You may well be wondering what on earth a Christmas Tree is doing on a page of this magazine in July . Th e answer is fairly simple… re-cycling and community activity at its very best! Back in the autumn/winter of 2020 when we were deep in Covid times, Inclusion Week led to the suggestion of a knitted Christmas tree to be created and to be displayed in DPCC. Some Active Age for All women and some of their friends began the work on creating a hand-knitted and crocheted Christmas tree. All old scraps of wool were dug out of cupboards and bags and shared around and needles began to click.The result was a very different tree that brought people together just when they needed to see each other and to complete a creative project. Some members of Men’s shed helped with the frame and eventually DPCC had an alternative tree to celebrate this coming together project. The local ICA women offered to take the squares when the tree was unassembled and offered to take the project a step further and to make blankets from them and to give them to the Hospice. With lockdowns in 2021, this became a really challenging job. ICA were not able to meet as often as they wanted (they meet on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month in the portacabin at DPCC) but were able to pass the squares around members and they put together 5 blankets in all. These have been delivered to the Hospice and they are thrilled with them and have remarked on how warm and colourful they are for patients to use when they are able to sit out. To the women (and men) who made this happen, congratulations on your creativity.

Members of The Bleeding Pig Cultural Festival continue to prepare for your Community Festival in September. Blanchardstown Library is sending their Sensory Collection over to Donabate Library during the festival. Fergus and his staff in Donabate library are preparing a sensory friendly event to take place during the Festival.Some more events to look forward to..James Bond Casino Royale themed night in Balcarrick Golf Club, the Launch of the Lambay Cinema Club, Mol an Óige, local band Santoria.More on these next month.Don’t forget our fundraising Festival Quiz in Keelings on Thursday 25th August at 8.30pm. The Festival Committee recently received one of the Fingal County Council Mayor’s Awards. The awards ceremony was held in the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Santry, and many local voluntary groups were recognised and commended for their contribution to society in Fingal.

The Bleeding Pig Cultural Festival has not taken place for the last 2 years due to Covid-19, but the festival is back, bigger and better than ever this year! Running from Thursday September 8th, to Sunday September 18th, the festival programme promises something to suit all tastes and age groups. From Craft Workshops for all ages to Ceili dancing, Gala concerts to Short films, and Bio-Diversity Walks to a Casino night, there will be something to satisfy all cultural tastes.All events in the Bleeding Pig Cultural Festival are free of charge, but some events must be booked in advance through Eventbrite. Please keep an eye on the festival FaceBook page for details of booking, from about mid-August.

The festival will host a fund-raising Pub Quiz in Keelings Lounge, Donabate on Thursday August 25th. Tickets for the quiz are €10, available at the door on the night or in advance from Emer on 0863691871.Come along and join in with some of the events and let’s welcome the Bleeding Pig Cultural Festival back to the peninsula!

Cllr Adrian Henchy has said he is, “ Immensely proud and it was a great honour to have been joined by the the Mayor of Fingal Cllr Seána Ó Rodaigh, Chief Executive of Fingal County Council Ann Marie Farrelly, my Council colleague Cllr. Paul Mulville along with the Operations Dept, An Taisce, Community representatives and the staff from the local Shoreline Hotel for the official launch of both the Blue Flag and Green coast award for Balcarrick beach Donabate recently.” The Councillor said, “ 2016 was the last time Donabate beach held the Blue Flag status so it has taken 6 years to regain this much respected and coveted beach award.Blue Flag criteria include standards for quality, safety, environmental education and information, the provision of services and general environmental management criteria. The Blue Flag is sought for beaches, marinas, and sustainable boating tourism operators as an indication of their high environmental and quality standards.” Five beaches nationally were awarded both a blue flag and a green coast award for the 2022 season which were Balcarrick Beach, Donabate, Dublin; Ballinskelligs in Kerry; Salthill and Silverstrand in Galway City and Trá Inis Oírr in Galway. Cllr Henchy added, “ With that in mind it was a double celebration recently with Donabate beach being the only Dublin beach to obtain both the “ Blue Flag” and Green Coast award. Great credit has to go to everyone involved from our local community volunteers, Fingal County Council, Clean Coasts/An Taisce and indeed many more, too many to mention for regaining this very important recognition of both beach cleanliness and high levels of Water quality. Finally I wish to express my thanks also to the Operations Department of Fingal County Council who carried out some improvement works at the entrance to Balcarrick beach including footpath improvements to improve getting onto the beach especially for disability/mobility impaired users of the beach and also the installation of beach shower facilities near the entrance. These small improvements will hopefully in a small way improve all users experiences at Balcarrick beach, Donabate,” Cllr Henchy concluded.

Corina Johnston Labour Party Area Representative has welcomed the commitment from Fingal County Council for the much needed pedestrian access into Newbridge Demesne off the Hearse Road. We wrote to the CEO on 10th February requesting that this project be given the priority it deserves. We also requested a footpath be provided from the new bus stop to the pedestrian crossing on health and safety grounds.” Johnston said:”I wish to compliment the role played by the residents of Semple Woods in this campaign and for their persistence on such an important health and safety issue for themselves and their children. I am delighted to have received the following response to a question submitted by my colleague Cllr Seána Ó Rodaigh to a recent council meeting on my behalf in respect of the proposed new entrance. The Council’s reply said, “Following on from a meeting on the Hearse Road at the entrance to Semple Woods Estate by staff from the Operations Department, Planning and Strategic Infrastructure Department and Active Travel the following list of works were identified. The current plan is to try and get all works completed by the end of Q4 2022. As the works are not included in any current work programme it will be necessary to prepare drawings/ specifications for works/ materials to be used and to arrange procurement. • Travelling towards Donabate install new footpath and heritage bollards from new bus stop to the pedestrian crossing.

(1) Open existing gate in Newbridge to allow pedestrian access to the Demesne, (2) Construct new footpath within the Demesne to link with existing path, (3) Move the 50KPH signage south of new bus stop, (4) Remove barriers at crossing and install new barriers at the entrance into the Demesne.
Consideration will also be given to the inclusion of two traffic calming ramps on the Hearse Road at Semple Woods in future Programme of Works.” Johnston concluded; “I am very pleased with the commitment given to carry out the works outlined above which should see the new access in operation by the end of the year.

LSA Juvenile training has ended for the summer break. If you are interested in signing up your child born in 2015 or older, please contact Heather on lambaysportsathletics@gmail.com Thanks to all our coaches and volunteers during the year and see you all in the Autumn. We have a 3 day summer camp on 19th, 20th and 21st July, check it out at lambaysportsathletics.clubzap.com/pages/summer-camp-2022.Our Adult section continues all year around catering for all abilities from absolute beginner to advanced marathon runners and track and field competition. For more details check out our webpage on lambaysportsathletics.ie.

On Saturday 14th May the sun shone brightly and the Peninsula Pacers enjoyed a walk around Ardgillan Park. The views out over the sea to Skerries and Balbriggan were breathtaking as we made our way down the hill to explore the forest trail. We were very impressed by the signage on the trail and the information points that gave an insight into the history of the castle and its neighbours. Also noted were placards geared to the younger generations which are colourful and interestingly educational. After our exploration of the forest and the Ladies Bridge to the beach we all made our way to Brambles Cafe for some excellent refreshments. Suitably fortified and rested we then ventured into the wonderland that are the Gardens, how envious they made all the gardeners among us ! Having enjoyed a very pleasant day we were delighted to be told by one of our group that we had actually covered some 7.4km, that’s 9000 steps, I’ll go along with that kind of keep fit !

Active Age members got baking in May to contribute to this call for support for special equipment in the various childrens’ hospitals – Crumlin, Temple Street, Connolly and Tallaght. On the 9th and 10th of May there was the wafting smell of baking around the houses on the peninsula - and a great selection of goodies were produced. A raffle was held too and again, members were very generous with prizes donated for this. We had gorgeous flower arrangements and many and varied bottles and a large hamper. Members turned out in great numbers and it was almost a case of ‘now you see it – now you don’t.’ In the space of 2 hours everything was gone! We made just over 1000.00 euro! What a fantastic effort and congratulations to all who supported in any way. Pea and Pod did a special offer on tea/coffee and scones and donated all of that income to the sale as well. Thanks to the team there. One of the best parts of the day was meeting up again and having a group event where people took delight in chatting and catching up with each other. Thanks to DPCC who were happy to have us set up in the front-of-house – it certainly helped to make the sale such a success. Interested in joining Active Age for All? Just email activeageforall@gmail.com or text 086 8806808

By Carolyn Smith

One of Donabates’ senior Senior citizens, my mother Wendy Geary, celebrated her 100th birthday on Saturday 23rd April. She did so in Balcarrick Golf Club in the company of family and friends, many of whom had travelled, and will travel, from near and far to be a part of the festivities. Wendy was born in London, she spent her first four years in India where her father was a civil engineer, then she and her brother John were cared for in London by an aunt. In due course she did her nursing training in Bristol Royal Infirmary and on qualifying she joined the army nursing corps the Queen Alexanders Imperial Military Nursing Service as WW2 was raging at that time. She worked in a casualty clearing station on the south coast of England during the D-Day landings in 1944. Then she was posted to India where she met my father who was in the RAF. He had been posted there having completed two full tours with Bomber Command in England. She worked on the ambulance trains which travelled the length and breadth of the country collecting wounded personnel and caring for them as they were conveyed to hospital. At the end of the war she was posted to Germany where she witnessed the post-conflict devastation and deprivation. She and my father were married in London and subsequently came to live in Ireland (Dad was Irish) where she has lived since.

During her party she was surprised and delighted by the arrival of Brian Duffy Chairman of the Royal British Legion, Republic of Ireland and Standard Bearer Geoff Berry to honour her as a war veteran. Many thanks to Brian and Geoff, they made her day extra special.

Many thanks to Balcarrick Golf Club for welcoming us all, and of course especially to Jacinta and her catering team who looked after us so well. Another important thank you goes to Fathers’ Pat and Augustine of St Patricks Church, Donabate. At 6.30pm Mass on Saturday Fr Augustine made a special mention of mums’ birthday, and Fr Pat brought out a beautiful cake to the singing of Happy Birthday in the church. All in all, a very well celebrated 100th Birthday.

The Donabate Portrane Dramatic Society were delighted to enchant the audiences once more following a three year hiatus due to covid. It has been a long time for the drama group to showcase their performances of ‘Melody’ by Deirdre Kinahan directed by Lisa Buckley & ‘Lockdown In Little Grimley’ by David Tristram directed by Noelle Corcoran two one act plays that have been on production since August 2021 and was postponed due to the restrictions that were in effect while the plays were due to be performed.

Each night the cast and crew were rewarded with a full house in the newly refurbished Donabate parish hall and standing ovations. The group, being one of Ireland’s oldest amateur dramatic society’s founded in 1936 was delighted to welcome mayor of Fingal to close the shows on the final performance Cllr Seána Ó Rodaigh who gave a heartfelt speech to the group to congratulate them on their success. Followed by a speech by honorary guests from Ukraine who thanked the society for the invitation to the performance quoting it was “The first time we’ve laughed since February 21st”. If you would like to become a member or a patron of the Donabate Portrane Dramatic Society please feel free to get in touch on donabateportrane.drama@gmail.com

Our lessons for this term were wrapped up at the end of May. We hope to see all our members back with us in September. We offer lessons in Tin whistle, Accordion, Banjo, Bodhran, Fiddle, Concertina and Flute. If you are interested in classes with us please email us at leithinis@comhaltas.net stating name, date of birth ( if under 18), instrument and level ( beginner, or advanced) and we will get back to you. In addition to classes we have slow sessions lead by Erin every second Friday evening in the Parish Hall. We strongly encourage all our members to join in these sessions as playing music in a group is an enjoyable way to practice what you have learned at the classes. Some of our more experienced musicians take part in the Traditional Irish session lead by Denis in the Gin Bar in Keelings on the first Tuesday of the month. The next session will be on the 7th June at 7 30pm. Everyone is welcome to come along and enjoy a evening of great music.