Cllr Adran Henchy has said, “Just to provide an update on what was a very positive briefing from both the Economic Enterprise and the Architects Department of Fingal County Council who informed us that they are in the preliminary stages of confirming the former home of Donabate Credit Union will be regenerated and modernised to become the new home of Donabate Library. Both my Councillor colleague on the peninsula Cllr Paul Mulville and I have pushed hard initially to convince Fingal County Council to purchase this landmark iconic building at the heart of our local community from Provident Credit Union and also to ensure whatever future the building has is only reserved for community usage. This of course also allows for the significant space currently occupied at Donabate Portrane Community Centre for the Library to also return back into community usage. A potential win win for our growing local community. The initial capital cost put aside for this transfer to take place is €0.5 million with overall funding of €2 million allocated to this project.,This matter is a headed item at the next meeting of the full Council and this will give Councillors the opportunity to question the Executive further on this proposal on behalf of our local community.

Active Age as usual have great plans for this term especially our involvement in Fingal Inclusion Week. As our contribution to this event we will hold an Inclusion Day in the Community Centre. In conjunction with the Community Centre and other groups we will stage an exhibition of crafts, painting and photography and enjoy some music and singing. We will be providing some taster classes in Yoga and Sit & Get Fit, on the day so if you want to try these activities please come along and support us. The Day will open at 11.30 a.m. and continue till 3.00 p.m. Tea/coffee and home made cakes will be provided free of charge. Active Age will have an information stand there if you wish to join us or just get some information about our classes.- A Walk Through the Liberties -Recently a group from Active Age went on a guided walk through the Liberties area of Dublin. This area is located in the southwest of the inner city. Our lovely guide Roslyn was born and reared in the area so she is a true child of the Liberties. Liberties were a feature of mediaeval cities under Anglo Norman rule. They were outside the city walls and separate from the main city government. They were granted certain privileges and entitlements to regulate trade and commerce within “the Liberty” hence the name The Liberties. Our tour started at the corner of Cornmarket and Lamb Alley where one of the only remnants of the city wall remains. We were fascinated by the depth of Roslyn’s knowledge of the area, from the Vikings to the 17th and 18th century when it became the industrial heart of the city. In later times it was dominated by Guinness and Power families. Great poverty and slums were evident in the 19th century and this spurred a number of enlightened housing developments, for example, The Iveagh Trust Buildings on Patrick Street. We saw one of the oldest buildings in Dublin on Thomas Street which has been lovingly restored. We all enjoyed our ramble through this historic part of Dublin and sincere thanks to our guide Roslyn who made the day very special. For our next trip we are hoping to visit Glasnevin Cemetery which should be a fascinating trip. As always if you need further information about Active Age please email activeageforall@gmail.com or look at our website activeageforall.com

Donabate Portrane Dramatic Society will bring Frank McGuinness’ play ‘The Factory Girls’ to Donabate Parish Hall, from Thursday 24th to Saturday 26th November, 8pm and Sunday 27th November, 3pm. Donabate Portrane Dramatic Society’s new production is directed by an experienced member of the society Lisa Buckley, and it features a cast of existing as well as new members. The Factory Girls, set in a shirt factory in County Donegal in the early 80s, tells the story of five strong women who, facing the threat of redundancy, decide to stage a lock-in in the manager’s office until better conditions are offered. During the course of their adventure Ellen, Una, Vera, Rebecca and Rosemary learn more about each other’s life stories and their personalities. They show courage and camaraderie when facing the manager Mr. Rohan and the Union representative Mr. Bonner, but they can’t avoid the struggle with one another. Although they often give each other a hard time, what emerges is a story based on friendship, loyalty and the sisterhood which grows between them. The play, which is particularly realistic and relevant today, is a blend of laughs and poignant moments, teeming with humour, colourful language, anger, courage and compassion. “I am excited about bringing The Factory Girls to a Donabate audience. These women all have their own story at different stages of their life. They are all connected by the security of the main job in a small town, working on the factory line and this story is about what happens when the security is threatened” – Lisa said. Tickets cost €10 per person and are available on door or on eventbrite.ie.

Corina Johnston, Labour Party Area Representative has welcomed the announcement by Fingal County Council of its intention to carry out permanent resurfacing works at the Ballymastone sports ground car park.Johnston said; “ I am very pleased that the ongoing campaign by Duncan Smith TD and I for the permanent resurfacing of the existing car park at the Ballymastone Sports Grounds has come to a successful conclusion”Johnston added;”At an on-site meeting with Fingal County Council this morning requested by Duncan Smith TD in which I was in attendance, Senior Officials from Fingal County Council informed representatives from St Pats GAA, St. Ita’s AFC and local Cllrs Henchy and Mulville that the council have taken the decision to resurface the car park with a tar-macadam surface. The officials confirmed their intention to progress these works through a procurement process with the works to be carried out at the earliest possible time. In the interim I asked the council to carry out remedial works given the current condition of the car park which they have agreed to.”Johnston added; “Duncan Smith TD and I have been campaigning for this work to be carried out for nearly two years now. At an onsite meeting earlier this year we stressed the need for a permanent solution to the car park surface and the need for the provision of lights in the car park given the number of children accessing the sports grounds across the dark car park. At that time the council proposed to carry out temporary repairs and to give consideration to installing lights in the car park. Within a few weeks the car park surface returned to the desperate state it was a few weeks earlier.At my request the former Mayor Cllr Seána O’Rodaigh rased a question with the CEO. Johnston concluded: We thanked the officials for taking the health and safety concerns of parents and the clubs on board, for coming up with the substantial amount of funding required to carry out the necessary works and for their ongoing support for sport on the peninsula.”

St. Ita’s AFC have announced Glenveagh Homes as the club’s official Youth Sponsor for 2022.This major sponsorship will allow the club to invest in sporting equipment, team kits and other equipment to support the continued growth of the club in response to the growth in the size of the surrounding community. St. Ita’s AFC is a football team based in Donabate-Portrane, fielding teams of male and female members, from age 4 upwards. St Ita’s AFC has approximately 700 registered playing members, including nearly 90 coaches, and are fielding 37 teams in league football, and have recently expanded the senior section to include a senior women’s team and an over 35’s men’s team. St Ita’s also works closely with other organisations in the local community and has licence agreements with two local schools (DPETNS and Donabate Community College), as well as the Donabate Special Olympics Club to use the club’s facilities. According to St. Ita’s AFC Chairman Conor Tonra, the Youth Sponsor will be a crucial partner to the club. St Ita’s AFC is currently undergoing a period of rapid growth. The support of Glenveagh Homes is critical for us to develop modern, safe facilities for all of our youngsters. The sponsorship makes Glenveagh Homes the club’s inaugural Youth Sponsor, which will benefit all of the club’s academy, nursery and youth players, including both boys’ and girls’ teams. The sponsorship had already allowed for the investment in new playing jerseys for the teams which will enter league football for the first time in the 2022/3 season. Glenveagh Homes is one of Ireland’s largest homebuilders. Driven by both innovation and a commitment to opening up access to sustainable high-quality homes, Glenveagh is on track to complete 1,400 new homes this year. The company has a longer-term target of delivering over 3,000 units a year from 2024 to communities across Ireland. For more Information, visit glenveagh.ie. According to Cameron McDonnell, Head of Marketing at Glenveagh, this partnership with St. Ita’s AFC is a critical one: Glenveagh has a vital role to play by investing in and supporting local communities where we build.Our community and sponsorship funds have provided invaluable support to local initiatives from grassroots sponsorship to sports-facilities upgrades and other local initiatives close to the heart of our communities and are delighted to support St. Ita’s AFC with the next stage of the club’s development.

In early 2018 a group, who were members of St Sylvesters GAA Club, began cycling together,
participating in sportives and subsequently formed a Cycling Club. Syls CC Malahide was named in
recognition of the historical affiliation of St. Sylvester to the town of Malahide.The aim was to become the best social cycling club in north Dublin. The club affiliated with Cycling Ireland, and our inaugural spin took place in February 2019. The Green became the Club’s designated meeting point. In May 2021 we launched the first successful Couch to 50K programme where new cyclists participated in a fun six-week training activity. This programme combined theory and on the road guided spins. 2022 was a bigger year for the programme, and also marks the beginning of our newest programme, “100k in a day”.Membership growth is accelerating, with 42% women, which reinforces inclusivity and diversity in the club. We are committed to nurturing members in achieving their objectives, regardless of ability level. New members often ask if they will be able to keep up with the group. Syls CC’s has a no drop policy and adjusts the pace to suit the group. The Club provides a range of spins with different distances and average speed during the week. Over the years, club members have participated in various Irish and International events including Women’s Lap of Louth, Ride Dingle, Ring of Beara, Wicklow 200, Ring of Kerry, Mallorca 312 and cycling camps abroad.Cycling is a healthy outdoor activity, and supervised spins can give a greater sense of safety than individual cycling. A key aspect is having fun, which for some might be a challenging hill and for others a leisurely paced cycle for a cup of coffee. The Club’s key metric is active participation. North Dublin has lots of cycling options with a superbcoastline, hills, heritage properties and great scenic rolling roads. Syls CC is open to new members and constantly launching new cycling programmes. If you have any queries or want to connect with the club, email Contact@SylsCC.ie

Éamonn Galldubh, Daire Bracken and Alan Burke made the rafters ring at the launch of The Bleeding Pig Cultural Festival in The Brook in Portrane. They piped, fiddled and sang until the tapping feet couldn’t take any more and took to the floor.The launch was the start of 10 days of our community festival. Thank you to Fingal County Council and all our sponsors.

Cllr Adrian Henchy said recently, “Since my election in 2014 I have campaigned strongly and attended numerous meetings with both the HSE and Fingal County with a view to the preservation, protection and enhancement of the St. Ita’s hospital campus Portrane. One of my very first questions to both Fingal County Council and the HSE when first elected as a local councillor in 2014 was to restore and regenerate the empty houses on Portrane Avenue. Frustratingly progress with this matter over many years has been far too slow but am now finally pleased to confirm that following extensive discussions between the Department of Housing, the HSE and Fingal County Council to reach an agreement which will see the restoration and refurbishment of these 12 homes which will provide much needed homes to twelve families in our constituency. I want to thank the HSE and Fingal County Council who have worked collaboratively with the Minister his Department and I on this matter. Great credit must be also given to the existing residents of Portrane Avenue who have long campaigned for and called for the restoration and regeneration of their neighbouring houses. Together with my colleague Minister O Brien we are determined to tackle the scourge that is housing vacancy. This is very positive news for the proud Village of Portrane with the St. Ita’s hospital campus right at the very heart of Portrane. Hopefully the regeneration of these beautiful family homes along Portrane Avenue will also be a catalyst for future regeneration and reuse of the large scale magnificent Red brick buildings across St. Ita’s. With regard to the provision of future housing in Portrane I have a tabled an upcoming motion on the new Fingal County Council Development plan 2023-2029 for the HSE zoned residential lands to be specifically reserved for the delivery of owner Affordable housing in line with the recent housing initiatives announced by my colleague Minister O Brien and I strongly hope this motion will receive broad support and we will see the delivery of Owner occupied Affordable housing in Portrane as well as Donabate. Also as an update the new National Forensic Mental Health facilities on the St. Ita’s hospital campus Portrane is finally due to become fully operational at some stage in November 2022 The exact opening date cannot be disclosed for Operational reasons.”

The Peninsula Pacers September Walk ended at The Brook for Trad & Pizza to coincide & link up with The Bleeding Pig Cultural Festival! The Peninsula Pacers had a great walk in mid September all around the peninsula. We walked about 13km (some did 15km as they walked back to Donabate - some got the bus just not as reliable at the moment as the feet!). A big welcome & thank you to our new friends from Laytown joined in..We started from The Parish Hall - then pit stop at The Shoreline - then coffee, cake & strawberries at The Carriage - then down to The Lug end of the Burrow - then final resting place The Brook where we joined in with the Bleeding Pig Festival Event - the Trad & Pizza where there was great music & céilí dancing in the warm sun! The pizzas from The Dough Hut were fantastic & the refreshments from The Brook just great too! Our next walk is to take place on Saturday 15th October - either Bray to Greystones OR the Tram Track in Howth (TBC) for further information please contact: Des Carthy on 087 7846813 or Carolyn Smith on 087 9284307.

Leithinis’s raffle headed up by Paul Kelly our fundraising officer was a great success. Thanks to all those people who bought tickets, or who made donations to the hamper. A very big thank you goes out to McNeela Instruments who donated prizes for the draw and to the management and staff of Donabate Town Centre. The winners of the raffle were:1st Prize - Caroline Coughlan, 2nd Prize - Michael Connolly, 3rd Prize - Donal Mulcahy.Our classes have resumed in the Donabate Portrane Educate together National school. There are still one or two places available . If you are interested in classes with our branch please email us at leithinis@comhaltas.net. Alternatively you can become a member of Comhaltas for €20 per family and partake in our slow sessions and other activities.

Our slow sessions led by Erin McGahan are held in the Parish Hall on the 1st and 3rd Friday of the month. This session is open to all members ( beginner and improvers) of Leithinis and is an excellent way for them to practice the tunes that they have learned in the classes. Thank you to the Parish Hall Committee for facilitating these sessions.

Denis Stack leads a Traditional Irish music session for experienced musicians in Keeling’s at 7.30pm on the first Tuesday of every month. All welcome to go along and listen. The Bleeding Pig Cultural Festival invited Leithinis and friends to the launch in The Brook Pub as the warm up act for Eamonn Galldubh and friends. It was a fantastic night and a huge thanks to Eilish McDermott and team from the Festival Committee for inviting us to this night of craic agus ceol.