Someone once said, “A marathon seems like a small thing when we consider the journeysthat others have to make”
It’s sometimes hard to remember that it’s only 10 years since LSA was established as a Juvenile athletics club, and even more surprising to think that it’s only two years since our adults group was formed. For this reason the River Rock Belfast City Marathon on 3rd October was a big day for LSA as it marked the first real life marathon for our adult members. Fifteen of our marathoners were running individually and had set their own personal goals. Another fifteen were running as part of our three relay teams. The benefit of being part of a club was evident with training groups, company for long runs, sharing of tips and the invaluable logistical and emotional support on the day.
The words of our athletes sum up the experience…..“It was my 8th marathon overall, but my first ‘real’ marathon as a member of a club, and what a difference that made!! It was like a local race, with so many familiar faces running in it and supporting us .” PB
“Last year’s virtual Dublin marathon was without all the good stuff that should come with it. The other runners beside you, the crowd, the cheers, finally running through the finish line!” SB
“The support from LSA was phenomenal. During the hills and headwinds of the second half of the run it made all the difference, as the words of encouragement gave the motivation to keep pushing for the line. What a great club!” PMcC
“First non-virtual marathon 3hr 11mins what an incredible day with a fabulous club and friends. What a weekend!” EC
Meanwhile, our Little Athletics group is now well established; some of our members have been participating in Holywell Junior Park Run on Sunday mornings, and our older juveniles have been getting a flavour of cross country competition at Dublin Athletics League races in Lusk and Tymon Park. Well done to all.For more information visit our website lambaysportsathletics.ie and for membership enquires please contact our Registrar on lambaysportsathletics@gmail.com or indeed you can Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook- Search LSA

October saw a welcome return to activities for our athletes and volunteers, as well as the launch of our athletics club! 15 athletes have graduated from our Young Athletes’ Programme to the athletics club (and we have a waiting list already!) under the expert tutelage of Maria and Dara Carr from Lambay Sports and Athletics.We were delighted to be given a CovID Emergency Funding grant by Fingal County Council, which we put to use in purchasing a personalised bag of sports equipment for every athlete in our club; due to CovID safety protocols our use of equipment in sessions was limited so providing each athlete with their own equipment is a big help, thank you Fingal County Council. We are also grateful to Decathlon Ireland for their discount to make our fund go even further, and to our volunteers for sourcing and storing equipment, and assembling the packs. Having their own equipment also allows our athletes to practice their skills at home; we’ve been enjoying the photos and videos of the equipment being put to use all over North Dublin! There are some future coaches among our athletes judging from the brilliant obstacle courses they are building Lambay Sports Academy have also given a boost to the club via their recent anniversary race, where our club was their nominated charity. A fabulous sum of €885 was raised which will be used to support our new athletics club. Thank you to LSA and everyone who donated.

As you are aware Donabate Parish Hall has recently been undergoing repair & refurbishment. The electrics have been upgraded thanks again to grant aid received from The Department of Rural & Community Development operated by FCC Local Community Development Committee. The work was done by Karl Harte and his team.The Parish Hall has a long history of local businesses being involved in refurbishment work. Peter Conway of Keelings Pub is photographed in front of the main door; which he made over 40 years ago while he was working with Donabate Steelworks.We are open for most activities for the last few months; under Covid guidelines and look forward to full opening as soon as possible.

Leithinis Donabate Portrane CCE held a socially distanced Gig in the Gazebo session in the grounds of the Parish Hall in early October. It gave our members a chance to practice some tunes together before our new term of classes resumed and allowed some local residents to see what Comhaltas is all about. It was well attended and a great afternoon was had by all.We were granted €1,000 towards the cost of a laptop and 24 folding chairs from the Community Enhancenent Programme 2021 funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development and operated by Fingal County Council’s Local Community Development Committee. We made great use of the chairs and the Gazebo (which was bought from a grant from Fingal County Council earlier in the year) at the Gig in the Gazebo session.Thanks again to Fingal County Council for their support over the last 2 years. Our classes in Tin whistle, Flute, Bodhran, Fiddle, Accordion and Concertina have resumed. If you are interested in learning a traditional Irish instrument please email us at leithinis@comhaltas.net. Further details about our teachers etc, can be found in our webpage leithinis.com

As we tentatively get back to normal, Donabate Portrane Men’s Shed is extending our range of activities. Along with our regular Thursday morning get-togethers at the Scouts’ Den on Portrane Road, a group of shedders meet on Tuesday mornings for croquet at Newbridge House, where I’m told “no quarter is given” in highly competitive matches. On the other hand, the work at our plots at Turvey Allotments is a model of cooperation, where several members are keeping things going over the winter months using our greenhouse funded by Fingal Camber Community Fund and materials grant-aided by the Department of Rural and Community Development through the Community Enhancement Programme operated by Fingal Local Community Development Committee. In the new year, we hope to start our weekly exercise classes again and resume our occasional outings to places of interest. We also hope to get involved in a project to make owl boxes, but more about that next month. If you’d like to join us, please contact our PRO, Jim, on 086-3694316.

Cllr Adrian Henchy has welcomed a report on the current status of the Donabate Malahide ‘Broadmeadow’ Greenway. The Fianna Fail Councillor said the report stated , “A significant amount of work has been ongoing on this project since the granting of planning permission:That work included: A full topographical survey of the route has been completed, a ground investigation contract has been completed along the railway causeway between Bissets Strand, Malahide and Kilcrea, Donabate and further elements of the ground investigation, which were delayed initially by Covid 19 is scheduled to mobilise to site in October. There has also been an Ecology walkover survey of the site has been completed. An Advance works contract for site clearance and fencing of the CPO lands is scheduled for October. FCC property, valuation and engineering team are engaging with landowners affected by the CPO. Application for a foreshore license and lease from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. This process usually takes at least 12 months.Draft detailed drawings have been submitted to the Council by the appointed consultants RPS for the route from Kilcrea to Newbridge House, Donabate. Draft detailed design drawings for the route from Malahide Demense to Bissets strand are expected shortly. Irish Rail have indicated that the detailed design of the main estuary bridge should be complete by the end of October. A significant amount of time has been spent by the project team on the examination of the causeway, in particular the northern causeway where significant challenges remain in achieving the required greenway width. Noting all of the above, there remain significant risk items in particular around the foreshore consent process and resolving the northern causeway issue. Notwithstanding that, the current timeline is: Ground investigation contracts Q2 2022, 4 months duration, Landward works commencing Q1 2023, 6 months duration, Estuary bridge and causeway construction 2023-2024 (two years duration,allowing for ABP conditions with respect to works restrictions i.e. works only permitted during summer months).” Overall Cllr Henchy said he welcomes the progress so far and looks forward to the project continuing to be enhanced in the near future.

Corina Johnston, Labour Party Local Area Representative has called on Fingal County Council to prioritise the opening of the proposed pedestrian access to Newbridge Demesne off the Hearse Road adjacent to the Semple Woods Estate. Johnston said; “ a temporary entrance into Newbridge Demesne opposite Semple Woods on the Hearse Road was closed in July 2020. Since then an increasing number of residents now living in the vicinity of the Hearse Road have to walk along a narrow and dangerous footpath to access the Demesne. Hence the urgency for the new access.” Johnston continued; “The provision of this access is an objective in the Local Area Plan for Donabate and a condition in the planning permission for Semple Woods.The planning permission for the Semple Woods stipulates that prior to the 201st house being sold and occupied in the estate a new pedestrian and cycle bridge across the Dublin - Belfast railway line connecting the development to Donabate village via Smyths pub and a link to Newbridge Demesne on the Hearse Road via the toucan crossing shall be provided and operational.“Johnston said; “In response to our ongoing representations Fingal County Council confirmed earlier this year that the proposed entrance to the Demesne could not be opened until a safe access and crossing was provided as the sight lines along this stretch of the road were not sufficient to allow for safe crossing. Improvement works including the provision of a high level traffic light at the new toucan crossing on the Hearse Road were undertaken. A Road Safety Audit has also been undertaken, the results of which are still awaited.“ Johnston concluded; “Fingal County Council needs to publish the results of the Road Safety Audit so that any issues raised in the report can be addressed to enable the opening of the new entrance to proceed. Apart from meeting the requirements of the planning permission and objectives of the Local Area Plan the access will improve the health and safety concerns for pedestrians and cyclists accessing Newbridge Demesne from the Hearse Road. Therefore it must be prioritised.”

September was a busy month for our athletes as they returned to school and term time routines. It was a busy time for our committee too, although we won’t return to activities until later in the month when everyone has adjusted to back to school, there is plenty of work being done in the background.Our club is hugely popular and well supported; our only “problem” is that we have a waiting list of young athletes eager to join us. Our plans for expansion include the launch of our athletics club in the coming weeks, we also look forward to offering other sports in future. Expansion into other sports will serve several purposes; to allow our young athletes to graduate and move onto a sport which suits them, to make room for the athletes on our waiting list and give our athletes a chance to take part in competitive sports if they wish.T his year we will be introducing our young athletes to Bocce; this is a game closely related to bowls and boule, which originated in Italy. In parts of Italy It is a very inclusive sport which can be played by people of all ages and skill levels, and you can use just about anything as a bocce court.Over the past few months several of our volunteers have competed the Bocce officials course, and our club athletes took part in the virtual Bocce competitions organised by Special Olympics Ireland both rounds of virtual competitions and all thoroughly enjoyed taking part.Finally we are very proud that we have 5 nominees from our club for the Special Olympics Ireland Volunteer Awards 2021. We are lucky to have the most amazing volunteers at virtual and live sessions and others who work quietly behind the scenes; it is wonderful to see that our members took the time to make the nominations and show how much they appreciate their hard work.

This has been a historic year for us all for a myriad of reasons but a special year for St Pats in that they held 2 Mini All Ireland tournaments. Their rescheduled 2020 one was held in June but the actual 2021 tournament ran from 30 August - 04 September. And like all the best movie promos - this one was bigger and better! With over 400 children taking part in either the GAA or LGFA tournament, it was a tremendous success and allayed the back-to-school woes for a few days at least. The Academy section was for children born 2014 & 2015. The Junior section was for those born 2012 & 2013 while boys and girls born 2010 & 2011 were in the Intermediate Section. The Senior - and most seriously contested section - was for boys and girls born 2007, 2008 & 2009.The winners of the Senior Cup were Armagh in the GAA section: Cian Latham, Colum MacQuaile, Conor Tighe, Dáire Turner, James Casey, James McElhinney, Moses Harley, Sam Kealy & Seamus Moore.The Wexford girls came out on top in the LGFA tournament: Beibhinn Mythen, Ella Higgins, Erin Finn, Lily Hyland, Lily Maher, Lucy Sheridan, Molly McDonald, Sadhbh Finnegan & Tiana Whelan.The tournament is the highlight of the juvenile calendar and this year was no exception. Kudos to all the children who took part - from beginer to experienced, everyone put their heart & soul in to each game. The standard of football on display was impressive.Also impressive was the work of the scores of volunteers whose trojan work made the week run so smoothly. The Club have asked us to thank everyone involved Their social media tagline is #ProudToBePats and seeing how well run their MAI 21 was, you’d be hard-pressed to disagree with that. Maith sibh go leir!

Donabate Parish Hall reopened for activities about a month ago with full adherence to COVID guidelines - since then e. g. Irish Dancing, Senior Citizens and Flower Arranging have started, to name a few. The Donabate Portrane Dramatic Society is coming soon in mid October with some exciting new productions, taking place during our three week cultural slot. The hall is newly refurbished thanks to Fingal County Council grant aid and The Parish Hall Committee. There are still some spaces available to rent, so if you are interested, please contact Bernie in the Parish Office ASAP