Category Archives: SCA

Skerries Tidy Towns Wins a Gold Medal, Celebrating Success with a Local Awards Ceremony

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Skerries Tidy Towns Committee are delighted to announce another successful year at the Tidy Towns Awards. In this years competition, Skerries was 14 marks up on last year, finished only 5 marks off the overall winner, won a Gold Medal for the 24th year in a row AND came 2nd in Dublin County.

Local Award Winners

In recognition of the massive community effort involved in the success of Skerries Tidy Towns, the committee hosted a local awards ceremony for some very worthy locals who went above and beyond to support the efforts of our Committee.

Best Presented Non Estate House

Sponsored by Progressive Credit Union.

Winner: 16 Holmpatrick Cliona Marnell
16 Holmpatrick is charming pink house that catches the eye and encourages you to
stop for a better look. The owners make great use of planters along the front of the house and a raised planter at the front wall. At the time of judging the garden was a riot of colour, there was an abundance of pollinator plants including single dahlias, gladioli and agapanthus.


Best Presented House In An Estate

Sponsored by Tidy Towns.
Winner: 43A St Patricks Close: Vinnie Cauldwell.
This garden and house was nominated for best presented in an estate because of its
year round attractive nature. It has a small colourful well maintained garden with lots of pollinator friendly planting. It was particularly pretty throughout the summer.
It shows what can be done in a limited space and there’s still room left to sit and
enjoy it. Well done!


Best Visual/Window Display

Sponsored by Progressive Credit Union
Winner: Mua: Rebecca Todd
A bright, well maintained business which adds colour to the street. The table and chairs outside invite passers-by to ‘lig do scith’ and have a restful moment. Inside is where the magic happens.


Best Presented Laneway

Sponsored by Tidy Towns
Winner: Chapel Lane: Ethel Brannigan
We have all come to know this lovely laneway this year because of the work being undertaken on the library and it being used as an access from Church St to Strand St. Even with all the additional traffic the laneway has been kept clean and adorned with flowers to brighten everyone’s passage through. Well done to the residents for their beautifully kept houses and floral displays and for maintaining the laneway to such a high standard.


Accessibility Award

Sponsored by Tidy Towns
Winner : La Scarpetta: Simona
La Scarpetta has easy access seating areas both indoors and outdoors. They have clean spacious accessible toilets. The staff are very helpful.


Best Presented Estate

Sponsored by Skerries Community Association and Tidy Towns

Winner: Mourne View : Colm Treacy
It is with great pleasure that we give the award for Best Presented Estate this year to Mourne Estate on the occasion of its 50th anniversary. The newly revitalised Residents’ Association under chairperson Colm Treacy has been going from strength to strength, working tirelessly to enhance the lives of the community by organising events such as the family fun day in July, setting up a WhatsApp group to facilitate communication and sharing and by improving the overall look of the estate. The entrance to Mourne View is looking wonderful with its decorative stone wall and beautifully planted beds; thanks to a grant from Fingal County Council. This is an estate that has certainly embraced sustainability. Every shrub, tree and flower that has been planted by enthusiastic volunteers, in common areas, was propagated from seeds of plants harvested in the estate. The residents have been given the surplus plants to grow in their gardens. Renewable paint from the Ballymun Rediscovery Centre has been used to paint common walls in the estate. The Residents’ Association has many more plans for the future. We wish them continued success in their endeavours and congratulate Mourne Estate on being
very worthy winners of our award this year.


Best Presented Business Premises

Sponsored by Tidy Towns
Winner: Aquila: Jane Bracken
Aquila is well kept and clean with small plant containers at either side of the entrance door, which add a touch of colour to the overall appearance of the premises. Additionally the double window display changes regularly, which contributes to the impressive impact the business has on the streetscape of Strand Street

Why has Skerries in County Dublin been named as the best town in the world to live in?

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News Talk: This article includes a radio clip of an interview with the author of the article, anthropologist, Daniel Miller https://www.newstalk.com/news/why-has-skerries-been-named-as-the-best-town-in-the-world-1619059

Irish Times: You will need a subscription to Irish Times to view the following article: https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2023/11/27/unthinkable-its-hard-to-find-anywhere-much-better-than-this-east-coast-town-according-to-a-british-anthropologist/

The Guardian: Plato, pilates and pubs: has an Irish town found the secret to the good life?
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/02/has-irish-town-found-secret-the-good-life-skerries?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Updated 2nd December 2023

2023 Jim Quigley Skerries Volunteer of the Year Award for a Group

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Skerries Meals on Wheels receiving their award at the SCA AGM, from left to right: Chris Corry, Tina McGee, Lucy Coleman, Frances Hanly, Ethel Birchall, Mary Fanning, Jane Landy (SCA), Hilda Heffernan, Carmel Molloy, Eithne Mallin and Kathleen Garrigan
Skerries Meals on Wheels receiving their award at the SCA AGM, from left to right: Chris Corry, Tina McGee, Lucy Coleman, Frances Hanly, Ethel Birchall, Mary Fanning, Jane Landy (SCA), Hilda Heffernan, Carmel Molloy, Eithne Mallin and Kathleen Garrigan

This award goes to Skerries Meals on Wheels. This group of volunteers has been serving the community of Skerries for over 50 years! They currently ensure the delivery of approximately 750 meals a month. The logistics of getting the right meal to the right person at the right time are smoothly and efficiently handled. Each day requires a team of four volunteer drivers who must all be insured, briefed and Garda vetted. Financial contributions from the recipients must be collected, recorded and banked. It is a huge undertaking and it happens five days a week, all year round!
Moreover, the group was able to maintain this valuable service throughout Covid-19, complying with all restrictions.

Congratulations to Skerries Meals on Wheels and a huge thank you for all your dedication and commitment!
Jane Landy (Chair, The Skerries Community Association)

2023 Jim Quigley Skerries Volunteer of the Year for an Individual

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Gráinne Enright at Skerries Mills, receiving her award from Jane Landy (Chair of SCA)
Gráinne Enright at Skerries Mills, receiving her award from Jane Landy (Chair of SCA)

This goes to Gráinne Enright in recognition of all that she has done to welcome and support Ukrainians who have fled the war with Russia and sought refuge in Skerries. Gráinne personally organised accommodation, summer camps, clothes, bicycles, lifts, job opportunities and countless other supports. She was even involved in ensuring that our Ukrainian guests took part in the Skerries St Patrick’s Day Parade!Gráinne also worked on the Skerries Soundwaves Committee for many years and has set up a website to provide free online Maths grinds for secondary school students https://www.brighterminds.ie Her efforts have made a huge difference to the lives of so many people. Thank you Gráinne for all your wonderful work!

Jane Landy (Chair, The Skerries Community Association)

Fingal Mayor’s Award for Sabine McKenna!

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Congratulations to Sabine McKenna of Sustainable Skerries, who has received a Fingal Mayor’s Award in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the community!
Sabine was nominated for the award by Skerries Community Association board of directors. 230 nominations were submitted and 24 people (including Sabine) received awards. The awards were presented by the Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Howard Mahony, at a magnificent reception at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Blanchardstown on Thursday 1st June 2023.
We believe she was also nominated by a Skerries resident. Here is the citation that we submitted:

Sabine’s passion for the environment and determination to improve sustainability and resilience in Skerries are infectious. She chairs Sustainable Skerries, leading and growing an active committee and volunteer group.

She drives numerous projects – promoting climate action, circular economy, waste reduction, biodiversity, S.L.O.W. food, and organic gardening. Her focus is always on community, promoting local initiatives and positive changes.

In 2022, Sabine secured funding for and organised a bespoke course on sustainability for 24 local participants, who became inspired to make change in Skerries. Sabine ran the inaugural Skerries Eco night with organisations and individuals from Skerries, sharing ideas and stimulating action. The follow-up event took place on 27th April, on how to further improve biodiversity.

With ChangeX funding, she organised local volunteers to plant 30 fruit and nut trees in Open Orchards around Skerries. Inspired by this, Fingal County Council funded 70 more trees in 8 Skerries locations to be enjoyed for years to come. She is also organising Skerries’ first Eco Festival, with FCC funding, bringing together groups from Skerries to demonstrate their eco initiatives and easily-adopted sustainable practices.

Sabine was an outstanding board member and secretary of Skerries Community Association for several years. During this time, she set up and ran a committee to establish Skerries Coder Dojo – a coding club for children and teenagers, established Skerries Neighbourhood Networks, and ran the online communications and a children’s Minecraft project for Skerries Soundwaves arts festival.

Her contribution to so many aspects of life in Skerries is simply incredible!

Being interviewed by Marty Morrissey – MC for the event
Enjoying the celebrations! Sabine and her guests for the evening: Jane Landy, Helen Scullion, Ernestine Woelger and husband Michael McKenna