Launch of the automated external defibrillator (AED) at Red Island, which was attended by Mayor Tom O’Leary, Pearse Lydon (of Lydon Builders, who donated the AED), reps from the FCC, the Frosties and Tidy Towns as well as members of the Board of Directors of Skerries Community Association
A new automated external defibrillator (AED) was installed at Red Island. An AED is a portable device that can be used to treat a person whose heart has suddenly stopped working. This is called sudden cardiac arrest.
Effective AED programs are designed to deliver a shock to a victim within three to five minutes after the person collapses.
Pearse Lydon and Grainne Smith of Lydon Builders
The launch was attended by Mayor Tom O’Leary, Pearse Lydon of Lydon Builders who donated the AED, representatives from Fingal County Council, the Frosties (a local group of year-round sea swimmers) and Tidy Towns, as well as members of the Skerries Community Association (SCA) Board of Directors.
With the support of the SCA Board of Directors, it is planned to roll out CPR and AED training throughout our community, starting in February with the Frosties.
Onder Karayigit, General Manager of the Redbank Guesthouse, with Rowena Walsh of the SCA
This Christmas, the Skerries Community Association collaborated with Skerries woman Katie Byrne in a very successful Christmas gift drive for Red Bank residents. Katie had done the gift drive herself in 2023 and 2024, so we very much benefitted from her experience in organising the 2025 endeavour.
Katie took on matching a member of our community to shop for a gift for each and every child living there. In addition to the toys, the SCA funded a gift for every adult, and many people donated seasonal treats to ensure every family had something extra to enjoy over Christmas.
Alongside the gifts was a thoughtful note from Katie and the SCA, letting the residents know that the Skerries community is thinking of them and wishing them a happy, healthy year ahead.
Just some of the presents donated for the Christmas gift drive
Katie and the SCA want to say a massive thank you to everyone who signed up. Demonstrating the generosity of the town, we were actually over-subscribed with volunteers. To those of you who signed up but weren’t matched with a child this time: please know that your willingness to help is the foundation of what makes something like this possible every year.
Seeing so many people put their hands up to support our neighbours is exactly what makes Skerries such a special place to live. Whether you bought a children’s gift, dropped off a box of chocolates, or simply stood ready to help, you each are what makes this possible every year.
Messages from Red Bank
We gave the residents the opportunity to share a message with the community if they wished. Their responses were incredibly moving and here are a few I wanted to share just a few (anonymised) quotes so that illustrate the impact of the generosity of the town:
“Children are so happy. Thanks for your kindness!”
“Thank you so much for the Christmas gift. It has warmed my heart and uplifted my spirit. Much appreciated.”
“My daughter was so happy, and it really brought joy into our home. I truly appreciate the kindness and support from the Skerries community.”
“God bless you and thank you so much for doing this for us.”
“Thanks to all of you who make our Christmas colourful… we are so happy for your wonderful gifts. We will not forget your kindness.”
Knowing that these families felt seen and supported is the best start to the year we could ask for.
Members of the Skerries Eco Team in the community garden at Skerries Wind Mills. Photograph: Alan Betson/Irish Times
In September, Skerries received the accolade of the Greenest Town in Ireland 2025 in The Irish Times / Electric Ireland Greenest Places Awards.
The judges praised Skerries for its community-driven environmental action, its creativity and the way sustainability is woven into everyday life. From biodiversity and waste reduction to renewable energy and education, Skerries stands out as a town that leads by example.
Just consider the biodiversity-friendly planters, bee gardens, bike stands, water refill points, rainwater collection systems and the Skerries Eco Town Wall – all perfect examples of a town that understands the importance of sustainability.
In the Irish Times, it was noted that “the people of Skerries have created a pollinator corridor that runs from Skerries Mills to Ardgillan. It organises groups of local children to gather and remove plastic from the beaches. Here, as in other communities such as Inagh in Co Clare, community buildings including town halls and GAA centres have put in solar panels, replaced pitch lighting with LED, and installed water refill stations”.
The “simple but brilliant idea of creating a Beach Toybox” also received high praise from the Irish Times. The Beach Toybox does what it says on the tin: it’s a big box of all the essentials that children love to play with at the beach, it’s free to all, and it saves people from buying more toys every summer. Use them as you please, just make sure to return them to the box when you’re finished.
Behind every project in Skerries is a passionate network of volunteers and community groups working together with purpose and pride. These include Sustainable Skerries, the Skerries Community Association, Skerries Cycling Initiative, Skerries Tidy Towns, the Skerries Community Garden, Skerries Autism Friendly Town and the Skerries Sustainable Energy Community Initiative and Skerries Men’s Shed.
If you’re interested in becoming more sustainable in your daily life, email sustainableskerries@gmail.com.
Cycle or walk with us for better active travel conditions in Skerries!After a summer of monthly evening cycles, now it’s time for the big one:
Join us for the SkerriesLight Up Your BikeCycle and Walk on Thursday 22 September to mark the launch of Fingal County Council’s Skerries Active Travel Consultation, as well as European Mobility Week.Early Option: Come to Barnageeragh Monument (close to the coast road, near the apartments) at 7 pm if you’d like to join us for a coastal walk / slow coastal cycle. At the White Cottages, the walkers will continue up Balbriggan Street and turn right into Dublin Road, then left up Martine Court / Millhill Park to Skerries Mills. The cyclists will take a longer route and meet them there at 7.30. 7.30 Option: You can join the growing group of cyclists and walkers at Skerries Mill Car Park at 7.30 pm for the main cycle / walk.The walkers will head across the playing fields and towards the Catholic Church to Floraville, while those on wheels will take the long way round to Floraville, where we will all assemble at about 7.45 pm for a final walk / cycle around the triangle of Strand Street, Thomas Hand Street and Church Street. Let’s make ourselves as brightly lit up as possible, with bicycle bells in good working order, to create a lively presence!
All children must be accompanied by an adult who will be responsible for them during the event.
Background: Earlier that Thursday, 22nd September, the Active Travel Feasibility Study for Skerries will be officially launched in Floraville Park from 12 noon to 4 p.m. Drop by during the day if you can!
The public consultation will run for six weeks from then. This will include face to face interviews and surveys (using paper forms as well as online). Everyone will be invited to give their views on how they would like to be able to move around Skerries, whether on foot, on bicycles and tricycles, mobility scooters, skates, private car, go-car, community car as well as taxis and public transport.
There will also be workshops aimed different stakeholder groups including school goers and older residents. Look out for more information in our next blogpost! So we hope to see many of you on Thursday night, 7 pm at the Barnageeragh Monument or 7.30 pm at the Skerries Mills Car Park / 7.45 pm Floraville Park. Let’s light up our streets and show how much support there is for active travel in Skerries!
This year, the annual report about the work of the Skerries Community Association and its committees will not be distributed to every household in Skerries. A limited number of printed copies will be available in the Community Centre, in local shops, in the week before the AGM (4th October 2021) and on request by email to chair@skerriesca.com.
Click on the thumbnail below to see the full report with turnable pages.
Skerries Community Association & Committees 2020/21 Report
And if you’d like the links to be clickable, open the PDF here:
Recognition of couple’s volunteering contribution to Skerries life.
On Saturday 9 October 2021 Skerries Community Association (SCA) and Skerries Town Football Club jointly recognised the immense contribution of Michael (Mick) and Noeleen Bolger to community sporting activity in the town. The occasion was the presentation of the Jim Quigley award for volunteer of the year and it took place in the grounds of Skerries Town FC after the weekly Kids Academy coaching session.
Every year SCA invites nominations from residents for the Jim Quigley Award which are then passed to independent judges for assessment.
This year the Judges selected Mick and Noeleen as the winners of the Jim Quigley Award for their years of dedicated work with Skerries Town Football Club. In their written comments, the judges said, “running Saturday morning coaching sessions (the Kids Academy) for up to ninety under-tens for seven months of the year is not an easy task. To do this for eighteen years coupled with involvement with other sporting and community activities including the Community Games at Mosney and the Special Olympics at Croke Park in 2003 requires dedication and commitment second to none.”
Mick and Noeleen set up the ‘ Kid’s Academy” on Saturday mornings with Skerries Town Football Club in September 2003 to provide coaching in basic football skills for five to nine year olds. They felt that children in the early years of their football life need an environment of non-competitive football to learn the basic skills. The Kid’s Academy, or KA as its better known provides such an environment.
The judges remarked that the real winner is the community of Skerries who get such wonderful benefit from the work done by people like Michael and Noeleen.
Accepting the award, Mick said that many others are and were involved in making the Kids Academy a success.
Michael McKenna presented the Jim Quigley award on behalf of the SCA and Owen O’Brien, Chairperson Skerries Town F.C. made a presentation of flowers and champagne on behalf of the club to Mick and Noeleen.
Jim Quigley Award Winners 2021 Michael (Mick) and Noeleen Bolger with Michael McKenna (SCA) and Owen O’Brien, Chairperson, Skerries Town Football Club.
