by Ewan Snow

On the 3rd of August; Myself, Mark Matthews and Mark Mitchell set off on our quest to cycle from the most southern point of Ireland (Mizen Head, Co. Cork) to the most northern point of Ireland (Mallin Head, Co. Donegal). We decided to set ourselves this task over one of the previous lockdowns as we became aware of the difficulties The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre were facing with fundraising. The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre over the years have had many fundraising events which help greatly towards the funding of their work but due to covid restrictions such events were cancelled and The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre are now relying on donations to help them keep up their great work. We set off on the 3rd of August, getting the train to Cork City and then a bus to Skibbereen. From Skibbereen we ended up cycling 50k to Mizen Head and then we were at our starting point. By day 8 we set sights on Derry, cycling through the beautiful city and eventually arriving in the quiet village of Muff just at the Donegal border. Day 9, Mallin is only 50k away, the morale is at a high, we leave early and just as we leave the rain clears up and sun comes through. As we entire Mallin Head Village it’s nice and warm for the first time all week and we are in awe of the beautiful landscape. Eventually arriving at Mallin Head we get a new lease of life and cycle up the final climb to be rewarded with the feeling of accomplishment. We arrive at our destination with no accidents and no mechanical issues. All our hard work has paid off and as we arrive we reach €1,000 on our iDonate page for the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre. Without doubt the most exhausting week of my life but worth it. Knowing we are helping such a great cause and all the support from people kept us motivated. A week we will never forget. Our iDonate page isn’t finished yet, it will remain open till September 10th and we would really appreciate any donations to help the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre fund their marvellous work. More information on the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre can be found on their website and to donate you can find it as Ewan Snow’s Fundraiser on the iDonate website, thanks so much.

Here at St. Benedicts, we have been working hard to improve the overall appearance of the complex. We have recently invested in some window boxes, hanging baskets and plants and we have a dedicated an area for wildflowers to attract bees and butterflies. With some help from volunteers and our residents, we planted up the boxes and hanging baskets. A lovely couple from Seabury donated an outdoor sofa for our residents to enjoy. This really brings enhances and brings our new space together. In other news, going forward we will be able to invite our tenants back to our lovely community centre. We will continue to follow government guidelines but our tenants are delighted to be able to call up for a coffee for the first time since March 2020.

What an amazing achievement for our club, 3 young athletes selected to represent Ireland at the Under 21s and Cadet European Championships In Estonia. Robbie will fight in Under 21s while Nicole and Tosia will fight In the cadets. Our thanks to everyone for sticking with us over the hard times of Covid and everything is starting to look a bit brighter. Junsa is always welcoming new members , so if you want to train for fitness, fun or become an aspiring athlete you are welcome to try your hand or should I say foot ! at our great martial art and sport.

The club were delighted to hold a Half Marathon for members during August. Starting with a lap of the Hub, the route took in Quickpenny, Hedgestown and Wimbletown before returning to the Hub via the ring road. There was a nice mixture of experienced athletes who were running as part of their Marathon training plans and newer members who in some cases were completing their first Half Marathon. Well done to all who took part or helped out with organising or water drops. All groups are scheduled to return to training in early September. Places for new members are available by contacting us through our facebook page or email to Luskathleticclub.ie

Our highly successful Cúl Camps 2021 took place in Thomas Ashe Park recently with 125 children aged between 6 and 12 years taking part.The children had an eventful week, with the weather on our side thankfully. A big thank you to all our coaches for ensuring everyone had a thoroughly enjoyable week playing camogie, hurling, football and a couple of spontaneous waterfights!! It was great to see all our young members back playing and training with their friends once again after a difficult year.Our Online Lotto draw takes place live on Facebook every Thursday at 9.00pm. Tickets can be purchased online at www.klubfunder.com.The lotto is an important fundraiser for the club and we appreciate all the support.

After 2 years as Lusk Utd Chairman, Ciaran Russell, stood down from his position at the recent AGM in July. Ciaran has been involved in the club for most of his life as a player, coach and committee member. Indeed, Ciaran has spent the best part of a decade on the committee in various roles always giving 100% commitment and bringing a rare skill set that will be a great loss to the committee and the club. The impact Ciaran made as Chairman should not be underrated and he leaves the club in good stead as we come through one of the toughest periods in the club’s and the country’s history. Ciaran has overseen the first club survey, the development of a club strategy, a restructuring of the committee and a very successful girls only academy at which Ciaran was a coach.The Russell name is synonymous with Lusk and with Lusk Utd; Ciaran’s contribution will go a long way to cementing his name in the history of the club and we as a club would like to thank him for all his efforts. We wish him the best for the future, and we hope to see Ciaran back on the sidelines at games or even on the training pitches again in the future. We are also now recruiting for our U16 Girls, U 19 Girls, U 14 boys and U 19 Boys teams and we are delighted to have received an allocation of €25,453 towrds clb machinery under the Sports Capital Grant

Lusk Community Council launched the final ‘Lusk Vision 2030: Lusk for Life’ Strategic Plan via
Virtual Public Information Meeting recently. Following months of independent research, analysis and listening to the people, Lusk Community Council is pleased to launch the final ‘Lusk Vision 2030: Lusk for Life’ Strategic Plan. A virtual public meeting was held online at 7pm on Thursday 26th August to launch the final Strategic Plan. The Plan presents a vision for how Lusk can develop with the best interests of the current and future citizens to the fore.‘Lusk Vision 2030: Lusk for Life’ is a unique community-led action plan for Lusk town commissioned by Lusk Community Council in late 2020, and undertaken by consultants AP+E architects in collaboration with Miriam Delaney and Tara Kennedy. The team listened to public concerns, designed strategies for future development, and provided action plans and recommendations for how proposals can be achieved by the community. The level of engagement from clubs, community groups, stakeholders and individuals demonstrated the huge appetite for positive change in the town. Key messages highlighted the need for better facilities for teenagers and children in Lusk, a need to expand and improve community facilities, build social cohesion, and a desire for an attractive and accessible town centre with retail, employment and recreation opportunities for residents.The report contains an overview ‘Lusk Vision 2030: Lusk for life’ map, which identifies and proposes key design projects. The design projects are accompanied by ‘action plans’ which set out the means to deliver results. The design strategies and proposals are positive, feasible and achievable, and aim for the best possible future for the citizens of Lusk. Finally, the report contains recommendations for action to mobilise community participation and political support in order to achieve success.Lusk Community Council looks forward to working with community stakeholders to implement the Lusk Vision 2030 Plan and recommendations over coming years.

Following on from the recent Rush to Lusk Cycle Route Feasibility Study, Cllr O’Donoghue has called for the fast tracking of the of the implementation of the Study’s findings to connect Lusk to the train station. Fingal County Council’s (FCC) overall objective is to deliver a high-quality, safe and attractive pedestrian/cycle network within and between the towns of Rush and Lusk, and improve connectivity to the local Rush/Lusk train station and to a number of schools and tourist attractions in the area. Councillor O’Donoghue stated ‘The pathway from Lusk to the station is narrow and dangerous. The berm periodically encroaches on the path making space for pedestrians even more narrow. Many Lusk residents cycle and walk from the town to the station, the current road and footpath make it difficult to make for this journey to be made safely. I am calling for the expedition of plans for the construction of the proposed cycle track and walkway from Lusk to the Station, which will also link the town to Rogerstown Park and the proposed Fingal Coastal Way.’ He continued, ‘In the larger picture, this will also take cars off the road, reducing carbon emissions and traffic congestion on the Station Road, encourage fitness and active living while also making commuting to the station safer for cyclists and walkers. I am confident that there will be good news in the near future regarding the installation of this key piece of infrastructure between Lusk and the train station.’

Donabate Parish Hall hope to have resumed activities if Covid restrictions allowed, or as soon as possible. There are a number of times & spaces available for renting in the newly refurbished hall & ancillary rooms; so if you are interested in further information, please email Bernie with your details and request to the Parish Office email address at stpatricksrcdonabate@gmail.com as soon as possible and she will get back to you. In the meantime stay safe & well.

Our first ever summer camp for children took placer this summer. We hoped to give our young LSA members and other members of the community an opportunity to experience a range of athletics disciplines without having to travel outside the Donabate/Portrane peninsula. It was fitting that Ballymastone GAA Grounds was the venue for the first two days of the camp, where St Pat’s GAA club generously gave us their pitches, storage and clubhouse. Ballymastone could be called the spiritual home of Donabate, since this was the location of the first Community Games that led to the formation of the club in 2011. We made full use of all the space in Ballymastone with six different activity stations. Children and teenagers from age 6 up tried out Throws: (Shot put, Turbo Javelin and Discus); Jumps: (High Jump and Long Jump) Sprints and Middle Distance, as well as fun games, yoga, obstacle course and tug of war. We are hugely grateful to our 30+ volunteer coaches and helpers who gave their time and shared their experience, energy and enthusiasm with our 85 participants. Apart from being great fun, this was also a wonderful opportunity for many of our club members to meet for the first time.As we have gradually returned to competition, LSA members from our juvenile and adult sections have had great success competing. Anna Gavigan was selected to represent Ireland at the under 18 International Team Match in Franconville Paris. Anna secured a 2nd Place finish in Discus with a new PB of 43.33m. Anna and her coach Gerry Ronan continue to go from strength to strength; shortly after her international appearance, Anna went on to become the National Champion Discus U18.September will see a return to training for all our members. Our Masters Track and Field team take on the National Masters Championship on September 5th in Tullamore. Note that our next C25K will start September 7th and finish on October 30th for a Halloween run. If you’re interested in joining our C25K, email lambaysportsatheltics@gmail.com.