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.”
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.
