👋 Hi FingalEMers,
There’s no shortage of things happening across Fingal East this weekend.
From Queen by Moonlight in Malahide on Friday to the Lambay Challenge in Rush, markets, workshops, parkruns, exhibitions and ABBA by Moonlight at Newbridge House on Saturday, there’s a particularly packed couple of days ahead. Sunday doesn’t exactly slow down either, with everything from junior parkruns to gardening, art and wellbeing events across the area.
Elsewhere in this edition, we take a look at the arrival of international T20 cricket in Malahide, why the apparent return of the record shop might not be as surprising as it first appears, and another Fingal East connection worth knowing about.
We’ve also included this week’s poll again. If you already entered in Monday’s edition, please don’t enter again — we only need one response per person.
As always, we’ve pulled together what’s happening across Swords, Malahide, Portmarnock, Donabate, Lusk, Rush, Skerries, Balbriggan and everywhere in between.
Have a great weekend.
If Fingal East Media could make ONE more local thing easier for you, which would be most useful?
THIS WEEK'S FEATURED BUSINESS
McNally Family Farm
McNally Family Farm is a 99-acre organic family farm at Balrickard in North County Dublin. Patrick and Jenny McNally began growing organically and selling directly to customers in 1997, and what started with the two of them has become a real family operation — today all five of their adult children are involved in running the farm, shop and business.
The farm has been certified organic for more than 25 years and grows over 50 varieties of seasonal vegetables and salads across its fields and polytunnels. What is available changes with the seasons — from tomatoes, peppers, chillies and salads during the warmer months to brassicas, root vegetables and cooking greens as the year moves on.
And you don't have to wait for a farmers market to try it. The farm shop and café are right there on the farm, selling freshly picked produce alongside goods made in their own kitchen and a selection from other small Irish food producers. McNally's also runs guided farm tours where visitors can explore the fields and polytunnels and learn more about organic and regenerative growing.
If you've never been, it's one of those places that is well worth knowing is on our doorstep — produce grown in Fingal, sold by the family who actually grew it, with a coffee and something to eat while you're there.
Opening hours:
Wednesday–Saturday: 8.30am–4pm
Sunday: 10am–3pm
News
Tracking all the developing stories that affect our community.
🏏⭐ International T20 cricket stars heading for Malahide
Some of the biggest names in international cricket are heading to Malahide Cricket Club from Wednesday, 9 September, as the inaugural European T20 Premier League moves from the Netherlands to Fingal. The new ICC-approved franchise competition features six teams from Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands, with squads containing international stars including Glenn Maxwell, Ravi Ashwin, David Miller, Daryl Mitchell and James Vince, alongside leading Irish players. Malahide will host matches through to the Qualifier on 19 September and the tournament Final on Sunday, 20 September.
The Malahide programme begins at 14:15 on Wednesday, 9 September, with an all-Ireland clash between the Dublin Guardians and Belfast Wolves. There's some serious cricket pedigree behind both sides: Indian legend Rahul Dravid is part of the consortium that owns the Dublin Guardians, whose squad includes Harry Tector, Josh Little, George Dockrell and Ravi Ashwin, while Australian star Glenn Maxwell is both co-owner and captain of Belfast Wolves, alongside players including Paul Stirling, David Miller and Lorcan Tucker.
For Malahide, it represents another significant international sporting event at a ground Cricket Ireland describes as the de facto home of Irish cricket. The Village has previously hosted Ireland's first men's Test match and internationals against some of the world's biggest cricket nations, but the ETPL brings something different — almost two weeks of franchise T20 cricket, including double-headers, before the European champions are crowned in Malahide on 20 September.
🎵🏬 HMV returns to Swords — in an age when we were supposed to have stopped buying records
HMV will open a new store in Swords Pavilions this Friday, 4 September, offering more than 20,000 products, including 3,000 vinyl albums, 5,500 CDs and 5,000 films and TV titles, alongside books, T-shirts and thousands of pop-culture collectibles. There’s also an incentive for anyone planning an early visit: the first 50 customers to make a purchase on opening day will receive a special HMV goodie bag. Remarkably, this isn't HMV's first arrival in Swords: the company opened a Pavilions store back in September 2001, at a time when MP3 downloads were already being predicted to spell the end of traditional record shops. Twenty-five years later, HMV is effectively back where it started.
It might seem an odd expansion when Spotify, Apple Music, Netflix and other streaming services have largely removed the need to own physical media. But something unexpected has happened alongside streaming: people have started buying records again. UK vinyl sales grew for an 18th consecutive year in 2025, reaching 7.6 million albums, while vinyl revenue jumped almost 20%. Even CD revenue grew, while globally physical music sales have also continued to increase. Many of the biggest vinyl sellers aren't older listeners replacing their collections either — releases from major contemporary artists have helped bring a much younger generation into record buying.
The explanation may be that streaming and record shops are no longer really competing for the same thing. Streaming is overwhelmingly about convenient access to music, whereas buying a vinyl album is increasingly about ownership, collecting, artwork and showing an attachment to an artist — much like buying a concert T-shirt. HMV appears to understand that distinction: its Swords shop isn't really an old-fashioned record shop at all, but a broader pop-culture store selling vinyl alongside books, clothing, Manga and collectibles. The interesting lesson from its return is that digital services haven't necessarily eliminated physical products; instead, they've pushed retailers towards selling the things a digital subscription cannot provide — something tangible, collectible and an experience people can share with other fans.
Events Calendar
Things to do in the week ahead.
🌿 Featured Event: A Creative Saturday in Lusk
Fancy spending a couple of hours doing something completely different? Local artist Kriti Khatri of Kriti_Kreatz is hosting two hands-on creative workshops in Lusk on Saturday, 5th September — and both are designed with complete beginners in mind.
🌱 Beginners: Botanical Tile Making Workshop
Start the day working with clay, leaves, flowers and natural textures to create your own decorative botanical tiles. You’ll explore simple imprinting, texture and composition techniques while creating a unique handmade piece inspired by nature.
🧶 Beginners: Punch Needle Workshop
Then in the afternoon, swap clay for textiles and discover punch needle — a wonderfully tactile form of fibre art. Learn the basics and create your own pattern to bring a little handmade colour and texture to your home.
Kriti is a multidisciplinary artist and experienced art educator based in Lusk, working across ceramics, textiles, drawing and print. So whether you’ve been looking for an excuse to try something creative or just fancy a relaxed couple of hours making something with your own hands, either workshop looks like a lovely way to spend part of your Saturday.
📅 When: Saturday, 5th September
🌱 Botanical Tile Making: 10:00am–12:00pm
🧶 Punch Needle: 2:00pm–4:00pm
📍 Where: Clonrath Hill, Lusk
📅 Friday 4th September
Rush | Rush Library | Chair Yoga | Gentle seated yoga session at Rush Library. | 10:00–11:00
Balbriggan | Balbriggan Library | Warehouse Writers Group | Weekly adult writers' group. | 14:30–16:00
Rush | Rush Library | Community Art Group | Weekly adult community art session. | 15:00–17:00
Donabate | Donabate Library | Junior Chess Club | Weekly children's chess club. | 15:30–16:30
Malahide | Malahide Castle & Gardens, West Lawn | Queen by Moonlight | Open-air Queen tribute concert in the grounds of Malahide Castle. | 18:00
Skerries | Otter Space | Otter Mixer Game Night | Weekly board-game meetup for ages 18+. Bring a friend or meet new people and choose from a range of games. | 18:45–21:45
📅 Saturday 5th September
Balbriggan | Ardgillan Castle & Demesne | Ardgillan parkrun | Free weekly 5km community run, jog or walk. | 09:30
Donabate | Newbridge House & Farm | Donabate parkrun | Free weekly 5km community run, jog or walk. | 09:30
Malahide | Malahide Castle | Malahide parkrun | Free weekly 5km community run, jog or walk through the castle grounds. | 09:30
Swords | Broadmeadow Linear Park | Broadmeadow Linear parkrun | Free weekly 5km community run, jog or walk. | 09:30
Swords | River Valley Park | River Valley parkrun | Free weekly 5km community run, jog or walk. | 09:30
Lusk | Murray's Car Park, Station Road | Lusk Farmers Market | Local growers, food producers and artisan stalls. | 09:30–13:00
Lusk | Clonrath Hill | Beginners: Botanical Tile Making Workshop | Beginner-friendly clay workshop creating decorative botanical tiles inspired by leaves and flowers. | 10:00–12:00
Malahide | St Sylvester's Parish Centre | Iyengar Yoga with Sue | Weekly Iyengar Yoga class. | 10:00–11:30
Malahide | Hidden Acres | Slow Pilates Flow + Nourish Brekkie | Outdoor Pilates session followed by breakfast with Laola Movement. | 10:00–13:00
Swords | Swords Library | Board Games Time | Drop-in board games for all ages. | 10:00–13:00
Skerries | Skerries Mills | Skerries Mills Farmers Market | Weekly market featuring local food, fresh produce and crafts. | 10:00–15:00
Malahide | Casino Model Railway Museum | Explore Fingal Market – Malahide | Free-entry market showcasing local food, craft and produce. | 10:00–16:00
Donabate | Donabate Golf Club | Sing for Joy! Open Choral Workshop | Free Lambay Singers workshop with harmony singing, activities and an open rehearsal. | 11:00–16:00
Lusk | Lusk Round Tower & Belfry | Round Tower & Belfry Tours | Free guided tours exploring Lusk's medieval Round Tower and Belfry. | 11:00, 13:00 & 15:00
Malahide | Malahide Library | Eckhart Tolle Meditation | Weekly adult meditation session. | 11:00–12:00
Swords | Swords Library | Open Door Art Studio | Drop-in adult art session at Swords Library. | 12:00–14:00
Balbriggan | Balbriggan Library | Balbriggan Library Film Club | Monthly film club held on the first Saturday of the month. | 14:00–16:00
Lusk | Clonrath Hill | Beginners: Punch Needle Workshop | Two-hour beginner workshop creating a textured punch-needle piece. | 14:00–16:00
Balbriggan | Balbriggan Clubs Community Centre | Aiki-Jo: Wooden Staff Fighting for Beginners | Beginner-friendly introduction to traditional Japanese wooden staff techniques. | 15:00–16:30
Donabate | Newbridge House & Farm, Walled Garden | ABBA by Moonlight | Open-air ABBA tribute concert featuring 21st Century ABBA. | 18:00 doors; 19:00 show
Rush | Rush Harbour | Fingal Rowing Club Lambay Challenge | 25km endurance rowing race around Lambay Island.
Lusk | Lusk Community Cultural Centre | Art Alley Exhibition | Group exhibition featuring Lavinia O'Leary, Imelda Coffey, Martina Hurley, Gillian Lowry and Jane McMullen. Runs until 13 September.
📅 Sunday 6th September
Balbriggan | Bremore Castle Park | Balbriggan junior parkrun | Free weekly 2km event for children aged 4 to 14. | 09:30
Donabate | Newbridge House & Farm | Newbridge House junior parkrun | Free weekly 2km event for children aged 4 to 14. | 09:30
Lusk | Lusk Sports Hub | Lusk Sports Hub junior parkrun | Free weekly 2km event for children aged 4 to 14. | 09:30
Malahide | Malahide Castle | Malahide Castle junior parkrun | Free weekly 2km event for children aged 4 to 14. | 09:30
Rush | Kenure Woods | Rush junior parkrun | Free weekly 2km event for children aged 4 to 14. | 09:30
Swords | River Valley Park | River Valley junior parkrun | Free weekly 2km event for children aged 4 to 14. | 09:30
Donabate/Portrane | Community Well Studio & The Sea Sauna, Tower Bay | Sole Rhythm Workshop – September Reset | Mini retreat combining restorative reflex yoga, sound bath, mini reflexology and a sea-sauna session. | 09:45–13:45
Lusk | Saint MacCullins Parish | Ye Olde Trade Fayre | A parish celebration of gifts and charisms, with face painting, live music, tea and buns and activities for all. | 11:00–14:00
Skerries | Skerries Mills Community Garden | Soil, Seed and Soul – Week 1 | First session of a free six-week gardening course, beginning with composting and enriching the soil. | 11:00–12:30
Lusk | Lusk Round Tower & Belfry | Round Tower & Belfry Tours | Free guided tours exploring Lusk's medieval Round Tower and Belfry. | 11:00, 13:00 & 15:00
Donabate | Community Well Studio | Awaken Your Creativity: Adult Fine Art Course | New adult fine-art course with Katarzyna Hasnik begins this Sunday. | 13:00–14:30
Malahide | Marina Green | Free Community Pilates + Dîner en Blanc | Free community Pilates session and social gathering with Laola Movement. | 18:00
📢 Finally, stuff from Fingal East we just like — Grian Chatten — from Skerries to the world's biggest stages
Grian Chatten
Although born in Barrow-in-Furness in England, Grian Chatten was raised in Skerries from infancy, attending Skerries Community College before going on to study music at BIMM in Dublin, where he met the musicians who would become Fontaines D.C. Music was part of his life from an early age: his father was a musician and Chatten has recalled guitars and harmonicas being passed around at family gatherings. He wrote his first song at about nine years old, inspired by a dream in which he stole something from a shop and ran away.
That Skerries schoolboy has since become one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary Irish music. Fontaines D.C.'s debut album Dogrel arrived in 2019, followed by a rapid rise that has taken the band to major stages around the world. Chatten has also pursued solo work, releasing Chaos for the Fly in 2023, and this year his voice and songwriting featured extensively on the soundtrack to Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man. The soundtrack includes several Chatten performances and collaborations alongside Fontaines D.C. tracks including A Hero's Death and Romance.
And his story is still gathering momentum. After headlining Electric Picnic in August, Fontaines D.C. announced their biggest Irish headline show yet at Slane Castle in June 2027. It will put them in rare company: they become only the third Irish band to headline Slane, following Thin Lizzy and U2. The Irish Times has also noted that Chatten still sings in his natural Skerries accent, something that has become an unmistakable part of the band's sound. From writing songs at nine in Skerries to preparing to headline one of Ireland's most iconic stages, that's quite a Fingal East journey. Well done, Grian. 👏👏
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 weekend, and we’ll talk again on Monday morning.
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