Latest news with #Dunshaughlin
Irish Independent
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Irish Independent
The new faces of local democracy: Meath's first firefighter councillor on year one
One year into his term, the Dunshaughlin Station Officer has said that the reality of life as a councillor has been more demanding than he thought. 'The most surprising thing about being a councillor is that it's so busy. I didn't know it would be this busy,' he said. 'It takes months to understand the system. I still don't fully understand it — that could take a couple of years.' Cllr Blake's journey to the council as he described it was unexpected. In June 2023, Cllr Blake, who has been in the fire service for more than 25 years, joined colleagues in strike over pay and working conditions. 'We weren't looked after and we were treated very badly,' he said. 'The strike went on all summer. Even while we were on the picket line, calls were still coming in. We were put under moral pressure to respond.' One call in particular still stands out. 'One day there was a cardiac arrest locally. We decided to put down the posters and go to the house to help. We were doing that for free. The nearest brigade was from Ashbourne, and they arrived about 15 minutes after us. Then we went straight back to the picket line.' Cllr Blake, a Sinn Féin member since 2020, soon received an unexpected call from Meath East TD Darren O'Rourke. 'I thought he wanted to talk about the strike. Instead, he asked me to run for the council. I told him, 'I'm a fireman, I have no education.' I just didn't think politics was for me.' Initially, he turned down the proposal, twice. But by September 2023, with the deadline approaching, he reconsidered. 'I thought, what have I got to lose? In October we started canvassing. It was really hard because I'm from here, and when I was knocking on doors people were saying, 'What are you doing?'' Before the campaign could take off, Blake faced an obstacle. Both Meath County Council and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage initially ruled him ineligible to run. The reasoning was that, as a council employee, his candidacy would create a conflict of interest. 'They thought I couldn't have two jobs from the council, so they tried blocking me from running,' he said. A decision by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to reverse its position on firefighters contesting Local Elections paved the way for Cllr Blake to run. In the 2024 local elections, he was the only newcomer to secure a seat in the Ratoath Electoral Area, taking the final position after a marathon two-day count. 'During the first vote I was under a lot of pressure. I was told I didn't have a chance. People were coming up to me in the street, shaking my hand — and that made me sad because I thought I was going to let them down. When I was elected, it was pure shock.' Cllr Blake said he has been learning the ropes of local democracy while also balancing his role as a firefighter. 'It's really hard juggling being a councillor and a firefighter, but I've got the hang of it now and it suits me. I enjoy it.' 'You learn from the older councillors — how they speak, how they run meetings. You have to put in the work at the start to gain ground for yourself, and I think I've done that over the last year. You can't help everyone exactly the way they want, but you do your best to be a voice for them.' 'If someone brings an issue to me, I try to represent them without fail,' the councillor said. Earlier this year, local parents approached Cllr Blake about dog fouling on the main street. 'Some mothers told me they were coming across dog dirt when pushing buggies. The council wouldn't put up a dog bin, so I sponsored dog litter bags myself and put them up on the wall.' The village, which had around 700 residents when Cllr Blake was growing up, now has over 10,000. 'We've had a massive influx of people. The streets are the same, but the traffic is way up. I'd say we have the biggest volume of traffic in Meath. The roads are in a bad state, with potholes everywhere.' Housing is another concern he raised, both locally and nationally. 'There aren't enough social or affordable houses in Meath. I'd love to see the council buy more land for both. House prices and rents are through the roof. When we were canvassing, we saw so many adult children living with their parents because the housing crisis is so bad.' He added: 'People blame people coming into the country, but it's not them — it's the government not building enough houses. Before the famine, there were 8 million people living in Ireland; now there are only 6 million. There's loads of room for everyone. Irish people have moved all over the world. You can't be Irish and be anti-immigration or racist.'
Irish Times
12-08-2025
- Automotive
- Irish Times
Applegreen to open Ireland's first Taco Bell at new €15m forecourt on M3
Forecourt operator Applegreen will open Ireland's first Taco Bell restaurant in September as part of a €15 million investment in a new motorway service area on the M3 in Dunshaughlin, Co Meath. The company is creating just over 100 jobs at the new service area, which will also include an M&S Food shop-in-shop outlet, a new Braeburn Coffee café, a Burger King restaurant, and Crafted, Applegreen's bespoke new deli offering. The new service area will also have an Applegreen convenience store, a service station forecourt, and, initially, eight ultra-Fast EV charging ports, capable of speeds up to 400kW. More chargers will come onstream when further power is available at the site. Seamus Stapleton, managing director of Applegreen's Irish business, said the group plans to open several additional Taco Bell restaurants at its Irish locations over the next five years. READ MORE The Dunshaughlin facility is Applegreen's largest single investment project in Ireland this year. It will cover almost 10 acres and will be the largest EV charging hub on the M3. [ Taco Bell's arrival could add spice to Ireland's love affair with American fast food Opens in new window ] Meanwhile, Certa , another forecourt operator, is opening its 25th hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) fuel site in Ireland this week in Portlaoise. The company, which is part of industrial conglomerate DCC , said it was responding to increasing demand from diesel drivers who are choosing the renewable fuel . HVO is produced from waste plant matter and can be used as a direct replacement for diesel without any need for engine modifications. It can help motorists lower their carbon emissions by between 65 per cent and 90 per cent. Certa said demand for HVO is being driven by diesel drivers 'who want to go green but who have put off switching to an EV for a variety of reasons'. [ Why is it costing me more to use green fuel in my car than fossil fuels? Opens in new window ] The company said these include the cost of buying an EV, the lack of charging infrastructure across the State, and not having their own driveway or off-street parking where they can install a home charger. Certa opened Ireland's first fully fledged HVO fuel station in Liffey Valley in late 2023 at a cost of €1 million. Fifteen of the 25 HVO fuel sites that Certa currently operates have opened over the past eight months and the company has plans to open five more sites later this year.
BreakingNews.ie
12-08-2025
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Applegreen to open Ireland's first Taco Bell in new M3 service area
Applegreen will open Ireland's first Taco Bell restaurant in a new motorway service area at Junction 6 on the M3 in Dunshaughlin, Co Meath. The American fast-food chain will officially open in September and is part of a €15 million investment into the new motorway service area. Advertisement The investment is creating just over 100 new jobs at the new Dunshaughlin facility, which will also include an M&S Food shop-in-shop outlet, a new Braeburn Coffee Café, a Burger King restaurant, and a deli called Crafted. The new service area will also have a convenience store, a service station forecourt, and an initial 8 ultra-Fast EV charging ports. Managing Director of Applegreen's Republic of Ireland business, Seamus Stapleton, said: 'When we announced our plan to bring Taco Bell to Ireland back in April, we were thrilled to see that our customers were just as excited as we were about bringing Taco Bell here. 'We're delighted to confirm today that Ireland's first Taco Bell will be located at Applegreen's new motorway service area on the M3 at Dunshaughlin and it will open in September. "We plan to open several additional Taco Bell restaurants at our Irish locations over the next five years, and we will update consumers as soon as we have more news of future restaurants."
Irish Independent
11-08-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Meath GAA SFC Preview: Champions Dunshaughlin can't afford another slip-up
Fairyhouse Steel Senior Football Championship Keegan Cup holders Dunshaughlin take on last year's Intermediate champions Meath Hill in a Round 2 must-win match as they attempt to kick-start the defence of their Senior Football Championship (SFC) title at Pairc Tailteann on Friday evening (7.30pm). Dunshaughlin's last visit to the Navan venue saw them shocked by Rathkenny who themselves can clinch a knock-out spot if they overcome Trim at Dunganny on Thursday evening (7.30pm).
Irish Times
11-08-2025
- Automotive
- Irish Times
SUVs and me
Sir, – Joanna Mulvey (Letters, August 9th) suggests that these behemoths be subject to extra charges . As one in his late 80s coming back to his normal-sized car to find it is hemmed in with one of these on each side – thankfully my boot opens and my back seat collapses. So, being still reasonably agile I can crawl in and fall into my front seat to drive away. – Yours, etc, DAVID MURNANE, READ MORE Dunshaughlin.
