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Fingallian Hurlers are Division A Champions

Services Sales Tyres Pre NCT Crash Repairs Diagnostics Valets Car Wash

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Inside This Months Issue

Our Team Local News

St Colmcilles Fife and Drum Band Remembered

Battle of the Book at Swords Castle

Editor E. communitylocalseditor@gmail.com

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Sean Maguire T. 087 915 9052 E. seanmaguire@irishmediagroup.ie

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Swords Local Magazine Email: communitylocalseditor @gmail.com www.facebook.com/SwordsLocal

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Local News

Battle of the Book Launched in Swords Castle Fingal County Council are delighted to announce the launch of the Battle of the Book in the Chapel at Swords Castle on Wednesday 16th October.The Battle of the Book is a reading Programme running from October 2019 until March 2020 between Fingal Libraries and primary schools within the Fingal area. This initiative is very kindly supported by Dublin Airport.The programme is designed to encourage children to read, gain confidence and to discuss a common book, providing a shared experience of reading which will encourage reading for life. Speaking about the programme Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Eoghan O’Brien said; “The Battle of the Book programme is a great way to encourage children not only to read but to interact with one another to discuss the book’s themes and hear each other’s insights. I am delighted to see it return this year.” This year the featured book is “World War 1 – When the Lights Went Out in Europe” by local author Rod Smith and published by Poolbeg Press. Both Rod himself and Paula from Poolbeg were on hand to help launch the programme and present signed copies of the book to students Finn Morrissey and Chelsea Camerino from St Marnocks NS.This year the schools involved will be Mary Queen of Ireland NS, St Helens NS, Portmarnock, St Laurence’s NS, Baldoyle, St Marnocks NS, Portmarnock and St Margaret’s NS. The children will be participating in

SWORDS LOCAL-NOVEMBER 2019

different activities organised by Fingal Libraries surrounding the themes presented in the book.

The programme will culminate in a “Battle” to be held early in 2020 in the Riasc Centre.

Local News

Celebrating the history of swords The 26th edition of Swords Voices was launched on Sept. 25th last at he Atrium, Fingal County Hall, as part of Swords Heritage group’s annual celebration of the History of Swords.. Also presented on the night were the annual Literary Awards. The prizes were presented by Deputy Mayor of Fingal, Cllr. Tom Kitt. , He congratulated everyone who had submitted entries in the varies competitions; Short Story, Poetry & What Swords Mean to Me. He commended Bernadette Marks, Geraldine McGovern and Liam Heron on the production of Swords Voices. Did you know that Seatown Villas (the first housing estate in Swords) is now 70 years old? The late Brendan Grace, made his first solo début in Swords. Also included are the prize winning stories from the last year’s awards.. The night concluded with a lively session when Mr James Bennett asked Bernadette Marks to provide a commentary on some of the old photographs contained in back issues of Swords Voices. There was great excitement when those in the packed audience recognised themselves, parents and grand parents and former school classmates. The Heritage Group which includes Fingal Genealogy are most grateful to Fingal Co. Council, particularly Cllr. Joe Newman) for facilitating the event, the various sponsors Dublin Airport Authority, Mrs. Mary McCormack and local support over the years. The-group were also

grateful to the Deputy Mayor for his presence on the night and his emphasis on the importance of local groups, and, their literary and artistic endeavours. Also present were Cllrs. Darragh Butler and Dean Mulligan. The highlight of the night was the winner of What Swords Means to Me; 89 years old Nessie Bergin who regaled all those present with her amusing account of growing up in the Swords of 1930s/ 1940s.

Swords Voices is available at Hanley’s Card & Party Shop, Main Street Swords & Swords Museum, Carnegie Library, North Street. A good read for €5.00 (Back numbers available). Don’t forget if you have a tale to tell about ‘old Swords’ the Heritage group would be delighted to hear from you. Phone (01) 8400080 email: Swordsheritage@gmail.com

SWORDS LOCAL-NOVEMBER 2019

Local News

Book Review: “The Promise Maker” by George Fitzgerald The highly published book “The Secret Life of Ashley Brown,” opens at a river in Swords.Ashley Brown is the blonde beauty with ambitions not only in the art world but in London’s publishing world. Her story starts at a Swords’ river. In the opening chapter, she says, South of Swords there is a park called Ward River Valley. The river rises near Kilbride and flows through Brackenstown, running along the banks of the Sword’s park.The Dublin beauty lives in a world of pillow grasping dream, of meeting Mr Right. She encounters dashing Dean, only to find he has gangland connections. London calls her, Ashley flees. In Greenwich, she lives with Sara and Edward. Ashley drops a few pills, then coke and later heroin and in walks the Evil Mr Picadoor. In the sequel, The Promise Maker, the Swords, woman opens the tale while at the funeral of a friend. Later she gets the aged Frankie to tell his story. Frankie, New York-born on the Lower Eastside, comes to Dublin at the age of five, along with his mother Nelly and hideous Dubliner, Paddy Smith who he believes is his father. The Dublin he encounters is the one hailed as the city with the worst slums in Europe. His father, Paddy Smith’s friend, is Buster, a murderous villain. His boyhood friends are the child thief, HarryBoy and the evil-minded Slasher. The woman who takes him under her wing is the notorious madam Daisy-May.The Dublin tenement life is clearly seen in this gripping tale. which has been described as a modern-day classic. George Fitzgerald’s grandfather was born and reared in Swords, Tom Stafford. As a young man, he moved into inner-city Dublin, into the neighbourhood of the fictional character Frankie. He married and moved to Ballyfromt but was always a frequent visitor to his family home in Swords which still stands to this day. George’s grandfather and grandmother are buried in Swords.Both books are on sale in Baragan books Abbey Street Dublin.

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Local News

St Columcille’s Fife & Drum Band Staff and Drum Relocated

A more recent pic of the band Thomas Mc Grane, Marian O’Neill, and Kevin Daly in the Clubhouse with the staff and drum in the background

The Drum with its distinctive markings

The band staff

St Colmcille’s Band Staff and Drum which has been on display in the Lord Mayors pub in Swords has been relocated to the local St Colmcille’s GAA Club.The Drum and Staff are over 150 years old and were originally purchased in Butlers Music Shop Batchelors, Walk O’Connell Bridge, Dublin. Over the years the band took part in many parades, festivals, marches and election rallys in Swords and Fingal. 8

SWORDS LOCAL-NOVEMBER 2019

The band in 1900

They took part in protest marches in Swords and Dublin City in 1913 during the Lock Out Strikes.They also participated at some Fingal Old IRA commemorations. The band also paraded through the town every New Years Eve night. They practised in the local band room which was located opposite the Lord Mayors pub next to McGranes of Turnpike House. When the band ceased in the 1950’s the Mc Grane family became

custodians of the Drum and Staff. They lent it to the Lord Mayors pub whilst in existence and have now allowed St Colmcilles GAA to display it in their clubhouse. Photographs of the band are on display in the local museum , the Old Boro, and St Colmcilles GAA Clubhouse. Even though the band are no longer in existence there are still plenty of family members in Swords and the sorrounding areas. Contact us: communitylocalseditor@gmail.com

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Home Cook Recipes

Niamh’s Nourishing Pudding As the temperature drops, we add the winter layers of clothing including scarves, hats, gloves and other woollies! We may also find ourselves opting more for comforting, warming foods to heat us up from the inside out! Rice, semolina or tapioca pudding is a classic consoling dessert or treat. This recipe is quite simple using milk, a grain of your choice such as quinoa/rice/tapioca/semolina and is flavoured with spices and dates. I used quinoa in the recipe below just because there was some in kitchen cupboard that I wanted to use up! 10

SWORDS LOCAL-NOVEMBER 2019

Ingredients: • • • • • • •

2 cups milk 2 cups boiling water 1 cup quinoa or rice/tapioca/ semolina 15 dates (soaked overnight or heated for a few minutes in water) 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon vanilla essence Method:

1. Rinse and drain quinoa. Place in a saucepan with boiling water and let it come

to the boil.Then reduce the heat, cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 2. Add in the spices, dates and vanilla. 3. Gradually add the milk. Cook and stir over a medium heat until the mixture becomes thick, creamy and luscious looking!!! Sprinkle some cinnamon on top and Voilà! For preschool, primary and secondary school or community group talks and workshops, please email: niamh@biabites. net.See my ‘Fun food’ and ‘Recipes’ albums on ‘Biabites’ Facebook for other food ideas. Niamh Arthurs, Public Health and Clinical Nutritionist Contact us: communitylocalseditor@gmail.com

Finance

No Changes in Budget 2020 to unfair taxation of Cohabiting couples By Dave Kavanagh Of all the topics I cover, the taxation of cohabiting couples in certain circumstances, is defi-nitely the one that both baffles and angers most people. With over 152,000 cohabiting cou-ples in Ireland, this is hardly surprising. What IS surprising, is that whenever we advise on financial planning with couples such as this, they are mostly unaware of the events that could potentially leave them with a substantial tax bill! While the budget slightly increased the tax-free threshold for children, the other two bands and the rate of tax are unchanged. The main two areas that impact the most, are owning a property together, and having insurance policies that cover both. Supposing “John” & “Mary” buy a house together, with a mortgage in place. In the event of John’s death, the mortgage protection plan will usually clear the outstanding mortgage. With the house held in “joint tenancy” (as it usually would be with a mortgage) John’s half-ownership of the house passes to Mary. However, under Capital Acquisition Tax (CAT) rules, which covers gift and inheritance tax, Mary is classed as a stranger and therefore, only has a tax-free threshold of €16,250. If the house is valued at the time of John’s death at €300,000, then Mary is deemed to have inherited €150,000. After her threshold of €16,250, she is liable

to pay tax at 33% on the balance,leaving her with a tax bill of €44,137.50 If Mary satisfies 3 conditions, then she can be exempt from the tax. The conditions are:1. She must have lived with John in the property for at least 3 years prior to his death.2. She must continue to live in the property for a further 6 years. 3. She must have no other interest in any other residential property (including abroad). In the other area mentioned, supposing John & Mary have a life policy that insures both of them for €250,000 in the event of death. What is important here is how the premiums are paid. If they are paid jointly, perhaps from a joint bank account, in the event of John’s death, the policy will pay Mary the sum assured of €250,000. But Revenue will deem Mary to have only paid for half of the death benefit and therefore will have inherited €125,000. Based on the same calculation as with the property, Mary will have to pay €35,887.50 of it in tax. Worse again, if John paid for the premium from his own account, Mary will be deemed to have inherited the full amount, leaving her to pay €77,137.50 in tax. There are ways to prevent such tax liabilities, depending on your circumstances. If you feel you could be affected by the above and want to find out what steps you can take to avoid them, contact us, free of charge and without obligation, to discuss.

Dave Kavanagh QFA has been advising people financially for over 25 years. For quotes or information (with no cost or obligation) he can be contacted by emailing info@financialcompanion.ie or use the contact form on www.financialcompanion.ie or phone 087-6414570. Combined with his previous role of gym/nutrition adviser, he regularly gives talks and workshops at seminars and events for groups, companies and government departments on financial wellbeing, positivity and motivation. As heard on RTE 2FM and TV3.

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If you’re looking for ways to make your home more energy efficient, try borrowing The Home Energy Saving Kit from Swords Library. The Home Energy Saving Kit contains 6 practical tools to help you save energy at home. The kit is available to borrow free of charge and helps you take the first step in becoming more energy efficient by identifying problem areas in your home and helping you make sense of the energy you consume on a daily basis. To reserve the kit, please call the Swords Library at 01-8905582/5894.

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SWORDS LOCAL-NOVEMBER 2019

Pets Corner

What is Cats Spraying? By Brendan Daly

Irish Rosettes Pet Shop, Boarding Kennels and Cattery.1 Dublin Road, Corduff, Lusk, Co. Dublin.Ph +353 1843 70 09

Anytime your cat backs himself up to a door or other object in your house, lifts his tail, and releases urine, you have a problem. This problem is known as spraying, and is very common with cats kept indoors. Even though it is a very annoying problem, it’s a problem that can be solved. Contrary to what many think, spraying isn’t a litter box problem, but rather a problem with marking. Cat urine that is sprayed contains pheromones, which is a substance that cats and other animals use for communicating. Pheromones are

much like fingerprints with humans, as they are used to identify the cat to other animals.When a cat sprays something, he is simply marking his territory through his urine. If you raise your voice or show angry towards your cat, it can very well result in more spraying. Cats that are in heat are easily attracted to the odour of urine. For female cats in heat, a male cat will spray to get her attention. Keep in mind that cats not only spray during heat, as some will also spray during encounters with other cats, or when they are feeling stressed.

Although spraying is a way of communicating for cats, the smell for people is horrible. The good thing here is that most cats will do a majority of their spraying outdoors. If you have an indoor cat that never goes outside, spraying can indeed be a problem. If you’ve noticed spraying in your home, you should take action and do something about it immediately. The most effective and also the easiest way to stop spraying is to have your cat either neutered or spayed, which of course depends on the sex. Sometimes cats will spray

when they are stressed, or indeed there may be a medical problem present that is causing the problem, which your vet can identify.You should always do something about spraying the moment it starts. For most people Spraying will not be a problem as most cats will be neutered or spayed.If you are considering getting a cat or already have one, pop into us to see our full range of cat products or to pick our brains with any questions you may have!

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training Contact us: communitylocalseditor@gmail.com

Local Sports

Fingallians club notes Fingallians are Dublin Junior ‘A’ Hurling Champions

Fingallians U12’s win Division 3 title Congratulations to Fingallians U12 team who recently won the U12 League Division 3 title by beating Skerries Harps. Congratulations to all the players, their parents, their mentors and their coaches. Lets hope its the first of many trophies for these young players. Contact us: communitylocalseditor@gmail.com

On a day only fit for ducks Fingallians and St Judes squared up to each other in the Junior A final recenty. The game was a repeat of the 2010 decider which Fins game out the winners. The game started at a hectic pace with both teams trying to keep their feet and settle into their game plans which were worked on over the previous days on the training ground. The men from Swords got of to a great start with two quick points from the hurls of D Rodgers and Paul Flynn, with the ammunition coming in from Donnagh Williams. The game went from end to end and with both sets of dead ball specialist trading points fins coming from Sean Hickey and Judes coming from their no 10. Judes 14 and 12 were giving the Finns back three a tough time but each time the pressure came on the rear guard of Lynch, Smith and Fagan kept their composer and cleared any danger. Finns midfield of Hickey and Howard had the measure of their opponents and duly started to dictate where the sliothars would end up. The turning point of the game came ten minutes into the second half when Fins turned to the bench for re-enforcements and brought on Connor Byrne for Brady and then Paul Graves for Williams , Graves would be the talking point of all conversations at the end of the game with his contribution of two unreal points. The hard work of all the backroom team and the full squad of players paid of in abundance on the day, credit to Judes for providing a cracker in the rain.The cup was received by Sean hickey ending the nine year wait for another county title.;Full time score was Fins 0-13 St Judes 0-11 Man of match-The Captain Sean Hickey. Finns scorers were S Hickey 6pts – D Rodgers -2pts, P Graves ..2pts, S Howard, P Flynn, Tj Howard 1pt each.

SWORDS LOCAL-NOVEMBER 2019

WIN €50 !!! WIN €50 !!! WIN €50 !!! WIN €50 !!! This is easy… we are offering you the chance to win €50. All you have to do is correctly fill in the crossword and discover the name of an area in Fingal spelt out in the coloured squares. Then send the completed crossword and your answer by email, with your name, address and telephone number to communitylocals@gmail.com before 5pm on November 16. The first correct entry to be drawnwill win €50..Good luck!

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SWORDS LOCAL-NOVEMBER 2019

2. Very pale with shock, fear or illness. (5) 3. Took the initiative as an example for others to follow. (3) 4. Tall beer mug, with a handle and lid. (8) 5. Juicy, soft fruit resembling a small peach. (7) 6. Very skilled or proficient at something. (5) 7. Stumble on a journey or excursion. (4) 8. Tricks, actions intended to deceive someone. (5) 9. Truthful and sincere. (6) 10. Tree trunk used in a Scottish Highland sport. (5) 11. Type of cherry and a strong, sweet liqueur. (10) 12. Word used to describe something that has no breaks or gaps or which continues without stopping. (8) 17. Type of food poisoning. (10) 21. Describes something that does not have any bad effects. (8) 22. Non-participating observers, spectators. (9) 24. Be silent, morose and bad-tempered out of annoyance. (4) 26. Treats with contempt or ridicule. (5) 28. An animal that lives on both land and in water. (9) 29. Careful examination or scrutiny. (10) 32. The largest living land animal. (8) 35. Unpleasant, cruel or more severe. (5) 38. A wine bottle eight times the standard size. (10) 39. A short university academic! (4) 40. The earl flew to say goodbye! (8) 43. A small part broken off something. (8) 47. Purplish-red colour. (7) 49. A person who sells food and small household goods. (6) 51. He had nothing to declare except his genius. (5) 53. Rub out. (5) 55. Authoritative command to do something. (5) 57. Religious images or statues which people worship. (5) 58. Lie or wait in concealment. (4) 61. Open a window to ventilate a room. (3)

SUDOKU ANSWERS

1. The capital of Malta. (8) 6. Smaller earthquake following the first. (10) 13. Suffered from a continuous dull pain. (5) 14. Places for young children, plants and trees. (9) 15. Showing fine personal qualities or high moral principles. (5) 16. A partial or total loss of memory. (7) 18. Clever and cunning, attractive in an endearing way. (4) 19. Small vipers. (4) 20. Spirit distilled from molasses or sugar-cane. (3) 22. Bird of the night. (3) 23. Romantic appointments. (5) 25. A large military force. (4) 27. A watch or vigil beside the body of someone who has died. (4) 30. Ice houses. (6) 31. Fine parchment made originally from the skin of a calf. (6) 33. Appetisers, usually with a savoury topping. (7) 34. Layer of the upper atmosphere which blocks most of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. (5) 35. Take notice of, pay careful attention. (4) 36. Report about something that has happened recently. (4) 37. Object which splits white light into a spectrum of colours. (5) 40. Not having as much physical strength as another. (7) 41. Make repeated small-scale attacks on an enemy. (6) 42. The written words of a play. (6) 44. One of the national symbols of England. (4) 45. Persistently avoid, ignore or reject the Huns! (4) 46. The bone of the thigh. (5) 48. A pub, typically one in the country. (3) 50. Expressing astonishment or admiration. (3) 52. Smell strongly unpleasant, like Edinburgh? (4) 54. Measuring a great distance from end to end. (4) 56. Authentic, the real thing. (7) 59. Widely cultivated European shrub and a moderate purple colour. (5) 60. More than enough of something. (9) 61. A distinctive, typically pleasant smell. (5) 62. A sentimental story or song. (10) 63. * (8)

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