October's the month
When the smallest breeze
Gives us a shower
Of autumn leaves
Bonfires and pumpkins,
Leaves sailing down
October is red
and golden and brown

Happy Halloween
Guímid togha spóirt d'ár bpáistí óga Oiche Shamhna
We wish our young children lots of fun at Halloween

The September Monthly Meeting of DCC took place on Monday 6th at 8pm in OLH.

Matters Arising:

DCC have a meeting this week with the Environment Section in DLRCC and there are many topics for discussion including the closure of the recycling depot at George's Place, the location of the bottle banks, th

e distribution of wheelie bins and green bins and the overall litter problem in the area.

Functions:

The presentation of the DCC awards will be made this Friday night at 8pm. The recipients for the McCabe Cup are Conor and Joan Patton who train the children for the Community Games and this year the Meals on Wheels will receive the Community Cup.

Tidy Towns:

The results from the TT competition will be published tomorrow. The profile of TT has been more prominent in the town this year and TT hope there will be more participation during next year. TT has been invited to submit comments on litter to DLRCC. There will be a public open meeting to be held in the Town Hall on 6th October to discuss the results of the TT Competition and to set out a strategy plan for next year. On the 11th October there will be a Waste Control Workshop in OLH beginning at 7.30pm. Unfortunately the dumping of litter is a huge problem and a long- standing one in Dalkey. The litter on Coliemore Road will hopefully be addressed when the wheelie bins are introduced here. The entry roads into the town will be improved and TT in conjunction with the BA will tackle the Killiney Towers point of entry. The water from the leak at Gemmas is being analysed to try and establish its source and hopefully cure it.

AOB:

There are problems arising since the new parking control scheme was introduced and it was decided to collate them and have them ready for the review period. The residents have lost a lot of spaces from the centre of the town and there is a big problem at night- time. Since the double yellow lines have been painted on Castle Street the through flow for traffic has become a lot freer and this has made the need for a pedestrian crossing in the town even greater. DLRCC have confirmed that they have received a number of calls requesting a crossing for the town.
As there was no further business the meeting ended.
The dumping at the rear of Eurospar is a continuing problem and if anyone sees an offender dumping the best route of action is get some form of id and ring the
FREE PHONE LITTER WARDEN 1800 403 503

The Annual Art Exhibition will take place in Our Lady's Hall, Castle Street, Dalkey on Saturday and Sunday, 2Oth and 21st November 2004. Artists from the area are invited to submit paintings for this popular event. Entries should be framed, clearly labelled and ready for hanging. Exhibits should be brought to Our Lady's Hall on FRIDAY, 19th November at 12noon sharp (no postal entries) -number of paintings limited to two per artist. Entries will be taken on a first come, first served, basis, limited to the first one hundred and ten paintings. There will be a charge of €3.50 per picture exhibited. In order to facilitate the efficient acceptance of the art works please have the exact amount ready on arrival. As insurance cover ends at 6pm on Sunday, 21st November, entrants must arrange for collection between 5pm and 6pm on that date. All exhibitors are invited to the official opening of the exhibition on Friday, 19th November at 8pm

October can bring us some mild weather as well as the first real signs of winter but if the weather is mild do not be lulled into a false sense of security because often these mild spells can be followed by frost.

• Aerate compacted lawns to allow penetration of feed. Cut the lawn until the growth ceases. Remove all moss etc. with a good raking and feed the lawn with a good fertiliser.
• Lift gladioli corms, dahlia roots and border chrysanthemums for winter storage.
• Plant bulbs for good root structure for spring
• Cut back thyme, parsley and sage as young growth stands the winter best. Make-up small pots of herbs and bring them into the house or greenhouse.
• Potatoes, beetroot and carrots should now be lifted.

TIDY TOWNS COMPETITION 2004
Adjudication Report

Overall Developmental Approach:
The committee is thanked for their completed and comprehensive application form for the Tidy Towns competition 2004. The information supplied was very informative and provided the adjudicator with a good base to work from before beginning the inspection. The documents submitted with the application form provided the adjudicator with a lot of information on Dalkey and the work carried out, however it is suggested that an overall three year plan for the area be included in future applications. The constant work with local community groups and schools is an excellent method of creating awareness and gaining interest from the community in the overall development of the area. The annual tree planting, local groups adopting areas and the Family day in Killiney Hill and the Christmas pageant are all good community initiatives. Continued involvement from all aspects of the community is encouraged to ensure the constant upkeep and care of Dalkey.

The Built Environment:
Dalkey is a heritage village with a lot of character and charm. On the approach to Castle Street from the Barnhill Road area, the area outside the petrol station was well maintained, with work being carried out by station employees on the day of adjudication to tidy up the area. There is a lovely planter with a nice array of flowers at the junction of Barnhill road and Hyde Road, which provides a nice entrance into the area. As you continue towards Castle street it is unfortunate that you come across quite a large poster site, though not very pleasing to the eye or picturesque, it was overall well maintained, however I do feel the area of Dalkey would benefit from less poster sites as for a relatively small town it has a number of large poster site areas. Castle Street itself is well maintained and many of the shop fronts should be commended for their overall high standard of appearance. Many areas of the street are extremely pleasant, the Catholic Church, Goat Castle and the Heritage Centre among them. All of these areas were well maintained.
The car park beside the Catholic Church was well maintained and the information point outside the car park provides the visitor with a good starting point to explore Dalkey. Queens Pub, Don Giovannis and the Sorrento Lounge all looked pleasant on the day of adjudication. Again the poster site near the heritage centre and at the further end of Castle street opposite the Allied Irish are not ideal but the adjudicator appreciates the committee's frustration with these areas. However both areas were nicely maintained, with little evidence of litter in these areas.
The lane ways off Castle Street were a slight disappointment as they take away from the charm of the village. The lane way by the library up to Supervalu is in need of attention with graffiti and litter evident on the day of adjudication. The Library entrance on this lane way is also in need of some attention. From this lane way you can enter the car park at the back of SuperValu; again this area is in need of some attention. The back wall of the car park has a lot of graffiti on it and the grass area is not been maintained. I agree with the suggestion submitted with the application form that this area should be paved if it is not going to be maintained as it is quite unsightly. There was also delivery trolleys, card boxes and other material evident in the car park. A neater option for these should be explored by SuperValu.
The railway station is quite a busy area with work being done in the car park area, which made it a little untidy. The outside of the station itself was in need of some maintenance, and though there were nice hanging flower baskets they do require some attention. The Guinea Pig restaurant and Photogenic all looked well on the day of adjudication.

Landscaping:
The new sign and planted area at Castle Park Road is lovely and looked well on the day of adjudication., with the nicely paved area, new sign and nice planters with a selection of colourful flowers. The adjudicator looks forward to the proposed erection of the granite signs in three other locations. Castle Street has benefited from delightful floral arrangements and tress which make it a very pleasant street. Many of the fme residential areas sur-rounding Dalkey take great care of their gardens with a majority of areas well maintained. The residents of St. Patrick's Square should be commended once again for the up keep of their area. Some kerb maintenance is required in a few areas around Dalkey, on the Barnhill approach road, up Killiney hill and some areas on Sorrento road.

Wildlife and Natural Amenities:
Killiney hill is a lovely area with great potential. A number of projects could be undertaken to enhance this area. Possible publications/ information included in the local newsletter on the area. Information panels should be erected in the area to provide information on local wildlife and birds in the area. The coastal setting of Dalkey provides Dalkey with stunning sea views and lovely walks along the coast.

Litter Control :
The local group scheme devised where local groups adopt an area and maintain it seems to be paying off. There was little evidence of litter on Castle Street and Sorrento Road and the residential areas off Castle Street. A small amount of litter was evident near the DART Station and on the laneway up beside the library. Overall the measures taken to help combat the litter issue seem to be working.

Tidiness:
Overall the tidiness of Dalkey should be commended. Castle Street looked well on the day of adjudication. The areas that need addressing regarding overall tidiness are the SuperValu Car park area, the lane ways off Castle Street and the car park behind Queens pub, there were a large amount of empty bottles& kegs stacked up at the back of the car park, which looked quite untidy.

Residential Areas:
Many of the residential areas around Dalkey looked well and should be commended for there overall upkeep. Termon housing on Castle Street was well maintained as are the lovely houses opposite Sorrento Lounge and further along Sorrento road. White Villas and St Patrick's road are both well maintained residential areas which add to the charm of Dalkey. Some residential areas up towards Killiney Hill area are in need of some maintenance, the entrance to Old Quarry hill is in need of some attention.

Roads, Streets and Back Areas:
The approach roads into Dalkey are well maintained, however the heritage signs are in need of replacing on the Barnhill road entrance as graffiti was evident on the sign. However the proposed replacement of the heritage signs with granite signs will be welcome. Small amount of kerb maintenance is required on some of the approach roads, including Vico Road, and Ulverton Road.

General Impression:
Dalkey is a lovely heritage village that sits on the scenic coast of South Dublin. It has a large amount of heritage attached to the town that is being developed to its best potential, along with a charming commercial main street and pleasant residential areas. Some areas need to be improved over the coming year to ensure that the standard is reached and maintained. The community should be commended on their overall approach to the development of the area and the adjudicator is looking forward to seeing many of the items outlined in the Action plan for 2004 completed by next year.

Guided Tours:
Groups from allover the country continue to visit the Centre right throughout the winter months. Fully guided tours of the Centre and Literary or Historical Walks are provided for these groups.
The Living History Re-Enactments for schools will be underway shortly.
Art Exhibitions
It's the busy season for Art Exhibitions, with the Christmas market in mind. Laura Healy's Exhibition Flamboyant Flowers will be open to the public from 7th - lOth October. The Craft Potters of Ireland will have their bi-annual Exhibition Common Earth from 28th -3lst October.
The Dalkey: Sharing our Views Exhibition with Welsh artist Eleri Jones and Black Sheep Art Group broke all box office records with over 850 people visiting the Exhibition over 4 days!
Rumour has it that local figures are in a queue to have their portraits painted by Valerie Coombes for next year. Carmona Services will hold their annual Christmas Fair from lst-5th Dec.
Historical Tours to Anglesey.
These ended for 2004 on a high note at the end of September. There are bookings already for next year's tours. There are plans to run some weekend trips next season. Due to popular demand a Historic Gardens Trip is also being included in the itinerary.
The next phase of the Interreg project with Anglesey in 2004 will focus on intercultural. connections. Tours between the two communities will again be organised similar to the format of the Historical Tours. One of these will focus on storytelling of classic Welsh folk tales by excellent storytellers. The evening entertainment will be provided by Welsh poets. A bus tour to sites included in Welsh folk tales or places of literary interest will follow. More details in next month's issue.
Info from the Interreg Project office at 235 1325
Fresh Food Markets Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Co Co is running Food Markets on Friday mornings in the Town Hall. There was a TV report done by Duncan Stewart recently for transmission later. The markets stock the best of Irish produce. Among them, you can expect to find the Dominican Convent from Co. Wicklow, selling their freshly picked vegetables from their organic farm; Paddy Jack, an organic cheese producer, selling a mouth- watering selection of hard and soft cheese.

Yoga Pilates continues on Mondays at 7.30pm Contact Cathy Soraghan 0868758744
For more details on any of the above contact
The Heritage Centre at 285 8366

In the garden, Autumn is, indeed the crowning glory of the year,
bringing us the fruition of months of thought and care and toil,
And at no season, save perhaps in Daffodil time, do we get such
superb colour effects as from August to Novemer

Rose G. Kingsley

We have just returned from a package holiday in Spain. Unfortunately the holiday was a disaster as we did not have the hotel facilities promised in the brochure. Is there anything I can do about it in terms of making a complaint and getting our money back?

Yes there is. The Package Holidays and Travel Trade Act 1995 implements an EU Directive and gives you a certain level of protection should the package not be satisfactory or if the operator goes out of business. For you to benefit from this protection, your holiday should be a package holiday, sold at an inclusive price that covers a period of more than 24 hours or overnight accommodation and be made up of a combination of at least two of the following pre-arranged by the operator/organiser:

• transport
• accommodation
• other tourist services which account for a significant proportion of the package (e.g. golf/fishing).

You are entitled to compensation for financial loss that you have incurred as a consequence of relying on information given to you about your package holiday. Compensation may also be claimed for disappointment at the quality of the holiday.

If the brochure was inaccurate, or things went wrong during the holiday itself, you can look to the tour operator and/or the travel agent for compensation. Your contract must give you at least 28 days from the date the package ended to lodge your complaint.

If your holiday is altered or cancelled you have the right to either a replacement package of similar or superior quality, a lower grade package plus compensation up to the cost of the original package or a full refund. Alternatively you can sue for breach of contract, though if cancellation was caused by factors beyond the organiser's control, or the mini- mum number for the package was not reached and you were given the required notice of this in writing, you will not be entitled to any compensation.
Further details available from the Citizens Information Centre,
85-86 Patrick Street, Dun Laoghaire. Telephone 284 4544.

How can I apply to get access to my personal health records ?

You can apply for access to personal health records in three ways -through Administrative Access, under the Freedom of Information Acts (FOI) and under the Data Protection Acts. When applying through Administrative Access apply in writing to the appropriate service or agency (e.g. for hospital records apply to the Hospital Manager). You will have to supply sufficient information so that your records can be identified. There is usually no charge for copies of personal records, however, you may be charged for photocopying where a large number of copies are requested or for copies of x-rays.

You should apply for sensitive health records, such as psychiatric records, under the Freedom of Information Acts 1997 & 2003, including records relating to a child or a deceased relative. You must apply in writing, referring to the Acts. There is no application fee for personal records and your request must be acknowledged within 10 working days.

You will normally receive a decision on your request within 20 working days of receiv ing your request. If it is decided not to release all the records this must be clearly explained, setting out the sections of the Act used in reaching these decisions. You should also be given details of your entitlement to an internal review and an appeal.

You can also apply for personal records under the Data Protection Acts 1988 & 2003. However, you cannot access the records of a deceased person. You can apply to any holder of personal information, not just public bodies as under FOI. You must apply in writing with an application fee of €6.35, referring to the Acts.

You will normally receive a decision within 40 days of receipt of your request. Details of your entitlement to complain to the Data Protection Commissioner should be included with the decision.

Further details available from the

Citizens Information Centre,
85-86 Patrick Street,
Dun Laoghaire.
Telephone 284 4544.

In August a small group of the original Playgroup Mums gathered to remember Sheila Henderson, Playgroup Leader from 1976-1983 who died on July 17th from an aggressive form of cancer that she fought bravely while acknowledging its reality. We looked at old photos of Sheila, smiling happily with her family of playgroup children, always dressed in wonderful frocks. We shared memories of her and the same words circulated: kind, patient, a shy smile, gentle, fair, beautiful outside and in.

We remembered how she walked into our lives when the community aspect of the playgroup was working well but we knew we needed the stability of a full time Playgroup Leader. With her own three boys at secondary school Sheila was willing to give a total commitment and from this point the Playgroup was able to grow and flourish. Every morning Sheila was there early in St. Laurence's Hall to welcome the children and firmly show any chattering Mums to the door. She supported many years of fundraising for the new Playgroup building and watched the dream rise in Convent Road before it was time to follow Brian's ambitions to Strathclyde where he was to become Professor of Physics.

Sheila had a magic way with all children: the bold unruly ones and the timid. So many Dalkey families will remember her with love. When she left she was given a felt picture that she treasured. It showed a plant developing from seed to fully-grown flower. The words "Sheila you have touched me and I have grown", say it all.

The Dalkey Community Council would like to acknowledge the support of the Playgroup; for many years the Community Council used the facility at the Playgroup for their Executive meetings.