The DP Crossroads Committee has strongly refuted recent Fingal County Council claims that their investments in community infrastructure is sufficient. FCC have stated in Council meetings that the move of the library to the former credit union will open up additional community space for use of all groups. While acknowledging that the Council are investing in the library move, the group questions why that move was necessary in the first place. “The Council’s purchase of Ballisk house for community infrastructure is commendable but we question why this is being designated for the library.” Said Ann Hogan, Chair of local campaign group DP Crossroads. “The library is functioning well where it is – there are no demands for additional space for it. However, many local cultural groups are unable to find suitable space to conduct their activities. Plus we have a desperate need for non-sporting youth facilities. This will not change with the library move”. Hogan went on to highlight that with high local population increases the per capita indoor space allocation per person has dropped significantly. “Because we’ve so many residents the amount of available community space has fallen. We have forecast 85% population increase by 2029 and no extra indoor facilities – its really unacceptable”. “We are calling on FCC to live up to their own strategic objective to build the centre and more importantly build community infrastructure IN TANDEM with large scale housing development.”

Work is ramping up in Donabate Portrane ahead of the inaugural Darkness Into Light walk on 11 May 2024. The walk will begin at 04h15 at the National Schools on the Portrane Road and will head down towards Portrane to greet the sunrise. The committee is made up of volunteers across all age groups and has proved a very successful mix of personnel tackling the myriad of tasks involved in organising an event like this. Lexi and Jack are from Donabate Community College’s WellBeing Committee and bring the views of the secondary school students. The Darkness Into Light Ambassadors for Donabate Portrane - Aisling Read, Ellen Matthews and Seán Collins - ensure the involvement of the young adults of the community.
PURPOSE OF DARKNESS INTO LIGHT - Each year the walk provides an opportunity for people to connect with their local community and to bring hope to people who have been impacted by suicide.Here in Donabate and Portrane, the local volunteers hope that everyone will join together on the day to help raise awareness and hope in the fight against suicide and self-harm. HISTORY OF DARKNESS INTO LIGHT - In 2009, 400 people in The Phoenix Park has the first Darkness Into Light 5km walk to raise funds for Pieta. From small beginnings, the movement has continued to grow, and now there are over 150,000 participants in Darkness Into Light each year. Together, Pieta, their partner charities, supporters and volunteers have grown Darkness Into Light into a global act of solidarity for people affected by suicide and self-harm.HOW CAN I JOIN IN? -You can register and sign up at darknessintolight.ie - If you’d like to help the committee, you can contact them on donabateportrane@darknessintolight.ie or on any of their social media accounts.

The Parish Hall has had a busy year with lots of classes, activities and events taking place.
From Thursday 16th May - Sunday 19th May, the Donabate Portrane Dramatic Society will be putting on the world famous play “Dancing at Lughnasa” by Brian Friel. This will be a fantastic show as always! Performances start at 8pm sharp on Thursday, Friday, Saturday with a Matinee on at 3pm on the Sunday. Watch out for their banners around the parish with all the details. The Parish Hall will be closed for general use, i.e. classes and activities, for a few days before the play begins for the final rehearsals and set up necessary to put on such a production. We thank you in advance for your understanding and hope that many parishioners will support our local Drama Society.After the play, all daily classes and activities will resume as normal. Then in August, to cater for the children of the Parish, there will be some Summer Camps e.g. Lego & STEM Camps (FULL details in last months edition of this Local Magazine). There is still some availability to run a suitable camp in the afternoons; so if you have one in mind please, contact the Parish Office immediately.In mid-June, the Parish Office begins to plan the details of the Programme of classes, activities and events from September 2024 - August 2025. They will contact all current daily users of the Parish Hall in mid-June in this regard. Any other possible users for daily activities, e.g. classes, meetings, clinics etc., please contact the Parish Office from now on with your request.There are some slots available for a few days at a few times during the year for Cultural Activities, Camps, Exhibition and Events. The Parish Office will be seeking expressions of interest in this regard; so if you have a request or if you are seeking further information, please contact the Parish Office.The Parish Office times are from 9:30am - 12:30pm on 01-8434574.

I’m running in the local elections because I believe we are at a crucial juncture for the peninsula. Right now, there is a dwindling number of strategic sites for much needed amenities (e.g. for another school, childcare facilities and a youth and cultural centre). Instead, we are focusing on building thousands of houses without including the necessary supporting infrastructure. I grew up in Portrane and live in Donabate. I want our peninsula to be a place where friends can move back and live (but presently, that decision is difficult because of a lack of childcare options or inadequate garda presence). Therefore, if I’m fortunate enough to receive your support I will focus on progressing these areas:
Better Local Amenities One of my core ambitions is to have better amenities that cater for people of all ages (including our youth clubs, drama society and Men’s shed). Better local amenities would benefit all residents and would only involve a relatively modest capital investment from our well-resourced local authority.

Better Development Donabate needs more balanced development, and if elected I will fight hard as a councillor for better ways to build our community. In most European countries, community infrastructure is built before or in tandem with the building of residential units. The building of amenities should be included in the initial phase of development. Large scale housing developments must include retail, dining, and childcare facilities.

Better Connectivity My priority is to do more to improve our roads, footpaths, and green spaces to ensure they are protected and maintained to a highest standard. The capability within Fingal County Council is there and I will push hard to put in place an ambitious programme of work to upgrade some of our roads and footpaths (Turvey road, the Portrane cliff walk and the road network around Corballis are just some examples). If I have your support, I will work hard for you and bring new energy to Fingal County Council.

Over the last few years, we have done a variety of walks about 6 a year. Ranging from Coastal Walks on our own Cliff Walk Donabate - Corballis the Burrow and back via Portrane Hospital to Forest Walks - in Virginia Co. Cavan to Canal Walks - along the Boyne to Beach Walks - Balbriggan to Laytown. In January we did a Greenway Walk Carlingford to Omeath In February we had to cancel the Lighthouse Walk to Poolbeg due to bad weather and in March a few of us braved an early start and mixed weather to explore Glendalough Holy & Historic Walks. We will do one of those shorter walks in Glendalough in the Autumn & make a day of it eating in the hotel. Last month in April we took the train to and from Leitrim and did part of the Blue Way the tale is in the next episode! It is hoped in May to do the Poolbeg Walk again as it’s a great walk, but the weather has not always been perfect, so third time here’s hoping in the blistering sunshine! Contact Carolyn:087 9284307 or Des:087 7846813 if interested.

The Big Busk at Dusk saw Peninsula Voices, take to the streets of Donabate in aid of Focus Ireland. The community singers busked in the town centre, entertaining shoppers on a Friday evening, playing a roof lifting medley of songs that everyone could sing along with raising vital funds for Focus Ireland and help to really fight homelessness in Ireland. The singers meet every Wednesday night in Donabate Community Centre, and everyone is welcome to join.

The 2nd Boules Court for Newbridge should be underway, if the rain ever stops! at the Recreation Hub for Older People next to the main house. This area at present has two Croquet Lawns & one Boules Court the addition of the 2nd Boules Court at this location will enable the game to develop, grow and flourish, in time. The launch of the 1st Court was just two years ago in March 2022 & soon after FCC set about planning for a 2nd Court to keep developing the game.They also announced at the same time recently, that they hope to provide more Courts near the car park; some courts of an International Standard for regular Boules & some courts for Bocce (a form of Boules - it is Boccia if it is played Indoors). Boccia is a sport at the Para-Olympics for 40years this year. We commend FCC on the vision to install - these types of activities, which cross all age & gender boundaries & abilities. They are also great for people you are not very physically sporty or at least not now! While being very strategic & skillful to play, they can be recreational or competitive games. The impetus came from Paul Smyth, Senior Parks Superintendent & his great team of Aileen O ‘Connor, Lourda Darcy & Shane Sutton for the installing of the Boules Courts in various locations in Fingal over the last number of years. May we take this opportunity to wish Paul Smyth all the best in his new phase (retirement!) and thank him for these important initiatives.Thank you to all our local councillors & officials and the Donabate Portrane Liaison Group who have greatly supported this initiative to bring more recreational sports & activities to the community. We would also like to thank Tom Donnellan for his help and support over the years advice and training who is a former Roscommon Gaelic Football star! Take heed all you top athletes there is always a sport for you at each stage in life!

At Donabate Portrane Men’s Shed, we pride ourselves on our wide range of activities. Most weeks we have an exercise class, croquet at Newbridge, a music jam session and a tea and chat get-together. Our plots at Turvey Allotments provide an outlet for those interested in outdoor work. At this time of year, it is a hive of activity, but there is always time to enjoy a tea-beak and sociable chat. Our music group, Gerry and the Plonkers, has played a number of community concerts including the recent launch of the Memory Café at the Community Centre, a wonderful initiative providing a safe supported space for people with memory illness. Watch out for a full report on this next month. Recently, members completed a six-week healthy eating course, sponsored by the HSE and ably led by Susanne, in which we learned to prepare and cook healthy and tasty meals. We even got to enjoy the products of our efforts at the end of each class. It is hoped that we can run another course later in the year. In addition to all of this, we have occasional outings to places of interest. Over the past year, we have visited Áras an Uachtaráin, Leinster House, the GPO Museum, the Irish Military Museum, Christchurch Cathedral and Newbridge House. So, if you or someone you know would like to join us in some of our current activities or even introduce a new one, please contact our PRO, Jim, on 086- 3694316. We are always open and welcoming to new members.

Donabate Portrane Dramatic Society is delighted to announce the upcoming performance of “Dancing at Lughnasa” from the 16th to the 19th May 2024 in Donabate Parish Hall. “Dancing at Lughnasa” is Brian Friel’s award-winning semi-autobiographical two-act play set in the fictional Irish village of Ballybeg, Donegal, in 1936. The story is told from the perspective of Michael who recalls one summer of his childhood he spent with the five unmarried women who raised him: his mother and his aunts. Kate is a schoolteacher; Agnes and Rose knit gloves and help run the house along with Maggie and Christine who have no income. Their spare existence is interrupted by brief, colourful bursts of music from their first wireless Marconi radio. This is also the summer the women’s brother, Jack, returns from Uganda, where he worked as a missionary in a leper colony for 25 years. He suffers from malaria and has trouble remembering things. Meanwhile, Gerry, Michael’s father, a charming but unreliable Welsh wanderer, appears for the first time in his son’s life. The play portrays the strength and bravery of the sisters who wildly dance, fight, and battle to survive as they foresee the sadness and economic privations under which they will suffer as all hope’s fade. On stage you will see some familiar faces but also first-time actors with the society, while behind the scenes a production team will ensure that every other aspect is looked after when bringing the play to life on stage. “It’s fantastic to be working with this brilliant and enthusiastic cast and crew. We are doing our best to meet the challenge of building a set in a few hours, to put on what, we hope, will be our own special presentation of this great and much-loved play” said Paul Keogh from the construction and directing team. Tickets cost €12 and can be purchased on TicketSource or at the door. DPDS also extends an invitation to all people in the community to become a patron of the society and support the local arts. The annual fee is €60 per person and it includes two tickets for their biannual productions along with light refreshments. For info contact: donabateportrane.drama@gmail.com

Dear Resident,

At very short notice I contested the local elections in 2019 and narrowly missed out for the final seat. Although unelected I decided to continue to work and represent the people of the peninsula. During the past five years I’ve been to the forefront in raising and campaigning on issues such as sustainable development, public transport, creche facilities, schools, safer communities, youth facilities, infrastructure in tandem with development and coastal erosion. I am pleased that on foot of our campaigns we have delivered a number of projects in 2023 which we proposed and pursued to the end including:-Ballymastone car park permanent resurfacing and public lighting.

-New entrance into Newbridge Park, Hearse Road. -First bus shelter in Donabate Village.-Resurfacing of Donabate Graveyard Car Park and painting of walls. -Connectivity between some bus and rail morning and evening services.-proposed that the Turvey Avenue Enhancement project be carried out as a single project rather than the original intention of a parallel project with Portrane Road scheme (long delay). -outdoor shower Donabate Beach

The provision of Teen Hangout spaces is now Council policy following my proposal to the Council’s ‘Space for Play’ policy consultation which includes hangout/meeting places for teenagers with such facilities as swings, climbing and zip lines as well as spaces with free Wi-Fi and shelter. We initiated the campaign for a multifunctional Arts, Youth and Cultural Centre which is provided for in the LAP and which is being resisted by FCC. However the objective of 4000 houses is being delivered upon. The campaign by the Crossroads group is gaining momentum and we will pursue this to a successful conclusion. I am keenly aware that while the area will grow in population to over 20,000 in the coming years the necessary infrastructure, road upgrades, school and childcare places and services are not coming quick enough to meet the needs of the people. I can be even more effective on behalf of our growing community if elected as a Councillor in the upcoming elections and would appreciate your number 1 vote.
Corina Johnston - Labour Party Local Area Representative Donabate and Portrane