Corina Johnston, Labour Party Local Area Representative is calling on the National Transport Authority (NTA) to review its contract with the bus operator Go Ahead Ireland due to the unreliability of its services in Fingal.Johnston said; “Ever since Go Ahead Ireland was awarded the contract to operate a number of routes in the greater Dublin Area by the NTA in December 2018 there have been ongoing issues with their bus services in Fingal. The 33A/33B routes in particular have been seriously impacted. Johnston said;”Duncan Smith TD and I have been in constant contact with the bus company and the NTA on these recurring issues. The NTA in response said “ public transport operators are experiencing significant challenges in recruiting qualified staff following the economic and social constraints connected to the COVID-19 pandemic. The impact of these absences is felt the most on low-frequency services (hourly or less frequent), where the time between services is extended with little opportunity for advance warning. The contract expires on the 6th of October 2023 and the Authority have provision for 2 single year extensions. 1 year in advance of the expiry date we must notify the operator of our intention if applicable to extend the contract.“ Johnston added; “in July Go Ahead Ireland introduced a temporary timetable in an effort to reduce the number of cancellations and impact on customers while additional drivers were in training. The full timetable was to be reinstated on 28th August in advance of the children returning to school. It is very regrettable to have been informed in recent days by both the company and the NTA that they are not in a position to give a timeframe for the reinstatement of the full timetable.”
Johnston concluded; “it is regrettable at a time when national policy encourages the use of public transport and when fuel prices are so expensive so many car owners feel they have no alternative but to continue to drive to their destinations due to the unreliability of the existing bus service operated by Go Ahead in Fingal. Duncan Smith TD and I firmly believe that a thorough investigation is warranted prior to any decisions being made in respect of this contract. The NTA must take on board the concerns and needs of the public to ensure confidence in the public transport system.”

Jamie Painter Divisional Director of Portakabin Ireland, recently led his team to visit the DPCC centre. DPCC marked the occasion by signing a three-year contract with Portakabin for a standalone Portakabin Building that will allow DPCC service many additional activities and groups in our forward programmes.‘ We are always pressed for space said Sandra Mathews the acting General Manager of the centre and this favourable lease increases our capacities and our service flexibility.

We had a little bit of LSA Track and Field history made this summer when our Ladies team, ranging in age from 15 to 53, qualified for the final of the National Track and Field Outdoor League. The Track and Field League is a Team event where teams compete in up to twenty one disciplines over the course of the day, and score points in their best fifteen events. This year was the first time in our eleven year history that we’ve been able to field a team in the National League. The final took place in Tullamore on the 14th August with our athletes taking part in the full range of track and field events. It was a great day out for the LSA Ladies team rounding off an exciting summer of competition.A big thank you to all the athletes who made such an effort over the three rounds of the National League. Thanks also to the supporters who were a crucial part of the day. It was a huge achievement for LSA to field a team and make it to the final in our first year. Well done all - onwards and upwards! Our Masters men were also in action in Tullamore the same weekend, and brought back four National medals for their efforts in the National Masters Track and Field Championships. Xavi Hubert Silver in High Jump, Enda Gavigan Silver in 100m and Bronze in 200m, and Steven Rice Bronze in 5000m. Great inspiration for our juvenile athletes! The outdoor track and field season has now come to an end and it’s back to training again. For more details of how to get involved please see our social media and website.

St. Itas AFC football for kids from 5-9 years will be running again this season with the aim of providing the basic skills for the next generation of football players. The sessions are run on Saturday mornings for an hour in St. Ita’s Ballymastone Campus. Two separate sessions are run with the 9.45am session for girls only and the 10.00am session primarily for boys. Sessions are run in a fun manner, and are aimed at players who have limited or no experience of football. The club hope to build upon a very successful season which ran from 2021 to 2022. According to Robbie Sinnott, who helps run the girl’s academy: “Last year saw our previous academy players achieve incredible outcomes on the U12, U13 and U14 panels, but we also saw huge improvement in our current academy players who hopefully will develop into the club’s future stars. We had a group of Ukrainian kids join us mid-season, and our own girls were fantastic in how well they included them immediately and created a fun hour for them on Saturday mornings.”While some players stay for two-three years in the Saturday morning sessions, there also is a ‘graduation’ of a cohort of players, who go on to form teams who will play in inter-club competitions in the coming season. According to Niall Hayden, who coordinates the boys training: “We had a new boys team and a girls team emerge this year, and hopefully the Saturday morning sessions will have given them the core footballing skills which they can develop and grow in the future.”The boys and girls training every Saturday benefits from the sponsorship of Glenveagh Homes, whose support has been critical in helping fund the training, and kitting out emerging teams for the new season. For anyone interested in joining, please contact: Girls: Robbie Sinnott (robbie.sinnott@gmail.com) Boys: Niall Hayden (niallhayden85@gmail.com)

If reports of last month’s Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann stirred your interest in learning traditional Irish music, look no further than Leithinis Donabate Portrane CCÉ, your local branch of Comhaltas Ceotóirí Éireann. We are a not-for-profit organisation run entirely by volunteers. We offer lessons in Fiddle, Bodhran, Accordion, Concertina, Tin Whistle, Flute, Banjo, Mandolin and Guitar (accompaniment), from beginner to advanced level for adults and children (from 5 years old). Our teachers have extensive experience and our lessons are relaxed and informal. Classes are held in the Educate Together School on Monday evenings.
In mid-September, we will be opening registration for newcomers for the next semester of classes in traditional Irish music, running from October to January. Our classes are excellent value at €120 for 12 classes, plus €20 for annual family membership. We have a rental scheme for some instruments. In addition to lessons, we also run Groupaí Cheoil sessions on Friday evenings twice a month in the recently refurbished Parish Hall, where the newly installed acoustic panels, as seen suspended from the ceiling in the photos, have greatly enhanced the sound especially for playing music. These sessions provide a fantastic opportunity for our members to practice together the tunes they have learned at the lessons. When weather permits, we run a Gig in the Gazebo in the grounds of the Parish Hall. Leithinis Donabate Portrane CCÉ was delighted to receive a Mayor’s Award for 2022 from the outgoing Mayor of Fingal, Seána Ó Rodaigh, “in appreciation of the voluntary service given to the County and citizens of Fingal”. If you would like to take lessons with our branch, please email us at leithinis@comhaltas.net with name, DOB (if under 18), instrument and level and we will get back to you. For existing students and members, we will be in touch in early September regarding registration.

Corina Johnston, Labour Party Area Representative is deeply concerned that the highly significant archaeological find recently discovered in Corballis, Donabate could be undermined by a planning application which is currently with An Bord Pleanála.

Johnston said; “The Environmental Impact Assessment Report for this planning application was submitted in 2021 which was prior to the recent discovery of this archaeological find. It therefore fails to take into account the possible implications of this historic find. Efforts to date to bring this new information to An Bord Pleanála have been refused. The Bord have stated that under the SHD legislation it cannot take any further comments or information on this planning application.”Johnston said; “this archeological find was discovered by locals in fields at Corballis, Donabate, in recent weeks. Duncan Smith TD and I reported this to The National Monument Service who visited the site and confirmed that this can be classified as a souterrain (underground tunnel), a significant archaeological find which has now been added to the online non statutory Sites And Monuments Record. The National Monuments Service confirmed the monument will be noted for consideration for inclusion in any revisions of the Record of Monuments and Places (RMP) which is a statutory record which affords a measure of legal protection under existing legislation.” Johnston continued; “ Fingal County arranged for an archaeological survey to be carried out on the Corballis lands in 2007. An Enclosure was discovered that also found the remains of copper, charcoal and bones. The recently discovered souterrain was not discovered at that time. Johnston added; “ In view of the position taken by An Bord Pleánala Duncan Smith TD and I have written to the Minister for Heritage outlining the significance of this find and appealed to him to ensure the protection and preservation of this site including placing a temporary preservation order on the souterrain and extended site. Johnston concluded;” it has been brought to my attention by an independent archaeologist in recent days that the writing on the ceiling of the souterrain maybe Runes from the Norse Futhark Alphabet rather than the Ogham script. He also stated “that stones with runic script on them are even rarer than Ogham stone”. In view of the implications of the find and this latest information it is vital that a temporary preservation order be placed on the souterrain and a thorough examination of the extended site be carried out. This is the least we can expect as we commence National Heritage Week.“

After two years of cultural drought on the Donabate/Portrane peninsula, the Bleeding Pig Cultural Festival makes a welcome return in September.From Thursday 8th to Sunday 18th September, there will be a full timetable of cultural events, suited to all cultural tastes and all ages. From Céilí dancing to Basket Weaving, Art Exhibitions to Gala Concerts and Casino Nights to Nature Walks, the schedule promises something to entertain everybody.This year sees the return of some festival favourites, including Craft Workshops for Adults and Children, Mol an Óige showcasing some fun-sized talent, Gala Concert, Short Film Festival, Sing-a-Song or Sing-a-Long, Short Plays from the Donabate Dramatic Society, Tour of Newbridge House and Farm, Tours of the Martello Tower, and lots more.The programme this year also features some new attractions, including for one night only Casino Night, Family Local Knowledge Trivia Trek, A Pizza’Trad, Tai Chai on the Green, and much more. Keep an eye on the festival website, bleedingpig.ie for details about times and dates and venues. All events in the Bleeding Pig Festival are free of charge, and the organisers are very grateful to all our generous sponsors who make the festival possible.

Donabate Parish Hall has over the summer completed some further work on the hall - some internal & external painting was undertaken, the floor was given a top up sand & varnish; but the main work was the installation of special acoustic panels in the ceiling to improve the quality of sound in the hall; in layman’s terms reduce the echo and noise!

This will make the hall a very desirable place especially for Cultural & Creative Activities & Events. The cost of these works was funded by the Parish Hall Committee with grateful assistance from Fingal County Council Community Department. The electrical work to facilitate the installation was done by CP Electrical & Security and the installation of the boards by EK Property Maintenance this was very specialist work and completed to a very high standard by all of the local trades people! A special mention to EV Kidds over a 100years in business in Floor laying & Restoration and easy to see why - they promised to do this extra work for FREE after the hall had had some use and true to their word, came back this summer and did it to an excellent standard.The Parish Hall was back to full swing at the end of August but may still have some availability left for Weekly Activities and in the Cultural & Creative Slot in October & November - any queried to Bernie in the Parish Office in the mornings 01 - 8434574.

Our next walk coincides and links with the Bleeding Pig Cultural Festival, so it is local - Saturday 10th Sept- starting at 12noon at The Parish Hall - walking to the Shoreline then on to Tower Bay short stop at Wayne’s Coffee Box - then down to Portrane and the Burrow walking along Rogerstown Estuary up Marsh Lane and back to the Brook for Pizza and Trad at 4pm! Bus or walk back to Donabate for the train ! Sound good - join us! Adults only & sorry no dogs - please wear the right attire especially footwear for the walk - we will do a good average pace ok. You can do the SHORT walk by waiting at the Brook and enjoying some refreshments while the LONG walk adds a loop of the Burrow as a few extra kms! Contact Carolyn 087 9284307 or Breda 086 8693243 for information or if interested!

After a short break last month from our regular activities, Donabate Portrane Men’s Shed is back at full swing again.We have our weekly exercise classes on Monday mornings; on Tuesdays it’s croquet at Newbridge House and from 10:30pm to 12:30pm on Thursdays we have a get-together for coffee, tea and a chat at the Scouts’ Den on the Portrane Road. At other times, some members tend our plots at Turvey Allotments, and from time to time we have outings to places of interest. We are always open to new members. So, if you’d like to join us, please come along to the Scouts’ Den any Thursday morning, or call Jim on 086-3694316. You’ll be made feel very welcome.