Corina Johnston, Labour Party area representative has welcomed the resurfacing of the Ballymastone sports ground car park which was carried out recently. This follows on from an on-site meeting on 8th February arranged by Duncan Smith TD and attended by Duncan, Corina Johnston and senior officials from Fingal County Council. Johnston said; “At the meeting I raised my serious concerns regarding the condition and safety of the car park for children and adults using the sports facilities in Ballymastone. I also raised the need for public lighting especially in the winter when so many children/youths are entering and exiting the clubs grounds for training into a dark car park and the need for bicycle racks to facilitate those cycling to the sports grounds. “ Johnston continued; “ The officials stated they could not provide a hard surface given the huge cost involved, however the alternative temporary surface will be repaired whenever required. We also received a commitment that bicycle racks will be installed shortly.” Corina added; “Last year I made a submission to Fingal County Council as part of the Ballymastone Recreational Hub plan public consultation process that the existing car park and it’s upgrade be included in the project. Regrettably my submission and many others from concerned parents were rejected by Fingal County Council. A major error in my opinion. I firmly believe that the existing car park which is located adjacent to the existing grass and all weather facilities will continue to be required and upgraded. This can best be achieved by its inclusion in the Ballymastone recreational hub project. “ Johnston concluded; “ We will continue to campaign for this objective and to this end we have submitted a motion for the council meeting on 17th February next. The motion recommends that the existing plans for the hub be revised to include the existing car park and it’s upgrading. We will keep you informed of developments.”

Local history, exhibitions, community gardens and street art are just some of the projects which will benefit from Fingal County Council’s announcement of successful grants, showcasing the town’s creativity and helping to develop a sense of identity and social inclusion in Balbriggan.Over €42,000 has been awarded to 16 projects through the Our Balbriggan Placemaking Fund, which aims to inspire people to reimagine and reinvent public spaces in the charming seaside town in North Fingal. Amongst the successful applicants is the Balbriggan Drama Society who were allocated €3,000 to host a photo and memorabilia exhibition celebrating the organisation’s 75th anniversary. Running from March to December 2022, it will be on display in the La La Café at the Irish Institute of Music and Song complex.Celebrating Balbriggan’s maritime heritage and coastal environment, the Balbriggan Playground Group were awarded €4,500 to create visually stunning and effective stone sculpture work created by local artist Darren Rodgers.The good work of Balbriggan Tidy Towns was also recognised with a grant of €1,250 for the ‘Balbriggan is Buzzing’ project, which aims to create natural play areas for children and, encourages them to connect with nature, while also learning about biodiversity.The ‘Community Canvass Project’ under the stewardship of Alison O’Grady was awarded €3,000 and involves an Illustration drawn on sixty canvasses, to combine into one large image. Residents are invited to pick a time and paint one of the canvasses, to form one large image which will be digitised and reproduced for an installation. Projects successful under the latest Placemaking Fund were: Balbriggan Podcast who received €1,667, Castleland Community Centre who received €2,200, Balbriggan Drama Society who received €3,000, Balbriggan Playground Group who received €4,500, Dear Balbriggan Magazine who received €3,500, Grasshoppers Early Years Festival who received €2,800, Newhaven Residence Association who received €2,000, Reach Group who received €2,350, Bremore Educate Together who received €5,000, Balbriggan Tidy Towns who received €1,250, Chapel Gate/Pineridge Residents Association who received €2,000, Foroige who received €2,000, Alison O’Grady who received €3,000, Balbriggan Pumpkin Patch who received €1,260, Taylor Hill Residents Association who received €1,100, and the Irish Institute of Music & Song who received €4,500.

Peninsula Pacers have planned a few walks for the Springtime so hope the weather will be kind to us all! So get out your walking shoes & let’s get going!

Skerries: On Thurs 17th Feb we hope to go on a medium walk in Skerries. We can go on the train, walk down to the town via the mill if open, go on a beach walk around by Red Island and coffee! Returning by train to Donabate. All weather permitting.

Boyne: On Thurs 10th March we hope to do some of the Boyne Rampart Canal Walk. It is a flat walk with some lovely attractions on the way and a view of the Boyne for the entire length. They will require cars but we can hopefully pool by then! All weather permitting.The April walk to be decided but will probably be before the Easter Holidays and maybe the Bray to Greystones Coastal Walk - if it is reopened. If you are interested in joining please contact us we would be delighted to hear from you. Further information & queries to Carolyn Smith 087 9284307 and also on email: carolyns@live.ie

In the 2021 Town and Village Streetscape Enhancement scheme, an initiative funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development (DRCD) & administered by FCC Development Section, the Parish Hall Committee were part funded for outdoor works at the Parish Hall & Church. The tree lined boundary facing the graveyard and backing on to the railway has been pruned back, the trees trimmed and the undergrowth cleared out. New pots and miniature trees have been put in front of the hall. In the Springtime the railings, gates and doors of the church will be restored and painted as part of this programme. Some works have already started by clearing at the railings in preparation for painting as the weather improves. As regards what is happening inside the Parish Hall - there has been some curtailment of daily activities and classes and very few events taking place, but hopefully with covid restrictions easing there will be more activities and events taking off. It is not still clear whether it will be possible to run the Cultural 3 Week Activity Block for in Spring during February/ March and it may have to be moved to a later time in the summer; all will depend on public health restrictions. It is envisaged that the situation will improve as regards public health and as there are only certain times still available to rent in the Parish Hall and a rapidly expanding population it might be a good idea to contact Bernie at stpatricksrcdonabate@gmail.com or any queries to 01 8434574 to see if there is availability to suit your needs. We wish you all a good Spring and welcome back all our regular users and new user to the Parish Hall.

Online registration for new members opened on the 17th January and places are filling up fast. Leithinis Donabate Portrane CCE offers lessons in Banjo, Bodhran, Button Accordion, Concertina, Fiddle, Guitar, Mandolin and Tin Whistle for beginners and advanced students. Annual family membership €20 and 12 lessons €110. Lessons are held on Monday evenings. If you are interested in learning a traditional Irish instrument with highly experienced teachers please email us at leithinis@comhaltas.net. further information regarding our classes, teachers and activities can be found on our website at www.leithinis.com

Although we’ve had to curtail our activities due to public health restrictions, Donabate Portrane Men’s Shed has not been hibernating over the winter. Our plots at Turvey Allotments have been made ready for the coming growing season. Raised beds have been installed in our greenhouse with new imported topsoil; paving slabs have been laid and a water storage tank installed. All of this was made possible with a grant under the Community Enhancement Programme 2021, a scheme funded by the Department of Rural & Community Development and administered by Fingal County Council’s Local Community Development Committee. We have also installed a storage shed beside our portacabin at the Donabate Sea Scout’s den. The self-assembly kit and other required materials were purchased with a grant under the COVID-19 Emergency Funding (Round 2) operated by Fingal County Council’s Local Community Development Committee. We hope that, with easing Covid-19 restriction we will soon be able to resume all of our activities. If you are interested in joining us, please contact our PRO, Jim, on 086-3694316.

One of the exciting things about becoming an established club is seeing our traditions take shape, and some of these are based around Christmas.This year was our second time to take part in the “Polar Plunge” challenge for Special Olympics Ireland; we receive fantastic support from our National body and we welcomed the opportunity to get “Freezin’ for a Reason” and raise some funds. Our volunteers, families and the local swimming community came together on Ladies Beach on a bitterly cold December morning with buckets of good humour and enthusiasm (not to mention flasks of hot chocolate and hot water bottles for after)!! Thank you to everyone who helped support – the event was such a success we were asked to do it all again for Ireland AM with Deric Hartigan.You may have seen us! Meanwhile one of our newest volunteers, LSA member and local fitness instructor Suzanne Dunne, took on the phenomonal challenge of running a marathon a month for 5 months; November to March. Suzanne selected our club to benefit from this amazing achievement. Suzanne has already completed her marathons for November and December. We are all incredibly awed and grateful; it is one thing to take part in an “official” marathon with huge support on the route, and quite another to take on 5 marathons in the local area with just a handful of supporters. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for news of Suzanne’s next marathon and if you see her out and about give her a beep or a wave!

History was made on 9th January, when three of LSA Masters athletes took part in our first ever Masters Cross Country in St Anne’s Park, Raheny. The atmosphere was electric with all the local Dublin Clubs being represented. We are very proud of our LSA athletes Patrick Phillips, Steven Rice, Damien Hand, and Donal Iremonger for flying the LSA flag at this event. Pat Hooper would be delighted that we had a team out for a Masters XC race. He was a great supporter and friend to our club and it’s fitting that it’s the introduction of the Pat Hooper Perpetual trophy at this event. Congratulations to Raheny Shamrocks on winning the inaugural Pat Hooper Cup and to the for hosting such a well-run event. For more information visit our website lambaysportsathletics.ie and for membership enquires please contact our Registrar on lambaysportsathletics@gmail.com.Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook- Search LSA

Corina Johnston Labour Party Local Area representative has welcomed the decision by Fingal County Council to provide inclusive playground equipment in the playground at Newbridge Demesne, Donabate. Corina said, “ As part of my submission I proposed that the provision of ability equipment for children with additional needs should be considered within playgrounds to include wheelchair swings and wheelchair roundabouts. Playground equipment should be designed to allow easy access for wheelchair users, incorporating large ramps, sensory play panels, double width slides etc.” Johnston said; “I am very pleased to have received a very positive response from Fingal County Council to a question submitted by my colleague Cllr Robert O’Donoghue on my behalf to the council meeting on 13th January last. Rob asked the Question:“To ask the Chief Executive to consider in this year’s Programme of Works the provision of inclusive equipment in the playground in Newbridge Demesne for children and adults with additional needs so that children of all ages and abilities can play, be challenged and have fun together? ” The Council replied, - “There are several new play items planned for Newbridge Demesne this coming spring including a wheelchair carousel roundabout and additional play panels to be located throughout the playground. This playground also has a mirage swing and a basket swing. The playground manufacturers are constantly in touch as new pieces of equipment are available on the market and it is always our intention to install as many all-inclusive play pieces as possible.” Corina Johnston concluded; “I wish to compliment Fingal County Council for their total commitment to making Fingal fully accessible for everyone. We look forward to the day when all our public parks and playgrounds will have inclusive playground equipment installed and thus enable children of all ages and abilities to play and have fun together.“

Just before Christmas a New Boules Court was put in at Newbridge House by FCC with the idea that a number of groups could get good use out of it; as it is such a fun & accessible activity for all. A Boules Coaching Course has been organised with Tom Donlon (Bayside Boules) on Tuesday 8th February at 2 00pm for people to learn the basic rules & techniques of the game. It is hoped that various organisations will come to learn how to play so we are all on the same page! eg Active Age for All, Senior Citizens, Men’s Shed, LSA, and groups with mobility & accessibility issues as boules is a perfect activity. If you would like any more information please contact Breda ( Dockrell) on 086 8693243 or email:breda.dockrell@gmail.com