Community Led Project to Transform Historic Passage into Biodiversity & Food-Growing Hub
A once-forgotten laneway in the heart of Lusk is set to become the town’s first Urban Park, with the design unveiled at a public meeting on Saturday 21st February in the Lusk Cultural Centre.
The Forgotten Laneway Project began over two years ago when local resident Mark Boland envisioned transforming the neglected passage into a vibrant community space. He was soon joined by two other Lusk residents, Colin Browne and Tara Ryan, and together they set about turning the idea into a deliverable project with the help of Fingal County Council.
The laneway itself forms part of Lusk’s layered history. Over the decades it served multiple purposes within the town including its use by the British Army to access the local remount farm, where horses were trained and prepared for service across the British Empire. Following the construction of the town’s ring road, the route fell into disuse and gradually became forgotten. Now, it is being reimagined as a future-focused community space.
The project team have worked closely with Fingal County Council community department and were granted a licence for the laneway in 2025. A key element of the initiative is the development of a genuine circular economy model. Food scraps from the adjacent HSE community facility will be converted into nutrient-rich compost and used in the park’s raised growing beds where local families will get to grow food sustainably within their own community. This approach reduces waste, supports soil health and promotes sustainable growing practices. After extensive consultation and planning, the team secured €52,000 from the Climate Action Fund, which will be used to enhance biodiversity and promote food growing within the new park. The Climate Action funding also included €12,000 for sustainable lighting for Lusk Athletics, allowing winter training to continue under energy-e icient floodlights. A further €50,000 was secured under the Community Recognition Fund, providing the capital required to start the transformation of the laneway.
With initial funding in place, the group commissioned award winning garden designer Peter Donegan MSGLD to create a design that is inclusive, accessible and biodiversity-rich. The proposed park includes raised growing beds, native planting, pollinator friendly features and community gathering spaces. Accessibility has been central to the design, ensuring the space can be enjoyed by people of all abilities.
Also, as part of the development, a competition will be launched among local art students in the town of Lusk to design a permanent centrepiece for the new Lusk urban park. A donation of €5,000 from the local Tidy Towns has been allocated to create an installation celebrating their 45 years in Lusk and honouring the extraordinary work of the original committee whose e orts helped shape the town.
The unveiling of the designs was held on the 21st of February in the local Cultural centre in Lusk and gave residents an opportunity to view the design, meet the project team and learn how to become involved. The Forgotten Laneway project team hopes the park will serve not only as a green space, but as a wonderful example of sustainable urban regeneration.
Through the Lens camera club are pleased to report very successful sales of our 2026 calendar, and we are delighted to have been able to donate €600 to the Donabate/Portrane Special Olympics group to help them on their way to competing in the 2026 Irish Special Olympics in June ( 18th to 21st ).
The Special Olympics group provides year round sports training, athletic competitions and developmental programmes for their members giving them the opportunity to participate in the sharing of skills and friendships with their families and other Special Olympic groups.
Through the Lens members look forward to cheering them on in the Irish Special Olympics, and getting some good photos, when they compete in June.
Through the Lens provides an informal, friendly and supportive environment to anybody interested in photography, whether it’s learning how to use your camera or how to get better pictures with your smart phone, all levels of photographic skills are catered for. The club is open to all over 18yrs, we meet every second Tuesday in Donabate Golf Club at 7.30pm and anyone interested is welcome to come along and give us a try. Look up our website www.thoughthelens.ie for further information.
Every year, International Women’s Day celebrates the social, cultural, economic and political achievements of women. To mark this year’s event, Lambay Cinema Club will be showing Blue Road: The Edna O’Brien Story on Thursday March 5th at 8:00pm.
This 2024 documentary features iconic, taboo-breaking Irish Novelist, Edna O’Brien, who definitely made a big cultural and social impact. In archive footage from throughout her career, including her final interview at the age of 93, she reflects on her life and what many would call, extraordinary career, alongside contributions from Jessie Buckley, Gabriel Byrne and Anne Enright.
Defying Ireland’s patriarchal, religious constraints with her 1960 debut novel, The Country Girls, she became a literary sensation. Vilified in Ireland and escaping an abusive husband, O’Brien was a prolific, controversial, taboo-breaking powerhouse who made a fortune and lost one. This film tells the whole story of this remarkable woman.
Tickets cost €10 (€8 for OAPs / Students).
For more information and to get your tickets please go to www.lambaycinemaclub.com.
The Lambay Cinema Club holds monthly screenings at St Patrick’s Church of Ireland Church at The Square, Donabate, K36 Y521.
Members of Donabate Portrane Men’s Shed were saddened to learn of the recent passing of Willie Walsh. We remember Willie as a quiet, but wise man, always cheerful and a true gentleman. He was a regular at our Thursday morning get-togethers until he moved to Beechtree Nursing Home a couple of years ago.
e were proud to be asked by his family to form a guard of honour at the entrance to Donabate Cemetery as the funeral cortege arrived. Willie will be sadly missed by all who had the good fortune of knowing him. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.
On a lighter note, Gerry and the Plonkers, the Men’s Shed music groups, have two gigs coming up in March after a quite time since Christmas. The first is a celebration of International Women’s Day in Parlickstown Community Centre. The second, closer to home, is part of the St. Patick’s celebrations in Donabate on Saturday 14th March, which is being organised by Donabate St. Patrick’s Festival Committee. This promises to be a great event for all; so get out and get involved.
Donabate Portrane Men’s Shed had our AGM at the end of last month, too late to include a full report in this article. We’ll have more information for next month’s issue.
The Men’s Shed is in the process of acquiring additional new equipment for use in our weekly exercise classes, led by our own Fintan Delaney. We also continue our weekly croquet outings in Newbridge Park, weather permitting, our regular music practice sessions and our Thursday morning get-togethers in the Scouts’ Den on the Portrane Road. So, if you or someone close to you would like to join us, please call Jim on 086-3694316.
Saturdays:
Feb 28th-NO walk took place due to weather conditions.
Mar 21st-Planned the Royal Canal
April 25th-Planned the Leitrim Blue Way
May 16th-Planned Dunlaoghaire to Dalkey (OR the
Newry Greenway if possible to do a successful reckie before the date!)
Special Day Walking Tour of Dublin City: Tuesday June 16th 2026
(for James Joyce Bloomsday Events)
This year we have some new leaders who have done the GetIrelandWalking 1 Hour Course for to Lead Group Walks!
New! Margaret O’Brien, Rosaleen O’Reilly
Join! Des Carthy, Carolyn Smith, Breda Dockrell, Jim O’Donohoe
Walking is the cheapest and best form of exercise!
A meeting was held recently to finalise routes & details of the Slí na Sláinte project hoping to come to Donabate in the near future.
This initiative started in 2019, then covid hit & we were also waiting on three situations to be resolved - the lights to cross at the entrance to the Links, the lights & new footpath on Turvey Ave & the new footpath at the corner of The Hand Ballisk & Beaverstown.
This small focused group came together for this project to be achieved - so hopefully we are nearly there! Thanks to the hard work in particular of Jennifer Tanner & Dara Carr from Lambay Sports & Athletics Club who have been involved since the start and a number of other people who have put the effort in since the beginning Eilish McDermot, Gerry Kirwan, Peader Bates, and some who have come on board recently to help get the Slí na Sláinte across the line - namely the three local Cllrs Corina Johnson, Eoghan Dockrell & Paul Mulville. Key to bringing this project forward are the Irish Heart Foundation formerly Tara Curran & now Dáire Conway Health Promotion Officer. FCC formally Lourda Darcy and now Aileen O’Connor Parks Superintendent are also instrumental in the success of the project. We will keep you updated!
Funding has been secured for the installation of a Rock Armour Revetment at Burrow Beach, Portrane, to prevent further erosion of this section of coastline which is threatening homes in the area.
The Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment, Darragh O’Brien TD, and the Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, Kevin Boxer Moran TD, announced today that €622,703 in funding will be provided by the Office of Public Works towards the €700,000 cost of the emergency works.
Meanwhile, a long-term solution for the protection of the coast at The Burrow will move a step closer on Wednesday when Fingal County Council submits the Burrow Coastal Flooding and Erosion Risk Management Plan (CFERM) to An Coimisiún Pleanála for approval. The CFERM plan has already been the subject of a significant level of analysis and local consultation, and the Council has already received approval for the plan from the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA).
The two ministers were joined by the Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Tom O’Leary, local councillors, the Chief Executive of Fingal County Council, AnnMarie Farrelly, and officials from both the Council and the OPW when they visited Portrane this afternoon to view last week’s damage to the coastline from Storm Chandra and announce the emergency works funding.
The Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Tom O’Leary, said: “I am delighted that the Ministers have agreed to provide funding through the OPW towards the €700,000 cost of emergency works at the Burrow. This will hopefully provide further protection for the homes that are under threat until the permanent solution can be constructed.”
The decision to proceed with the emergency works follows consultation between Fingal County Council, the OPW and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage with specialist advice from the Council’s consultants Tetra Tech RPS.
Approximately 300 metres of coastline at the southern end of The Burrow Beach has been identified as the most vulnerable section of the coastline on the peninsula and the rock armour will be installed here.
Donabate Village is getting ready for the very first St Patrick’s Festival and Parade which will be held on Saturday 14 March.
Residents of all ages are warmly invited to come out, line the streets and take part in what promises to be a lively and colourful afternoon for the whole community. The parade will begin at 1.30 pm and will feature local schools, sports clubs, community groups and musicians, all coming together to celebrate our national day and the spirit of Donabate Portrane.
Following the parade, the festivities will continue in the village with music, entertainment and a welcoming festival atmosphere for families and friends to enjoy. This year will also see an Artisan Food Village on the green at St Patrick’s Church, showcasing local food producers, sweet treats and quality coffee, the perfect place to gather and soak up the celebrations.
The St Patrick’s Festival is a special occasion and a wonderful opportunity for neighbours, new residents and long-time locals alike to connect and celebrate together. Organisers are encouraging everyone to walk into the village where possible, wear a splash of green and join in the fun.
Come along, support your local community and help make this year’s St Patrick’s Festival in Donabate a memorable day for all.
Donabate St Patrick’s Festival Committee
Malahide Lions Club was delighted to support the Malahide GAA St. Sylvester’s U-8 girls’ teams recently by sponsoring the purchase of medals which were presented to each of the girls. Over 70 under 8s had been playing in the Gormanstown Indoor Camogie Tournament since the beginning of January with the Finals on Sunday 8th February.
The tournament is run every January to enable the girls to continue playing camogie at a time of the year when the weather is too cold or the outdoor pitches are not in good condition to facilitate games. The medals which each girl received were presented by Malahide Lions President Rose Minton in St. Sylvester’s GAA clubhouse in Malahide.
The U-8 girls and their families had a special treat in store when two All Ireland senior champions paid a visit to the clubhouse to congratulate the girls. Both Kate Sullivan and Clodagh Fox, who are members of St. Sylvester’s GAA Club, were on the Dublin team that won last year’s All Ireland Senior Ladies Football Championship. They brought along the Brendan Martin Cup which was presented to the Dublin team as All Ireland Champions.
This winter has been one of the most active and rewarding periods in the history of Takemusu Aikido Society. From international training exchanges to national recognition and local volunteer awards, the Balbriggan-based club has shown that high-level martial arts and strong community roots can grow side by side.
In early January, three representatives of the club travelled to Sweden as part of the Erasmus+ Sports Staff Mobility programme for the professional development of Irish takemusu aikido coaches. Takemusu Aikido Society head instructor Raman Bekarevich, assistant instructor Jan Toth and volunteer Áine Winterbottom visited the Gothenburg Aikido Club, led by Ulf Evenås, 8th Dan Aikikai, widely respected as one of the most technically accomplished Aikido teachers in the world. During the visit, they observed how the complete aikido curriculum is structured and delivered, from beginners’ classes to advanced practice. This included weapons training with sword and staff, children’s sessions, grading preparation and the dojo culture that supports steady, long-term development.
What stood out most was the clarity of teaching progression. Advanced techniques were not treated as something separate or reserved for a select few. Instead, they were built carefully from foundations already in place. Each new movement emerged as a small, logical extension of what students had just practised. By introducing only one new element at a time, instructors preserved precision and understanding while enabling the entire group to advance together. This thoughtful and inclusive method of teaching has already begun influencing how classes are structured back in Balbriggan.
The impact became visible later that same month at the Irish Martial Arts Commission Aikido Friendship Seminar on 24–25 January in Dublin city centre. Six instructors from six dojo each taught one class in a collaborative national format. Raman led the opening session for around 20 participants, applying the same progressive structure observed in Sweden. Techniques unfolded in clear stages, with complexity developing naturally from strong fundamentals. Practitioners of different levels were able to train together confidently, and the positive response demonstrated how international learning can immediately strengthen practice at home.
That weekend also brought a major milestone. On 24 January, at the first-ever IMAC Award Night held at the Lucan Spa Hotel, Raman Bekarevich received the Outstanding Contribution to Martial Arts 2025 award. The honour recognised both technical achievement and meaningful social impact. The award acknowledged significant milestones, including promotion to 4th Dan and mentoring his first student to black belt. At the same time, it highlighted inclusive initiatives such as free classes during Women in Sport Week and the Autumn Free Aikido Programme for Young Adults, helping to remove financial and social barriers to participation. Through public demonstrations, local engagement and ongoing outreach, aikido continues to reach audiences far beyond the dojo. Above all, the recognition reflected sustained mentorship and the supportive training environment that has allowed the club and its members to grow steadily.
Further recognition followed when Fingal County Council presented Raman with a Fingal Sports Volunteer Award. Presented by the Mayor of Fingal, Councillor Tom O’Leary, the award specifically recognised volunteer work in Balbriggan. Despite living in South Dublin, Raman makes a long weekly round trip at his own expense to keep the Balbriggan dojo running. He lays out the mats before class, teaches without payment and stays afterwards to support students who have no alternative place to train. This dedication ensures that Balbriggan continues to have a stable, welcoming and genuinely community-centred space for martial arts practice.
The series of winter events concluded with an international seminar hosted by Takemusu Aikido Society. Led by the instructor of Gothenburg Aikido Club, Jöran Fagerlund, the event welcomed visitors from Italy, the UK and Limerick for a weekend of training. Over the weekend, training explored the connection between different aspects of practice, including the use of traditional wooden weapons and unarmed techniques and how they complement one another. Despite heavy rain and local flooding, the weekend came together smoothly and the atmosphere on the mat was excellent. The determination of those who travelled under challenging conditions spoke volumes about the strong sense of community at the heart of aikido.
Takemusu Aikido Society continues its regular classes in Balbriggan and welcomes adults and teenagers who would like to experience a structured, supportive and internationally connected martial art close to home.
