My name is Ian Carey and the Green Party candidate for Dublin Fingal East.
I’m passionate about environmental protection, sustainabilty, active travel, and building community.
I grew up in Swords and have lived, worked and volunteered in the town for most of my life. My background is in the media and working with environmental groups in Ireland and internationally.
I have three young children with my wife Ciara. I understand the difficulties facing families today.
A site in the Fosterstown lands has been acquired for River Valley Community National School, according to reports from the DDLETB. This will become only the second primary school in the South Swords area, after Holy Family, and will help to resolve a long standing issue of school place shortages in the South Swords area.…
Close to 150 parents and supporters of a campaign to start a second level Irish language school in Swords area gathered last week. The Gaelcholaiste Sord Mullach Íde campaign held two public meetings in Fingallians GAA club last week to push forward the campaign to push for a new Gaelcholaiste. Currently students from the three gaelscoils…
Plans to close the Seatown Road for two years are now open to public consultation. Details of the plan, which include detouring traffic through St Columcilles Drive and Chapel Lane, are now available online. The period of the proposed temporary road closure is from 8.00am on 1st July 2024 to 5.00pm on 30th June 2026. …
‘Laughing gas’ or Nitros Oxide needs to be made a controlled substance according to members of Fingal’s Joint Policing Committee. The huge increase in the use of Nitros Oxide by young people has led Fingal’s Joint Policing Committee writing to the Minister for Justice Helen McEntee to bring forward legislation to control its use. Small…
Planners in Fingal are seeking more information on a proposal for a new café and apartment block at the end of Colmcilles Court, off Main St. The plans are for an 8 unit apartment block at the end of the lane with a café or restaurant at ground level with a large terrace overlooking the…
The new Swords Surgical Hub, which will deal with day case surgeries from Beaumont Hospital, will open it’s first phase by the end of the year. Construction at the site at Unit 1 of the Swords Business Campus is currently under way and the Department of Health have confirmed that they expect both the Swords…
The long awaited Swords Primary Care Centre is currently in limbo as the HSE and the developer row over rent. Newspaper reports state that the Primary Care Centre project, which has planning permisison for Airside, has stalled as the developer claims that the agreed cost no longer make it economically viable. The badly needed facility…
Enjoy one hour free eBike this Saturday and Sunday as part of Bike Week 2024 in Fingal. Tier bikes will be available for free for one hour this weekend using the promo code BIKEWEEK24. On the last day of Bike Week 2024 this Sunday, Malahide Castle will host a family fun day. The organisers say:…
The site originally earmarked for super-prison will now be used for asylum seekers, the government have confirmed. Thornton Hall is a 160ac site in the west of the Swords Local Electoral Area near the rural village of Coolquay. Local representatives this week received the following information from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and…
Posters for the local elections have been set on fire by vandals around Swords. The incidents, which have been happening late at night, has seen a number of posters destroyed on the Murrough Rd, Brackenstown Rd, and Rathbeale Rd. The vandalism does not seem to be targeted at any particular party with posters damaged across…
Two apartment blocks of six-storey and three-storey are proposed for the corner of Rathbeale Rd and Watery Lane in Swords. The proposal is for 15 one-bed, 22 two-bed, and 3 three-bed apartments. The planning application is proposing two blocks one on the Rathbeale Rd which is highest at the corner, at six-storeys, but steps down…
Swords Councillors have approved a motion to make Swords an autism friendly town. A motion to start the process of making Swords an Autism Friendly Town was brought to the Area Committee of Fingal County Council yesterday, by Cllr Joe Newman. The proposal received the full support of all councillors present and the Community Section…
Current plans for the council’s Mooretown site is that the area will be 35% social housing and 65% affordable purchase. Officials told Councillors on Friday that currently the development is being developed ‘tenure blind’ meaning that the final decision on the mix of tenures will be made at a later stage but the current plan…
187 houses, 50 apartments in two blocks, and 37 own-door duplexes are being planned by Fingal County Council in their Mooretown development. The plans also include a new link road from the Rathbeale Road which will cross their lands and meet Swords Community College (SCC). Phase 1 of the development of the council lands between…
A learn to cycle track will be built at a site in the Ward River Valley next to the Brackenstown Road. The site is currently used by construction workers who built the new steps into the valley from the Windmill Lands side. The new facility will be an area laid out with road markings to…
For the month of May the iconic artwork An Comórtas will be on display to the public in the newly opened Carnegie Arts Centre in Swords. It is open Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 10am to 5pm, close for lunch 1-2pm. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Cllr Ian Carey (@careyi)
If you are at a loose end this evening why not come and hear about the grants and supports available to upgrade your home? Between 6pm and 8pm tonight the Warmer Homes, Lower Bills event is taking place in the Carnegie Court Hotel, Castle Suite. The outline of the event is as follows: Cllr Ian…
The first element of the Swords Cultural Quarter, the Carnegie Library Arts Centre, will open to the public on May 1st. It’s first exhibition will be the display of a new specially commissioned work by artist John Byrne entitled ‘An Comórtas (The Contest)’. The piece, which can be described as a staged photograph featuring over…
The proposed Fosterstown North development, next to Boroimhe in Swords, has been rejected by An Bord Pleanala. In their decision they described the proposed 10 apartment block development as ‘visually dominant, monolithic, and overbearing’ and added that it would have significant negative impacdtts on the R132 project and BusConnects. The development, which borders the R132…
The family who own the Lord Mayors site are looking to sell it with planning permission in place, according to reports. The site, which includes the old Lord Mayors Pub, is being sold with permission to build 134 apartments. The permission allows for the iconic pub to be demolished and replaced with a modern apartment…
It’s extremely disheartening to report the public toilets in Rivervalley have been vandalised for a fourth time. The public toilets, that have been brought back into action following three previous acts of vandalism, were set on fire again on Wednesday. The facilities that have only been in service a matter of months following the completion…
Did you know, Ireland has some of the best supports for homeowners looking to make their homes more energy efficient? Register through the link below to attend the Home Energy Information Event next Thursday in the Carnegie Court Hotel, Castle Suit. The event will outline the grants that are available and will have information on…
The historic St Cronan’s Well is to be located within open space in the new council development off the Rathbeale Rd, council officials have confirmed. While the site of the holy well will be preserved, it is not clear if measures will be taken to preserve the water source or how the development will impact…
Removal of parking spaces, tabletop ramps, and a new school zone crossing at Fingal Community College are planned for Chapel Lane, St Colmcilles Drive and Seatown Road. This plan, which is currently out for public consultation, is a response to the plans to close the end of Seatown Road near North Street for 24 months…
Did you know, Ireland has some of the best supports for homeowners to retrofit their properties in Europe? Whether you want a full retrofit of your home, or support to do a smaller home efficiency job, there are grants and low-cost loans to help make it happen. A public information meeting is happening on Thursday…
Funding for groups in Swords who need a premises is being made available under the Government’s Community Recognition Fund 2024. This funding is being directed to areas who have taken a high number of Ukranians or people seeking international protection and Swords has made the list. The first call on this funding starts on Monday…
After 6 years, the Chalk Venue in Swords has announced that it is closing its doors. In a message on facebook this week the owners said: “It’s with great sadness that we announce the closure of The Chalk Venue. After a fantastic 6 years making memories we closed our doors for the last time on…
It won’t come as a surprise to parents who have recently sent a child to second level, but a new report has found that ever secondary school in Swords is oversubscribed. The Irish Times report, based on information from the Department of Education, paints a bleak picture for parents who want their child to attend…
The DAA have submitted new noise contour maps to An Bord Pleanala as part of their case to allow more night flights. The DAA have given new maps which bring in many new people and communities into the area they propose to expose to harmful night time flights. Under planning rules only people who have…
The six-week oral hearing for the Metrolink concluded this week and the inspector will now prepare his report for An Bord Pleanala. Documents made available during the hearings will now be put out for public consultation. The board will likely make a decision by the end of the year, depending on when they receive the…
Popular coffee trailer, Two Birds Coffee, have moved across the valley from JCs to Rivervalley Community Centre. The coffee spot, which had popped up during Covid, unfortunately had a vacate the location with the planned opening of Cafe Sol next to JCs. Cafe Sol has an existing contract with Dunnes Stores, who operate JCs, and…
Fingal County Council are aiming to deliver between 500 and 600 units on the land between Swords Community College and Cianlea, over two phases. The first phase, as previously reported, is aiming for between 200 and 300 units and could be brought to council under new fast-track legislation in the next two months. The council…
A local man has been jailed for riding a stolen motorbike on the Swords Manor pitches. The 22-year-old was jailed for four months at Swords District Court last week after he was caught by Gardaí last May. Further details can be found on the Irish Independent website, click here. Cllr Ian Carey said: “The use…
Building works for a new apartment block on Seatown Rd, Swords has uncovered the remains of what is believed to be a building dating back to the 1500s. Wall foundations and a patch of cobbled flooring have been exposed by builders and investigations are now taking place to get a better understanding of the significance…
St Columba’s Church has been given a €50k grant under the Heritage Structure Fund to preserve its stain glass and decorative internal joinery. The iconic Swords building, which was built in 1811, will have conservation works done on its leaded diamond pattern windows, spliced repair of the carved timber tracery and lime mortar pointing of…
A public meeting is being held to discuss the impact of PFAS chemical exposure and noise from Dublin Airport, next Thursday. The St Margarets The Ward FORUM group, is organising the meeting following the news that Fingal County Council have used their regulatory powers to force the Dublin Airport Authority to release all the information…
Excess mud will be cleared from the paths around Ushers Lake in the Ward River Valley, over the next month. Investigation works to find the remnants of the historic Brackenstown Mill will also happen in this time. Paths in the area will be closed during the works and people are asked not to enter fenced…
A planning application for a 66-bed hotel with a bar and restaurant on Swords Main St is close to approval as planners seek ‘additional information’. The building is proposed for the site of the Umani Food Store and will be five storeys and extend back to Well Rd. Planners in Fingal County Council are seeking…
Four ramps on Jugback Lane are being planned as part of efforts to stop speeding in the area. Plans, which are currently out of public consultation, show locations either side of St Finian’s School with two more just north along Jugback Lane before the turn off for Jugback Crescent. The plans are open to submissions…
Vandalism and property damage has seen a significant increase in Swords in the last year, Garda statistics reveal Statistics given to the Fingal Joint Policing Committee show that criminal damage in the Swords area has risen dramatically in the last year by 48%. Some 267 cases of criminal damage were recorded in Swords in 2023…
Multiple pump failures at the Knocksedan waste water pump station led to raw sewage flowing out of it into the nearby Ward River, earlier this week. Locals reported a stream of foul smelling water flowing downhill from Knocksedan into the river. Responding to the reports on Monday council staff attended the scene and the overflow…
The sheltered housing development, next to the Church in Rivervalley, has been given permission by An Bord Pleanala. The developent, which had previously been given permission by Fingal County Council, was appealed to An Bord Pleanala following significant local opposition. The appeal focussed on the apartment block, the pastoral centre, and the priest’s residence. An…
Cyclists and pestrians in Swords often complain of near misses with cars, now for the first times those incidents are being tracked. The Collisiontracker.ie is an online map and reporting platform for people who want to log a near miss they have experienced or a more serious incident. This is a project of Dublin Inquirer, a…
A new urgent care clinic has opened in the Swords Business Campus on the Balheary Rd. The Laya Urgent Care Clinic will treat minor injuries and illnesses within 60 minutes – to allow people to avoid A&E. The clinic is part of a growing healthcare campus in the business park which currently includes the HSE’s…
Fingal’s Climate Action Plan, passed by councillors this week, will contain information relating to the Dublin Airport and initiatives to reduce emissions. Despite being the largest carbon emitter in the country, Dublin Airport is aiming to expand is operations and the greenhouse gases generated. A motion, put forward by the Green Party in Fingal, was…
Fingal County Council are asking clubs and community groups to apply to be part of the Swords St Patrick’s Day parade. The parade which has attracted thousands of spectators needs community support and if you are interested in joining in the fun and pagentry, now is the time to apply. Particular attention is being given…
The major investment in Holywell Park is taking shape with the council purchasing a number of items and currently working on the proposed layout which will be available in the next few weeks. A half MUGA, which is a basketball net and soccer goal, fitness equipment to add to what is currently in place and…
The new toilet provided at the entrance to the Ward River Valley Park has been vandalised twice this week. The facility, which was part of a major upgrade in facilities, had the door forced, dispensers taken from the walls, electrical fittings smashed, and cisterns broken. Despite the damage, Fingal County Council staff got the facility…
Some €1.6m has been allocated for the design and delivery of walking and cycling improvements in the Swords area this year. This is part of a programme of €21m in walking and cycling infrastructure grants for Fingal in 2024. Areas listed for works include Brackenstown, Rivervalley, Seatown and the R132 junctions. There is also funding…
Swords will be linked with rural villages and Balbriggan in an expanded 192 service from February 19th. Ballyboughal, Oldtown, Stamullen, The Naul and Balbriggan will be connected to Swords with ten services a day. It’s a major expansion of the existing 192 service from Stamullen to Balbriggan and is the first time some of the…
Plans for 40 apartments, over two blocks, for the corner of Watery Lane and Rathbeale Rd have been submitted to Fingal County Council. The application has been immediately deemed invalid by the council, because of a problem with maps and some missing information, but a follow up application is very likely. The proposal is to…
School wardens, who help students walk safely to school, are in low numbers in the Swords area. This has led to some areas not being covered if an existing warden is ill or needs time off. Fingal County Council are currently advertising for reserve and permanent school wardens. If you are interested you will find…
The newly revamped Carnegie Library was launched today. It will serve as an arts centre and is the first piece of the Swords Cultural Quarter to be delivered. The Swords Cultural Quarter is an investment of over €50m by Fingal County Council in Swords and construction has begun on the major library, theatre, gallery and…
Proposed submission text from the St Margaret’s The Ward FORUM group – use as you see fit Planning & Strategic Infrastructure Department Fingal County Council County Hall, Main Street Swords, Co. Dublin January 19th, 2023 RE: Planning Application F23A/0781 by daa PLC Dear Sir/ Madam, I would like to make the following submission on planning…
Assistant and Executive Biodiversity Officer positions for the Biodiversity team in Fingal County Council are currently being advertised. The roles are part of an expanded Biodiversity Team to implement the Fingal Biodiversity Action Plan. The plan has over 100 actions aimed at halting nature loss and restoring biodiversity over the coming decade. Some of the…
Swords estates will have over 60 trees removed from them as part of the Winter tree removal programme . Under the Fingal Tree Policy, every tree that is felled will see another planted. Where possible it will happen in the vicinity of the one taken. Disease, proximity to a light, storm damage are some of…
Councillors this week voted to approve the pedestrianisation of New St. Malahide. The works will see an upgrade to footpath and street surfaces including a new landscaping scheme and improved outdoor dining area, as well as public seating. A group of around 20 local residents and retailers attended the council meeting and expressed their oppositition…
The old brick archway, which was part of a cluster of structures linked to an old mill, has been almost entirely restored. The archway was used as a bridge and was at risk of collapse last year when conservation experts started work to restore it. Now the structure, and works to restore the riverbanks around…
A masterplan for 200 homes is currently being developed by Fingal County Council on lands recently purchased next to the Mooretown Development. In an update this week on projects in pre-planning, Fingal County Council revealed that a masterplan is being developed for Phase 1 of the council lands and they listed the number of units…
A signalised junction will be placed at the entrance of JC’s/Dunnes this year as part of the council’s Programme of Works. The plans follow concerns raised around traffic speed and volume in the area and a number of accidents along the road. In the last year the council placed a speed reader sign in the…
Swords has been listed as a priority location in the new National Cycling Network plan published this week. Cycling corridors between Swords and a number of towns and villages (Malahide, Ashbourne, Donabate, Skerries and Balbriggan) are all part of the new proposals. The National Cycling Network aims to connect population centres and transport hubs right…
A key part of the planning permission for Metrolink, the oral hearing, will start on February 19th. An oral hearing is where a public meeting is called by the Planning Inspector to discuss any issues relating to the project. Oral hearings tend to be called for large or complex projects. The meeting is open to…
It’s difficult to think past Christmas right now. But if you love trad, or someone you know does, its the perfect moment to purchase tickets for the Fingal Tradfest events. It’s Ireland’s largest trad and folk music festival and this year Fingal are playing a big part. It’s a music festival that stands apart because…
In a move that will see much of the public consultation period happening during the festive season, the Dublin Airport Authority have submitted an infrastructure planning application in the last week. With over 7,000 documents and 700 maps submitted as part of the application it is massive in scale and complexity. The public now have…
An Bord Pleanala have missed a deadline for decision on the Metrolink project. The planning authority had an initial deadline for decision of December 21st but this has passed with no clear indication of a new timeline. An oral hearing on the application has been suggested since the summer but a date for that hearing…
An application for a 6-storey apartment block in the car park behind the Old Schoolhouse has been submitted to the council. The application is for an apartment block with 10 one-bed and 10 two-bed apartments with balconies. The plans also have a retail unit at ground level and, despite the limited space, a small car…
A plan for a VHI 360 Health Centre has been resubmitted for a site between Tesco and MSD along the Holywell distributor road in Swords. The private healthcare provider had previously applied for planning permission but has since withdrawn that application and a new set of plans were submitted to the council in late November.…
The section of the Brackenstown Road, which suffered from subsidence, will be closed for three days next week (13th, 14th, 15th December). The road between Swords Manor and Knocksedan is being closed to allow for the final works to be completed. Traffic from Swords will be diverted along the Murrough Rd to the Rathbeal Rd…
The DAA have published plans for infrastructure to accomodate up to 40million passengers. This is an expansion on the current cap of 32 million passengers which is currently in place. While the planning application has not yet been submitted to Fingal County Council, the DAA have already started their public relations campaign to promote this…
€1.127m in community climate action funds are being made available for community groups, sports clubs, NGOs, and residents associations. This money will help make Swords a more climate resilient community. The fund will open next week and take applications until February 28th 2024 There are 5 main Themes: If you would like to find out…
In a milestone moment for the project, and the town of Swords, the multi-million Euro Swords Cultural project has gone for construction tender. Construction is expected to start in the second quarter of next year with an expected open date for the new library, gallery, theatre and cultural space in 2026. The construction work on…
Thirteen homes, which are part of the new Mooretown Development, are being made available through a cost rental scheme. The scheme has already attracted significant interest with close to 600 applications in a matter of days. The homes are three-bedroom A-rated and are part of the Mooretown Development which will connect the Rathbeale Rd with…
The old bank building, at 47 Main St Swords, looks like it will continue to be a financial institution as Members First Credit Union file a planning application on the listed buidling. The planning application from Members First which was registered earlier this month detailed the following works: New shopfront signage, repair works to the…
The DAA are applying for night flights to be allowed from Dublin Aiport. In the last week, An Bord Pleanala have decided to allow the public to comment again on the proposal. Between now and December 14th, is likely to be your last chance to object to the use of Dublin Airport at night, the…
Jigsaw, who provide mental health supports for young people from 12 to 25, have opened a new facility in Swords. The new service contains a number of newly furnished counselling rooms, to make young people and families feel at ease, as well as a kitchen and office space for staff. The new service is located…
This friday will see the return of the much loved Christmas Market in Swords Castle. The Mayor of Fingal Adrian Henchy will kick off proceedings at 6pm on Friday November 24th with the switching on of the Christmas Lights. After that the market will open and stay open for the next two weekends. Santa will,…
Excavation at an enormous scale is being carried out at Dublin Airport to remove 150,000 tonnes of contaminated soil. The soil is contaminated with a family of chemicals known as PFAS (per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances) and they pose a serious health risk and are linked to the development of kidney and testicular cancer. PFAS chemicals can…
A recent ecological survey of the Ward River, as part of the Fingal Biodiversity Action Plan, has found evidence of otter, kingfisher, and dipper. Sadly, the survey failed to find evidence of salmon along the river from Knocksedan Bridge to Balheary, despite it appearing in previous surveys. A senior ecologist from Rivus Ecological Engineers, who…
Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) are advertising for Programme Director and Head of Procurement for Metrolink. The plan to bring the project to the next phase is getting underway as key leadership roles have been advertised with a deadline of the 28th of November. TII are expecting to attract international interest in the roles and they…
The annual Festival of Fire in Swords Castle was a huge success. Truly spooktacular! Cllr Ian Carey said: “It’s brilliant to have free family friendly events in the heart of Swords. Really well done to the Fingal Events team who designed such an enchanting event full of creativity and fun.”
The Malahide Road roundabout in Swords will face three days of disruption from November 13th, for road resurfacing connected to Metrolink. The busy roundabout will have a stop go in effect during the works. The purpose of these works is to fully reinstate the road areas, where Slit Trenching Investigations were undertaken in recent weeks.…
Public toilets have been closed in the Ward River Valley as two serious incidents of vandalism occured in Swords in the last week. The new public toilets at the Rivervalley entrance to the Ward River Valley park have been smashed up for the second time. The facilities are now closed to the public as repair…
Swords is badly in need of a swimming pool and municipal sports complex – everyone in the town would agree on that. Right now Fingal Sport Department are asking people to tell them what sporting facilities they need. This is the moment to push for a number of facilities in the town of Swords. Here…
Roadworks, linked to the development of Metrolink, will take place over the next week along the Swords bypass (R132). Resurfacing works will progress along the R132 over the week reducing the number of lanes as it is carried out. On November 1st the Seatown Roundabout will be reduced to a stop/go and traffic disruption should…
Following reports of two accidents in recent weeks on the Rathbeale Rd, Fingal County Council are conducting a speed survey to inform futher traffic calming measures. A new speed reader sign is also being installed next to the junction for JC’s supermarket in the coming weeks. In response to a motion calling for a safety…
The plans to connect North and South Swords through a pedestrian bridge has take a big step forward. Under Fingal’s Capital Programme a bridge, which will connect Brackenstown with Rivervalley, has received its first allocation. As part of the programme some €700k has been allocated directly to the bridge project. While this funding will not…
Biodiversity projects, such as the Ward River Valley and Broadmeadow Estuary conservation work, have received €5.8m from Fingal’s capital programme. This allocation is the first phase of funding for a county-wide plan to halt biodiversity loss and restore nature in Fingal by 2030. This plan contains 100 actions and is one of the most ambitious…
The Garda Unit, which has been pivotal in reducing certain types of crime in the Swords area, is to be reformed next month. The unit was stood down over the summer months because of reduced Garda numbers but will operate again from November 6th. The Community Response Unit is a small unit of up to…
Fingal County Council have allocated close to €80m on social and mixed-tenure housing projects in Swords over the next three years. Details of the spend were contained in the council’s Capital Programme recently approved. The list of Swords projects is not the total spend on housing projected for the Swords area as individual home accquisitions…
The Fingal Festival of Fire returns to Swords Town Park on October 31st. The event will feature a ‘Scarey Concert’ at 6.30pm with fireworks starting at 7.30pm. Cllr Ian Carey said: “This is a great family friendly alternative to bonfires and is a massive hit every year. I’d encourage people to come down and check…
A list of 15 healthcare services have been integrated into the Swords Community Healthcare Network, in preparation for the new Primary Care Centre. When the new Primary Care Centre is open, which is expected in early 2025, these services will be part of the new facility. Construction of the new centre is due to start…
A new bike repair station has been installed along with new bike parking at Balheary, near the skate park. This comes as new pathways were completed linking Jugback Lane to the new Miller’s Glen playground through the Broadmeadow linear park. These are all part of ongoing smaller works to make it easier to walk and…
Can the council do more to halt climate change? Should it be setting a better example? Is the management of your area sustainable? These are some of the questions that can inform what Fingal County Council should be doing on climate and this is the time to ask them. Fingal County Council is currently consulting…
Nesting boxes designed to lure the newly reintroduced Osprey to the Swords area are being considered as part of the Fingal Biodiversity Action Plan. Ecologists are due to assess sites on Fingal estuaries to see where would be the most approapriate place for the placement of osprey nest boxes. As this year an osprey from…
RTE’s Prime Time programme revealed this week how issues around the use of new flight paths can be resolved at Dublin Airport. The programme outlined how the reason for divergent flight paths is so that they give sufficient separation from a flights on the south runway who may need to fly around again – known…
Multiple daily trips from Swords to Balbriggan is a reality for Swords families whose children attend Cholaiste Glor na Mara in Balbriggan. Some 35 students from Swords attend the Irish language secondary school but because of Department of Education rules they do not receive a bus service. According to department rules, only students attending the…
If you are not so handy with a litter picker, or you don’t have green fingers, you can still get involved in Tidy Towns. The Swords Tidy Towns Committee are looking for volunteers who have some time to spare on more desk based tasks. They are looking for anyone who can provide administrative support for:…
Swords Community Guards in conjunction with the FAI will be running the Late Night Soccer League. They have been proven to be a great success in building relationships between the Gardaí and young people in Swords and reducing call outs for anti-social behaviour. The late night soccer runs from Friday the 29th September 2023 in…
It’s World Car-Free Day today and to celebrate Fingal County Council are offering a FREE bike share ride. You can try one of the Tier ebikes or Bleeper push bikes for free for 40-minutes if you want to try them out for a spin. Download the Bleeper and Tier apps, to register and unlock your…
Over €1.5m in drugs have been seized in Swords this year, Senior Gardaí have revealed. At the public meeting of the Joint Policing Committee this week in Swords, Superintendent Ronan Barry outlined how an increase in searches and detections in the Swords area has led to €1,594,960 worth of drugs being seized. At the meeting…
A large area of the Ward River Valley is dominated by the non-native Cherry Laurel shrub. Work is due to start this week to remove the invasive species and this work is likely to have a dramatic effect on certain parts of the park. The Cherry Laurel shrub which is very common in gardens around…
Senior Gardaí will discuss crime and issues of concern in the Swords area this Wednesday in the Carnegie Court Hotel. The public meeting of the Joint Policing Committee will bring together senior gardaí, representatives of Fingal County Council, and relevant agencies to explain their work and answer questions from the public. The meeting will start…
Fingal County Council are currently working on plans for a 57 unit housing development in Holywell, Swords. The new homes will be located on undeveloped land on the North West of the estate, inside the Holywell Distributor Road. The new development was mentioned in the Chief Executive’s Report to the September meeting of Fingal County…
A 62-acre site, between the Rathbeale Rd and Swords Manor, has been sold to Fingal Council, according to reports. The site, which was described as having the potential for 1,000 homes, went on sale earlier this year and has been earmarked for development for over a decade. This area is an important link between existing…
The medieval well which was discovered during the construction of the new Swords Cultural Quarter (SCQ) has been removed. The stone lined well has been deconstructed with its parts catalogued so that it can be reconstructed elsewhere. The Director of Corporate Services, who is responsible for the SCQ project, explained to councillors this week that…
To some the Pavillions is already an alternate universe. But it seems that there are plans afoot to open virtual reality gaming rooms in the Pavillions Shopping Centre. According to a planning application submitted last month the owner of the Pavillions is seeking a change of use from retail to leisure – virtual reality gaming…
The campaign to stop excessive aircraft noise are holding a protest at Fingal County Council offices next Monday, during the council meeting. The protest is being organised by FORUM (Fingal Organised Residents United Movement) and Fingal and Meath East Residents Groups and aims to pressure Fingal County Council to stop the DAA breaching their planning…
The special unit in Swords Garda Station that has been responsible for increased searches, seizures, and action on anti-social behaviour, has been stood down over the summer. The unit, which was in operation over the last year, was operating in a proactive manner to deal with crime and anti-social behaviour in the Swords area, including…
Swords, along with Donabate, Malahide and Portmarnock, will now be part of a new 3-seater constituency called Fingal East. This comes as the Electoral Commission have completed their review and added 14 new Dáil seats. Fingal had been earmarked for an extra seat following the recent census which showed north Dublin to be one of…
Well if so you might consider entering in the Swords Tidiest Estate competition. The competition which is being run by the Swords Tidy Towns has a cash prize of €400 and a plaque for the winners. The deadline for entry is September 10th and areas will be judged by on entrance to the estate, open…
The River Valley Rathingle Community Centre have organised a public meeting to discuss recent anti-social behaviour in the area. This comes after a sensory room that the community centre had created, to benefit local kids with additional needs, was vandalised. Thankfully due to the committed efforts of the staff at the centre the facility has…
Bleeper bikes have launched a new rental bikes service for the Swords area. The new service will have three hubs at Millers Square, Brackenstown Road and Rivervalley. The press release from the company states: Bleeper’s latest expansion of our bike sharing service takes in the western parts of Swords. New Bleeper ‘Suburban Hubs’ have been…
[Image credit: Cllr Joe Newman facebook] A stone lined well, built during medieval times in Swords, has been found during the construction of the new Cultural Quarter. Archaeologists working for Fingal County Council are currently preparing a report on the discovery. Consultants working on the building of the Swords Cultural Quarter have been asked to…
Get ready for Family Fun at Swords Castle! Join us on Sunday, July 30th, 2023, from 12-6pm for an unforgettable summer afternoon! Kids’ games, captivating magic shows, live music, and vintage games await you at this fantastic event! Enjoy a great lineup of free live music. 1-2.30pm The Blue Belles2.45-4pm Casey Brothers4.30-6pm Marvin & The Grooves…
Grants of up to €200k are available for sports clubs and community groups as part of the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP) just announced. Applicants for local projects can now apply for up to €200,000, increased from the previous maximum grant of €150,000; while the maximum valid grant available for projects deemed to be…
A family fun day is taking place in Malahide this Sunday Enjoy vintage games, magic acts, live music, vikings, carnival acts & more on The Green & New Street from 12-5pm. Walk or Cycle and support local businesses.
A new road project, which will link the Rathbeale Rd and the Brackenstown Road, will have consultants appointed to it in Q3 of this year. The Swords Western Distributor Road which will go from the Brackenstown Rd, west of Swords Manor, and travel north past the new Mooretown development and across the Broadmeadown River to…
As part of a new initiative to encourage children to play outdoors, a number of streets around Fingal will be closed on July 30th to allow children to take over the area and play. Castleview Avenue in Swords has been selected to take part and the community group there will receive a play bag of…
The new toilet in Swords Town Park, just off North St, has been badly damaged by vandals. This is the second facility to be badly damaged in Swords in recent weeks – as the new toilet block at the Rivervalley sports hub suffered similar treatment. Council staff are working to restore the restroom on North…
Contractors and the operations staff of Fingal County Council have reduced the list of 40 items, compiled by the Swords Pickers group, to 11 difficult to remove items from the Ward River Valley. In the coming weeks a contractor for Fingal County Council will visit each of the difficult to reach items and prepare an…
In a move that will bring significantly more aircraft noise to South Swords, St Margarets, Coolquay, Rolestown and north Fingal, the DAA are extending their hours of operation on the North Runway from 7am until 11pm Currently the airport is operating the North Runway from 9am until 8pm and the change will come into effect…
The largest two day county show in the country is taking place at Newbridge House this weekend. Flavours of Fingal, the biggest event in Fingal events calendar, is a showcase for local produce, businesses, local history, music, dance and lots of family fun. See below for details of what’s happening and how to get there.…
The old Harp Bar on North Street Swords has been given a new lease of life reopening as K Sixty Seven. Under new ownership, K Sixty Seven has seen a major refit with the multi-level aspect of the old bar dismantled to create one open space at ground level. A key feature of the new…
Two Birds Coffee, who operate out of JC’s car park, have been granted retention by Fingal County Council and allowed to stay. The coffee trailer, which started out during Covid, applied for retention planning permission in April of this year and their permission came through earlier this month. Cllr Ian Carey said: “It’s great to…
A number of barriers to migrating fish are to be dismantled along the Ward river and a ‘fish bypass’ is to be installed at the Arches near Ushers Lake, the Fingal Biodiversity Forum has heard. A study of fish along the Ward found that a number of barriers have badly impacted the ability of salmon…
A cycling and walking link across the Broadmeadow Estuary is one step closer as the public consultation for the foreshore licence gets underway. The new greenway will be an invaluable link between Malahide and Donabate and will connect to Swords through a cycle route along the estuary. The greenway will travel alongside the railway line…
Last month Swords Tidy Towns and the Swords Woodland Association held an art competition for students in Swords. Here are a selection of entries that were displayed in County Hall.
The Burrow Beach in Sutton and the Front Strand in Balbriggan have both been closed to bathers this week. The popular Burrow Beach in Sutton has been closed to swimmers for two days following the emergency overflow from a nearby pumping station. The closure is due to end tomorrow when water testing results are expected…
As construction works on the section of the Brackenstown Road which subsided last year are finally complete, engineers are planning another phase of works. The stop-go system which has been in place for a year will removed from the Brackenstown Rd in the coming weeks but it will return in September as an 80m section…
An outflow pipe near the Seatown Road was found to be pouring oil into the Broadmeadow Estuary. Fingal County Council staff worked to stop the flow of oil from the pipe, using oil absorbant ‘booms’, and have started an investigation to locate the source. The Special Area of Conservation, where recently an Osprey bird was…
Crime statistics for the last three months see a significant fall in burglaries in the Swords area. Senior Gardaí have credited the establishment of the new Community Response Unit in Swords for the drop. The figures, made available to the Fingal Joint Policing Committee, show 15 burglaries in recent months with 32 recorded for the…
A huge primary healthcare facility, designed to service a population of 70,000, will begin construction later this year, according to the HSE The new facility will accomodate GPs, Primary Care Teams, Dentists, a Mental Health Day Hospital, Adolescence Mental Health Teams, and Chronic Diseas specialists, and will be located in Airside Business Park. The Office…
Margaret Harris, who organises the Irish Cancer Society Charity Walk, and Liam Connor, former Chairman of Fingallians GAA, were both presented with Mayor’s Awards last night. Both were nominated for their incredible voluntary work for the community in Swords and nationally. The nomination for Margaret Harris read: Margaret and a small group of local helpers…
Fingal County Council has become the first local authority in Ireland to partner with EnergyCloud to provide free hot water to homes using surplus renewable energy. The pilot project with Fingal County Council’s Housing Department is supported by SSE Airtricity and will see homes in Swords equipped to benefit from free hot water via EnergyCloud…
Scramblers being driven illegally driven in public parks, putting children and park users at serious risk, is on the increase in the Swords area. Reports of scrambler use on the Brackenstown side of the Ward River Valley have happened on successive days over the last week. This comes not long after the pitches of Swords…
The Dublin Airport Authority this week have informed public representatives that they are extending the use of the North Runway from 6pm to 8pm from June 1st. This will see a much higher volume of aircraft noise impacting communities in South Swords during the summer months, when many hope to use their gardens in the…
A plan to increase, or stabilise, the population of otter, kingfisher, dipper, bats, salmon, brown trout and badger in the Ward River Valley is now part of Phase 1 of the Fingal Biodiversity Action Plan 2023-2030. This plan, which was originally unfunded and effectively shelved, is now one of the first 20 projects prioritised in…
IMAGE CREDIT: John Fields @dublinjohnski on Twitter At the Swords end of the Broadmeadow Estuary, birdwatchers have reported seeing an Osprey which seems to have travelled to Ireland from Scotland. The bird of prey, which feeds on fish, was identified as a three-year-old which was ringed as a juvenile in the Tweed Valley in Scotland.…
I’m looking for people who care about making Swords a more sustainable and fairer place. And are willing to do something about it. I want to expand our Green Party members and supporters’ group in the Swords area so we can better achieve our goals and improve Swords for everyone. If you support the work…
Exercise equipment, a basketball court, and a Learn to Cycle track are some of the new facilities planned for Holywell Park. They come as part of the Community Recognition Fund for towns and areas that helped and continue to support Ukranian refugees. The Holywell Park is a major beneficiary of the fund with €466,512 allocated…
It’s the plan which will making getting in and out of the city centre quicker and easier. And this week the National Transport Authority (NTA) published their latest version of the BusConnects Swords to City Centre route and opened it for public consulation. People have until July 18th to have their say on the route.…
Bike Week 2023 starts this Saturday, 13 May and runs to Sunday 21 May. The Active Travel team in Fingal County Council has arranged an exciting events agenda to celebrate everything two-wheels (and occassionally three or four). Here is the list of events for Fingal: Day Time Location Event Featuring Saturday 13 May 12-4pm Millennium…
The small room above the arch at Swords Castle, known as the Gatehouse, could be open to the public as part of a second phase of works on the Knights and Squires building. Works to conserve the Knights and Squires building is currently underway and will continue to July. The aim of this phase of…
Plans to address historic dumping sites in the Ward River Valley and additional resources to clean up the Ward River through the town, were committed to by Fingal County Council this week. At an area committee meeting on Thursday, officials from Fingal agreed to work through and prepare a response to a list of 40…
Would you rather your radishes were from Rolestown, and your onions from Oldtown – well you might be interested in a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) scheme which is starting in the Swords area. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a system where people pay a weekly amount for a box of vegetables. The farmer gets a…
There is still time to register and take part in the Darkness into Light event tomorrow in Rivervalley, Swords. The fundraiser for Pieta House starts at 4.15am on Saturday morning at the Rivervalley Community Centre. Participants will walk a 5km route through the Ward River Valley as the dawn breaks. Last year – which was…
Sites such as the Ward River Valley and pocket forests around the Swords area could get a protected status under new laws being proposed. Community groups, environmental groups, public representatives, and biodiversity officers, will be able to propose areas of ecological value that if a new bill coming before the Oireachtas is passed. The new…
Some remarkable images of what the Ward River Valley as it will look should the proposed three projects were unveiled at a webinar this week. The three projects – the sports hub in Brackenstown, the Walled Garden restoration, and the historic canal rewetting – are all proposed as part of the first phase of projects…
The designers working on the Ward River Valley Regional Park project have come back with their first draft and there are some really incredible proposals. The team are putting forward three projects for the first phase of the park redevelopment with a fourth that will come after, but is so interesting that it is worth…
APPEAL FROM CLLR IAN CAREY I’m looking for your help to push for a stronger insulation scheme to protect those who experience aircraft noise at night. In the Fingal Development Plan all Swords Councillors, in fact all Councillors in Fingal, chose to put in place stronger measures to make the insulation scheme for those experiencing…
A preliminary draft of the new Ward River Valley Regional Park will be unveiled to the public next Wednesday. An online Webinar will take place next Wednesday, April 26th, from 6.30pm to 7.30pm, where the draft plan will be explained. This will mark the start of the second phase of the community consultation on the…
The results of a massive survey of Swords residents in relation to the new Ward River Valley Regional Park has found that the wilderness spaces are the most loved part of the park and people want them preserved. Some 78% of those surveyed wanted the existing ‘landscape features’ protected, with 65% saying wildlife and nature…
A huge crowd gathered in Forrest Little Golf Club this week to discuss the growing concerns around airport noise and pollution in Swords. Additional seating was needed to cater for attendees who listened to presentations on the impact of aircraft noise, the planning issue surrounding the new north runway, and the campaign to date. The…
Parts of the Cascades, also known as the Arches, in the Ward River Valley will be fenced off this week after they have been deemed unsafe. A Fingal County Council official said this week: “Fingal County Council will erect safety fencing in a small section of the Ward River Regional Park during the week commencing…
A contractor has finally been appointed to deal with subsidence on the Brackenstown Rd. The subsidence, which has led to a stop-go traffic light being in place for a year, has been a complex issue for engineers to resolve after it was discovered that the foundations of the road are resting on clay. The road…
Many people in Swords are experiencing an increase in noise from the airport since the opening of the new runway. To discuss the issue and what can be done, Swords Councillors have organised a public meeting for next Tuesday. The meeting will take place at Forrest Little Golf Club at 7.30pm on Tuesday April 18th,…
Two large apartment schemes, one on the site of the Lord Mayor’s Pub and the other at Fosterstown North, have been given planning permission by An Bord Pleanala. The iconic pub, the Lord Mayors, will no give way to allow for the development of four apartment blocks with a retail element along the Dublin Road.…
[CAPTION: above image is of counter protesters supporting LGBTQ+ rights outside Swords Library. Credit twitter @zozimus ] Staff at Swords Library on Thursday were confronted by protestors objecting to the availability of books relating to LGBTQ+ issues. The demonstration which started in the village before moving to the library on the Rathbeale Rd was met…
St Columba’s Church and Round Tower received notice this week that they are one of 95 heritage projects that will receive funds under the Community Monuments Fund. Some €120,000 will go towards phase two conservation works at the heritage site and will include repointing eroded masonry the removal of unstable floor remnants. Welcoming the funding,…
In a large converted house opposite the Swords Fire Station, the first Down Syndrome Centre in North Dublin officially opened earlier this month. The new facility offers a number of services to children with Down Syndrome and their families. The centre, known as Willowbrook House, is a purpose built, home from home, therapy led clinic.…
Major ground works will start next week as part of the preparation for Metrolink. Trenches are being dug at the Estuary Roundabout of the R132 on Wednesday and Thursday (05/04 and 06/04). Traffic will be reduced to one lane in the area. Theses trenches being dug along the route of the Metrolink so that engineers…
Two active travel schemes in Swords start their public consultation phase this week. A new road design at Newtown Bridge, designed to make it safer for children to walk and cycle to Swords Celtic, is the first scheme. The second is a redesign of the Seatown Industrial Road to make it safer to cycle from…
Swords community groups can now submit for grants from the Dublin Airport Community fund. Groups can apply for minor grants (less than €5,000) or major grants (more than €5,000) between now and Friday April 28th. The funds are only available twice a year in the Spring and Autumn and grant decisions are taken made by…
This year the Mayor’s Awards will honour individuals who go to extraordinary lengths for their communities. These are people making a positive contribution to their local community and are inspiring others to do the same. They could be an older person proving that age is not a barrier to giving back to others, somebody who…
Some 62 acres, zoned for residential, are now up for sale with a potential price tag of €46.5m. The area, which is located between the Rathbeale Rd and Swords Manor, has been earmarked for development for over a decade with no homes delivered. The lands were part of a Local Area Plan, known as the…
Local libraries will soon have the ability to provide a virtual tour of the new Swords Cultural Quarter. Ten Virtual Reality headsets are currently being procured by the Fingal Library service which will allow members of the public to get an understanding of what the new library, theatre and arts space will look like. The…
Residents from St Margarets, Coolquay, Oldtown and Swords, gathered in the Coolquay Lodge this week to discuss the continued breach of planning permission by Dublin Airport. The group heard how legal action is being taken to challenge the continued use of flight paths which have no planning permission. They encouraged people to submit their experiences…
Do you have a patch of ground that could take a tree? If so you are in luck because Fingal County Council will be giving out free tree whips next week for National Tree Week. National Tree Week 2023 will take place from 19th to 26th March and Fingal County Council has a number of…
Fingal County Council have issued two new warning letters to the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) in relation to the North Runway. The letters sent on March 2nd relate to conditions set in the original planning for the North Runway granted in 2007. This comes on top of the planning enforcement process that started late last…
Swords councillors agreed unanimously this week to advocate for a new bus route to extend from Swords to Blachardstown. Following a motion from Cllr Ian Carey, the area committee of the council will this week write to the NTA to open discussions of a bus route connecting Blanchardstown and Swords. The two major population centres…
The annual Swords St Patrick’s Day parade will start at 11am next Friday. Bands, sporting clubs, and youth groups will all be gathering at Colaiste Choilm from 9am before parading through Main St before finishing near the Carnegie Court Hotel. Cllr Ian Carey said: “The Swords St Patrick’s Day parade is always a huge highlight…
The Ward St Margarets Residents Group spoke to the Oireachtas Transport Committee this week to give evidence of the impact of illegal flight paths from Dublin Airport on communities in North County Dublin. In a meeting the group made a number of requests: Cllr Ian Carey said: “I’m very glad to see the residents of…
For Seachtain na Gaeilge, Fingal County Hall will be hosting three incredible Irish musicians in the Atrium this Wednesday. Bernadette Nic Gabhann on fiddle, Éilís Murphy on concertina and Megan NicFhionnghaile fiddler and singer, will be playing at the County Hall on Swords Main St from 7-9pm on March 8th.
Just like buses, the people of Swords have been waiting years for an upgrade to our parks and then three happen all at once. The Millers Glen playground and GAA pitch, the Rathbeal Archaeology Park and the Rivervalley Recreation Hub were all opened today by Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien. Cllr Ian Carey said: “It…
This week saw the start of new flight paths from Dublin Airport following a ‘review’ from Dublin Airport Authority. The change came on the back of a warning letter being issued to the DAA by Fingal County Council for the use of flight paths which were in clear breach of planning permission for the new…
Two new healthcare facilities, one private and one public, took steps forward in recent weeks. A VHI 360 Healthcare Centre, which is planned for the Holywell distributor road, recently got an extension of three months to complete its planning permission. When complete the new healthcare centre will provide an urgent care, outpatient services, health assessment…
Ground works and surveys are being carried out in the part of a park adjacent to Swords Manor with a view to desiging a ‘recreation hub’, the Chief Executive of Fingal County Council said in a report. The works are being done as part of the design phase of the Ward River Valley park development…
The long awaited playground at Millers Glen will finally be unveiled on March 3rd. The facility which will include a playground, basketball court/five-a-side pitch, and a GAA pitch will be offically opened by Ministerfor Housing and Local Government Darragh O’Brien on Friday March 3rd. This new play/sports area, which is designed to cater for many…
As part of major pipe upgrade, there will be no water available in Swords for much of Sunday Februrary 26th. Water will be shut off from 1am to 11am on the day but it is expected that water distruption will continue for up to 10hours more as the system refills following the outage. Water tankers…
At the junction of the Brackenstown Rd and Murrough Rd a new mini-roundabout will be put in place as part of the safe route to schools scheme for St Cronan’s School. The new design has been put forward with a view to protecting school children, vulnerable road users, and improving traffic flow at the location.…
Safety fencing has been erected around an area of the Ward River Valley known as the Brick Arch. The historical strucuture which is part of an informal trail through the undeveloped area of the park has been deemed structurally unsafe. The council explained this situation as follows: Fingal County Council will erect safety fencing in…
Buried in the woods, in the middle of a golf course, on the outskirts of Swords, is a small slice of Ireland’s World War 2 history – and it will now be preserved. During WW2, the Irish government, concerned at the threat of an invading army, put together a series of stop lines defended by…
The annual Programme of Works for Fingal County Council has been published with €1.018m allocated for small works in the Swords area. This money helps with local park improvements, some road and footpath repairs, drainage works and traffic calming. The areas in Swords who can expect improvements are listed below. Cllr Ian Carey said: “This…
The healthcare division of German technology giant Siemens are expanding their operations in Swords and creating 100 jobs. Two thirds of the new positions will be high-level engineering roles in areas such as data sciene, AI and machine learning. Siemens have been based in Swords since the 1960s but this new investment will make Swords…
Cafe the Tartan Larder and the restaurant Shaker and Vine have both announced in the last month that they are to close The businesses, who are both located on Main St, told customers via social media that they would not be able to continue. The owner of Shaker and Vine said that running costs made…
The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) have published new flight paths from Dublin Airport which will come into effect from February 23rd. The new routes will see some communities face increasing aircraft noise while others will see the situation improve. The areas likely to see an increase in noise are Coolquay and Oldtown with Rolestown and…
The Aircraft Noise Competent Authority (ANCA) has initiated an assessment of the noise generated by Dublin Airport to see if they have exceeded the allowed noise levels. Under the laws which brought ANCA into existence, it has the power to initiate an assessment of the noise situation at Dublin Airport to determine if additional noise…
Two new apartments blocks are being proposed for two sites at the end of Seatown Rd where it meets North St. The plans by Fingal County Council are to demolish a number of residential buildings with a view to create 36 apartments over 4 storeys. Submissions can be made from Thursday 22nd December 2022 and must be received before 11:59…
No 30 and 32 North St Swords are being redeveloped with a new apartment block attached to the rear by Fingal County Council. The buildings, which have been vacant for a number of years, were originally built a century ago as an orphanage for protestant boys, known locally as the Bird’s Nest. It was later…
In a major boost for nature restoration in Swords, Fingal County Council have unveiled plans to fully fund its Biodiversity Strategy meaning two major nature projects in the Ward River Valley and the Broadmeadow Estuary will go ahead. Now a plan will be put in place to protect salmon spawning grounds on the Ward River…
Better designed footpaths and new cycle lanes will be coming to two more schools in Swords as part of new round of funding for a national scheme announced this week. Holy Family JNS and St Colmcilles Girls NS will both be getting funding for upgrades around access to their school. The scheme is currently being…
Some 50 to 60 people braved sub-zero temperatures to attend a protest against Fingal County Council’s handling of illegal flights off the new North Runway, on Monday afternoon. Calling on the council to ‘do their job’ by enforcing the planning permission that is in place on Dublin Airport, protesters highlighted the ongoing illegal use of…
A protest against the use of flight paths from Dublin Airport that are not in line with planning permission will take place at County Hall, Swords Main Street on Monday (December 12th). The protest will begin at 4.30pm and is designed to coincide with a council meeting which is due to start at 5pm. Organised…
The temporary traffic lights on the Brackenstown Rd between Swords Manor and Knocksedan are likely to be in place until May 2023, engineers have confirmed. Speaking on a motion brought by Cllr Ian Carey to the Area Committee, Fingal Council engineers confirmed that the foundations Brackenstown Road at that point are based on clay this…
Swords has just been earmarked for a new 1,000-student ‘College of the Future’ but what exactly are they? A ‘College of the Future’ is a new concept that will bring a lot of the Further Education provision into one place. It will offer courses that allow students to finish their course and get a job…
A €50m third level institution is being planned for Swords, following a government announcement last week. The proposed ‘College of the Future’ will cater for 1,000 students and is one of a number of new third level colleges being rolled out by Education and Training Boards as part of a national strategy. The government have…
Paul Murphy, from Swords, told listeners of Morning Ireland this week how his 12-week-old son Liam needed life-saving treatment in Sweden after contracting the virus around Halloween. In an incredibly brave interview, Mr Murphy outlined how the virus had saturated the lungs of the infant and that despite treatment in Crumlin he needed to be…
A new four-person community garda unit to tackle the anti-social behaviour has been launched in Swords as a temporary measure. Superintendent Ronan Barry told the Fingal Joint Policing Committee that the new unit has been working to deal with issues relating to attacks on young people and issues in the Ward River Valley. These issues…
Plans for a new high technology and manufacturing area north of Swords are going before Fingal County Council for approval. The new area, called Lissenhall East, will contain office blocks and commercial buildings up to 6-storeys as well as a hotel, a lake, open space and the woodland around the ruins of Meudon House will…
A burst watermain led to huge swathes of Swords and Fingal being without water for days earlier this week. Schools, businesses, and childcare facilities had to close for a number of days because of the outage which was difficult to resolve. Many areas suffered two days without water with a number on higher ground left…
The much loved Swords Castle Christmas Market returns this weekend. The market will be open this Saturday and Sunday from 11am-6pm and the same again the following weekend (3rd-4th December). There will be a variety of food, drinks, arts and crafts, for sale to help you kick off the Christmas Season and get some presents…
The Liam Rodgers Community Centre, in the Swords Enterprise Park, is being used as accomodation again following the recent rise in people escaping the war in Ukraine. From April until September of this year the centre was used to accommodate Ukrainians but as other accommodation came on stream it was returned to its normal use.…
Tier bikes, that came to Swords earlier this year, have had a really strong take up and company is now expanding across Fingal. The electric bikes have been used for some 2,500 hours since they were launched in June and now the company are expanding the number of bikes and the area they cover. The…
Some 19 trees in estates in Swords will be cut down by the end of January. Various reasons have been given for the removals and they included the trees being dead/diseased or causing structural damage to walls or footpaths. The list of locations are given in the image below. Cllr Ian Carey said: “Under the…
The annual Swords Castle Christmas Market will take place over two weekends starting later this month. The market will happen on Saturday November 26th and Sunday November 27th and the following weekend Saturday December 3rd and Sunday December 4th. It usually runs from 11am to 6pm with an outdoor market and some indoor entertainment and…
Many people in Swords, Malahide, Portmarnock, St Margarets, Coolquay, Rolestown and Kinsealy, will experience a significant increase in night noise between Monday and Thursday next week. Dublin Airport have indicated that they will be running night flights between 11.30pm and 4.30am from the North Runway for the first time four days next week. The DAA…
Tonight (Nov 11th) there will be an open training session for girls looking to take up football. It’s for girls aged 4 to 12 and it will take place from 5pm to 6pm at the old astro pitch in Rivervalley. The aim is to rebuild the female section for Rivervalley Rangers and the friday session…
MSD Ireland has opened a new manfacturing facility in Swords to develop its new cancer drug. This is a major investment in the Swords site at Drynam, just north of Holywell, and will see the workforce at the site increase from 350 to 420. The new facility will develop the cancer drug Keytruda which helps…
In recent weeks Fingal County Council has issued a warning letter to the Dublin Airport Authority in relation to the operation of the new North Runway. The letter outlines a number of issues where unauthorised action may be taking place, including the current flight paths of aircraft and aircraft noise not in accordance with what…
The Swords Tidy Towns group secured the Silver Medal in this years national awards and improved their score by 10 points. This makes five years in a row that the Swords group have achieved the Silver standard with the scores continuing to improve. Commenting on the award Cllr Ian Carey said: “I want to extend…
Charlie and Claire Bird were in Swords last week to open the new Pieta centre on Bridge St. The new facility was part funded by the ‘Climb with Charlie’ initiative and a plaque was unveiled to honour his outstanding fundraising efforts. Pieta provide free counselling to those with suicidal ideation, those engaging in self-harm, and…
The project is part of the the Pathfinder Programme of 35 exemplar transport projects to be delivered by local authorities and agencies around the country within the next three years, launched by Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan. Welcoming the project announcement, Joe O’Brien TD stated: “This is great news for Swords. We will see this…
The apartments planned for the old council depot between Pinegrove and Abbeylea will begin construction by the end of the month. The project which will deliver 11 units will see contractors go on site by the end of October with the apartments expected to be completed by the end of 2023. The apartment block will…
The long-awaited all-weather pitch in Rivervalley is on the cusp of completion with officials expecting it to be finished next week. The new ‘go games’ area, pitch upgrades and car park are expected to be available to the public by the end of the year. In response to a question from Cllr Ian Carey, the…
The Swords Cycle Network is a plan to develop connected cycling infrastructure in the town. This week as part of an update on the Capital Programme of Fingal County Council, councillors were given an indicative timeline for the projects and the areas it will apply to. The Swords Cycle Network will come forward as a…
Councillors last night agreed to preserve the greenbelt zoning between Knocksedan, Ridgewood, and Rivervalley. This come on the back of a community campaign to maintain the greenbelt and prevent it being zoned residential. Following a long debate, as part of the preparation of the next Fingal Development Plan, the motion was withdrawn and it won’t…
Swords Town Park will host a Festival of Fire on Halloween Night this year. The Spooky Disco will start at 7pm followed by a magical fireworks display at 7:30pm. Make sure to wear your Halloween costume and bring your torch! This free event is part of the Safer Halloween initiative in partnership with the HSE…
A number of parents from Swords told harrowing stories of their teenager or child being assaulted by other young people in the Swords area. The testimonies came at the public meeting of the Fingal Joint Policing Committee this week, where senior Gardai and officials of Fingal County Council hear the concerns of the public and…
As part of the Railway Order, Metrolink have published detailed designs for the Metrolink stations and tracks in Swords. Some of the elements: New designs will reinstate existing estate boundaries at Seatown, Estuary Court and Ashley. Metrolink will be above ground as it passes Balheary Park, with trains visible from playing pitches. The train will…
Next week there are two public meetings happening that are important for the people of Swords. The first is the Joint Policing Committee (JPC) public meeting for the Swords/Malahide sub-district which is taking place on Wednesday, October 5th. This is where Senior Gardaí and Executives of Fingal County Council answer questions and discuss with the…
Garda Operation Tombola, which aims to minimise anti-social issues around Halloween, has started this week. This means Gardaí will be working to seize fireworks and bonfire stockpiles over the next 5 weeks Commenting on the operation, Cllr Ian Carey said: “Halloween can be a difficult time for the community. Every year we risk serious anti-social…
The last local newspaper for the Swords area will cease publishing in October after close to 40 years in print. The Fingal Independent was the last local title that served the Swords and wider Fingal area. This week the owners, Mediahuis, said: “A structural decrease in revenues in these suburban regions, combined with a very…
This might be of interest to them – a new Swords Youth Choir is looking for members. For those between the age of 13 and 18, the new Swords Youth Choir will aim to promote the positive effects of singing in an ensemble with an emphasis on fun, creativity, and community. The group are aiming…
The next important step in making Metrolink a reality will take place at the end of this month. Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) have informed local representatives that the Metrolink Railway Order will happen on September 30th. A Railway Order is the start of the planning process for the new metro and it is an application…
Only a fool would make predictions – especially about the future. So the saying goes. But there are a number of really positive signs that over the next four years the county town of Swords will see major and transformative investment, that it has so badly needed for so long. Here is the list: Swords…
Fingal County Council will write to the Chief Executive of the DAA to seek a meeting with councillors over the way Dublin Airport is operating the North Runway. A motion, from Cllr Ann Graves, calling for a meeting to be set up between the DAA and Fingal councillors got the backing of all councillors at…
The design team who will work on a major upgrade and development of the Ward River Valley Regional Park have finally been appointed. The Ward River Valley Park masterplan, which has been promised for close to 7 years, has finally got under way with the appointment of Dermot Foley Landscape Architects as the lead on…
As part of the government’s retrofitting programme for social houses, 41 homes have been retrofitted on Jugback Lane in Swords in recent months. Figure released by Fingal, show how 81 social homes across Fingal have been retrofitted year to date with a further 10 or so expected before year end. The works in the Swords…
The draft Sustainable Swords plan has been published and a public consultation has begun. It includes a series of plans for changes to roads and public realm around Swords. In particular, it proposes a large investment and redesign of Swords Main St that will increase the pedestrian area, cycle lanes, and reorientate traffic on the…
Burglaries in Swords have increased by 146% between 2021 and 2022, Garda figure have revealed. A total of 64 burglaries have been recorded this year in Swords compared with just 26 for the same period in 2021. This increase is an outlier in the Fingal DMR North region as burglaries have remained static in Malahide,…
Swords Castle will host a number of talks from popular Irish children’s authors, illustrators and artists as part of a brand new festival. The very first Fingal Festival of Children’s Literature will take place on Saturday September 17th. For details of the event see the flyer below.
Figures released this week show that Fingal County Council underspent its allocation for active travel by €5.7m in 2021. The council were allocated €14.8m for walking and cycling infrastructure last year but just over €9m was spent. This means that Fingal County Council could not spend close to 40 per cent of its allocation in…
The campaign to preserve a section of green belt in south Swords from development has launched a petition. The group called Save the Swords Green Belt are hoping to stop the development of lands between Rivervalley and Knocksedan. A submission has been made calling for the lands in question to be developed for housing as…
The new north runway at Dublin Airport has come into operation today. The €320m investment will substantially increase the capacity at Dublin Airport and is part of a long awaited expansion of the facility. Commenting on the openning Cllr Ian Carey said: “Communities around the airport have not been looking forward to this day. “The…
The west bound lane of traffic on Bridge Street in Swords is to be close for a month from this weekend. This for the laying of essential water pipes and is connected to the ongoing road works on Church Road. The closure will last from August 22nd until September 17th. The closure notice reads as…
New figures have revealed that only one extra community garda has been added to the Swords station in the last decade despite the population increasing by 20%. Information released by the Department of Justice, following a Parliamentary Question from Cllr Paul Mulville, show how police numbers have not kept pace with the population increase in…
Just as the DO NOT SWIM notice on the iconic Velvet Strand in Portmarnock was lifted last week an extension to the DO NOT SWIM notice in Balbriggan was announced. The notice on the North Strand in Balbriggan, which was first issued on July 25th, has now been extended after tests continued to find elevated…
Sustainability and biodiversity are the themes of National Heritage Week 2022 which kicks off this Saturday. Over the course of the week there will be 1,300 events going ahead around the country to celebrate our rich natural, built and cultural heritage. Some highlights from this year’s National Heritage Week programme in the Swords Local Electoral…
Fingal County Council, as the relevant planning authority, has rubberstamped the decision to allow for an increase in night time flights at Dublin Airport. The decision now brings into place the new rules around night flights at Dublin Airport as put forward by the Aircraft Noise Competent Authority (ANCA). By ANCA’s own admission, the decision…
Farmers around Swords will be able to receive payments for land with up to 50 per cent given to scrub, thicket, woodland habitat, and rock. These areas were previously ineligible for farm payments, and this led to farmers removing these high nature value habitats. This process was devastating for wildlife that relies on these pockets…
You wait for one ebike scheme to come along and then two arrive at once. A new ESB ebikes scheme, run by Bleeper bikes, is now available on Main St. Like the Tier ebike scheme that launched last month, these are electric bikes that will provide you with extra power up to 25 kmph. Unlike…
We thought we had seen the last of the SHD (Strategic Housing Development) but in recent days another has been filed for the Fosterstown area in Swords, next to Boroimhe. The proposed development, known as Pinnock Hill SHD, consists of 219 apartments and a creche on an a site of 1 and a half hectares.…
Prof Niall Moyna, known for appearing on the hit RTE show Operation Transformation, has told this week of being knocked from his bike on the Seatown Roundabout in Swords. The DCU academic outlined in a series of tweets how he was struck while taking a right turn on the roundabout and landed on his head…
The school bus service, which is for children who have a long distance to their nearest school, has been made free by the government but you must register in the next week. School children who are eligible for the scheme must register before July 29th to get free fares for the coming year. Commenting on…
Families in Swords, and across Fingal, have come forward to help with the recent wave of people displace by the war in Ukraine. Some 379 properties have been pledged to help Ukranians in Fingal, as of July 14th. Of those 311 are rooms within a home where the people will live with the family. This…
It is Ireland’s largest occupied building so as you can imagine the views from the top are incredible. The new air traffic control tower in Dublin airport sprung up in the last two years and at 87.7m high it puts the old one in the shade. At the official opening of the tower last month,…
The annual Fingal 10K will take place in Swords this weekend and parts to the town will be closed off to accomodate the race. The Fingal race is an established part of the Dublin Race Series and attracts a big crowd to the town. The race starts at 9.30am but Main St, North St and…
Have you noticed those turquoise coloured bikes around Swords? They are new rental ebikes available in Fingal. The company is Tier and the new Fingal rental scheme is their first in Ireland. They come from Berlin and in other countries they rent bikes, scooters and mopeds. The new ebike rental scheme will allow you to…
I’m not sure many people will lament the old mega-nightclub, the Wright Venue. But the building is set for a new lease of life and something really significant, from a technology perspective. The gaming publisher Riot Games is about to launch what they are calling a Remote Broadcast Centre from the old venue. So what…
The future of the long-awaited public transport megaproject Metrolink has been secured, as cabinet agree the business case. The metro which will link Swords to Dublin city centre is now expected to be delivered by 2034. The business case presented to government outlines the projected cost for the project to be in the region of…
Two key roads in Swords will be closed at the end of July for essential works. Church Road, which runs by St Columba’s Church, and Forest Road will be close for the laying of water pipes and resurfacing respectively. The Church Road closure will be for 24 hours and will run from the 25th of…
As the public consultation into the Swords Cultural Quarter beings, Fingal County Council have made public all the architectural images and reports into the proposed new building and landscaping around the castle. Commenting on the launch of the consultation, Cllr Ian Carey said: “Now for the first time we are really starting to get a…
A new sheltered housing complex has been given the go ahead in Rivervalley by Fingal County Council. The three storey building, which will be used to provide independent living space for people over 55, will be located in the centre of Rivervalley in the vacant site between the Church carpark and the community centre. In…
The Aircraft Noise Competent Authority (ANCA) have disregarded over 1,000 public submissions which were made to it in relation to proposed night time noise rules at Dublin Airport. The vast majority of public submissions made to ANCA were calling for stronger restrictions on night time flights to protect the health of the communities surrounding Dublin…
SK Biotek Ireland, the pharmaceutical manufacturer who operate next to Swords Castle, have announced a massive $35m investment in the plant. The facility, which produces cancer therapy and heart drugs, will ‘significantly increase’ its manfacturing capacity at the facility. The investment will lead to a jobs boost for the area as the company plans to…
During the pandemic so many people in Swords did what they could for their community – through small acts of kindness, running erands, checking up on neighbours and lifting people’s spirits. Some of these people were recognised recently at the Fingal Mayor’s Awards. One such group were the volunteers who prepared and delivered care packages…
Funding will go towards appointing family support workers, working with harder-to-engage children and early intervention. Minister Joe O’Brien, TD and Cllr Ian Carey have welcomed funding allocations for Youth Diversion Projects for 2022 in Dublin Fingal amounting to €316,000. Youth Diversion Projects (YDPs) engage with young people through a range of supports, including education, training…
As the number of people investing in electric cars takes off there is more an more pressure on public chargers. To respond to this the Dublin local authorities have a plan to deliver 1,650 new EV charge points by 2025. Right now they are looking for help on where to best locate them. Do you…
The architects and design team behind the Swords Cultural Quarter have given greater detail of what is planned. Ahead of the public consultation starting on July 7th, they informed councillors of the key elements of the plan. The new building will stand at the junction of North St and Seatown Rd and the new cultural…
The sports complex ALSAA, which is contained within the campus of Dublin Airport, has been threatened with closure by the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA). ALSAA, which is the home to many sports teams from Swords and North Dublin, was informed that they must vacate the complex by the end of this month. The move would…
In a remarkable level of honesty, the draft Biodiversity Action Plan for Fingal states that there are 100 urgent actions needed to stop biodiveristy loss but they only have funding to achieve 30. Fingal County Council’s Biodiversity Officer Hans Visser, has made clear that either new funding or a reallocation of council resources are needed…
District heating, where insulated pipes carrying hot water or steam directly to your home, has potential in Swords, according to Dublin’s Energy Agency. In a report on how Dublin can reach its emissions target, CODEMA Dublin’s Energy Agency have looked into the potential of providing district heating in Swords and found that it would be…
Making Swords its own Garda District will be a top priority of the new Chair of the Fingal Joint Policing Committee Cllr Ian Carey. This comments come following his election to the role last week. Cllr Carey said: “I want to do everything I can in the new role to support local garda calls for…
This week the contractor is beginning working on the Brackenstown cycle lanes. The scheme was recently on public display and will provide protected cycle lanes from Swords Manor to St Cronan’s School and from the junction with the Murrough Rd to the entrance of Laurelton. The contractor installed site works compounds at the end of…
It’s far from a polished visitor attraction but despite this Swords Castle was found to be third most visitied or recommended attraction amongst Fingal residents. In a finding that clearly points to untapped potential of the historic monument, Swords Castle has been visited by 32% of those surveyed – ahead of Newbridge House and Ardgillan…
Residents of Swords and Fingal have growing concerns about the lack of leisure facilities according to a RED C poll. The survey of over 1,000 residents found that concerns about the lack of leisure facilities in Fingal have doubled in the last five years. In 2017 just 11% of respondents said they had concerns about…
It will be over a decade from when the Masterplan for the Swords Cultural Quarter was first voted through by councillors until it is completed, latest details reveal The latest progress update on the Swords Cultural Quarter has put a likely completion time for early 2026. First approved in 2015 it will mean that by…
A new access path to the Arches at Ushers Lake will begin construction this summer, the council have confirmed. The new access route is needed for more extensive conservation work that is due to take place there in the coming months. The new path will lead from the Brookdale Green area of Rivervalley into the…
Dumpers who travel to parks and rural parts of Fingal to drop their domestic waste could soon be in for a nasty surprise. Councillors have aproved a budget of €334,000 to pay for the roll out of CCTV systems to catch those destroying our countryside. The funding was approved as one of the capital transfers…
Fingal Greens have welcomed Minister Malcolm Noonan’s announcement detailing his plan to renew the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). The NPWS manages six National Parks and 78 Nature Reserves. Comprising 15 strategic actions, the plan will see the NPWS established as an executive agency and restructured to deliver better outcomes for nature. Cllr Ian…
Travel on public transport in Fingal and across the rest of the country is now half price for people between the ages of 19 and 23, following a commitment secured by the Green Party in the last budget. With the additional 20% fare reduction on all public transport announced as part of the government’s cost…
Some €200,000 will be spent this year on developing a masterplan for the Ward River Valley Regional Park. The spend, approved by Councillors on Monday, will be used to hire consultants to work on the project and in particular a public consultation planned for later this year. The funding comes from a capital transfer following…
With the high volume of Strategic Housing Developments in Swords it can be difficult to track when you need to make a submission by. Here is a list of the applications and the dates you need to make a comment, observation or objection. You will need to pay €20 to make a submission. Ref (LA)…
A Family Fun Day is taking place in Malahide Castle for Bike Week this year. Lots of fun and games for kids as well as food trucks and trishaws for older people, as part of Cycling Without Age. Here are the details: Date: Sunday, 22 May Time: 12 noon to 5pm Location: Front lawn, Malahide Castle…
Garda Superintendent Paul Franey, for the Balbriggan District, explained this week that Gardaí have ‘made the case’ for Swords to become its own district. Swords is currently part of a large district with its headquarters in Coolock. The area includes Coolock, Malahide, Swords, Rolestown and all the way to Coolquay. With a large growing population,…
The number of people homeless in Fingal has risen steadily over the first three months of the year, figures from Fingal County Council reveal. In a recent report to councillors, the Chief Executive of Fingal County Council outlined how the number of people presenting as homeless outstripped those who exited homelessness thorugh the council by…
We need to talk about the Development Plan. Fingal County Council is currently working on a plan that will shape the way the town of Swords will develop in the coming years. We need to make sure that we don’t make the same mistakes of the past and that proper services and amenities go hand-in-hand…
Swords patriot Frank Lawless may never have known that a British Intelligence Officer scrawled the phrase ‘A Dangerous Man’ across his file – but in doing so he could not have paid the rebel a higher honour. The quartermaster of the Fingal Batallion during the Battle of Ashbourne, Lawless was the linchpin of republican efforts…
But why are all these plans coming forward now? In recent weeks, plans have been published for no less than five huge residential developments. The developments, when built, will bring whole new areas to the town and bring a significant increase in population. With hundreds of apartment blocks, houses and duplexes all contained in these…
Another Strategic Housing Development (SHD) application has just been published, this time for the lands between Swords Manor and the Swords Community College. The development will consist of 650 residential units making it the biggest development proposed in the current wave of SHDs. The Mooretown development will consist of 265 houses, 187 apartments and 198…
This huge development planned for the lands adjacent to the old Motorola factory had described in a national newspaper but the detail has now been made public. The developer is seeking permission for 621 residential units on the 14 hectare site. The new development, which will be called Holybanks, will be made up of 118…
The Round Tower and St Columbas Church in Swords have received the maximum grant of €85,000 under the Community Monuments Fund. The money will help fund repair and conservation works to the two structures. St Columba’s Church has had well documented problems with its roof. The main aims of the Community Monuments Fund are the…
A new Strategic Housing Development (SHD) for Fosterstown in Swords has been revealed today. It shows higher buildings and densities than were originally planned for the site under the 2019 masterplan. The original masterplan, developed by Fingal County Council, proposed up to 8 storeys in the eastern part of the site but this has been…
Fingal County Council are going to tender this month for conservation and improvement works to Swords Castle. The new works will involved improvements to the area known as ‘Knights and Squires’ which is to the left of the castle gate, as you look at it from Main St. It is understood the works will involve…
