Age Friendly Award for Skerries Group

Posted on January 22, 2015 by SMcK

Skerries is a good place for people of all ages. This is the result of the work of many – including members of a Skerries initiative, who recently received an Age Friendly award.

In this picture: Back row: Brendan McNicholas 3rd Officer Dublin Fire Brigade; Eithne Mallin – FCC; Louise Edmonds – FCC; Brendan Sherlock – Skerries Community Association; AnnMarie Farrelly – FCC; Nora Owen – Chair Fingal Age Friendly Alliance; Front row: Cllr Mags Murray – Mayor of Fingal; Martin Russell – Skerries Community Association; Mary Conway Skerries Community Association; Bob McAlpine – Vice Chair Fingal Senior Citizen’s Forum Photo: Leo “George” Devitt

The picture of the Skerries / Fingal contingent at the awards ceremony gives you a good idea of the level of cooperation which made this possible. One of the results of their work is the current redevelopment of our Town Park with particular emphasis on making it an environment that is “friendly” to people of all ages.

Age Friendly Skerries is a committee of Skerries Community Association, and more initiatives are underway – keep your eyes open for updates!

The purpose of the first Age Friendly Recognition and Achievement Awards Ceremony, held in Cavan on 20 January 2015 was “to showcase the wonderful age-friendly initiatives from around the country that have contributed to making Ireland a great place to grow old.”

Master of Ceremonies and President Elect of the Gaelic Athletic Association, Aogán O’Fearghaill said:

It is so inspiring to be here today and hear about all the wonderful work going on around the country to make Ireland make our communities more age friendly. The benefits of an age friendly approach will be felt by all members of the community, not just older people. Working towards the goal of age friendliness makes for more cohesive communities.

Other projects chosen for recognition were:

Age Friendly Transport Award – Two Partnership Approaches for Hospital Appointments in Co Meath
Age Friendly Active and Healthy Ageing Award – Intergenerational and Creative Development at MacAuley Place, Naas, Kildare
Age Friendly Business Award – Cavan Age Friendly Business Recognition Scheme
Age Friendly Safety and Security Award – Foxford Safety and Security Project
Age Friendly Communication Award – Kilkenny Age Friendly Communication Plan
Age Friendly Community Innovation Award – Cultaca Supporting Older People, Dundalk

2009 Cycling Study

Posted on January 15, 2015 by SMcK

In 2009, the final report of the Malahide & Skerries Cycling Study was published.

Also known as “The Sustrans Study,” it contains many suggestions for Skerries and was based on extensive research and consultation. Skerries Cycling Initiative (one of the committees of Skerries Community Association) was crucially involved in it.

SCI members and a consultant

We are making it available here, so it can be used for future plans.

It is divided into four parts; part 4 contains the Skerries recommendations.

Click on the headings below to open each part in a new tab. Warning – it does not display evenly, you need to change your zoom settings; at first it might just show grey, zoom right out. Alternatively, download it to your computer and open it in Acrobat Reader. (For Windows computers, right-click on the link and select “Save Link As”.)

Sustrans Study cover

Part 1 – p. 1 to 32

Part 2 – p. 33 to 42

Part 3 – p. 43 to 66

Part 4 – from p. 67

Sustrans Contents part 1 Sustrans Contents part 2

Speed Limits – Skerries Cycling Initiative Draft Proposal

Posted on January 7, 2015 by SMcK

As part of a review of vehicle speeds in housing estates Fingal County Council has invited members of the public to submit their views, by 22 January about the adequacy of the speed limits in their local area.

Skerries Cycling Initiative (SCI) has prepared a draft submission. It is linked to below.

Briefly, we are in favour of 30km/h in residential areas as it would improve safety for all and would encourage more people to walk and cycle around the town.

SCI would welcome any comments and suggestions on the draft before it is forwarded to the Council.

Please email comments to cycling@skerriesca.com

Click on the link below to open the full draft submission.

Draft Submission on 30kph speed limits in housing estates.

Skerries Reaching Out in 2014

Posted on December 17, 2014 by SMcK

We in Skerries are part of a global network…

Skerries Reaching Out was set up to identify, using reverse genealogy, those who left Skerries, tracing them and their descendants worldwide, proactively engaging with them and inviting to reconnect with their homeland either by visiting or ‘virtually’. We also assist anybody seeking information on any past or present relative living in Skerries.
Skerries Reaching Out Dec 2014 (2)

We have been of assistance with several family enquiries during 2014. One such request in is seeking any information on any present McKibben relatives in Ireland or indeed Skerries (originally the McKibbens from Balcunnin, Skerries; you can see Charles Gordon McKibben’s name in the picture above). Another current enquiry is for any information of a Skerries connection to a William Barnwell.

If anybody has any steer at all on either of these please we would be delighted to hear from you.

Email: skerries@irelandxo.com

Skerries Cycling Initiative 2014

Posted on December 16, 2014 by SMcK

Michael McKenna, Skerries Cycling Initiative, looks back on the year which this committee of Skerries Community Association had in 2014:

We ended the year with our second Newsletter of 2014 and an online survey about walking and cycling in Skerries. The survey responses included many useful insights and suggestions and we sincerely thank all who took the trouble to complete it. The results will be published early in 2015. The Newsletter also generated over 20 new subscribers as well as the very welcome prospect of new people joining our committee in the New Year.

We got some encouraging news that funding for a cycle track from Barnageera to Balbriggan and for the Broadmeadow Estuary crossing is to be provided from 2015 on.

Fingal County Council has asked for views by 22 January on reduced speed limits in housing estates and for submissions on the redevelopment of Skerries Town Parks by 27 January. Both of these items are of huge importance to improved walking and cycling in Skerries.

We would like to thank you for your support during 2014 and will continue to work to make Skerries an even better place to grow up and grow old in over the coming years.

Skerries Cycling Initiative

Guerrilla Gardeners 2014

Posted on December 15, 2014 by SMcK

Skerries Guerrilla Gardeners, a committee of Skerries Community Association, are looking back on a busy year. They write:

We have been working with the parents and staff in the local schools to create outdoor learning areas.

The structure of the outdoor classroom and some gardeners

Skerries Educate Together parents & guerrilla gardeners

In Skerries Educate Together NS the hard landscaping and structures funded by the Percent for Art scheme are completed. Parents and children are now installing mulch-lined pathways, raised beds and a planting scheme. When this is finalised in early 2015, the school will have a wonderful new space in a beautiful setting. The funding from a Local Agenda 21 grant will enable the purchase of plants and other supplies which cannot be sourced or supplied through voluntary effort.

Building work at St Patrick’s Junior will also lead to a changed layout for the school garden. Despite this, every child has been involved in making bird feeders, fat balls and ‘leaf’ collections. Each class has looked at the diversity of plants within its grounds, and the children have been planting a wide range to attract different species of butterflies and bees.

As we look forward to 2015 we are hoping to build on previous successes (and failures!) and would love to hear from anyone who is willing to volunteer a couple of hours a month.

Contact: Michael McKenna – gardeners@skerriesca.com

More of the action at Skerries Educate Together

Skerries Town Twinning Review of 2014

Posted on December 15, 2014 by SMcK

Joyeux Noel et Bonne Année !

Skerries Town Twinning Association had a busy year in 2014 celebrating the 20th anniversary of the twinning with the Canton of Guichen. In August we welcomed 41 visitors and we were most grateful to all the local families who hosted the visitors. Also to the many individuals and associations who helped us with the organisation of the events in the 5-day visit.

Au revoir! Visitors from Guichen depart from Skerries 2014

We look forward now to a return trip in July 2015 to celebrate the twinning link in the Canton of Guichen. We will keep you all informed of plans.

We have also been invited to send three young people ( +16) to take part in an international work camp In Laillé, also during July. This will be a very exciting project and we will be getting started on recruiting the participants in the New Year.

commemorative plaque in Floraville Park, Skerries

We will be holding our annual Dinner at the end of January, Saturday 24th in The Rockabill restaurant and hope to contact all our members and friends before then with final details.

Bird Boxes set up – Tidy Towns, Foróige and BirdWatch Ireland

Posted on December 15, 2014 by SMcK

On Saturday 15th November, BirdWatch Ireland members invited representatives of the Fóroige group and the Tidy Towns Committee (one of the committees of Skerries Community Association) to come along and help erect the boxes.
The sites selected were in the grounds of the Church of Ireland and in the park adjacent to the Mill. The sites chosen for the bat boxes are close to known existing roosts.
The bird boxes were placed in areas of high bird activity.

The bird boxes will be monitored for activity in spring by Birdwatch Ireland who has undertaken to clean them each year after use, to make them ready for the following year’s occupants.

Paul Denny on ladder, Jim English, Breege Madden, Abbey Holland and Paul Lynch.

Source: Skerries Tidy Towns

Skerries Town Park Public Consultation

Posted on December 9, 2014 by SMcK

Skerries Town Park Masterplan Consultation is underway now and closes on 27 January: As Part of Age Friendly Action Skerries, Fingal County Council is planning to improve Skerries Town Park. Plans are on display until 13 January.

From the Site Notice.

The plans for the Skerries Town Park Masterplan are available now in Swords & Balbriggan County Offices and in Skerries Library – as well as on the Fingal County Council website, from where we retrieved the documents on this page, too.

Please note that the current masterplan deals with the following aspects:

New Play Facilities including Children’s Playground and Multi-use Games Area
New Adult Exercise Area
Improved Path Network including resurfacing of existing paths, additional sections of footpaths and 3 additional pedestrian entrances
Provision of Wildlife Viewing Deck
Reconfiguration of Sports Pitches
Upgrading of Existing Sports Pitches
Upgrading of Existing Sports Pitches including improving drainage

click on the map to enlarge (opens in a new tab)

The Directors of Skerries Community Association are encouraging everybody, and all groups in Skerries (especially its own committees) to take a good look at the documents and to make any views known to devplan@fingal.ie

[Fingal County Council add: All comment,s including the names and addresses of those making comments, submitted to the Council in regard to this development will form part of the statutorily required report to be presented to the monthly meeting of Fingal County Council. Accordingly they will also be included in the minutes of that meeting and consequently will appear on the Council’s Website.]

Skerries Town Park Proposed Improvements

From the Report

Tidy Towns Annual Awards Night 2014

Posted on December 3, 2014 by SMcK

The annual awards night of Skerries Tidy Towns (one of the most active committees of Skerries Community Association) was held recently in Joe Mays. A large crowd came to see the prizes being presented and celebrate a great year for Tidy Towns in Skerries.

The best-presented business went to The White Cottages, sponsored by Tom and Denyze from Skerries Art School.
The best floral display went to Ollie’s Place, sponsored by the Tidy Towns committee, who also sponsored the best signage, which went to Da Vino’s.
The best window display went to VIP (Very Important Parties) and was sponsored by the Red Bank.
The award for the best-presented private house in the town went to O’Leary’s in the Square and was sponsored by Tidy Towns.
The best-presented house in an estate went to Gerry Boardman at 16 Mill Hill Park, sponsored by Shay Kelly Auctioneers.
The best estate award was shared by the Heights, Jetty, Tide, Harbour and the Rise areas of Kelly’s Bay, sponsored by Skerries Community Association.

Photographs by Skerries Tidy Towns / Brendan Sherlock.