👋 Hi FingalEMers,
Welcome to another busy week across Fingal East. We’ve got plenty happening locally, including the opening of Harbour Square in Balbriggan, a major new housing proposal, some new ideas for eating out locally and 71 events taking place between now and Thursday.
We’re also getting ready to launch a new weekly feature next week aimed at helping you discover something you might never have considered trying locally — and this week’s poll asks what normally stops us from giving something new a go.
We’re also delighted to be featuring the work of local artist Yvonne Moran in Fingal East Media. Yvonne's paintings include familiar scenes from around Malahide, Portmarnock and the wider Fingal coastline — from High Rock and Lambay Island to some of the area’s best-known local landmarks.
What usually stops you from trying a new activity locally?
Coming Next Week: Tell me more
Next week we’re launching Tell me more — a new weekly feature introducing you to activities you can get involved in around Fingal East.
We already have more than 30 activities lined up, from sea swimming, sailing and coastal rowing to chess, drama, bowls, photography, bridge and plenty more. Each week we’ll give you a short introduction, explain what’s involved, what you might need to get started and where you can try it locally.
The idea is simple: hopefully we’ll introduce you to something you’ve never considered before — and give you enough information to decide whether you’d like to give it a go.
THIS WEEK’S FEATURED BUSINESS
🛍️ Featured Business: Country Crest Farm Shop — Donabate
There aren’t many local businesses where the story stretches quite so clearly from the fields of Fingal to supermarket shelves across Ireland. The Hoey family’s farming roots in North County Dublin go back generations, with brothers Michael and Gabriel Hoey establishing Country Crest in 1993, initially supplying fresh potatoes from their base in Lusk. The business later expanded into vegetables and prepared foods, including the establishment of Ballymaguire Foods in 2008.
The Country Crest Farm Shop on Swords Road in Donabate brings that wider story back to the local customer. It showcases produce from the family farm alongside products from other Irish growers and producers, with a craft butcher counter, seasonal fruit and vegetables, breads and cakes, Irish artisan foods and prepared meals from Ballymaguire Foods.
It makes the Farm Shop more than simply somewhere to pick up the groceries — it is a window into a Fingal family business that has grown from local farming into a major Irish food operation while remaining firmly rooted in the area.
News
Tracking all the developing stories that affect our community.
🌊 Harbour Square Opens in Balbriggan
The new Harbour Square in Balbriggan has officially opened following a €15 million redevelopment of the town’s historic Quay Street and harbour area. The project forms the centrepiece of the wider Our Balbriggan Rejuvenation Programme 2019–2030, which represents an overall investment of approximately €50–€55 million in the town.
The redevelopment has transformed the harbour area into a new public space, with improved pedestrian connections, landscaping, seating and better access to the waterfront. The aim is to reconnect the town centre with its harbour while creating a place that can be used for community gatherings, events and everyday recreation.
Harbour Square is one of the most visible elements of the regeneration programme so far and marks a significant change to this part of Balbriggan. Fingal County Council has also released drone footage showing the completed square and surrounding harbour area from above.
🍽️ Where to Eat in Portmarnock, Malahide & Skerries — According to All The Food
Independent Dublin food guide All The Food recently turned its attention to three of our local towns, highlighting some of its favourite places to eat in Portmarnock, Malahide and Skerries. In Portmarnock, Honey Honey is the neighbourhood choice for coffee, breakfast, lunch and homemade baking, while Wasabi specialises in Brazilian-Japanese fusion and sushi.
Malahide has the biggest selection, with A Dó serving Indian-influenced food from its New Street hatch; Daruma offering Japanese izakaya-style cooking; Harry’s known for wine, sharing plates and charcuterie; Kajjal a long-established favourite for Pakistani and Eastern cuisine; Old Street focusing on contemporary Irish cooking and seasonal produce; and Póg covering the breakfast and brunch end of things.
In Skerries, The Rock Bakery gets the nod for its breads, pastries, sourdough and rotating seasonal specials. It’s not a complete guide to eating across Fingal East, but if you’re looking for somewhere different in these three towns, All The Food’s list is a useful place to start.
Civil
Planning decisions, road closures & community notices.
Planning
🏗️ 440 Homes Proposed for North Balbriggan
Lagan Homes Balbriggan Ltd is seeking permission under LRD0090/S2 for 440 homes on lands north of Flemington Lane in Bremore and Flemington, Balbriggan. The proposed development would include 330 houses and 110 apartments, ranging from one-bed to four-bed homes.
The plans also include a community centre and crèche, a 1,700 sq.m supermarket and five retail/service units, with space for uses including a GP surgery, café or restaurant, takeaway and pharmacy. Public open space, a plaza and an active-travel hub are also included in the proposal.
Traffic
🚧🚦 Road closures & changes planned
• Swords — Several traffic changes remain in place this week. Night-time surfacing works are planned around the R132, Estuary Road and R125 from Monday 21 to Thursday 24 September. The Rivermeade Park School Street trial also continues on Monday and Tuesday, with through traffic restricted from 08:40–09:10 and 14:20–14:50. Seatown Road remains closed between St Columcille’s Drive and North Street, while North Street continues to operate one-way northbound. Bus routes including the 33, 41C, 43, 33A and 33B remain affected by diversions in the area.
• Bay Lane — The closure of Bay Lane (L-7195-0) for ducting and joint-bay installation has been extended until Friday 25 September, with signed diversions remaining in place.
• Donabate / Portmarnock — Iarnród Éireann has night-time maintenance scheduled at Donabate from 21–26 September and between Clongriffin and Portmarnock from 22–25 September. Residents close to the railway may notice overnight activity, although no major Northern Commuter service closure is currently listed.
• Rush / Lusk / Skerries / Balbriggan — Fingal’s resurfacing programme continues on roads including Old Barrack Road in Rush, Church Road in Lusk, Cross of the Cage in Skerries and White Hart Road in Balbriggan. Individual closures may last between one and five days, so keep an eye on local signage.
Events Calendar
Things to do in the week ahead.
🍽️ Featured Event: A Literary Feast at Whitestown House
On Friday 25 and Saturday 26 September, Whitestown House in Naul will host A Literary Feast — an intimate dining experience inspired by Ireland’s literary heritage. The multi-course tasting menu and tablescape will take their inspiration from the poems, novels and prose of some of Ireland’s greatest writers.
The Dining Club at Whitestown House is led by chefs Kelly Keogh and James Gabriel Martin, with a strong focus on seasonal and sustainable ingredients. Guests are welcomed for pre-dinner drinks, canapés and live music before gathering around the house’s long dining table, creating an evening centred as much on conversation and atmosphere as on the food itself.
The idea is to make the meal part of the storytelling — food, literature, music and company coming together in one of north Fingal’s most distinctive settings. As James Joyce wrote in Ulysses, “God made food, the devil the cooks.”
📅 Friday 25 & Saturday 26 September
🕗 19:00–23:00
📍 Whitestown House Estate, Naul
Monday 21st September
• Balbriggan | Flemington Community Centre | English Language Classes | Weekly community English-language classes. | 09:30-13:30
• Balbriggan | Flemington Community Centre | Chair Yoga with Katrina | A welcoming chair-yoga class with Katrina Barker. | 10:00-11:00
• Balbriggan | Balbriggan Library | Scrabble Club | A friendly adults’ Scrabble session for word lovers. | 11:00-12:30
• Balbriggan | ASTER, Family Resource Centre | Wellness Café | A free, informal peer-led café for a cuppa, chat and support around mental health and wellbeing. | 14:00-18:00
• Balbriggan | 14 Hampton Street | Chair Yoga with Katrina | An afternoon chair-yoga class with Katrina Barker. | 16:00-17:00
• Balbriggan | Flemington Community Centre | Emma Weldridge Dublin Dance Company | Children's dance classes. | 16:00-18:00
• Balbriggan | Flemington Community Centre | From A to Art | Creative art sessions for children. | 16:00-18:30
• Donabate | Donabate Library | Sensory Friendly Quiet Time | A calmer library hour with reduced noise and activity. | 17:30-18:30
• Balbriggan | Balbriggan Library | Knitting & Crochet Club | A relaxed adults’ craft meetup for knitting, crochet and conversation. | 18:00-19:00
• Balbriggan | Flemington Community Centre | McFadden O'Shaughnessy School of Irish Dance | Weekly Irish dancing class. | 18:00-19:00
• Balbriggan | Balbriggan Library | Irish Conversation Group | Friendly Gaeilge conversation and practice for adults. | 18:30-20:00
• Balbriggan | Balbriggan Library | Sensory Friendly Quiet Time | A quieter library hour with reduced noise and activity. | 18:30-19:30
• Balbriggan | Flemington Community Centre | Autumn Equinox – Qigong & Sound Healing | An evening of gentle Qigong movement followed by relaxing sound healing to mark the Autumn Equinox. | 19:00-21:10
• Balbriggan | The Lark | The Lark Cinema Club: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) | Classic German Expressionist horror screening as part of The Lark Cinema Club. | 19:00
• Balbriggan | 14 Hampton Street | Yoga with Katrina | An evening yoga class with Katrina Barker. | 19:00-20:00
• Balbriggan | Flemington Community Centre | Yoganamara | Evening yoga and wellbeing class. | 19:00-20:15
• Swords | Thornleigh ETNS | Zumba Class | A friendly dance-fitness class for everybody, with no experience needed. | 19:00
• Swords | Swords Castle Entrance | Swords Men’s Walk & Talk Group | A relaxed Monday evening walk for local men, usually around 5km to 6km. | 19:15
• Swords | Holywell Community Centre | Self-Protection Training | A practical class focused on confidence, awareness and personal safety. | 20:00
Tuesday 22nd September
• Swords | Swords Parish Centre Brackenstown | Hatha Yoga | Gentle Hatha Yoga with Calmness with Caroline. | 09:30-10:45
• Swords | Fingal County Hall | Package Your Expertise – How to Scale a Coaching/Consultancy Business | LEO Fingal programme for consultants, coaches and wellness solopreneurs. | 09:30-12:30
• Balrothery | Balrothery Tennis Club | Women's Try Tennis | Beginner-friendly programme for women new to tennis or returning to the game. | 11:00
• Swords | Swords Parish Centre Brackenstown | Chair Yoga | Gentle chair-based yoga with Calmness with Caroline. | 11:15-12:15
• Balrothery | Balrothery Tennis Club | Women's Try Tennis | Second beginner-friendly session for women new to tennis or returning to the game. | 12:00
• Skerries | Skerries Library | Knitting & Crochet | A sociable afternoon drop-in for knitters and crocheters. | 14:30-16:30
• Balbriggan | Balbriggan Library | Drama Workshop – Create Funny News Stories | A bilingual Irish/English family drama workshop with Em Ó Ceallaigh for ages 7-12. | 15:30-17:00
• Balbriggan | Balbriggan Library | Creative Poetry Writing Club | An evening writing group for adults who enjoy poetry and creative expression. | 18:30-19:45
• Fingal | Online | Start Your Own Business – Session 7 | LEO Fingal workshop covering the practical foundations of starting and running a small business. | 18:30-21:30
• Balbriggan | The Lark | NT Live – The Misanthrope | National Theatre Live screening of Molière’s sharp comedy of manners. | 19:00
• Balbriggan | Flemington Community Centre | Pilates | Weekly evening Pilates class. | 19:00-20:00
• Balbriggan | Flemington Community Centre | Sahaja Yoga Meditation Class | Relaxed evening meditation class. | 19:00-20:00
• Malahide | Bridgefield Car Park | Green Nuts Men’s Group – Walk & Talk | A friendly local walk and chat for men. | 19:00
• Rush | Rush National School | Zumba Class | A friendly dance-fitness class for everybody, with no experience needed. | 19:00
• Balbriggan | Balbriggan Bridge Club, Drogheda Street | Beginner Bridge Classes | Opening night of a beginner bridge course with classes running into January. | 19:30-21:45
• Balbriggan | Flemington Community Centre | Dance Fitness | Upbeat evening dance-fitness session. | 20:00-21:00
Wednesday 23rd September
• Portmarnock | Portmarnock Beach Shelter | Beach Yoga with Caroline | A refreshing outdoor yoga session by the sea with Calmness with Caroline. | 10:00-11:00
• Swords | River Valley Community Centre | Iyengar Yoga with Sue | A weekly Iyengar yoga class with Sue, who has taught locally for 20 years. | 10:00-11:00
• Skerries | Skerries Library | Embroidery Drop-In | A relaxed afternoon embroidery session for local crafters. | 14:30-16:00
• Donabate | Donabate All Weather Pitch | Walk & Talk | Free community walk with nutritional advice from Diarmuid Tonra. | 15:00-16:00
• Balbriggan | Balbriggan Library | Drama Workshop – Create Funny News Stories | A bilingual Irish/English family drama workshop with Em Ó Ceallaigh for ages 7-12. | 15:30-17:00
• Donabate | Parish Hall | Strength & Conditioning Classes | A weekly class focused on strength, fitness and conditioning in a welcoming local setting. | 17:00-18:00
• Malahide | Malahide Library | Sensory Friendly Quiet Time | A quieter library hour with reduced noise and activity. | 17:30-18:30
• Balbriggan | Flemington Community Centre | WSKF SEDAI Karate-do | Weekly karate class. | 18:30-21:00
• Swords | Swords Library | Irish Conversation Group | A friendly weekly group for Irish conversation and practice. | 18:30-19:30
• Lusk | Murray's Lounge | Grow Remote Lusk Board Games | Informal evening of board games, conversation and meeting people locally. | 19:00-23:30
• Swords | Thornleigh ETNS, Applewood | Zumba with Gill | A midweek Zumba class in Applewood. | 19:00
• Malahide | The Grand Hotel | Malahide Toastmasters | A welcoming evening for anyone looking to become a more confident speaker. | 20:00-22:00
Thursday 24th September
• Swords | Swords Parish Centre Brackenstown | Mat Yoga | Start the day with movement, breath and calm energy. | 09:30-10:45
• Malahide | Malahide Library | Toddler Time | A sociable library session for toddlers and their grown-ups. | 10:00-11:30
• Rush | Rush Community Centre, Main Street | Stretch & Balance | Standing exercise class for 55+ focused on stretching, posture, balance and flexibility. | 10:00
• Lusk | Lusk Cultural Centre | Herbal Remedies Class | Hands-on workshop with Mir Organics learning to make homemade tinctures and organic herbal salves. | 10:30-12:30
• Donabate | Donabate Library | Knitting Group | A friendly morning meetup for knitting, chat and shared creativity. | 11:00-13:00
• Rush | Rush Library | Age Friendly Social Club | A relaxed social morning for older adults to meet and connect. | 11:00-13:00
• Swords | Swords Parish Centre Brackenstown | Flex & Stretch | A class supporting flexibility, posture, stiffness and joint mobility. | 11:15-12:15
• Malahide | Malahide Library | Age Action Computer Classes | Friendly digital-skills support for older adults. | 12:00-14:00
• Malahide | Malahide Library | Virtual Reality Drop-In | The monthly VR drop-in session for ages 13+. | 14:00-15:00
• Balbriggan | Balbriggan Library | Kids 3D Printer Workshop | A hands-on monthly 3D-printing workshop for children. | 15:30-16:30
• Donabate | The Shoreline Hotel | Kid’s Disco | Kids’ disco with DJs, karaoke and games. | 18:00-21:00
• Malahide | Malahide Library | Spanish Conversation Group | An informal evening group for practising conversational Spanish. | 18:00-19:30
• Fingal | Online | Start Your Own Business – Session 4 | LEO Fingal evening workshop for people planning or building a new business. | 18:30-21:30
• Rush | Rush Library | Scrabble Club | A relaxed evening game of Scrabble with fellow word lovers. | 18:30-19:30
• Swords | Swords Library | Sensory Friendly Quiet Time | A calmer library hour with reduced noise and activity. | 18:30-19:30
• Balbriggan | Flemington Community Centre | Meditation on Twin Hearts | Community meditation session. | 19:00-20:00
• Balbriggan | Flemington Community Centre | Sh Fitways | Weekly fitness and health class. | 19:00-20:00
• Swords | Rivervalley Community Centre | Dolly Parton Tribute Night | A night celebrating the music of Dolly Parton, with a raffle in aid of Jane Swarbrigg's cancer fundraiser. | 19:00
• Swords | Swords Parish Centre Brackenstown | Mat Yoga | Evening movement, breath and calm-energy yoga session. | 19:00-20:15
• Balbriggan | The Lark | Susan McCann – A Life in Music – Celebrating 50 Years | Country music favourite Susan McCann celebrates five decades in music. | 20:00
• Swords | Holywell Community Centre | Combat Cardio | A high-energy strength and conditioning session with SELF Protection Academy. | 20:00
• Swords | Peacock's Bar & Lounge | Reginald D Hunter | An evening of stand-up from the acclaimed American comedian. | 20:00-22:00
• Donabate | Donabate Portrane Community Centre | DPCC Community Bingo | A friendly community bingo night with weekly prizes and a social atmosphere. | 20:30
• Swords | Rivervalley Community Centre | Badminton | A local evening badminton session in Rivervalley. | 21:00-22:00
Thanks for reading and for being part of the 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 be back on Thursday morning.
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