👋 Hi FingalEMers,

Welcome to the weekend edition. This one has plenty to keep you busy from Friday to Sunday, with live music, Pride celebrations, exhibitions, family activities, wellness sessions, sport, community events and a few lovely local stories from across Fingal East.

We also have Mary Coughlan & Ultan Conlon in Swords as our featured event, a look at the Lusk Summer Festival, and a celebration of some of the brilliant people we have featured in our “stuff from Fingal East we just like” section over the past few months.

You’ll also see the same quick poll that appeared in Monday’s newsletter. If you already answered it, thank you — there’s no need to respond again. We’re keeping it here for anyone who missed it, as it helps us understand whether readers would like us to include selected Dublin city centre events from time to time, or keep the focus strictly on Fingal East.

As always, have a scan through, see what’s happening near you, and maybe pick one thing you would not have known about otherwise.

La Boulangerie Française — a little slice of France in Applewood

Based in Applewood Village, Swords, La Boulangerie Française is a much-loved local French bakery, café and delicatessen, known for freshly baked bread, croissants, pastries, cakes, coffee, lunches and savoury treats. It is the kind of place that feels like a proper local find — warm, welcoming and full of those little things that make a morning coffee, weekend treat or quick lunch feel a bit special.

Whether you are picking up fresh bread, choosing something sweet, grabbing a bite, or ordering for a family gathering or celebration, it is a lovely Applewood spot to keep in mind.

And don’t forget to tell them you’re a FingalEMer.

🎪🎶 Lusk Summer Festival returns this June

Lusk Summer Festival returns to Lusk town on Saturday 20 June, bringing another full day of community activity, music, food and family entertainment. The festival began in 2022 with a mix of craft vendors, food, music, children’s activities, sports demonstrations and cultural experiences, and has quickly become a major date in the local calendar. By 2023, attendance was reported at more than 8,000 people, showing how quickly the event has grown in just a few years.

This year, we can expect a family-friendly day with live music, market stalls, food trucks, children’s entertainment and plenty of activity around the town. The line-up mentioned so far includes Max Turner, Medlife Crisis, Ella Clarke and Eva Campbell, with facepainting, local sporting club events, rides and slides also planned for younger visitors. Lusk Autism Friendly Town is expected to provide a calm space, while the Love Lusk stand will have wristbands for children in case they become separated. The Fingal Mobile Library is also due to return, along with books and a magic show.

From a local economy point of view, the impact goes beyond the festival itself. A free community event of this size brings extra footfall into Lusk, gives local makers, food traders, clubs and community groups a visible platform, and helps keep attention and spending within the town. With support from Progressive Credit Union, Fingal County Council, local businesses and volunteers, it is a good example of how a community festival can lift the whole area — not just by entertaining people, but by showcasing Lusk as a growing, active and welcoming town.

🌟🎭 Celebrating the people putting Fingal East on the map

One of the nicest parts of putting Fingal East Media together each week has been discovering just how much talent, creativity and achievement is rooted in this part of North Dublin. Across Swords, Malahide, Portmarnock, Donabate, Rush, Lusk, Skerries, Balbriggan and everywhere in between, there are people doing remarkable things in the arts, sport, media, music, writing, community work and public life.

Over the past few months, our “stuff from Fingal East we just like” section has given us a chance to highlight some of those stories. Some of the people are already well known, some are quietly building their careers, and others simply have stories that deserve to be noticed locally.

Here are some of the people we have featured so far:

Ann Bruen
Coastal photography and a creative eye for Portmarnock’s shoreline.
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Soulé
Balbriggan singer Soulé and her place in Ireland’s contemporary music scene.
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Niamh Bury
Portmarnock musician Niamh Bury and her growing reputation in Irish folk music.
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Maurice Colgan
A Swords man with a lifelong Elvis connection, memorabilia story and memoir.
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Matthew Kelly
Balbriggan graphic artist Matthew Kelly and his honest work around grief and mental health.
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Donna Stewart
From Swords roots to an international marketing career in the Irish drinks industry.
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Caoilfhionn Gallagher
Portmarnock’s Caoilfhionn Gallagher and her work in law, human rights and child protection.
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Izzy Atkinson
Rush footballer Izzy Atkinson and her journey through club and international football.
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Abigail Sexton
Portmarnock model Abigail Sexton and her growing international fashion career.
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Ciara McCabe
Malahide’s Ciara McCabe and her Arctic Challenge fundraiser for the Irish Heart Foundation.
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Shane Hegarty
Skerries author Shane Hegarty and his work in children’s writing and journalism.
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Lee Cronin
Skerries filmmaker Lee Cronin and his rise through major horror cinema.
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Nina McGowan
Balbriggan’s Nina McGowan, visual artist, freediver and world-record holder.
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Hazel Doupe
Hazel Doupe’s Skerries connection and her move from Irish screen roles to wider recognition.
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Edelle Kenny
Balbriggan filmmaker Edelle Kenny and her growing screen career.
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Taken together, these stories are a reminder that Fingal East is not just a place with events, traffic updates and planning notices. It is a place full of people with talent, ambition, imagination and stories worth telling.

🎤🎶 Featured Event: Mary Coughlan & Ultan Conlon in Swords

Mary Coughlan & Ultan Conlon come to Peacocks Bar & Lounge in Swords on Friday 12 June for what should be a very special night of live music. Mary Coughlan is one of Ireland’s most distinctive voices, known for songs that move between jazz, blues, folk and deeply personal storytelling.

She will be joined by Ultan Conlon, the Galway singer-songwriter whose warm, lyrical style makes him a natural fit for an intimate local venue. For anyone who enjoys strong Irish songwriting, characterful vocals and a proper live-room atmosphere, this is a lovely one to have in the diary.

When: Friday 12 June, 20:00
Where: Peacocks Bar & Lounge, River Valley, Swords
What: Mary Coughlan & Ultan Conlon live in concert

Book tickets

Friday 12th June

• Naul | The Séamus Ennis Arts Centre | Alison Barry: A Storytelling | Wildlife-inspired art exhibition open daily in the Easter Snow Gallery. | 10:00-16:00

• Swords | Peacocks Bar & Lounge | Mary Coughlan & Ultan Conlon | An intimate live concert from Mary Coughlan and Ultan Conlon. | 20:00-22:00

Saturday 13th June

• Naul | The Séamus Ennis Arts Centre | Alison Barry: A Storytelling | Wildlife-inspired art exhibition open daily in the Easter Snow Gallery. | 10:00-16:00

• Donabate | Lambay House, Community Well | And Now, Yoga | A gentle beginner-level yoga class to move, breathe and reset. | 09:30-10:30

• Skerries | Skerries Mills Community Garden | Skerries Annual Wild Bee Festival 2026 | A family-friendly weekend of walks, talks, crafts and pollinator fun. | 10:00

• Malahide | Hidden Acres | LAOLA Slow Adventure Morning | A mini retreat with pilates, meditation and breakfast in nature. | 10:00-13:00

• Swords | Rivervalley Community Centre | Seed & Plant Share / Swap | Gather, swap seeds and plants, and share local gardening knowledge. | 11:00-13:00

• Donabate | Swords Sailing & Boating Club | IMA Eastern Championships 2026 | A weekend multihull sailing championship on the Broadmeadow Estuary. | 11:00

• Balbriggan | George’s Square | Balbriggan Pride Family Fun Celebration | Music, performers, face painting and family Pride celebrations. | 14:00-18:00

• Malahide | Malahide Castle and Gardens | Kingfishr | A sold-out outdoor summer concert at Malahide Castle. | 16:00

• Naul | The Séamus Ennis Arts Centre | The Devil’s in the Dance Hall | A powerful Garden Party performance of music, theatre and Irish social history. | 20:00-23:00

• Malahide | Church of the Sacred Heart, Yellow Walls | Gala Concert | A warm evening of sacred and secular music for the organ restoration project. | 20:00

• Balbriggan | The Warehouse, Vauxhall Street | Pride After Party: Everyone is Welcome Here | An 18+ Pride after party with live music and free entry. | 20:00

• Balbriggan | Ardgillan Gallery, Ardgillan Castle | A Deck of Tales Exhibition | Enda Brady’s mythology-inspired exhibition begins at Ardgillan Gallery. | Time not stated

Sunday 14th June

• Naul | The Séamus Ennis Arts Centre | Alison Barry: A Storytelling | Wildlife-inspired art exhibition open daily in the Easter Snow Gallery. | 10:00-16:00

• Malahide | Malahide Parish Centre | Thrive Vibrant Beyond 50 | Morning wellness workshop to feel stronger, move more freely and live vibrantly. | 09:45-12:45

• Skerries | Outside Little Theatre | Sustainable Swim Shop | Pick up donated swim gear and support the Skerries community. | 11:30-14:30

• Donabate | Donabate Portrane Tennis Club | Tennis 4 Cancer | Men’s and ladies’ tennis sessions for the Pauline Fitzpatrick Cup. | 13:30-16:30

• Malahide | Malahide Parish Centre | Thrive Vibrant Beyond 50 | Afternoon wellness workshop to feel stronger, move more freely and live vibrantly. | 13:30-16:30

• Malahide | Malahide Castle | Movies on the Lawn: Wicked Sing-A-Long | An outdoor sing-a-long screening on the castle lawns. | 14:30-16:30

• Malahide | St Sylvester’s New Parish Hall | CoderDojo Malahide | A coding club for young people aged 8-17 with volunteer mentors. | 15:00

• Donabate | Lambay House, Community Well | Weekly Shamanic Drumming Meditation Group with Pia | A welcoming evening group for connection, drumming and meditation. | 19:00-21:00

• Malahide | Malahide Castle | Movies on the Lawn: The Snapper | A relaxed outdoor evening screening of the Irish classic. | 19:30-21:00

• Skerries | Skerries Mills Community Garden | Skerries Annual Wild Bee Festival 2026 | A second day of bee-themed walks, talks, crafts and family activities. | Time not stated

• Donabate | Swords Sailing & Boating Club | IMA Eastern Championships 2026 | Final day of the multihull sailing championship weekend. | Time not stated

Photo: “Fry Model Railway is Closed” by William Murphy / infomatique, used under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Thanks for reading and for being part of this growing Fingal East community. Every share, reply and recommendation helps us reach more local people and shine a light on what’s happening around us.

Enjoy the weekend, and we’ll talk again on Monday morning.