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Volunteers – As our numbers grow, we are seeking local community volunteers who would like to contribute as little as 1 hour per week. Get in touch if you can support us either admin, fundraising, join our board or in-person support. Be part of something good!

Community Events - ‘Soulful Sundays’ continues throughout the summer for adults 18+. Join us every Sunday morning for Yoga, Meditation, and Breathwork. Guest facilitators each week. An optional dip weather permitting. All welcome.

Young Adults – ‘Summer Social Sessions’ are back. Activities include Paddleboarding, Kayaking, Hiking, Cycling, Yoga and Running. All welcome, be sure to follow our social media channels and join in the banter and feel-good endorphins! Pictured are young men’s group on hike in Howth to celebrate Men’s Mental Health Day.

Teen Activities – Join our young enthusiastic instructors for fitness and social meet-up’s. Our teen group meet’s 3 times a week age 13-16 years for an outdoor activity followed by refreshments and chat led by our youth workers.

Petition For Facility – As we celebrate 3 years of health and well-being services in Donabate Portane and the wider Fingal area, we are seeking to establish a permanent base. Currently our services are dispersed across several locations and venues at a huge cost. Please sign our petition so we can continue to provide our youth and parents services and cater for our growing community in a central location.

FREE Youth Counselling
EggHeadz FREE of charge and confidential counselling service for young people aged 12+ takes place in-person or online option for over 18+. Email eggheadzcounselling@gmail.com to book an appointment.

As part of their ongoing campaign for a dedicated Cultural & Youth Center on the Peninsula, DP Crossroads have been busy designing and developing a website.

Since its inception in October 2023, the group have been very active including meeting politicians, FCC management, information days and organising local petitions.

“We believe communication and transparency are important,” said committee member Gemma Roche. “We regularly post on our social media channels and provide updates via infographics but not all residents may have access to these so a website is the next step to share our ongoing activities and progress. The website collates all the information on the campaign in one place so people can readily access it and know what’s happening,” she added.

The website details the committee’s principal objectives and gives detailed information on their activities to date. There is also space for people to sign up for regular updates/newsletters from the group. To visit the website, go to www.dpcrossroads.com

The recent introduction of a Citizens Information Service in Donabate has been warmly received in the area.

Citizens Information have confirmed that they will have an in person drop-in outreach service on the 1st Tuesday of each month in the Donabate Portrane Community Centre from 2.30pm to 4.30pm
Cllr Corina Johnston has welcomed the commencement of the service. “I am delighted to confirm that following my ongoing representations to the Citizens Information for a service in Donabate an outreach service commenced on Tuesday 4th June 2024 last. An Age friendly pilot Citizens Information telephone line service will be available on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th Tuesday of each month from 2.30pm to 4.30pm only on a direct number 01-5338272 (in addition to the normal telephone line service),” she said.

Appointments for one-to-one client consultations can be made (subject to assessment) for alternate Tuesday afternoons (other than the 1st Tuesday of the month) in Donabate Portrane Community Centre. Please contact 0818 077 510 for further details.

At 1pm on Monday September 9th there will be a launch of the two Boules courts in the NEW Recreation Hub near Newbridge House. Coaching will take place with Tom Donnellan and both courts will be used to get people going at the game or improve their skills with expert tuition!

Again thanks to FCC the Cllrs and officials Shane Sutton, Aileen 0 Connor & Colm Connell and most especially the grounds staff of the Park-led by Ivan for the good job they do. Also, to the support of Donabate Portrane Liaison Committee. There are now 2 Croquet Courts & 2 Boules Courts which is just great!

On the day if you are not already a member of Active Age for All €10 or the Men’s Shed €20 we will ask you to join one or other please .

Boules is taking off all over Fingal and can only grow in the future as it is a suitable activity for all who want some physical activity, to meet a few people have a good game and a cup of tea or coffee.
Please give me a call if interested or you need more information Breda 086 8693243 Donabate Portrane Liaison Committee.

Dates for your diary. Classes begin again mid-September and the face-to-face registration days are the 4th and 5th of September from 11am to 14.00 in one of the studios in DPCC. Remember to bring along your membership card if you have already joined last term. We look forward to seeing you there.
Below is a report on one of the trips undertaken with the support of Fingal County Council’s grant for Educational and Social outings.

The Active Age for All members enjoyed a great trip to the National Stud and Japenese Gardens on Tuesday 25th June. Although the day was overcast it was warm, and mainly dry, allowing us to wander around the Japanese and St Fiacra’s gardens comfortably. They were both a feast for the senses, full of water features and ornamental statuary as well as a plethora of trees and flowers.

Then we had a guided tour for about an hour around the National Stud where our guide told us the history and explained the workings of the stud. We also had a chance to meet a few of our National Hunt hero’s enjoying a well-earned retirement. We met Beef or Salmon, Faugheen and Hurricane Fly who all looked very happy and contented there.

After all this we were ready for refreshment in the large, airy cafe where we indulged in some delicious pastries and savouries. Some of us made a few purchases in the lovely gift shop as well. This is a fantastic place to visit for all age groups, it certainly comes highly recommended by Active Age.

Meanwhile, the weather forecast was not very encouraging for Wednesday 3 rd July but we placed our faith in the weather gods and went ahead with our annual Croquet Fun Day in Newbridge Park and were rewarded with a lovely fine day.

The fun day is to encourage all Active Age croquet players and those from Mens Shed to get out and play croquet together. We select teams with a mix from all groups, then they play for 20 minutes trying to score as many hoops as they can in that time. Teams are redrawn and play a total of three times with individual scores being cumulative. There’s always a great deal of laughter and some slight bending of the rules as the competition for a fun prize builds up. Refreshments are provided by members to help keep spirits up and the eyes on the prizes which this year were ‘bags of gold’ (chocolate money!)
for the 6 best scores. Peolple are very generous with spot prizes and in fact nobody ever goes home empty handed.

Many thanks to Newbridge House Croquet Club for allowing us to use their lawn time on Wednesday afternoon so that we could hold the Fun Day.

Sport Ireland announced HER Outdoors Week on 12- 18 August 2024 to encourage more females to get out and enjoy the benefits of outdoor physical activity. Takemusu Aikido Society will mark this week with a free outdoor session on Saturday, 17 August from 2 to 3:30 pm at the football pitch near Martello Tower in Balbriggan.

Aikido is a modern Japanese martial art known for its harmonious circular movement, integration with a partner and non-violent approach to executing techniques. Many people heard of it, some of them have seen or even tried it, but only a few know that Aikido is not just a fancy hand-twisting, but a sophisticated system based on the movements of Japanese sword. All aikido techniques can be explained in terms of Japanese fencing art and the other way around because the movements, which are based on swords and which are based on empty-handed techniques are blended together and this blending creates the essence of aikido. Aikido practitioners must feel the same harmony in movements if they hold a sword or staff or have no weapons. Therefore, a person should not depend on the weapons but on independence of action developed through continuous practice.

In traditional schools, students start learning aikido by studying the principles of the sword. This helps them better understand the concepts of maintaining a stable posture and executing coordinated movements. These principles are then applied to empty-handed techniques and, later, to techniques involving staff.

Participants of the outdoor aikido session on Saturday, August 17th will have the opportunity to learn the basics of Japanese sword techniques that are applicable to aikido practice. Highly-qualified instructor, who has spent years in Japan studying aikido from direct students of the aikido founder, will be teaching the session.

On the next day, Sunday, 18 August the Takemusu Aikido Society will be at one of the information stands during the Balbriggan Beach Festival from 12 pm to 4 pm. Take the chance to ask any questions at the stand or even try aikido yourself at the free come-and-try session from 2:15pm to 3:45pm.

Balbriggan Community Council would like to give a huge thank you to the people of Balbriggan and District for their support over the last two years when taking a Judicial Review on the proposal to build 101 Apartments on the former shopping centre on Quay Street/High Street, Balbriggan.

An Bord Pleanála withdrew from contesting the Judicial Review saying they had made a legal error regarding granting permission for that development. The case is now over and the proposal for the development has returned to An Bord Pleanála. We are waiting for the case to be brought before An Bord Pleanála for their decision to be made. Thank you for your support.

Balbriggan Meals on Wheels has been providing meals to the most vulnerable members of our community since 1975 and was awarded the Community Heros of the Year Award at the 2023 Balbriggan Town Awards.

Do you have a few hours to spare in your week? Would you like to join our team of Volunteers?
We are currently seeking the following Volunteers to join our team: Volunteer Drivers; Volunteer Driver Assistants and Volunteer Kitchen Assistants

If you can help, contact Balbriggan Meals on Wheels:

Tel: 01 8416743 or email: mealsonwheelsbalbriggan@gmail.com
Don’t have time to volunteer but still want to help? Donate to Balbriggan Meals on Wheels: www.idonate.ie/cause/BalbrigganMealsonWheels

Do you want to support our Balbriggan/North County Dublin Branch of Guide Dogs while also getting rid of some unwanted old coins/notes or used stamps? If you have any used postage stamps or coins/notes that are no longer in circulation, could you arrange to drop the used stamps into Skerries Library and the coins into counter boxes and large dogs for our Branch. We can then turn them into Euros and lodge to our Guide Dog account. Previously, coins from all over the world have been dropped to us as have old postage stamps. A U.K. stamp and coin collector buys all this off us and all the money goes to our Branch.
Another way you can support us is by using one or our many ‘Tap to Donate’ machines! You can visit and make a donation at any of the following locations: Specsavers located in Millfield Shopping Centre, Balbriggan, Specsavers located in Ashbourne and also Specsavers located in GPO Arcade, Dublin.
You may also have seen our Branch’s new Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind accessibility door stickers campaign, with one sticker located in McMeels Pharmacy in Skerries and another in Millfield Shopping Centre, Balbriggan, a big thank you to Peter Carey the General Manager in Millfield Shopping Centre. Tom O’Neill with his guide dog Qeb is looking forward to visiting many more places and venues to take and share photos to encourage others to take the access sticker which might also encourage people who see it to become volunteers with the branch. Irish equality legislation gives Guide Dog and Assistance Dog owners the right to access businesses and services without discrimination. This includes access to: all forms of public transport, including bus, train, tram, taxi, plane or ferry; all forms of hospitality accommodation, including hotels, Airbnbs, hostels or holiday rental properties; all establishments that provide food, including cafes, restaurants, pubs, delis and supermarkets.

You can show your support for Guide Dog and Assistance Dog owners by displaying our PAW for Access Rights window sticker. Email Access@GuideDogs.ie to get your free sticker.

If you would like to volunteer with us, you can contact us Balbriggan/North County Dublin Branch of Irish Guide Dogs by phone/text 085 7663107, you can email us at GuideDogsBalbriggan@gmail.com or find us on Facebook at Balbriggan Branch of Guide Dogs.

St Mary’s Baton Twirlers were thrilled when 12 members of the local Balbriggan club qualified along with Clareville Baton Twirlers and Twilight Baton Twirlers to make up the 40 strong Team Ireland who competed at 2024 EFBT European Championship in Czech Republic in early July.

Team Ireland placed 3rd in the Nations Cup and took home numerous awards. St. Mary’s athletes took home three gold, two silver and two Bronze medals as well as three 4th, four 6th sand two 7th places.
The club is now taking names for 3 new teams: Girls and boys born in 2017; Girls and boys born in 2015 and Girls and boys born in 2013.

Classes which return in September. Please contact 086-3270636 by text or WhatsApp for further details.