The first sod has been turned on a new development in Fingal which will see the delivery of much needed affordable and social housing in one of Ireland’s fastest growing regions. Situated in the coastal town of Rush, the Hayestown development will consist of 62 homes, comprising a mix of 2- and 3-bedroom properties. Joining Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Howard Mahony for the ground breaking ceremony was the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD, the Chief Executive of Fingal County Council, AnnMarie Farrelly and local Councillors. The new housing – on a site approximately six acres in size - will be a welcome addition for those looking to have an opportunity to purchase their own home. Once completed, there will be 38 three-bedroom houses, 10 two-bedroom houses, seven three-bedroom duplexes and seven two-bedroom apartments on offer.The mixed tenure Hayestown development will be made up of 80% affordable housing and 20% social housing.To allow for less energy demand on the power grid, the homes will be built to ensure high energy performance standards are met. That will incorporate technologies such as ground source heat pumps that will help reduce energy bills. The development will also make the most of its natural surrounds by incorporating a riparian zone around a stream, with trees featuring to help form a beautiful open public space. Some €3.9m in government funding has been made available for the development under the Affordable Housing Fund (AHF), which will allow for the construction of 52 affordable homes as part of the project. The AHF is a subsidy which is available to local authorities such as Fingal County Council to help with housing development costs. It enables local authorities to make affordable homes available to purchase or rent at prices and rents below market rates. The homes available at the new development will be advertised on the Council’s website in the coming months, with construction expected to be completed in the first half of 2024.

We announced some very good news for Lusk at our AGM in March. This came following our Lusk
Vision 2030 meeting the previous week. The new Town Centre First officer in Fingal County Council has been appointed to Lusk. We will be now engaging with FCC on a monthly basis, in a structure similar to “Our Balbriggan”. Balbriggan has received Millions of Euro in funding for various projects under this structure and it has proven to be very successful. There will be 3 “pillar” groups, which will consist of a member of FCC and members of our own 2030 committee and chaired by a Councillor. The pillars will be community, business and public realm. The business pillar will be formed with members of the business community and will be chaired by Cllr Brian Dennehy, Cllr Rob O’Donoghue will chair community and Cllr Cathal Boland will chair public realm. There will be a steering group, with FCC executives and a representative from the 2030 group. After what has been a very lengthy process, we will finally be in a very positive position, able to drive forward our Lusk Vision 2030 plan, with the huge benefit of having regular engagement with FCC, better forward planning and excellent access to funding streams. Conor Doyle has stepped away from our LAG committee to focus on other commitments. We wouldlike to thank him for his contribution and hard work over the past three years and we wish him the very best. Veronica Gibson is replaced by Alexander Voronov as treasurer. We would like to thank Veronica for her hard work and support over the last 2 years. She will remain on our LAG committee.FCC have implemented road changes, including pedestrian lights, path changes, speed bumps and bollards on the Rathmore Road. We would like to thank RALET and the parents committee for their work in the delivery of these “Safe Routes to School” changes. This has made a huge difference to road safety in this area. If you would like to request AGM minutes, email us at luskactiongroup@gmail.com.

The Lusk Mens walk and talk group meet at the Hub car park at 7:00pm every Monday for their weekly walk. This is open to all men and it’s an opportunity just get out of the house, have a nice walk, clear the head and have a chat if you wish. You can do it as a once off or every week, no joining necessary, just turn up. This group is organised by Ciaran Russell, so if you want to introduce yourself to him and before long you will find you have made new friends. So why not let any friends or neighbours know about it as new members are alaways welcome

Lusk Tidy Towns have recently Thank said a big thank you to Fingal County Council for the beautiful display of flowers on the Rathmore Road. They are a delight to behold and really bring colour to the area. Members of Lusk Tidy Towns are producing a book for the archives of ‘Past and Present’ Lusk, further details on this later in the year. Wishing everyone a very Happy Easter. Pat Kelly and Lusk Tidy Towns.

St. Ita’s AFC soccer club are delighted to announce that Progressive Credit Union will again sponsor the club, and be the official Welfare Sponsor for 2023. The sponsorship will allow the club to invest in a range of equipment and training to ensure that the standard of welfare of all our members is exceptional. According to St. Ita’s AFC Chairman Conor Tonra, the support of PCU as the Welfare Sponsor has proved critical for the club: “The support of PCU in 2022 allowed for an upgrading of key safety equipment such as First Aid kits and an upgrade in AED equipment, and for us to roll out a programme of health and safety training including AED training for coaches. This new commitment by PCU for 2023 will allow us to build on these strong foundations.” Progressive Credit Union were the club’s inaugural Welfare Sponsor in 2022, and this extends the sponsorship for the new season. The investment will benefit all of the club’s youth and senior 700 players and coaches. Donabate and Portrane is an important part of the common bond of the Progressive Credit Union, which was formed in 2013 and has grown strongly since. According to Sean Staunton, CEO of Progressive Credit Union: “Progressive Credit Union are delighted to once again support St. Itas AFC, and continue our long-term commitment to Donabate and Portrane. We have a large membership based in Donabate and Portrane, including among members of St. Itas, and we are very proud to support a club which has played such a central role in the community of the peninsula for almost 100 years. The club is based in Donabate-Portrane, fielding teams of male and female members, from age 4 upwards. St Ita’s AFC has approximately 700 registered playing members, including nearly 90 coaches, and are fielding 37 teams in league football, and have recently expanded the senior section to include a senior women’s team and an over 35’s men’s team. St Ita’s also works closely with other organisations in the local community, and has license agreements with two local schools (DPETNS and Donabate Community College), as well as the Donabate Special Olympics Club to use the club’s facilities.

Under the umbrella of the Parish Hall Committee, a very special event was held in Donabate Parish Hall in late February 2023. The Parish Hall became an old style Picture House for the screening of Angel (1982) featuring Stephen Rea in his very first film and starring in the lead acting role. Part of it was shot in The Burrow on the Portrane Beach, which made the occasion extra special and nostalgic for all present. Stephen, as our special guest, came on the night to watch the film and did a very enlightening and entertaining Q&A session afterwards with the well versed and prepared Leticia Agudo, who is film director herself and also tutors on the Film & Production Degree Course in Coláiste Dhúlaigh College of Further Education. It was a community event, all the main Cultural and Creative groups were invited first; then some tickets were extended to other Community groups - people who do or have enriched our Parish. On the night, a huge thanks was extended to FCC for their part in refurbishing our Parish Hall, especially the acoustic panels which make it an ideal venue for cultural and creative activities eg Drama, Film, Music, Dance, Craft. There was no Eventbrite, no Facebook, no Instagram, no Posters, no Advertising and we still were sold out of tickets for the night and there was a full house. On the night, we went down Memory Lane for a few minutes about places that use to show films in the parish. Do you remember John’s Club (now gone) or Dockery’s (upstairs in what’s now Grogan’s Shop) in The Burrow? Both places showed films once a week or month in the 1950’s and 1960, fond memories for many people present.

Now we have a great new film club in the Parish. Recently, Larry Carolan and Breda Maguire set up The Lambay Cinema Club and they and their team show a great selection of films once a month on a Thursday in the Church of Ireland at The Square, Donabate. Without Larry’s enthusiasm, expertise and experience in the screening of Angel (1982) in the Parish Hall, nothing could have taken place on the night; the film and the equipment were borrowed from the Bleeding Pig and Larry did the set up and showing. A huge thanks also to Country Crest Farm Shop who sponsored some of the refreshments for all of the people on the night. Also, a big thanks to Stephen from Keelings Pub who sponsored delicious sandwiches for all the volunteers who were working hard on the night and well before the night The Parish Hall Programme tries to co-ordinate and cater for, in a workable way, as many needs as possible, daily/weekly eg Senior Citizens, Cards, Irish Dance, Youth Wellbeing etc and blocks of cultural and creative activities eg Drama, Camps, Exhibitions etc.To that end the Dramatic Society are back again with one of their twice yearly fantastic productions at the end of April, beginning of May. Also coming up is an inclusion of some camps to cater for the children of the Parish. Lastly, a special thanks to the Parish Hall Committee and a massive thanks to all of the volunteers who helped to make it such a memorable evening, caretakers, cleaners, film showers, ticket takers, ushers, reception team, parking attendants, gift maker, photographers, video maker, setter uppers & washer uppers! for, without them all, it would not have happened. A very very special thanks to Stephen Rea; we are sincerely honoured that not alone did you come to our community event as our special guest but took such a big part in it. We hope it can be repeated again in the future!

The old Howth Tramline was our walk in February, led by Audrey Sherlock one of our leaders. It has great variety weaving up the hill from the Train Station on the Tramline one arrives to The Summit, where you can then take part of the Cliff Walk to descend back down to the village of Howth. The day ended with a lovely meal in the Abbey Tavern. We try as much as possible to use public transport. With good timing one can go from Donabate to Howth by train in less than an hour ! Our walk in March was planned for Rush to Loughshinny (and return) by beach and cliff. It has fantastic views in/out but is dependent on the tides so one must take care. Our April walk on Saturday 22nd is by train Southside and then walk to the Pidgeon House & Lighthouse and return for food to Sandymount Village.These long walks 10/12km approx can vary in difficulty and require good health and a fairly good fitness level. Also, one must be attired properly with walking shoes with vibram soles (not runners) and layered up for all weathers with rain coat and rucksack a must! Please contact Carolyn Smith on 087 9284307 or Des Carthy on 087 7846813

Active Age for All will take a two week break from classes over Easter,starting the 3rd of April.
We hope that the weather will be fine and we can have an opportunity for some gardening and some nice long walks with the walking group.We will be hosting an event on the 5th of April at 10.30 a.m. in Donabate Portrane Community Centre with Danielle Monahan from Fingal Age Friendly Healthy Homes. She will give a more in depth presentation, as to what grants and help is available to make your home more age friendly and healthy. All with the idea of keeping people in their own homes for as long as possible. Danielle will be available to answer individual queries privately after the presentation. If you want to book a slot Text only 086 880 6808.We are excited to be involved in planning an event on the 9th of May for the Bealtaine Festival to celebrate creativity in the older person. We are hoping to involve our singing group Caintóirí, the writing group and some of our Ukulele players, so it should be a very enjoyable morning. so please ‘watch this space!’

To finish I would just like to wish our members A very Happy Easter! If you need information about our classes or our organisation please go to our website www.activeageforall.com. or why not email activeageforall@gmail.com. Or TEXT only 086 880 6808

The death has occurred recently of the former Mayor of Fingal, Gerry McGuire. He served as Mayor of Fingal in 2011-12. He was co-opted onto Fingal County Council in July 2003 to replace long-serving Labour Party Councillor and TD Seán Ryan, who was obliged to stand down following the abolition of the dual mandate which allowed members of the Oireachtas to also serve as councillors. Mr McGuire was subsequently elected to the Council in 2004 as a councillor for the Swords Local Electoral Area which, at that time, included his Donabate base. He served as the Chairperson of the Housing Strategic Policy Committee from 2004 to 2009. He was re-elected as a Councillor in 2009 but lost his seat in the 2014 local elections. He served on the Eastern Regional Authority and the Northern Area Health Board and was also a member of the Donabate and District Sports Association and the Donabate Housing Co-Operative. Originally from Tullamore, Co Offaly, where his father also served as a Labour Party Councillor, he moved to Donabate in the 1960s and worked in St Ita’s Hospital where he was a founder member of the Psychiatric Nurses Association. The Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Howard Mahony, said: “It is with deep sadness that I learned of the death of former Mayor, Gerry McGuire, who served as a Councillor on Fingal County Council for 11 years and was a dedicated representative for the people of Donabate. On behalf of all my fellow councillors, past and present, I would like to extend our sympathies to wife Mary, sons Brendan and Alan, and daughters Ciara and Darina.” The Chief Executive of Fingal County Council. AnnMarie Farrelly, said: “Gerry McGuire was a dedicated community activist who worked very hard over the years for the people of Donabate, and also represented the people of Fingal for one year when he was elected as Mayor. I would like to extend the sympathies of everybody at Fingal County Council to his family and friends.” His funeral mass took place on Wednesday 15th March at 11am in St Patrick’s Church, Donabate. A minute’s silence, in memory of the former Mayor, was held at the March monthly meeting of Fingal County Council.

Donabate Portrane Men’s Shed continues to expand its range of activities. Over the past two months, a group of members partook in a HSE-sponsored Heathy Eating programme, an enjoyable and information hands-on cooking course focusing on producing nutritious meals. We also started a weekly music jam session. All of this is in addition to our regular tea-and-chat get-togethers, our croquet and boules sessions at Newbridge House, our exercise classes and our occasional outings to places of interest.So, if you are interested in joining us for any or all of these activities, feel free to call or text our PRO, Jim, on 086-3694316 or just turn up to our weekly Thursday morning get-togethers in Donabate Sea Scouts’ den on the Portrane Road. Either way, you’ll be warmly welcomed.