Just a couple of days after the day it happened, committee member Hans Zomer writes:

(Additional reporting from Sabine)

A Celebration of Community and Sustainability

On Monday 2 September 2024, many people in Skerries were standing proud – literally and figuratively – as they welcomed the judges of the Pride of Place competition, Martina Maloney and Colette Byrne.

The IPB Pride of Place Awards is an all-Ireland initiative that celebrates communities and their work to improve daily life of people on the island. Communities across Ireland are nominated by their local authorities and invited to showcase their achievements. It’s not just about pride – it’s about partnership, demonstrating a real connection with the local authority, and ensuring inclusivity for all sectors of the community.

With ten categories altogether and fierce competition between the counties, each county / city council nominates one standout community in each of up to five categories. And this year, Skerries has been chosen to represent Fingal County Council in the Climate Action and Biodiversity category! The other two Fingal nominees were Lusk for the overall Community award in the Over 5000 Persons category, and the Castleknock Community Centre, Dublin 15 in the Inclusive Communities category.

The excitement was palpable as a packed Little Theatre welcomed our guests, who also included the mayor of Fingal Corina Johnston, Minister Joe O’Brien, Fingal County Council Chief Executive AnnMarie Farrelly, and the chair of the Skerries Community Association, our umbrella organisation, Jane Landy.

Small Actions, Big Impact: The Skerries Ripple Effect

At Sustainable Skerries, we believe that working together allows us to achieve more than we could ever do individually. Our ripple effect—a concept we proudly presented to the judges—emphasises how small actions, like planting a tree or encouraging wildflower growth, can inspire broader community efforts. Our mission is to amplify this ripple, spreading awareness and encouraging collective action on sustainability.

Founded in 2009 by the Skerries Community Association, Sustainable Skerries focuses on several key areas: biodiversity, climate action and resilience, sustainable food, circular economy and waste avoidance, water management and conservation, energy, and transport. These initiatives not only benefit Skerries but also contribute to global efforts to protect our planet.

Pride in Place, Power in Community

When we learned that Skerries would represent Fingal County Council at the national level in the biodiversity category, we knew we had to make a powerful impression. And at the same time, we wanted to turn the afternoon into a celebration for all those working in the “eco sphere.” Our committee reached out to the Skerries Community Association and its many constituent groups, as well as other groups like Birdwatch Ireland, Currachaí na Sceirí, the Mourne Estate Residents’ Association and many more to ensure that we could present Skerries is all its diversity and unison.

As a result, on 2 September we were able to present the judges with a day filled with exciting activities. Their visit to Skerries started with a presentation on the Sustainable Skerries Ripple Effect, and featured a delightful performance by the Ecoleles, a group of local ukulele players formed for the day, who premiered a special song for the occasion.

Helen Scullion and Sabine McKenna led the way, showcasing the numerous groups and initiatives that make Skerries a leader in sustainability. A video summarised our efforts (available on our YouTube channel).

Then followed a tour of the Community Centre, stopping by the children’s bee garden and taking in the location of a water butt and a rain garden (both part of our new Water project funded by LAWPRO).

The Skerries Eco Town Wall

We next went into the newer part of the Skerries Community Centre itself for the unveiling of a new mural by local illustrator Niamh Sharkey, depicting the many ways our community is involved in sustainable practices. This was made possible by a grant under the Anti Litter Anti Graffiti funding of Fingal County Council, for which we are very grateful.

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A post shared by Niamh Sharkey (@sharkeydoodles)

Then the judges took a bus trip, visiting various sites of interest that reflect our commitment to sustainability: they visited the Kelly’s Bay Open Orchard, and Mourne View, where they heard about the plans to mark the 50th anniversary of the estate, and saw the results of the work of the Mourne Estate Residents’ Association, who propagated and planted thousands of flowers throughout their area (and beyond) this year only. The judges were impressed by its beauty, as well as the cooperation evident with a group of local Foróige members, who only a few days earlier had spent an afternoon looking after the two mini orchards in the estate.

On the South Strand, the judges saw a session of the weekly Skerries Tidy Towns Work Party, led by Maeve McGann, and met members of the Currachaí na Sceirí group, who do regular litter picks and have collected an amazing 20,000 pieces of waste in 150 trips. Cathal Copeland of Birdwatch Ireland Fingal spoke about the group’s activities in Skerries and Aonghus Lynch showed the judges how Sustainable Skerries, Foróige, the Skerries Men’s Shed and the Skerries community have come together to start a beach toy library. The Skerries Cycling Initiative presented their Active Travel plans for the town and the local Cycling Without Age Trishaw project also got to give a demonstration.

Then it was off to the Sensory Garden at Floraville in the centre of town – the result of a collaboration between Skerries Autism Friendly Town and the Chamber of Commerce

There was one more place to visit: Skerries Mills, where The Stream Huggers, who are connected to Skerries Tidy Towns gave an overview of their project: 20-30 tonnes of rubbish removed from the mill stream and surroundings, 54 water samples taken from the stream and ponds and tested for nitrates and phosphates in last 1.5 years, and 825 pollinator-friendly perennial plants distributed to residents. The judges also heard about the Skerries LAWPRO-supported project which is looking at many different ways to improve the water quality of the Mill Stream, and how Skerries Mills has taken steps to reduce its energy use and promote biodiversity. Representatives from the Skerries Allotments – which have 220 individuals and families growing their own food – and the Skerries Sustainable Energy Initiative who spoke about the recommendations of their Energy Master Plan.

All this was taking place at Skerries Mills Community Garden, a wonderful oasis looked after by a group led by Marion and Charlie Heasman. Besides being a haven for people and pollinators alike, the community garden also organise two major annual festivals: The Scarecrow Festival and the Skerries Wild Bee Festival, focusing on the importance of pollinators and environmental awareness. In 2024, Marion and Charlie were the recipients of the Skerries Volunteers of the Year Award for their many activities for biodiversity, be it with Sustainable Skerries, the Skerries Mills Community Garden or with others.

So many other groups were part of the day and talked during the evaluation that we can’t list them all… Actually, a good few people said to us that they were amazed themselves to learn about all the activities others are engaged in here in our town!

Rippling Change, Inspiring Action

We think that we managed on the day to show how proud we are of what we have accomplished together as a community and are excited to see what the future holds.

We heard since that the judges left Skerries “buzzing” (in a good way!), and a very strong reason for that were certainly the many chats they had in the Skerries Mills café after the formal part of the evaluation. The lovely homemade mini cakes and scones the café had prepared definitely contributed to the positive vibes, too!

Next stop: Skerries Eco Festival 27 – 29 September!

We’re looking forward to seeing everybody again at the Eco Festival at the end of the month.

If you’re passionate about making a difference and want to be part of something bigger, we invite you to join us at Sustainable Skerries, to help us continue to grow the ripple effect, making Skerries – and the world – a better place, one action at a time.

Contact us to find out more.