What a summer so far! In May and June we had Dublin Track and Field Championships for our Juveniles, Leinster Track and Field Championships for Senior and Masters, road races for adults, and training all around our beautiful peninsula from Newbridge House, to Donabate Beach and Ballymastone.
LSA members took part in the Bob and Mary 5k in Enfield, the VHI Dublin Women’s Marathon, the Irish Runner 5k in the Phoenix Park to name a few.
Back in April Ciara Cullen and Ali Conway represented LSA as part of Sonia’s Squad in the Sonia O’Sullivan Cobh 10k. In Athy, our own Michal Kowalski was the overall winner of the “Try a Tri” triathlon category, with members of our Fit4Life group also competing!
Little Athletics finished up their season with a great evening on the Mondo track in Morton Stadium. There was great camaraderie and team spirit, and the icing on the cake was when it was announced that Ollie Sheridan had won the Silver medal in the Under 10 500m in the Dublin Championships. Eliza Hussain also won Silver in Under 16 Discus, with Léa Hubert’s Under 16 Gold in Javelin completing the trio of LSA medals.
Our younger juvenile groups have now finished regular training until September, and our older Juveniles continue training towards competing in Dublin Graded Meets and National Championships. Our volunteer coaches enjoyed a well-deserved night out in Keelings to mark the end of Thursday evening training for this season.
Dara Carr was our sole Masters athlete in the Leinster Championships in SETU Carlow where she won her 100m sprint category. At the same event Anna Gavigan set a new Championship record in Senior Discus with a best throw of 52.3m.
Our adult groups continue training and competition throughout the summer. To get involved send us an email - we always welcome new members.
Adult memberships queries: lambaysportsathletics@gmail.com. Little Athletics and Juvenile athletes (7-18) : lsajuvenilereg@gmail.com
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Save the date for our Peninsula Road Race - Sunday 16th November 2025.
We will have photos & article on our Bloomsday Trip to Dublin in the next edition.
In the meantime, we are planning for our next few walks in the Autumn/Winter.
We hope to have walks in September, October, & November & maybe December to include Rogerstown Park & Estuary - Rush, The Ward River Heritage Park - Swords, The Dodder Park Walk - Dublin (Southside.)
These will be walks of about 2hrs each and fairly easy 7/8km - we stop for food before heading home!
Enjoy walking & keeping fit over the summer!
Last month, Donabate Portrane Men’s Shed was proud to play our part in participating in a special event for Men’s Health Week in Newbridge Park, attending by over 80 members from 10 of the sheds across Fingal. Gerry & the Plonkers, our music group, provided the entertainment on the day.
As well as that, Gerry and the Plonkers had a busy June, playing at Vintage Picnic at Swords Castle and Memory Café in Donabate Portrane Community Centre and they have more concerts for local community groups lined up over the coming month.
But Donabate Portrane Men’s Shed is more than just music, with several members active in our two plots in Turvey Allotments. This year has already produced a bumper crop of garlic. The tomatoes, lettuce, cabbage and cucumbers are also coming along well. We also have our weekly exercise classes, croquet at Newbridge and our Thursday morning get-togethers for a cuppa and a chat.
We are always open to new members and new ideas for activities. So, don’t be shy.; come along and join us. Call our PRO, Jim, on 086-36944316.
A group from Active Age for All and others from Failte Isteach ( kindly supported by Fingal Co Co) enjoyed a trip to Dublin Castle and the Chester Beatty Library at the end of May. We departed Donabate/ Portrane Community Centre on a dull drizzly morning but happily the day improved by the time we got to the castle and spirits were in no way dampned.
At the Castle we met our lovely guide Ellie who led us on a very interesting and informative tour. She explained that the site is at ( now over) the dark tidal pool where the Poddle river joins the Liffey, this was called Dubh Linn ( black pool) and is the origin of Dublin city’s name. Originally a Gaelic settlement then taken over by the Vikings, who called it Dyflin, then from 1204 to 1922 it was the seat of English rule in Ireland. It was developed into a medieval fortress by King John which remained largely intact until a major fire in 1684. In the 1980s during remedial works to some of the buildings part of the original wall and Viking structures were discovered and can be explored by visitors today. On the 16th January 1922 the last Viceroy of Ireland handed Dublin Castle over to Michael Collins and the government of the new Irish state. Since that historic moment a tradition of state ceremony has continued at the Castle and from 1938 each one of Ireland’s presidents has been inaugurated in St Patricks Hall, the grandest of the State apartments.
On our tour we visited the cellars contained the remains of the Powder Tower and the original castle wall; the Chapel Royal and the State apartments which are very impressive.
We lunched in the Chester Beatty library at the Silk Road cafe before exploring the treasures of the library. Then a quick cup of coffee before we had to head back to our bus and home. All in all a very enjoyable day, plans for the next outing are in being worked on already !
Our club members have been enjoying the beautiful weather recently. Some of our Juvenile athletes have had the opportunity to have their first experience on a full-size outdoor track facility when they competed with almost one thousand other young athletes in the Dublin Track and Field League at Tallaght Athletics Club, right where Rhasidat Adeleke started training just over ten years ago.
Our athletes competed in Shot Putt, Discus, Turbo Javelin, Javelin, High Jump, Long Jump and track events from 60m to 800m. Very soon we will have our own track and field facility, right here in Ballymastone.
We are very grateful to our volunteer coaches and to the parents who volunteered to help run the events.
Our secondary school aged athletes had great success in the North Leinster Secondary Schools Championships, with a total of six medals and some of them progressing to Leinster Championships. They represented their schools, Donabate Community College and Loreto College Swords. Congratulations also to Sara Dolczak who won the intermediate 400m at the Loreto Games.
Meanwhile our Under 20s, Seniors and Masters athletes have been participating in the Dublin Graded Meets. Congratulations to Xavier Hubert who won a Senior Dublin Championships Silver Medal in High Jump and Anna Gavigan who won Senior Gold in Discus.
Out on the roads and in the parks, club members have had some incredible performances in the London and Copenhagan marathons, and in the Dublin Race Series. Closer to home we had some notable Park Run milestones with Willie Cahill completing his 200th Park Run in glorious sunshine at the Donabate Park Run.
Save the Date for the LSA Peninsula Race on Sunday 16th November 2025. More details will be available shortly on our social media channels.
On a sunny Saturday at the beginning of May a group of Peninsula Pacers and Active Age for All members did a walk to explore Donabate beach and ‘The Island’. We set off from the Shoreline Hotel and walked to the top of the beach, incidentally you are at the top of the beach when you can see the Malahide church steeple ( and nowadays the Marina) down the river. On the way we remarked on the frightening degree of erosion visible at the top half of the beach, it is very concerning.
At the top of the beach we crossed over into ‘The Island’ so known because of the well-known golf club there of that name. This is an area of marram grass, scrub and tidal inlets which at this time of the year is home to nesting skylarks whose distinctive singing was lovely to hear as we watched them soaring into the blue sky.
Further on we passed the remains of the bridge and landing area of the golfers’’boat which was used to bring golfers over and back from Malahide until the 1970s. The old clubhouse sat above this area on what is now a tee box.
After a trudge down the ‘stoney beach’ we crossed back over to Donabate beach by way of the right of way between the Island and Corballis golf clubs. Then it was back to the Shoreline Hotel for soma welcome food and drink.
The need for a permanent Gardaí presence and Garda station in Donabate has been raised by Councillor Corina Johnston who recently met with senior Gardaí to raise her concerns.
Johnston said;” Myself and Duncan Smith TD met senior gardai in Ballymun recently following my request to the Garda Commissioner for a meeting in regarding Garda resources in the district and in particular the fast-growing Donabate area. At the meeting we highlighted the urgent need for permanent Garda resources and the need for a Garda clinic to commence on the peninsula immediately. We also raised the need for the provision of a Garda station in the long term.
“We raised our concerns regarding the increase in Anti Social Behaviour in Donabate and referrals by Gardai/Juvenile Liasion officers to youth services (Crosscare) who run projects that are community based, multi-agency youth crime prevention initiatives that aim to divert young people from anti-social or criminal behaviour. We believe with the growing young population permanent youth services and a centre must be provided as a priority to support our youth on the peninsula.”
Johnston said; “In response the Gardai acknowledged our concerns and need for Garda resources and a station on the peninsula and confirmed the following: ongoing issues with recruitment and retention of Gardai which is compounded by increasing retirement numbers. As a result an increase in Garda numbers in the district is not envisaged in the short to medium term.
‘Peninsula Voices & Friends’, led by Áine & Tony, will host a Fundraiser Charity Concert in Aid of UNICEF - in Donabate Parish Hall on:
Friday 27th June (Doors Open 7 30pm), starting at 8 00pm
Available Tickets on Eventbrite - No Ticket Sales at the Door - Adult Only Event - Raffle on the Night!
This will be a great concert & is for a very worthy cause – children.
There will be a variety of musical genres over the two days e.g. pop, rock, trad & folk! something for everyone!
Friday 27th June
‘Peninsula Voices’ - see separate article.
Saturday 28th June
‘Music Makers’ will hold a special event for over 15’s to play & perform under their leaders, Noel Dowling & Seán Collins. From 2 - 4pm the younger performers will play & from 6 – 7:30pm the older performers will play.
These bands and soloists will include e.g.:
- Sophie Victoria & friends
- Either Side of The City
- Reminisce
- Nj & the Makers
- Graham Kenny
- And the one & only Adam Farrelly
From 4 - 5pm
‘Leithinis CCÉ’, our local Comhaltas group will play some Irish traditional tunes.
From 5 - 6pm
‘Festival in a Van’ will take to their outdoor moving stage, with their own performers from outside the area & with some local guests joining them!
From 8 - 10pm
Breanndán Ó Beaglaoich – see separate article.
It should be a great two days of music for a good cause & another chance to display some local talent. There can never be enough opportunities, especially for young people, to participate in Cultural events – e.g. music, singing, dance, drama, photography, art….!
School is over … so start the holidays with a bit of fun for all! Put the dates in your calendar now, on the phone & or at home.
We hope to have food and refreshments available on the day.
We wish to thank FCC in advance for their support for the ‘Music Fest’. We especially would like to thank Niall from The Music Outlet in Swords, near The Plaza, our music equipment supplier who sponsored extra equipment for the ‘Music Fest’.
Please note the events are aimed at older children, teens and adults. Parents, we ask you please to be present to celebrate your kids and/or keep an eye on them. Thank you.
We look forward to having a safe and enjoyable day!
Donabate Portrane Men’s Shed aims to provide a safe environment for men to socialise and connect with one another while participating in activities and projects of mutual interest. Along with our weekly get-togethers on Thursday mornings at Donabate Scouts’ Den on the Portrane Road, we have a wide variety of activities and outings.
We have two plots at Turvey Allotments which require tender loving care at this time of year, with a rota of members tending to watering and weeding to ensure a bumper harvest later in the year.
There are weekly exercise classes using equipment, some of which was donated and more purchased with HSE and Fingal grant-aid. These classes are ably led by our own Fintan Delaney and tailored to suit the needs of our members.
Gerry and the Plonkers, our music group, have weekly practice sessions in the Scouts’ Den. These are obviously paying off, as the Plonkers have created quite a name for themselves with recent gigs in Beaverstown Golf Club and Donabate Portrane Community Centre and up-coming gigs at Swords Castle (as part of Vintage Picnic) and Newbridge House, which is part of Fingal Men’s Sheds Walk and Talk on Monday 9th June organised by the Irish Men’s Shed Association and Fingal County Council.
We also have occasional outings. The most recent late last month was a pitch and putt morning at Deerpark in Howth.
We are always open to new members and new ideas for activities. So, if you or someone you know would like to join us, please call our PRO, Jim, on 086-3694316, or drop in to the Scouts’ Den on a Thursday morning. You’ll always get a warm welcome and a cuppa.
