Gerry & The Plonkers, the Donabate Portrane Men’s Shed group has been busy. In late June, they played at the Donabate Sea Scouts’ fundraiser and last month they opened the proceedings at Fingal Vintage Picnic in Swords Castle. Maybe it will be Electric Picnic in 2025!
But Donabate Portrane Men’s Shed is much more than music. Last month, several of our regular croquet players participated in the croquet day organised by Active Age for All. Many thanks to AAfA, and especially Carolyn Smith for such an enjoyable afternoon. In addition to our weekly croquet sessions on Tuesday morning at Newbridge House, we have our weekly exercise classes and our Thursday morning get-togethers in the Sea Scouts’ den.
We also have occasional outings to places of interest, our next one being to the Croke Park Museum and Skyline Tour sometime in September. Depending on the weather, we will probably have a get-together on Portrane Green for Piper’s fish and chips sometime in August.
If you, or someone you know, would like to join us, please call Jim, our PRO, on 086-3694316.
Your local guild of the Irish Countrywoman’s Association meets on the 2nd and 4th Thursday in the Portacabin in DPCC. We meet at 8.00 and usually are finished with tea and coffee by 10.00. If you are interested in coming along, please just come on 12th September, we would love to see you.
This year we concentrated on making knee quilts for the Hospice. When some of us went to Raheny to deliver them and they wanted to keep them and sell them at their Christmas Fair. Many of us thought that we would try to do something to reduce the stack of fabric that just seems to hang around anyone handy! For those interested, we used the quilt as you go method.
Buaileann Ciorcal Comhrá le chéile gach Sathairn ag 2 iarnóin i gCafé Cates, i nDomhnach Bheathach. Is grúpa neamhfoirmiúil muid, agus tá fáilte roimh gach duine teacht. Thosaigh muid ag teacht le chéile tímpeall 2011, mar mhaidin caife, nuair a ghlac ár mbaile páirt i seó teilfíse de chuid TG4 darbh ainm, “G-Team”.
Tionscnamh ab ea é de chuid Duirmuid Ó Suilleabháin as na Scéirí, nach maireann, a chuir a lán oibre isteach maidineacha caife a spreagadh thar fuaid Tuaisceart an Contae. Gach Sathairn bíonn ó thrí go seachtar daoine ag cainnt is a comhrá is caife agus cáca milis á ithe againn.
Le déanaí, ghlac muid páirt i Seó Contae “Flavours of Fingal” i pPáirc Newbridge. Deireadh seachtaine bliantiúil den scoth is ea ea “Flavours”, atá reachtaithe ag Comhairle Contae Fhine Gall, atá saor in aisce do theaghlaigh sult a bhaint as an gceol beó, taispeántais chócaireachta, taispeántais thalmhaíochta; trialacha capall; trialacha mhadraí, is thar cionn 150 bhothannaí bia is ceirde.
Réitigh muid Pop-up Gaeltacht in san Scioból Dearg, i bhFeirm Newbridge, le ceol álainn ó ghrúpa Chomaltas Leithinis, faoi stiúr an sár-fidléir áitiúil Erin McGahan, is Óg-dhrámaíocht den scoth léirithe ag grúpa Úna Bhreathnach, “Conas mar a fuair Cú Chulainn a Ainm”. Bhí neart cluichí Scrabble as Gaeilge is picnic traidisiúnta idir láimh againn freisin.
Tá fáile roimh gach duine buaileadh linn i gCates Sathairn ar bith ag a dó a chloig le cainnt is cleachtadh na teanga.
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Our Ciorcal Comhrá meets every Saturday at 2pm in Cate’s Café, Donabate. We are an informal group, meeting together since about 2011, over coffee and cake to chat and practice our Irish. Everyone is welcome to attend.
Recently, we took part in the Flavours of Fingal County Show, in Newbridge Park, and organised a Pop-Up Gaeltacht which included wonderful trad music played by Comhaltas Leithinis and some brilliant youth drama, “How Cú Chulainn got his name”. We also enjoyed a few rounds of Irish language scrabble, and a traditional picnic.
Everyone is welcome to join us in Cate’s on Saturday afternoons at 2pm.
Foroige Coastal North Dublin's Summer so far has included Healthy Habits week - Young people learned healthy ways to manage stress, anxiety/ issues in their daily lives in a healthy way. activities included smoothie making, yoga and meditation. Some young people visited the salt caves.
Life skills week - Swimming lessons for 5 young people. This week gave young people an opportunity to do some cooking/baking and creative skills including tie dye arts and crafts.
Fishing week - Young people had the opportunity to learn a new skill they wouldn't have the opportunity to experience otherwise. We brought a number of young people each day fishing and they absolutely adored the experience.
Sports week - (multi sports day) Using local clubs from across the dublin area young people were able to engage in a number of different sports and activities. This allowed for them to meet new people and build relationships. The young people also took part in cricket throughout the week, a sport many of them hadn't tried before, once again exposing them to activities they had not experienced before.
Water safety week - (open water) Young people learned necessary lifesaving skills. They took part in this activity for 5 days on skerries beach where they had the opportunity to get into the water and not only have fun but learn lifesaving skills.
We are halfway through our summer programmes engaging over 100 young people in positive activities across Skerries, Rush and Lusk.
Be sure to sign-up to subscribe to our ezine newsletter to hear about our events firsthand.
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.
