s Northside is drawn

through the eyes of thecartoonist, but each sketchdepicts a definite fondness forthe city he is clearly proud tocall home - brought to life bywhat he says comes from a“lifelong fascination withDublin’s Northside and itsinhabitants.” The author toldthe County Leader that the

mission of his book was to keep thereader “focused on those funny littlemoments we all witness along the way.”He definitely does this well. His cartoonshave clearly been drawn with care, vigourand enthusiasm and are very entertainingfor the reader. This newly publishedcollection is the first volume in a series ofseven, so readers can look forward tocatching up with the characters again ashe releases further volumes in time.

Dublin Daze: A Comic LookAt The Capital - A Review

Abandoned DogsAnd Puppies NeedNew HomesDogs Trust now more than ever, need tofind homes in the North County for lostand abandoned dogs.They have a number of dogs that neednew homes, but two of their latestadditions are Jack, a six-year-oldBorder Collie cross, and Elmo,a 17-week old Collie puppy.Jack is a typical BorderCollie, in that he is superintelligent and just loveslearning new tricks. In fact,he’s quite the show off,according to the group.“Jack is a sensitive guy,who’ll need a gentle approach in his newhome. He just likes to take his time andget to know people, but once he does,you can be sure that Jack will be a loyal

and loving friend. He seeks a quiethome, where he can bask in comfort forthe rest of his days!,” a spokespersonfor Dogs Trust told the County Leader.Speaking about puppy Elmo, thespokesperson continued: “Even thoughhe’s only young, Elmo is struggling withkennel life. He found our puppy blockvery overwhelming, and he now lives onour main viewing corridor. His adores hisfellow puppy mates, and for this reason ,

he would be best rehoused to ahome with an existing dog. A

home with older childrenwould also be ideal as hewill need a little space tosettle in at first. Collies are

very intelligent, meaninganyone interested in trainingwould adore Elmo as he willneed both physical and

mental exercise.” For more informationon Jack, Elmo and his Dogs Trust pals,please call Dogs Trust on 01 879 1000 orpop into the centre. They are based inFinglas, just off exit five on the M50.

Council Gives FundingTo Summer Project The County Council’s Summer Project FundingProgramme 2015 will be launched by the CountyMayor, Cllr Mags Murray, and its Chief ExecutivePaul Reid on Wednesday, 4th March. This eventlets Summer Project organisations find out aboutthe supports that Fingal County Council can offer togroups within the community and voluntary sector.Principal Community Officer, Ms Pat Queenan said,“Last year 42 groups and almost 4,000 childrenand young people benefited from €60,000provided by this fund. This year we have increasedthe funding to €72,000 and are seeking to increasethe amount of summer project groups supported.Projects can apply for funding of up to €2,000each.” Speaking in advance of the launch, MayorMags Murray said: “It is a great opportunity forgroups to meet up and to share ideas of what isworking well in their Summer Projects and to findout what the North County community, arts, sports,libraries and heritage sites have to offer in terms ofactivities for young people.”

Students in schools acrossNorth County Dublin are encour-aged to show they ‘Care for ourWorld’ and enter the Our WorldIrish Aid Awards 2015. Now in its10th year, the Awards aredesigned to help children inIreland understand globalissues, and Ireland’s role inworking to meet the United

Nations’ MillenniumDevelopment Goals (MDGs).These goals focus on fightinghunger and poverty andimproving the lives of those inthe world’s poorest countries.Through the Our World Irish AidAwards, pupils between theages of eight and 13 learn aboutthe lives of children in devel-

oping countries and the work ofIrish Aid, the Government’sprogramme for overseas devel-opment. Pupils then create aproject to highlight the chal-lenges facing children in devel-oping countries, and theprogress which is beingachieved. This year’s theme, ‘Caring for

our World’, relates to all eightMDGs, with a particular focus onprotecting the environment. Theclosing date for entries is Friday13th March and entry forms canbe downloaded from the OurWorld Irish Aid Awards websiteat ourworldirishaidawards.ieOver 1,000 primary schoolsthroughout Ireland participatedin the Our World Irish AidAwards last year.

Local Schools Urged To Enter Irish Aid Awards

by Jennifer McShane

Jack the Border Collie


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DonabateMan SailsInto New JobDonabate resident,David Ledwidge hasbeen appointed ChiefFinancial Officer withIrish ContinentalGroup Plc (ICG), whosesubsidiary Irish Ferriesoperates passengerand ro-ro freight ferryservices betweenIreland, UK andContinental Europe.He joined ICG fromaccountants Deloittein 2006. Since then, hehas held various finan-cial positions withinthe Group, first asGroup Risk Accountantfollowed by hisappointment as IrishFerries FinancialController. In 2013, hewas appointed IrishFerries FinanceDirector.

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Local Schools Advance To Credit Union Quiz FinalsMember First CreditUnion, which includesthe former SwordsCredit Union, workswith over 29 localschools through thecredit union’s schoolsaving scheme inArtane, Coolock andSwords. The schemeaims to encouragechildren to startsaving regularly froman early age, therebysowing the seeds ofgood financialmanagement for thefuture.The credit unionprovides every schoolthat participates in thescheme with €1,000annually, and it helpsboth parents andteachers to run thecredit union in theirschool. Each partici-pating school uses

this funding onprojects that improveor enhance theirschool and childrenalike. Pupils fromthese schools partici-pate in school promo-

tions and get a chanceto compete in the All-Ireland annual creditunion national schoolquiz.In recent weeks, 24local schools

competed againsteach other in theMember First CreditUnion Annual Schoolregional quiz heats.On 14th February, thetop eight winning

teams from two localheats from schools inSwords, Coolock andArtane came togetherto compete in the 2ndround regional quizsemi-finals.Rolestown National

School in Swordsemerged victoriousfrom the second roundquiz heats, followedclosely by StColmcille’s GNS andHoly Family SNS inSwords. They will go

on to represent NorthDublin in the CreditUnion DevelopmentAssociation (CUDA)National School QuizFinal in Tullamore CoOffaly, on Saturday,28th February.

Rolestown NS team won the second round of the Member First Credit Union School Quiz,and the right to advance to the final in Tullamore. Pictured with school principal, TomKelleher and vice chairperson of Member First Credit Union, Joan Barker are teammembers, Nicolas Day, Lorcan McMahon, Conor Gleeson and Justin Hogan


County Clubbers Is Now Online @www.northcountyleader.ieand also on Facebook!Pics: Derek O’Mara

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Malahide Students’‘Junk’ Design WalksRed CarpetMalahide was well represented on the red carpet onLeicester Square in London recently, as one of thelocal winners from Bank of Ireland Junk Kouture’srecycled fashion competition 2014 strutted theirstuff while showing off their stylish junk on thecatwalk alongside members of the royal family, andstars of the The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Maggie Smith, Dame Judi Dench, Richard Gere, BillNighy and Dev Patel were all part of the starstudded cast of The Second Best Exotic MarigoldHotel who walked alongside local student FemiAkinrinde from Malahide Community School) on thered carpet. She donned her kouture designs ‘Lost inTranslation’ on the catwalk before an overnight stayin the Ritz Hotel. Lost in Translation, a remarkabledesign from Malahide Community School wasshowcased by Femi Akinrinde who designed thedress along with Tara Collins and their teacher,Johanna Smyth. Femi and her team mate TaraCollins, both designed the gown, with guidancefrom their teacher Johanna Smyth. Tara told theCounty Leader about the design previously. “Femiand I worked on the dress for a number of months,”she said. The dress was created using worn outdictionaries and novels that were salvaged from thelocal library and school. The girls also incorporatedscrews and copper wire into the design. Each indi-vidual motif was handmade, by coiling and manipu-lating pages from the dictionaries and books. “Wegot the idea to recycle dictionaries to make thedress because we had so many lying around,because many of the students use iPads now,” Taraexplained. Femi told the County Leader that shewas “hugely excited” to have the opportunity towear the gown in London. Pictured here is Femi Akinrinde from Malahide CommunitySchool wearing her ‘Lost in Translation’ Junk Kouturedesign on the red carpet in London at the recent premiereof The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

Pictured here is Ian Hunter (Centre Director) and Lydia Lee (Kildare)winner of the recent “Key to Your Heart” Valentine’s Facebookcompetition in Swords Pavilions.

Windmill RunIn Garristown The village of Garristown is gearingup for its third annual Windmill Runwhich takes place Sunday, March 1st.Local residents will be pleased tohear that the popular event is back,after a record number of runnersparticipated last year. This time lastyear, a record number of 300 runnersand walkers took part, and organisersare hoping for an equally successfulevent this year. The run, which starts at 1pm, has tworoutes - a 5km and 10km, is an attrac-tive and challenging hilly road run withplenty of views to enjoy, including thehistoric landmark windmill. This year’schosen charity is St Francis Hospice inRaheny.Prizes will be awarded in both cate-gories as well as numerous spot prizeson the day. Refreshments, includingsoup and rolls, sandwiches, tea andcoffee will be available in theCommunity Centre after the event.Training is currently taking place eachSunday morning with many partici-pants meeting at the community centrein the village at 9am. All are welcometo come along for training.

Meet Your NeighbourDay In LuskMeet Your Neighbour Day will take place on the15th March in and around Lusk. The organisersare currently compiling an A-Z list of activitiestaking place in Lusk for adults and children, andwould like to hear from you. If you run a

group or are part of a club, e-mail: [email protected] with your club’sdetails and your club/activity will be included inthe list.The list will be launched at the “Meet YourNeighbour” day on the 15th March in the ParishHall in Lusk after 11.30am mass. This is a greatopportunity to mix with new people and learnwhat is going on in the community.

Local ParkrunGroup CelebratesFirst AnniversaryThe Ardgillan parkrun has grownfrom strength to strength since itstarted, and recently, the groupcelebrated the first anniversarysince the run started. The parkrunis made up of runners of all agesand frequently sees many local

families and residents from all overBalbriggan and beyond participatein this great weekly run. Parkrun isa free, weekly, timed 5k run orwalk. Everyone is welcome to join,whatever your fitness level. Theconcept of the Parkrun groups hasgrown increasingly popular overthe last number of weeks andgroups have been formed all overthe North County. Malahide alsoruns a particularly successfulgroup.

Great EveningOf Music InBallyboughalThe ever-popularFingal Folk Clubreturns to action onFriday, 27th Februaryat 8pm, in St Patrick’sHall, Ballyboughal.Following on from therecent very successfulElvis Tribute night andthe Love Songsromantic sessions, theFolk club will be backon Friday 27thFebruary at 8pm, witha round the housesession, in whichmusicians and singerscan perform theirfavourite pieces ofmusic. The followingweek, on 6th Marchthey will have an Irishsing song night, inpreparation for theforthcoming StPatrick’s Day festivi-ties.Musicians and singerscan contact the clubfor more info byvisiting the websitewww.fingalfolkclub.com

Volunteers Needed For SpecialOlympics Collection Day Special Olympics Ireland urgently requires volunteers from across theNorth County, to help with their charity Collection Day on Friday, 24thApril. Collection Day is the biggest annual fundraising event in aid ofSpecial Olympics Ireland, which aims to raise over €500,000 for athleteswith an intellectual disability.The money raised on the day, will be used to ensure that Special OlympicsIreland can continue to realise its promise of offering people with an intel-lectual disability, the opportunity to participate in sport in their area.Special OIympics Ireland is looking for volunteers across the day, so if youcan commit to the full day or even just an hour, please [email protected]

Get Involved In Your Local CommunityDo you want to get more involved in the community? The FingalVolunteer Centre can provide a list of opportunities where you can helpout as volunteer for specific events, including the Mini LegendsAdventure Race on March 14th and Flavours of Fingal Festival in June,both in Newbridge House. You can also get in touch with the local groupand they will be happy to share information on whole range of localgroups looking for volunteers.


Josh Lowndes from St Cronan's SNS, made his Confirmation at StCronan's Church Brackenstown, Swords. He is pictured here withValerie Carroll, Joanne Carroll, Andrea Stafford and Aaron Lowndes

Sean Kennedy from St Cronan's SNS, made his Confirmation at St Cronan's Church bracken-stown, Swords. He is pictured here with Enda Christie, Ronan Kennedy, Fionnuala Kennedy andteachers, Tara Heffernan and Deirdre Mahon

Sarah Barron from St Cronan's SNS, made her Confirmationat St Cronan's Church Brackenstown, Swords. She ispictured here with her parents, Susan and John andMonsignor John Fitzpatrick

Adam Bolger from St Cronan's SNS, made hisConfirmation at St Cronan's ChurchBrackenstown, Swords. He is pictured here withhis mother, Irene and Monsignor John Fitzpatrick

PJ Principe from St Cronan's SNS, made hisConfirmation at St Cronan's Church Brackenstown,Swords. He is pictured here with his father, Jason

Pictured after making his Confirmation at St Cronan's Church Brackenstown isCameron Masterson from Holywell ETNS, with Pamela, Garth and LindaMasterson

Pictured after making her Confirmation at StCronan's Church Brackenstown is Ella Fitzsimonsfrom Swords ETNS, with her parents, Dominichand Caroline

Abby Hanrahan from Swords Educate Together NS, made her Confirmation at StCronan's Church Brackenstown, Swords. She is pictured here with Ashling Hanrahan,Ciara Hanrahan and Stephen Maher

Pictured after making his Confirmation at StCronan's Church Brackenstown is DominicGregorczyk from Thornleigh ETNS, with hisparents, Ernest and Magda

Twins, Laura and Jade Fagan from St Cronan's SNSmade their Confirmations at St Cronan's Church,Brackenstown, Swords. They are pictured with theirmother, Liz

Kelly McDonnell from Swords Educate Together NS made her Confirmation at St Cronan'sChurch Brackenstown, Swords. She is pictured here with Clodagh McDonnell, AaronMcDonnell and John McDonnell

Pictured after making his Confirmation at St Cronan'sChurch Brackenstown is Kaelem O'Callaghan from StCronan's SNS, with his parents, Paul and Eimear andbrother, Ethan

Melanie Butler from St Cronan's SNS, made her Confirmation atSt Cronan's Church Brackenstown, Swords. She is pictured herewith Chloe Mallin, Robbie Butler and Fintan Butler

Pictured after making her Confirmation at St Cronan's ChurchBrackenstown is Ciara Ennis from St Cronan's SNS, with Anne,Niall and Aisling Ennis

Pictured after making his Confirmation at St Cronan's Church Brackenstown isLuke O'Flaherty from Swords ETNS, with his father Ciaran, mother Fiona andsponsor, Robert Walsh

Friends, Jade Warren and Holly Daly from St Cronan'sSNS made their Confirmations his Confirmation at StCronan's Church, Brackenstown, Swords. They arepictured with Holly's mum, Tracey

Ciara McCarthy from St Cronan's SNS, made her Confirmation at StCronan's Church Brackenstown, Swords. She is pictured here withOrla Bradley, Tracey McCarthy and Neil McCarthy

Jessica Toibín from St Cronan's SNS,Swords made her Confirmation at StCronan's Church Brackenstown, Swords.She is picrured here with her mother Mary


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At Risk Groups UrgedTo Get Flu Injection The HSE is urging people in the North County inhigh-risk groups, to get vaccinated againstinfluenza. The number of reported cases ofinfluenza-like illness in Ireland has increased inthe past two weeks. Flu is actively circulating inthe community, according to HSE’s, Dr DarinaO’Flanagan.Although flu is starting to circulate, flu levelscurrently remain relatively low. Despite this, wehave had a number of confirmed influenzaoutbreaks, mainly in residential facilities for theelderly and disabled. Influenza is expected toincrease over the coming weeks and circulate forat least the next 6-8 weeks. Prevention is betterthan cure, and the increase in flu activity meansit is even more important to get your flu jab ifyou are in an at-risk group. The vaccine is available free of charge from GPsfor all people in at risk groups, and from phar-

macists for everyone aged 65 and over. “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 different fromthe common cold, which tends to come on moregradually and usually includes a runny nose anda normal temperature,” she said.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 categories shouldcontact their GP if they develop influenza symp-toms. GPs may wish to prescribe antivirals forthose presenting with influenza in the high riskgroups. “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.

Mathletes Success For Swords SchoolThe pupils at HolyFamily Senior NationalSchool, Swordsrecently finished firstin Ireland in theprimary division of theMATHletes JanuaryCup. The students havedone some brilliantwork in the MATHletesand are following inthe steps of the similarsuccessful stories ofstudents in FingalCommunity College inSwords. FingalCommunity Collegewere happy to assistthe Holy Family pupils as oneof the Transition Year students,Hannah Leonard helped set upMATHletes in Holy Family andthey took the top honour to winthe January Cup for PrimaryDivision in MATHletesChallenge. Meanwhile,

defending champions FingalCommunity College, Swords,among others took thesecondary division runner-upspots in the total points andpoints per eligible categories.The schools will look todefending their titles in theFebruary Cup, which is now

underway and open for newregistrations. Based on theKhan Academy approach tolearning and teaching maths,the Challenge is free and isopen now to locals pupils fromfourth class in primary schoolto fifth year in secondaryschool to enter.

Pictured here are the pupils and staff members of Holy Family SNS with local TDBrendan Ryan.

Homes For Cats SoughtFingal (SPCA), theSociety for thePrevention of Crueltyto Animals, has beencaring for the needs ofstray animals, feralcats and birds in thearea from Swords toBalbriggan, includingStamullen, Naul andall the coastal townsand hinterlands formany years. Their volunteers go out

in all types of weather,waiting patiently tocatch wild cats inhumane traps andtransport them to theVeterinary Surgeonsfor treatment orspaying and neutering.This is necessary tokeep the populationunder control, and toensure that thosereturned to their terri-tory have enough food,

which is also suppliedby the Society wherenecessary. They alsorescue other stray orinjured animals andbirds. Their volunteers,which include a groupof foster carers givetheir time entirely free.However, theseanimals have to be re-homed and homes foradult or teen cats areurgently needed. In

this throw away era,animals often get thesame treatment ascommodities. It is nowaccepted that thecompany of a cat ordog can be very thera-peutic and of greatbenefit to older andlonely people. Theyrecommend that youdon’t delay to makeyour house a homewith a purring cat.Email [email protected] if you wouldlike to enrich your lifewith one of theseanimals.

BalbrigganGroup ToExpandBalbriggan and DistrictMeals on Wheels arelooking to expand itsservices and seeking newvolunteers as well as newcustomers as it grows.The group are looking forpeople who would like tobenefit from the DinnerClub as they are hoping toexpand this service byproviding transport. If youknow anyone who youthink might like either ofthese services, pleasecontact Helen at 8416743any day from Monday toSaturday, 9am to 1pm.

Fingal County CouncilPlanning permission sought by Mary McKennafor demolition of existing single storey extensionto rear and to construct a first floor extensionover existing single storey cottage to front,modifications to door and window openings tofront and a 2 storey extension to rear at 49Church Street, Skerries, Co. Dublin. The planningapplication may be inspected or purchased at afee not exceeding the reasonable cost of makinga copy at the offices of the planning authorityduring its public opening hours and submissionor observation may be made to the authority inwriting on payment of the prescribed fee(20Euros) within the period 5 weeks beginningon the date of receipt by the authority of thisapplication.

Fingal County CouncilPlanning permission sought by Michael andCarole Coffey to construct a single storey exten-sion to an existing cottage, improvements to theexisting vehicular entrance and all associatedsite works at Whitestown Road, Rush, Co.Dublin. The planning application may beinspected or purchased at a fee not exceedingthe reasonable cost of making a copy at theoffices of the planning authority during its publicopening hours and submission or observationmay be made to the authority in writing onpayment of the prescribed fee (20Euros) withinthe period 5 weeks beginning on the date ofreceipt by the authority of this application.

Fingal County CouncilI, Mark Walsh, intend to seek retention planningpermission to retain the 1st floor bedroomwindow at the gable side and planning permis-sion to build a front living room & front porchextension and a ground floor window into theside passsage at 36A, Grange Road, Baldoyle,Co Dublin. The Planning application may be inspected orpurchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonablecost of making a copy at the offices of the plan-ning authority during its public opening hoursand a submission observation in relation to theapplication may be made to the authority inwriting on payment of the prescribed fee of 20euro within the period of 5 weeks beginning onthe date of receipt by the authority of the appli-cation.

Fingal County CouncilPlanning Permission issought by C and ASmyth for house atSouth Shore Road,Rush, Co. Dublin. Thisplanning applicationmay be inspected orpurchased at a fee notexceeding the reason-able cost of making acopy at the offices ofthe planning authorityduring its publicopening hours and asubmission or observa-tion may be made tothe authority in writingon payment of theprescribed fee 20 eurowithin the period of 5weeks beginning on thedate of receipt by theauthority of this appli-cation.

Fingal County CouncilI, Jason Healy intend toapply for planningpermission at No.18Seabury Lane,Malahide, County


FERGUSON, Mary (Loughshinny, Skerries, Co. Dublin) Feb17th, 2015 (peacefully) in the loving care of the staff of RushNursing Home. Mary beloved wife of the late William andmother of the late Deirdre and Thelma, sadly missed by herloving son James, nephews, nieces, extended family andfriends. May Mary rest in peace

BALDWIN, Micheal ( Skerries, Co. Dublin ) ( Ex Aer Rianta) 16thFebruary 2015 (peacefully) at Beaumount Hospitalsurrounded by his loving family, Eugene ( Michael ) sadlymissed by his loving wife and best friend, Margaret, children,Colm and Jean, sister, Maura (coyle), grandchildren, Liam,relatives, Neighbours and a large circle of friends. Rest inpeace

BUTLER, Father Thomas S.M ( Coolock, Dublin/ Kinsealy ) 13thFebruary 2015 ( Chanel College, Coolock and later of KinsealyParish ) (peacefully) Very sadly missed by his brother Bill,sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, relatives, friends, formerparishioners of Kinsealy and Marist Confreres. Rest in peace

Recent published deathsfrom the North County

Sacred Heart of Jesusin the past I've askedfor many favours. This

time I ask for a veryspecial one, take it

dear heart ofJesus and place it with

your broken heartwhere your Father

sees it.Then in His mercifuleyes it will becomeyour favour and not

mine. Sayfor 3 days promisepublication. Never

known to fail.D.L.

Miracle Prayer

Dear Heart of Jesus inthe past I have askedfor many favours, this

time I ask for a veryspecial one(mentionrequest). Take it dear

Heart of Jesus andplace it with your

broken heart whereyour Father sees it.Then in his mercifuleyes it will become

your favour andnot mine. Say for 3

days promisepublication. Never

known to fail.E.M.

Miracle Prayer

To have a prayer published inNorth County Leader simply:

(1) Go to our website: www.northcountyleader.ie and click the Prayer Publication link

(2) Call into our offices at: Leader House, North Street, Swords, Co. Dublin and we will be happy to assist you

(3) Phone us on: 01-8400200 No. 1 Local Newspaper

Prayer Publication

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

Dublin. Consisting of the construction of a firstfloor bedroom extension to the rear of thedwelling and consequential alterations inter-nally.The planning application may be inspectedor purchased at a fee not exceeding the reason-able cost of making a copy, at the offices of thePlanning Authority during its public openinghours and a submission or observation in rela-tion to the application may be made to theAuthority in writing on the payment of theprescribed fee within the period of five weeksbeginning on the date of receipt by the Authorityof the application.

Fingal County CouncilP. Ellis seeks planning permission for a farmshed using existing field entrance onto R127public road on site located at Skerries road,Balbriggan, County Dublin .The planning application may be inspected orpurchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonablecost of making a copy at the offices of the plan-ning authority during its public opening hoursMonday to Friday at Fingal County Hall,Main St.Swords, Co. Dublin. a submission or observationin relation to the application may be made inwriting to the planning authority on payment ofthe prescribed fee (€20 Euros), within the periodof 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt bythe planning authority of this application.

Fingal County CouncilPhilip Christie seeks planning permission for theconstruction of a storey and half dwelling withwaste water treatment unit and percolation areaand using existing water well with modifiedexisting vehicle entrance onto public road onsite adjoining family home in the rural cluster ofMalheney, Man O War, County Dublin .The planning application may be inspected orpurchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonablecost of making a copy at the offices of the plan-ning authority during its public opening hoursMonday to Friday at Fingal County Hall,Main St,Swords, Co. Dublin. a submission or observationin relation to the application may be made inwriting to the planning authority on payment ofthe prescribed fee (€20 Euros), within the periodof 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt bythe planning authority of this application.

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Fingal County CouncilWe, Noel Hughes & Fiona McGeeintend to apply for PlanningPermission for development atJordanstown, Lusk, Co. Dublin.The development will consist of asingle storey dwelling with wastewater treatment system and all associ-ated site works. Relocation & upgradeof existing septic tank to waste watertreatment system.The planning application may beinspected, or purchased at a fee notexceeding the reasonable cost ofmaking a copy, at the offices of theplanning authority during the publicopening hours of 9:30 – 16:30 Monday– Friday at: Fingal County Council,Fingal County Hall, Main Street,Swords, Fingal, Co. Dublin. A submis-sion or observation in relation to theapplication may be made to theauthority in writing on payment of afee €20.00, within the period of 5weeks, beginning on the date ofreceipt by Fingal County Council of theapplication, and such submissions orobservations will be considered by theplanning authority in making a deci-sion on the application. The PlanningAuthority may grant permissionsubject to or without conditions, ormay refuse to grant permission.

Fingal County CouncilWe,Paul and Antionette BoydIntend to apply for PlanningPermission for, A. Provision of glazed balcony overrecently constructed single Storey extension to rear, at first floorlevel,B. 4 No velux roof lights to front eleva-tion,C. All associated site works at No 1Foxgrove, Skerries, Co Dublin. The planning application may beinspected or purchased at a feenot exceeding the reasonable cost ofmaking a copy at the offices of thePlanning Authority, during publicopening hours. A submission or obser-vation in relation to the applicationmay be made in writing to the plan-ning authority on payment of aprescribed fee (20 euro) within aperiod of 5 weeks beginning on thedate of receipt by the authority of theapplication and such submissions orobservations will be considered by theplanning authority in making a deci-sion on the application. The planningauthority may grant permissionsubject to or without conditions, ormay refuse to grant permission.

Fingal County CouncilWe Xeon Dental Services Limited t/aSmiles Dental, are applying to FingalCounty Council for permission for thefollowing: (i) change of use from retailshop unit to dental practice, (ii)internal layout including 4 no. dentalsurgery’s, decontamination room, x-ray room, store, equipment room,waiting area, staff canteen and toiletfacilities, (iii) signage and all associ-ated site development works, all atUnit 7, Harbour Mill, Drogheda Street,Balbriggan, Co. Dublin.The Planning Application may beinspected or purchased at a fee notexceeding the reasonable cost ofmaking a copy at the offices of thePlanning Authority during its publicopening hours and a submission orobservation may be made to thePlanning Authority in writing on

payment of the prescribed fee withinthe period of 5 weeks beginning onthe date of receipt by the authority ofthe application.

Fingal County CouncilI Rory O'Byrne, seek planning permis-sion at 11 Sherlock Terrace, Skerries,Co. Dublin for single storey extensionsto the side and rear of an existingdwelling with additional rooflights andfor alterations to the front boundarywall / entrance area. The planning application may beinspected or purchased at a fee notexceeding the reasonable cost ofmaking a copy at the offices of theplanning authority during its publicopening hours and a submission orobservation may be made to theauthority in writing on payment of theprescribed fee (20Euros) within theperiod of 5 weeks beginning on thedate of receipt by the authority of thisapplication

Fingal County CouncilPlanning Permission is sought byNiamh and Niall Casement for thefollowing modifications to existingdetached house located at 67Chalfont Avenue Malahide, Co.Dublin. Replacement of existing flatroof over garage and porch with aconcrete tiled pitched roof.Conversion of Garage to Playroom,replacement of garage door withwindow, blocking up of side garagedoor, repositioning of front door toside of porch, replacement of existingsliding door with a window. The planning application may beinspected or purchased at a fee notexceeding the reasonable cost ofmaking a copy at the offices of theplanning authority during the publicopening hours of 9.30 – 16.30 Monday– Friday at Fingal County Council,Fingal County Hall, Main Street,Swords, Fingal, 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 of ?20,within the period of 5 weeks, begin-ning on the date of receipt by FingalCounty Council of the application, andsuch submissions or observations willbe considered by the planningauthority in making a decision on theapplication. The planning authoritymay grant permission subject to orwithout conditions, or may refuse togrant permission.


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North County Leader - 24th February 2015

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