Category Archives: SCA

First Ever Skerries CoderDojo a Great Success

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CoderDojo Sep 2014 05

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.

CoderDojo Sep 2014 03

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.

CoderDojo Sep 2014 02

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.

green dog walkers rectangle

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.”

Get on your bike and see the Skerries countryside!

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Bike WeekLR (3 of 7)Skerries Cycling Initiative are looking forward to welcoming lots of new faces to their  “Rediscover your Bike” cycle (20 km) along quiet roads (Saturday evening, 21 June, from 7.30 p.m.), and their much-loved Family Fun Cycle to Ardgillan Park and back (Sunday 22 June, from 12 noon).

Rediscover Your Bike – Saturday 21 June – meet at Sea Pole at 7.30 p.m.

It is amazing how beautiful the surrounds of Skerries are, and how suitable for cycling!

Bike WeekLR (6 of 7)When I recently tested this route with the organiser from the SCI, I was pleasantly surprised – most of the tour was free of traffic, and very well suited to cycling. The beauty of the rolling hills around Skerries more than makes up for having to cycle up and down those said hills, and with a half-way decent bike, this is quite do-able.

Bike WeekLR (7 of 7)A half an hour took us past the Golf Club and on very scenic roads to the outskirts of Lusk. Then we turned towards Loughshinny, which we reached in another half hour. The evenings are possibly the ideal time for cycling – the light was only beautiful on the day we were out, and the break at Loughshinny Harbour was lovely.

Bike WeekLR (1 of 7)
Refreshed and rested, we pushed on land-inwards, past Baldungan Castle (which I myself had never seen up close before, so we stopped for a photo), crossing the Skerries-Lusk road near the former Daffodil Gallery, and then on another beautiful back road down to Skerries again, where we rolled into town just in time to enjoy the last of the summer evening at the harbour.

This cycle comes highly recommended! It is aimed primarily at adults, including those who have bikes but may not have used them for a while.  Not suitable for complete beginners. See here for a map of the tour.

bike in front of harbourStarting from the Sea Pole at 7.30 p.m on Saturday evening 21 June; we anticipate returning there at around 9.30 p.m.

And don’t forget the Family Fun Cycle to Ardgillan with a picnic by the Rose Garden. Meet Skerries Mills 12 noon on Sunday 22 June!

Photographs: Michael McKenna (4), Sabine McKenna (the last one).

 Skerries Cycling Initiative is a committee of the Skerries Community Association.

Thank You from the Rás Committee

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The Skerries End Stage Rás Committee would like to say a massive THANK YOU to all who supported and helped this year with the An Post Rás End Stage and Street Party. It was a triumph of community spirit and cooperation. Thanks to all the marshals and stewards, to Fingal Tri Club and all the stallholders, the schools, community and sports groups, to our photographer Michael Johnston, the Sphinx ladies cycle group, to St Patrick’s Church, Skerries Community Association, to Coca Cola for the bottled water and to Ollies Place for the packed lunches for stewards, to Skerries Mills for their car park, Holmpatrick School for the Race Centre, to the local businesses and residents, and anyone inconvenienced by traffic restrictions, and to the spectators who turned out in droves for this great event. We could not have done it without you.

Fingers crossed for a record 10th in Skerries in 2015!

Greg Reddin, Skerries End Stage Rás Committee

Greg Reddin on Rás Day

Greg Reddin on Rás Day

Skerries Tidy Towns are Asking For Your Help

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Maeve McGann of Skerries Tidy Towns writes:

tidy towns 3Now we are in judging season for the national Tidy Towns Competition. This begins every year on 1st June and continues until the end of August. We have no idea when the adjudicators will arrive, so we need to be prepared every day.

Please lend us your support during the coming months.

Now is the time to get the window boxes and hanging baskets out. Make sure you keep them watered.

Stephen from Wisteria is offering a deal which includes a watering service – check it out.

Some premises in the town could do with a touch of paint. Check yours out and see if there is anything you can do to improve the presentation of your business. Ensure that the windows are clean and free of posters.

A well-presented business encourages customers and certainly helps us to gain more marks in the competition.

If there are any weeds near your home or business, in the kerb or at the base of buildings, please remove them.

Grass verges in front of houses need to be neat and tidy.

No litter is acceptable to the adjudicators.

Let’s all work together to show what a great town we have to live, work and grow up in.

Contact details for Skerries Tidy Towns are on their page here.

You could, of course, also join one of the regular work parties which meet every Monday evening at the old fire station on Quay Street at 7 p.m. until further notice.

tidy towns 1 tidy towns 2

National Bike Week

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Skerries Cycling Initiative are preparing some great events for the 2014 National Bike Week (14-22 June), including a “Cyclist Photo Safari” (Sunday 15 June, 9 a.m., South Strand, little bridge), a “Rediscover your Bike” cycle (20 km) along quiet roads (Saturday evening, 21 June, from 7.30 p.m.), and their much-loved Family Fun Cycle to Ardgillan Park and back (Sunday 22 June). Send them an email at cycling@skerriesca.com for details and to be added to their email Newsletter (first issue coming soon), or like their Facebook page to stay in touch.

SCI Fun Cycle

Skerries Cycling Initiative are a committee of the Skerries Community Association.

Cycling photo safari on Sunday 15 June-meet South Strand 9 a.m.

Aimed at photographers who cycle and  cyclists who photograph, the cycling photo safari will entail a  leisurely ride with stops to capture landscapes, beaches and walled gardens in the environs of Skerries. This event will be a nod/celebration  in the direction of  the Victorian era when the two activities of cycling and photography merged as cycling clubs set up photography sections and photography clubs set up cycling sections to accommodate their crossover members.
Meet on South Strand, Holmpatrick end, near the little bridge, at 9 a.m..
After taking some shots here we can cycle to Barnageeragh beach and then take our bikes over Lady’s Stairs and into Ardgillan where the Walled Garden will open at 9.30 a.m. and the Tea Rooms at 10 a.m.. for well-deserved tea/coffee and scones. After that  the world, or at least the environs of Skerries, is our oyster!

Rediscover Your Bike – Saturday 21 June – meet at Sea Pole at 7.30 p.m.

A tour on the day of the Summer Solstice – shall we call it the Giro d’Romance? – along some of the quieter roads around Skerries. This is aimed primarily at adults, including those who have bikes but may not have used them for a while. Starting from the Sea Pole at 7.30 p.m on Saturday evening 21 June; we anticipate returning there at around 9.30 p.m.

Map of route below. Black line shows route out of Skerries to Loughshinny via Lusk and red line shows return route. Hopefully we can stop and enjoy the view of Loughshinny on a pleasant summer solstice evening.

Rediscover 2014

 

Family Fun Cycle to Ardgillan with a picnic by the Rose Garden. Meet Skerries Mills 12 noon on Sunday 22 June.

Bike Week in Skerries would not be complete without the Family Fun Cycle to Ardgillan. All cyclists are welcome on the Fun Cycle, but children must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Please note that there is some hill-climbing involved so gears must be working and children should be instructed in their use. (Please check that the bike is in roadworthy condition including brakes, gears, tyre pressure and saddle height).
Children must be capable of using brakes on their bikes as the route includes significant descents in both directions.
The SCI will provide stewards to assist the riders in getting through junctions along the way.

Route to be followed (see Map): from the Skerries Mills car park via Millers Lane to the railway roundabout (1st catch-up pause), under the bridge followed by an immediate right turn up Togher Hill to Milverton Gates (2nd pause) and right again along Ardla Rd. to Ardgillan (3rd pause at the gates). We will have our BYO picnic by the Rose Garden.

For those who want it, a stewarded return to Skerries Mills Car Park will be offered in the early afternoon.

family fun cycle map

 

 

 

Tidy Towns Safari Trail launch: Sat April 26, Skerries Mills

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Tidy Towns inform us:

Safari Trail. Launch of the Safari Trail at 12 midday in Skerries Mills on Saturday 26th April. All welcome. Launch will be by Frank Prendergast from BirdWatch and introduction by Sharon Eastwood from Woodrow Sustainable Solutions.

For more information on Skerries Tidy Towns, a committee of Skerries Community Association, go to the Tidy Towns Facebook Page