The past few weeks have been nothing short of extraordinary for our club, with athletes producing outstanding performances across Ireland and Europe.
Anna Gavigan has enjoyed a sensational start to the summer, producing a huge personal best of 55.34m in the women’s discus at the Halpus Werfertag Meet in Germany on May 22nd. She followed that with an incredible silver medal performance at the Continental Tour Challenger Meet in Italy on June 2nd, where her throw of 57.38m not only marked another massive personal best but also broke Patricia Walsh’s Irish Under-23 record that had stood since 1982.
Our distance runners also shone brightly at the Women’s Mini Marathon in Dublin and the Cork City Marathon and Half Marathon on May 31st. Mary MacNamara claimed a National silver medal in the F35 category at the Cork City Half Marathon, while Jen Carpenter received bronze after finishing third in the F50 category at the Dublin Half Marathon on May 3.
The Leinster Championships proved to be a memorable weekend, with the club collecting an impressive haul of medals and relay titles. Gold medals were secured in the Masters Women’s 4x100m, Senior Women’s 4x400m and Mixed 4x400m relays, with the mixed quartet also setting a new Leinster Championship record. Dara Carr stole the show with three individual gold medals, while Xavi Hubert claimed M45 High Jump gold and a personal best in the 100m. Reuben Capocci earned bronze in the U18 800m before adding silver in the U18 1500m at the Dublin Championships, where Daniel Minto also won discus bronze.
Internationally, Sinéad O’Farrell impressed with 34th place in Slovenia as the highest-placed Irish senior athlete in the elite races, while her mother Louise O’Farrell finished 24th in the women’s open race the previous day.
Congratulations also go to our Couch to 5K graduates, who completed their inspiring eight-week journey and celebrated a fantastic achievement together.
Huge congratulations also to Brian Kelly and his beautiful bride Michelle on their wedding day on the 14th of June. We wish them both a lifetime of love, happiness and every success together.
It has truly been a fantastic period of achievement, dedication and club pride for everyone involved.
Donabate Portrane Men’s Shed was delighted to play its part in the special event in Newbridge Park organised last month by the Fingal Men’s Shed branches and supported by Fingal County Council and Sport Ireland, to celebrate and raise awareness of International Men’s Health Week with the theme: “One Step at a Time – progress, not perfection”. Our shed helped with organising and participating in the walks and our music group, Gerry and the Plonkers, provided the entertainment. A great day was had by all, with good weather, food, music and company, a chance for the various sheds to exchange ideas and learn from one another.
Earlier last month Ray, our “Outings Organiser”, arranged for our members to visit and have a guided tour of the GAA Museum in Croke Park and the opportunity of a photo with the Sam Maguire cup.
Donabate Portrane Men’s Shed is taking a break for July from most of its weekly activities, apart from croquet in Newbridge on Tuesday mornings and of course the work in our plots in Turvey Allotments, where tending to our onions, tomatoes, courgettes and lettuces cannot be neglected.
We will be back with our full range of weekly activities in August and hopefully some more special outings organised by Ray. In the meantime, we are always open to new members. So if you, or someone close to you is interested in joining us, please contact our PRO, Jim, on 086-3694316.
The Parish Hall provides, through their wonderful team of hospitality volunteers, refreshments In the Parish Hall at least twice a month which includes various special days e.g. Mothers’ & Fathers’ Day. This takes place immediately after the 11am Mass. Tea & coffee and delicious cakes & buns are served and people get to chat with other parishioners in a very friendly & welcoming atmosphere. All are invited to call in, Donabate is a very fast growing community & it is good to meet the new & old neighbours.
All users of the Parish Hall submitted there requests/wishes in May for daily activities & block events and the Parish Office has now responded with the best arrangements they can provide, for all.
There may be some changes, but in general this is the programme below.
Re Daily Activities: - There may still be some slots available, so if you need a space to do an activity or event in the hall between this July & next July please enquire ASAP.
Re Special Block Events: - Below are events that are taking place in 2026. The events for 2027 will follow in later editions. (There are still one or two events requested - awaiting final details to see if they can or will go ahead.)
July | Crosscare 1 Day Event | Wednesday 29th 12:30 - 3pm | The Drama House
July Summer Camp 2 weeks | Contact Shauna to Booking | shauna@thedramahouseireland.com
September | DP Crossroads ‘Culture Night’
Friday 18th
November | Donabate & Portrane Dramatic Society Saturday 7th - Sunday 22nd
Hospitality - Fr Pat will be remembered at mass on his 1st Anniversary & a cup of tea/coffee afterwards in the Parish Hall. | Sunday 22nd
Through the Lens - Photography | Friday 27th - Sunday 29th
The Parish Office wishes the community a good summer with plenty of fine weather - stay safe & well. If you need any further information or have a query - please contact the Parish Office on 01 8434574.
Key works will shortly commence on the Portrane Road Enhancement Project, a major investment aimed at enhancing pedestrian safety, improving accessibility and raising the overall standard of the road network in the Donabate area. The scheme has been designed to provide safer, more inclusive infrastructure for the local community, with a particular focus on schoolchildren and families travelling to and from St. Patrick’s Boys National School and Scoil Phádraic Cailíní.
The project includes a series of upgrades such as wider footpaths along the northern side of Portrane Road and new pedestrian crossings to support safer and easier movement for all users. Traffic calming measures, including junction tightening and a raised table, will help to reduce vehicle speeds and improve conditions for pedestrians and cyclists. A new bus layby will also be delivered, allowing buses to pull clear of the main carriageway and improve traffic flow.
The scheme forms part of Fingal County Council’s ongoing commitment to active travel and the delivery of safer, more sustainable streets. It will facilitate safer school journeys, encourage walking and cycling and enhance the overall environment for residents and visitors alike.
Welcoming the project, Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Tony Murphy, said: “This is an important investment in the local area that will significantly improve safety and accessibility for the community. In particular, it will support safer journeys for schoolchildren and their families, while encouraging walking and cycling and creating a more pedestrian-friendly environment for everyone who uses this route.”
Donnelly Civil Engineering Ltd has been appointed to carry out the works, which are scheduled to begin in July and are expected to take approximately nine months to complete. Every effort will be made to minimise disruption throughout the construction period, with access to homes and businesses maintained wherever possible.
Director of Infrastructure and Transport at Fingal County Council, Matthew McAleese, stated: “The Portrane Road Enhancement Project reflects the Council’s strategic focus on delivering safer, more inclusive transport networks. By strengthening pedestrian infrastructure and introducing targeted traffic calming, the scheme will support a shift towards active travel while improving connectivity for all road users.”
Fortnightly updates on construction progress, including details of traffic management arrangements, will be available on the project webpage Portrane Road Enhancement Project | Fingal County Council and across Fingal County Council’s social media channels.
Public Health Nurses are the backbone of community healthcare. They support families from the very first days of a newborn’s life, provide essential developmental checks, deliver care to our elderly and vulnerable neighbours, assess needs in the home, promote independent living, manage chronic illness, provide wound and palliative care, and ensure people are connected to the wider health system when they need it most.
Yet despite this vital role, Donabate a community of almost 15,000 people has been left with only 2.5 Public Health Nurses. This is an alarming ratio of 1 nurse for every 6,000 residents, far below what is needed to deliver safe, timely, and comprehensive care. With rising birth rates and a growing elderly population in the area, this shortfall places enormous pressure on staff and raises serious concerns about whether our most vulnerable residents are receiving the full range of services they deserve.
This situation is not sustainable. It is not fair to our community, and it is not fair to the nurses who are doing everything they can under impossible conditions. Additional Public Health Nurse staffing must be provided to Donabate without delay.
The current Health Centre originally built to serve just 2,000 people has seen little improvement over the decades and is no longer fit for purpose. For years, the HSE has acknowledged the need for a Primary Care Centre in Donabate. The decision last year to abandon the planned facility on Turvey Avenue, on the grounds of “value for money,” was deeply disappointing and entirely at odds with the needs of a rapidly expanding community.
A modern Primary Care Centre is not a luxury. It is a necessity. Donabate cannot continue to grow without the healthcare infrastructure required to support its people.
I have raised this matter directly with the HSE, and Duncan Smith TD has brought it to the Minister for Health. We await their responses and will consider further action as needed. Our community deserves a health service that is properly staffed, properly resourced, and capable of meeting the needs of every resident from newborns to older adults.
Lambay Cinema Club was established in 2022 with the aim of bringing quality cinema to the peninsula. Our monthly screenings at St Patrick’s Church of Island Church in The Square continue to attract new and regular attendees and our 2025/26 season, has been our most successful yet.
Our season finale which took place in June (despite local power cuts) saw our audience enjoying The Ballad of Wallis Island – the Bafta nominated and BIFA (British Independent Film Awards) winning British comedy.
This marked the final screening in a varied programme of Irish, English and foreign language films including Korean hit Minari, Irish language horror film Fréwaka, Moroccan drama The Blue Caftan and French language Joyeaux Noel. We started 2026 with Irish drama Christy, followed by French/Vietnamese musical drama In the Nguyen Kitchen.
To mark International Women’s day, we had a sellout showing of Blue Road – The Edna O’Brien Story. We closed out the season, with Nine Queens, the classic Argentinian Heist movie and Souleymane’s Story – the award-winning story of an Guinean immigrant in Paris and his journey towards French citizenship.
We will be back in September, with another varied and interesting schedule of excellent movies, including our first ever Audience Choice – where you get the final say. More details to be released in due course. This year we also will be making a guest appearance at the Donabate Portrane Summer Festival in August – so keep a lookout for more information on that.
To keep up to date with our programme, scan the QR code to join our mailing list.
Remember, the Cinema Club is open to everyone – no membership needed. We look forward to seeing you at a future screening.
Many people reach a point in life when they realise they should be more active. The challenge is not recognising the need for exercise, but finding an activity that remains engaging year after year.
Most physical activities focus primarily on fitness. Others challenge the mind but involve little movement. Few activities develop the body, stimulate the brain and create meaningful social connections at the same time. Aikido is one of those rare exceptions.
This Japanese martial art develops balance, coordination, mobility and body awareness while simultaneously challenging practitioners to learn new movement patterns. Training takes place with partners rather than opponents, creating a supportive social environment where people help one another progress.
This combination becomes particularly valuable as we age. Maintaining physical mobility is important, but so too are mental engagement, confidence and a sense of community. Aikido brings all of these elements together in a single activity.
In many ways, learning Aikido is similar to learning a new language, except that the body becomes the instrument of communication. At first, unfamiliar movements can feel awkward and challenging. Over time, however, the body begins to organise itself more efficiently. Movements become smoother, more economical and better coordinated. Practitioners also develop greater spatial awareness, learning to understand their position in relation to other people and to move confidently and efficiently through space.
The combination of physical activity and continuous learning is particularly valuable as we age. Training challenges both body and mind, helping practitioners maintain mobility while keeping the brain actively engaged. Many students find that concentrating on movement and working with a partner provides a welcome break from everyday worries. They leave class feeling calmer, more focused and more energised than when they arrived.
The social aspect is equally important. Aikido is practised with partners, creating opportunities to meet people and build friendships. At Takemusu Aikido Society, training is followed by conversation, laughter and a strong sense of community that keeps people coming back year after year.
One of the club’s members, Eugene, joined in his fifties with no previous martial arts experience. He soon discovered a passion for training and continues to work on improving his mobility, particularly in his hips. Like many adult beginners, he found much more than exercise. He found an enjoyable challenge, a lifelong learning experience and a welcoming community.
Takemusu Aikido Society has received funding through the Age & Opportunity Active National Grant Scheme 2026. Thanks to this support, newcomers aged 50 and over can attend one free Aikido class per week throughout Jne, July and August.
No previous martial arts experience is required, and there is no need to register in advance. If becoming more active has been on the to-do list for some time, this summer may be the perfect opportunity to start. It is never too late to learn something new, improve wellbeing and discover what the body is still capable of achieving.
More information is available from Takemusu Aikido Society at www.aiki.ie or by emailing info@aiki.ie.
On Friday 22nd May our branch celebrated another Guide Dog Day, and this year was extra special as it was The Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind 50th birthday! We kicked off celebrations with a merchandise sale on Friday in Millfield Shopping Centre in Balbriggan, where a fantastic sum of €915.56 was raised and another merchandise sale in SuperValu, Balbriggan on Saturday and raised another fantastic sum of €698.69. On both days we sold raffle tickets for €5 giving a chance to win a €5,000 holiday voucher along with guide dog cuddly toys and pens, to name but a few. Also, on Friday at Millfield Shopping Centre there was a gathering of guide dogs with Guide Dog Qeb, Assistance Dog Gigi, Ambassador Dogs Cassie and Adel in attendance much to the joy of passer-by’s who stopped to say hello to our fury friends.
As part of the Guide Dog Day celebrations Tom O’Neill and guide dog Qeb joined Buoin Peadar agus Pol Brigins and Guides for a sponsored walk where great fun was had by all. A fantastic few days of celebrations was had, and we want to say a big thank you to everyone who supported our branch over that weekend and who continue to support us every day.
As a lot of you would know, our next fundraiser after Guide Dog Day would normally be the Balbriggan Summer Festival over the June bank holiday weekend, however the festival didn’t happen this year. If anybody knows of a festival or any event anywhere in the North County that our branch could have a merchandise stand at anytime in the summer months so we could make up for lost funds due to the festival not taking place, please get in contact on the details below.
You can contact Balbriggan/North County Dublin Branch of Irish Guide Dogs by phone/text 0876489479, email: GuideDogsBalbriggan@gmail.com or find us on Facebook at Balbriggan Branch of Guide Dogs.
Swords Boxing Club is celebrating an extraordinary achievement after six of its young athletes captured Irish national titles at this year’s Junior and Schools Championships—an exceptional return from just seven entrants.
In a display of skill, determination, and depth of talent, Danielle Smithers, Rhys Kinsella, Victoria Nic An Bhaird, Sarah Lilly Byrne, Rian Branagan, and Evan Prunty each emerged victorious in their respective divisions, marking one of the most successful campaigns in the club’s history.
The near-clean sweep underscores the strength of the Swords club’s development system, with coaches and supporters praising not only the results but also the discipline and commitment shown by the fighters in the lead-up to the championships.
“To come away with six national champions from seven boxers is something special,” a club representative said. “It reflects the hard work these young athletes put in every week, as well as the dedication of our coaching team and the support from families and the local community.”
Each of the six champions demonstrated composure and technical excellence throughout the competition, navigating tough draws to reach the top of the podium with all six claiming unanimous decision victories in their final. Their success highlights Swords Boxing Club as a growing force in Irish amateur boxing, particularly at underage level.
With momentum firmly on their side, Swords Boxing Club now looks ahead to the upcoming four nations championship (this June in Scotland), national cadet championships, and European championships in Turkey, confident that this latest triumph is a sign of even greater achievements to come.
Swords locals will have the opportunity to see what is on offer from an array of artisan producers on June 7th called “Magic of Beauty and Creativity | Bewitch”.
Taking place at Bewitch Your Beauty & Kortell House of Beauty in Swords from 11am 5pm the artisan and beauty event will bring together women from the Swords and wider Dublin area who create products with their own hands — including handmade items, jewellery, artwork, candles, home baking, and other unique creations.
The goal of the event is to support local makers, small businesses, and women-led creativity, while creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere for the community.
Alongside the artisan market, the event will also include: beauty consultations; professional photography; raffle prizes and gifts; beauty and haircare products all in a friendly and social atmosphere
The event is organised within the Russian-speaking community in Dublin, but it is open to everyone.