Category Archives: SCA

Skerries – the overall winner of the 2016 Tidy Towns competition!

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Skerries is a fantastic place to live in – and it’s now officially the top Tidy Town in Ireland! Well done to Skerries Tidy Towns Committee.

The winning team back in Skerries

Photograph by Ray Watts, Skerries

The chair of Skerries Community Association, Geoff McEvoy, said on the day:
“I know I speak for the whole board when I express how delighted we are for Ann, Maeve, Mary and the whole Tidy Towns team. An award like this is the product of years of hard work by the committee and an army of volunteers. Skerries is lucky to have them!”
Indeed.

For links to some of the major coverage of this fantastic news item, go to the very bottom of this post.

A lot of work has gone into making Skerries an ever-better place for us locals and visitors alike. It’s not just the weekly work parties… you can read about the work this very active committee is doing on their dedicated page here on our Skerries Community Association website (they are, after all, one of our many committees).

A considerable amount of research, planning, and reporting is involved as well.

The Tidy Towns Committee this year focused on the Winning Value of Water – this is a piece by Mary Conway (you can see her on the above picture, fourth from right) that significantly contributed to the win.

The value of Water

Skerries is a seaside town which lies approx 25 kilometres north of Dublin City. It has two beaches, a harbour and a restored windmill and watermill. It has a long association with the sea. In previous times the residents depended on fishing for a livelihood. In recent times the population of Skerries has increased five fold and now stands just short ten thousand people. Luckily there is a very good community spirit in the town and enthusiasm for conserving energy in general and especially water as you will see from some of the projects below.

Floraville Community Garden in the Town Centre.

The new Community Garden provided under auspices of the Chamber of Commerce. This garden was designed in strict accordance with the recommendations of the Greater Dublin Strategic Drainage Study and other regulatory guidelines of Fingal County Council and the Department of Environment. This includes collection of rainwater falling onto all pavements and hard standing areas, its attenuation and ultimately its infiltration into the ground.
In addition, it was decided to implement a rainwater harvesting strategy and thereby minimise the amount of water that would be required from the public mains service. This was done by using a shallow underground 3000 litre F-Line rainwater harvesting tank and system so that this amount of water would be available for watering the garden. The system includes a state of the art automatic pumping system to provide the desired gardening water pressure while at the same time minimises power usage to operational periods only. The pump goes into hibernation mode at all other times. Water from this source is used by volunteers who maintain the flower planters around the town.

SKERRIES ALLOTTMENTS

From the outset the allotment holders wanted to be off-grid, i.e. not connected to mains electricity or water. There’s a stream running through the middle of the allotment fields from where we get our water. It’s pumped from this stream to
a 70,000 liter tank at the highest point of the scheme. From this tank, water troughs around the allotments are fed by gravity flow.
There are about 50 such troughs situated so that from any allotment you shouldn’t have to walk more that 10 meters to get water. 

Troughs were deliberately chosen as opposed to standpipes as it was felt that with standpipes, people might use hoses and be more wasteful of water. In addition to this many of the allotment holders have water butts and collect rainwater from shed roofs.

The Skerries allotments group held an open morning to encourage new people to become involved in the allotment community. They set up a sustainable watering system using the existing scheme with a solar pump which pumps water to a large container which is then gravity fed to troughs at various locations in the field.

As to quantities of water saved, I suppose of a hot summers day, an average allotment holder would use 30-40 liters of water on my allotment. There are about 250 allotments so, potentially, that could be 10,000 liters/day that would otherwise have come from the mains. Off course this depends on the weather, whether or not there’s a poly-tunnel, etc. Fingal County Council and the Fingal Leader Partnership did help financially to get started. Increased use of natural mulching and waterbutts in continuously encouraged.

COMMUNITY FOOD GARDEN

This year a site for the community garden has been secured and a Committee are looking at the ways of saving water and they are receiving the co-operation of the allotments group.
Already they have a 1000 litre tank to harness the rainwater from the roof of the wind/watermill. There is consideration being given to the idea of using the stream beside the watermill to draw water using a solar panel and then collect it in a tank. As this project progresses more consideration will be given to rainwater collection and the use of the stream.

Being a member of Skerries Tidy Towns for many years and involved in other community groups I was very impressed with the amount of planning this group has done in short while and have no doubt but it will be successful.

School Survey

A survey was carried out in the schools about the amount of water saved in homes.
Water/energy conservation publicity in Skerries News
The Tidy Towns Committee arrange with the local News publication to publish a number of abbreviated helpful hints on energy saving from Green homes covering waste reduction, water conservation, energy saving in the home, reducing carbon emissions and tips for recycling. A cartoon character called TiTo was commissioned specially to highlight these tips. Tidy Towns and Skerries Community Association Facebook and websites are used regularly.

Skerries is so lucky to be close to the sea as it provided much enjoyment for the residents. There is a sailing club, rowing club and a surf board group. These clubs provide much needed training for its members. Let us not forget the daily swimmers all year round. There is a safe swimming place on the head which has a area suitable for wheelchairs.

There is great awareness of the power and dangers of the water. A huge number of children are trained to a high level in general water safety every year.
Despite the high level of water sports enjoyed by the people of Skerries the sea took its toll on the fishing people. Last year Community got together and erected a memorial of all the fishermen and other sea users that lost their lives off Skerries.

Mary Conway
Skerries Tidy Towns

Skerries Tidy Towns Win In The News

Our Submission to the 2017-2023 County Development Plan

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On Friday, 29 April 2016, after an intense process of engaging with the draft development plan for Fingal County Council, the Skerries Community Association made a formal submission.

Geoff McEvoy, our chair, wrote in his covering letter:

The Skerries Community Association Ltd. is an umbrella group of eleven different committees, made up of several hundred volunteers, devoted to making the quality of life in Skerries even better. The SCA is a not for profit structured as Company Limited by Guarantee. We are governed by a board of fifteen directors. Our vision statement and articles of association are viewable on our website: skerriesca.com Our submission has been informed by discussions at board level and consultation with our member committees, some of whom will also be making their own submissions.

The full text of our submission is available here:

CVQ-3359 – Development Plan SCA Observations – 29-04-2016 11-45am

Fingal CC Development Plan and SCA

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Skerries Community Association is currently drafting a submission for the Fingal County Council Development Plan for 2017-2023.

2023! The kids who are starting school this September will be in 6th Class then, and those who are preparing for Junior Cert right now will be in their early twenties, and even the Leaving Cert will just be a fading memory….

So this is long-term, big-scale thinking which requires reflecting where we want Skerries to be in 2023. The Board of Directors of the Skerries Community Association is basing its work on a submission on the following:

Vision for Skerries – What do we think is “great” about our town / could be done to make it even better?
  • sustainable development, in keeping with the current character of the town
  • When it comes to economic development, a technology park may be a good fit; industrial areas would not be
  • the needs of commuters need to be borne in mind
  • being able to move around town without having to use the car
  • age friendly – for all ages
  • more energy-efficiency, use of renewable energies (wind, water, willows)
  • vibrant community
  • cultural, sporting amenities
  • amenities for visitors (hotel / hotels e.g.)
Housing
  • Sustainable development, good-quality housing with amenities nearby.
  • Options for all – including apartments / smaller units close to shops and other infrastructure for those with impaired mobility.
As Skerries grows we need to think how that will look. Do we want higher density (three or four stories) housing or alternatively see the “footprint” of the town spread out much further than currently?

Areas for possible future housing development should be identified on the development plan.

 

Transport
All residential areas of Skerries should be accessible in a safe, sustainable way to the town centre and the public transport network: Foot paths, cycle paths, safe roads.
This should apply to both existing and new areas.
Cycle paths and foot paths – there are many instances where paths stop all of a sudden. These need to be connected / finished.

Over to you!

We (the SCA) are encouraging all Skerries residents to have a look at the development plan consultation process. Fingal County Council have put all relevant information here. The public consultation drop-in sessions are over, but all documents are available online, and we are including a few here as well.

If you have any comments that you think we should include in our submission, please mail them to secretary@skerriesca.com as soon as possible.

Skerries Volunteer Showcase Event 2016

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Tuesday the 23rdFebruary, 2016, Skerries Harps GFC Clubhouse, Skerries
7 p.m. to 8.30 p.m.

SCA VolunteersThe organisers, Fingal County Council;s Community Development Office, Fingal Volunteer Centre & local partners Mourne Community Centre and ourselves, the Skerries Community Association, hope that some 30 groups will be present on the day.

The groups will set up from 5.30 and have one hour for networking until the event is opened to the public with the official Launch by Mayor of Fingal – Cllr. David O’Connor at 7 p.m.

SCA Logo 2016

Apart from Skerries groups looking to recruit volunteers, there will be seven Countywide / National Organisations as well, such as Foróige, Jigsaw, and Bereaved by Suicide.

All those who think they might have anything between a couple of hours once-off and a few hours every day to spare should come to the Harps Clubhouse on that 23 Feb, from 7 to 8.30!

Any Skerries organisation who are looking for volunteers and are not yet on board should contact Valerie McAllorum-Byrne, Community Officer, Fingal County Council, ASAP. Her contact details are

(01)8905106

Skerries Community Garden – Be part of it!

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Would you like to grow your own food without the expense and commitment of an allotment?
Do you want to learn how to grow food and flowers with a community of other people?
Do you have time to spare and interested in becoming involved with a Community Food Garden?

WE HAVE THE ANSWER FOR YOU. Sustainable Skerries in association with Fingal County Council and Skerries Tidy Towns have permission to create food growing garden near Skerries Mills.
If you are interested in becoming part of this project, please email skerriescommunityfoodgarden@gmail.com before Saturday 13th February
Being part of a Community food garden will provide you with an opportunity to meet new people, become more active, have access to fresh produce and learn how easy it is to grow food.

Tomatoes

Tidy Towns: Local Skerries Winners 2015

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What do Skerries Mills, Shoe Horn, Barbara Ryan of The Old Rectory, the residents of The Kybe and Wisteria all have in common? They were recipients at the recent Skerries Tidy Towns Awards Night! And they, as well as many, many others here in Skerries, contributed significantly to our very good results in the national Tidy Towns competition 2015.

Below is the list of awards, their sponsors and their winners.

Well done, everyone!

 

Area Judged

  

Sponsored By

  

Winner
 

Best Floral Display on a Business

 

  

The Progressive Credit Union

  

Skerries Mills

Accepting: Ray Hunt

Presenting: Sinead Morgan from the progressive credit union

 
 

Best Window Display

  

The Red Bank

  

Shoe Horn

Accepting: Marian Butterly, Debbie and Sandra

Presented by: Frances Owens

 
 

Best Presented House in the Town Centre

  

The Progressive Credit Union

  

The Old Rectory

Millars Lane, Holmpatrick.

Accepting: Barbara Ryan

Presented by: Sinead Morgan from the progressive credit union

 
 

Best Presented House in an Estate

 

 

 

  

Kelly & Co Auctioneers

 

  

34 Downside Heights

Accepting: Geraldine Palmer

Presented by: Frances Owens

 
 

Best Presented Estate

 

  

S.C.A. Skerries Community Association

  

The Kybe

Accepting: Caroline Dwyer and residents

Presented by : Brendan Sherlock

 
 

Best Signage on a Business

  

Skerries Tidy Towns

  

Piccolo, Thomas Hand St

Accepting: Giorgio

Presented by: Frances Owens

 
 

Best Presented Business

  

Tom and Denyze Joyce

Skerries Art School

  

Wisteria

Accepting: Camille Dennis

Presented by: The artist

Shane McInerney

 

Previous Public Consultation – Irish Rail

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You may have seen the link and information on the SCA Facebook page or Newsflash – Irish Rail were engaged in a consultation process concerning their proposed changes up to last week.

We are working closely with Bob Laird in this regard, who is a member on Fingal County Council’s Strategic Policy Committee for Transport and who went through the proposals with a fine-toothed comb. Based on his thoughts and our own analysis, we felt that there were some changes that would not be so good for Skerries.

We shared these with the recipients of the daily SCA Newsflash, encouraging to make their own input to the consultation process on irishrail.ie – but we also drew up a submission and forwarded it to Irish Rail. It follows here:

trains consultation snippetSkerries Community Association
Website: www.skerriesca.com
Contact: info@skerriesca.com
7 December 2015

We wish to begin by stating that Skerries residents have been loyal users of the train service over the years, and that many of us rely very much on the trains for mobility.

In general the train service, when not overcrowd, is reliable and comfortable. Having said that, some improvements are necessary. The frequency in off-peak is not sufficient for the numbers travelling and there are a number of negative implications for users in the draft 2016 timetable, especially for those returning home in the afternoon/evening peak. We consider it crucial that overcrowding on off peak trains be reduced as many less able bodied people choose to travel off-peak in the hope of getting a seat.

We wish to say also that the time allowed for the consultation is not sufficient for train users to study a long PDF document and analyse the implications of what is being proposed.

Comments on draft Timetable.

We welcome the introduction of an express from Dundalk at 07.55 am, which serves Drogheda, and which will free up space for Skerries and other stations further south.

Below is a list of the omissions from, and proposed changes to, the draft timetable which we believe will adversely affect users of the service travelling to and from Skerries.

Issues which we feel have not been adequately addressed:

Weekdays inbound:

  • we need extra trains around 1000 to 1200 to reduce overcrowding;
  • the 1758 from Balbriggan should stop at Rush & Lusk, and Donabate

Weekdays outbound:

  • extra trains needed in off-peak to relieve overcrowding, especially on current 1444 and 2013 from Pearse
  • a train between the proposed 1523 and 1623 from Pearse will be needed. The proposed 60 minute gap is far too long
  • The later departures of 1713 and 1728 from Pearse to 1723 and 1743 won’t work. It means not enough capacity between 1700 and 1730, the 1723 will be overcrowded before it even leaves Pearse. Also a very long gap for Pearse/Tara St. to Donabate. Propose that 1712 from Connolly to Balbriggan starts at Pearse at 1705 and becomes an 8-coach. Also all trains should stop at Donabate
  • Last train should be kept at 2330 from Pearse, not 2323

Saturdays inbound:

  • train leaving Balbriggan at 0920 should be 0925, to be consistent hourly with all the other trains
  • need extra trains (above the basic hourly) mid-morning when more people travelling into city, rather than in afternoon as proposed

Saturday outbound:

  • need extra train at 1600. Gap from 1530 to 1630 is too long
  • need extra train at night to give hourly departures from 1830 to 2330
  • Why is 1658 from Pearse stopping at Clongriffin to let Enterprise past, adding 7 minutes to journey? Would it be better to run a few minutes later, leaving Connolly after the Enterprise?

Sunday inbound:

  • Three hour gap in evening is too long. Should be no gap bigger than two hours, with second last train at same time as weekdays

Sunday outbound:

  • Need extra trains to bring it to hourly at key afternoon times when people are coming home. Most critical is a 1815 from Pearse, also need a 1615

Sunday outbound:

  • Need extra trains to bring it to hourly at key afternoon times when people are coming home. Most critical is a 1815 from Pearse, also need a 1615

We trust you will consider our concerns and endeavour to accommodate our suggestions.

Yours sincerely,

Michael McKenna, Vice Chairperson, Skerries Community Association

Welcoming our new SCA Directors!

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Since September 2015, a number of new Directors have joined the Board of Directors of the Skerries Community Association.

The three snapshots below were taken during our December Board meeting in Skerries Community Centre / The Old School.

Tony Graham is a long-standing member of Skerries Cycling Initiative and has been a mentor with Skerries CoderDojo since their very first session.

Joyce Moore is part of the Skerries Skate Park Committee.

And Mary Marsden is part of the Sustainable Skerries committee, as well as being involved in the Skerries Allotments Association.

These new Directors have slotted neatly & seamlessly into our Board of Directors, and it is great to have them. Not just because we can now spread the work more!

At the same time, we would like to thank Martin Russell, Zaneta Wright and Ciara Leonard for their contribution to the Skerries Community Association over the years. In addition to their role as company directors, they all held officer positions – Martin and Ciara were both chair persons at different times, and Zaneta was our Company Secretary.

We wish them all the very best and hope that our paths will cross often in the future!

 

Posted in SCA

Town Twinning Association – Fond Memories of Guichen Trip July 2015

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No sunny skies, but warm welcome for Skerries travellers !

A large group of  Skerries locals  travelled to our twin area, the Canton of Guichen,  from 16th-21st July to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the signing of the charter of friendship between our two area. .  Among those who travelled were several,  who had been there at the original ceremonies  twenty years ago.   Accompanying the group were members of Rinceoil Fingal whose musical talents  contributed greatly to the enjoyment of all the events.  We also had the great pleasure of having the newly elected Mayor of Fingal, David O’Connor, with us.

The theme chosen for the celebrations was ‘Remembering the contribution of those who fought in the Second World War, who laid the future for the Europe of today’.  There was also a group of participants from the Canton’s Polish twin town, Srem .

A whole programme of events was organised for us throughout the five day stay.  One of the most interesting talks was on the enormous contribution  made by Polish soldiers to the defence of Western Europe and the role they played in the war in France.

On Friday morning, we visited the War Graves in the cemetery in Rennes and laid wreaths to remember the efforts made by French, Polish and Irish combatants during World War II.  Of particular interest for us were the graves of George Fitzpatrick, ( great uncle of the Grundy family in Skerries) and Sergeant Ross, ( (who was related to Harry Reynolds of Balbriggan). We also visited a number of retirement homes where we had the pleasure of meeting several of those who had fought for France and hearing their memories of those difficult times.   We were delighted that our musicians came along and entertained the residents with selections of Irish music, which greatly added to the occasion.  A further conference was held on the future of Europe and our responsibilities to ensuring freedom and equality across the Union.

 

Guichen report 1

The twelve young people, six from Skerries and six from Guichen who were involved in the three-week work camp, with the leaders and organisers.

Another highlight was a visit to the work camp in Laillé, where six young local students from Skerries Community College and their six counterparts from the Canton ware engaged in constructing a shelter in the local skate park.  This three-week camp was nearing the end of its second week and we were able to see the structure taking shape.  Everybody seemed to be having a good time and the Irish group were greatly heartened by hearing Irish voices and the addition of some packs of Tayto and Irish chocolate !

guichen report 2

A formal re-signing of our charter of friendship took place in the presence of the eight mayors of the Canton.  The twinning committee had also taken the opportunity to invite many of those who were involved with the original ceremonies in 1995.  We were delighted to have our very own Lord Mayor with us, as David O’Connor looked resplendent in his chain of office.  He took the occasion to present  the Fingal flag to the assembly, which was very much appreciated. This was followed by a lively session with Rinceoil again providing the music and Irish, Poles and French united in Fallaí Luimnigh !

Fun and local games were planned for the Sunday.  Undeterred by the grey skies, everybody enjoyed the afternoon.  Workshops on weaving, galette making and local cider tasting proved very popular, even if the pétanque and other Breton games were a bit hampered by the damp conditions.  A walking tour of local historical sites attracted a number of Skerries walkers, although the falling drizzle did dampen the enjoyment somewhat.

Guichen report 3

A lesson in galette making !