By Sabine McKenna and Hans Zomer. March 2024

This is the first in a series of articles written for Skerries News, showcasing individual projects driven by committees of the Skerries Community Association (SCA) and their work. Expect to read about issues as diverse as sensory gardens and cycling advocacy, town twinning and getting Skerries ready for the Tidy Towns adjudication season, neighbourhood groups, sustainable energy plans and all the fun and goings-on in our Community Centre.

In November 2021, a promising opportunity emerged for us in Skerries: funding to establish “open orchards” in our public spaces. 

Initially, it might have been just a passing thought for some individuals – a notion of enhancing the town with more fruit trees. However, for us, members of Sustainable Skerries, it sparked a journey of community engagement and sustainable action.

With the support of ChangeX, an organisation dedicated to community-driven projects, we seized the opportunity to apply for funding to establish open orchards. Thanks to our connections with Fingal County Council, and our affiliation to the Skerries Community Association, we successfully secured funding and collaborated with the Parks Division to bring our vision to fruition. And regular readers of Skerries News will know that our local newspaper has reported on the project’s progress in detail! 

In February and March of 2022, the first three mini open orchards – located at Kelly’s Bay, Mourne View, and near the pedestrian crossing at the Ballast Pit – were planted, marking the initial steps of our orchard project. While the trees are still small, the joy of harvesting the first few apples last autumn was a testament to our collective efforts.

Buoyed by the success and with continued support from Fingal County Council, we expanded our initiative in 2023, planting additional mini orchards in Selskar, Skerries Rock (The Vale and near Seacrest), St. Patrick’s Close and Greenlawns. And in 2024, we hope to extend three of our current mini orchards. The first new trees were planted on Saturday 2 March, and more will follow this weekend.

And the best thing is … we got to meet so many wonderful people. Nearly every other committee of the SCA was represented during our planting days (they are really good fun, even if you might get a bit cold at times – double socks are a must!)

Join us this Saturday, 9 March, in Ardgillan View (2pm), Townparks (3:30pm) and Downside (5pm).

And if getting your hands dirty isn’t really your thing, then you might like Leo Carroll’s “Friendly Neighbourhood Bug” talk in the Little Theatre, on 10 March, at 4 pm.