The Christmas tree is up and the countdown is on to the most exciting day of the year in Donabate! The Donabate Christmas Lights Festival is on Saturday December 7th.
Many thanks to Fingal County Council for installing the beautiful tree and lights.
All day on Saturday 7th, Karl Harte and his team from CP Electrical will be busy installing all the other festive lights around the village. We are hugely indebted to Karl who has been voluntarily doing this job for 30 years or more now. Huge thanks to Karl’s team who will give up their day on Saturday to help make the village look sparkly and festive.
The Christmas Craft Fair will be on in the Parish Hall, from 12-6pm, with lots of artisans showcasing their crafts. Drop in and browse and maybe pick up a gift or two!
Santa Claus will arrive in the Parish Hall at 11am and will be there all day in his grotto visiting with the good boys and girls.
Free hot drinks will be on offer outside the Parish Hall from Shirley Higgins and her coffee van, courtesy of Progressive Credit Union.
At 4.30pm the switching-on event will start at the tree in the carpark of St. Patrick’s RC Church. There will be festive entertainment from the Peninsula Voices, under the baton of Áine Daly.
There will be seasonal refreshments, with Mulled Wine and Mince Pies for the adults and juices and treats for the kids.
We are very grateful to Tesco, SuperValu and the Progressive Credit Union for their ongoing support for this event. Without their generosity, the event would not happen.
Four children have been chosen, one from each of the Primary schools on the peninsula, to lead the countdown and flick the switch to turn on the lights.
After the lights are on, there will be a Christmas Market in the Town Mall, with local businesses showcasing their goods.
So, put on your Santa hat, join us for some of the festivities and help kick-start the Donabate festive season in style!
Donabate Portrane Men’s Shed was involved in two events on the same day as part of Fingal Inclusion Week.
The first was a gathering in Donabate Portrane Community Centre of members of the Fingal Men’s Sheds, organised by the Irish Men’s Sheds Association and sponsored by Fingal County Council. Entertainment by provided by Gerry and the Plonkers, Donabate Portrane Men’s Shed music group, and a group of musicians from Swords Men’s Shed. There was also a light exercise session led by our own Fintan Delaney and a light-hearted, but insightful, talk by writer and story-teller Michael Harding.
The second event was one of Gerry and the Plonkers’ series of free monthly concerts in Donabate Parish Hall, sponsored by the Parish Hall Committee, where they were joined by local musician, Edel Dempsey, on whistles and flute. Their next free concert will be on Wednesday 4th December from 12 noon to 2pm. All adults are welcome, and light refreshments will be provided.
Gerry and the Plonkers also played at the recent Memory Café in Donabate Portrane Community Centre and will lead the singsong at our Christmas party in Keeling’s on Friday 6th December.
But Donabate Portrane Men’s Shed has more to offer than music. In addition to our music sessions, every week we have an exercise class, croquet at Newbridge House and a gathering for tea and chat. From time to time, we also have outings to places of interest. Our most recent was an interesting visit to the museum at Mountjoy Jail; more about that next month. We also have two plots at Turvey Allotments, which even at this time of year need attention.
So, if you or someone you know would like to join us, please contact our PRO, Jim, on 086-3694316.
Earlier this year the Parish Hall & Tradfest along with the help of the Historical Society and Dramatic Society came together to put on a number of events held over a few days to commemorate the tragic sinking of the Tayleur Ship of the coast of Lambay Island with the loss of hundreds of lives.
The events ranged from talks by historians & divers, to a film & play and an exhibition of artefacts. It was all very well received by adults and children in the local community.
None would have been possible without the support & help of the Parish Hall Committee & the CEO of Tradfest Martin Harte.
When all the bills were paid & adding up sponsorship and public donations there was €500 left to Donate to the RNLI.
We are all aware of the wonderful work done by the RNLI in saving lives when people come into difficulty in the water. So, we had great pleasure in making this donation recently to their representative Pauline McGann from RNLI - outside the Parish Hall. Keep safe everyone especially with all the social & charity swims over the Christmas time.
The Parish Hall Committee wishes everyone on the Peninsula a very happy & peaceful Christmas. We hope and trust we are using the resources of the Parish Hall to serve the present and some of the future needs of our growing Parish as best as we can. We are conscious that there are many new people in our community this year and we send you a very special welcome to our Parish.
We collaborate & give some support to a few events & activities which are provided for all of the older & younger adults in the community.
We support the Men’s Shed - music group ‘Gerry & the Plonkers’ to provide a few midday Wednesday concerts a year, in the Parish Hall.
Their recent November concert was just great! With the fantastic Edel Dempsey joining them on her tin whistle and the capable Noel Dowling doing sound.
Please put Wednesday 4th December from 12noon-2pm in your diaries now for their next concert. There will be some very special Christmas tunes included! & of course refreshments.
The 3 dates & times for next years concerts in 2025 are: 12noon-2pm; Wednesday 22nd January; Wednesday 12th February and Wednesday 12th March.
Please put in your diaries; all adults in the area are welcome to come & sing along & dance or just listen & enjoy!
The ‘Music Makers’ led by Noel Dowling & assisted by Sean Collins have also been given support to get over 18th plus plus plus! Into the Parish Hall about twice a month on a Friday night. (See separate article). They have nearly all the ‘music gear’ funded by FCC through a grant so are well set up. A big thanks to our Community Officer from FCC - Rafe Costigan for all his advice & support.
Thank you to all our users for their support. Also, we now have Maria who is assisting in the running of the Parish Hall & we give her a warm welcome.
Finally, a huge thank you to the Parish Office for the great work done in the running of the Parish Hall. If you need them ph: 01- 8434574 in the mornings - please.
Very best wishes for Christmas and for 2025 from LSA. Do you have running goals to achieve in 2025? This is a great time to join LSA and let us help you achieve those goals through the power of support. Our participation in the recent Dublin Marathon was a great experience for both runners and supporters alike.
We are an Athletics Club based in Donabate/Portrane and affiliated with Athletics Ireland. We are run entirely by volunteers, and our membership ranges from age 7 to 70 and beyond. We aim to provide coaching in all the athletics run, jump and throw events.
We have a number of different adult groups catering for a wide variety of goals and capabilities.
For example, our Fit for Life Group is essentially about being consistent and having a Fit for Life mentality in a fun and social environment. We also have advice to share on nutrition and strength training. We train on Mondays and Wednesdays at 7pm and a long slow run on Saturday.
The aim of our Developing Group is to learn to control and maintain pace for easy running. It is offered as a progression from our Fit for Life Group, but still aimed at those who want to run a Park Run in under 30 minutes and improve fitness and general health.
We also have Intermediate and Advanced groups, and adult sprint groups. Our new home, a permanent athletics track in Ballymastone, will begin to take shape very soon.In the meantime we always welcome new members. Please check out our social media channels for more up to date information
Adult memberships queries:
lambaysportsathletics@gmail.com. Little Athletics and Juvenile athletes (7-18) :lsajuvenilereg@gmail.com
Calling all Donabate and Portrane music lovers aged 18 and over! If you’re looking for a place to unleash your inner rockstar without your neighbours filing noise complaints, Music Makers is here for you. This local group is a cozy, friendly space where you can jam with fellow music enthusiasts.
No real experience? No problem. Tone-deaf? We respect your bravery. Whether you’re a virtuoso or can only manage three chords on a ukulele, Music Makers is all about keeping it real, having a laugh, and sharing the universal language of music. Whether you’re an aspiring musician, a singer / songwriter or just love music, everyone is welcome! So, grab your instrument, come hang out, and let’s make music!
The club meets once or twice a month in Donabate Parish Hall on Friday evenings at 7.45pm.
If you’re interested, please email musicmakersph@gmail.com for dates and more information.
We welcome any donations of musical instruments or equipment in reasonable condition.
Have you ever considered playing Bridge?
Why play Bridge?
Bridge is fun!
Bridge is sociable ~ meet lots of lovely people!
Bridge is cheap!
Bridge is great for your mental agility.
Omar Shariff gave up horses, women and gambling in favour of Bridge!
Donabate Bridge Club is a group that meets every Wednesday evening, all year round, in St. Patrick’s Parish Hall, to play Bridge. The club currently boasts approximately 45 members at many levels of Bridge prowess, from Beginners, or Novices, to more experienced players. However, here in Donabate, all the different levels plays together, with the emphasis on having fun!
The club is very grateful to Fr. Pat and Bernie, and the Parish Council for accommodating our weekly meetings.
The club are looking for new members to join the club and increase the membership. A 10-week term of lessons for Beginners will be starting in January 2025.
Experienced players of any level are also very welcome to join.
The club regularly holds Improver lessons.
Donabate Bridge Club is affiliated to CBAI, the Contract Bridge Association of Ireland, who provide expert support and guidance to the club.
There is a weekly competition held in the club, and some of the members also participate in Regional and National competitions, putting the name of Donabate Bridge Club firmly on the map!
If you think you would be interested in joining Donabate Bridge Club and playing learning to play Bridge, contact Emer on 0863691871, or any club member.
On Bank Holiday Monday, 28th of October, a large group of people met at Tower Bay Beach, Portrane, for the 3rd Annual Big Pink Breakfast & Swim Fundraiser for the Irish Cancer Society. Olivia Nolan, from Portrane, is a Breast Cancer Survivor & started running this event 3 years ago, while on Chemotherapy treatment. Olivia is a regular sea swimmer since she started it in 2020 during Covid.
This is the 3rd year of the event, and it was the biggest yet - the fundraiser has reached in excess of €5,500.00!
The theme of the event is Pink.. everyone wears something pink, and gathers for a swim all together, turning the sea Pink! Olivia and her husband Francis, along with all of their friends, organise a BBQ on the beach for after the swim. Many of the supporters bring along home bakes as a welcomed treat for all of the sea swimmers and supporters.
The event will continue to be held at Tower Bay Beach in Portrane on the October Bank Holiday Monday every year.
Here is a link to the fundraiser, which is still open for donations; https://www.justgiving.com/page/olivia-nolan-1727122562160?utm_source=IG
Active Age activities and classes are back in full swing following the half term and we are now preparing for Christmas activities.
As part of Inclusion Week we held a coffee and sing along morning in the Donabate/Portrane Community Centre. It was very well attended and we were royally entertained by our own AAfA singing group led by Ed Mallarky and the Willie Cahill Quartet, a talented foursome otherwise known as Willie Cahill, Brian Andrews, Maurice Buckley and Fran Ryan. Many thanks also due to the many bakers who provided the goodies, and of course all the centre staff who rowed in with the practicalities on the day.
On Tuesday 10th December we are holding our annual Christmas Carol coffee morning fund raiser for St Francis Hospice. This is in memory of our previous, and much missed, chairperson Philippa Coady, and to support the wonderful work that they do. There will be plenty of delicious goodies including mince pies and non-alcoholic mulled wine; a sing along with our own singing group plus the Willie Cahill quartet and a raffle with lots of wonderful prizes. As special guests we are delighted to include the children from the creche who will sing 1 or 2 Christmas Carols for us. Do come along and join in the fun !
Some dates for the diaries:
Classes finish for Christmas on Friday 13th December.
Mon/Tues 6th & 7th Jan ’25: Online registration for AAfA members,
Wed/Thurs 8th & 9th Jan: In person membership and registration.
Friday 17th Jan ’25: AGM
Monday 20th Jan: Spring ’25 programme of classes commences.
Wishing all the Active Age for All members and their families, and the Donabate & Portrane community a very Happy Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous New Year.
