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🎶🏰 Swords Castle prepares for one of its biggest weekends of the summer

Swords Castle is preparing for one of its busiest weekends of the year, with the annual Swords Castle Concerts returning on Friday 24 and Saturday 25 July. Nathan Carter headlines Friday night, with support from Jem & The BeezNeez, while British rock band Embrace takes to the stage on Saturday alongside special guests Cry Before Dawn.

There is a notable change this year. Instead of taking place in the adjoining Town Park, the concerts will be held inside the walls of Swords Castle while improvement works continue in the park. The unique setting should create a very different atmosphere, allowing concertgoers to enjoy live music surrounded by one of Fingal's best-known historic landmarks. Gates open from 6pm on both evenings and the concerts take place outdoors on grass, so attendees are advised to dress appropriately for the weather.

These are ticketed concerts and tickets must be purchased in advance. Anyone planning to attend should book beforehand using the official links provided by Fingal County Council rather than arriving at the castle expecting free admission.

Nathan Carter fans may also be interested in another opportunity to see him locally. On Thursday 13 August, he will appear at The Lark Concert Hall in Balbriggan for Nathan Carter in Conversation: A Music Talks Series. Rather than a concert, the evening will feature Nathan reflecting on his life, career and music, with stories and insights from one of Ireland's most popular performers. If you'd like to attend, it's worth booking early.

Before the concerts arrive, the castle will host the popular Explore Fingal Food Market this Saturday from 10am to 3pm. The market brings together artisan producers and local food businesses from across Fingal, offering baked goods, cheeses, preserves, honey, fresh produce and other locally made specialities.

🏥🩺 Update: New Swords Surgical Hub now open for patients across Fingal East

The new HSE Dublin and North East Surgical Hub in Swords is now officially open, marking a major milestone for healthcare in North County Dublin. While based in Swords, the purpose-built facility will serve patients from communities across Malahide, Portmarnock, Donabate, Portrane, Rush, Lusk, Skerries, Balbriggan and the wider Dublin and North East region, helping to reduce waiting times for planned procedures closer to home.

The modern hub has been designed specifically for day-case surgery and minor procedures and includes four operating theatres, two procedure rooms, an 11-bay recovery unit, a 21-bay day ward and 10 outpatient assessment rooms. It will provide treatment across a range of specialties including general surgery, dermatology, gynaecology, ophthalmology, ear, nose and throat (ENT), orthopaedics and urology, allowing many patients to have their procedure and return home on the same day.

By separating planned surgery from emergency hospital care, the HSE says the new facility will help deliver thousands of additional procedures and outpatient appointments each year, while reducing last-minute cancellations and easing pressure on busy acute hospitals throughout the region. For residents across Fingal East who are waiting for routine surgery, the opening of the Swords hub represents an important investment in faster, more predictable access to public healthcare.

🏗️🏘️ Jackie Green Construction – beside Swords Business Park, (near Estuary Recycling Centre) – Intention to Apply for Planning Permission

• 289 apartments are proposed across five residential blocks.
• The buildings would range from six to nine storeys in height.
• The plans also include a crèche and a small retail unit.
• The approximately 2.22-hectare site is located beside Swords Business Park in Seatown, close to the Estuary Recycling Centre and the M1.
• The development would include new roads, pedestrian and cycle routes, parking, landscaping, drainage and associated infrastructure.
• Fingal County Council is currently considering the application.

🚧🚦 Road closures & changes planned

• Swords
  • Windmill Lands is closed continuously for ESB duct installation, with local and emergency access maintained and diversions via Brackenstown Road, Brackenstown Avenue and Rathbeale Road : 13 July 2026, 00:00 - 27 July 2026, 23:59
  • Seatown Road is closed between the St Columcille’s Drive junction and North Street to facilitate the Swords Cultural Quarter, public-realm and residential development : 30 June 2026, 17:01 - 31 March 2027, 17:00
  • A temporary 50km/h roadworks speed limit applies on the R132 in place of the previous 60km/h limit during the R132 Connectivity Project : 1 March 2026, time not stated - 28 February 2027, time not stated
  • Sections of Magilstown Road/Balheary Road and Windmill Road/Balheary Avenue may close for between one and five days for resurfacing during the Council’s published works window; exact closure days have not been stated : 2 July 2026, time not stated - 1 December 2026, time not stated
  • Footpath, drainage, ducting and site-clearance works remain underway on Seatown Road between the IDA Roundabout, Estuary Road Roundabout and the M1 bridge, with alternative pedestrian routes in place : start date not stated, time not stated - stop date not stated, time not stated
• Balbriggan
  • White Hart Road may close for between one and five days for resurfacing during the Council’s published works window; the exact closure dates and times have not been stated : 2 July 2026, time not stated - 1 December 2026, time not stated
  • Active-travel and junction-upgrade works remain underway along Flemington Road and the R132, including footpath, cycle-track and tactile-paving works near Hamlet Lane and Barnwall Court : start date not stated, time not stated - stop date not stated, time not stated
• Rush
  • Old Barrack Road may close for between one and five days for resurfacing during the Council’s published works window; the exact closure dates and times have not been stated : 2 July 2026, time not stated - 1 December 2026, time not stated
  • 🔥 R127 update: The R127 between Skerries and Lusk remains closed nightly for resurfacing works. The closure operates from 7:00pm to 5:00am until Friday 31 July, with local and emergency access maintained. Traffic is diverted through Rush, so additional evening traffic can be expected on the diversion routes : 13 July 2026, 19:00 - 31 July 2026, 05:00
• Lusk
  • 🔥 R127 update: The R127 between Skerries and Lusk remains closed nightly for resurfacing works. The closure operates from 7:00pm to 5:00am until Friday 31 July, with local and emergency access maintained. Traffic is diverted through Rush : 13 July 2026, 19:00 - 31 July 2026, 05:00
  • Church Road may close for between one and five days for resurfacing during the Council’s published works window; the exact closure dates and times have not been stated : 2 July 2026, time not stated - 1 December 2026, time not stated
• Skerries
  • 🔥 R127 update: The R127 between Skerries and Lusk remains closed nightly for resurfacing works. The closure operates from 7:00pm to 5:00am until Friday 31 July, with local and emergency access maintained. Traffic is diverted through Rush : 13 July 2026, 19:00 - 31 July 2026, 05:00
  • Cross of the Cage may close for between one and five days for resurfacing during the Council’s published works window; the exact closure dates and times have not been stated : 2 July 2026, time not stated - 1 December 2026, time not stated
• Donabate and Portrane
  • Construction of the Portrane Road Enhancement Project is scheduled to begin during July, including widened footpaths, pedestrian crossings, traffic-calming measures, junction works and a new bus lay-by; access to homes and businesses is to be maintained where possible : July 2026, time not stated - approximately March 2027, time not stated

🎭🍷 Featured event: Donabate Portrane Dramatic Society celebrates 90 years

Donabate Portrane Dramatic Society marks its 90th anniversary with a special evening of drama, poetry and music at Triangle Coffee, Donabate on Saturday July 25th at 7:30pm.

Titled "90 Minutes for 90 Years", this milestone celebration brings together performances reflecting nine decades of creativity and community theatre in Donabate and Portrane. Guests will also enjoy a complimentary glass of wine and shared food platters, all included in the ticket price.

Tickets are €20. Whether you've been involved with the society over the years or simply fancy a unique local night out, it's a wonderful opportunity to celebrate one of Fingal East's longest-established community organisations.

Book tickets

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.