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ISSUE #010 · MONDAY 2 NOVEMBER 2026
☕ Morning, Bray! Bray’s new special school, cinema plans at Bray Central, a new rent scheme taking effect Saturday and the end of the Wanderers’ promotion run lead today’s news. We’ve also got three Bray food picks, Bray Town Hall’s market-day past and what’s on around town.
In Today’s Craic
🗞️ Bray news: school, cinema plans, sports grants, rent changes and the Wanderers’ result
🍽️ Three food picks from around Bray
🏛️ Bray Town Hall’s covered-market past
🗓️ Tonight’s dance, Friday’s Chamber gala, A Border Cure, the craft showcase, Coast Care and a date for the Christmas lights
😄 A little Monday craic
Monday should stay dry with sunny spells, light winds and highs of 11–12°C. Bring a coat if you’re heading to the promenade.
🗞️ The Local Lowdown
Concept illustration — AI-generated; not a photograph of a real school.
🧩 A new special school for Bray
The Department of Education has selected Bray as one of four locations for a new special school for the 2026/27 school year, intended to create more local places for children and young people with complex special educational needs. Edel Quinn Special School now has a website, which names Holly Fitzmaurice as principal.
Admissions details and the number of places have not yet been announced.
🎬 Cinema plans at Bray Central
The Arc Cinema and Arc Arena are expected to open at Bray Central in November, though no opening date has been confirmed. Plans include five cinema screens, bowling, adventure golf, interactive darts and shuffleboard.
⚽ Grants for Bray sports clubs
Bray’s voluntary, not-for-profit sports clubs and community groups can apply to the 2026 Community Sport Facilities Fund for local projects. Local project grants can reach €250,000, and applications close on 26 February 2027.
The fund can help pay for pitches, drainage, floodlights, changing rooms, toilets and energy upgrades. Schools and ETBs can apply with a sports club; larger multi-sport projects have a separate regional tier.
🏠 New Wicklow rent scheme begins Saturday
Wicklow County Council’s new differential rent scheme takes effect on Saturday, 7 November. It merges the separate schemes previously used in Bray and the rest of the county, and covers social housing, HAP and RAS tenants. The council says affected tenants were sent letters in September; its rent review page has scheme details and contacts for queries.
⚽ Bray’s promotion bid ends at Tolka Park
Bray Wanderers’ promotion run ended on Sunday with a 3–1 defeat to UCD in the First Division play-off final. Dean O’Shea put Bray ahead, but UCD’s three goals sent the Seagulls out. UCD now meet Drogheda United on Saturday, 7 November, for a place in the Premier Division.
🍽️ Food & Drink Around Bray
Three options if you’re eating out in Bray today: a breakfast sandwich at Wilde’s, a burger at Dockyard No. 8 or a masala dosa at Malabar Café.
🍳 Wilde’s: Irish breakfast sandwich · €8.50
Wilde’s breakfast sandwich is €8.50: toasted white bread with Irish butter, relish, crispy bacon, sausage and a fried egg. It’s served from 8am to 12.30pm at the Strand Hotel, 73 Strand Road.
🍔 Dockyard No. 8: DY8 Beef Burger · €18.95
The DY8 Beef Burger at Dockyard No. 8 is €18.95, with Irish cheddar, gherkins, tomato, mayo and lettuce in a toasted brioche bun. It’s at 8 Dock Terrace. Breakfast and brunch run until 4.30pm.
🥞 Malabar Café: masala dosa · €12.50
Malabar Café’s masala dosa is €12.50. The menu also has masala tea for €3 and banana fry for €2; snacks are available from 3–7pm at Upper Dargle Road.
Concept illustration — AI-generated; not a depiction of any actual business or building.
🏛️ The Story Behind It: Bray Town Hall
Bray Town Hall. Photo: Spircle / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; unmodified.
Bray Town Hall was built in 1882 for Lord Brabazon, as both a town hall and covered market. It was designed by Thomas Newenham Deane and Son and stands where Main Street meets Vevay Road and Killarney Road.
Market stalls once filled the ground floor, with the council chamber upstairs. A verse carved under the south porch reminded traders to deal fairly and avoid disputes. The black-and-white gables and small spire are still there; McDonald’s has occupied the building since 1997.
🎞 From the RTÉ Archives: Made in Bray, 1983
The Bray & District Chamber of Commerce turns 70 this year; it was founded in 1956. One snapshot of Bray business from that time is the Chamber’s “Made in Bray” exhibition at St Thomas Community College in 1983. It showcased locally made products, with talks on manufacturing and exports.
🗓️ Today’s Bray Guide
There’s dancing tonight, a Friday gala to book, a Town Hall performance and craft showcase this week, plus Coast Care volunteering and a date ahead for the Christmas lights.
💃 Tonight, 7–9pm · Ecstatic Dance Bray
Ecstatic Dance Bray runs a freestyle session for adults at Lakers Sports and Social Club from 7–9pm. Doors open at 6.45pm; no dance experience is needed.
📅 Friday 6 November · 7pm · Bray Chamber Gala
The Bray & District Chamber of Commerce’s 70th Anniversary Gala & President’s Dinner is at Glenview Hotel, Co. Wicklow. Tickets are €120 and include a drinks reception and three-course dinner with wine; black tie.
Individual tickets and tables of 10 can be booked through Kathy at the Chamber: 01 282 8248 or [email protected]. Sponsorship packages are also available. Gala details →
🎭 Saturday 7 November · 8pm · A Border Cure
Sarah McKenna Dunne brings A Border Cure to Bray Town Hall (upstairs) for a 45-minute performance with live musicians. It’s suitable for ages 12+, with tickets at €15. The show includes themes of mental health, suicide, transphobia and grief.
🎨 Until Sunday 8 November · Wicklow Craft Foundation Showcase
There’s still time to catch the Wicklow Craft Foundation showcase at Signal Arts Centre, 1a Albert Avenue. It’s open daily from 10am to 5pm, through Sunday.
🌊 Two hours a month for Bray Head and the coast
Bray Coast Care is looking for volunteers to clear litter and look after paths around Bray Head and the coast. It’s two hours a month, with work sessions every second Saturday; no previous experience is needed.
Interested in volunteering? Contact Yvonne at Volunteer Wicklow on 085 862 1525 or [email protected].
📅 Plan ahead · Saturday 21 November · Bray Christmas lights
Bray’s town-centre Christmas lights switch-on is planned for Saturday 21 November at the Civic Plaza, with the event listed from 4.30pm. Put it in the diary if you’d like to catch the start of the festive season.
😂 Meme of the Day
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