St Pats recently added the Dublin Intermediate and Junior 3 Chanpionship titles to their long and illustrous history. Congratulations to both squads and teams, their coaches, management and mentors.

Corina Johnston, Labour Party local representative is calling on Fingal County Council to carry out resurfacing works at the car park in the Ballymastone sports grounds and to include the upgrading of this car park in the Ballymastone Recreational Hub project. Johnston said; “Duncan SmithTD, Cllr Rob O’ Donoghue and I have been in ongoing contact with Fingal County Council regarding the condition of the car park in the Ballymastone Sports Grounds, the home of St Pats GAA and St.Itas AFC Soccer club. Earlier this year in response to representations from club members and parents of juveniles, we secured a commitment from Fingal County Council that they would carry out remedial work on the surface of the carpark. This was carried out in May, however it has deteriorated further in recent months and could now be classified as a health and safety risk for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists alike.”Johnston continued; “In response to our recent request for a permanent solution we have received the following disturbing response from the Council. “ The car park is of a temporary nature and there are no plans to carry out any further works this year. It is the responsibility of the various Clubs to liaise with parents attending the grounds, and request that they take due care and attention in accessing the sports pitches. Any further remedial works to the car park will be looked at in the context of other priorities in 2022. Fingal County Council have also stated that this car park does not form part of the Ballymastone Recreational Hub. “ Johnston added, Given the facilities that will be available Ballymastone will have the capacity to attract county and national events. I am appalled that Fingal County Council approved the recreational hub without including the long established car park.“ Corina Johnston concluded; “if this decision is not overturned it will ultimately result in a new “overflow car park” along the Distributor Road. This road was never intended for this purpose and would be a health and safety issue.“

A few years ago an ad hoc Tourism Group comprising people with backgrounds in business, tourism, culture, history & recreation etc in Donabate Portrane, came together and initiated the making of a new Tourism Heritage map of the area.There had been one produced some 25years earlier by some of the same people, through the Community Council with Leader Funding. This group became aware that recent maps of other areas in Fingal had been produced and it was time for a new one of our area. They contacted the Tourism Officer in FCC & local representatives and set about working together, producing a number of drafts to arrive at a suitable map. During these Covid times, this very attractive map was finished and published. It is very welcome in highlighting our beautiful & unique peninsula. Well done to all concerned!

Looking back on the Peninsula Pacers first year, even though we really only got going in the early summer due to the restrictions of the pandemic, we managed to pack in a good variety of walks. There were walks from 12km to 5km, some themed as in the Find a Follie in St Annes Park, some rural some urban, we even managed to find a leprechaun whisperer! We look forward to more explorations and discoveries in the New Year when the weather improves and the days brighten. New members are always welcome and if you would like any information please contact: Carolyn Smith, 0879284307, or carolyns@live.ie

To ALL of the people who were a part of the BOULES COURT being put in place at Newbridge House recently well done! Great news! It started a few years ago with a conversation in France re playing Boules, with an old friend, PE teacher Tom Donlon, who was telling us about FCC putting in new courts in Bayside, where he lives, which he and some others had campaigned for! It sounded just perfect to put with the Croquet in Newbridge, so after he passed on all his knowledge, the campaigning began in earnest! Tom is coming out to us all in mid to late January, probably on a Wed afternoon to start to give us some instruction on the rules & coaching us on how to play properly! So, thank you to all the officials & Councillors, public representatives, community groups, activists and others who actually made it happen, what a welcome New Year present for our entire Community - especially those that have limited mobility, therefore have limited access to most sports. Fingal County Council in one week have put in a well located Boules Court beside the Croquet Lawn, exactly where it was requested. These two activities Boules & Croquet are complimentary and will form a little hub of activity at Newbridge Park.It is wonderful to have a facility which is truly inclusive, in that it has disability access on to the Boules Court and is close to the toilets and the cafe.Hopefully, along with some local groups having access, it will be possible to do casual advance booking of both of these facilities, like other parks, for many people both young and old in the wider community to come and enjoy these amenities.Fingal Parks Department Paul Smyth, Colm Connell and in particular, Therese Casey , Lourda Darcy and Aileen O Connor are to be complimented for the work they have done on this project in bringing it to fruition. Also, our local councillors Adrian Henchy, Paul Mulville, Rob O Donoghue and representative Corina Johnson, all who made representation for this Boules Court. Finally, the group that comprised members of LSA Jennifer Tanner, AAfA Carolyn Smith, & Men’s Shed Gerry Kiernan for their efforts in securing the Boules Court. Last, but not least thanks to Martin King Landscaping for his expert work on installing the Boules Court. Martin & Pat his assistant can be seen putting the final touches to the path leading to the court and are ready to use the machine for the final levelling.We are all eager to get going! If we are good we might even get another one next year from Santa - aka FCC! Slan & slainte, Breda (Dockrell) Donabate Portrane Liaison Group.

Despite all the public health restrictions, 2021 was an active year for members of Donabate Portrane Men’s Shed. Our plots at Turvey Allotments have been the mainstay of our activities. In April, we took on a second plot. Thanks to grants from Fingal County Council, Fingal LCDC, Fingal Camber, Tesco and the Department of Rural and Community Development and the hard work of our members, the once neglected patch was transformed into a well organised and productive plot. Briars, brambles and weeds were removed; the ground was dug and manured; a new polytunnel was erected; raised bed and pathways were installed and a bountiful harvest was produced.But our activities were not confined to tending the allotments. When the weather permitted during the spring and summer months, members met on Portrane Green to enjoy take-aways from Pipers’ and at ‘The Shoreline’ for a coffee. Later in the year, we met on Thursdays at the back of the Scouts’ Den and even had a demonstration by the Barn Owl Project there. Due to colder weather and rising concerns about Covid, these gatherings were suspended. In co-operation with Active Age for All and thanks to Fingal County Council, we have secured a time-slot on Tuesday mornings for croquet at Newbridge House.We hope that we can soon get back to our previous activities– indoor gatherings for a cuppa and a chat, table tennis, exercise classes and visits to places of interest. If you are interested in joining us, please call Jim on 086-3694316.

If you are thinking of learning a traditional Irish instrument in a relaxed and friendly environment as a New year’s resolution Leithinis Donabate Portrane CCE will open online registration for lessons to new members/students of all ages in a wide range of instruments from Monday 17th January to Sunday 23rd January, 2022. We will contact our current students about the new term of classes by email over the next few weeks.The 12 lessons will run on Monday evenings from the 7th February until the 24th May ( with breaks for midterm, Easter and Bank Holidays). We have a range of instruments to rent.There will be a number of slow sessions on Friday evenings during the term which will allow students of all abilities to practice their tunes along with others.We are lucky in Leithinis to have a number of very experienced teachers teaching in our branch. Check out our website www.leithinis com for further details.We have a number of talented traditional Irish musicians living on our Peninsula. A traditional music session led by Denis Stack and friends will be held in Keeling’s on the 3rd Tuesday of every month at 9pm This is a great opportunity to see local experienced musicians showcasing their talents and to see what you can achieve by enrolling and learning a traditional instrument. We are offering lessons in Tin Whistle, Bodhran, Fiddle, Accordion, Concertina, Banjo and Guitar. If you are interested in lessons please email us at leithinis@comhaltas.net, with nace, age ( if under 18), instrument of choice and level and we will get back to you. We look forward to hearing from you and in the meantime..Happy New Year from Leithinis Donabate Portrane CCE .

For more than a year the Parish Hall has been undergoing some much needed refurbishment & repairs. The works included repairs to the roof & ceilings, painting of the entire inside of the hall, walls doors and ceilings, painting of the outside doors, the sanding and varnishing of the Main Hall floor, new floors in the Green Room, Meeting Room and the two lobbies, repairs to toilets, windows and radiators, upgrading of electrics including the addition of a number of new sockets, a new fire alarm system, new fold up tables, new trolleys, new screens, new black out blinds and new Irish Dance mats etc.The Parish Hall Committer wishes to sincerely thank Fingal County Council Community Dept. especially Rafe Costigan, Senior Community Officer & Janette Scott, Community Officer for help with the process of seeking grant aid and for support of this project. Also, Fingal LCDC and the Dept. Of Rural & Community Development for the grant aid towards the works. In addition, local councillors and public representatives also actively sought and helped secure this funding from FCC and we are very grateful.The programme for the Parish Hall is divided into weekly activities such as (Irish Dancing, Cards, meetings, clubs, music nights) and cultural blocks. In February/ March from Friday February 18th - Sunday 13th March, it will again do a “Cultural Blocks of Time” of about 3 weeks - where all weekly activities will be suspended - and hopefully Plays, Films, Exhibitions and Culture Camps etc can take place during this period.If you missed applying before Christmas to Bernie & Fr Pat Reilly to be part of the 3 week “Cultural Block” please contact them before Friday 7th January. This will all be subject to Covid guidelines and regulations that apply at the time.We wish everyone in our Community a Happy & Healthy New Year and if you have any queries re the use of the Parish Hall, please contact us, Bernie can be contacted at & any queries to:stpatricksrcdonabate@gmail.com or 01 8434574.

Nothing can stop our dynamic group of seniors who, through the pandemic, kept classes going online. Noticing that their weekly email that covered ideas about gardening, handy tips, and links to information that may have been of interest to members. Out of the approximately 200 members, we had 40 who did not have digital communication and this meant that they were not supported as other members were and when we started our Zoom exercise classes, they were not able to connect to them. We needed a solution to this isolation The ACORN project! We applied for a grant and were thrilled to receive it from the ‘Keep Well Campaign’ from Fingal Co Council and Age Friendly Fingal. With the help of this grant and the support of Donabate Portrane Community Centre we purchased 10 Acorn Tablets. The project is now running 4 x 3-month training courses where the AAfA member will have a loan of the ACORN tablet for three months. It is all about building people’s confidence and patience in classes. Staying connected to friends and family will be much easier. ACORN Tablets are simplified so that they are easier to use. Training has started in the local community centre with our first cohort of AAfA members and the classes are given by some of our members who have been specially trained to deliver the training and classes. If you live in the Donabate/Portrane area and would like to get involved in this project please contact us at DPCC where you can leave your name and phone number and we will get back to you about it. You can also text us your name and the word ‘computer’ to 086 8806 808. We would really like to offer this opportunity to as many people as possible.Active Age for All members would like to express our gratitude to Fingal County Council, Age Friendly Fingal, and DPCC for all their support with this Project. A Happy and Healthy New Year to you all !

Through the Lens photography club are happy to announce that their limited edition calendar for 2022 is now on sale! The calendar has enjoyed great popularity over the last few years; it makes an ideal gift to send to loved ones who live abroad, or indeed a welcome New Years present anywhere.The calendar is the clubs’ only fund-raising activity for the year .Given the present pandemic situation we fully understand that some people are reluctant to venture out too much, so if anyone would like to order a calendar we will gladly deliver. For orders please contact Carolyn Smith 0879284307. Also the Through the Lens AGM will be held in Donabate Golf Club on Monday 10th January at 7.30pm. The Through the Lens Photographic Group is open to anyone over 18, from beginners to more expert, who would like to join a group of like-minded people who enjoy photography. For more information call 085 2682266, or email info@throughthelens.ie. Club membership is €50/year, this includes pavilion membership and €20 bar credit. We cater for people 18 and up, and welcome all levels of skill and experience. We wish all our sponsors and supporters a very happy bright and healthy New Year.