In mid September Donabate Parish Hall was the venue for the launch of the newly formed Lambay Cinema Club. The Green Room or the Main Hall are suitable areas for this or similar uses as both have the new acoustic panels, which have successfully greatly reduced the echo effect to near perfect. Also, both rooms are refurbished to a very high standard so depending on what one requires on the night one can use either. It is a great space for Drama, Films & Music in particular to take place. There is very little available times left in the Parish Hall for daily use, if interested contact immediately; but there is some space available for the Cultural & Creative Slot in October/ November - already booked are a Drama Camp for the Halloween Mid-Term Break, then Through the Lens Photography Exhibition, then Leithinis Traditional Music Event for Social Inclusion and a Youth Instrument/Band Session for Over 18’s, then Active Age for All have an extensive Exhibition/Demonstration of its Activities and finally Donabate Portrane Dramatic Society will be putting on a play.If you interested in a space or for further information please contact the Secretary Bernie 01 8434574 or email stpatricksrcdonabate@irishmediagroup.com

After delays due to Covid and some technical hitches, Donabate Portrane Men’s Shed last
month completed our work in extending the use of the Scouts’ Den for all users by adding an awning at the rear. This was funded by a Community Enhancement Programme grant from the Department of Rural and Community Development under, operated locally by the Fingal Local Community Development Committee. Now as we approach the winter months, our regular Monday morning exercise classes are resuming and plans are afoot for cooking classes sponsored by the HSE and for a number of trips. All this is in addition to our croquet sessions at Newbridge House on Tuesday mornings and our get-togethers at the Scouts’ Den on Thursday mornings. If you’d like to join us, come along to the Scouts’ Den, Portrane Road, between 10:30am and 12:30pm on Thursday morning or contact Jim on 086-3694316.

We had a very successful promotion in the Shopping Centre in August before Registration last month. We met many new people who were surprised and delighted to know that such a vibrant organisation existed in the village, for the older and not so mature population. People were particularly pleased that we had such a broad range of physical and non-physical classes and that once they were over 55 they could join. They were also surprised that we could offer such high quality classes for such good value. As we are a Not-for-Profit organisation run entirely by volunteers, we can offer this rate. This gives me the opportunity to appeal for volunteers to help, so that we can continue our good work. As a result of this promotion, we registered 24 new members.Registration was busy and we have filled many of our classes. On the first day there was a long queue within the first hour! There was such a great interest in Pilates this term that we have had to introduce an extra class. Some classes still have spaces, Chair Yoga, Stronger for Longer, Singing & Music, Drama, TaiChi……so think about the long dark days of winter ahead and come and join us, to improve the mind or the body or both and to make new friends. While our classes started on the 21st September, we will be able to accommodate people new to the classes by charging pro-rata for the late start. If you are interested in any of our classes please contact us at activeageforall@gmail.com or TEXT only 086 8806808

Details of all our classes are available on our website activeageforall.com

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.