A picture album of the great work being carried out by the volunteer crew of allotment holders - AKA- the Water Rats - as they look to take control of the draining and alleviation of flooding issues that has blighted the facility in recent years. Despite challenging conditions inclement weather, the good news is that progress is being made and the drain ditches and now helping to empty the surface water that has limited access to holders in recent times.

Malahide Lions recently presented cheques to St Francis Hospice and the RNLI Howth. Malahide Lions is proud to give ongoing support to two great organisations who provide wonderful care and rescue services to the community. These donations were raised through the Christmas Appeal and would not be possible without the generosity of the people of Malahide.

The close ties between Ireland and New Zealand were on display today as Ambassador Brad Burgess visited Malahide Castle and Gardens for a special silver fern planting ceremony to help commemorate Waitangi Day. The silver fern is a species endemic to New Zealand, dating back to the Pliocene epoch (around 5 to 1.8 million years ago). It has been accepted as a symbol of New Zealand’s national identity since the 1880s and has special significance to the Māori people as the elegant shape of the fronds stood for strength, stubborn resistance, and enduring power.The visitor attraction at Malahide is well known for housing a tremendous range of species from the Southern Hemisphere thanks to the 7th Baron Malahide, Milo Talbot, who introduced many rare trees and shrubs to the grounds. Over the last 12 months work has been undertaken to further expand the collection of New Zealand flora at the site, with over 25 different varieties of Phormiums planted. The special New Zealand Garden within the grounds also features a Māori hut and a stunning Pouwhenua sculpture by Irish woodcarver Richie Clarke. The Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Seána Ó Rodaigh, said: “Kia ora e kare ma, Fáilte romhat go Mullach Íde! I am delighted to welcome Ambassador Burgess for this commemorative silver fern planting ceremony to help celebrate Waitangi Day. New Zealand Ambassador, Brad Burgess, said: “It’s great to be able to be here to add to the New Zealand Gardens in Fingal, and especially to see such a wonderful silver fern coming into the collection. Waitangi Day is a really important celebration for all New Zealanders around the world, the birthdate of our modern nation. There’s a significant Irish connection too, as William Hobson who crafted the treaty was born in Waterford and became our first Governor.

Now that the restrictions are relaxing Junsa Taekwondo is in preparation for the return to competitions . In the coming months our national governing body , Taekwondo Ireland, are organising small tournaments for beginners and intermediate students, for our more advanced students we are beginning to make preparations to travel to the UK and Europe for competitions.

We train in Lusk Scouts Den please contact Master Stuart Russell or follow us on Facebook. Unfortunately both our beginner classes are full at the moment( but there is a waiting list ) and our intermediate and advanced class’s have limited availability, so please don’t delay if you are interested in getting fit, building confidence, and learning new life skills. Our pictures show Junsa’s students in training for their upcoming competitions.

Lusk Athletic Club were awarded the ‘National Development Club of the Year’at the recent Athletics Ireland National awards ceremony on Saturday 4th February. Considering the hundreds of athletic clubs around the country, this is a great accolade for the club and everyone involved with Lusk Athletic Club, adult and juvenile members, coaches, committee, parents, supporters and those that took the decision to reform Lusk Athletic Club back in 2009 and have overseen phenomenal growth since then with club membership reaching an amazing 700 in 2021. Lusk Athletic Club is a club for all – ages – abilities - and events. Well done to our coaches, mentors, volunteers, parents and athletes - this is your award.The first two months of the year have been very successful for the club with both our master’s athletes and our Juvenile athletes competing and winning medals at the National and Dublin Indoor championships at the National Indoor Arena, Abbotstown. We also had a great turnout for the recent Raheny Shamrock 5-Mile race and the Dublin Masters Cross-county races in January. Lusk Athletic Club also rolled out our Fit4Life and Fit4Youth groups in January which are both going very well. Sunday 6th March will see the LUSK 4 Mile race take place at 3pm preceded by Juvenile races from 1.30pm. All are welcome to run, jog or walk the Lusk 4 Mile and you can register at Luskathleticclub.ie or on the My run results website.

At present we have two teams looking for new recruits. Our U13 Boys are looking for new players and we are also delighted to announce that our new U9 Girls are also looking for new players. If you have a child in either of these age categories who wants to play football or Camogie then give us a call, both the young person and all your family will be made most welcome at the club.

By Pat Kelly.

Spring is in the air!. Daffodils are appearing, the birds are tweeting and covid pandemic is almost at bay. This signals the start of The Tidy Towns committee work programme for 2022 with our dedicated team of volunteers cleaning, tidying up, planting shrubs and litter picking. Your support in our many endeavors in Keeping Lusk Tidy is very much appreciated. Lusk is ever changing and growing at a rapid pace due to the various housing developments and expanding population. Lusk Tidy Town Committee has produced many cards and verses by local residents over 30 years and with the popularity of these cards we are producing a book for the Tidy Towns Archives reflecting on a changing Lusk. Thanking you for your continued support and Happy St Patricks Day from Lusk Tidy Towns Committee.

Following the announcement that most Covid-19 restrictions were being lifted, Fingal County Council have been quick to confirm that they are ready to welcome a return of the annual St Patrick’s Day Parades to the streets of Fingal after a two-year absence. The Council has outlined that while official parades are set to take place in Swords, Blanchardstown and Balbriggan, community groups in Rush, Lusk and Skerries will also host celebrations on 17 March via the Council’s Festival and Events Funding Scheme. The theme this year is “Essential Workers”, chosen to thank the thousands of frontline staff for their tremendous hard work and dedication throughout the pandemic. The Council is also looking to make it a truly green parade by making it a carbon neutral event. Announcing the parades, Mayor of Fingal Cllr Seána Ó Rodaigh said: “The annual St Patrick’s Day parades held across the County have always been a highlight on the events calendar, so I am absolutely thrilled that we are able to get the crowds back once again where they can enjoy a full day of music, song and dance. “Reducing carbon emissions is very much at the heart of our thinking and to that end we want to be the first local authority in Ireland to go non-combustion engine in our parades. That’s why we are asking that only electric or hybrid vehicles be used on the routes, along with anyone who is choosing to run, scoot, cycle, or walk. “Táim ag súil go mór le gach duine a fheiceáil ag ceiliúradh don chéad uair le cúpla bliain anuas. Ocáid iontach a bheidh ann!” Chief Executive of Fingal County Council, AnnMarie Farrelly, said: “After such a long wait, this is a fantastic opportunity for Fingal residents to come together to celebrate. It’s also a time for the many local groups and businesses we have to get involved in creating a wonderful atmosphere at what is always one of the most popular events of the year.” The Council is inviting local businesses, organisations, youth clubs, sports clubs, schools and other groups from across the County to participate in these parades and help make this year’s celebrations truly memorable.Groups are being encouraged to incorporate the “Essential Workers” theme as part of their parade effort. Anyone interested in taking part in any of the parades should contact Davis Events at fingal@davisevents.ie or register via fingalparades.com. Participation is free and applications close on 17 February.

The second phase of meetings for the Fingal Development Plan has took place this January/February for the new Plan 2023 – 2029. Councillors signed off on the new Draft Plan and had the opportunity to submit motions to change the future growth of the towns in Fingal. In the Lusk context Cllr O’Donoghue says he was able to resist attempts by Councillors from outside of the Rush-Lusk Electoral Area who proposed a motion which sought to develop the usage of the lands around the Rush-Lusk train station. Speaking at the meeting Councillor O’Donoghue railed against the whittling away of the green space between Rush and Lusk, ensuing traffic chaos and the potential delivery of unsustainable development proposed by Councillors from outside the area at the location and that passing the motion would be tantamount ‘to changing Rush and Lusk forever and a hell of a legacy to bequeath the towns of Rush and Lusk.’He continued, ‘the Draft Plan will be out for public consultation from the end February until May 2022. This will be the final public consultation and the last chance that people from Lusk will have to get their voices heard. I would urge anyone who has an interest in the future development of the town to make a submission on the new Draft Plan.” In other Council news, the annual Programme of Works will be announced later this month with Cllr O’Donoghue looking for improvements in drainage in Ministers Road area, resurfacing of roads in Lusk, including the R132 and the fixing of footpath infrastructure in the Treen Hill area among other works.

We look forward to our 2nd AGM on Monday 7th March. This will be open to the community as we are looking for new LAG committee members. If you have drive, enthusiasm, care about the future of our town and have some time to spare, please consider joining us. You can email us on luskactiongroup@gmail.com or contact us on 0863017842 for details. There is currently a public consultation open for the Fingal County Council draft development plan. We urge the community to engage with this process. We cannot stress the importance of this enough. These are the plans that shape the future of our town until 2029, and this is our opportunity to ensure that it looks how we would like it to look, especially considering housing development and land zoning. See consult.fingal.ie or get in touch with FCC on 01 8905000. In February, we had the first of the Lusk Vision 2030 Implementation meetings. We look forward to our continued involvement with the committee and to beginning to bring to fruition the comprehensive 2030 plan. This is reliant on the time, enthusiasm and talent of many people involved in many different clubs and committees in Lusk. It is also reliant on the support and involvement of our local councillors, TD’s and senator. And we would like to thank them for their support to date. Siobhan O’Connor is looking for volunteers for Junior Park Run weekly event in the Hub on Sunday mornings at 9.30am. Event is a free 2k walk/run for children ages 4-14. Volunteers will assist with set up and running of the event which should take approx. 1 hour from start to finish. Please contact Siobhan at 0868405952 if you are interested. We very much look forward to our Lusk St Patrick’s Day parade and festivities this year! We would like to thank Lusk Community Council for organising this. Wishing you all a very happy St Patrick’s Day! Lá Fhéile Pádraig Shona Daoibh go Léir!