Category Archives: SCA

Age Friendly Town Skerries – A new committee!

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Making Skerries a better place in which to live, work and grow old

In 2013, Fingal County Council, in association with Age Friendly Ireland, selected Skerries as the town in which to pilot the Age Friendly Town process in Fingal. This was something that Skerries Community Association had been wanting to do for many years.
The aim is to make Skerries a better place in which to live, work and grow old. As part of the process, a number of activities were carried out in the town including:
  • A walkability study
  • Consultation days with older adults and service providers
  • An audit of signage in the town
  • Participation in the “Business of Aging” programme on the part of Skerries Chamber of Commerce and Prosper Fingal.
Limerick December 2013, Skerries received its Age Friendly Town Charter

Limerick December 2013, Skerries received its Age Friendly Town Charter

Feedback from the consultation was used to develop an action plan for the town which includes:
  1. The upgrade and enhancement of the Town Park making it more accessible for all.
  2. Roll out of OPRAH (Older People Remaining at Home) initiative by the HSE.
    In conjunction with the HSE 26 people are being cared for in their own homes by the provision of extra care services. This is organised by the District Nurse, the patient’s doctor and the HSE.
  3. Roll out of befriending programmes to alleviate social isolation.
    Crosscare are organising visits to people’s home once a week for a chat for an hour where people have indicated the need for such a visit.  Both the client and the visitor are visited by Crosscare first and the visitor is Garda vetted.  There were 17 volunteers in August 2015, and Cross Care were in the process of getting more volunteers.
  4. Setting up of, and support for, Carers’ Meetings in association with the Carers’ Association.
    Carers meet regularly in Skerries Mills. See The Carer’s Association
  5. “Message in a Bottle” Initiative
    This project, launched with the support of Skerries Fire Brigade, helps to save the emergency services valuable time identifying someone in difficulty. It is a potential lifesaver and provides peace of mind to the user, their carer, and their family. A white plastic bottle with specific markings has been given to older  people, especially those living alone.  The idea is that their medicines and other important next-of-kin details are in the bottle and the emergency services will search for the bottle  automatically
  6. Making Skerries more accessible to older people:
    In conjunction with the Liaison Committee two seats have been placed in Strand Street.A walkability study was done with a number of people to identify hazards and some repairs were carried out and some more need identifying to the Council.
  7. Older people and hospitals:
    The Fingal Alliance group and the Skerries group attended a meeting with Beaumont  hospital with a view to making it more user friendly.
    The vantastic bus to the hospitals is working well. You do need to register first and then book your seat on time 5 euro each way.
  8. Provision of information on services and social clubs.
    An information Pack was launched in August 2014 and will be distributed to all of the established estates in the hope to reach will get most of the older people.
    The information pack is also available in Skerries Library and in the Citizens Information Office, New Street, as well as at Reception in our Community Centre.
    Citizens Information in New St are updating their local file of information in addition to all the other information and will be happy to help with Age Friendly information.   It is our aim  to have a full internet-enabled data base for everyone in Skerries when we get more resources.

Skerries Age Friendly Committee

The committee is working on addressing a number of the action items above and currently focuses on:
  • Building and maintaining a database of all services available in Skerries (for everyone including the over 55s).
  • Promoting and facilitating greater inclusion in the social, cultural and sporting life in Skerries on the part of older adults.
  • Building up and maintaining a network of older people who can be contacted in person or via the phone as well as via online or print means.
We are doing the above in partnership with FCC (Eithne Mallin) who is coordinating the delivery of other age friendly services in Skerries by a number of organisations.
FCC is supporting us by providing information about sources of funding and useful contacts etc. The committee is part of The Skerries Community Association Ltd.
 
If you or someone you know would like to get involved, please email agefriendly@skerriesca.com.
Contact: Mary & Brendan at agefriendly@skerriesca.com

Skerries Liaison Committee October 2014

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The Skerries Liaison Committee met on the 14th October. This was the first meeting since the local elections and was a good opportunity for the new councillors to familiarise themselves with some of the work that goes on in Skerries and for the contribution of former councillors to be acknowledged.

The meeting received submissions from residents regarding the provision of disabled parking spaces and the use of Irish in the town. There was also a presentation from Skerries Rowing Club on their need for increased facilities as the club has grown in membership. The meeting also received an update on the Floraville community garden and had a discussion on the results of the Tidy Towns competition.

tidy towns 2The provisions for Halloween were also mentioned. The Council advised that any burnable materials that are being stored on public property be reported to the Council as soon as possible for removal. Contact: Operations Section 890 5826

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The Liaison Committee is an informal meeting of community groups (including the SCA) and Fingal County Council officials. The committee meets four times per year and any resident of Skerries can request for a topic to be discussed.

The SCA representatives on the committee are Jane Landy (jane.landy@skerriesca.com) and Geoff McEvoy (geoff.mcevoy@skerriesca.com)

A Community Food Garden for Skerries?

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This month, Sustainable Skerries (one of our Skerries Community Association committees) hosted a public meeting about setting up a Community Food Garden in Skerries.
Skerries Community Garden logo

The Skerries Community Garden logo looks promising.

A Community Food Garden is land gardened by and for the benefit of the community. Following an informative presentation from a representative of Santry Community Garden, and a lively discussion, a steering team has  been put together to drive the project forward.
If you are interested in getting involved in the initial stages, please email Zaneta on zanetawright@gmail.com

Fingal County Council Launches Green Dog Walker Campaign in Skerries

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In September, Fingal County Council came out to Skerries to launch the Green Dog Walker Campaign. The Mayor, a Dog Warden, an Environmental Officer and lots of dogs, as well as Skerries folk and their dogs, and of course our Chairperson all were at the South Strand on the day to help with the launch.

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Fingal Co Co launches its Green Dog walkers campaign in Skerries. From front left, clockwise: Tiger. Fingal’s Mayor, Mags Murray. Ciara Leonard, Chairperson, Skerries Community Association. Fingal Litter Warden Tony Law, and his dog Roxy. Photo by Kevin Mcfeely

Let’s hope that this initiative will contribute to a safer, doggy-do-accident-free walking environment in Skerries!

Green Dog Walkers is a regional programme. It is a non-confrontational, friendly way to change attitudes about dog fouling.

Volunteers wear a Green Dog Walkers armband which signifies that they have “taken the pledge” to always:

  • clean up after their dog
  • wear the armband or put the Green Dog Walkers collar on their dog when walking
  • carry extra dog waste bags
  • be happy to be approached to ‘lend’ a dog waste bag to those without
  • be a friendly reminder to other dog walkers to clean up after their dogs

Sounds good, doesn’t it?  And you can still join! All you have to do is sign the  Green Dog Walkers Pledge – either online (follow the link) and return by email to enviraware@fingal.ie or post to the Environment Department, Fingal County Council, County Hall, Swords, Co. Dublin. A Green Dog Walker armband and a bone dog bag dispenser will then be posted to you.

Green Dog Walkers 2014 (9)Green Dog Walkers 2014 (2)
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Tidy Towns Success 2014!

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Maeve McGann from Skerries Tidy Town writes:

“We won the county award and a gold medal. We went up 7 points and are now only 4 points behind the overall winner, Kilkenny. This is the highest we have ever been in the competition.” Well done indeed!

tidy towns May 2014 terns

The following is an extract from the 2014 report, which we have also posted in full on a separate page:

Skerries is a lovely coastal town that is a pleasure to visit. Its charms are numerous, but its buildings, coastal location and beach, harbour and high quality open spaces stand out.

The high level of participation of volunteers is a reflection of the pride that local people take in the town

It was a very great pleasure to revisit Skerries and experience its many delightful charms on a perfect summer’s day.

tidy towns May 2014 oyster cormorant

Over the past number of years, the projects of Skerries Tidy Towns have included:

  • Commissioning sculptures of The Cormorant, Terns, Oyster Catchers and, in conjunction with Skerries Tourism, the Percy French seat
  • To commemorate the centenary of the opening of the Carnegie Library in Skerries, they commissioned a three-faced clock for the library tower
  • They erected three plaques to mark areas of local interest: “Walker’s Corner,” “The Bay Wall” and “The Ovens”

The very successful Adopt a Beach initiative by Skerries News – which got a well-deserved special mention in the adjudication report – and Adopt a Patch initiative by Skerries Tidy Towns ensure that the beaches and green spaces in the town are kept virtually litter free, thanks to the involvement of local residents.

Do find their Facebook page, and see what else they do!

Skerries Community Association would like to congratulate the Tidy Towns committee – also all those mentioned in it (we hope we didn’t miss anyone):

Skerries Tourism & Town Information Office, Skerries Mills, Skerries Adopt-A-Beach, Olive Skerries, Parachute Cafe-Skerries, Foróige Skerries, Fingal County Council, Fingal Leader Partnership, the Skerries Community Association – SCA (that’s us), Skerries Cycling Initiative, Sustainable Skerries, Skerries Guerrilla Gardeners, Skerries Reaching Out, Skerries Bookshop, Venezuela, The Shoe Horn ltd, EBS Skerries, Blooms, Rockabill Restaurant, Divino, Present Company, Nealons Pub, Gladstone Inn, Kelly’s Solicitors, @Red Island Wine, The Parlour Bar, Ritz, The Steakhouse, SuperValu, Skerries, The Church of Ireland, Bring Back The Pole , Sea Memorial Skerries, BirdWatch Ireland, Irish Seal Sanctuary, schools, youth groups, scouts

… and of course all the people living and working in Skerries.

flower display at the monument

The flower display at the monument – one of the many things the adjudicators liked!

 

20 Years of Skerries Town Twinning

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Skerries Town Twinning Association, part of the Skerries Community Association, looks back on a very successful visit from France which marks the 20th anniversary of the first visit from Guichen!

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Bon Retour en France !

Fond farewells, warm hugs and  kisses on both cheeks  were the order of the day on Tuesday afternoon last, when Skerries hosts bid  ‘au revoir et bon retour’ to the 41 guests who had come to Skerries from the Canton of Guichen.  They were here to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the twinning of the two areas.  It seemed like no time since the visitors had arrived to blue skies, but, right on cue, the first rain of the five days fell, as they departed.

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During their stay, the visitors, young and old, had packed in an eventful time.  On Friday morning, the adults of the group had guided tours of Ardgillan Gardens and the Castle, while the younger visitors were warmly welcomed to the Cúl Camp in Skerries Harps GAA.  In the afternoon the adults among the group had guided walking tours of Skerries, and the kids had a Treasure Hunt around the town.

Friday evening saw the official opening of the joint photographic venture, called ‘Through Each Other’s Eyes’ – photographers from Guichen and Skerries having photographed each other’s landscape and people.  The opening was performed by Councillor Grainne McKenna, deputising for the Mayor of Fingal.  There was a large crowd from across a broad spectrum of local people, many of whom had been among those who had welcomed the original visitors twenty years ago.   Many of the photos were quickly sold, a tribute to the high quality of the works.  Others photos were on display in Seasons, Rockabill, Parachute and The Plough restaurants.

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On Saturday, an illustrated talk on ‘Twenty Years of Twinning’ took place in Keane’s Bus Bar and Skerries Town Twinning Association was pleased to welcome representatives from Rush, Loughshinny, Balrothery and Lusk Twinning Associations who spoke of their experience of having a twin town.  On behalf of the Canton of Guichen, Philippe Gourronc, Jean-Paul Gachot and Jean-Paul Quéré made  contributions to the discussion which followed the talk.  Meanwhile a drama workshop occupied the younger folk. Workshops on Celtic embroidery, set dancing and traditional music were also organised.  An evening of music and song, by young Skerries artists took place in Café Jacques to round off a busy day.

At Mass on Sunday, there were French, English and Irish readings, followed by a display of Breton music and dancing outside St. Patrick’s Church, before a colourful parade set out for Guichen Way ( on Red Island), where despite the strong breeze, a beautifully engraved piece of Milverton granite commemorating the twentieth anniversary was unveiled and the twinning promise of friendship and cooperation was renewed.  This plaque was kindly organised and donated by Wisteria Garden, Strand Street.  This plaque will be incorporated into the new Town Garden, beside the Library, when it is completed.

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On Sunday afternoon a hotly contested Boules tournament took place at The Dorn.  Eight teams were formed (each comprising French and Skerries participants).  After several rounds of heats, the winners, aptly named ‘The Goats’,  narrowly defeated ‘The Bears’ amid much fun and laughter and a fine air of competitiveness.  A return match is promised in Guichen next year, when a group will travel for the twentieth celebrations there.    A special Dinner was held on Sunday evening in Skerries Golf Club.

Bright and early on Monday morning, the Guichen group, accompanied by three Skerries members set out for a day-long excursion to Kilkenny.  It was an excellent day, the weather held up and there was an enjoyable guided tour of St. Canice’s Cathedral, with many of the group climbing the Round Tower, followed by a picnic and tour of Kilkenny Castle.  A little retail therapy followed and all were glad to climb aboard the bus for the return trip to Skerries.  A final evening of singing and music was held in Joe May’s and despite the weariness which was beginning to creep in, a very lively session took place, with Skerries and Guichen singers and musicians contributing in turn to the entertainment.

Finally, for the brave-hearted, a quick trip to Dublin took place on Tuesday morning, before packing of bags for the return trip via Rosslare.

The five day visit was a great success and plans are already afoot for the return in July 2015.  Huge thanks must go to the host families and the many individuals and organisations, who gave so freely of their time and energy to make the trip such a success.  If you would like to see more photos, follow us on Facebook or contact any of our members – jcoleman467@gmail.com, bnfriel@gmail.com or staffordmar@eircom.net

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First Ever Skerries CoderDojo a Great Success

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The newest Skerries Community Association committee, Skerries CoderDojo, had a great start to its monthly free computing-club sessions. Their aim is to bring interested young people aged 7 to 17 and mentors who have a computing / coding background together. The buzzword here is Digital Literacy, the ability to not just use computers but to understand how they work, and to write your own computer programs.

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The organisers, helpers, and mentors numbered more than a dozen, and the interest in Skerries for this monthly event is huge. The venue could hold 30 “ninjas” (which is what CoderDojo participants are called) – it could have been filled twice over, and the (free) tickets were snapped up within twenty minutes.

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If anybody would like to join the group of mentors / parent helpers / organisers, they can send an email to coderdojo@skerriesca.com. And if you would like to get a ticket for the October meeting, scheduled for Sun Oct 5, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., then you need to keep an eye on the daily SCA Newsflash email – that, and the SkerriesCoderDojo Google Group (which you are invited to join)  is where you will first learn when next month’s tickets are released.

CoderDojo Sep 2014 04

PS: The organisers asked for feedback; here just a very short summary:

Do you think you will be back for next month’s event? – Yes, definitely. – 100%.

What was particularly good from your point of view? 

“The number of mentors available and the expertise. Also, the kids were having such a great time”

“It’s a fun environment, yet the children really learn something in a constructive way”

“The buzz in the room, community spirit. ”

“An opportunity for “screen-time” with other kids … what’s not to like. My beginner child feels so enabled now – great for self esteem”

Skerries Community Association is delighted to be helping Skerries CoderDojo to get established and would like to thank all the mentors, organisers, and helpers for their efforts. Best of luck to you for the future!

Be a Green Dog Walker!

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Have you noticed? The days are getting shorter. And for those of us with dogs to walk, we’ll increasingly be out and about with Fido in the dark. Joggers, walkers, kids going to school will be out when it’s not 100% bright, either… and these are the times when we are all particularly happy about clean, poo-free sidewalks, roads, and verges!

I guess 99.5% of all dog walkers are well-intentioned and always mean to tidy up after their dog. Sometimes, however, they might be caught without a plastic bag to do so…

Enter the Green Dog Walker!

Green Dog Walkers is a regional programme. It is a non-confrontational, friendly way to change attitudes about dog fouling.

Volunteers wear a Green Dog Walkers armband which signifies that they have “taken the pledge” to always:

  • clean up after their dog
  • wear the armband or put the Green Dog Walkers collar on their dog when walking
  • carry extra dog waste bags
  • be happy to be approached to ‘lend’ a dog waste bag to those without
  • be a friendly reminder to other dog walkers to clean up after their dogs

Sounds good, doesn’t it?  All you have to do is sign the  Green Dog Walkers Pledge – either online (follow the link) and return by email to enviraware@fingal.ie or post to the Environment Department, Fingal County Council, County Hall, Swords, Co. Dublin. A Green Dog Walker armband and a bone dog bag dispenser will then be posted to you.

Or even better: Come to the South Strand, Skerries, between 10 a.m. and 12 noon this coming Saturday (13 Sep), meet a Fingal dog warden, “take the pledge,” and meet other doggies and their walkers! (Or should that be: walkers and their doggies?)

Do encourage friends with dogs or dog lovers to come down and join in the fun!

You can read more with our  Green Dog Walker Leaflet or Green Dog Walker Leaflet Irish Version .

Skerries Community Association is happy to be cooperating with Fingal County Council in this initiative.

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Centenary Celebrations for The Old School

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This August, it will be exactly 100 years since the doors first opened of what is now the Old Schoolhouse. To mark this, there will be an evening of reminiscence and celebration, organised by Skerries Community Association and taking place  in the very building.  On Tuesday 26 August, from 8 p.m.  the people of Skerries are invited to a very enjoyable evening of pictures, historical information, reminiscences and more. Stephanie Bourke of Skerries Historical Society will provide the historical background – complete with a number of old photos. Refreshments will be provided, and plans are shaping up nicely for reminiscences, folklore, music and song… and a variety of other contributions. Will we see you there? Do come along to this free event!

Mary, Jane, Rachel and Ciara (aka The Centenary Celebration Commission)

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New Officers for Skerries Community Association

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At the August meeting of the directors of Skerries Community Association, three new officers were elected and one agreed to continue with her role.

The SCA directors, all volunteers, normally meet once a month, and their August meeting, far from suffering from any summer-time blues, saw near-full attendance and a number of exciting changes.

After three years as the SCA Chairperson, Martin Russell (well-known in Skerries for his work with Mourne View Residents’ Association, the Mourne View soccer club, the cricket club to list but a few) handed over the reins to fellow director Ciara Leonard.

Ciara has been on the Board of Directors for a good number of years and is delighted to be elected as chairperson. With her finger in many pies, from The Little Theatre Upgrade Project to Skerries Water Quality, she hopes to continue on Martin Russell’s fantastic hard work. Ciara is very much looking forward to kick-starting her new role with the centenary celebrations of The Old School on the 26th of August!

Geoff McEvoy was elected as the Vice Chairperson. Geoff has lived in Skerries since he was four years old and is a former pupil of Réalt na Mara and Skerries Community College. He joined the SCA Board of Directors in 2013.
Zaneta Wright is the new Secretary.  On the SCA Board since earlier in 2014, Zaneta has been living in Skerries since 2008. She is involved with Sustainable Skerries and is very interested in working towards developing a better, happier and more resilient world.

 And the Skerries Community Association’s directors are very indebted to their treasurer, Mary Conway, who has agreed to continue as the Treasurer of the SCA. Mary has been involved with Tidy Towns for many years and has also been serving on the board of the SCA for a good while.

Together with the other Directors, Ciara, Geoff, Zaneta and Mary will certainly do their best to contribute to the SCA’s central mission: To make a great town even better!

Our new SCA chairperson, Ciara Leonard, stated: “I hope to follow in the footsteps of the past chairpersons I have worked with on the SCA, especially Ernestine Woelger, Jane Landy, and of course Martin Russell. They have been an inspiration to me through their hard work and achievements. I admire the dedication of all the directors of the SCA board and their enthusiasm and commitment to making Skerries an even better community to be a part of. I aim to give continued support to the longer-established committees like Skerries Tidy Towns and Skerries Town Twinning Association – but equally to the newer committees that are under the SCA umbrella, like CoderDojo . I hope to increase the opportunities for local volunteers to be get involved with a group of their own interest through the positive success of local projects and groups.”