This week in Portmarnock, a new pedestrian and cycle bridge was officially opened, creating a safer, quicker route between the Drumnigh Manor/Drumnigh Wood area and the Skylark side of the village — with a direct link onwards to local schools, amenities and, crucially, Portmarnock train station.

Speakers at the launch said the bridge will make everyday trips far easier for the many families living in the newer estates, allowing people to walk or cycle to the station without having to drive into traffic or deal with congestion. Fingal County Council credited the contractor and Iarnród Éireann for supporting delivery, and noted that more projects like this are planned across Fingal to give people real alternatives to the car.

Interestingly, the crossing began life as a simple cattle pass for agricultural vehicles. As housing expanded on both sides of the railway, it became an ideal opportunity to upgrade it into a proper active-travel link. The project received Department of Transport funding of around €150,000, and the Minister highlighted wider national investment in active travel — including a commitment to at least €360 million for projects around the country — with Fingal described as one of the leading counties for delivering schemes that improve daily life and make public transport easier to access.

We wish to advise customers that due to roadworks on Main Street Swords, Stop 3679, Swords Castle will be temporarily suspended on Monday 12 January 2026 for approximately three weeks.

For routes 33, 41c and 43, please proceed to stop 3711, North Street for your nearest stop location. For route 41, please proceed to stop 5075, Rathbeale Road for your nearest stop location.

Customers can also get updates on Facebook & Twitter @dublinbusnews or call our customer service line on 0818 294015, lines open from 07:00 - 19:00hrs Monday to Friday, 08:00 – 18:00hrs Saturday and 10:00 - 18:00hrs Sunday and public holidays.

If you’re into Irish-made craft and design, Showcase 2026 is coming up in the RDS (18–20 January 2026), and a group of Fingal businesses will be part of the Local Enterprise Showcase — a dedicated area for newer Irish brands to get in front of buyers from Ireland and overseas.

Four Fingal East makers to keep an eye out for this year are:

The Local Enterprise Office in Fingal says it’s been working with the participating businesses on how they present and sell — from merchandising through to marketing — to help them make the most of the three days, where a strong showing can translate into real orders and longer-term retail relationships.

The Proposed Variation No. 1 to the Fingal Development Plan 2023–2029 is being advanced to align Fingal with updated national housing requirements. To help close an identified shortfall in zoned residential capacity, the Council proposes providing for around 5,000 additional homes during the plan period, mainly through a package of rezoning sites (with a separate Dunsink LAP component that isn’t in Fingal East).

For Fingal East, the Variation concentrates on nine of the eleven rezoning areas, covering Balrothery, Skerries, Lusk (two sites), Malahide (two sites), Kinsealy (two sites), and the Hole in the Wall Road area. Most of these proposals shift land from Green Belt / Rural / Open Space zoning to Residential Area (RA), while the two Kinsealy sites move from Green Belt to Rural Village (RV). Two locations also include new connectivity requirements: Seamount (Malahide) gets a Local Objective to ensure east/west and north/south permeability, and Kinsealy Lane gets a Local Objective focused on north/south pedestrian and cycle links.

In the “findings to date” from the supporting assessments, the Strategic Flood Risk Assessment broadly considers the proposed zonings appropriate at plan level, while noting that some sites may still require site-specific flood risk assessment later (Seamount is explicitly flagged as a possibility). The Variation documentation also indicates that SEA and Appropriate Assessment are specifically required in relation to Kinsealy Lane and Hole in the Wall Road (as well as Dunsink), meaning those Fingal East locations receive particular environmental scrutiny as the process progresses.

Balbriggan - Bath Road Car Park,

Balbriggan - Barnageeragh Carpark

Rush - Hayestown Open Space

Lusk - Orlynn Park Entrance (Access from Dublin Road)

Swords - Rathingle Playing Fields Car Park

Swords - Manor pitches

Donabate - Community Centre Car Park (Formerly The Square ,Donabate)

Portrane - The Brook

Malahide - Public Car Park, Back Road, Malahide Demesne

Malahide - The Banks Car Park

Kinsealy - Kettles Park

Portmarnock - Public Car Park, Strand Road

Swords: Seatown Rd → Estuary Rd active-travel works start -

From Mon 12 Jan 2026: works due to commence between Seatown Roundabout and the Estuary Road junction, including cycle lanes, traffic calming, and road layout changes.

Swords: ongoing closure on Seatown Road

Balbriggan: Link Road + Harbour Road closure (final week) 16 Jul 2025 → 16 Jan 2026: Link and Harbour Road, Balbriggan closed for road reconstruction and resurfacing (covers most of next week, ending Friday).

Ballyboughal | Ballyboughal National School hall | Adult dance classes | An energetic hour of non stop dancing, fun routines and giggles. For more details and to register text Adrienne 086 8681130. | 20:15-21:15

Balbriggan | Castlelands Community centre | Yoga for runners | It does what is says on the tin! | 19:00-20:00

Malahide | St sylvesters Parish Centre | Women's over 55 dance classes | Warm up to Samba, Cha Cha, Disco & Rumba musical styles. No need to book just pay at the door. | 12:30-13:30

Portmarnock | Portmarnock Parish Centre | Portmarnock Singers Open Night | There are so many good reasons to join a choir. Come along to our open night this Monday night and experience the benefits for yourself! | 19:50-21:30

Dublin City Centre | Whyte Recital Hall at RIAM | New Music for string quartet | Following a period of work with distinguished Irish composer Kevin O’Connell and the Ora Quartet, RIAM composition students are proud to present the first performances new works for string quartet in the Whyte Recital Hall. Kevin O’Connell is one of Ireland’s foremost contemporary composers and a long-standing champion of new music. | 18:00-20:00

Online | Online | Food Starter Programme Winter 2026 | Food Starter is a dynamic programme designed to help those with a food idea, or those at an early stage of starting up a food business (typically within the first 24 months). - One full day and two half days online | N/A

Online | Online | Fingal County Council join consortium of six European Countries to participate in KORALE project. | Tackling loneliness with EU Korale partners | 14:30–15:30

Online | Online | Social Media and Digital Marketing for Small Businesses | This practical certificate course gives an overview of the core digital channels and how they fit together in order to deliver successful digital and social media marketing campaigns for B2B and B2C markets. | 18:30-21:30

Dublin City Centre | O'Neills Pub and Kitchen | Dublin BlaBla Language exchange | Happens every Tuesday. Meet new people • Make international & local friends • Practice languages • Have fun | 19:30-22:30

Swords | Kinsealey Business Park | Cricket Scorers | Both introduction and level 1 courses | Multiple times - see site.

Balbriggan | Finding Myself Again | A guided support group for women navigating family life, relationships and life transitions. This is a guided support group for women navigating family life, relationships and life transitions. A calm, confidential and well-held space to pause, talk and reconnect with yourself — without pressure to have it all figured out. | 18:30-20:00

Swords | Swords Library | Mosaic Making Workshop with Catherine McCourt | Unleash your creativity by making your very own bespoke mosaic piece using ceramic and glass tiles and found objects (like jewellery pieces). You will be guided through the mosaic making process. All materials and tools are provided but please feel free to bring in any items of your own, that you may like to incorporate into your design. Contact [email protected]  or at (01) 8905582 to book your place. | 17:30-19:30

Babbriggan | Balbriggan Library, George's Square | Healthy Steps - community Walks | Healthy Steps is a Walking Group programme, starting in Balbriggan from Fri 16 Jan at 11am, and continuing each Fri at 11am. | 12:00-13:00

Online | Online | Local Enhancement Programme (LEP) 2026 | This is an information webinar on LEP. Fingal LEP, offers capital funding to help eligible community and voluntary groups improve local facilities and purchase equipment. | 19:00-21:00

Online | Online | Supporting the supporters | This FREE 5-week online programme is designed especially for family carers and supporters. ✨ Explore self-care, recovery concepts, boundaries, communication skills, and available supports & services. | 10:00-12:30

Naul | The Séamus Ennis Arts Centre | Céilí Beag Baby & Toddler Play Sessions for 0–3 years | Each month brings a brand-new sensory adventure designed to nurture your child’s curiosity, confidence, and creativity. | 11:00-12:00

Balbriggan | Balbriggan Library | Free blood & pulse check | 64% of people over 50 years old in Ireland have high blood pressure which is a leading cause of stroke, heart disease and heart attacks. Get checked for free so you can protect your health. | 11:00-15:45

Balbriggan | The Lark | Amy Winehouse Tribute: Absolute Amy | Absolute Amy, the UK’s authentic Amy Winehouse Tribute, is making an Ireland debut at The Lark. Experience this stunning new show, featuring Amy’s original Guitarist, Robin Banerjee, for what is set to be an unforgettable experience for fans of all ages. | 20:00-22:00

Balbriggan | Glebe North Football Club | Adult dancing | Entertainment: Keybox | 21:00-00:30

Donabate | Turvey Nature Reserve public car park | Winter Bird Series: Enjoy an informative Turvey Nature Reserve walk. | Turvey Nature Reserve is a gem of semi-natural Dublin wilderness. Under constant management by Fingal County Council, the area features wild meadows, restored wetlands, forest walks and the Broadmeadows Estuary, which is a mecca for a vast range of birds | 10:00-12:00

Balbriggan | The Lark | Glory Days – Bruce Springsteen Tribute | Rockin’ into THE LARK is the ultimate Bruce Springsteen tribute band, Glory Days. This incredible 6 piece band embodies the iconic living legend’s music and celebrates all his greatest hits, from ‘Born in The USA’ to more recent releases like ‘Letter To You’. | 20:00-22:00

Swords | Swords Library | Magical Fairy Tale Forest with Simone Schümmelfeder - Age 8-12 years old | Forests are at the heart of so many fairy tales — dark woods, enchanted glades, and magical adventures. In this workshop, storyteller Simone Schuemmelfeder (StoryGate) will help you create your own pop-up fairy-tale forest using card and paper. Who’ll live in yours — an owl, a fox, dwarfs or trolls? It’s up to you! Contact [email protected]  or at (01) 8905582 to book your place. | 11:00-12:00

Dublin City Centre | National Concert Hall | The Definitive Rat Pack | The Definitive Rat Pack are best known as the original Westend cast members of The Rat Pack – Live from Las Vegas who have now created their own and more personal show, they return to the National Concert Hall on Saturday Jan 17th 2025. | 20:00-22:00

Malahide | Hidden Acres, Back road Malahide | The Quiet Corner - The Wintering Workshop | An extended 2.5 hour yin yoga practice that will afford you time and space to slow down and learn the true art of wintering. | 18:00-19:30

Dublin City Centre | The Olympia Theatre | Mary Coughlan in concert | Coming off the back of an incredible, sold-out performance at the Galway International Arts Festival, the legendary jazz & blues singer Mary Coughlan return to play the Olympia. | 19:00-23:30

Rush | O'Dwyers GAA Club | O'Dwyers Beginners Trad Music Sessions | All welcome to join us at our New Club House for our Junior Session | 12:30-13:30

Rush | O'Dwyers GAA Club | O'Dwyers Advanced Musicians Trad Music Sessions | All welcome to join us at our New Club House for our Senior Session | 18:00-20:00