The Peninsula Pacers September Walk ended at The Brook for Trad & Pizza to coincide & link up with The Bleeding Pig Cultural Festival! The Peninsula Pacers had a great walk in mid September all around the peninsula. We walked about 13km (some did 15km as they walked back to Donabate - some got the bus just not as reliable at the moment as the feet!). A big welcome & thank you to our new friends from Laytown joined in..We started from The Parish Hall - then pit stop at The Shoreline - then coffee, cake & strawberries at The Carriage - then down to The Lug end of the Burrow - then final resting place The Brook where we joined in with the Bleeding Pig Festival Event - the Trad & Pizza where there was great music & céilí dancing in the warm sun! The pizzas from The Dough Hut were fantastic & the refreshments from The Brook just great too! Our next walk is to take place on Saturday 15th October - either Bray to Greystones OR the Tram Track in Howth (TBC) for further information please contact: Des Carthy on 087 7846813 or Carolyn Smith on 087 9284307.

Leithinis’s raffle headed up by Paul Kelly our fundraising officer was a great success. Thanks to all those people who bought tickets, or who made donations to the hamper. A very big thank you goes out to McNeela Instruments who donated prizes for the draw and to the management and staff of Donabate Town Centre. The winners of the raffle were:1st Prize - Caroline Coughlan, 2nd Prize - Michael Connolly, 3rd Prize - Donal Mulcahy.Our classes have resumed in the Donabate Portrane Educate together National school. There are still one or two places available . If you are interested in classes with our branch please email us at leithinis@comhaltas.net. Alternatively you can become a member of Comhaltas for €20 per family and partake in our slow sessions and other activities.

Our slow sessions led by Erin McGahan are held in the Parish Hall on the 1st and 3rd Friday of the month. This session is open to all members ( beginner and improvers) of Leithinis and is an excellent way for them to practice the tunes that they have learned in the classes. Thank you to the Parish Hall Committee for facilitating these sessions.

Denis Stack leads a Traditional Irish music session for experienced musicians in Keeling’s at 7.30pm on the first Tuesday of every month. All welcome to go along and listen. The Bleeding Pig Cultural Festival invited Leithinis and friends to the launch in The Brook Pub as the warm up act for Eamonn Galldubh and friends. It was a fantastic night and a huge thanks to Eilish McDermott and team from the Festival Committee for inviting us to this night of craic agus ceol.

In mid September Donabate Parish Hall was the venue for the launch of the newly formed Lambay Cinema Club. The Green Room or the Main Hall are suitable areas for this or similar uses as both have the new acoustic panels, which have successfully greatly reduced the echo effect to near perfect. Also, both rooms are refurbished to a very high standard so depending on what one requires on the night one can use either. It is a great space for Drama, Films & Music in particular to take place. There is very little available times left in the Parish Hall for daily use, if interested contact immediately; but there is some space available for the Cultural & Creative Slot in October/ November - already booked are a Drama Camp for the Halloween Mid-Term Break, then Through the Lens Photography Exhibition, then Leithinis Traditional Music Event for Social Inclusion and a Youth Instrument/Band Session for Over 18’s, then Active Age for All have an extensive Exhibition/Demonstration of its Activities and finally Donabate Portrane Dramatic Society will be putting on a play.If you interested in a space or for further information please contact the Secretary Bernie 01 8434574 or email stpatricksrcdonabate@irishmediagroup.com

After delays due to Covid and some technical hitches, Donabate Portrane Men’s Shed last
month completed our work in extending the use of the Scouts’ Den for all users by adding an awning at the rear. This was funded by a Community Enhancement Programme grant from the Department of Rural and Community Development under, operated locally by the Fingal Local Community Development Committee. Now as we approach the winter months, our regular Monday morning exercise classes are resuming and plans are afoot for cooking classes sponsored by the HSE and for a number of trips. All this is in addition to our croquet sessions at Newbridge House on Tuesday mornings and our get-togethers at the Scouts’ Den on Thursday mornings. If you’d like to join us, come along to the Scouts’ Den, Portrane Road, between 10:30am and 12:30pm on Thursday morning or contact Jim on 086-3694316.

We had a very successful promotion in the Shopping Centre in August before Registration last month. We met many new people who were surprised and delighted to know that such a vibrant organisation existed in the village, for the older and not so mature population. People were particularly pleased that we had such a broad range of physical and non-physical classes and that once they were over 55 they could join. They were also surprised that we could offer such high quality classes for such good value. As we are a Not-for-Profit organisation run entirely by volunteers, we can offer this rate. This gives me the opportunity to appeal for volunteers to help, so that we can continue our good work. As a result of this promotion, we registered 24 new members.Registration was busy and we have filled many of our classes. On the first day there was a long queue within the first hour! There was such a great interest in Pilates this term that we have had to introduce an extra class. Some classes still have spaces, Chair Yoga, Stronger for Longer, Singing & Music, Drama, TaiChi……so think about the long dark days of winter ahead and come and join us, to improve the mind or the body or both and to make new friends. While our classes started on the 21st September, we will be able to accommodate people new to the classes by charging pro-rata for the late start. If you are interested in any of our classes please contact us at activeageforall@gmail.com or TEXT only 086 8806808

Details of all our classes are available on our website activeageforall.com

Corina Johnston, Labour Party Local Area Representative is calling on the National Transport Authority (NTA) to review its contract with the bus operator Go Ahead Ireland due to the unreliability of its services in Fingal.Johnston said; “Ever since Go Ahead Ireland was awarded the contract to operate a number of routes in the greater Dublin Area by the NTA in December 2018 there have been ongoing issues with their bus services in Fingal. The 33A/33B routes in particular have been seriously impacted. Johnston said;”Duncan Smith TD and I have been in constant contact with the bus company and the NTA on these recurring issues. The NTA in response said “ public transport operators are experiencing significant challenges in recruiting qualified staff following the economic and social constraints connected to the COVID-19 pandemic. The impact of these absences is felt the most on low-frequency services (hourly or less frequent), where the time between services is extended with little opportunity for advance warning. The contract expires on the 6th of October 2023 and the Authority have provision for 2 single year extensions. 1 year in advance of the expiry date we must notify the operator of our intention if applicable to extend the contract.“ Johnston added; “in July Go Ahead Ireland introduced a temporary timetable in an effort to reduce the number of cancellations and impact on customers while additional drivers were in training. The full timetable was to be reinstated on 28th August in advance of the children returning to school. It is very regrettable to have been informed in recent days by both the company and the NTA that they are not in a position to give a timeframe for the reinstatement of the full timetable.”
Johnston concluded; “it is regrettable at a time when national policy encourages the use of public transport and when fuel prices are so expensive so many car owners feel they have no alternative but to continue to drive to their destinations due to the unreliability of the existing bus service operated by Go Ahead in Fingal. Duncan Smith TD and I firmly believe that a thorough investigation is warranted prior to any decisions being made in respect of this contract. The NTA must take on board the concerns and needs of the public to ensure confidence in the public transport system.”

Jamie Painter Divisional Director of Portakabin Ireland, recently led his team to visit the DPCC centre. DPCC marked the occasion by signing a three-year contract with Portakabin for a standalone Portakabin Building that will allow DPCC service many additional activities and groups in our forward programmes.‘ We are always pressed for space said Sandra Mathews the acting General Manager of the centre and this favourable lease increases our capacities and our service flexibility.

On Monday, 12th September the Mayors of South Dublin and Fingal County Councils, the Cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and the Lord Mayor of Dublin City Council officially launched Dublin Climate Action Week in the Round Tower Visitor Centre, Clondalkin. Dublin Climate Action Week ran until Saturday, 17th September. It offered a range of online and in-person events which aimed to inform citizens, increase awareness and highlighted the need for urgent climate action by all sectors of society. From climate festivals to film screenings, biodiversity walks to webinars and talks on a range of interesting climate topics, there was something for everyone. Events highlighted how both systemic change and individual action is required to tackle the climate crisis. Now in its second year, Dublin Climate Action Week was organised and delivered by the partnership of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, South Dublin County Council, Dublin City Council, Fingal County Council, Codema – Dublin’s Energy Agency and the Dublin Climate Action Regional Office (CARO).Through the ongoing implementation of Climate Change Action Plans, the Dublin Local Authorities are collaborating closely to deliver climate action, working to reduce our impact and are committed to leading by example in tackling this global issue. Well-coordinated regional and local climate action is critical to meeting our national and international climate targets and goals, and through our engagement with members of the public, local authorities are in a unique position to highlight the need for climate action, to communities across Dublin. The Mayors of the four Dublin Local Authorities jointly stated: ‘‘Climate Change continues to impact the Dublin Region, but we are working together to reach our climate targets. We organised Dublin’s second Climate Action Week to showcase our ongoing progress to the people of Dublin and elsewhere. Building on the success of last year we’ve launched another exciting programme of events across a range of themes.Each of us has a valuable contribution to make, it counts if we are all Taking Action, Together!”

The recent announcement that the long-awaited MetroLink project will become a reality has been welcomed by Fingal County Council, who believe that the rail project will bring an economic boost to the County and help provide much needed transport infrastructure for one of the fastest growing regions in Ireland. The planned Metrolink route will link locations including Swords and Dublin Airport to the city centre, with trains planned to operate every three minutes during peak periods once the line initially opens. Once fully operational it is anticipated that the network could be capable of carrying up to 20,000 passengers per hour in each direction. Serving major population centres as well as key business and employment points in Fingal, the multi-billion euro project is set to transform North Dublin and unlock new residential and economic lands for the Dublin Region.

Mayor of Fingal Cllr Howard Mahony said: “This is something which has been over 20 years in the making, so it is fantastic news to hear that this is finally going to move forward. “Fingal will be become one of the greatest beneficiaries once it begins service, particularly as the population here is one of the fastest growing in the country and there is huge demand for fast and reliable transport connections for the people who live and work here. What’s more, Metrolink will deliver tremendous gains for the environment and help reduce carbon emissions.” AnnMarie Farrelly, Chief Executive of Fingal said: “The Council has worked hard over many years to ensure that Fingal is Metrolink ready, so today’s announcement that it is set to progress is welcome news.“Having Metrolink servicing new and existing communities right along the M1 corridor from the city centre through to Swords will support the sustainable development of the Dublin Region unlocking the residential and economic potential of North Dublin.” Given its location, Fingal provides the most daily commuters into Dublin City with 28,641 making the journeys from their homes in Fingal while around 17,000 make the journey in the opposite direction to their place of work.

Last month Tesco Express in Ridgewood, Swords, Co. Dublin graciously donated €167 from the Tesco Community Fund to our Balbriggan/North County Dublin branch and we would like to thank the staff for this and the community for their votes. If you are not familiar, the Tesco Community Fund launched in 2014 and is a platform through which each Tesco store can provide financial donations to good causes within the local community. You can now nominate your favourite or a community group or good cause via the Tesco online application form: https://forms1.thrive-platform.com/tesco/community_fund_application. Since its introduction, Tesco has donated over €6 million to over 21,000 local community projects nationwide. This has made such a positive difference in communities up and down the country and we want to thank everyone who has voted for us in the past and continues to do so. With Halloween just around the corner, darker evenings approaching and no doubt loud fireworks in the lead up to it, here are some tips to keep your dogs/Guide Dogs/Assistance dogs safe and comfortable this October. Eoin Slattery, Technical Training Manager for the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind says “Our advice is to keep their dogs away from the front door and windows, play music and background noise to help them to keep calm. Many good pet stores sell products which help to relieve stress and induce calmness.” Some other tips include, keeping your dogs indoors as much as possible after dark, ensure you bring them for a walk during school hours or at meal times to minimise the exposure and tire the dog out so they will be more relaxed and sleep through the evening. Do not scold or fuss over a nervous dog as this can exacerbate the situation and reinforce the behaviour. We wish you all a safe and happy Halloween and remember, no tricks and no treats for your dog as chocolate is not safe for dogs. If you would like to volunteer for your Balbriggan/North County Dublin Branch, you can of course contact us on Facebook, by email at GuideDogsBalbriggan@gmail.com or by mobile on 085 766 3107.