The sponsor of this week’s edition is:

+353 1 849 5208 | [email protected] | Visit us on Facebook

A huge thanks to Skerries Mills for sponsoring this week’s newsletter — they’re one of those special local places that quietly do a lot for the community. Whether you call in for a coffee, bring family visiting, or join in with what’s happening on site, please remember to support them and keep this Skerries gem thriving. They’re open 7 days a week between 10:00 and 17:00 so if you are in the area check them out.

Events Calendar

Things to do in the week ahead.

Monday 1st December

  • Swords | County Hall | Fingal County Council Conservation Clinic. | Owners of Protected Structures or historic buildings in Architectural Conservation Areas (ACAs) can avail of a free 45-minute consultation with a Conservation Accredited Architect or Building Surveyor. | 09:30-12:30

  • Swords | Carnegie Library | Christmas Calligraphy workshop | At Swords Library, evening adult session | 17:30-19:30

Tuesday 2nd December

  • Swords | Swords Library | Christmas Quiz for ages 8–12 | Afternoon children’s event | 15:30-17:30

  • Swords | Crown Plaza Dublin Airport | An experience with Mike Tyson | The “baddest man on the planet” reflects on his legendary career, current ventures, and what really happened in the Jake Paul fight. | 19:45-23:00

Wednesday 3rd December

Thursday 4th December

  • Balbriggan | Georges Square | Balbriggan Christmas Tree Lighting | Join the Mayor of Fingal, Cllr. Tom O’Leary & the Balbriggan Gospel Choir on this year's annual Christmas tree lighting event. | 18:00-20:00

  • Balbriggan | Balbriggan Library | Vintage Teddy Bear Hand-Sewing Workshop | Follow a vintage sewing pattern to hand sew an articulated teddy bear! This workshop is for adults only & will take place across three sessions. 27th Nov, 4th & 11th Dec - Participants must attend all three sessions. | 18:30-19:30

  • Swords | Crown Plaza Dublin Airport | An experience with Mike Tyson | The “baddest man on the planet” reflects on his legendary career, current ventures, and what really happened in the Jake Paul fight. | 19:45-23:00

Friday 5th December

  • Portmarnock | Portmarnock Resort & Jameson Golf Links | Champions Dip & Dine sea swim & brunch fundraiser | Kick off with an Irish Sea dip, warm up with hot drinks, then enjoy a festive brunch in Portmarnock and meet the athlete ambassadors. | 10:00-11:00

Saturday 6th December

Sunday 7th December

News

Tracking all the developing stories that affect us.

From Skerries to the Big Stage: Josh Ericson & Jack Hanratty 🏉

  • Skerries has a knack for producing rugby people who don’t just “make it” — they push on to the next level. Right now, two names tell that story from opposite ends of the pathway: Josh Ericson, a young back-rower breaking into Leinster’s set-up, and Jack Hanratty, a Skerries native who’s taken Irish rugby know-how to the Olympic stage.

  • Ericson has been added to the Leinster Rugby Academy after impressing through pre-season, and he plays his club rugby with Old Belvedere in the Energia All-Ireland League. There’s pedigree at home too: his father, Moray, represented Southland in New Zealand, while his mother, Pamela, played with and captained Old Belvedere. True to the town’s multi-sport DNA, Ericson also played Gaelic football with Skerries Harps and represented Skerries Athletics Club before focusing on rugby.

  • Hanratty’s career shows how far that Skerries grounding can travel. He coached Canada’s Women’s Sevens to a historic Olympic silver medal at Paris 2024, and has since moved into a new chapter as head coach of the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees women’s rugby programme.

Balbriggan’s Creative Hub Project Reaches Tender Stage. 👷‍♀️

  • Balbriggan’s planned Creative Hub has now moved into the tender phase, marking another step forward in the town’s wider regeneration programme.

  • The project is budgeted at €3.3m, within an overall public investment plan for Balbriggan estimated at €54–€57m.

  • Works have been approved for 2–4 Dublin Street, with completion targeted for end-2027, subject to the tender being awarded.

  • The vision for the listed building includes creative workspaces, digital learning facilities, a courtyard and a gallery.

  • Those behind the programme describe the hub as a central piece of Balbriggan’s ongoing physical renewal and its growing cultural identity.

  • For those of you who like to know what it will look like when complete, click on this YouTube 👈 link to see a very cool 3D model of the development. Special mention to Paul Keogh Architects for the work done here. 👍

Free parking around Fingal East - supporting local trade at Christmas 🅿️

  • Following previous successful schemes, it has been decided, by Fingal County Council, to provide free parking on 3 Saturdays in December (6th, 13th, & 20th) in the following towns:

  1. Balbriggan

  2. Rush

  3. Skerries

  4. Swords

  5. Malahide (Bridgefield carpark only).

Civil

Planning decisions, road closures & community notices.

Planning applications & decisions

🏗️ The Educena Foundation, Rush - Application Lodged

  • The plan is to demolish the existing school buildings at St. Joseph's Secondary School, Convent Lane, Rush and replace them with a housing scheme of 48 no. houses comprising:

    • 25 no. 3-bed, two-storey mid-terraced houses

    • 17 no. 3-bed two-storey end of terrace houses

    • 3 no. 4-bed two and a half storey end of terrace houses

    • 2 no. 4 bed three storey end of terrace houses; and

    • 1 no. 4-bed three-storey detached house)

  • All are provided with private gardens, associated car parking and bicycle parking.

  • Pedestrian and vehicular access from Convent Lane

  • 10 no. visitor parking spaces

🛠️Jones Garden Centre, Ballymadrough, Donabate - Application Lodged

  • The proposal upgrades an existing garden centre through conversion and a large extension (2,160 m²) to expand the retail area, relocate and enlarge the café/restaurant with a new kitchen and customer toilets, and add new staff facilities (changing/locker rooms, toilets, canteen, office) plus a landscaped rear garden. It also converts the current café space into additional retail, bringing the total extra sales area to 733 m².

  • Other works include significant parking changes:

    • 158 customer spaces (including accessible, EV and family spaces)

    • A new staff parking area with 27 spaces (including accessible/EV) plus motorcycle and covered bike parking.

Road closures & changes planned

🚧 Main Road Closures & Works

  • Swords - Balheary Road (Horse Hay → Church of the Immaculate Conception) Mon 1 Dec – Fri 5 Dec 2025 07:00–19:00 Temporary closure for works; expect diversions and delays (no weekend works listed).

  • Swords - Balheary Road (cable installation works) Ongoing (24 Nov – 10 Dec 2025) 24 hours per day Full closure active during this period for cable installation works; diversions in place.

  • Balbriggan - Harbour Road & Seapoint Lane junction Mon 1 Dec – Sun 7 Dec 2025 (part of 1–18 Dec order) 24 hours per day (works typically daytime) Junction closed for works; expect disruption around the harbour/seafront area.

  • Rush/Lusk/Skerries/Donabate area - Harlockstown Lane Tue 2 Dec – Sat 6 Dec 2025 (part of 18 Nov – 6 Dec order) 07:00–19:00 Daytime closure for cable installation works; typically no Sunday works.

📢Finally, stuff from Fingal East we just like …….

Image Credits

“Malahide” by Miguel Mendez, licensed under CC BY 2.0. Source: No changes made.

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