Hi FingalEMers — it’s still raining! 😒 But spring is definitely in the air so things should start to improve in the week ahead. 🤞

Last week’s poll ironed out the “irregularities” we saw with the previous poll. Last week the Events Calendar came out on top, as your favourite, which is what we would expect to see. In second place was ‘I just like it all’ which tells us we are heading in the right direction. We see there a few comments too so rest assured we respond to all of you over the next few days.

In the week of love 💘 we want to know where you guys are located - in case we need to adjust the content to suit. So again, don’t forget to complete the poll as it helps us really hone the content for you.

As always, if you know of an upcoming event or a local story worth sharing, just drop us a line & we’ll help spread the word with our fast-growing community: [email protected]

The sponsor of this week’s edition is:

Your go-to hut at Fingallians GAA, Swords

This week’s sponsor is Social Bean — a brilliant local coffee spot at Fingallians GAA Club in Swords, built around great coffee, good food, and a real community vibe. They’re open Tuesday to Sunday, with easy free parking right outside, so it’s an ideal quick stop on the way to work, after school drop-off, or post-training.

Alongside top-quality coffee, they’ve plenty of grab-and-go options like toasted sandwiches, protein balls, overnight oats and açai bowls. And if you fancy something social, check out their Sunday “Social Stride” Run Club — relaxed, beginner-friendly, and open to all, with 10% off after the run.

And don’t forget to tell the guys, you’re a FingalEMer!

News

Tracking all the developing stories that affect us.

🍀🙌 St. Patrick’s Day Parade times are available.

  • Fingal County Council has published the timings and routes for St Patrick’s Day (Tuesday 17 March 2026) parades across Fingal East, with events planned in Swords, Balbriggan, Malahide, Rush, Lusk and Skerries. If you’re heading out with family or meeting friends locally, it’s worth noting the start times and where each parade is expected to pass through.

    • In Swords (11:00), the parade is set to start near Coláiste Choilm on the Dublin Road and travel along Main Street, finishing into the Swords Castle / Town Park area.

    • Balbriggan (12:00) is due to begin from the Bremore Castle car park and run through the town via Drogheda Street and Dublin Street towards the St Peter & Paul’s Church area.

    • Rush (13:00) is planned from Lower Main Street, continuing via Bawn Road and Kilbush Lane to Chapel Green, while

    • Lusk (13:30) is expected to move from the R127 Ring Road through Station Road and Main Street, finishing at The Green.

    • Malahide (14:00) is scheduled to set off from the Cricket Club area and travel through the village towards the beach car park area.

    • Skerries (15:00) is planned to run from South Strand Street along to Strand Street. Organisers are encouraging local groups and organisations to take part, with a “best dressed group” prize mentioned for each parade.

  • As always, expect temporary road closures and diversions around the routes, and allow extra time if you’re driving or parking in any of the towns.

🚗 Rush Traffic Alert: Old Barrack Road Closed 9–13 Feb for ESB Works

  • Starting today there’s a heads-up for anyone driving in Rush: Old Barrack Road is scheduled to be temporarily closed from 09-Feb-2026 to 13-Feb-2026 to allow ESB duct installation works. The closure applies to the section between the Bawn Road junction and the Lower Main Street junction.

  • Although the road is listed as closed 24 hours a day for the five-day period, the permitted on-site working hours are 08:00–19:00 (Mon–Fri). Local access is to be maintained, and emergency access is to be provided if needed. Diversion routes are planned in both directions using Bawn Road and Lower Main Street, with signage in place, so expect some delays and allow a bit of extra time.

  • Transport Infrastructure Ireland has kicked off the first big step in building MetroLink by starting the tender process for the main civil engineering works. In plain terms, this is the move where they begin selecting the major contractors who will actually build the core infrastructure for the new metro line.

  • The construction is being packaged into two large “design and build” contracts. One covers the southern section from Charlemont up to Northwood, and the other covers the northern section from Northwood up to Estuary (Swords). Between them, the contract notices put a maximum combined value at about €7.9 billion, with the southern section expected to be the larger package.

  • The tendering process begins with a pre-qualification stage, where bidders have to demonstrate they have the experience and capability to deliver work at this scale. Shortlisted teams will then be invited to submit full tenders.

Civil

Planning decisions, road closures & community notices.

Planning applications & decisions

🏗️ Nothing material to report this week.

Road closures & changes planned

🚧 Main Road Closures & Works

  • Swords

    • 01-Jul-2024 – 30-Jun-2026 — Seatown Road (St Columcille’s Dr to North St): full closure with signed diversions.

    • 09-Feb-2026 – 13-Feb-2026 — Seatown Rd → Estuary Rd Active Travel works: traffic/pedestrian management in place while ducting/drainage/footpath works continue.

    • 12-Jul-2024 – 30-Jun-2026 — Route 41x: Seatown Road diversions via Swords Main Street / Malahide Road / Swords Bypass (some stops not served).

    • 02-Apr-2025 – 01-Apr-2026 — Balheary Road: temporary 50 km/h roadworks speed limit in force.

  • Rush

    • 09-Feb-2026 – 13-Feb-2026 — Old Barrack Road (Bawn Rd to Lower Main St): temporary closure for ESB ducting; diversions signed; local/emergency access maintained. [see the new above]

  • Balbriggan / Clogheder

    • 19-Jan-2026 – 13-Feb-2026 — Clonard Road (Clogheder): temporary closure for drainage + ESB ducting; diversions signed; local access maintained under traffic management.

Events Calendar

Things to do in the week ahead.

Monday 9th February

Tuesday 10th February

  • Balbriggan | Balbriggan Library | Believe Balbriggan Digital Detox Launch. | Introduction by Deputy Mayor of Fingal Cllr. Grainne Maguire, followed by a panel discussion. | 10:00-12:00

  • Swords | Swords Library | Valentine’s Crafts | 15:30-16:30

  • Online | AI for Intermediate Level Usage | This intermediate-level programme is designed for SMEs who are ready to move beyond basic AI use and begin embedding artificial intelligence into business processes, decision-making, and systems. | 09:30-12:30

  • Online | Tik Tok for Beginners | This workshop is designed to demystify TikTok for small business owners who are new to the platform. | 09:30-12:30

Wednesday 11th February

Thursday 12th February

Friday 13th February

  • Lusk | Saint Macullins Centre, Lusk | Gavin Fox & Eric Molimard – Live & Acoustic | Local singer-songwriter Gavin Fox is joined by French guitarist Eric Molimard for an intimate concert at Saint Macullins Centre (Old Roundtower Church), Lusk | 20:00-22:00

  • Naul | The Séamus Ennis Arts Centre | Céilí Beag Baby & Toddler Play Sessions for 0–3 years | Our play sessions are thoughtfully created to support early development through hands-on exploration, music, movement, and social connection. | 11:00-12:00

  • Skerries | Holmpatrick Shopping Centre | Otter Mixer Board Game Meetup | Looking to get to know new people? Try this board game meetup! Bring a friend, or come alone and play with someone new. | 18:45-21:45

Saturday 14th February

  • Balbriggan | Balbriggan Library | Board gaming | A series of hobby board gaming sessions in collaboration with The Windmill Players' Guild. These meetups focus on modern strategy and thematic boardgames, the kind loved by tabletop enthusiasts worldwide. | 13:45-16:45

  • Swords | Holywell Community Centre | Bike Fitting Day with Aidan Hammond | This isn't just for people new to cycling but also to those that have been cycling for years, we all change physically over the years !. The slightest adjustments can have huge positive impacts. | 09:30-15:30

  • Skerries | The Rock Bakery | Paint your Partner (and eat pastries) | Join us for a playful, slightly chaotic evening of creativity at our Paint Your Partner night. Hosted in the Rock Bakery, this event is designed for couples, besties, or anyone you're brave enough to sit across from for an hour and a half. | 19:30-21:00

  • Swords | Rivervalley Community Centre | Swords Tidy Town Clothes Swap | Hope you all can make it to our first Clothes Swap of 2026. | 11:00-13:00

  • Naul | The Séamus Ennis Arts Centre | Concert: No Crows | No Crow's growing catalogue of original material draws from a rich melting pot of influences, including Irish traditional, Latin rumba, jazz, classical, and Balkan music. | 20:00-22:30

  • Balbriggan | The Lark | Keith Barry Unhinged | Keith Barry launches his explosive new tour, celebrating 25 years of mind-blowing magic, hypnosis, and brainhacking. | 20:00-22:30

  • Malahide | Malahide Library | Hand Sewing for Clothing Repairs | 11:00-12:00

  • Balbriggan | Balbriggan Library | Family Storytime | 10:30-11:30

  • Dublin City Centre | National Concert Hall | RTÉ CO Presents: Love, Loss and Lipstick: A Valentine’s Cabaret | Celebrate Valentine’s Day with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra under conductor Guy Barker, plus special guest vocalists Joe Stilgoe (New Year’s Eve with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra) and Noami Banks (Summer Lunchtime Celebrating Female Composers). | 20:00-22:30

  • Lusk | Cultural Centre | Reiki SoundBath - World Sound Healing Day | A restorative session of Reiki & Sound - to help you reconnect & rebalance & gift yourself some Self Love on World Sound Healing Day | 13:30-15:30

Sunday 15th February

  • Malahide | Malahide Castle | Malahide Castle & Gardens Photo Walk | Join us for a relaxing stroll as we explore one of my favourite parks and enhance our photography skills. We'll meet at the front of Malahide DART station. | 11:30-14:30

  • Naul | The Séamus Ennis Arts Centre | Seisiún Óige – A Slow Session for Young Musicians | Seisiún Óige at The Séamus Ennis Arts Centre offers a unique opportunity for young musicians to gather, play, and connect in a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere that is far from the usual pub setting, and close to the heart of tradition. | 15:00-16:30

  • Naul | The Séamus Ennis Arts Centre | Traditional Irish Music Slow Session with Paudie O'Connor | Paudie O’Connor, who will host a traditional music session live in the Séamus Ennis Arts Centre, with participants joining in from afar, over Zoom. | 19:00-21:00

📢Finally, stuff from Fingal East we just like …….This is The legend - Maurice Colgan

Maurice Colgan

If you’ve ever heard about the Swords local with the Elvis connection, it’s Maurice Colgan — an Elvis superfan and long-time collector who has spent years building up a remarkable archive of memorabilia and stories, and sharing that passion with others here. Maurice’s link to Elvis goes beyond collecting: he and his late wife Maureen developed a real connection with Tupelo, Mississippi (Elvis’s birthplace), and his new memoir reflects that journey — right up to a moment he describes as being embraced by Priscilla Presley.

We spoke with Maurice earlier in the week. He explained he has been a resident of Swords since 1989 (and visiting since 1947, when he was five), though he’s Dublin-born in Inchicore. His family moved to England in 1949 when he was seven, and he returned to Ireland in 1981 with Maureen. The Fingal Independent later featured the couple’s Elvis stories over many years from 1997, helping introduce them to the local community. Maurice has now published a book, “Memories of Maureen & Our Links to Tupelo”, shortly to be available on Amazon, and he’s happy to sign copies for anyone who buys one locally.

As soon as the link to the book is available we will share in the newsletter. (Legend!)

Image Credits

Image credit: Photo: “Portmarnock Beach - Ireland Sunrise - Michaela Fricova (Flickr). Source: Licence: CC BY 2.0 Trimmed ‘@2014 Michaela Fric Photography’

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