Hi FingalEMers 👋,
Good morning!
If this week’s events calendar looks a little longer than usual, there’s a very good reason — National Heritage Week is in full swing, with an extraordinary amount happening across Fingal East. From Portrane’s Martello Tower and Ardgillan Demesne to heritage walks, historic graveyards, castle tours and local archives, this is one of the busiest weeks of local events we’ve put together.
Keeping with the heritage theme, we have two signed copies of Swords – History and Mysteries: A Community Guide by local historian Mike Power to give away. The book explores the people, places, hidden heritage and stories that have shaped Swords over the centuries.
We’re particularly pleased to feature Mike’s work because part of what we want Fingal East Media to do is showcase local people doing interesting things across our area. Mike is also leading one of this week’s Wander and Wonder Swords Heritage Walks on Wednesday morning. To enter the book draw, simply answer Yes in the poll below.
Elsewhere, we visit Fingal Glass Centre in Swords, explain blue-green roofs, meet Balbriggan student Willard Vintem, and take a different look at Dublin’s architecture.
Enjoy the edition — and with so much happening for Heritage Week, there’s a very good chance you’ll find something worth getting out to see.
We’ll talk again on Thursday morning.
📚 Would you like to enter our draw to win one of two signed copies of Swords – History and Mysteries by Mike Power?
THIS WEEK'S FEATURED BUSINESS
Fingal Glass Centre
There are some local businesses you can pass for years without knowing everything they do — until something breaks and suddenly you need exactly their service. Fingal Glass Centre on the Rathbeale Road in Swords is a good example. The second-generation family business has worked with glass for more than 40 years, serving homeowners and businesses across Fingal.
Replacing a smashed window is only part of the story. Fingal Glass Centre can replace failed or misted double-glazed units, repair windows and doors, supply mirrors and create made-to-measure glass shelving and table tops. It also works with stained and leaded glass and can replace greenhouse glass. So that cloudy double-glazed window may not mean replacing the entire window.
They also provide an emergency glazing and boarding-up service following accidental damage or a break-in. It is one of those useful local contacts worth knowing about, particularly as many smaller repair jobs can be fixed without the larger replacement project people might expect.
From its Swords base, Fingal Glass Centre serves communities including Malahide, Donabate, Lusk, Rush, Skerries and Balbriggan. With more than four decades in the trade, it is another long-established specialist business based right here in Fingal East.
News
Tracking all the developing stories that affect our community.
🌿 Blue-Green Roofs: Why Fingal Wants Our Rooftops Working Harder
You may start hearing the term “blue-green roof” more often in planning applications around Fingal. The idea is simple: a green roof uses part of a building’s roof for vegetation, while a blue roof temporarily holds rainwater and releases it more slowly. Combined, they create a roof that supports plants and wildlife while also forming part of the building’s drainage system.
Why does that matter? During heavy rain, conventional roofs quickly channel water into gutters and drains at roughly the same time. A blue-green roof holds some of that water where it lands, reducing pressure on the drainage network at the peak of a storm. The planted layer can also support insects and birds, reduce surface-water runoff and add greenery to increasingly built-up areas. In short, it makes otherwise unused roof space work much harder.
Fingal County Council has now published a dedicated Green and Blue Roof Guide. Green roofs are already in place at Baldoyle Community Centre and Skerries Library, with another planned for the Swords Cultural Quarter. As Fingal grows, it is an interesting example of how an ordinary rooftop can help respond to heavier rainfall, biodiversity loss and the need to make our towns greener.
✍️ Poetry, Science and a Very Good Year for Balbriggan’s Willard Vintem
It’s turning into quite a year for Willard Vintem, a Transition Year student at Ardgillan Community College in Balbriggan. Willard has won the school section of the 2026 Darby Ryan International Poetry Contest for his poem Envision and has been invited to Bansha in Co. Tipperary to read his winning work.
Earlier this year, Willard and fellow student Shane Cooper also took The Mask of Masculinity to the Stripe Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition, winning second place in the Intermediate Group Social & Behavioural Sciences category and the Coimisiún na Meán Award. From science to poetry, it’s been an impressive few months for a young Balbriggan student finding very different ways to explore and express ideas.
Civil
Planning decisions, road closures & community notices.
🏗️ No significant planning events this week.
🚧🚦 Road closures & changes planned
• Swords: R132 works continue at the Estuary and Bostik junctions, with the northbound right-turn into Bostik closed and traffic using the Swords Food Park U-turn. Off-peak lane restrictions may operate from 10am–4pm until Friday 21 August.
• Swords: Seatown Road remains closed between St Columcille’s Drive and North Street until 31 March 2027. Bus routes 33, 41C and 43 towards Dublin are diverting via Watery Lane and Bridge Street, while routes 33A and 33B are also diverted because of Main Street works, with a number of local stops temporarily out of use.
• Swords / Lusk / Rush / Skerries / Balbriggan: Rolling resurfacing works may cause temporary restrictions on Balheary Road and Avenue, Church Road, Old Barrack Road, Cross of the Cage and White Hart Road.
• M50 / N2: Overnight works on Thursday 20 August will affect northbound traffic between J6 Blanchardstown and J4 Ballymun, including closures at J5 Finglas and the N2 northbound links, from 10pm–6am Friday.
Events Calendar
Things to do in the week ahead.
🚣♀️🌊 Featured event: Fingal Rowing Club – Our 10 Year Story
Fingal Rowing Club is celebrating ten years on the water in Balbriggan this Sunday, 23 August, with a special Heritage Week event at Kings Strand from 11.30am–3pm. Visitors can meet the rowers, hear how the club grew from the restoration of its first traditional skiff, learn about coastal rowing and see the club’s developing FISA rowing section.
There will also be a chance to try rowing for yourself. The event takes place beside the old boat and bath house at Kings Strand, currently being restored by Fingal County Council as a future home for Fingal Rowing Club and the 89th Bremore Scouts — making the day as much about Balbriggan’s continuing connection with the sea as the club’s own ten-year milestone.
Monday 17th August
• Portrane | Martello Tower, The Quay | A Tour of Martello Tower Portrane | Hourly guided tours inside Portrane's historic coastal tower. Also running Tuesday 18th, Wednesday 19th and Thursday 20th August. | 09:00-17:00
• Donabate | Community Well Studio, Lambay House | Nature, Yoga & Art Summer Camp | A creative summer camp mixing nature, movement and art for children. Runs Monday 17th–Thursday 20th August, 10:00–14:00 daily. | 10:00-14:00
• Naul | The Séamus Ennis Arts Centre | Alison Barry Exhibition | Final day of Alison Barry's exhibition in the Easter Snow Gallery. | 10:00-16:00
• Naul | The Séamus Ennis Arts Centre | Refractions — Ioana Petcu-Colan | Visual art and music meet in Ioana Petcu-Colan's new gallery exhibition. Runs Monday 17th–Thursday 20th August, 10:00–16:00 daily. | 10:00-16:00
• Swords | Swords Castle | Symbol of Hope Exhibition: Discover Cultural Unity | A free exhibition celebrating shared Irish and Ukrainian culture and craft. Also running Tuesday 18th, Wednesday 19th and Thursday 20th August. | 10:00-16:00
• Skerries | Skerries Mills | Art by Yasmina — Inspired by Cú Chulainn | An exhibition of oil paintings inspired by Irish mythology and Cú Chulainn. Also running Tuesday 18th, Wednesday 19th and Thursday 20th August. | 10:00-17:00
• Balbriggan | Ardgillan Castle | Ogham Writing Workshop for Kids | A hands-on Heritage Week workshop introducing children to Ogham writing. | 11:00-12:30
• Malahide | Malahide Castle & Gardens | Turas Treoraithe tríd Ghaeilge | A guided Irish-language tour exploring the history and treasures of Malahide Castle. | 13:00
• Balbriggan | ASTER Family Resource Centre | Wellness Café | A free, informal peer-led café focused on mental health and wellbeing. | 14:00-18:00
• Swords | Swords Library | Summer Stars Storytime | A relaxed summer story session for younger readers. | 14:30
• Rush | Kenure Gates to the Portico | Kenure Heritage Walk | Explore Kenure's Pillar, Portico and Famine Wall on a guided heritage walk. | 17:30-19:30
• Swords | Swords Castle Entrance | Swords Men's Walk & Talk Group | A friendly evening walk and chat for local men. | 19:15
• Swords | Holywell Community Centre | Self-Protection Training | Practical training focused on confidence and everyday self-protection skills. | 20:00
Tuesday 18th August
• Swords | Swords Parish Centre, Brackenstown | Hatha Yoga | A gentle morning Hatha yoga class with Caroline. | 09:30-10:45
• Balbriggan | Bremore Castle Preschool & Lego Club | LEGO Summer Camp | A morning LEGO camp running through the school summer break. Runs Tuesday 18th–Thursday 20th August, 10:00–12:30 daily. | 10:00-12:30
• Malahide | Malahide Castle Sports Pavilion | Vincent Van Gogh Kids Art & Design Day Camp | A Van Gogh-inspired creative art and design camp for children aged 4–8. | 10:00-13:00
• Balbriggan | Ardgillan Castle | Free Self-Guided Castle Tours | Explore Ardgillan Castle at your own pace during Heritage Week. | 10:00-16:00
• Skerries | Skerries Mills Reception | Skerries Mills Turas Treoraithe | A guided tour of Skerries Mills through the Irish language. | 10:15-11:30
• Balbriggan | Balbriggan Library | Art Class | A creative summer art session at the library. | 11:00
• Swords | Swords Parish Centre, Brackenstown | Chair Yoga | A supportive seated yoga session focused on gentle movement. | 11:15-12:15
• Malahide | Malahide Castle & Gardens | Art Tour of Malahide Castle | A behind-the-scenes curator-led look at the castle's art collection. | 13:00-13:45
• Balbriggan | Balbriggan Library | Make a Dreamcatcher | A hands-on summer craft session at the library. | 15:30
• Online | LEO Fingal (online) | Start Your Own Business | Session 2 of LEO Fingal's 10-evening start-up course, delivered online. | 18:30-21:30
• Lusk | St MacCullin's Graveyard | Fingal Historic Tombs — St MacCullin's Graveyard Talk | An evening talk exploring historic tombs and stories from St MacCullin's graveyard. | 20:00-21:00
Wednesday 19th August
• Donabate | Unit 16, Donabate Town Centre | Therapeutic Yoga Donabate | A gentle therapeutic yoga session in Donabate. | 10:00-11:00
• Swords | River Valley Community Centre | Iyengar Yoga with Sue | A midweek Iyengar yoga class with Sue. | 10:00-11:00
• Swords | Richie's Bicycle Shop, Town Mall | Wander and Wonder: Swords Heritage Walk | Discover Swords' history and stories on a guided local heritage walk. | 10:00-12:00
• Balbriggan | Balbriggan Library | Marine Workshop with Clean Coasts | A children's workshop exploring marine life and how we can help protect it. | 11:00-12:00
• Balbriggan | Ardgillan Demesne | Guided Garden Tour with the Head Gardener | Explore Ardgillan's gardens on a guided Heritage Week tour. | 11:00-12:30
• Lusk | Cottage Community Centre Car Park | Graffiti Workshop — Ages 10–13 | A free youth graffiti workshop with Foróige Coastal North Dublin. | 12:00-13:30
• Donabate | Newbridge House & Farm | Art Tour of Newbridge House | A curator-led tour celebrating the house's newly catalogued picture collection. | 13:00-13:45
• Swords | Fingal Local Studies & Archives, 46 North Street | Getting Started with Your Family History | A practical Heritage Week introduction to researching your family story. | 14:30-15:30
• Lusk | Cottage Community Centre Car Park | Graffiti Workshop — Ages 14–18 | A free youth graffiti workshop with Foróige Coastal North Dublin. | 14:30-16:00
• Donabate | Donabate Parish Hall | Strength & Conditioning Classes | A community strength and conditioning session. | 17:00-18:00
• Naul | Whitestown House Estate | Heritage Week Printmaking Workshop | A hands-on printmaking workshop in the historic Whitestown House Estate. | 18:00-20:30
• Swords | Swords Library | Irish Conversation & Practice | A friendly evening session for practising conversational Irish. | 18:30
• Rush | The Strand Bar | Census: Rush 1926–2026 | Explore Rush families through census records, photographs and local stories. | 19:00-22:00
• Skerries | Otter Space, Holmpatrick Shopping Centre | Learn to Play ONE PIECE Card Game | A beginner-friendly deck party and introduction to the ONE PIECE card game. | 19:00-22:00
• Malahide | St Sylvester's Parish Centre | Heritage Night 2026 | A local heritage evening including the launch of Changing Fingal stories. | 19:30-22:00
• Balbriggan | The Warehouse, Vauxhall Street | Serpents Mystique | A free evening dance performance from Sceal Collective. | 21:00
Thursday 20th August
• Swords | Fingal Local Studies & Archives, 46 North Street | Fingal Local Studies & Archive Open Day | Drop in to explore Fingal's local studies and archive collections. | 10:00-17:00
• Balbriggan | Ardgillan Demesne | Ardgillan Demesne Tour with Tom Reilly | A guided tour sharing the stories and history of Ardgillan Demesne. | 10:30-12:30
• Malahide | Malahide Castle & Gardens | Housekeeping Past and Present | A behind-the-scenes tour exploring the changing story of housekeeping at the castle. | 13:00-13:45
• Donabate | Donabate Library | Book of Kells Crafts with Francesca Caddedu | A creative Heritage Week craft session inspired by the Book of Kells. | 14:00-15:30
• Swords | Swords Library | Summer Drama Workshop | A lively summer drama session for younger participants. | 14:30
• Balbriggan | Balbriggan Library | Exploring the Role and Legacy of the Distaff | A display, talk and workshop with Eva Reavley and Petra Skyvova. | 18:00
• Donabate | The Shoreline Hotel | Kids Disco | A family-friendly Thursday evening kids disco as part of the summer programme. | 18:00-22:00
• Balbriggan | The Lark | NT Live — Les Liaisons Dangereuses | The National Theatre production arrives on the big screen for an evening screening. | 19:00
• Swords | Swords Parish Centre, Brackenstown | Hatha Yoga | An evening Hatha yoga class with Caroline. | 19:00-20:15
• Swords | Holywell Community Centre | Combat Cardio | A high-energy cardio session combining fitness and combat-style movement. | 20:00
• Balbriggan | Man O'War Gastro Pub | The Show-off Sessions | A relaxed evening of live performance and entertainment. | 20:30
• Donabate | Donabate Portrane Community Centre | DPCC Community Bingo | A sociable community bingo night. | 20:30
• Swords | River Valley Community Centre | Badminton | A late-evening community badminton session. | 21:00-22:00
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 next few days, and we’ll talk again on Thursday morning.
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