Hi FingalEMers — 🙋♂️🙋♀️ According to Met Éireann, this week had been shaping up to be very wet, but over the weekend the forecast turned completely on its head 🤪🤪 and it now looks like we’re in for reasonably dry weather right through the week. (Anyone who can create an umbrella with a sun cream dispenser in the handle will make a lot of money in Ireland!)
Last week’s poll asking whether you’d be interested in local food guides — including restaurant listings, new openings and the best food reviews — got another overwhelmingly positive response. More than 90% of you chose either “Yes” or “Possibly (open to trying)”.
The Fingal old dictionary words, on the other hand, got absolutely no love, so we will quietly leave that one there😬.
The good news is that it is clear there is a strong appetite for more food-related content, so we will start looking at how we can keep you better informed on the local food scene as soon as we can.
This week’s poll is to help us find out whether the information we shared was already out of date.
Were you aware there was a comedy festival planned for Swords before we ran an article on it last week?
If you know of an upcoming event or a local story worth sharing, 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:
Balbriggan Cancer Support Group are an incredible voluntary group rooted in community spirit, compassion and care, dedicated to providing support and assistance to anyone who is or has been affected by cancer. Whether you have just received a diagnosis, are in recovery or are supporting a loved one, Balbriggan Cancer Support Group are there to provide a welcoming and confidential space to individuals and families.
Their aim is simple – to ensure no one in our community faces cancer alone. They offer a wide range of services designed to help at every stage of the difficult journey to
the community of Balbriggan and surrounding areas, some of which include:
Meet and greet support with trained volunteers
1-1 counselling
Group classes and wellness activities
Complimentary therapies such as reflexology and reiki
Support for emotional well-being and coping with day-to-day challenges
Wherever you are in this journey and whatever you need, Balbriggan Cancer Support Group are here to ensure you are never alone. You can contact them (range of contact links above) to find out more about their services, book an appointment, or simply talk to someone who cares.
News
Tracking all the developing stories that affect us.
🏆🏆From Ballyboughal to the National Stage: Now Coco’s Fingal Enterprise Win
Marti Nulty - winner 2026 Fingal Enterprise Awards
Great news for Fingal’s business community this week, with Marti Nulty’s Ballyboughal-based business Now Coco taking the top honour at the 2026 Fingal Enterprise Awards. It is a fantastic achievement for Marti and the team, and a really positive story for the wider Fingal area too. Now Coco will now go on to represent Fingal at the National Enterprise Awards in Dublin this June, putting another local success story on a national stage.
For us, this is the kind of story that shows the strength of enterprise across Fingal. It is always encouraging to see a local business earn recognition for its ambition, growth and ability to stand out in a competitive market. A win like this is not just good news for one company — it reflects well on the wider business community and highlights the quality of entrepreneurship developing across our towns and villages.
Four other finalists were also recognised as part of the awards: Climate Matters from Skerries, Donna Reilly People & Wellness from Balgriffin, and Malahide-based businesses Mantra Strategy and Snugz Play. Their inclusion underlines the breadth of talent across Fingal East and beyond. Congratulations to Marti Nulty and Now Coco, and well done as well to all of the finalists who helped showcase the strength of local enterprise.
🌳🌳 Rooted in Fingal: Free Tree Giveaway Set to Green the County
There is some genuinely positive environmental news for Fingal this week, with thousands of free trees set to be made available to the public as part of National Tree Week 2026. It is the latest sign of the county’s continued push to expand planting, support biodiversity and encourage residents to play a direct part in greening their own communities. Initiatives like this may seem simple, but over time they can have a real impact on the look and feel of local areas.
For those of us in Fingal East, the announcement is particularly relevant because a number of the collection points are within easy reach, including locations such as Malahide, Newbridge, Ward River Valley, Ardgillan and Racecourse Park. That gives many local households a practical chance to pick up a tree and add something lasting to their garden or neighbourhood. It is also the kind of community-focused scheme that helps connect people more closely to the wider environmental goals being pursued across Fingal.
The wider message here is an encouraging one. By making tree planting accessible and local, Fingal County Council is helping residents take small but meaningful action in support of nature, climate and greener public spaces. It is a welcome initiative, and one that should bring a visible benefit to many parts of the county in the years ahead.
🎤🎶 Ballyboughal National School Set for the Big Stage at The Big Sing 2026
Ballyboughal National School is among the schools taking part in The Big Sing 2026, with its performance scheduled for Friday, 24 April at the National Stadium in Dublin. The event gives primary school children the chance to perform on a large stage as part of a national schools music programme, and Ballyboughal’s inclusion brings a nice Fingal East connection to this year’s line-up.
For the school, it is a valuable opportunity for pupils to take part in something beyond the classroom and to experience the preparation and atmosphere of a live performance. Events like this give children a chance to build confidence, work together and represent their school in a setting that is a little different from everyday school life. With schools from across the country involved, it also reflects the scale of the event and the standard of participation.
A special mention for Ms Maeve O’Doherty, school principal of Ballyboughal National School. From a local point of view, it is good to see a Fingal East school taking part in a national event of this kind and giving its pupils the chance to be part of it.
Civil
Planning decisions, road closures & community notices.
Planning applications & decisions
🏗️ No material planning updates this week
Road closures & changes planned
🚧 Main Road Closures & Works
Swords
Seatown Road: closed between St. Columcille’s Drive/Seatown Road and North Street/Seatown Road (long-running closure, still in effect this week).
R132 Connectivity Project: temporary 50km/h roadworks speed limits in place on sections of the R132 in/around Swords, including approaches near Seatown Roundabout and Estuary Roundabout.
Skerries
Junction of Shenick Road and Holmpatrick closed for a new sewer connection; closure runs through the week : 09 Mar 00:00 - 15 Mar 23:59
🏃 Roads in the Skerries area closed for the Skerries AC 10km road race : 15 Mar 09:30 - 11:15
Donabate
☘️ Donabate Main Street, New Road, Chapel View and the R126 closed for the St Patrick’s Day festival and parade : 14 Mar 12:30 - 14:00
Ballyboughal
Borranstown : L-1015 Borranstown Road closed for essential drainage and road repair works : until 24 Mar 23:59
Events Calendar
Things to do in the week ahead.
Monday 9th March
Rush | Rush Library | Mandala Art | 10:00-11:00
Rush | Rush Library | Mothers’ Day Crafts | 15:00-16:00
☘️Balbriggan | Balbriggan Library | Oíche Filíochta Dhátheangach | 18:45-20:00
Skerries | Skerries Golf Club | Affordable Homes - Priory Fields, Skerries, Co.Dublin - Information Evening | Find out more about the new Affordable Homes at Priory Fields, Skerries, County Dublin at our upcoming Information Evening. | 18:00-20:00
Tuesday 10th March
Online | Online | Leveraging ChatGPT for SME Strategy | This workshop shows SMEs how to use ChatGPT strategically and responsibly to support decision-making, idea generation, and market analysis. | 09:30-12:30
Swords | Swords Library | St. Patrick’s Day Crafts | 15:30-16:30
Swords | Estuary Hub | An Audience with Izzy Atkinson at (EVE) Estuary Hub - [EVE Service Users Only] | Republic of Ireland international & Sunderland AFC star Izzy Atkinson joins us for a Q&A session along with a penalty shoot-out. During the event there will also be a performance by the National Ambulance Service Pipe Band. | 12:00-14:00
Wednesday 11th March
Online | Online | Canva for Beginners | This beginner workshop introduces Canva and shows small business owners how to create branded visual content for online and print use. | 09:30-16:00
Swords | Fingal Local Studies & Archives | Getting Started with Genealogy: A Guide to Resources & Archives | 14:30-15:30
Skerries | Skerries Library | Sensory Hour | 16:00-17:00
Online | Online | Bookkeeping for Small Businesses | This practical workshop focuses on building the basic bookkeeping knowledge and skills needed by small businesses. | 18:30-21:30
☘️Swords | Atrium County Hall | Seachtain na Gaeilge Concert | Seachtain na Gaeilge celebration with Ceol, Craic and Gaeilge. The entertainment will be provided by four hugely accomplished musicians Éamonn de Barra, Paudie O’Connor, and Aoife Ní Chaoimh | 19:00-21:00
Balbriggan | The Lark | ARAPIYA Solidarity Concert for Cambodian Education | A special fundraising entertainment evening featuring a variety of performers, all donating their time to support education in Cambodia. Proceeds from the event will be split equally between PEPY Empowering Youth and See Beyond Borders Ireland. | 20:00-22:30
Thursday 12th March
Online | Online | TikTok for Beginners | This workshop helps small business owners get started on TikTok with the confidence to set up an account and create simple, authentic video content. | 09:30-12:30
☘️Malahide | Malahide Library | Seisiún Spraíúil le Sarah Sparkles | 10:00-11:00
Swords | Swords Library | St. Patrick’s Day Quiz | 15:30-16:30
Rush | Millbank Theatre | Rockshinny - 2026! | Rockshinny is a school rock band from St. Brendan’s National School in Loughshinny. They are active since 2018 & they reached the final auditions for the Late Late Toy Show. | 18:15-19:30 & 19:45-21:15
Friday 13th March
Balbriggan | The Lark | Piatti Quartet: Music from the Movies | The Piatti Quartet presents a powerful programme of film-inspired music, featuring works linked to Mishima, The Truman Show, There Will Be Blood, Platoon and The Lobster, alongside music by Jonny Greenwood, Barber and Shostakovich. | 20:00-22:30
Swords | Rivervalley Community Centre Sports | Chance to play Steve Beaton in darts. | The legend Steve “The Bronze Adonis" Beaton appears in person for a night of darts. | 20:00-23:30
Saturday 14th March
Portmarnock | Portmarnock DART Station | B-Corp Month Camino Walk: Portmarnock to Howth | A great way to stay in Dublin and feel in the countryside while meeting like-minded walkers! You can also chat with our Camino Experts. | 09:00-15:30
Balbriggan | Balbriggan Library | Mothers’ Day Family Storytime | 10:30-11:30
Skerries | Skerries Library | Musical Tots | 10:30-11:30
Malahide | Malahide Library | Sew a Hand Puppet | This is a fun-filled hand sewing workshop for children aged 8 to 12 years old. Learners will be taught simple hand sewing techniques to create some colourful hand puppets. | 11:00-12:00
☘️Donabate | Donabate Library | Scéalta, Rince agus Ceol le Chéile | 14:00-15:00
Swords | Swords Castle | Wavin' Words: The Springtime Edit | Join us for an exciting night of spoken word, poetry and music. Featuring an OPEN MIC for poets, slammers and performers aged 13 - 18 years with award-winning poet Cormac Mac Gearailt, musician Matilde Lotti and host Sheila Ryder. | 18:00-20:00
Swords | St. Colmcilles GAA Club | General Knowledge Quiz Night by Swords Celtic | Fundraiser for Swords Celtic Blackpool Club Trip | 19:00-23:30
Balbriggan | The Lark | Remembering Ronnie with Phelim Drew in Songs and Stories | A storytelling and music performance reflecting on Ronnie Drew’s life, legacy and influence as a founding member of The Dubliners. The show blends personal memories, songs and stories to take the audience on a journey through the music that shaped Ronnie and the band. | 20:00-22:30
Malahide | St. Sylvester's GAA Club | Race Night | Join us for a fantastic night fundraising for our Junior Ladies A & B Team. Taking place the same exciting weekend as the Cheltenham Festival, this promises to be a thrilling event filled with racing action, great company, and community spirit. | 20:00-23:30
Swords | Peacocks Bar & Lounge | Bingo Bonkers Paddy`s Weekend Party | Join us for a wild celebration packed with Bingo, Music, Sing-Alongs, Dance-Offs, and Crazy Prizes — the ultimate way to toast to St. Paddy’s! | 20:00-23:30
Sunday 15th March
Skerries | Otter Space - Holmpatrick Shopping Centre | Casual Chess | All ages are welcome for this Casual Chess meetup! It's all about good vibes, friendly matches, and having fun face-to-face. Whether you're a newbie or a pro, come through, bring your A-game (or just your love for the game), and let's enjoy some chess. | 11:30-13:30
Balbriggan | The Milestone Inn | Mother's Day Daytime Disco | Music from the 80's, 90s and 00's | 18:30-22:00
Lusk | Skinny Batch Bakery | Mother's Day Afternoon Tea | Join us for a sensational Mother's Day Afternoon Tea at Skinny Batch Bakery. | 14:00-16:00
Fingal Libraries link:
📢Finally, stuff from Fingal East we just like - Portmarnock’s Caoilfhionn Gallagher: A force to be reckoned with.
Caoilfhionn Gallagher
It is always worth taking a moment to recognise people from Fingal East who have reached the very top of their profession, and Caoilfhionn Gallagher is a brilliant example of that. A Portmarnock native, she has built an exceptional career in law through UCD, the King’s Inns and Cambridge, going on to become an Irish barrister in London specialising in human rights and civil liberties.
Over the years, she has become one of the most respected legal figures in her field, with a career centred on justice, rights and accountability. She also serves as Ireland’s Special Rapporteur on Child Protection, a role that reflects the level of trust and standing she has achieved in the legal world.
Her appearance as the first guest in Claire Byrne’s “What Made Them” podcast series [12 min listen here] is another reminder of the regard in which she is held. For all of us in Fingal East, her story is one to celebrate — a reminder that someone from our own community can rise to national and international prominence while making a real impact through their work. What a remarkable woman!
Have a great week & DON’T forget it’s Mother’s Day on Sunday.
Image Credits
Photo: “Balbriggan Railway Station (Ireland)” by William Murphy / infomatique, via Flickr, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
Help us improve this newsletter! If you have any feedback then we’d love to hear from you. You can contact us at [email protected].
Please don’t forget to follow us on our Facebook page