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25th October 2016 • Volume 23, Issue 37 • Leader House, North Street, Swords, Co. Dublin. K67 P5W4. • Tel: 01 8•400•200 • info@northcountyleader.ie • www.northcountyleader.ie
Skerries Boy Launches Book A new book, called ‘Adventures in Willoga’ has just been launched at Skerries Community College by student, Conall O’Dowd. The remarkable thing is that Conall is a first year student and has just celebrated his 13th birthday and to have a book published at this tender age, is quite an achievement by any standard. The launch of the book took place last week in the library of the school,
which was packed with Conall’s fellow students, as well as school prin-
cipal. Caroline Clarke, and they gave him a rapturous welcome when he arrived at the library. Here he answered questions from the students about where he got his ideas and how long it took him to write the book. Miss Clarke was full of praise for the
Pictured at the launch of 'Adventures In Willoga' a novel by Conall O'Dowd who is a 1st year student at Skerries Community College, are Irene McGrath (Canall's mother), Claire Loughran (Art teacher), Conall O'Dowd, Caroline Clarke (School principal) and Seamus O'Dowd (Conall's father)
Conall, when she said, “We are here to celebrate the extraordinary achievement of Conall at your age to produce a book so clever and insightful and so beautifully represented. We celebrate everyone’s achievements here at the school and this is the first time in more than 10 years that we have had the privilege of celebrating a student author here in our midst, and this is a great day for all of us and we’re all very proud of you,” she said. The colourful book cover was illustrated with the help of Conall’s Art teacher, Claire Loughran. Conall’s father Seamus told the County Leader, “I think it’s a wonderful
The tenth annual National Women's Enterprise Day was held across Ireland on Wednesday, 19th October last. The Local Enterprise Office (LEO) Fingal joined forces with the other three LEOs in Dublin to organise a major event at the Radisson Blu Hotel Dublin Airport. The theme this year was, "The Road to Success." Pictured at the event are, Nicola Byrne, (Managing Director of Cloud 90 and 11890), Oisín Geoghegan (Head of Enterprise Fingal), John Halligan T.D., Minister for Training, Skills and Innovation, Deputy County Mayor, Cllr Eithne Loftus and Paul Reid, Chief Executive, Fingal County Council. See page 4 for more photos
achievement by Conall. He decided when he was 10 that he wanted to write a book, which is remarkable in itself, given that he had no interest up to that time in any form of reading. However, with the right books he caught up and it really fired his imagination. He excelled in reading in a very short space of time and he decided to write a book
that would inspire other kids to read. At 10, he used my computer and he learned how to use it and the whole thing came from his own imagination,” said Seamus. Conall told the County Leader, “I’m not sure where the title of the book comes from. I was reading a specific series called Beast Quest and the first three books of this series is all about
Farrell And O’Brien At Loggerheads Again! Local Fine Gael TD, Alan Farrell has responded to fellow Malahide man and Fianna Fail TD, Darragh O’Brien’s article in last week’s issue of the County Leader, entitled, ‘North County Left Behind In Budget.” Farrell told the County Leader, “Deputy issues affecting people in the North O’Brien is doing a disservice to County. the people of North County Farrell said, “The more fundaDublin by doing one thing and mental point lost on Deputy saying another regarding Budget O’Brien is that the planning 2017. In making claims regarding process should take time and Budget 2017, Deputy O’Brien should be robust, given the expeseemingly criticises the fact that riences of the North County with the new secondary schools to regard to planning irregularities serve Swords, Malahide and Farrell TD of the past.” Portmarnock are at the planning “The Deputy, when a member of phase. He failed to acknowledge a Government party himself, that this is in line with the investfailed to prioritise schooling in ment of Government and the Malahide, Swords, Donabate, timeline for the construction of Balbriggan, Lusk and Rush. both schools, given they will Prefabs were foisted upon our both open in temporary accomschools instead of investing in modation in September 2017 proper classrooms yet now, on O’Brien TD until the buildings projects for the back of the worst of the both can be completed,” he said. economic crisis caused by that This prompted a Trump / Clinton like very same Government, he decries new engagement between the two, when schools taking the appropriate amount O’Brien contacted this newspaper and of time to get past the planning accused Farrell of ‘playing politics’ with process,” he blasted.
Regarding O’Brien’s assertions that despite the Budget, Metro North remains under review, Farrell countered, “As Deputy O’Brien should be well aware, the funding for Metro North, the DART extension to Balbriggan, and the new secondary schools for Malahide and Portmarnock, and for Swords, were laid out in the Capital Plan last year and are never a matter for an annual budget. “It would be appreciated if Deputy O’Brien, and his party would at least familiarise themselves with the facts before misconstruing them for headlines. “If Deputy O’Brien truly believes that Budget 2017 is a bad deal for the North County, why did he, and the rest of Fianna Fáil, are facilitate the passage and enactment of this Budget.? Deputy O’Brien cannot do as his party have always done by saying one thing, while doing another,” he concluded. O’Brien responded to the stinging rebuke, by criticising Farrell for playing politics. He told the County Leader, “The people of this constituency recog-
nise the work that I and my colleagues do to promote the cause of investment in North County Dublin. They also recognise Alan Farrell’s party political pantomime when they see it.” “He’s unlikely to take advice from me, but I hope someone close to Deputy Farrell will explain to him that what our voters want is positive, constructive action for our community. The old style Punch and Judy routine offers nothing positive and we have no interest in being part of it,” he said. “Investing energy in defending the indefensible seems silly to me because the record speaks for itself, but Alan has clearly chosen to put politics before the people of North County and that is his choice. Internal Fine Gael politics have always been a mystery to me. For my own part, and that of the Fianna Fáil team in communities across the North County, we will continue to work day and night to address the infrastructure and services deficit that people in this constituency are forced to live with,” concluded O’Brien.
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dragons and fire. The next one was about water and flying and these triggered my imagination,” he said. Conall is a great fan of the Harry Potter series, as well as Roald Dahl and was inspired by their exploits. When asked if
he wanted to pursue writing as a career, he wasn’t so sure, but Seamus confirmed that Conall is already pursuing possible story lines and sequels, so we may well have unearthed a new author here in the North County.
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