Foroige Coastal North Dublin's Summer so far has included Healthy Habits week - Young people learned healthy ways to manage stress, anxiety/ issues in their daily lives in a healthy way. activities included smoothie making, yoga and meditation. Some young people visited the salt caves.
Life skills week - Swimming lessons for 5 young people. This week gave young people an opportunity to do some cooking/baking and creative skills including tie dye arts and crafts.
Fishing week - Young people had the opportunity to learn a new skill they wouldn't have the opportunity to experience otherwise. We brought a number of young people each day fishing and they absolutely adored the experience.
Sports week - (multi sports day) Using local clubs from across the dublin area young people were able to engage in a number of different sports and activities. This allowed for them to meet new people and build relationships. The young people also took part in cricket throughout the week, a sport many of them hadn't tried before, once again exposing them to activities they had not experienced before.
Water safety week - (open water) Young people learned necessary lifesaving skills. They took part in this activity for 5 days on skerries beach where they had the opportunity to get into the water and not only have fun but learn lifesaving skills.
We are halfway through our summer programmes engaging over 100 young people in positive activities across Skerries, Rush and Lusk.
Be sure to sign-up to subscribe to our ezine newsletter to hear about our events firsthand.
Volunteers – As our numbers grow, we are seeking local community volunteers who would like to contribute as little as 1 hour per week. Get in touch if you can support us either admin, fundraising, join our board or in-person support. Be part of something good!
Community Events - ‘Soulful Sundays’ continues throughout the summer for adults 18+. Join us every Sunday morning for Yoga, Meditation, and Breathwork. Guest facilitators each week. An optional dip weather permitting. All welcome.
Young Adults – ‘Summer Social Sessions’ are back. Activities include Paddleboarding, Kayaking, Hiking, Cycling, Yoga and Running. All welcome, be sure to follow our social media channels and join in the banter and feel-good endorphins! Pictured are young men’s group on hike in Howth to celebrate Men’s Mental Health Day.
Teen Activities – Join our young enthusiastic instructors for fitness and social meet-up’s. Our teen group meet’s 3 times a week age 13-16 years for an outdoor activity followed by refreshments and chat led by our youth workers.
Petition For Facility – As we celebrate 3 years of health and well-being services in Donabate Portane and the wider Fingal area, we are seeking to establish a permanent base. Currently our services are dispersed across several locations and venues at a huge cost. Please sign our petition so we can continue to provide our youth and parents services and cater for our growing community in a central location.
FREE Youth Counselling
EggHeadz FREE of charge and confidential counselling service for young people aged 12+ takes place in-person or online option for over 18+. Email eggheadzcounselling@gmail.com to book an appointment.
As part of their ongoing campaign for a dedicated Cultural & Youth Center on the Peninsula, DP Crossroads have been busy designing and developing a website.
Since its inception in October 2023, the group have been very active including meeting politicians, FCC management, information days and organising local petitions.
“We believe communication and transparency are important,” said committee member Gemma Roche. “We regularly post on our social media channels and provide updates via infographics but not all residents may have access to these so a website is the next step to share our ongoing activities and progress. The website collates all the information on the campaign in one place so people can readily access it and know what’s happening,” she added.
The website details the committee’s principal objectives and gives detailed information on their activities to date. There is also space for people to sign up for regular updates/newsletters from the group. To visit the website, go to www.dpcrossroads.com
The recent introduction of a Citizens Information Service in Donabate has been warmly received in the area.
Citizens Information have confirmed that they will have an in person drop-in outreach service on the 1st Tuesday of each month in the Donabate Portrane Community Centre from 2.30pm to 4.30pm
Cllr Corina Johnston has welcomed the commencement of the service. “I am delighted to confirm that following my ongoing representations to the Citizens Information for a service in Donabate an outreach service commenced on Tuesday 4th June 2024 last. An Age friendly pilot Citizens Information telephone line service will be available on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th Tuesday of each month from 2.30pm to 4.30pm only on a direct number 01-5338272 (in addition to the normal telephone line service),” she said.
Appointments for one-to-one client consultations can be made (subject to assessment) for alternate Tuesday afternoons (other than the 1st Tuesday of the month) in Donabate Portrane Community Centre. Please contact 0818 077 510 for further details.
At 1pm on Monday September 9th there will be a launch of the two Boules courts in the NEW Recreation Hub near Newbridge House. Coaching will take place with Tom Donnellan and both courts will be used to get people going at the game or improve their skills with expert tuition!
Again thanks to FCC the Cllrs and officials Shane Sutton, Aileen 0 Connor & Colm Connell and most especially the grounds staff of the Park-led by Ivan for the good job they do. Also, to the support of Donabate Portrane Liaison Committee. There are now 2 Croquet Courts & 2 Boules Courts which is just great!
On the day if you are not already a member of Active Age for All €10 or the Men’s Shed €20 we will ask you to join one or other please .
Boules is taking off all over Fingal and can only grow in the future as it is a suitable activity for all who want some physical activity, to meet a few people have a good game and a cup of tea or coffee.
Please give me a call if interested or you need more information Breda 086 8693243 Donabate Portrane Liaison Committee.
Dates for your diary. Classes begin again mid-September and the face-to-face registration days are the 4th and 5th of September from 11am to 14.00 in one of the studios in DPCC. Remember to bring along your membership card if you have already joined last term. We look forward to seeing you there.
Below is a report on one of the trips undertaken with the support of Fingal County Council’s grant for Educational and Social outings.
The Active Age for All members enjoyed a great trip to the National Stud and Japenese Gardens on Tuesday 25th June. Although the day was overcast it was warm, and mainly dry, allowing us to wander around the Japanese and St Fiacra’s gardens comfortably. They were both a feast for the senses, full of water features and ornamental statuary as well as a plethora of trees and flowers.
Then we had a guided tour for about an hour around the National Stud where our guide told us the history and explained the workings of the stud. We also had a chance to meet a few of our National Hunt hero’s enjoying a well-earned retirement. We met Beef or Salmon, Faugheen and Hurricane Fly who all looked very happy and contented there.
After all this we were ready for refreshment in the large, airy cafe where we indulged in some delicious pastries and savouries. Some of us made a few purchases in the lovely gift shop as well. This is a fantastic place to visit for all age groups, it certainly comes highly recommended by Active Age.
Meanwhile, the weather forecast was not very encouraging for Wednesday 3 rd July but we placed our faith in the weather gods and went ahead with our annual Croquet Fun Day in Newbridge Park and were rewarded with a lovely fine day.
The fun day is to encourage all Active Age croquet players and those from Mens Shed to get out and play croquet together. We select teams with a mix from all groups, then they play for 20 minutes trying to score as many hoops as they can in that time. Teams are redrawn and play a total of three times with individual scores being cumulative. There’s always a great deal of laughter and some slight bending of the rules as the competition for a fun prize builds up. Refreshments are provided by members to help keep spirits up and the eyes on the prizes which this year were ‘bags of gold’ (chocolate money!)
for the 6 best scores. Peolple are very generous with spot prizes and in fact nobody ever goes home empty handed.
Many thanks to Newbridge House Croquet Club for allowing us to use their lawn time on Wednesday afternoon so that we could hold the Fun Day.
The volunteers of the Donabate Meals on Wheels group enjoyed a very pleasant dinner in Pasta Castellos restaurant in Donabate on Tuesday 28th May. The dinner was very generously sponsored by Thomas Ennis Retail Ltd - many thanks from all of us, it was really appreciated.
The Meals on Wheels service is a vital component of care services that enable people to continue to live in their homes and remain part of their community for longer. It can also be of significant help for people who have been ill, and maybe been in hospital, to aid them in their convalescence. If you would be interested in volunteering and can spare a couple of hours once a week, fortnight or month please contact Deborah on 086-8276555
If you have not already booked a space on one of the Summer Camps in August please check them out NOW!
Designer Minds - is coming to Donabate for the first time. Their camps specialise in following the STEAM Program and are highly regarded - they are educational & enjoyable.We also have the return of the very successful and popular Lego Camp.
Booking for camps through the websites designerminds.ie & bricks4kidz.ie
We have an additional NEW afternoon camp in “Art” running for a week in August.
For further details on the NEW Art Camp or If you wish to enquire about running an afternoon camp in August for one week (there is one slot available) please contact the Parish Office immediately!
There is also a scheduled maintenance week in August where for eg the floor is sanded & revarnished to keep the hall in tip top order.
Some activities wind up for the summer and some keep going eg the Senior Citizens are there every Wednesday & Friday morning except when camps and maintenance are taking place.
The Parish Hall Programme runs from 1st September - 31st August. Expressions of interest in using the Parish Hall take place in late May & early June - based on this information a Programme is put together to satisfy requests as best as possible. A balance of weekly activities & special events are timetabled - many are of a cultural & creative nature and some casual recreation.
So weekly activities for this year so far include eg Senior Citizens, Cards, Bridge, Pilates, Drama, Irish Dancing, Leithinis Slow Sessions and Councillors Clinics! This year we hope to add in the NEW Music Makers on some Friday nights also!
Special events & blocked events also taking place are the Men’s Shed - “Gerry & the Plonkers” for one Wednesday 12- 2pm in October, November & December. It is hoped that a Photography & Art exhibition will take place in November followed by the Drama Production. Then the Annual Christmas Craft Fair! At the end of January it is hoped to have more “Tradfest Fingal” coming to the Parish Hall and in May yet another great Drama Production.
If you have any queries re the Parish Hall and or wish to check availability please contact the Parish Office 9 30am - 12 30pm on 01 8434574
Saturday 25th May dawned clear and bright as a group from Peninsula Pacers set off from Donabate to do the Sandymount to Poolbeg walk. Sandymount village was looking pretty and bustling as we popped into Crudos for some delicious coffee and croissants to fortify us for the 11.4km walk.
En route a large information board enlightened us to the history of the South Wall, originally known as ‘The Piles’, and as we walked along it we marvelled at the construction of this wall by manual labour, no heavy machinery back then ! It was the longest seawall in the world when it was completed in 1731, and is still one of the longest in Europe. At the end of the wall is the Poolbeg Lighthouse, original built in 1767, one of the most distinctive landmarks in Dublin, its red colour serving as a navigation aid at the entrance to Dublin port.
After admiring the views of Dublin Bay, watching a few ships coming into harbour and encouraging the hopeful fishermen on the wall, we retraced our steps to Sandymount and some welcome refreshments in the Chophouse pub before training it back to Donabate after another enjoyable, and educational, walk done.
If you are interested in joining the Peninsula Pacers please call Breda on 086 8693243, or Carolyn on 087-9284307.
LSA proudly hosted the third edition of our Four Mile Peninsula Road Race on the 26th May. Over 400 adults took on the scenic route along the Broadmeadow estuary, Corballis and Balcarrick to the finish line on the Donabate Distributor Road. Our shorter kids races attracted over 100 young people. A course record was set in the Men’s race. Local Donabate resident David Rooney finished in a time of 20 mins 15 seconds, taking a huge 34 seconds off the previous men’s record.
Sincere thanks to our fantastic club members who volunteered to organise and help out on the day. Thanks to our main sponsor Glenveagh Homes and also Diesel Clothing for their invaluable support. Fingal County Council provided great support and help as always.
In other club news, we were very excited to see athlete Sineád Farrell don the green vest to join the Irish team in the European Off-Road Running Championships in Annecy, France. Sinead competed in two challenging Under 20 off-road races, with impressive performances in heavy rain and difficult terrain in the French Alps.
Sineád now joins Anna Gavigan (Discus) as the second LSA Under 20 athlete to have been selected for International representation at a European Championship.
Meanwhile closer to home, we had a great day at the graduation of our latest Couch to 5k group. Some of our graduates then went straight on to run the Women’s Mini Marathon and even take on Hell and Back!
Our Juvenile athletes have been taking part in the Dublin Championships in May and June. We’ve been delighted to see first-time participants taking on the challenge and many athletes achieving Personal Bests. It was our most successful Dublin Championships with a host of medals, a total of nine athletes qualifying for National finals and two athletes, Sinead Farrell (U19 3000m) and Cara Davison (U14 Discus) crowned Dublin Champion.
We look forward to seeing many of our young athletes at our summer camp in July. For everyone else training resumes at the end of the summer.
