Hello! My name is Anna, and I recently moved to Donabate. I care about activities that bring the community together and ensure inclusivity for everyone. As a wheelchair user, I am particularly conscious of the need for accessible infrastructure and activities that allow all community members to participate fully.

I am enrolled in a PLC course in social care and got a distinction in 5 modules last year and I’d love to find any other work experience or voluntary opportunities within the community.

Although I don’t currently play any sports, I used to, and have had the opportunity to try sports like wheelchair basketball. I’d love to get involved in disability-inclusive sports such as Boccia. I am involved in voluntary work down in Malahide Castle at the junior parkrun, a sports event involving kids of all ages and I love going down on a Sunday to help out. Thanks for reading

A picture paints a thousand words they say. See the newly refurbished kitchenette in the Parish Hall in the photographs. Thanks to the Parish Hall Committee with some support from FCC, this has been possible. It has a fridge and dishwasher but most importantly a new Burco boiler with instant hot water for tea and coffee.

It is hoped after Christmas, in the first week or two of January, to repair and revarnish the Main Hall floor to keep it in tip-top condition.

The Parish Hall serves a number of daily activities but take note of some of the special events programmed into their calendar.

Soon the Through the Lens Photography Group will hold their annual Exhibition; then the Donabate Portrane Dramatic Society will have their play on - both not to be missed!

Gerry and the Plonkers will perform in the Parish Hall from 12-2pm on Wednesday 13th November for the adults on the Peninsula, especially older adults. This is a FREE gig and all adults are welcome. Refreshments are provided for all!

Part of the activities the Parish Hall offers is now a Music Makers Club for Donabate and Portrane; this is led by Noel Dowling ably assisted by Sean Collins, with a small support team.

Music Makers is a local music club for anyone aged 18 and over, living locally. In collaboration with the Parish Hall. Music Makers is a blend between an open mic and a music club.

The Music Makers Club will meet once a month, starting Friday, 18th October 2024 at 7.45pm. Whether you’re an aspiring musician, a singer / songwriter or just love music, everyone is welcome! If you’re interested, please email musicmakersph@gmail.com -
Music Makers Club Donabate & Portrane

For any further information re the Parish Hall - please ring the Parish Office on 01 8434574

We’re excited to announce that the Winter Fete is back at Donabate Portrane Educate Together National School! Join us on Sunday, November 24th, from 12 PM to 4 PM for a fun-filled day that the whole family will enjoy!

For just €2 per adult, you can experience a vibrant atmosphere featuring delicious food, local crafts, and a wide range of activities. Children and senior citizens can enter for free!

This beloved annual event is our largest fundraising initiative, and we’ll have a fantastic selection of preloved games, toys, books, and clothes available for purchase.

Don’t miss the chance to engage in friendly competition in our game room, pamper yourself in our beauty room with face painting and hair braids, or enjoy live music performances throughout the day!
There’ll also be an exciting raffle with incredible prizes, including vouchers, hampers, and gift baskets. Raffle tickets will be available for purchase on the day of the event and at SuperValu on November 9th and 10th, with the draw taking place on the day of the event.

We look forward to welcoming everyone for a day of fun and community spirit.

Members of the Ukrainian community in Donabate have organised to host a special free concert on 17th November in St Patrick’s Church to thank the local people for everything they have done for Ukraine.

The Kobzar Armada was formed the morning of February 24th, when Russia began its large-scale invasion and bombing of Ukraine. The group is composed of the traditional Ukrainan bards, or kobzars, who were executed in 1933 during the Ukrainian genocide by starvation.

The program is in English and Ukrainian, and geared toward sharing Ukrainian culture and cause to local English speakers. This is the Kobzar Armada’s mission.

“So far we have conducted around 500 concerts on the Eastern front, playing for military camps, schools, hospitals, and refugee camps, but also worldwide, using cultural diplomacy, specifically to the countries who are helping Ukraine the most. Help us spread the truth about Ukraine! Help us end the slaughter of innocent Ukrainian lives! Glory to Ukraine and the truly Free World! Thank You!”

Donations are graciously accepted through Paypal, to jurij_fedynskyj@hotmail.com.

Active Age for All croquet players were delighted to accept the kind invitation from Anne Collins, chairperson of Newbridge House Croquet Club, to a fun croquet day in Newbridge Park.

We met on a beautifully sunny Wednesday on the well maintained, historical, croquet lawns of Newbridge House which AAfA are privileged to share with NHCC. The day was meticulously organised by Bernie Andrews ( I think she must have had a say in the weather as well !) with members of both clubs mixed to play together, and a few skills games which were great fun.

We had a wonderful afternoon with lots of laughter, great games and lovely goodies. It was great to make the connection with NHCC and we look forward to many combined events in the future.

Active Age for All is celebrating and welcoming over 35 new members and at the beginning of October had a membership of 270! Most classes are full but you can see where there are spaces on the website www.activeageforall – and if there is a space you are interested in, you can text us on 086 8806808 (TEXT ONLY) and we will contact you and give you a pro-rata price until the end of term.

We have been busy organizing classes and arranging tutors, registration days and supporting many other initiatives that all keep us active, physically and mentally for nearly 10 years now – and all done with volunteers - Everything. If you think you have some administration / organisational / web / computer skills / can-do attitude, we would love to hear from you as there are some spaces available on the committee. We have about nine meetings each year and the summer is free.

Some of our early volunteers moved on to sharing their skills to other groups who all work with the intention of improving what is available to us on the peninsula. Breda Dockrell represented us all on the recreational side on the Donabate Liaison Group and Eilish McDermott represented the cultural side and the Bleeding Pig. After their 5 years on the Liaison Group, they are stepping down and we thank them for looking after our interests… but beware – heavens knows what they will be doing next!

The Annual Peninsula Walk took place on Sat 14th Sept to coincide with the Bleeding Pig Festival and Trad & Pizza at the Brook Pub. A great day had by all - walkers, musicians & ceile dancers!

The next two walks are listed below:
Saturday 19th October

Walk from Greystones to Bray - this is a challenging new route of about 10km - exact route TBC.
Saturday 9th November

Walk a flat easy route either Beach, Canal or Greenway also about 10km.

There will be further walks in January, February & March 2025.

All walks subject to the weather! If interested: Contact Carolyn on 087-9284307 or Des on 087-7846813

For a few years since we got the acoustic panels, we have been working towards providing a good space for over 18s to practice their music.

We are now ready to rock & roll! Actually, any type of music is welcome e.g. trad, jazz, folk, rock.
Noel Dowling, new to the parish, will be the leader of the Music Makers. Read his bio below and you will know why! He will be ably assisted by local musician and songwriter Sean Collins.

It is intended to run the sessions once a month on a Friday evening, starting for all on October 18th at 7pm. (This may become twice a month). We have the equipment for you to use; you just bring your instrument along.

Please email musicmakersph@gmail.com or WhatsApp or text 089-4916437, the Music Makers’ phone monitored by Noel, with an expression of interest if you are over 18 and playing music at present with nowhere to rehearse or create music in a warm inviting atmosphere - where you don’t drive the neighbours mad!

Noel is a husband and father of two living in Donabate and is a lifelong music enthusiast whose passion for music was ignited during family sing-alongs and gatherings. He studied Sound Engineering & Music Production at Ballyfermot College under the guidance of Pat Daly and Pete Holiday. Over the years, Noel worked as a sound engineer for renowned bands like U2 (on their Claw tour), Brody Dalle, Mumford & Sons, Bombay Bicycle Club, and Sneaky Sound Systems, among many more….

Outside of music, Noel has been a youth club leader at St. Pappin’s Youth Club and is currently on the committee of Gaelscoil Na Mara. Now working in Global HR Operations, Noel continues to support the music community and shares his love for music as an unofficial member of Gerry & the Plonkers. Music remains his first love, and he is passionate about nurturing future generations of musicians.

It’s all music this month Gerry & the Plonkers will be playing in the Parish Hall from 12 - 2pm on Wednesday 16th October all adults in the Parish welcome, especially seniors refreshments sponsored by the Parish Hall Committee. They will have a gig in November & December also. Then in 2025 three more gigs are planned for January, February & March.

Any queries re booking, events and activities contact Parish Office 01-8434574.

From time to time, Donabate Portrane Men’s Shed organises special events or outings to places of interest to its members. Last month was a particularly busy month for such outings.

In early September, members participated in the Boules Coaching course at Newbridge House, jointly arranged by Active Age for All and the Men’s Shed and ably delivered by Tom and Eileen Donnellan from Bayside Boules.

In mid-September, a group spent an interesting day at the National Ploughing Championships near Stradbally, Co. Laois. and in the month, a guided tour of Croke Park was arranged, which included the Skyline Tour, a thrilling rooftop walkway. It’s hoped to have photos of these outings for next month’s article.

Gerry & the Plonkers, the Men’s Shed music group, had a quiet September, but gigs in Donabate Parish Hall are lined up for the next three months, on 16th October ,13th November and 4th December, all on Wednesdays from 12 noon to 2pm. Light refreshments will be provided and all adults in the community are welcome.

Of course, the Men’s Shed weekly activities of exercise classes, croquet at Newbridge, work on our plots at Turvey Allotments and our Thursday morning get-togethers at the Scouts’ Den on Portrane Road, all continue as usual. So if you, or someone you know, would like to join us, just call our PRO, Jim, on 086-3694316.

Homes located at Brook Beach and Healy’s Lane in Portrane are in danger of being completely lost unless emergency coastal protection measures are not put in place as a matter of urgency according to local Cllr Corina Johnston.

“The residents of The Burrow, Portrane are deeply frustrated, angry and worried at the extent and magnitude of the coastal erosion over the years. The residents are fearful the impact the upcoming high tides, which are due to hit the coastline in the coming weeks, will have on their homes. The Beach Lane access road to 10 homes and properties was severely undermined in recent months and the upcoming high tides will make access inaccessible unless an alternative access is found.”

Duncan Smith TD has raised the need for emergency protection measures with the Tanaiste in Dáil Éireann and the OPW in further response confirmed it is open to Final County Council to seek additional funding for emergency works through The Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme.
“We have reached crisis point in Portrane. Unless emergency coastal protection measures are carried out along the beach and an alternative access route is found for the homes fronting Beach Lane it is inevitable that a number of homes will have to be evacuated. On behalf of the concerned residents, I am calling on FCC to seek the necessary funding,” Cllr Johnston added.

In early September in the Recreation Hub at Newbridge for mainly older people, there was a Launch & Coaching of Boules as we now have 2 courts. Tom & Eileen Donnellan experienced players, who have been to the fore in the progress and development of Boules across Fingal, delivered the coaching skills, basic rules and safety aspects on the day. They are great people who volunteer to coach best practice and get other groups of future Boules players up & running.

The launch was attended by some of our councillors with apologies from others. Unfortunately, Shane Sutton from FCC who organised a great job in providing the Boules was unable to attend as he had a number of other engagements.

Carolyn Smith of AAfA Gerry Kiernan & Jim O’Donohoe from Men’s Shed and Breda Dockrell from Donabate Portrane Liaison Group all who were very involved in seeking the Boules and seeing the project through were there to help run the event.

A very special thanks to all the people who turned up on the day to learn how play or learn how to play better!

The ‘Recreation Hub’ is now complete with the 2 Croquet Lawns and 2 Boules Courts - for use mainly by older folk! It is a great addition to activities in the area; thank you to FCC.

At present AAfA & Men’s Shed play on certain days & times. If you are interested in joining either organisation it is €10 for Active Age for All & €20 for Men’s Shed.

A big thank you to the park staff who keep the Recreation Hub in such good condition!