Hi FingalEMers — 🙋‍♂️🙋‍♀️ With the fuel protests continuing, peace talks in the Middle East showing little progress, and the weather looking fairly uninspiring again this week, there is no shortage of reasons to feel a bit worn down. So let’s turn our attention closer to home and see what Fingal East has to offer over the week ahead.

But first, as always, our poll. This is the part of the newsletter where you help shape the direction of this community and the services we create to make local life a little easier. Last week, we asked whether you would like us to try to secure Monday-to-Thursday dining discounts in the area, exclusively for readers. The response gave us a very clear steer. More than 92% of respondents said either yes, definitely (63%), or that they would be open to it (30%) if the discount was strong enough. We heard you, and it is now on the development list.

This week, we are focusing on something equally practical: finding local businesses. In our own experience, that is often harder than it should be. Too often, it comes down to a quick Google search and simply taking a chance.

Would you use a Fingal East directory to find trusted local businesses & services?

Login or Subscribe to participate

If you know of an upcoming event or a local story worth sharing, drop us a line & we’ll help spread the word with our fast-growing community: [email protected]

The sponsor of this week’s edition is:

Phone | Email | Website | Instagram

Swords Plumbing and Gas is a well-established local business providing plumbing, heating and boiler services across Fingal East and beyond. They cover Swords, Donabate, Lusk, Malahide, Portmarnock, Kinsealy and beyond, so they are very much serving the communities we write for each week.

With more than 13 years of experience behind them, they come across as the kind of business people want to have close at hand — knowledgeable, dependable and focused on getting the job done properly. Whether it is a smaller plumbing issue or a bigger heating or boiler job, they offer the sort of practical local service that gives customers confidence.

We are delighted to be associated with Swords Plumbing and Gas.

You can contact Paul and the team through any of the channels above 👆 but don’t forget to tell them you’re a FingalEMer!

News

Tracking all the developing stories that affect our community.

🧑‍🌾🫛 Taylor’s of Lusk Shortlisted for Local Food Hero Award in Boost for Fingal East

  • Great local news for Fingal East this week: Alan and Mark Taylor of Taylor’s of Lusk have been shortlisted in the Local Food Hero category in the Dublin shortlist for the Irish Restaurant Awards 2026, a shortlisting also reported by RTÉ. It is a strong piece of recognition for a business rooted in our own area, and for readers around Lusk and the wider Fingal East patch it is a reminder that some of the county’s best food stories are being built right here on our doorstep.

  • For anyone who does not know them, Alan and Mark Taylor are directors of Taylor’s of Lusk, the family business at Chapel Farm, Lusk, Co. Dublin. The Taylor family has been farming there since the early 1800s, beginning as a mixed farm before specialising more than half a century ago in vegetables for the consumer market. That long local history matters because it makes this shortlisting part of a much bigger Fingal story — one shaped by generations of farming, hard work and deep roots in the local area.

  • What also comes through clearly is how hands-on the business still is. Alan Taylor is responsible for sourcing, planting, maintaining and harvesting the crops, while Mark takes over once produce is harvested, overseeing quality checks, packaging and distribution. The wider family role is visible too, with Amy Taylor looking after marketing and Leona Taylor handling accounts and administration. That is what makes this nomination feel so relevant for Fingal East readers: it shines a light not just on two local brothers, but on a family-run business whose day-to-day work continues to reflect the best of this part of Dublin. Congratulations to the Taylors! 👏👏 Fingers crossed they can bring home the bacon! 😜

👦📚👧 Fingal Festival of Children’s Literature Announced for Swords Castle

  • Swords Castle is set to become a hub of imagination and family fun with the Fingal Festival of Children’s Literature, with The Magic of Stories as its theme. Taking place on Saturday 17 September, the festival runs from morning into mid-afternoon and promises a full day of free events for children and families in a setting that already feels made for storytelling. Spread across spaces including the Storytent, the Chapel, the Book Clinic and the Creative Zone, it looks much more like a full family day out than a simple author event.

  • The programme has plenty to look forward to, with bestselling authors, illustrators and performers leading a mix of drawalongs, storytelling sessions, treasure hunts, workshops and author talks. Families can expect appearances from names including Niamh Sharkey, Peter Donnelly, Catherine Doyle, Sarah Moore Fitzgerald and Sinéad Moriarty, alongside hands-on activities that invite children to doodle, build, create and discover new books for themselves. A number of sessions also include a free book for every child attending, which adds to the sense that this has been designed to feel generous, lively and memorable.

  • There is another strong local connection too, with Skerries author Shane Hegarty involved as the festival’s Creative Director — more about Shane later. Overall, this looks like the sort of event families could happily make a day of: welcoming for younger children, strong enough to interest older readers, and varied enough to keep the whole experience moving. Against the backdrop of Swords Castle, it has all the ingredients of one of those special local events people will be glad they made time for.

🏖️📔 Balbriggan Beach Report Highlights Management, Access and Environmental Change

  • A new report on Balbriggan Beach sets out to assess both how the beach functions as a coastal system and how local people use it and view its future. It was commissioned by Fingal County Council and informed by informal meetings, a public workshop and a public survey. The report uses a framework of “Sand, Species and Space” to examine the beach from both an environmental and public-use perspective.

  • On the environmental side, the report states that Balbriggan Beach is a dynamic but broadly stable system. It describes sand as moving between the intertidal area, the beach and the dune zone, with overall movement tending towards the harbour wall. It also records the development of new dunes and the spread of vegetation, including Lyme grass and other dune plants, as part of an ongoing natural process on the beach.

  • On the public side, the report says the beach is widely used and highly valued, but that respondents expressed concern about issues including water quality, beach access, and the level of care and investment the area receives. Its recommendations include small-scale sand management measures, public information and signage, and the creation of a representative beach management committee to guide long-term decisions. The report also identifies the Blue Flag Award as a possible future objective, while noting that this would require further work and separate consideration.

  • You can read the full detail of the Fingal County Council report here.

Civil

Planning decisions, road closures & community notices.

Planning applications & decisions

🏗️ Nothing significant to report in planning this week.

Road closures & changes planned

🚧 Main Road Closures & Works

  • Swords

    • R132 under temporary 50 km/h works speed limit for Connectivity Project : 01-Mar-2026 - 28-Feb-2027

    • R132 Connectivity Project Phase 1 begins with lane restrictions : Apr-2026 - early-2028

    • Seatown Road Active Travel works with limited traffic restrictions : Jan-2026 - Jan-2027

    • North Street southbound traffic changes for public realm works : Apr-2026 - end-2026

    • Seatown Road closed between St Columcille’s Drive and North Street : 01-Jul-2024 08:00 - 30-Jun-2026 17:00

    • Brackenstown Avenue, Rathbeale Road and Jugback Lane traffic calming notice : 18-Mar-2026 00:01 - 15-Apr-2026 16:30

  • Balbriggan

    • Mill Street to George’s Hill junction closed for RNLI Boathouse water connection : 13-Apr-2026 08:00 - 13-Apr-2026 18:00

    • Old Market Green traffic calming notice for raised crossings : 18-Mar-2026 00:01 - 15-Apr-2026 16:30

  • Ballyboughal / Garristown area

    • Local road closures for fundraising 5km and 10km run : 19-Apr-2026 09:30 - 19-Apr-2026 12:30

  • Donabate

    • Portrane Road traffic calming notice at school entrance : 18-Mar-2026 00:01 - 15-Apr-2026 16:30

  • Lusk

    • Dublin Road traffic calming notice for raised pedestrian crossing : 18-Mar-2026 00:01 - 15-Apr-2026 16:30

  • Malahide

    • Townyard Lane closed at The Green for wastewater connection works : 13-Apr-2026 19:00 - 14-Apr-2026 05:00

  • Oldtown

    • R122 traffic calming notice for 8 bus-friendly ramps : 18-Mar-2026 00:01 - 15-Apr-2026 16:30

  • Portmarnock

    • Carrickhill Road Upper/Lower and Redfern Avenue traffic calming notice : 11-Mar-2026 00:01 - 13-Apr-2026 16:30

  • Rush

    • Palmer Road and Old Road traffic calming notice for 15 ramps : 18-Mar-2026 00:01 - 15-Apr-2026 16:30

Events Calendar

Things to do in the week ahead.

29th Apr - 3rd May

Monday 13th April

Tuesday 14th April

Wednesday 15th April

Thursday 16th April

  • Skerries | Skerries Library | Sensory Toddler Morning | 10:30-11:30

  • Naul | The Séamus Ennis Arts Centre | Pop-Up Gaeltacht | Informal Irish-language gathering open to all. | 17:30-18:30

  • Malahide | Malahide Library | Be Social Media Savvy | 18:00-19:00

  • Naul | The Séamus Ennis Arts Centre (or online) | TSEAC Singing Session | Informal singing session led by Fergus Cahillane, with participants invited to perform and share songs. | 19:00-21:00

  • Donabate | Beaverstown Golf Club | DCC Parent's Council - Table Quiz | Table quiz fundraiser with raffle prizes. | 19:30-23:00

  • Skerries | The Little Theatre | Skerries Short Plays | Eight new short plays staged as part of Skerries Short Cuts. Runs from 15 to 25 April; opening night is sold out. | 20:15-22:30

Friday 17th April

Saturday 18th April

Sunday 19th April

📢Finally, stuff from Fingal East we just like - Shane Hegarty - author and creative director.

Shane Hegarty | Skerries

Shane Hegarty is one of Fingal East’s standout literary success stories. A former arts editor of The Irish Times, he moved from journalism into full-time fiction after Darkmouth opened the door to a major publishing career. Since then, he has built a strong reputation as a children’s author, with the Darkmouth series reaching readers well beyond Ireland, while later books such as Boot and The Shop of Impossible Ice Creams have further strengthened his place in contemporary children’s writing. His latest book, Minotaur Boy, seems likely to add to that growing body of success.

Shane’s connection to Fingal East is central to the story. He was born and raised in Skerries, attended school there, and still lives in the town. That sense of place has carried into his writing too, with his home area helping to shape the imagination behind his work. He is not simply someone who once came from Fingal East and moved on; Skerries remains part of both his personal life and his creative identity.

That local connection can also be seen in the work he continues to do across the wider area. Shane has been involved as creative director of the Magic of Stories festival at Swords Castle, helping to shape one of Fingal’s most distinctive literary events for young readers. He is also part of a group of artists now resident in studio spaces at Ardgillan Castle. Taken together, those roles show someone whose success reaches far beyond Fingal East, while his contribution to the area itself remains active and visible. Well done, Shane. 👏👏

Have a great week, but don’t leave the jacket at home just yet! 😉

Image Credits

Photo: “p4115734” by Antonio Fiol, via Flickr, licensed under CC BY 2.0.

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