With the hot weather still beating down on our heads Junsa Taekwondo keeps on training but with a bit more rest time. It’s important during these hot summer days that we keep hydrated and we do. For us at Junsa we ensure that our students stay well hydrated by regular water breaks, and also we ensure training in mixed high and low intensity. Recently one of our long term students Conor who would have fought for Ireland from cadet to senior at European and World championships and still trains and helps coach at the club, tried his hand at an MMA tournament and won. Congratulations Conor! Please take a look at what we are up to at present!

It’s been all action for Lusk AC club members in the glorious June weather. There has been track & field competition, road and trail races as well as triathlons and adventure races. Many of our athletes are now following plans for 5k, 10k and upwards and training plans for the Autumn marathons have just begun. It’s now a well earned break for our juveniles and we will see you all In September. Good luck to all members competing, particularly in the Nationals. Have you been listening to the ‘Lusk AC Talks’ podcasts. They’ve been a real hit so far and the first 7 are live and available to listen to. Links are available on our Facebook page so we would encourage everyone to listen and like. Well done to our podcast team for their excellent work.

June bank holiday weekend saw another milestone day for Lusk with public access to the Clonrath Phase 2 section of the Lusk Recreational Hub being made available. Lusk Community Sports Group have been working with Fingal County Council for many years to deliver the transfer of this key green strategic infrastructure for our full community to use and enjoy. These lands are now in the Council’s ownership, with parklands (e.g., biodiversity areas) and associated facilities (e.g., an enclosed children’s playground) now open to the public. Separately, the Council has commissioned assessments of the suitability of the site for development as a Sports Hub. The results of these assessments will inform the (Part 8) planning process for the future development of Lusk Recreational Hub, in tandem with our own master plan for the area – i.e: multi-sport community focussed facilities that can be used all year around.

Details on dates, venues and times of home fixtures can be viewed on our website.
Nursery - ALL NEW MEMBER’S WELCOME!!

In June - 2 special guests dropped by our U10s girls for a chat and some pictures. Our own Lile Tully and Niamh Bush of St. Maurs. GAA , both members of the Leinster winning u16 Dublin team with their latest bit of silverware.The team was delighted to welcome both players down to TAP.

Next up the Dubs will face Cork in the All Ireland semi final on July 5th. The venue is TBC

Round Towers Adult Mens football proudly sponsored by Local Solicitors, Liam Fitzgerald, thank you for your continued support. All home games have a new Barista Bandstand with coffee and refreshments on offer. Please do visit our GAA Round Towers Lusk club website to explore many social events and the O’Neills shop.

Entertainment – The TAP Bar in the GAA club in Lusk has got some fantastic events coming over the monthand would be delighted to see you there and enjoy some Live music. - 1 st July 2023 – The Odd Couple – All the best music starts after 8.30pm. Stay posted on Facebook on upcoming events. Enjoy GAA matches and other sports event with light refreshment on large screen in TAP BAR. Outdoor seating area available. Please visit our website on linktr.ee/roundtowerlusk or call in and check our club bar for a refreshment also open for bookings including family events and parties

The message this month from Lusk Tidy Towns Association is: It’s that time of year again when the National Tidy Towns Judges will be out and about judging our towns and villages. Lusk is no exception and much work is ongoing. Wildflower seeds have been sewn in Trayen Hill and our flower tubs have been filled and attended to despite the dry weather we had been experiencing in June. Insurance is a necessary and considerable cost and also there is a vast amount of expansion in the ongoing work in progress in Lusk. Thank you to Fingal County Council for the beautiful tubs on the square and the ongoing maintenance in the park areas.

The Lusk Recreational Hub Phase 2: Phase two opened to the public in June. The Council has commissioned an assessment of the suitability of the site for further development. The results of these assessments will be used in the planning process for the development of a proposed Rathmore Recreational Sports Hub This will be a significant win for the community as local groups continue to advocate for more social amenities for Lusk which has a population the size of towns such as Mallow in County Cork. LAG would like to acknowledge the Lusk 2020 group and its Chairman Leo McKittrick who are behind this initiative and look forward to at last seeing some progress.

The Forge Estate in Lusk, its playground and associated green spaces: It is anticipated that a small number of outstanding works will be completed by the developer within the next few weeks, in tandem with the completion of the legal taking in Charge Process by Fingal County Council. This has been long overdue and we would urge both parties to ensure this is done as a matter of urgency.

Update on new Restaurant/Bar for Lusk. A bar and restaurant is in the plans for the new town centre however building of this eagerly awaited facility has not yet commenced. The developers, McGarell Reilly’s, have said they are waiting on a tenant to take on the lease before they start. The plans for new public plaza, village green and playground. appear to have been put back by at least five years, we are seeking clarification from them on the progress for this.

New bin at the Bandstand: LAG has been in touch with the council drawing attention to the bin at the Bandstand off St MacCullin’s Church on Chapel Road. The location adjacent to this historic bandstand is inappropriate and we have received many complaints from the community regarding it.

Cllr Rob O’Donoghue has welcomed the opening of the new parkland and playground located at the North of the Lusk Sports Hub. The lands were taken in charge by Fingal County Council in early June and opened to the public. The facility will have an official opening with the Mayor in attendance in the coming weeks. Additionally, the Council have commissioned assessments for the suitability of the site for continued development of the transferred lands as a Sports Hub. The results of these assessments should be available in the near future and will be used to inform the planning process for the development of sporting infrastructure at the Hub.

Cllr O’Donoghue commented, “I warmly greet the transfer of the parklands and playground to the Council. I have visited the site on a number of occasions since it has opened and the playground is consistently in use by children and parents in the area. Now that we have the lands in Council possession, we can really start to look at the development of sporting facilities in the Hub. The clubs and community groups that have come together under the Lusk 2020 committee have been pushing for this handover for some time and I would like to thank them for the innumerable hours they have put in as representatives of their organisations to date. Their discussions and commitment on the 2020 committee will provide not just Lusk but Fingal with state-of-the-art sporting facilities for the coming years”

It was everything we could have asked for and more. The Gods delivered the weather because the Gods love Hurling. It was a phenomenal success filled with colour, craic, great skills, great competition, brilliant hurling, and it was really just a sight to behold. We can’t go any further without acknowledging the trojan work done by Niall and Lucy O’Connor. To have the event run in the way that it was is a testament to the spirit and effort by Niall, Lucy and all the organising committee. Thanks to The Shoreline. We continue to build a great relationship. Thanks to Joe, The Piper. Thanks to St Johns for their time and dedication. Thanks to the crew on the shop who were flat to the mat from start to finish. Thanks to all the Mams and Dads, coaches, referees, car parking crew, our Grounds committee and all the officers who helped at different times to make it as special as it was. Thanks to Leithinis Donabate Portrane. It was a privilege to welcome you guys down and we hope to see you again. Thanks to Céire Rhein for all the quality photography. We thank all our members who attended and made the last night a rip roaring success. Finally if we can say thanks and well done to all the players. You were quite simply magnificent.

Did you know that croquet was well known as a sport in North County Dublin? So, where did croquet come from, well that is a bit obscure but wherever it originated it was developed in Ireland in the early part of the nineteenth Century. One famous man Swords native Cyril Corbally and his brother Herbert of Rathbeale Hall, Swords were famous international croquet players, Cyril in particular winning many international tournaments. Cyril went on to help develop the game of croquet as we know it today. When he married Eleanor Colville Cobbe and moved into Newbridge House he set up the lawn to the side of Newbridge House. The croquet parties and games there soon became legendary. In 2019 the lawns were re-opened having been restored to international standard by Fingal County Council with the support of the Croquet Association of Ireland. It is now the home of Newbridge House Croquet Club, which welcomes new members.

We have a wide range of abilities in the club, with some members playing socially and for fun, while others play competitively and on the international circuit. If you wish to join us, you will be given a warm welcome. Check out the website at. nhcroquet.com or email us at nhcc@gmail.com . Sunday afternoons will generally find some members out on the lawn, and you can join us for some trial games, or email beforehand if you prefer. Membership for Year 1 is Euro 55 and all equipment is supplied free, therefore no further outlay is required. Come along to Flavours of Fingal on 1st /2nd July for a chat with some players and have a go. Our next big tournament takes place on 8th July when the Cyril Corbally Cup takes place. This will give you an opportunity to see some of the best players compete for the beautiful trophy. Come along, give croquet a go, soon you will be “jumping through hoops” and you will be hooked.

Leithinis were delighted to welcome Craobh Cluain Tarbh to Donabate for a Junior session. A great afternoon was had by all. A big thank you to Erin for leading the session. Thanks also to Derbhil and Vivienne from Cluain Tarbh for arranging and to our own Ian and Paul for organising and making sure everything ran smoothly on the day Also a shout out to the Parish Hall committee for the use of the grounds. Finally well done to all the junior musicians from both branches. The future of Comhaltas is safe in your hands See you all at the next session.