The months of May and June were busy for our group. lots of work was undertaken throughout the Donabate village and the roads leading to it, with footpath and roadside clearance works to the fore. Flower beds required plenty of attention and there is an overload of yellow roses from planting in earlier years. The flower beds at the roundabout beside the hotel were overhauled with some new planting and the grasses cut there. We hope to plant a few trees close by in November at this location. Plants were installed at the welcome stone to Fairways/Spires/Donabate Village . We asked the Council for the two tree trunks cut on the New Road to be given as a feature here, but it never happened, sadly. Littering has been a major problem at week ends and we have gone out late at night to try and tidy up, but Herring Gulls are out early in the morning opening bags. Pizza boxes are a big problem. In Portrane we observed the lettering was worn at the anchor. We mentioned this to the Council last February and the lettering was redone in early June. We also asked for the leakage to be fixed from the anchor, but still remains to be sorted. The display stone at Tower Bay still requires the lettering to be redone and we asked the Council last February to have this matter attended to. Tidy up works took place in Seaview Park and Tower Bay carpark is regularly visited for cleaning up of litter. The roadside flowers at the entrance give a pleasant feel to this location. We have been active in lobbying for the removal of invasive Sea Buckthorn from the Burrow sand dunes. This plant has the potential to wipe out the rich flora and the supporting pollinators and butterflies , including the vulnerable listed Small Blue butterfly. The flowering plants here include Kidney Vetch and Birds-foot Trefoil which are critical for the bees and Small Blues, with Kidney Vetch the only food plant for Small Blue. Despite the beach being narrowed at the Burrow, the Little Terns so far have had a successful breeding season

In 2011 the Dublin Community Games came to visit Donabate to recruit volunteers to form a local group. The Donabate Community Games was formed and the athletics group was where Dara Carr and Jennifer Tanner met for the first time. Two people with a love of sport and a background in athletics.In June 2011, 270 juveniles turned up to the trial, and athletes and volunteers proudly lined up behind the Donabate Portrane Community Games Flag in our royal blue and white.Soon afterwards, and with the help of Gerry Ronan we set up Lambay Sports Academy (which changed to LSA very quickly).Initially we were a juvenile club. Over the years our Juveniles participated in Dublin and National Championships and the Community Games. Several of our young athletes made it onto the podium over the years, and our first National medal was won by Glory Uzomefuna in the Under 12 600m National Indoor Championship in 2017.In April 2019 we added the Adult Running Group. We started with a womens Couch to 5k. Quickly it became apparent that more people were interested in longer distances and interval training. Fast forward 2 years and we now have a growing vibrant adult group catering from Couch to 5k, half and full marathon and interval groups. Our adult Track and Field group is growing in momentum with recent participation in the Dublin Graded Meets and Leinster Championships. As we mark our ten year anniversary it is fitting that some of our original Juvenile athletes are now competing as Seniors and assisting with coaching our next generation of young athletes and that the club now has a National Senior medal winner.Our vision is of a club for all generations bringing athletics to the peninsula. We’ve been around 10 years but we are only getting started and with the athletics track in Ballymastone coming closer to reality it looks like the next ten years will be even more exciting than the first! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook - Search “LSA”.

Fingal County Council will immediately begin the process of procuring a new operator for its successful attractions at Malahide Castle, Newbridge House and the Casino Model Railway Museum following the decision of Shannon Heritage to withdraw from their contract. The Council was disappointed to learn of Shannon Heritage’s decision and will continue to work with them as we move into a six-month transitionary period.The properties in Malahide and Donabate, which include Malahide Castle, the Butterfly House, Newbridge House and Farm and the Casino Model Railway Museum, are open to the public and continue to attract large numbers of visitors.

Fingal County Council has moved into the public consultation stage for the Ballymastone Recreational Hub in Donabate. The purpose of this phase of the project is to give the public an opportunity to comment on the Council’s plans as part of its application for planning permission under Part 8 of the Planning and Development Act. Individuals, organisations, clubs and community groups are all encouraged to participate in the process.The Ballymastone Recreational Hub will provide for a wide range of sporting and recreational activities as a shared public facility; these facilities include a floodlit eight lane all-weather athletics track surrounding a grass soccer-sized pitch, a full-sized all-weather GAA pitch, which also provides for two all-weather soccer pitches, with floodlighting, a combined playground and skatepark, car/cycle parking, a six metre wide access road, extensive walking and cycling infrastructure, bleacher seating and extensive landscape planting.The Mayor of Fingal, Councillor Seána Ó Rodaigh, said: “I want to encourage everyone to express their views on the Ballymastone Recreational Hub in Donabate regardless of what they are.” The Chief Executive of Fingal County Council, AnnMarie Farrelly, said: “The Recreational Hub in Donabate is an important piece of strategic infrastructure for Donabate and Portrane and will be a major addition to the existing sports facilities on the peninsula. The Recreational Hub will be built alongside the recently approved scheme of 1,200 private, affordable and social homes in Ballymastone which are being developed by the Council and our partners Gleveagh Living.” Submissions can be made online at www.consult.fingal.ie (nb: not accessible through this medium) or by post in writing addressed to: Senior Executive Officer, Planning & Strategic Infrastructure Department, Fingal County Council, County Hall, Main Street, Swords, Co Dublin K67 X8Y2. Submissions have been open since Tuesday 6th July 2021 and will stay open until Wednesday 18th August 2021. Only postal submissions received by 5pm on Wednesday, August 18, 2021 or online by midnight that evening will be considered.

Corina Johnston the Labour Party Local Area Representative welcomes the provision of additional transport infrastructure on the peninsula which includes bus stops on the Hearse Road, a shelter and new stop in the village and a shelter at the bus stop at the end of Turvey Avenue.Johnston said;” ever since the first resident moved into Semple Woods estate on the Hearse Road in 2019, Duncan Smith TD and I have identified the need for bus stops adjacent to the estate to facilitate residents travelling to and from the peninsula. Since then we have been in ongoing discussions with the National Transport Authority (NTA), Fingal County Council and the bus company Go Ahead Ireland. I can now confirm that we have been notified by the NTA that the two bus stops will be installed during the month of August. This will be of great benefit to commuters travelling to and from Swords and Portrane.” Johnston added;” The NTA have also confirmed that the provision of a much needed bus shelter on the R132 at Turvey, which was granted planning permission late last year will be installed over the coming months. This is a direct result of our ongoing discussions with the NTA on behalf of the residents.”Johnston continued; “ I am very pleased that a planning application has been submitted by the NTA for the provision of a new bus stop within Donabate village. This will replace two existing bus stops and will incorporate a badly needed bus shelter and real time passenger information unit. This development is as a direct result of a proposal first mooted by myself and Duncan Smith TD at a meeting with the NTA in August 2019 and which we have vigorously pursued since then with the NTA, Fingal County Council and the bus company Go Ahead Ireland. I firmly believe that if planning permission is granted and the facility installed it will facilitate a free flow of vehicular traffic through the village. “Johnston concluded; “ these much needed facilitates when installed will improve the travelling experience for bus commuters on the peninsula. “

Cllr Adrian Henchy has said he is very pleased to see activity finally get underway on the repair and restoration of the historical and strategically important Newbridge House and Farm perimeter wall in Donabate. The Cllr said, “I Have been campaigning and calling for at every opportunity I have got within Fingal County Council on this important issue for the repair and restoration of the surround wall since I was first elected to Fingal County Council in 2014. I received confirmation this week from the Architects department of the Council that monies have now been committed to the repair & restoration and the contractor is presently setting up site to commence works. These works will comprise a number of phases and phase 1 will see the repair and restoration of the wall from the current main entrance in the direction of Cobbes lane and Turvey Avenue. These works will also comprise of restoring and installing the original main gates which have been in storage along with the pillars into Newbridge House & Park.” He said, “ The first phase traffic management wise should provide for minimal disruption to traffic given most of this section is off the main road but lessons will be learned from this phase regards the more challenging parts of the wall restoration into the future. My thanks to both the Architects & Operations department, FCC especially senior architect Fionnuala May on all her work in advancing these works and also the board of Malahide Castle & Newbridge House limited for supporting this major piece of infrastructural repair & improvement.”.

Recent confirmation on the IAAF website that the Olympic Qualifying table has been finalised, showing unbelievably, that Andrew Coscoran from Balbriggan has finished in 41st place of the 45 qualifiers for the 1500m in Tokyo! It’s been an emotional few weeks following Andrew’s touch and go performances on his quest to qualify for Tokyo for us here in Balbriggan and his club Star of the Sea. How stressful it must have been for Andrew himself, but he’s proved he’s a champion and can rightfully take his place among the World’s elite athletes! Some names that flash through my mind are that of Joe Roy (Backbone of Juvenile Athletics in Balbriggan for years), Siobhan White (Balbriggan Community games), Alison Browne (Balbriggan Community games), Brendan Meade (Star of the Sea coach supremo who has inspired many a champion over the years) and Feidhlim Kelly (coach and creator of the Dublin track club) who have helped get Andrew to where he is today. Volunteers like these are priceless in finding and encouraging young future Andrew Coscorans. We involved in athletics are all delighted and thrilled in Balbriggan Roadrunners/ Balbriggan & District AC to have helped Andrew in some small way!

Balbriggan Basketball are delighted to announce we will return to training in August.

Great news, we are so excited to partner with Bremore Educate Together Secondary School (bremoreetss.ie) as our new home base. Our training schedule will be listed on our Facebook page (9) Balbriggan Basketball -Irish Vikings Club | Facebook. A big thank you and welcome to Rafael, Ken, Chris some of our coaches for the upcoming season and if you have free time and would like to volunteer and/or coach, get in touch with us on 0866004340.Balbriggan Basketball is an all inclusive club.Balbriggan Basketball Club founded in 2009 is a non profit club promoting inclusion through sport in the Balbriggan Community for all age groups. Our club’s accomplishments include:
Team of the Year Award 2018 and also Person of the Year 2019.We look forward to seeing you all again soon.

Mary Ellen (Molly) Adrien was born on 25 September 1873. She is remembered as one of Fingal’s ‘Revolutionary women’. Molly joined Cumann na mBan after its establishment in April 1914 and is said to have been instrumental in forming the Lusk branch. On Easter Sunday 1916, Cumman na mBan were ordered to assemble at Black Church Phisboro, an order countermanded and were sent away to await recall. However Molly remained in the city and was chosen to bring the order to rise from Pearse to the leader of Irish Volunteers Joseph Lawless and then to Thomas Ashe Commandant of the North County Brigade. The ‘redoubtable Miss Adrien’ cycled in and out of the city during the week of the Rising having been sent by Ashe into the city to report his situation to Pearse. After the battle of Ashbourne the wounded were taken to Dr Richard Hayes (medical officer of Balrothery Union), who was assisted by two nurses one of them Molly Adrien. The link with Balrothery Union and Miss Adrien was well-established as she was the first female to serve on its Board. When she entered the boardroom for the first time she was roundly cheered. Chairman TL Smyth said it was an honour for him to preside over the introduction of the Board’s first lady guardian and he had long thought the board suffered from a lack of female participation (reported Drogheda Independent 11 July 1914). Molly remained staunchly republican and an active member of the IRA through the War of Independence and into the Civil war. In 1920 in response to a request from local government Board for access to the Balrothery Union books, she explained that they had sworn allegiance to Dail Eireann and was not about to kow-tow to any other authority. Her obituary described her as ‘one of the most outstanding women of Fingal’.