Breda, organiser of the Forest School project with Sustainable Skerries, sent us this lovely blogpost a couple of months ago. We finally get around to publishing it… what a lovely memory of summer!
A Week of Outdoor Learning and Community Connections This August, Sustainable Skerries, with the generous support of Fingal County Council, were delighted to host a week-long Forest School in Ardgillan, delivered by Free Range Outdoor Education (www.froe.ie). The project gave 20 children aged 6-10 the chance to spend time outdoors in a non-competitive, non-pressured setting, exploring nature through play and creativity. Five Days of Forest Adventures From the very first morning, the group jumped straight into Ross and Miriam’s nature-based games and team activities and quickly found their rhythm in the forest. Over the course of the week the children painted rocks, explored plants, made sycamore boxes for collecting blackberries and tried their hand at safe foraging with Nettles and Alexander. They learned how to carve and sharpen tools, created bows and arrows and crafted forest treasures to take home. The games involved learning about native animals and wildlife and encouraged listening and cooperation. Plenty of time was spent climbing trees, building bases and enjoying the freedom of being outdoors together. The children showed wonderful enthusiasm and creativity throughout the week.
Local sustainability projects On the final day, attention turned from forest adventures to local biodiversity and community initiatives in Skerries. The children visited the Skerries Open Orchard at the Ballast Pit and St. Patrick’s Close, where Sabine McKenna explained how the project is helping to increase biodiversity and provide a shared resource for the town. Sarah-Jane Cullinane led a Council of All Beings workshop where the children created masks and took part in an imaginative, interactive ritual that gave voice to different creatures of the natural world.
Later, a walk to the seafront brought them to the South Beach with Miriam Sweeney, who introduced the group to practical community initiatives like the toy beach box and wetsuit swap shop, showing how small ideas can make a real difference in caring for our world. The week highlighted just how important and how joyful it is for children to spend extended time in nature. From games under the trees to learning about community-led projects, the Forest School experience combined outdoor fun with valuable lessons about friendship, imagination and sustainability. Sustainable Skerries would like to thank Fingal County Council for funding this project, Sustainable Skerries volunteers for giving so generously of their time and Free Range Outdoor Education (www.froe.ie) for their expert guidance and knowledge throughout the week. Most of all, thanks to the children, who embraced the adventure wholeheartedly bringing curiosity, big smiles and endless enthusiasm. Sustainable Skerries is a committee of The Skerries Community Association
This article appeared in the Skerries News, our beloved local publication.
Skerries Group for National Climate March: Sat 15 November Meet at Skerries Train Station, 11 am (Train departs 11.10 am) Let’s make this our biggest turnout yet!
THIS IS IMPORTANT. Warm days in November. No rain for weeks. Sudden downpours. Stronger winds than we used to get. News from across the world of hurricanes and droughts. The climate is already changing — and we’re worried about the future.
Our government needs to hear that loud and clear. To hear our demand: Stop fossil fuels now!
We’re inviting all groups and individuals in Skerries to join the Skerries group for the National Climate March in Dublin on Saturday 15 November 2025.
We’ll meet at Skerries Train Station at 11 am to catch the 11.10 am train, arriving in good time for the start of the march at the Garden of Remembrance.
Why?
Because politicians find it too easy to say there’s no real public interest in climate issues anymore.
Because COP 30 is too big an opportunity for the world to miss.
Because those politicians who do want to act on climate need to be able to point to us and say: Yes, the people care.
Who?
Everyone who feels it’s important to do something about climate change and who can make it on the day.
Wouldn’t it be great to see all sorts of Skerries people – individuals, families, groups of friends, sports teams, clubs, committees, and associations march together?
Bring your own or your group’s banners, flags, T-shirts, and energy! Instruments welcome, too…
Maybe you’d like to create new banners for the day… whatever you choose, let’s make sure Skerries is seen and heard!
Details for Sat 15 November 2025:
Meet: Skerries Railway Station, 11 am (Train departs 11.10 am)
In Dublin: Quick coffee from around 12 noon at Caffeine 19, Denmark Street (space and time allowing; bring keep cups!)
The March: Join the main gathering at the Garden of Remembrance (1 pm). If possible, the Skerries group will assemble close to Findlater’s Church on the North-Eastern corner of the Garden so if you’re travelling in independently, come find us there!
After the march, which we assume will end between 3 and 4 pm near Leinster House, there are trains back to Skerries from Pearse Station roughly every 30 minutes. We’ll all make our own ways back.
Background: The march is organised by the Stop Climate Action alliance (Trócaire, Friends of the Earth Ireland, Oxfam Ireland and many others) and will take us to Leinster House. It is happening before the backdrop of COP 30.
Oxfam, part of the organising team, say:
On 15 November all around the world, people will flood the streets of capitals to demand an end to the era of fossil fuels. COP30 in Brazil must be a turning point – 10 years on since Paris, our leaders have to act. We will take to the streets of Dublin in our thousands to march in solidarity, and demand faster and fairer climate action from our government.
Last year, thanks to funding from LAWPRO, we designed a bespoke project for water quality and biodiversity in Skerries. We commissioned a report from writer & environmental consultant Féidhlim Harty. He joined us in Skerries and identified a number of areas where we could use nature-based solutions to help ease localised flooding, to enhance biodiversity and to improve water quality in the stream and at the beaches. As we’re lucky enough to be beside the seaside, and have a stream, there are a number of interesting options. Another area which we can address is places in Skerries which flood after heavy rain. Things like SUDS & swales can really help with that and at the same time provide food and habitat for insects and other creatures. There’s more information about those and other possible measures info in Feidhlim’s report, which you can access via our Plans for Skerriespage.
We installed a water butt and a rain planter at the Community Centre. Both these measures help slow water reaching the drains during heavy rainfall. If enough people take similar measures, we’d have fewer “No Swim” notices after storms, & cleaner water at our beaches.
Check out the water butt, rainwater planter & water refill station at the Community Centre
We requested that Fingal County Council install 2 water refill stations in Skerries at the Community Centre and beside the playground at Skerries Mills. These help people avoid single-use plastics. The refill station at the Community Centre has dispensed over 35,000 bottles worth of water to date. In Fingal, that’s second only to the one in Ardgillan.
More info on YouTube
Féidhlim’s report is very detailed and specific. For a quicker overview of why the measures are so useful and so needed in places like Skerries, we recommend taking a look at our videos of Féidhlim speaking at the 2024 Skerries Eco Festival. A good place to start is this short taster video of the walk & talk Féidhlim gave. There are a number of fascinating longer videos of Féidhlim’s talks, once we’ve whet your appetite: the Skerries walk & talk, and his talk “Nurturing the Miracle” which highlighted how water is a crucial part of the solution to the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity decline.
Recognition from An Taisce and The Irish Times
As well as providing hours of fun for Skerries beachgoers, our Beach Toy Library helps keep plastic pollution out of the sea and off the beach. Skerries scored a special mention in An Taisce’s recent IBAL report and we were delighted that press coverage picked up on their mention of our Beach toy library. Thanks again to Skerries Men’s Shed for building us a new sturdy box this year. It will be retired soon for Autumn/Winter, but back for more fun & games next year when the weather improves.
We were very proud to win Irish Times Greenest Place competition as Ireland’s Greenest Town, & delighted that the Beach Toy Library, plus our other water measures were singled out for praise.
The very popular Beach Toy Library saves plastic from ending up in the sea
Our Plans
We are working with the Community Centre on progressing one of Féidhlim’s recommendations. Watch this space!
Drainage of the tennis courts could be future-proofed with swales
We’ve also requested that Fingal County Council repair the fence on the South Strand which protects the marram grass and asked them to use signage & other communications to raise awareness of why we should protect it.
We recently contacted our local representatives to ask them to push the government to enact the Marine Protected Areas Bill.
Other Skerries water news
We were pleased to see that Fingal’s plans for Red Island and Harbour road include permeable parkings spaces, SUDS & tree pits. Fingal’s plans for the grass between the Community Centre & the Mills swales. You can see them in the reception of the Communty Centre.
SUDS on Red Island will increase biodiversity & help keep the paths dry
Get involved
We hope this will inspire some of you to take action. We recorded a really useful online webinar where Féidhlim gave very practical advice about small projects we can do in our own gardens. If you like the rainwater planter at the Community Centre, we used this beautiful & easy to follow guide to design it. The plants we used in ours are thriving a year later. They were chosen to be resilient in dry weather (they’ve never been watered) and also do a great job of soaking up water after heavy rain. They are also pollinator friendly. We used Yellow Flag Iris & Aquilegia, but there are loads of other suitable plants. We’ve compiled a list at the bottom of this page, based on an info sheet you can find here.
If you have any idea, or would like to help us do more, get in touch: sustskerries@gmail.com
After the recent wind and rain, Skerries is covered in a thick, colourful carpet of fallen leaves. They look beautiful, but once they land on our paths, streets, roads, and in gutters, they can quickly turn from autumn glory to slippery hazard. Wet leaves make footpaths dangerous and can block drains, and we have all seen how they can lead to flooding, especially with the heavier rainfall we’re now experiencing. Fingal County Council do send road sweepers round, but that is not enough….
So what’s the most sustainable way to deal with all those leaves? The answer depends on where they are.
Leave the leaves — where it helps nature
If the leaves are in your flowerbeds, under shrubs, or on your vegetable patch, leave them there! They’ll protect the soil from winter rain, keep roots cosy, and feed the worms and insects that make our gardens thrive. Nature designed this system perfectly — no raking needed. With one exception: If there is a thick layer of wet leaves on a lawn or path, do remove them, as they can smother grass or become slippery.
Collect and compost — where they cause problems
Leaves swept from paths, pavements, or roadsides can be turned into leaf mould — a dark, crumbly soil improver that enriches our gardens and reduces waste.
But don’t put them in your normal compost heap: they take too long to break down. Your brown bin isn’t a good choice either, really, as they can fill up bins quickly.
Instead, you could bring them to a local leaf mould composting cage, if there is one nearby.
These cages are part of Fingal County Council’s Community Leaf Mould Composting Project, which helps neighbourhoods all over Fingal turn a waste problem into a valuable resource.
The council provides free wire cages, watering cans, and pitchforks, plus training and site visits to help communities get started. Here in Skerries, this project is coordinated by the Skerries Neighbourhoods Network (an initiative of the Skerries Community Association – see skerriesca.com/neighbourhoods).
If you’d like one in your area, please contact the network by email: network@skerriesca.com – this year, the deadline Fingal had set for new cages was 28 September, but their contractor, Craig, says there may be some available for a couple of extra Skerries locations in mid November.
At the moment, there are cages in Kelly’s Bay Rocks, Skerries Rock The Crescent, Greenlawns, The Haven and Downside. You will know them by
How to use the Leaf Mould Cages
Use the cages for wet deciduous leaves only. No branches, grass cuttings, or other green waste, please.
Keep the leaves damp. Sprinkle them with water if they’re dry — moisture is essential.
Stir it up! The pitchforks provided by the Fingal Leaf Mould Project help in doing that.
If there’s no cage nearby, collect your leaves in black plastic sacks or old compost bags, make a few holes in the sides, add a little water, and leave them in a corner for a year or two. The result: rich, weed-free leaf mould for your garden. This is also a great way to store leaves while waiting for a leaf mould cage!
Actually, that question is wrong – it should read: Who does it take to make Skerries one of the greenest places in Ireland?
And the answer is: Katie. Helen. Michael. Breda Sh. Breda N. Mary. Eamonn. Mags. John. Máire. Hans. Sara. Sabine. Charlie. Miriam. And those are only the ones who were actually around today to meet Mary Minehan, The Irish Times Features Editor and one of the Ireland’s Greenest Places judges. She was joined later on by photographer Alan Betson. And the aforementioned Skerries people met them in various locations for an extended show-and-tell…
And we realised: There is actually a lot in Skerries to give us hope in these uncertain times! Becoming active, doing something – together with dozens of others in our various groups – helps all of us. As Hans put it so eloquently (I paraphrase), doing something eco-friendly at home is all very well, but doing it with others and spreading the word can have a much, much bigger impact.
The groups include (but are not limited to): Sustainable Skerries, the Skerries Community Association, Skerries Cycling Initiative, Skerries Tidy Towns, the Skerries Community Garden, Skerries Autism Friendly Town, Skerries Sustainable Energy Community Initiative etc etc etc
And so we showed off our community centre with its Skerries Community Association wall design, biodiversity-friendly planters, water refill station, bike stands, mini bee garden, water butt, rainwater garden and of course the Skerries Eco Town wall. And we gave Mary a copy of the wonderful Skerries Eco Town Booklet. We talked about water management and climate policy and hope and bees.
We showed her the pollinator-friendly corridor, all the way from Skerries Mills to Ardgillan (and from Skerries Mills via the allotments to the South Strand). And the wonderful flower beds Tidy Towns are maintaining everywhere.
We stopped at the Kelly’s Bay Open Orchard and explained about our 150 fruit trees in 14 mini orchards. The pears are just one week or so away from being ripe, pity… and the plums are all gone… it still looked good!
We showed Mary and Alan (who joined us there) the beach toy library, talked some more about pollinators and met the Cycling Without Age Trishaw. Currachaí na Sceirí were mentioned and their litter-picking expeditions to the islands off our shore. And of course Foróige and the Skerries Men’s Shed, who both helped with the beach toy library.
We showed off Floraville and the sensory garden, that lovely oasis we owe Skerries Autism Friendly Town big thanks for. We explained about our work regarding consultations and submissions. About how we’re trying to reach people through our Instagram and YouTube channels.
We talked about the library and our hopes for repair cafés there in the future. And about the next big thing Skerries Tidy Towns are doing: The unveiling of a of a fabulous Mosaic in Floraville to celebrate the groundbreaking Supreme Court victory in December 1973, of Skerries woman Mary (May) McGee, which effectively legalized the sale and importation of contraceptives. What, you haven’t heard of that? It will be unveiled next Saturday, 30 August, 2 pm, and you’re all invited!
We probably mentioned more things than we should have in the 140 minutes The Irish Times spent with us… including all the Tidy Towns activities including their many cooperations with clubs and especially schools, a lot about active travel, more about pollinators (would you believe that we had The Irish Times actively hunting for the Large Carder Bee before the afternoon was over?!), the Community Garden, which we was looking really well (of course!).
And then it was way after 4 pm and we had to call it a day.
Will we be the greenest town in Ireland, according to The Irish Times? Maybe. Maybe not.
But we do think that we are making a difference, all these people who are active, and I’m sure I’ve forgotten half of the things we showed and mentioned and referred to. Such is life. It was fun – whatever the result, thank you for visiting, Alan and Mary! Actually, let me rephrase that: Even if we don’t win, thank you for visiting! But we would prefer to come first, to be honest...
Sustainable Skerries is inviting everybody in Skerries to enter the third Skerries Eco Fest Photo Challenge!
Deadline 31 July 2025.
And just like in previous years, we will select between 10 and 20 pictures to form the Skerries Eco Festival Photo Exhibition, on view from 23 September in Skerries Mills.
Naturally the focus will be on what is happening in the town to “lighten” its carbon and biodiversity footprint and to raise awareness about environmental challenges. Within this general guideline you are free to capture and submit any image you wish. Below are some possible topics to help you to focus. We are delighted to have local professional photographer and videographer Mark Broderick as our judge. Mark will select between ten and twenty images from all entries, which will be printed in A4 and exhibited in Skerries Mills from 23 September on for ten days, after which they will be presented to the photographers. Possible topics include:
Local Biodiversity – Highlight bees, birds, hedgehogs, or other wildlife thriving in eco-friendly spaces.
Getting Around Greener – Photos of walking, cycling, e-scooters, public transport.
Greener Energy- solar panels, solar-powered amenities…
Before-and-after shots of restored, repurposed or waste-avoiding initiatives, biodiversity corners etc. (please create a collage of 2-4 images in one picture for these )
Small Footprint Living – Passive houses, reusing material, water saving, insulation work, clothes drying outdoors….
The rules:
Photos – up to three from each entrant – must have been taken in 2024 or 2025.
Please note: If your photo features people, make sure you have received their permission to be photographed. (For guidance on this issue, visit dataprotection.ie)
Images must be emailed to sustskerries@gmail.com by 31 July 2025.
Important: To be printed successfully an image file must be at least 2MB in size. (Images that have been uploaded to WhatsApp at any stage are reduced in size and while they may look good on screen will not be suitable for printing.)
Best of luck. Remember: Deadline for submitting entries is 31 July 2025. Send your email to sustskerries@gmail.com Max of 3 entries per photographer. If you send us your pictures, you agree to allow us to use them online and in print, with acknowledgment of the photographer. (Thank you!)
We are grateful to the Progressive Credit Union for sponsoring this year’s Skerries Eco Festival Photo Challenge.
Our friends of the Wild Bee Festival had their fourth such festival in June 2025, and our committee member Hans Zomer put together a wonderful article plus a couple of short films, which we happily added to our YouTube channel, as it’s worth spreading what they are saying! Here is Hans’ article, a version of which was published in the latest edition of Skerries News.
Skerries Wild Bee Festival: A buzzing celebration of nature and community
Skerries was alive with excitement on 20-22 June 2025 as the Skerries Wild Bee Festival brought together nature lovers, biodiversity experts and local residents to celebrate and learn about our vital pollinators.
Organised by volunteers from the Skerries Mills Community Garden and funded by Fingal County Council, the festival highlighted the power of small actions in reversing the decline of bees and biodiversity.
The Skerries Wild Bee Festival organising committee includes members who are also part of Sustainable Skerries. The festival aligns closely with our aims: restoring biodiversity, protecting pollinators and encouraging community action for climate and nature.
The festival’s opening night featured a screening of “The Plight of the Bumblebee,” a documentary by Brenda Castles exploring the cultural and ecological importance of bees in Ireland, complete with live traditional music and interviews with bee advocates including Skerries’ own Charlie and Marion Heasman.
Other festival highlights included a passionate keynote from Professor Jane Stout, one of Ireland’s leading pollination ecologists, who praised Skerries for being “a shining example of community action for nature.”
Workshops, nature walks, and talks brought practical and hopeful solutions to life.
A walking tour of the Skerries Biodiversity Corridor showcased how local efforts, including Sustainable Skerries’ own pollinator-friendly planting and Open Orchards work, are making a real difference.
We applaud everyone involved in this inspiring event. It was a strong reminder that when we plant, protect and connect with nature we really can help our town thrive.
To learn more or get involved in Sustainable Skerries’ pollinator and biodiversity efforts, follow us on social media or drop by one of our upcoming events.
On Sunday 8th June 2025, coinciding with payment for Skerries Water-Safety week, Sustainable Skerries hosted its first Sustainable Swim Shop and Repair Café.
This event was inspired by a member of the public who contacted us after seeing our details on the beach toy library at the South Strand. Events like these are a great way to save money, reduce textile waste and protect the environment.
This one was enabled by the encouragement of the Skerries Water-Safety organising team, the support of the Community Centre (for dropping off items), the help of local repair expert Ann Mulligan, and volunteers from the Sustainable Skerries Committee. We really appreciated their help. Of course we could not have run this event without donations and we are very grateful to everyone who donated items before and during the event.
In total 25 items (wetsuits, swimwear, swim shoes) went to new homes and €77 was raised for local sustainability initiatives. We hope to run this event annually, building on the success of this year to encourage even more reuse of swim items going forwards.
Did you know that in Ireland, 110,000 tonnes of textiles are discarded every year? (Source: Textiles: National Attitudes & Behaviours Surveys | Environmental Protection Agency.) Re-using unwanted clothing, much of which is perfectly wearable (especially kids’ clothing that they’ve outgrown), is a great way to combat textile waste, protect the environment and save money. Similarly, items with minor wear and tear can be repaired and reused.
In July 2024, a lady emailed Sustainable Skerries asking if we would consider running a “wetsuit exchange.” She noted how kids’ wetsuits are often used for one summer, and then they outgrow them. She had seen our details on the sign at the then-recently launched beach toy library and decided to contact us. We thought it was a great idea, but felt it was too late to implement it for summer 2024. We mentioned it to one of the organisers of Skerries Water Safety week, who agreed and suggested we consider it for 2025, perhaps to coincide with Water Safety payment time.
Fast forward to 2025 (how time flies!) and the Skerries Water-Safety organising team kindly confirmed their support for this idea and let us know their payment date. By now, the idea had morphed from just wetsuits to swimming gear more generally.
So, our Sustainable Swim Shop and Repair Cafe will take place on Sunday 8th June, 10 am to 3 pm, under the awning outside the Little Theatre. All items €3. You can donate your clean wetsuits and swimming gear to the Community Centre on 5th, 6th, or 7th June. We will accept clothing in need of minor repair. You can also donate items on the day and/or bring them for repair. Repairs will take place in Room 1. All funds raised will go to Sustainable Skerries, supporting local sustainability initiatives. Thanks in advance for your support!
From May 12 to 18, Skerries will be buzzing with activity as part of Dublin Climate Action Week 2025. Whether you’re into hands-on workshops, nature walks, or engaging conversations, there’s something for everyone — all centred around building a more sustainable future together. Sustainable Skerries is delighted to be helping out with most of the following events:
🗓️ Highlight: Climate Conversations with Jacinta Barrins
Wednesday 14 May, 5:30–6:30 PM – Skerries Little Theatre. Reserve your space – and bring a friend!
Come for the tea, stay for the conversation. This is not your usual climate talk. Join Jacinta Barrins — retired UN diplomat and founder of the 60+ Climate Drive — for an informal and energising session on how our everyday actions (like boiling the kettle) tie into climate science. Jacinta brings warmth, clarity and decades of global experience to the room. You’ll leave better informed, more hopeful, and maybe even inspired to make a change or two.
Saturday 17 May, 12:00–2:00 PM – Departing from Mourne Community Centre. No registration needed!
Discover local nature with a guided walk through Skerries’ green spaces. Learn about our flora, fauna, and what we can do to protect them. Led by local biodiversity legends Charlie and Marion Heasman of Sustainable Skerries and the Skerries Mills Community Gardens.
Come join us for a fun and informative nature walk exploring the local flora and fauna in our area. We will start at the Mourne Estate Community Centre and walk towards the Ballast Pit. This will be a lovely way to connect with nature. All are welcome. Wear boots or good walking shoes and be prepared for the possibility of a rain shower.
➡️ Skerries Nature Walk Sat 17 May, 12 noon, Mourne Community Centre: No registration needed, all welcome!
Turn an old T-shirt into a tote bag with the Rediscovery Centre. Sustainable fashion made fun and useful! Note: This event is nearly full — don’t wait to book.
Saturday 17 May, 2:00–4:00 PM – Kelly’s Bay Open Orchard. No registration needed.
Join us at Kelly’s Bay Open Orchard as we tend to the oldest and largest mini orchard in the Skerries Open Orchard Project. We’ll kick off with a short introduction to the thinking behind our mini orchards and how they support biodiversity and climate action in Skerries. Then it’s time to roll up our sleeves! We’ll be clearing unwanted growth from around the base of the trees, giving them some well-deserved food and compost, and watering them. After our hands-on orchard care, we’ll make our way back to Mourne View Community Centre for some well-earned refreshments. Wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty, and dress for the weather.
➡️ Sat 17 May, 2 pm, Kelly’s Bay Open Orchard (next to the bus stop): No need to book for the orchard session – just turn up!
All events are free, but booking is essential for some. Let’s make Climate Action Week in Skerries a time to connect, learn, and act — together.
Sustainable Skerries 