Lusk Athletic Club athletes have taken part in lots of races recently such as the 21st World Mountain Running championships held in Ireland for the first time, The Portmarnock Beach 5K, The Ratoath AC and Dublin Half Marathons and the Dublin 5K road race championships.Two outstanding achievements by Lusk AC athletes were Stephen Brennan completing the Ultra Trail Mont Blanc and Ann Robinson winning a silver medal at the 21st World Masters Mountain running championships.Lusk Athletic Club also hosted the 1st round of the Dublin Juvenile cross-country league on Sunday 18th September. Thanks to all who organised this event and to the many club and community volunteers who helped us to put on what was a very successful series of races. Great running by all our juvenile athletes in their 1st race of the season.We also welcomed Irish Olympian, Mick Clohisey to the club where he put on a coaching session for our Dublin Marathon training group and passed on key marathon training insights. Lusk AC have approximately 50 athletes in training for the eagerly awaited return of the Dublin Marathon set to take place on Sunday 30th October. New members are always welcome at Lusk AC and our Al certified coaches will help you improve whether you are a runner or you prefer field events such as Discus, Hammer, High Jump, Shot Putt, Javelin. Training every Tuesday & Thursday from 6.55pm at the Hub on Rathmore Road.

05/09/22, Lusk, Co. Dublin – Lusk Junior Parkrun hosted its first Teddy Bear Picnic on 28th August to mark the end of summer. Despite the Irish weather, it was a huge success with 50 children taking part in the 2k course. For the picnic afterwards; Children brought blankets and their favourite cuddly toy and enjoyed a large spread of fresh fruit and delicious treats. We also had some music and bubbles which added to the atmosphere! The adults and siblings joined in the fun too! We wish to thank Country Crest for providing a very large fruit hamper and drinks, Fyffes for providing bananas for all the children and Keoghs for providing large boxes of crisps. Your donations were above and beyond our expectations and nothing went to waste. Our volunteer group also baked and donated additional drinks, fruits and treats. Thank you to everyone involved for making it such a huge success.Lusk Junior parkrun started on 22nd May and is going from strength to strength. We currently have 121 children registered of which 111 have completed at least 1 junior parkrun, and 15 children have already been presented with wristband (11/21/50 runs). There is always a lot of excitement on arrival to see what music we have selected for our warm up and who is next to receive their wristband! Lusk Junior Parkrun is a free event held every Sunday morning at 9.20am at Lusk Sports Hub, Rathmore Road. Run by local volunteers, it is open to all children from ages 4-14 years and can cater to children of all abilities, as we like to say, “it’s a run not a race; just do it at your own pace!” Anyone interested in joining us simply needs to register for free in advance at www.parkrun.ie/register then bring along the barcode you will receive by email. Parents are free to join their child in running, however, only children will be recorded. For more information, please contact Siobhan Connor (Event Director) by email or through Facebook page: Facebook:acebook.com/lusksportshubjuniorparkrun or our Email: lusksportshubjuniors@parkrun.com or the Website:.parkrun.ie/lusksportshub-juniors/

The first exhibition to be featured in the Lusk Community Cultural Centre will be a time-capsule of Lusk village in 1943. This exhibition explores the materials, craftsmanship and design details of vernacular houses surveyed in Lusk in 1943. It forms part of a wider collection of the Folklife Architectural Archive conserved by the National Museum of Ireland. This archive constitutes a very special time-capsule of the vernacular buildings in Lusk in the 1940’s. Lusk Community Council is particularly proud that this is the first exhibition to be hosted in the newly developed Lusk Community Cultural Centre, an iconic vernacular cottage that has been redeveloped and repurposed as a cultural centre for Lusk. Lusk Community Council wishes to acknowledge the support of Creative Ireland and the National Museum of Ireland in bringing this exhibition back to Lusk.

The new Fingal Development Plan has moved into its next phase of Councillors Motions seeking to alter the development of Lusk between 2023 – 2029. Once again Councillors from outside of the Rush and Lusk area are bringing forward motions that seek to alter the development of the area. Speaking at a community meeting Cllr O’Donoghue outlined the potential changes brought forward on the agenda for Development Plan. He stated, ‘I find our current planning system absurd. Councillors from outside of our area, with no planning expertise, can bring forward motions to change the face of our area, permanently, without reference to the community and in contradiction of the professional FCC planner’s advice, planners who have at previous rounds of the development plan have recommended the rejected such proposals.’He explained, ‘the red areas on the map, seek to change rural land (RU) for residential development (RA). These would add potentially 1,300 – 1,800 units to an area that already has ample land zoned for residential requirements. The blue area, which is 2.5 times the current size of Lusk, seeks to have the area scoped for future usage in contradiction to the Fingal Policy of not allowing the self-sustaining towns of Rush and Lusk coalesce together. The sustainable development of the area should be done through the forthcoming Local Area Plans which allows the community, Councillors and professional planners to craft a planner-led development of the area. This potential diktat by motion, without community input is unfair and unsustainable.’ O’Donoghue continued, ‘in the coming weeks (Sept 20th – Oct 14th) these motions will be debated by the Councillors in FCC, I would encourage members of the community to write to their 40 Councillors opposing these motions, whose numbers are referenced in the map. Contact details are publicly available at : https://www.fingal.ie/council/councillors’

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

The Lusk Guild resumed their monthly meetings in September after a well- deserved break over the
Summer. The day and time for future monthly meetings has changed. The monthly meeting will now take place on the first Tuesday of the month in Lusk Scout Den from 3.30pm until 5.30pm.

Joining our meeting on Tuesday 4 th October we will have a guest Speaker from Fingal County Council giving a talk on the Age Friendly Homes Program so be sure to put this date in your diary.

In addition to our monthly meetings we also have a range of activities for ladies who like to keep fit. Mon, Tue and Thurs – Tai Chi -Tuesday 11.00 - 12.00 – Chair Yoga - Tuesday 11.30 - 12.30 - Exercises in the Hub /when weather is bad we do exercises in the oldchurch. - Saturday 11am – meet Rush South Beach car park for sea swimming. This is just a small selection of our activities so join us for some fun as new members are always welcome. You can also contact us through our Facebook page. More good news our annual Christmas Market will take place on Sunday the 4th December in Lusk Scout Den. Santa will be joining us as he heard there are lots of very good boys and girls in Lusk so make sure to save the date!!

St. Ita’s AFC have announced Glenveagh Homes as the club’s official Youth Sponsor for 2022.This major sponsorship will allow the club to invest in sporting equipment, team kits and other equipment to support the continued growth of the club in response to the growth in the size of the surrounding community. St. Ita’s AFC is a football team 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 licence agreements with two local schools (DPETNS and Donabate Community College), as well as the Donabate Special Olympics Club to use the club’s facilities. According to St. Ita’s AFC Chairman Conor Tonra, the Youth Sponsor will be a crucial partner to the club. St Ita’s AFC is currently undergoing a period of rapid growth. The support of Glenveagh Homes is critical for us to develop modern, safe facilities for all of our youngsters. The sponsorship makes Glenveagh Homes the club’s inaugural Youth Sponsor, which will benefit all of the club’s academy, nursery and youth players, including both boys’ and girls’ teams. The sponsorship had already allowed for the investment in new playing jerseys for the teams which will enter league football for the first time in the 2022/3 season. Glenveagh Homes is one of Ireland’s largest homebuilders. Driven by both innovation and a commitment to opening up access to sustainable high-quality homes, Glenveagh is on track to complete 1,400 new homes this year. The company has a longer-term target of delivering over 3,000 units a year from 2024 to communities across Ireland. For more Information, visit glenveagh.ie. According to Cameron McDonnell, Head of Marketing at Glenveagh, this partnership with St. Ita’s AFC is a critical one: Glenveagh has a vital role to play by investing in and supporting local communities where we build.Our community and sponsorship funds have provided invaluable support to local initiatives from grassroots sponsorship to sports-facilities upgrades and other local initiatives close to the heart of our communities and are delighted to support St. Ita’s AFC with the next stage of the club’s development.

In early 2018 a group, who were members of St Sylvesters GAA Club, began cycling together,
participating in sportives and subsequently formed a Cycling Club. Syls CC Malahide was named in
recognition of the historical affiliation of St. Sylvester to the town of Malahide.The aim was to become the best social cycling club in north Dublin. The club affiliated with Cycling Ireland, and our inaugural spin took place in February 2019. The Green became the Club’s designated meeting point. In May 2021 we launched the first successful Couch to 50K programme where new cyclists participated in a fun six-week training activity. This programme combined theory and on the road guided spins. 2022 was a bigger year for the programme, and also marks the beginning of our newest programme, “100k in a day”.Membership growth is accelerating, with 42% women, which reinforces inclusivity and diversity in the club. We are committed to nurturing members in achieving their objectives, regardless of ability level. New members often ask if they will be able to keep up with the group. Syls CC’s has a no drop policy and adjusts the pace to suit the group. The Club provides a range of spins with different distances and average speed during the week. Over the years, club members have participated in various Irish and International events including Women’s Lap of Louth, Ride Dingle, Ring of Beara, Wicklow 200, Ring of Kerry, Mallorca 312 and cycling camps abroad.Cycling is a healthy outdoor activity, and supervised spins can give a greater sense of safety than individual cycling. A key aspect is having fun, which for some might be a challenging hill and for others a leisurely paced cycle for a cup of coffee. The Club’s key metric is active participation. North Dublin has lots of cycling options with a superbcoastline, hills, heritage properties and great scenic rolling roads. Syls CC is open to new members and constantly launching new cycling programmes. If you have any queries or want to connect with the club, email Contact@SylsCC.ie

Éamonn Galldubh, Daire Bracken and Alan Burke made the rafters ring at the launch of The Bleeding Pig Cultural Festival in The Brook in Portrane. They piped, fiddled and sang until the tapping feet couldn’t take any more and took to the floor.The launch was the start of 10 days of our community festival. Thank you to Fingal County Council and all our sponsors.

Cllr Adrian Henchy said recently, “Since my election in 2014 I have campaigned strongly and attended numerous meetings with both the HSE and Fingal County with a view to the preservation, protection and enhancement of the St. Ita’s hospital campus Portrane. One of my very first questions to both Fingal County Council and the HSE when first elected as a local councillor in 2014 was to restore and regenerate the empty houses on Portrane Avenue. Frustratingly progress with this matter over many years has been far too slow but am now finally pleased to confirm that following extensive discussions between the Department of Housing, the HSE and Fingal County Council to reach an agreement which will see the restoration and refurbishment of these 12 homes which will provide much needed homes to twelve families in our constituency. I want to thank the HSE and Fingal County Council who have worked collaboratively with the Minister his Department and I on this matter. Great credit must be also given to the existing residents of Portrane Avenue who have long campaigned for and called for the restoration and regeneration of their neighbouring houses. Together with my colleague Minister O Brien we are determined to tackle the scourge that is housing vacancy. This is very positive news for the proud Village of Portrane with the St. Ita’s hospital campus right at the very heart of Portrane. Hopefully the regeneration of these beautiful family homes along Portrane Avenue will also be a catalyst for future regeneration and reuse of the large scale magnificent Red brick buildings across St. Ita’s. With regard to the provision of future housing in Portrane I have a tabled an upcoming motion on the new Fingal County Council Development plan 2023-2029 for the HSE zoned residential lands to be specifically reserved for the delivery of owner Affordable housing in line with the recent housing initiatives announced by my colleague Minister O Brien and I strongly hope this motion will receive broad support and we will see the delivery of Owner occupied Affordable housing in Portrane as well as Donabate. Also as an update the new National Forensic Mental Health facilities on the St. Ita’s hospital campus Portrane is finally due to become fully operational at some stage in November 2022 The exact opening date cannot be disclosed for Operational reasons.”